She had clearly underestimated just how twisted the great villain really was.
Ye Ran’s heart suddenly began to pound, and her hand resting on the stone wall unconsciously clenched tight.
She thought about turning around and pretending she hadn’t noticed anything, but before she could move, Lu Li looked up and met her eyes.
The moment their gazes locked, Ye Ran’s breath caught in her throat, and her body went stiff. She had no idea how to react.
“What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”
Lu Li was the first to break the silence.
But even as he spoke, he didn’t close the book. In fact, under Ye Ran’s watchful gaze, he slowly turned another page.
“N-nothing… I’m just surprised you’re not resting anymore, Senior Brother.”
Ye Ran felt as if everything had gone black before her eyes. She wished she were dreaming.
But the sharp scrape of stone against her palm as she tightened her grip told her, all too clearly, that this was no dream.
“I’ve recovered a little, so I thought I’d do some reading.”
As he spoke, Lu Li turned another page, glanced briefly at the book in his hand, then shifted his gaze back to Ye Ran.
“This book is quite interesting.”
The seemingly casual remark made Ye Ran’s heart leap into her throat again.
She couldn’t figure out Lu Li’s intentions.
Here he was, looking at a book of erotic illustrations, yet pretending to be perfectly serious about it.
Was he trying to test whether she knew it was a porn book?
Ye Ran stole another glance at Lu Li and noticed that his eyes never left her. It seemed she commanded even more of his attention than the book did.
That confirmation sealed her suspicion.
Lu Li was definitely testing her!
Ye Ran quickly straightened her back, trying to appear less guilty.
“Senior Brother truly sets an example for all of us. Even while injured, you never forget to study your cultivation techniques. Your perseverance is truly admirable.”
The smartest move right now was to play dumb—pretend she didn’t know he was holding a porn book and pretend she didn’t know his true nature.
Ye Ran forced herself to muster a sincere smile.
But Lu Li didn’t respond. Instead, there was a hint of scrutiny in the way he looked at her.
Ye Ran couldn’t begin to guess what was going through Lu Li’s mind, so she just kept smiling back at him.
It wasn’t until her face grew stiff from holding the smile that Lu Li finally looked away and closed the book.
“Just passing the time. It’s late and cold out. Why don’t you come inside, Junior Sister?”
“All right…”
Once she saw that the book had vanished from Lu Li’s hands, Ye Ran got up and moved toward the fire. Still, she was careful to choose a spot a good distance away from him.
Her cautious retreat brought another flicker of surprise to Lu Li’s eyes.
But this time, he didn’t say anything more. He simply leaned back against the stone wall and closed his eyes again.
That unnerving gaze that Ye Ran couldn’t ignore finally disappeared.
Only then did she truly relax. After tossing a few more pieces of wood onto the fire, she found a comfortable position against the wall and rested.
The warmth of the flames gradually seeped back into her body, and a wave of drowsiness soon followed.
This time, the fatigue hit her hard. No matter how she tried to fight it, she couldn’t resist. Within moments, she had succumbed to sleep.
But the instant her eyes shut, Lu Li’s snapped open again.
He gave a slight twitch of his fingers, which had been resting on his leg, and the spiritual energy coiling around his fingertips slowly dissipated.
At the same time, Ye Ran’s body went completely limp as she fell into a deep slumber against the cave wall.
Lu Li rose and walked toward her step by step. As he drew nearer, that alluring, captivating fragrance grew stronger and stronger.
It tempted him to quicken his pace, to claim that scent for himself.
But the more his body screamed for it, the calmer Lu Li became. His steps betrayed not a trace of disorder.
Finally, he stopped just one step away from Ye Ran.
He crouched down, took her chin between his fingers, and studied her carefully.
“You only confuse me more and more.”
She had been the one to give him that book of erotic illustrations, yet now that he had taken it out, she acted as if she wanted nothing to do with it.
