No!
It wasn’t right to tie it to anyone!
Ye Ran’s gaze toward Lu Li immediately turned wary.
Had he finally lost control and was about to reveal his true nature?
Her heart racing with panic, she tried to move her arms to break free, but as she struggled, the red cord suddenly tightened.
Completely off guard, she fell straight forward, crashing right into Lu Li’s chest. Her cheek pressed tightly against him, and she once again got a close-up feel of the lean muscles she secretly admired.
But at this moment, Ye Ran had no romantic thoughts whatsoever—she only wanted to get away from Lu Li as fast as possible.
She moved again, trying to escape his embrace, but being bound made every motion especially difficult.
After struggling for a long time, not only did she fail to stand up, but her cheek ended up rubbing across Lu Li’s chest again and again.
His clothes were left messy and disheveled because of her.
Ye Ran didn’t pay much attention to that—her only focus was creating distance. She twisted her body, attempting to get to her feet, but her cheek accidentally brushed against something.
Suddenly, a restrained moan came from above her.
The next moment, her waist was firmly held in place.
“Don’t move.”
Lu Li’s voice had turned low and husky. As he spoke, a rich fragrance instantly filled his mouth and nose, making his breathing grow heavier.
Ye Ran immediately noticed the change in him.
The rise and fall of his chest was clearly transmitted to her face. Seeing it quicken by the second, she couldn’t help but look up at Lu Li—only to meet a pair of scorching eyes.
His gaze was exactly the same as last night: burning with a hint of aggression that made Ye Ran’s body tremble.
“Senior Martial Brother, can you let me go first?”
They were pressed very close together. As soon as Ye Ran spoke, a wave of fragrance brushed against him, stirring his restless body even further—dangerously so.
The arm locked around her waist suddenly tightened, veins visible on the back of his hand.
Ye Ran found it hard to breathe. Her red lips parted instinctively to draw in more air.
But that very action made Lu Li’s breathing even heavier. His body kept urging him to lower his head and seal those lips right in front of him.
Their distance kept shrinking, their breaths intertwining. Just as their lips were about to touch—
A panicked voice suddenly came from outside the screen:
“Senior Martial Brother, something terrible has happened!”
Lu Li’s movement stopped instantly, his eyes clearing. After steadying Ye Ran, he quickly pulled away.
Ye Ran had wanted to ask him to untie the rope, but just as she was about to speak, Lu Li had already walked past the screen, not even leaving her a glimpse of his back.
She had no choice but to quiet her breathing and listen closely to what was happening outside.
The one who had barged in was Meng Xuan. He looked nervous, as if he’d run into some serious trouble.
But when he saw Lu Li emerge from behind the screen, his expression turned to surprise—as if he’d witnessed something incredible.
It was because Lu Li was always impeccably dressed. Yet now, not only was the front of his robe wrinkled, but even his breathing was disordered.
Such a disheveled state was extremely rare for Lu Li.
And when Meng Xuan had entered, he’d clearly sensed two presences behind the screen.
Then he remembered—Ye Ran was staying right next door to Lu Li. His expression shifted, and upon closer look, there was even a hint of alarm.
“Senior Martial Brother, is there someone else in your room?”
Meng Xuan’s tone was urgent, and he kept glancing toward the screen, looking as though he wanted to go check it himself.
His words reached Ye Ran clearly.
Hearing Meng Xuan’s footsteps approaching, Ye Ran’s body went rigid. Her breathing slowed, terrified that he might discover her.
Luckily, just as Meng Xuan was about to get closer, a wave of pressure stopped him from advancing any further. Then Lu Li’s voice rang out:
“Junior Brother, have you come to see me about something urgent?”
Lu Li’s voice was very calm. As he met Meng Xuan’s gaze, his eyes were completely composed, showing no sign of hiding anyone.
Remembering that someone with Lu Li’s character would never do such a thing, Meng Xuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. When he looked up at Lu Li again, his expression had turned serious.
“Senior Martial Brother, a disciple just reported that while keeping watch in the town, they detected traces of demons. Following the trail, they discovered the entrance to a secret realm—one that has never appeared before. There’s no way to know what’s inside. The disciples didn’t dare enter rashly, so they came to report to you.”
Discovering new secret realms is common in the cultivation world, but since this one is connected to demons, it had to be taken seriously.
Hearing this, Lu Li furrowed his brow slightly. After a moment of thought, he finally spoke:
“We must first seek Master’s guidance on this matter.”
With that, Lu Li took out a command token. As it glowed white, a projection appeared in the room.
“Li’er, have you summoned your master because something difficult has come up?”
Ling Xu immediately noticed the grave expressions on Lu Li and Meng Xuan’s faces, recognizing that they had run into trouble.
Before Lu Li could answer, Meng Xuan hurriedly told Ling Xu about the discovery of the secret realm.
Ling Xu’s expression indeed turned serious as he listened.
“This matter is of great importance. The demons may have hidden a scheme inside the secret realm. First, have the disciples guard the entrance. I will send several more disciples to assist you. Then, all of you may enter the secret realm together.”
“Yes, this disciple obeys.”
Lu Li and Meng Xuan quickly acknowledged the order.
But Ling Xu’s projection did not disappear. Stroking his beard, he continued, “It remains uncertain how dangerous the secret realm may be. Above all, you must prioritize your own safety. Furthermore, the Hehuan Sect (Joyous Union Sect) is too unpredictable. Under no circumstances should any of its members be allowed to enter the secret realm.”
