Jing Shaoyu emerged from Mo Hentian's room, preparing to meet the last and most important person of the evening.
Gu Yue's wooden cabin stood right beside Jing Shaoyu's, flanked on either side by Na'er's cabin. Jing Shaoyu stood at her door, where the interior was pitch black and silent, as if its occupant had already fallen asleep.
He pushed the door—it was locked.
"Gu Yue, are you asleep?" Jing Shaoyu called softly.
"I am," came Gu Yue's voice from inside, calm and measured.
Jing Shaoyu chuckled helplessly and called again, "Be good, don't tease me. I have something to tell you."
"Whatever it is, we can talk tomorrow. I'm asleep," Gu Yue replied.
"No, I have to tell you now!" Jing Shaoyu insisted.
"..." Silence lingered inside before the door finally opened, revealing Gu Yue's expressionless face. "What is it?" she asked.
"Hah!" Jing Shaoyu laughed cheerfully. "I knew you'd open the door. Let's talk inside."
Without waiting for her consent, he strode past her into the room and promptly flopped onto her bed, his movements smooth and effortless. Watching this unfold, Gu Yue could only sigh in resignation before quietly closing the door behind her.
Meanwhile, in another cabin, Lan Fozi peered through her window as Jing Shaoyu entered Gu Yue's room, her face twisting with distress. She had observed his actions all evening, and unease gnawed at her heart.
Though she didn't know exactly what he did inside the rooms of these sisters, she was no naive child—she had some understanding of matters between men and women. That was why she felt so unsettled. If Jing Shaoyu came for her next, what should she do?
Lan Fozi was truly troubled. She hadn't expected the person she sought to be like this. Regret crept into her thoughts.
Of course, Jing Shaoyu had no idea that his behavior tonight had cast a deep shadow over Lan Fozi's heart—nor did he care. Her opinions were her own, irrelevant to him. As someone with ulterior motives, as long as she didn't cause him trouble, he was content to turn a blind eye to her presence.
Right now, his only concern was handling Gu Yue.
Inside the cabin, Jing Shaoyu sprawled across Gu Yue's bed in utter relaxation, as if it were his own room. Gu Yue sat stiffly in a chair by the bedside, her expression a mix of cold detachment and helpless resignation as she watched him silently.
"Yue'er, why are you so far away?" Jing Shaoyu rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow while patting the space in front of him with his other hand. "It's only been a little over a year since we last met. Are we really this distant now?"
"No need. I'm fine sitting here," Gu Yue replied coolly, though a trace of resolve flickered in her eyes. You must control your emotions, she reminded herself, her heart in turmoil.
"Tsk." Jing Shaoyu sighed in exasperation before suddenly springing from the bed and appearing beside her in an instant. Before Gu Yue could react, he bent down, scooped her up, and tumbled back onto the bed with her in his arms.
"You—stop!" Gu Yue struggled, her voice no longer icy but tinged with a hint of pleading. "Don't…"
Jing Shaoyu paused his movements, stopping his teasing hands and simply holding her as they lay on the bed. He sighed and said, "Gu Yue, do you know? During my time in Dragon Valley, the person I wanted to see most was you."
Gu Yue's body stiffened noticeably. The pushing motion she had been making turned into a grasp as she clutched at Jing Shaoyu's clothes, curling up slightly as if trying to bury herself in his embrace. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "...I'm sorry!"
"You don't need to apologize to me, because I've never blamed you," Jing Shaoyu said softly, his large hand gently stroking Gu Yue's silky hair.
He felt a dampness against his chest and said with a dazed expression, "Gu Yue, why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying! It's just drool," Gu Yue retorted, though her voice betrayed her.
"Drool, huh? That's perfect—I happen to be thirsty," Jing Shaoyu said, lifting Gu Yue's face with his hand. Ignoring her tearful eyes, he lowered his head and captured her jade-like lips.
Gu Yue cooperated fully in quenching Jing Shaoyu's thirst—her sweet nectar, like ambrosia, was incredibly refreshing.
After a long while, Jing Shaoyu finally released her, satisfied. Only then did he notice that the young girl's lips were slightly swollen from his attentions. A sense of pride welled up in him—this unresisting Gu Yue was truly wonderful.