She seemed to resist getting close to him.
Lu Li’s gaze lingered on Ye Ran’s face, unwilling to look away for a long time.
Ye Ran appeared to be having a pleasant dream—her brow was relaxed, and the corners of her lips curled into a smile.
The scent hovering around Lu Li’s nose grew even sweeter, seeping into his lungs with every breath, constantly tempting him to draw closer.
Lu Li’s eyes turned cold, and the pressure of his fingers suddenly tightened.
Asleep, Ye Ran felt the discomfort. She furrowed her brows slightly and let out a faint, mumbled whisper.
Only then did Lu Li release his grip and stand back up. But his eyes remained fixed on Ye Ran’s chin.
On her fair, delicate skin, a red mark now stood out—stark and glaring, almost begging to be marred, to be toyed with.
A shadow of gloom suddenly crossed Lu Li’s face.
For a moment there, he had actually felt a real urge to mistreat her.
Such an uncontrollable impulse was extremely dangerous to him.
Lu Li’s hand, hanging at his side, suddenly clenched. The atmosphere in the cave grew heavy, and the flickering flames nearby trembled slightly.
After a moment, he turned and walked back to the straw mat.
…
Daylight gradually broke. Sunlight streamed through the cave entrance, falling directly onto Ye Ran’s sleeping face.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and as she opened her eyes, she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself from the glare.
Once her eyes adjusted, the first thing she saw was the burned-out pile of firewood.
Ye Ran was dazed for a moment, then abruptly sat bolt upright.
How had she fallen asleep?!
Last night, she had told herself over and over not to doze off.
Thinking of this, her gaze instinctively shifted toward where Lu Li had been—and immediately met a pair of calm eyes.
The unexpected eye contact startled Ye Ran, and she couldn’t help shrinking back slightly.
“Did I scare you, Junior Sister?”
Lu Li rose and stepped toward Ye Ran, stopping precisely two paces away—close, but not too close.
“N-no… I’m just surprised I fell asleep at all. Last night, I said I would keep watch.”
As she spoke, Ye Ran quietly studied Lu Li. Noticing that his face was still pale, she breathed a small sigh of relief.
It seemed the great villain’s injuries hadn’t healed yet. He probably hadn’t done anything to her while she slept.
“It’s fine. Last night, we couldn’t get out—but that also meant nothing else could get in.”
Lu Li’s gaze swept briefly across Ye Ran’s face, then he stepped past her and headed toward the cave entrance.
“Let’s go. The barrier has opened.”
“All right.”
Ye Ran quickly got up and followed behind Lu Li.
But after relaxing, she suddenly noticed an ache in her chin—as if someone had pinched it.
She cast a suspicious glance at Lu Li.
She couldn’t help but suspect the great villain. He had too much of a track record not to make her wonder.
Seeing that Lu Li showed no sign of turning around, Ye Ran discreetly pulled out a small mirror and looked at her reflection.
Her chin still looked smooth and fair—no suspicious marks in sight.
A puzzled expression crossed her face. She reached up and touched it tentatively. The moment her fingertips made contact, the ache grew more pronounced.
It wasn’t terribly painful, but it was impossible to ignore.
Ye Ran cast another doubtful look at Lu Li.
But just then, Lu Li happened to stop and turn around, catching her gaze directly.
Her suspicious expression hadn’t yet faded, and Lu Li saw it all.
His eyes lingered on Ye Ran’s chin for a moment. A flicker of darkness passed through them, quickly replaced by puzzlement.
“What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”
“Nothing. I just suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable under my chin.”
As she said this, Ye Ran stared intently at Lu Li, searching his face for any sign of guilt—or any other emotion.
But Lu Li’s face remained utterly unruffled. He even met her gaze directly, without the slightest evasion.
“I happen to have some ointment with me. Do you need it, Junior Sister?”
“No, it’s nothing serious. I probably just bumped it while sleeping last night. I wouldn’t want to waste your medicine, Senior Brother.”
