Lu Li’s pitiful voice reached Ye Ran’s ears, making her heart suddenly tremble. She grew flustered.
“Then… then let me take you back to rest, senior brother?”
“Alright.”
Lu Li agreed readily. Before Ye Ran could move, he took the initiative to lean against her.
Ye Ran had no choice but to support him.
His fluid motion made a flicker of suspicion cross her face.
She had a feeling Lu Li was deliberately playing up his suffering to gain her sympathy.
It wasn’t until she looked up and saw the unmistakable smirk at the corner of his mouth that she was certain—he was indeed playing pitiful.
But he did genuinely look very weak. In the end, Ye Ran couldn’t bring herself to call him out on it. She simply helped him walk slowly back.
“Senior brother, how did the sect leader decide to deal with Senior Brother Meng?”
Outside the hall earlier, Ye Ran had only seen disciples dragging Meng Xuan away. Judging by his frantic struggles, the punishment must have been severe.
“Master decided to have him struck by a hundred lightning bolts and then expelled from the sect.”
The answer caught Ye Ran off guard.
She had anticipated a harsh punishment, but not outright expulsion.
“What’s wrong, junior sister?”
The hand on Ye Ran’s waist suddenly tightened, snapping her back to the present. She quickly pacified Lu Li.
“Nothing. I just think he got what he deserved.”
What truly surprised her was that Meng Xuan, who in the novel had been so gloriously prominent in the sect, had been expelled so easily. It felt almost unreal.
[System, is the male lead really so easily driven away? I feel like I’m dreaming.]
Ye Ran called out to the system in her mind, wanting to confirm it one more time.
[Of course not, host. The male lead is currently being punished on the Lightning Platform. He’s getting struck horribly. You never have to worry about him bothering you again.]
The system’s voice carried a cheerful note.
Hearing that, Ye Ran’s eyes lit up.
[System, since the male lead is basically out of the picture now, does that mean my mission is complete?]
[Well… not exactly.] The system’s tone suddenly turned evasive.
[You still need to guard against the side characters. You have to hold out until the story’s abrupt ending point to complete the mission.]
[I see.]
Ye Ran felt a slight disappointment.
[Host, don’t worry. The biggest problem is already solved. From now on, you just need to stay by the villain’s side and cling to his thigh.]
[That’s not wrong.]
After giving it some thought, Ye Ran found the system’s advice sound.
The male lead had always been the greatest obstacle to her mission. Now that he was gone, the difficulty had plummeted. She never had to look over her shoulder again.
Her mood instantly lifted. She didn’t even mind that Lu Li deliberately chose the busier path back.
When they reached her quarters, Ye Ran quickly helped Lu Li lie down on the small couch and covered him with a blanket.
But the moment she tucked him in, Lu Li grabbed her hand. His gaze at her was full of a plea for sympathy.
Ye Ran tried to pull her hand free but couldn’t. So she tentatively asked, “Senior brother, does your wound hurt again?”
“Yes.”
Lu Li placed Ye Ran’s hand on his chest. Just as she was about to pull away, he added, “It hurts a lot.”
At that, Ye Ran stopped moving.
Looking at his shoulder stained with blood, a pang of sympathy rose in her eyes again.
“Then let me reapply the medicine for you, senior brother.”
Back in the illusion, under rough conditions, she had only applied some ointment hastily without properly cleaning the wound.
Afterward, Lu Li had apprehended Meng Xuan and rushed back to Wanxian Sect without stopping. During all that time, his injury had been left unattended.
It had likely worsened and needed prompt attention.
“Then thank you, junior sister.”
Lu Li finally let go of Ye Ran’s hand.
Ye Ran quickly helped Lu Li sit up and prepared water and bandages.
When she helped him remove his robe, she saw that her guess was right. His wound had indeed worsened.
Not only had the gash reopened, but traces of residual poison still lingered near the injury.
Seeing this, Ye Ran fully believed him.
When he said it hurt, he hadn’t been lying.
After cleaning the wound, Ye Ran took out the medicine Lu Li had given her in the cave and carefully applied it.
Her movements were even gentler than before, and she kept watching his expression.
“Does this hurt, senior brother?”
“Yes.” Lu Li answered quickly.
“And this?” Ye Ran lightened her pressure even more.
“It still hurts.”
Ye Ran stopped and looked up at him.
She suspected he was messing with her.
But meeting his slightly pitiful eyes, her heart softened again.
“Then what will make it stop hurting?”
“Never mind. I’ll bear it.”
Though he said that, his eyes remained fixed on Ye Ran without moving.
She understood his meaning. Helpless, she sighed, set down the ointment, and leaned in to kiss him.
Only then was Lu Li satisfied. He parted his lips slightly, trying to guide her tongue into his mouth.
But Ye Ran pulled away after only a brief moment.
This displeased Lu Li. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned in again. But just before their lips met, Ye Ran pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him.
“We haven’t finished applying the medicine.”
