Upon the blades of fresh grass, grown among those from years past,
A doe lies pinned under the weight of a young wolf's paw.
Though she had never been bitten before,
Nor burdened by the imminence of death,
She could sense the direction of the teeth accompanying the hot breath—
A breath that reminded her of the warmth brought by the sun's rays,
Which, that spring, had not pierced through the clouds at all.
No, Professor Wei hadn't composed those verses on the spot; she had merely recalled them, thinking they perfectly captured the contradictory emotions she felt, finding herself suddenly in an even more ambiguous position with Liu Fengying than before.
So, had the warmth of Liu Fengying's embrace stirred inappropriate thoughts within Professor Wei? To her shame, yes. But what was she to do? After all, it was a natural reaction for anyone experiencing such contact with someone they are attracted to, wasn't it? Perhaps even more so in her case—her "skin hunger," ignored for two decades, was likely just waiting for a release.
What felt even more shameful was that she couldn't blame Liu Fengying for these thoughts; after all, the girl had acted with total decency, neither doing nor saying anything improper. In other words, it was she, the professor, who had begun to perceive every interaction with Liu Fengying as ambiguous.
'No, ultimately, it's still her fault...' Professor Wei tried to absolve herself, terrified that her self-image was on the verge of an imminent collapse. 'If she hadn't flirted with me yesterday, I wouldn't have started seeing her this way...'
So, she might have been older, but she was still just a "doe"; she was the one being hunted, not the other way around.
Even if her argument wasn't exactly bulletproof, Professor Wei managed to calm herself down. Not entirely, of course, but at least enough to stop herself from stuttering, as it was quite obvious she was deeply embarrassed:
"Thank you, student Liu. I must have put too much pressure on my leg before I fell, and it affected my ankle..."
Though her concern for Professor Wei's health remained, Liu Fengying was deeply affected by the unprecedented closeness between them. Feeling the professor's voluptuous curves against her and with her nostrils filled with the fragrance of her silky hair and velvety skin, Liu Fengying had to make a massive mental effort not to get swept away by the moment.
Still, seeing her act with such uncharacteristic cuteness, how could Liu Fengying's determination not begin to crack? Perhaps only if she had been made of stone. As she started to harbor all sorts of 'wicked' thoughts toward Professor Wei, Liu Fengying's body suddenly grew rigid, locking the professor in a vice-like hold.
Fortunately for Professor Wei, Liu Fengying had no way of knowing that their thoughts were on the same wavelength; she assumed the professor was embarrassed simply because she had suffered another accident just seconds after guaranteeing her she could manage on her own. Had that not been the case, who knows how she would have evaluated the situation?
Not only had Liu Fengying found herself more heavily influenced by worldly desires since she began cultivating, but she also had no intention of inhibiting herself too much. In her past life, after being betrayed by her fiancée, she had avoided getting close to any other girl for over a hundred years, telling herself she would have time for that once she achieved her goals—namely, securing her own territory and reaching a cultivation level powerful enough to no longer view anyone as a threat. Then she would see who had the courage to blackmail her lover, hmph!
And what was the ultimate result? She had died before seeing her "springtime dreams" realized, living the life of a Buddhist for nothing. In fact, it was an even harsher life; after all, what kind of temptation does a Buddhist encounter, spending their life in seclusion on a mountain or in a forest? In contrast, she—a princess of unseen beauty, filthy rich, and a cultivation genius to boot—had been the target of hundreds of beauties. How many times had one of them tried to seduce her? Honestly, Liu Fengying had lost count.
Furthermore, a life spent surrounded by war is not conducive to maintaining a calm heart; the mere presence of death heightens the hunger for life. Who wouldn't want a fragrant beauty by their side during those cold nights on the front lines, spent in a deserted tent where the silence was broken only by the whistling of the wind?
Thus, if she had known that a "dish" perfectly ready to be served was right in front of her, the temptation to take a bite on the spot would have been immense. Perhaps she would have acted exactly like the vision that flashed through her mind: pressing Professor Wei's chest against the cold, hard wall beside them while burying her face in the crook of her neck.
However, Liu Fengying truly did not doubt Professor Wei's innocence. It wasn't that she lacked confidence in her own charm, but rather she believed the professor was still too shaken by the fall on the stairs for her mind to linger on the previous day's flirting.
Why did Liu Fengying underestimate Professor Wei so greatly? It wasn't necessarily because the professor seemed like someone who had enjoyed a smooth life—as suggested by her indifferent attitude and well-nurtured appearance—but rather for personal reasons. To Liu Fengying, who viewed herself as something akin to an ancient demon, Professor Wei was still just a young girl, not much different from Hua Shu. Coupled with her tendency to dote on the girls she was attracted to, she truly saw the professor as someone who needed to be taken under her wing.