Just as Lu Li moved to take out the ointment, Ye Ran quickly waved her hands in refusal.
She didn’t dare accept anything from the great villain.
Fortunately, Lu Li didn’t insist. Seeing Ye Ran refuse, he lowered his raised hand.
“Then we should return quickly.”
With that, Lu Li waved his hand, and a sword appeared beneath his feet, lifting him slowly into the air.
“Senior Brother, I don’t know how to—”
Ye Ran looked troubled, about to explain that she couldn’t sword-fly, when suddenly a strand of spiritual energy wrapped around her waist, lifting her up and carrying her along as Lu Li shot swiftly into the sky.
Lu Li flew at great speed. By the time Ye Ran realized what was happening, they had already covered a considerable distance.
The dozens of meters beneath her feet and the rapidly moving scenery were more thrilling than any roller coaster.
Ye Ran’s heart began to pound violently. She wanted to ask Lu Li to slow down, but the wind swallowed her voice entirely.
Fortunately, in less than a quarter of an hour, they had returned to the sect.
Lu Li thoughtfully escorted Ye Ran all the way to Flowing Cloud Peak.
But the moment her feet touched the ground, her legs buckled, and she nearly fell. Only thanks to Lu Li catching her arm in time did she manage to stay upright.
“Thank you, Senior Brother.”
Ye Ran habitually voiced her gratitude first.
But this time, Lu Li didn’t respond right away. She looked up in confusion and saw him staring at her with a strange expression.
It was the kind of look one gives upon discovering a new species—though there also seemed to be a hint of scrutiny in it.
“My aptitude is poor, so learning swordsmanship is quite difficult for me. That’s why I can’t sword-fly. I’m embarrassed to have you see that, Senior Brother.”
That was the hallmark of an ultimate cauldron constitution—aside from a soft, delicate body, everything else, especially learning swordsmanship, was exceedingly difficult.
To hide her true constitution, Ye Ran had no choice but to claim she was a once-in-a-century dullard, hoping to keep anyone from noticing anything unusual.
Ever since she had entered this book, she had managed to hide it well. Even her own master hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
But now, facing Lu Li, she felt less confident.
She always sensed a certain examination in Lu Li’s gaze, as if he could see right through her.
“Junior Sister shouldn’t sell herself short. When it comes to learning swordsmanship, effort is what matters most.”
After a moment, Lu Li finally looked away. At the same time, he released Ye Ran’s arm and stepped back, putting distance between them.
That subtle sense of pressure also faded.
Ye Ran quietly breathed a sigh of relief. After politely thanking Lu Li, she turned to head back to her quarters.
But before she had taken two steps, Lu Li’s voice came from behind her again.
“Junior Sister, wait.”
“Is there something else, Senior Brother?” Ye Ran turned around in confusion.
Lu Li raised his hand slightly, and an envelope that had fallen to the ground flew into his grasp.
“You dropped something, Junior Sister.”
The familiar envelope made Ye Ran’s heart clench.
This was the love letter Lu Li had written to her!
How had it suddenly fallen out?
Without time to overthink it, Ye Ran quickly stepped forward to take the letter, terrified that Lu Li might drop his facade at any moment and openly confront her about the harassment.
“Thank you, Senior Brother. It’s getting late. You should head back now.”
With that, Ye Ran turned and left without waiting to see how Lu Li reacted, looking very much like she was fleeing in panic.
Only after she returned to her quarters did she begin to calm down—and then she remembered that she hadn’t been carrying the love letter on her person.
So what was in her hand now?
The thought made Ye Ran freeze. Slowly, she looked down at the letter in her hand.
Seeing the familiar envelope, she felt as if the sky were falling.
With trembling hands, she carefully opened it.
The same handwriting as last time. The same bold, unrestrained content.
Her vision went dark.
This was another love letter!!!
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