"Still got any drool left?" he teased, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"You jerk!" Gu Yue shot him a glance, her expression full of charm and her tone coquettish. But the next moment, as if realizing something, she immediately reverted to a cold demeanor. "Get to the point if you have something to say. I want to sleep."
"Haha, then let's sleep together," Jing Shaoyu said nonchalantly, pulling the blanket over both of them.
"You..." Gu Yue's voice was full of helplessness, but she could only mutter stubbornly, "Shameless!"
Jing Shaoyu didn't mind. Shameless? So what? If he wasn't shameless, how could he openly maintain his harem?
Seeing that Gu Yue's mood had stabilized, a smile tugged at his lips. "Yue'er, do you know what happened to me in Dragon Valley?"
"What?" Gu Yue tensed, her eyes flashing with nervousness as her heart leaped into her throat.
"The Dragon God!" Jing Shaoyu said with a mysterious smile, his eyes carefully observing Gu Yue's expression. He was delighted to see her look of tension and even more pleased when she relaxed slightly.
"The Dragon God? Really?" Gu Yue asked, her tone feigning surprise as her heart settled a little.
"Of course it's true!" Jing Shaoyu chuckled. "The reason I was kept in Dragon Valley was the Dragon God's request. He wanted me to do him a favor before letting me leave."
"What favor?" Now genuinely intrigued, Gu Yue pressed eagerly.
She truly wanted to know what had happened between Jing Shaoyu and the Dragon God's soul. More importantly, she wanted to understand why the Dragon God hadn't entrusted the Destruction Origin to her as well. From what had happened that day, it seemed the Dragon God's soul had been wary of something—was it Jing Shaoyu?
Gu Yue had pondered this for a long time but couldn't find an answer. She didn't know what about Jing Shaoyu could make the Dragon God cautious. Could it be his suspected identity as the Will of Nature?
"He asked me to help bury his kin. You might have heard from Xinglan that we found the Dragon Clan's graveyard, where countless dragon remains were left exposed in the wilderness. The Dragon God requested that I bury them, and in return, he gave me some Soul Bones," Jing Shaoyu said, retrieving the last True Dragon Soul Bone obtained from the Dragon Valley from his Sky Phoenix Ring.
The Torso Bone of the Sacred Dragon.
The Sacred Dragon, a royal True Dragon of the light attribute—without a doubt, the owner of this Torso Bone in Jing Shaoyu's hand must have been one of Di Tian's siblings.
"Hmm!" Gu Yue took the Sacred Dragon Torso Bone from Jing Shaoyu's hand, a faint shadow flickering in her eyes. "Was there anything else?"
"Anything else? What do you mean?" Jing Shaoyu feigned ignorance with a smile.
"What else did the Dragon God say to you?" Gu Yue asked, not bothering to hide her curiosity—or rather, using it to mask her unease.
"Nothing else," Jing Shaoyu continued playing dumb.
Gu Yue sighed helplessly, a trace of embarrassment and annoyance flashing in her eyes. "I heard from Xinglan that you saw someone in the Dragon Graveyard who looked just like Na'er. Is that true?"
"It is," Jing Shaoyu replied, smiling meaningfully at her. "Though she looked exactly like Na'er, I knew she definitely wasn't her! Yet, she gave me a strangely familiar feeling, as if we'd once been very close. It's really odd."
"Heh," Gu Yue let out a dry laugh, choosing not to respond. "Then, do you know what she did?"
"Well," Jing Shaoyu put on a thoughtful expression, "I didn't see clearly. The Dragon God's light was too dazzling at the time—I couldn't make out anything."
Whether Jing Shaoyu was telling the truth or not, Gu Yue's anxious heart finally settled. His words were a clear signal, and so she smiled. "It's fine if you didn't see. It's something unrelated to us anyway. I just want you to be safe!"
Likewise, Jing Shaoyu understood her stance.
Their eyes met, reflecting only each other, and they embraced tightly.
"Yue'er, I know you have something very important to do. But before that, can we just stay like this, safe and sound?" Jing Shaoyu whispered softly.
"Mm, I promise you!" Gu Yue murmured back just as gently.
Honesty, conveyed without words.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/QueenTL
Thanks!