Inside the room.
A soft, lingering fragrance hung in the air.
The scent of incense, of essential oils, of previous guests who had received massages here, and that unmistakable sweet note of coconut milk.
That last scent clearly came from Ganyu.
Cloud Retainer stepped forward and called, "Mr. Xia."
Xia Zhi was tidying up and turned around. "Ah, Cloud Retainer."
She looked at him and asked softly, "I'd like to trouble you for a massage, if that's alright…"
Xia Zhi smiled. "Of course. Just a moment… Alright, go ahead and lie down."
"Mm."
She complied.
Xia Zhi walked over to the water basin and thoroughly washed his hands.
"What kind of massage would you like?"
"What kinds are there?"
"Well, the simplest is a relaxation massage—just your shoulders. We can also add head and leg massages, and you won't need to remove your clothes."
"Oh… Let's go with that, then…"
"Got it."
Xia Zhi walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders.
Cloud Retainer's shoulders were delicate.
But they didn't feel fragile.
She immediately felt a sensation that was hard to put into words—a wave of pleasure that tingled through her whole body like an electric current.
She couldn't help but let out a soft gasp.
Then quickly pressed her lips together.
Now she understood why the girls before her had made those strange noises.
Even through clothing, this massage felt so good. If she removed her clothes and had essential oil applied for a full-body massage…
Cloud Retainer closed her eyes, the thought lingering in her mind.
"How does it feel?"
"Very… comfortable…"
Xia Zhi moved on to her head.
Her hair was clean and silky smooth.
Because of the angle, Xia Zhi had to lean forward slightly. As he got closer, he caught a familiar scent.
He remembered this smell.
When he first arrived in this world and traveled with Cloud Retainer in her crane form, she had often wrapped him in her wings to keep him warm on cold nights.
Back then, this was the scent he'd smelled in her feathers—warm and pleasant.
Thinking back to those early days filled Xia Zhi with a quiet sense of nostalgia.
First meetings, chance reunions… Fate was, indeed, a wondrous thing.
At the same time, Cloud Retainer—now in close proximity—also caught a familiar scent from him.
She remembered it, too.
Back when she had fallen, severely injured, in the wild, it was Xia Zhi—newly descended into this world—who had rescued her.
During their time together, she'd noticed that he always carried an inexplicable aura that made her feel strangely close to him.
It was a feeling she couldn't quite describe, like he was one of her kind. But unlike the familiar resonance she felt with Mountain Shaper, Xia Zhi's aura had a loftier, more radiant quality.
It was warm. Luminous.
That strange aura had always drawn her to him without her realizing it.
It was also likely why she had felt such inexplicable goodwill toward him, to the point where she was willing to warm him with her feathers at night.
Now, smelling that aura again, Cloud Retainer noticed that its radiance had grown stronger, purer—almost like the light of the sun.
The coconut fragrance in the air stirred her restlessness, and Xia Zhi's warm, radiant scent only amplified that desire.
Though she lay still, her breath gradually grew unsteady.
A memory surfaced from a few days ago:
That night, beneath the Dragon-Queller Tree, when the Dragon King's terrifying aura bore down on her, Xia Zhi had quietly stepped in front to shield her.
To him, perhaps it was just a casual gesture, nothing more.
But in her heart, it sparked emotions she couldn't quite name. Maybe it was the debt she still owed, maybe something else—some vague, inexplicable fondness.
Of course, such feelings were inappropriate.
She was Shenhe's master. Ganyu's as well…
But still…
Just thinking about it can't be wrong, right?
Cloud Retainer opened her eyes and looked at Xia Zhi's face, now just inches away.
She loved good food—Xia Zhi was a masterful cook.
She loved mechanisms—Xia Zhi was highly knowledgeable about those as well.
They were… remarkably compatible.
Since reuniting and taking human form, they'd only spent a few days together, but she already found herself growing fond of him.
"Mr. Xia…"
"Hmm?"
"Shenhe said you healed her internal injuries?"
"Yes. While massaging her, I noticed several lingering injuries from her training, so I treated them."
"That child… sigh. She's always been solitary, and with the Red Rope Soul Binding technique influencing her, she trained to an extreme degree. Constantly injuring herself. When she was little, I'd bathe and sleep with her, and I'd often find her covered in bruises. But she'd never admit they hurt—I could only apply medicine myself… Later, when she grew up and began sleeping and bathing alone, I thought she'd learned to take care of herself. I didn't realize she still…"
She sighed.
"I suppose I did neglect her in the end…"
"You don't need to blame yourself. Shenhe never resented you."
"I know…"
Sensing the mood had grown a bit heavy, Cloud Retainer spoke up again.
"Mr. Xia, let me tell you about Shenhe and Ganyu when they were younger."