“This disciple understands,” Lu Li replied with a nod.
Satisfied, Ling Xu nodded in return, and the projection in the room vanished.
“Junior Brother, go and inform the other disciples to prepare. Tomorrow, after Master sends his people, we will all set out together and enter the secret realm.”
“Yes, I’ll go notify them right away.”
Meng Xuan, not daring to delay even a moment after receiving his orders, immediately turned and left Lu Li’s room.
Lu Li then returned behind the screen. Seeing Ye Ran still bound by the red cord, he finally waved his hand and untied it.
“Sorry, Junior Sister. I was in a hurry to deal with matters earlier and forgot you were still here.”
“It’s fine. I know Senior Martial Brother…”
Ye Ran moved her stiff hands and habitually started to say something understanding. But as she looked up, she clearly saw the smile on Lu Li’s face.
She froze for a moment, then quickly understood.
Lu Li was deliberately messing with her!
Ye Ran felt a bit angry but didn’t dare show it. That expression—wanting to be mad but not daring—struck Lu Li as rather endearing.
Like a kitten with its fur standing on end.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when his hand had already reached out and touched Ye Ran’s head.
This action startled them both.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Ye Ran had no idea what Lu Li meant by this gesture. She could only stand there nervously, completely still.
After a long while, the hand on her head moved again, almost as if it was gently ruffling her hair.
But by the time she snapped back to her senses, Lu Li had already withdrawn his hand, his expression back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.
“We’re entering the secret realm tomorrow. Junior Sister, you should go back and rest early.”
“Yes.”
Ye Ran’s thoughts were completely jumbled. Obediently acknowledging his words, she turned and quietly returned to her own room.
After Ye Ran left, Lu Li finally raised the hand that had touched her head moments ago.
The soft sensation still lingered in his palm—it felt exactly like touching a kitten, perhaps even a little better.
Lu Li stared at his palm, his dark eyes concealing all emotions, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
…
Early the next morning, the disciples sent by Ling Xu arrived at the Hehuan Sect. After gathering together, the group set off in full force toward the entrance of the secret realm.
For this mission, all disciples were required to enter the secret realm. However, since the artifact-cultivating disciples were not particularly strong in combat, they needed to follow the sword-cultivating disciples.
Ye Ran divided the artifact-cultivating disciples into groups, assigning each group to accompany a corresponding sword-cultivating disciple.
After she finished, the disciples entered the secret realm in batches. Once most of them had gone in, Meng Xuan approached Ye Ran again.
“Junior Sister, have you decided which group you’ll go with?”
This question reminded Ye Ran. In her haste to arrange the other disciples, she had forgotten about herself.
She was about to pick a random group to follow when she looked up and realized that only the teams led by Lu Li and Meng Xuan were left outside.
If she had to choose between the male lead and the villain, she would rather go with the villain.
So, Ye Ran decisively walked toward Lu Li.
“I’ll just go with Senior Martial Brother’s group.”
Meng Xuan’s smile froze on his face. He clearly hadn’t expected Ye Ran to choose Lu Li so firmly.
Still unwilling to give up, he hurried after her with an anxious expression.
“Junior Sister, Senior Martial Brother doesn’t like having others tag along with him. You should come with my group instead.”
Ye Ran’s footsteps did indeed pause.
She had almost forgotten—the main villain preferred to act alone on missions, as it made things easier for him when he needed to kill someone.
That meant he probably wouldn’t agree to take her with him. But going with the male lead could easily trigger the plot.
Thinking of this, Ye Ran couldn’t help but look at Lu Li, a hint of pleading in her eyes.
“Then Junior Sister will come with me.”
To her surprise, Lu Li agreed outright.
Meng Xuan looked incredulous. He opened his mouth, wanting to make one last attempt, but Ye Ran had already followed Lu Li into the secret realm. Before he could say another word, they had vanished from sight.
Every time someone entered this secret realm, they were teleported to a different location. So when Ye Ran and Lu Li went in, they didn’t see any other disciples—only a dense forest before their eyes.
“Junior Sister, you’d better stay close to me.”
Lu Li scanned their surroundings and, after saying this, walked straight ahead. Ye Ran obediently followed right behind him.
But as they walked, mist began to rise around them. The further they went, the thicker the fog became.
Just as the path ahead was nearly impossible to see, Lu Li finally stopped.
Yet even after they stopped, the fog continued to thicken. Soon, nothing remained before their eyes but a vast expanse of white.
Ye Ran instinctively moved closer to Lu Li, her eyes watching their surroundings warily.
Suddenly, a dark shadow darted past her. She quickly spoke up to warn Lu Li:
“Senior Martial Brother! There’s something in the fog!”
“I see it. Wait here for me.”
As Lu Li spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Ye Ran. There was a faint trace of excitement in his voice.
But Ye Ran was too preoccupied to notice. She had just nodded, about to agree, when she realized Lu Li had already disappeared from her side.
Alone in the thick fog, Ye Ran felt uneasy.
Still, she obeyed Lu Li’s words and stayed where she was without moving a step.
Fortunately, before long, she spotted a familiar figure emerging from the mist. She quickly stepped forward to meet it.
“Senior Martial Brother, you’re ba—”
Before she could finish, the figure suddenly vanished.
Ye Ran stopped dead in her tracks, a sense of dread rising in her heart.
The next moment, a pair of ice-cold hands covered her eyes from behind and dragged her into the thick fog.
Just before her consciousness faded, a familiar voice whispered in her ear:
“Let me see what secrets you’re hiding.”
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