What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

Watching Ji Yuebai approach step by step, Xu Nian’s heart leaped to her throat. Nervously, she debated whether to first take off her outer garment or her underwear…

Her mind raced uncontrollably with these thoughts, her eyes involuntarily sweeping over Ji Yuebai’s thin lips, her long, pale neck, imagining the supple, slender body beneath her loose white robe, finally resting on her long sleeves, hiding her beautiful slightly calloused fingertips.

Xu Nian felt a dryness in her mouth, her heart rate accelerating.

The soft mattress sank beside her as Ji Yuebai’s cool and refreshing scent mixed with the warmth of her breath. Unconsciously, Xu Nian gripped the corner of the blanket, trying to mask her nervousness despite her bold words earlier.

Ji Yuebai drew closer, and Xu Nian timidly lowered her eyes. Through the narrow field of vision, she glimpsed a sliver of Ji Yuebai’s cold, jade-like skin through the loose neckline as she turned. Her throat involuntarily swallowed, even her breathing halted.

The room was extremely quiet, Ji Yuebai sitting beside her on the bed. Xu Nian could almost hear the soft rustling of the fabric.

Was Ji Yuebai undressing? Xu Nian felt too nervous to look directly.

She imagined the loose robe slipping off Ji Yuebai’s smooth back, the hairpin being casually removed, and her hair cascading down. A figure as solitary and cold as a lone mountain, yet her body radiated a warmth that seemed perfectly matched for a snake demon like her.

While she was lost in thought, the rustling stopped. She felt Ji Yuebai lean in close, her voice low and seductive, “Xu Nian, open your mouth.”

Xu Nian’s eyes, which had been tightly shut out of fear, opened a slit. She saw Ji Yuebai’s long finger at her lips.

Ah, so thrilling from the start?

But if it was Ji Yuebai, then… maybe it was okay.

Her lips parted slightly, cautiously approaching the fingertip. Then, she took Ji Yuebai’s finger into her mouth, following the inappropriate suggestions that had somehow infiltrated her mind, her tongue tentatively caressing the fingertip, trying to moisten it.

She could distinctly feel Ji Yuebai’s body tremble slightly in response to her actions, a thrill of excitement surging inside her. It seemed Ji Yuebai wasn’t as experienced as she had thought, judging by how she had kissed her before.

But before Xu Nian could continue, she tasted a bitter medicinal flavor. Her mind, possibly clouded by unspeakable thoughts, didn’t immediately register the discrepancy in Ji Yuebai’s actions. She was somewhat stunned, thinking that the aphrodisiacs in the world of cultivators had such a realistic flavor. This was completely illogical.

Just then, Ji Yuebai swiftly withdrew her finger from Xu Nian’s slightly parted red lips. The action left a trail of translucent, silver threads, not particularly sensual, yet it inexplicably made one’s heart race and cheeks flush.

Xu Nian’s charming eyes brimmed with unspoken desires, a hint of frustration tinting the corners red. Her lips, now moistened, parted as her delicate tongue slowly licked her lower lip, seemingly bitter from the strange medicine. Her beautiful eyebrows knitted slightly, ultimately giving way to a softly cooed “Yuebai~”.

Her tone was a mix of playful scolding and soft, flirtatious pleas.

In that moment, Ji Yuebai’s heart pounded like a drum. She tried to steady her breath, restraining her tone, “Your injury hasn’t healed, take the medicine first.”

Even to her own ears, her voice sounded shockingly filled with unspoken desire and longing.

Ah.

So, that wasn’t an aphrodisiac after all, but just some random healing medicine made by that quack doctor Qing Zhi. How bitterly unpleasant.

Xu Nian blinked her long eyelashes, suddenly realizing the truth.

If Ji Yuebai had been feeding her medicine, then had she completely misunderstood the situation…

With that thought, Xu Nian’s fair cheeks flushed a deep red, overwhelmed with embarrassment. The heat of her shame felt almost scorching.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at Ji Yuebai, even wishing she could disappear into a hole right then and there.

Would Ji Yuebai think of her as promiscuous due to her bold behavior?

In her anxiousness to explain, Xu Nian reached out to grab Ji Yuebai’s sleeve to explain, but at that moment, Ji Yuebai stood up from the bed, her silky sleeve just brushing past Xu Nian’s fingertips.

Ji Yuebai’s voice remained cool and detached, “Rest well. I’m going out for a walk.”

As soon as the words fell, Ji Yuebai’s figure vanished from the room.

Xu Nian was left alone, surrounded by the lingering heat and ambiguous atmosphere, the lingering warmth and scent seemed to hover around Xu Nian’s nose.

She sat dejectedly on the bed, her cute nose wrinkling in distress.

Did Ji Yuebai not want to spend even a moment longer with her?