“After it’s done, will junior sister ignore me?”
Lu Li’s gaze made Ye Ran’s conscience prick.
He had guessed correctly—she had indeed been thinking that.
Ever since Lu Li had moved in, he had become incredibly clingy, leaving her overwhelmed.
So she had planned to distance herself while he was injured, to catch her breath.
“Of course not.”
Her tone was unconvincing, her eyes darting away—clearly a lie.
“In that case, after the medicine is applied, junior sister will continue to reward me, won’t she?”
Lu Li’s hand remained on Ye Ran’s waist, refusing to move.
He seemed determined not to let go until she agreed.
“Alright.”
In the end, Ye Ran relented.
After all, Lu Li was badly injured now. Even if he wanted to do anything, he wouldn’t have the strength.
“Then junior sister must keep her word.”
Lu Li leaned close to her ear and gave it a gentle bite.
His voice, tinged with amusement, gave Ye Ran a sudden ominous feeling.
But just as she turned to look at him, Lu Li had already pulled back, releasing her waist.
“Please continue, junior sister.”
He turned to the side, presenting the wound to Ye Ran.
Seeing that it was threatening to reopen, Ye Ran quickly set aside her thoughts and focused on applying the medicine.
This time, Lu Li showed no signs of pain, and Ye Ran worked more efficiently.
Soon, she finished applying the medicine and bandaged the wound.
But just as she was about to put Lu Li’s robe back on him, he suddenly grabbed her hand, stopping her.
“What’s wrong? Did I not bandage it properly?”
Ye Ran quickly looked at Lu Li’s shoulder, pulling her arm back with more force. But Lu Li still wouldn’t let go.
“Junior sister promised to reward me.”
So that was it.
The tension in Ye Ran’s heart instantly eased.
“Let go first. Let me put your robe on, and then—”
But as she spoke, Lu Li guided her hand down from his chest, finally stopping at a certain place.
The change beneath her palm cut her words short. She looked down at her hand, then back at Lu Li in utter shock.
Under her gaze, Lu Li tilted his head back slightly, a hint of ecstasy crossing his face.
“He’s greeting junior sister.”
The words made Ye Ran’s mind feel as if it had exploded—completely blank.
It took her a long moment to process the sheer audacity of what Lu Li had just said.
“Senior brother, let go of me!”
Ye Ran struggled to pull her hand free, but Lu Li only held on tighter.
“Junior sister promised to reward me.”
His desire-filled eyes stared straight at her, making her heart suddenly race.
“That’s not the kind of reward I meant.”
Ye Ran tried to ignore the sensation in her palm, but Lu Li’s grip only tightened as he pulled her into his arms.
“The one asking for the reward decides what it is. Junior sister doesn’t get a say.”
Lu Li’s lips brushed against her ear. When he spoke, his hot breath spilled over her earlobe.
A tingling numbness spread from her earlobe through her entire body, stirring a familiar heat inside her.
Ye Ran’s heart skipped a beat. She struggled harder, finally breaking free from Lu Li’s grip. But his hand immediately went to her waist, pressing their bodies together.
“Is junior sister going back on her word?”
This time, Lu Li bit down on her earlobe.
Ye Ran’s body went limp. The restlessness inside her grew stronger.
Damn it—why was her constitution acting up now?
For a while, no matter how Lu Li provoked her, her constitution had shown no signs of flaring. But today, just from being close to him, that familiar feeling had returned.
And on top of that, the antidote, despite being injured, wouldn’t behave and kept tempting her.
Ye Ran looked at Lu Li with a hint of resentment.
She suspected he was doing this on purpose.
With that thought, she stopped resisting and bit down hard on his lips instead.
The action surprised Lu Li. But soon, a glint of amusement flashed in his eyes, and he began to return her kiss.
Ye Ran kissed him urgently, nibbling relentlessly at his lips.
But a kiss alone couldn’t quell the restlessness inside her. Instead, it only made the heat surge even stronger.
Desperately, she needed an outlet.
Just then, the hand on her waist seemed to read her mind. It moved from her lower back around to the front and, with a gentle tug, loosened her sash.
The moment her robe fell open, Ye Ran snapped back to her senses. She immediately grabbed Lu Li’s hand.
“No! You’re still injured.”
He had just been bandaged. What if the wound reopened?
“It’s fine.”
Lu Li leaned in to kiss her, but Ye Ran quickly covered his mouth.
“No.”
Though her will was hanging by a thread, her expression remained firm.
“Does junior sister want my wound to heal faster?”
At his words, Ye Ran’s resistance weakened. Lu Li leaned closer and continued:
“Dual cultivation can speed up recovery.”
This, Ye Ran knew. But thinking that Lu Li might have difficulty moving, she still hesitated.
Then Lu Li took her hand and placed it on his chest.
“Doesn’t junior sister want to try being in control?”
Something snapped inside Ye Ran’s mind.
She hesitated no longer. She leaned in and kissed Lu Li’s lips.
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