Jing Shaoyu never expected Xu Xiaoyan to be so bold.
Clad in a sheer white veil, her delicate figure was faintly visible, with glimpses of her alluring form peeking through as she moved. Her natural beauty was barely concealed—it was as if she had the word "temptation" written on her forehead.
"Xiaoyan, who taught you to dress like this?" Jing Shaoyu was excited in every sense of the word. He stepped forward and pulled the seductive little enchantress into his arms. Though his tone sounded reproachful, it was actually encouraging.
Xu Xiaoyan could feel Jing Shaoyu's excitement, her cheeks flushing slightly—whether from shyness or exhilaration, it was hard to tell. She said, "It was an idea Maomao and I came up with together. We originally planned for everyone to join in, but Sister Gu Yue didn't agree."
The image flashed through Jing Shaoyu's mind, sending a surge of heat through his body.
"Ahem!" He forced himself to stay composed, though his hands were far more honest. "Though I like it very much, you must never do this again, okay?"
"Hehehe, alright, Shaoyu-gege," Xu Xiaoyan replied with a giggle.
What followed was all sorts of intimacy and affection—nothing particularly interesting, so we'll skip ahead to the main point.
Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan sat together—Jing Shaoyu on the bed, with Xu Xiaoyan perched on his lap, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting against his chest, her face filled with happiness.
"Xiaoyan, I brought you a gift!" Jing Shaoyu said, one hand embracing her slender waist while the other retrieved a Soul Bone from his Sky Phoenix Ring—one he had prepared especially for her.
"What gift?" Xu Xiaoyan asked eagerly, lifting her head to see the floating Soul Bone in Jing Shaoyu's hand. She froze. "A Soul Bone?"
"To be precise, an external-attached Soul Bone!" Jing Shaoyu wore a confident expression. "Of course, I know you still need to collect the Star Crown Sect's Soul Bone set, so I specifically chose an external-attached one for you."
"An external-attached Soul Bone! Oh my!" Xu Xiaoyan was so excited she could barely contain herself. "Shaoyu-gege, you're just too amazing!"
"Hahaha, it's nothing," Jing Shaoyu waved it off casually. "It's mostly just that this Soul Bone was destined to be yours."
He wasn't just saying that—it was his genuine belief.
This external-attached Soul Bone was a pair of dragon wings, derived from the remains of a Star Dragon. As the name suggested, Star Dragons were rare True Dragons among the dragonkin, possessing stellar attributes. There were only two Star Dragon remains in the Dragon Tomb—one had produced a Torso bone, while the other had yielded this external-attached Soul Bone: the Wings of the Star Dragon.
"Hehehe, if it weren't for Shaoyu-gege, how could I ever have obtained this? So you're still the amazing one!" Xu Xiaoyan giggled, her logic impeccable.
"Alright," Jing Shaoyu didn't bother being modest. "Let me introduce this external-attached Soul Bone—the Wings of the Star Dragon, sourced from a Ferocious Beast-level Star Dragon. You should fuse with it now, and I'll protect you during the process."
"Sure," Xu Xiaoyan nodded with a smile. "But Shaoyu-gege, you must still need to go see Maomao and Xinglan, right? So you don't have to stay and protect me."
Jing Shaoyu paused, gazing at the girl's gentle smile. He couldn't help but reach out and stroke her delicate cheek, sighing. "Won't you feel wronged?"
"How could that be?" Xu Xiaoyan shook her head like a rattle-drum, giggling sweetly. "I think this is perfect—we'll always be together, and no one will ever leave."
If someone else had said this, Jing Shaoyu might have thought they were just trying to make him happy. But when Xu Xiaoyan said it, he knew it came straight from her heart.
After leaving Xu Xiaoyan's wooden cabin, he headed straight for Ye Xinglan's nearby cottage.
Knock knock knock!
"Xinglan, are you asleep?" he called softly.
"The door's unlocked, just come in," Ye Xinglan's voice floated from inside.
Jing Shaoyu pushed the door open and stepped in. Ye Xinglan was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking visibly tense. Though she wore ordinary sleepwear, the moment she saw him enter, she sprang to her feet and rushed forward, grabbing the collar of his shirt.
"Why did you send me away? Do you think I'm too weak? Or that I'm a coward who fears death?" Her voice trembled with deep resentment and frustration.
