“Why is the Sect Master here?”
As Ye Ran spoke, she slowly stepped back.
But the next moment, the door behind her was shut. Shen Zuihuan rose to his feet and approached her step by step.
“Why so nervous, my junior? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”
As Shen Zuihuan drew closer, a faint, alluring fragrance drifted over. The instant Ye Ran inhaled it, she felt a wave of dizziness.
She quickly held her breath and focused her mind to keep the scent from entering her nose. Her gaze toward Shen Zuihuan grew more guarded.
“It’s getting late. The Sect Master showing up here so unexpectedly hardly seems appropriate. If you have orders for me, wouldn’t it be better to summon me tomorrow?”
Ye Ran stood her ground, bowing respectfully to Shen Zuihuan and reminding him to mind their respective positions.
But Shen Zuihuan acted as if he didn’t understand. He continued closing the distance until he stood before her, then lightly patted her shoulder.
“Since I’ve come to see you at this hour, it’s naturally about personal matters.”
As he spoke, he blew a soft breath toward Ye Ran. Even though she was still holding her breath, she couldn’t help but catch a hint of the fragrance.
Ye Ran didn’t care for the smell. She instinctively tried to move away, but her body suddenly froze in place, leaving her no choice but to let Shen Zuihuan lean in.
“The offer I made today wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment whim. If you’re truly interested in the Joyous Union Sect, you’re welcome to join us directly.”
“Thank you for the kind offer, Senior Uncle, but I prefer the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect.”
Ye Ran refused, crisp and clear.
Shen Zuihuan wasn’t surprised, as if he’d already expected this answer. But he didn’t seem ready to give up. He curved his lips into a smile and cast her a flirtatious glance.
“Since you’re unwilling, I won’t force you. But I do fancy you, junior. How about you and I explore the delights of the Joyous Way together?”
With that, Shen Zuihuan slipped off his outer robe, stepped forward, and tilted Ye Ran’s chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.
At that moment, his pupils turned violet. Ye Ran felt as if she were under a spell—her expression grew dazed, and a voice in her mind urged her to say yes.
[Ahhh! Host! Whatever you do, don’t agree!]
At the critical moment, the system let out a shrill shriek in Ye Ran’s mind. Her consciousness snapped back instantly, and she regained control of her body.
She immediately broke free from Shen Zuihuan’s grip and retreated swiftly.
“No, thank you. It’s late. Please go back, Sect Master.”
Ye Ran’s tone turned firm. She adopted the posture of closing the door to see off a guest.
A trace of disappointment flickered across Shen Zuihuan’s face, but in the end, he didn’t press further.
“Very well, I’ll take my leave then. If you change your mind, you can come find me anytime.”
He placed a jade pendant on the table, gave Ye Ran a wink, then waved his hand to open the door and stepped out.
The moment Shen Zuihuan’s figure vanished into the night, Ye Ran immediately shut the door, picked up the pendant, and tossed it out the window.
[Host, why did you throw away the pendant too?]
“I wouldn’t dare keep anything from Shen Zuihuan. What if he’s drugged it?”
Shen Zuihuan was exactly the type to do something like that.
In the novel, he had secretly played all sorts of tricks just to cultivate dual cultivation with the female protagonist.
Thinking of this, Ye Ran still felt uneasy. She opened the door again and added an extra layer of protective barrier outside.
Only after doing all this did she dare get into bed and try to sleep. But just as she was about to drift off, she began to feel a strange dryness in her mouth and throat.
Ye Ran tried to ignore it, but the sensation grew stronger, and a wave of heat started rising inside her body.
At the same time, she suddenly sensed someone breaching her barrier.
“Oh no, system! We’ve been had!”
Ye Ran sat up abruptly, her drowsiness vanishing completely in an instant.
The system, which had been sleeping soundly in her arms, immediately sprang upright and looked around warily.
“What’s wrong, Host? What is it?”
“I think I’ve been drugged.” Ye Ran tugged at her collar, then glanced toward the door. “And someone’s coming. Quickly, see who it is.”
“On it, Host.”
The moment Ye Ran finished speaking, the system vanished from the bed and returned to the system space.
A moment later, its voice rang out in Ye Ran’s mind:
[Host, it’s Shen Zuihuan.]
So it was him!
No wonder he had left so easily earlier—he’d had a backup plan all along.
[What do we do, Host? He’s about to come in!]
The system was scurrying around frantically in the space.
Ye Ran looked toward the door and indeed saw a figure outside.
Seeing that the door was about to be pushed open, she gritted her teeth against the discomfort, quickly got out of bed, went to the window, and jumped out.
She didn’t dare waste a single second. The moment she steadied herself, she dashed straight into the bamboo forest ahead.
The disciples of Flowing Cloud Peak lived just beyond this bamboo grove. Her only chance was to reach a place with more people, where Shen Zuihuan wouldn’t dare follow.
And since most of the disciples on this trip were female, she would be safer there.
The plan was sound, but Ye Ran wasn’t familiar with the area, and soon she lost her way in the darkness.
Sensing the presence behind her drawing closer, Ye Ran grew so anxious that beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Fortunately, before long, she vaguely spotted a glimmer of light ahead.