Liu Fengying began to feel guilty about her inappropriate thoughts: here was poor Professor Wei, so vulnerable, and she was thinking of bullying her. Thus, seeking clarity on one hand and seeking to punish herself on the other, she bit her own lip hard. Then, she addressed Professor Wei in a gentle tone, yet one devoid of any ambiguity:
"It's no problem; it's not as if it's your fault that you're injured. Well, I think it's best if I support you until we get into the office. Once you have a place to sit, we'll see how your leg is doing. Then, depending on the severity of the damage, we'll decide on the best course of action..."
Professor Wei simply nodded in approval, then cooperated with Liu Fengying to find a position that allowed them to move, letting a large portion of the weight from her injured leg be supported by Liu Fengying.
However, seeing that Liu Fengying remained serious and acted with such calm, the professor's own feelings of guilt toward her began to surface once more.
'Why did she suddenly become such a wooden block?' Professor Wei wondered, but upon realizing the double meaning of that thought, she panicked. It was as if she were complaining that Liu Fengying was no longer flirting with her.
'Or perhaps, being used to being treated as a very attractive person, I felt insulted by the fact that she wasn't tempted by me at all after such close contact?' Professor Wei found yet another possible explanation for why she was suddenly so annoyed by Liu Fengying's lack of reaction to their proximity.
Honestly, this possibility was even more terrifying to Professor Wei than the first. Spiraling down this line of thought, she began to wonder if Liu Fengying had merely been playful during their interaction the day before, and if she, out of narcissism, had taken it far too seriously.
That thought dealt the final blow to Professor Wei. If this last hypothesis proved true, she didn't know how she would ever be able to look Liu Fengying in the eye again. Furthermore, she felt the need to take a cognitive test to check if her intelligence had suddenly begun to degrade.
..............
Though unbeknownst to them, the two were competing to see who felt more guilty toward the other, Liu Fengying and Professor Wei collaborated flawlessly as they entered the office, physically linked; thanks to their graceful and perfectly synchronized movements, it would be no exaggeration to say they looked as if they were performing an interpretive dance.
Despite the mountain of worries still weighing on her mind, once she was finally in her executive chair, surrounded by the familiar decor of her office, Professor Wei breathed a sigh of relief. She was like a fox that had managed to retreat to its den after passing through a forest full of hunters; what did she care now if someone remained outside, eyes fixed on her hiding place?
However, she hadn't forgotten what she had agreed upon with Liu Fengying. After ensuring her chair was in a stable position, she leaned over and removed her shoe from the troubled foot to get a clearer idea of the injury she had sustained.
"Well, it doesn't look like a sprain. Most likely, the ligaments were just strained too suddenly..." Professor Wei said after feeling her ankle to check its condition.
Even though her medical knowledge was limited to common sense, since touching her ankle caused no discomfort and she was fairly certain it hadn't swollen at all—despite still wearing stockings—Professor Wei concluded that the injury was not serious and would likely improve within a day or two.
Still, moving around in the coming hours was going to be a problem; after all, she still had several hours of classes to teach. Furthermore, she had to drive when leaving school; wouldn't she be a public hazard if her leg wasn't functioning at its normal parameters?
So, Professor Wei thought of asking Liu Fengying to bring her some painkillers from the medical office. Since the girl had offered to help her to the end, there was no reason to be stubborn and not make use of her. Not only would she be putting herself in danger if she tried to make the trip to the infirmary alone in her current state, but she would also be disregarding Liu Fengying's good intentions.
Liu Fengying wasn't particularly happy when she heard Professor Wei's idea; she believed it would be best for her to take the rest of the day off and go home to recover in peace. However, knowing that Professor Wei was the type of person who took her work very seriously, she didn't try to change her mind about staying.
But relying on painkillers didn't seem like a good option to Liu Fengying. Not only do they slow down the body's natural healing, but one can also worsen an injury while under their effect, as the lack of pain leads to less care being taken of the affected area.
But what were the alternative options? It wasn't as if she could help Professor Wei walk for the rest of the day, was it? Well, she might have been capable of that, but Professor Wei almost certainly wouldn't have wanted to hear of such a thing.
'Should I suggest she use a cane?,' Liu Fengying came up with a more moderate version of her initial thought; even if a piece of wood couldn't be as useful as she was, it was certainly a much less conspicuous option.
However, Liu Fengying didn't have time to make this proposal, as she was suddenly struck by an even better idea:
'Why don't I first try to heal her leg myself?'
Even if she couldn't use spiritual energy for healing at her current level of cultivation, Liu Fengying was fairly certain that—if Professor Wei had diagnosed herself correctly—she could help her through conventional methods. What she wasn't sure about, however, was whether Professor Wei would agree to cooperate with the treatment.