"Xinglan, calm down! Let me explain!" Jing Shaoyu quickly grasped her slender arms, his gaze intense as he looked at her.
"How can I calm down? Do you have any idea what I've been through this past year?" Ye Xinglan's voice cracked, her emotions teetering on the edge of collapse. "Every night, I was terrified—terrified you wouldn't come back, terrified I'd wake up to news of your death. Do you understand? I was so scared!"
As someone who had entered the Dragon Valley alongside Jing Shaoyu, Ye Xinglan had shouldered immense pressure over the past year. Though no one blamed her, the weight she placed on herself was unbearable. Her pride, her swordsman's heart, refused to let her be someone who couldn't even protect the person she loved.
No one knew that during the time when there was no news of Jing Shaoyu, Ye Xinglan had prepared herself to follow him in death. If she had received word of his demise, she would have ended her life without hesitation—she couldn't bear to live on without him.
Seeing Ye Xinglan's anguish, Jing Shaoyu's eyes filled with guilt. Instead of speaking, he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply. Actions spoke louder than words, and this was the only way he could convey his feelings.
At first, Ye Xinglan stiffened, but soon she melted into the kiss, losing herself in the moment.
A long while later, the two sat embraced on the bed, Ye Xinglan now calmer, her cheeks flushed with shyness. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I lost control earlier."
"I'm the one who should apologize," Jing Shaoyu said softly, holding her slender frame. "I shouldn't have made you worry. I—"
"I don't blame you." Ye Xinglan pressed a delicate finger to his lips, stopping him. Her eyes shone with determination. "I just hope that no matter what dangers or hardships we face in the future, you won't push me away again. Promise me?"
Jing Shaoyu met her fervent gaze, warmth flooding his heart. He nodded solemnly. "I promise. We'll face everything together."
"Thank you, Yu-ge." A genuine smile spread across Ye Xinglan's face as she nestled closer into his arms.
They held each other quietly, savoring the blissful moment.
"Yu-ge, didn't you say you had a gift for me?" Ye Xinglan spoke up, her voice playful. "Show me!"
(Note: The last line is an advertisement for the novel's latest updates on a specific platform and is not part of the main text.)
Jing Shaoyu was taken aback and blurted out, "How did you know?"
"I won't tell you!" Ye Xinglan rarely showed such a playful expression. Though her words refused, her delicate hand was waving her communicator.
Jing Shaoyu wore a helpless expression. It seemed that during his absence, the harem had gotten along surprisingly well—they were even coordinating and sharing information with each other now.
"You girls are something else," he chuckled, then took out the Soul Bone he had prepared for Ye Xinglan from the Sky Phoenix Ring.
A Star Dragon Torso bone.
"There really was a True Dragon with stellar attributes in the Dragon Tomb!" Ye Xinglan's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the gleaming Soul Bone before her. She could naturally sense the stellar energy contained within it.
"Very fortunate. There happened to be two Star Dragon skeletons," Jing Shaoyu nodded. "This one is the Torso bone, while Xiao Yan got the external Soul Bone."
"Ah, what a pity I couldn't see the stellar-attribute True Dragon with my own eyes," Ye Xinglan sighed.
"Just skeletons—nothing much to see," Jing Shaoyu said, handing her the Star Dragon Torso bone. "Fuse with it. I'll guard you."
Ye Xinglan shook her head. "Na'er and Xiao Yan didn't have you guard them, so neither will I. You should go to the next person instead."
"So you really did coordinate this!" Jing Shaoyu smiled, his expression inexplicably relaxing.
"Mhm!" Ye Xinglan nodded rather smugly before pushing Jing Shaoyu out the door.
Standing outside Ye Xinglan's wooden cabin, Jing Shaoyu noticed the sudden glow of light from the neighboring cabin—Wu Siduo's room. She must have received Ye Xinglan's message and was already prepared to welcome him.
He couldn't help but laugh, feeling that his actions tonight truly embodied the essence of the word "scoundrel." Ah well, there was no helping it—since ancient times, those with many affections bore many burdens!
With emotions caught between pride and self-mockery, Jing Shaoyu soon found himself outside Wu Siduo's cabin.
"Shaoyu? Wait a moment—don't come in yet!" Wu Siduo's slightly flustered voice came from inside. "I'll tell you when to enter!"
A strange sense of anticipation rose in Jing Shaoyu's heart.
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