"Oh?"
Xia Zhi's face lit up with interest.
He'd seen glimpses of Shenhe's childhood in dreams, but knew little about her training in Jueyun Karst.
Whenever he asked her, she'd just say she spent her days meditating and training.
As for Ganyu—he knew even less about her early years.
"Ganyu, for instance—when she was little, her favorite thing was having her horns rubbed."
"She'd only fall asleep if I stroked them…"
So Ganyu liked her horns rubbed even as a child?
Xia Zhi chuckled.
No wonder that preference never changed—she still liked it now.
Whenever he rubbed her horns during massages, her body would go limp, and even her voice would soften into something sweet and breathy…
He remembered the first time—how tense she'd been when he accidentally touched them.
"Back then, Ganyu was chubby. So much so that when we climbed mountains, if she slipped, she'd tumble all the way to the bottom."
So she was that adorable as a child?
No wonder she'd always restrained her appetite at first, even though she loved his cooking—until she found out massages could help her lose weight. Then she started indulging more freely.
Honestly, a little softness is even better.
Hu Tao had always been envious of Ganyu's body type.
"One day, she encountered a mortal for the first time—a visiting Adeptus-seeker. She was so scared, she hid in a crack between rocks for two whole days. When I finally found her, she was crying and saying a monster had come…"
Xia Zhi laughed aloud.
The atmosphere lightened.
Cloud Retainer continued sharing stories of Ganyu and Shenhe's childhoods.
Xia Zhi listened with great interest as he finished massaging her head.
Then it was time for the leg massage.
He moved to the foot of the bed and placed his hands on her legs.
Her legs were slender.
And long.
Cloud Retainer's figure was quite similar to Shenhe's.
And Xia Zhi knew just how perfect Shenhe's legs were.
But now he realized—Cloud Retainer's might be even longer.
Guess that's only natural for a crane adeptus… Cranes do have long, elegant legs.
He recalled when he first met her—how he hadn't known she'd already taken human form, and had even considered buying a Transformation Pill from the Shop to help her.
He'd imagined she'd be a tall, leggy beauty.
And sure enough—she was.
Despite being slightly longer than Shenhe's, her legs didn't look awkward or disproportionate.
They were straight, symmetrical, and fit perfectly in his hands—smooth and warm like polished jade.
Even through the fabric, he could feel their elasticity.
Wait.
This fabric…
It wasn't ordinary cloth.
It had a unique texture.
Xia Zhi remembered something he'd read in the Encyclopedia of Spirit Beasts—how most celestial beasts of the sky, once transformed, would turn their feathers into garments.
This was the Feather Robe—a personal artifact formed from their own body.
Which meant the outfit Cloud Retainer wore was actually made from her crane feathers.
No wonder it felt so smooth.
Xia Zhi continued massaging her legs.
For Cloud Retainer, this area seemed more sensitive than the rest.
She pressed her lips together again, unable to keep talking about her disciples' childhoods—fighting to keep any strange sounds from escaping her mouth.
After all, she was an Adeptus.
Her eyes grew hazy.
Being held by Mr. Xia like this… was a little embarrassing.
She hadn't even washed up beforehand—and they'd walked all day.
Surely… there wasn't a smell, right?
Still, her clothes were special—resistant to dirt—and she wielded Anemo power, so her steps barely expended any effort. Even if she walked another full day, she wouldn't sweat.
There shouldn't be any strange odor…
But still…
This felt way too good…
A while later.
Xia Zhi gently set her legs down and raised his hands. "All done."
"Mm…"
Cloud Retainer murmured softly.
"Thank you, Mr. Xia…"
"Was it to your satisfaction?"
"Yes, your skill is excellent—I'm very pleased."
"That's good to hear. If you enjoyed it, feel free to come by anytime."
"Wouldn't that be a bother?"
"Not at all."
"Alright… then I'll come more often."
Cloud Retainer nodded.
She now had a new thing to look forward to in life.
Good food, good drinks, and massages—this was paradise.
That Ping… always acting so proper. Had she even asked Mr. Xia for a massage yet?
Guess I've beaten her to it.
I should drag her here later.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, she remembered something Shenhe had said before.
"Oh, right—Mr. Xia…"
"Hmm?"
"When I got blasted back into crane form by that mechanism, I might've sustained some hidden injuries. Could you help check?"
"Oh, that's easy," Xia Zhi said, nodding in understanding.
"But…"
Cloud Retainer tilted her head. "But what?"
"Well… for a proper check, you'd need to remove your clothes."
"Ah… undress…"
Cloud Retainer blinked, then nodded.
"I understand. That makes sense…"
----
Join my Patreon for early access to chapters: Patreon.com/rivyura