Her heart leaped with hope, and she quickened her pace toward it.
As she approached the light, the presence behind her suddenly slowed down, then stopped altogether. After a moment, it disappeared.
Ye Ran was nearly exhausted. Feeling the presence vanish, she stopped immediately, leaning against a tree to catch her breath.
But the strange heat inside her surged up again, leaving her body weak and limp, her legs trembling faintly.
Biting her lip, Ye Ran looked up toward the light and realized that no one lived here—it was just a lantern hanging from a tree branch.
Beneath the lantern, however, was a pool of spring water, its surface reflecting the faint glow.
Ye Ran instinctively felt that the water would be wonderfully cool.
The heat inside her grew more intense, urging her to get into the pool for relief.
She scanned her surroundings, confirmed no one was nearby, set up a barrier, and jumped into the water without hesitation.
The water was very cold—exactly what she needed to ease the burning sensation in her body.
She slumped weakly against the edge of the pool, waiting for the heat to subside.
But moments later, she felt an unexpected surge of even greater heat. It came on so fiercely that Ye Ran could feel the water around her growing warmer along with her body temperature.
She tried to move slowly toward the other side.
But it made no difference. No matter where she went, the burning heat wouldn’t ease at all.
Just as Ye Ran was at a loss for what to do, she looked up and met a pair of pitch-black eyes.
Lu Li was soaking in a shadowed corner of the pool. His silver hair cascaded down, half submerged in the water, a few strands clinging to his partially exposed chest.
Like a water spirit, he gazed silently at Ye Ran.
“Eldest Senior Brother?”
Ye Ran hadn’t expected Lu Li to be here as well. She called out to him softly.
Due to the effects of the drug, her voice carried an unmistakable hint of seductiveness compared to usual.
This change brought a flicker of scrutiny to Lu Li’s eyes. He slowly stepped out of the shadows and came to stand before Ye Ran.
“What are you doing here, Junior Sister?”
Lu Li’s voice was as gentle as ever, but when it reached Ye Ran’s ears, it only made the heat inside her surge more violently.
It gradually transformed into an unbearable, itching craving—a desperate urge compelling her to do something to find relief.
The first thing that came to Ye Ran’s mind was Lu Li’s ice-cold palms.
His hands were always so cold, as if devoid of warmth, each touch sending a shiver through her.
But now, that coolness was exactly what she needed.
The moment the thought arose, her body acted first—directly grabbing Lu Li’s hand and pressing it against her cheek.
A wave of coolness washed over her, finally easing the burning sensation.
But the itching deep inside only grew more intense, making her want more.
Ye Ran pressed Lu Li’s hand tighter against her face.
The heat radiating from her cheek, along with the smooth, soft texture beneath his palm, caught Lu Li slightly off guard.
He had no idea what Ye Ran was up to, nor did he expect such boldness from her. But when he caught the increasingly potent fragrance, his eyes darkened instantly. He pulled his hand away from hers without hesitation.
The next moment, however, Ye Ran’s entire body pressed against him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
The fragrance that rushed toward him carried a wave of heat, stirring Lu Li’s own body into restlessness.
He looked down at Ye Ran, his gaze turning cold.
But when he spoke, his voice came out even gentler than before. “What’s wrong, Junior Sister? Is there something I can help you with?”
Ye Ran’s mind could no longer function properly. She didn’t know what she wanted either. But when her gaze landed on Lu Li’s thin lips, moving slightly as he spoke, she couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“I… I…”
“Don’t rush, Junior Sister. Take your time.”
Lu Li seemed perfectly patient. He tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to continue.
But the next moment, a soft sensation landed on his lips.
Lu Li froze completely, unable to react. Ye Ran took the opportunity to draw his lips between hers, gently sucking, moving from his upper lip to his lower lip.
The rich fragrance transferred directly from mouth to mouth, instantly invading Lu Li’s entire being. The heat he had just suppressed rebounded violently, making his own body burn just as fiercely.
His breath caught. He stood rigid, fighting to control his surging body.
But that only gave Ye Ran free rein to do as she pleased. No longer satisfied with just his lips, she began trying to slip her tongue into his mouth.
The moment their tongues touched, both of their bodies trembled.
“Lu Li’s breathing fell into complete disarray. But just then, Ye Ran managed to regain a shred of reason.”
Realizing that she had actually been molesting Lu Li, Ye Ran was horrified. She immediately pulled back, putting distance between them.
“Eldest Senior Brother, I…”
She wanted to say she didn’t mean it, but the moment she met Lu Li’s gaze, the words died in her throat.
Her eyes drifted downward involuntarily, landing once again on Lu Li’s lips.
The urge to kiss him surged back.
Reason told her she needed to get away from Lu Li immediately. But her body refused to obey—and worse, it began moving closer to him on its own.
By the time Ye Ran finally regained control of her body, she had already drawn close to Lu Li again. Their lips were just an inch apart, about to touch.
Ye Ran tried to pull away, but before she could move, a large hand clamped onto the back of her head. Then came Lu Li’s urgent kiss.
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