Just moments ago, the mood had been just right. Where did it go wrong? Hadn’t she admitted her feelings for Xu Nian? She had even kissed her so passionately. Why did she flee when Xu Nian wanted to take it a step further?

Could it be, she was mistaken?

That Ji Yuebai was only deceiving her, pretending to please her?

Ah, she couldn’t understand, really couldn’t understand.

Xu Nian painfully hugged the blanket, rolling back and forth on the bed.

Meanwhile, at the end of the corridor, in a waterside pavilion.

Ji Yuebai repeatedly cycled her cultivation technique, channeling her spiritual energy, gradually suppressing the surging emotions and energy within her.

But in her mind, she couldn’t help but recall the passionate scenes from moments before, and those eyes full of desire and charm looking at her.

Her fingers tightened involuntarily, the tips digging forcefully into her palm.

• Ji Yuebai, what ridiculous things are you fantasizing about?”

• She has lost her memory and is being manipulated by illusions. Her desire to be close to you doesn’t reflect her true feelings.

• What kind of righteous person are you, to take advantage of someone in their vulnerable state?

Endless self-reproach nearly overwhelmed her, and the intense emotions from before gradually cooled down.

Deep down, she had always known. Xu Nian had never shown even a hint of affection that could lead to any misunderstanding. Xu Nian had always been cautious, trying hard to please her, adapting to her every whim.

All the ambiguous actions that seemed like affection only started after falling into the illusion.

However, for Ji Yuebai, the enchanted Xu Nian was like a sweet candy coated with addictive poison. She knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t, but consciously let herself indulge in it.

She kept telling herself, just a little bit was enough.

In front of Xu Nian, her principles and boundaries faded away without question.

Greedily, she thought, a little more wouldn’t hurt, maybe just a bit more.

But she had overestimated herself and underestimated human nature. Desire knows no bounds; it grows greedier with time, never satisfied.

She was no longer content with just a taste of sweetness; she increasingly yearned for Xu Nian, even her blood boiling with this craving.

She was already reaching her limit.

• “What if you crossed that line?”

• Even if Xu Nian comes out of the illusion and rejects you for being despicable and leaves you, at least you had her.

—  Rather than being like now, a pathetic creature longing yet too afraid to act.

The dark, sinister thoughts at the back of her mind continuously tempted her, but she suppressed and shattered each one.

She did want Xu Nian, that was true.

But not at the cost of hurting her. She had sworn to protect her.

How could she break that promise with her own hands?

The thought of Xu Nian waking up, her gaze no longer full of trust but replaced by wariness, resistance, even contempt… it was like a knife twisting in her heart.

Ji Yuebai’s back tensed up,

No, she would never allow such a thing to happen.

Ever since that day, Ji Yuebai had become much colder towards Xu Nian.

Xu Nian’s elaborate plan to win Ji Yuebai’s heart seemed to have regressed overnight. Failing to seduce Ji Yuebai, she fell into a state of self-doubt, awkwardly fidgeting and feeling utterly embarrassed.

Later, when Ji Yuebai offered her medicine again, Xu Nian quickly snatched the porcelain bottle from her hands.

“There’s no need for you to bother. I can manage this little thing myself.”

The main reason was that Ji Yuebai feeding her the medicine always reminded Xu Nian of that “misunderstanding.” Not only had Ji Yuebai remained unaffected by her seduction, but she had also left in apparent disgust. This left Xu Nian feeling defeated and uncomfortable at the sight of Ji Yuebai performing the same actions as that day.

Fortunately, Ji Yuebai only paused briefly and didn’t say much. She carefully reiterated the instructions for taking the medicine and some minor details to pay attention to.

Xu Nian nodded vigorously, hastily pouring a pill from the bottle and throwing it into her mouth. The pill dissolved quickly, causing her face to scrunch up in disgust.

It was so bitter.

She suspected Qing Zhi, the incompetent doctor, of intentionally seeking revenge with this medicine. Couldn’t he have coated the pills with sugar? As a pharmacist, shouldn’t he know that the medicine’s effect takes place in the stomach?

As Xu Nian searched for tea to rinse her mouth, the woman in front of her extended a hand, offering a sugary, tempting piece of candied fruit.

Xu Nian blinked, surprised, as she thought Ji Yuebai had already left.

Holding the porcelain bottle in one hand and a teapot in the other, she forgot to put them down, and she didn’t want to keep Ji Yuebai waiting.

She leaned forward, eating the candied fruit directly from Ji Yuebai’s hand.

Her soft lips touched Ji Yuebai’s hand, her moist tongue flicking over the fruit and unintentionally licking Ji Yuebai’s dry palm. The tingling sensation shot through her blood to her heart, making her whole body shiver with Ji Yuebai’s unintended touch.

Xu Nian tilted her head up, her charming eyes smiling at Ji Yuebai. She even innocently licked her lips, sucking the remnants of the candied fruit into her mouth. After swallowing it, she gently bit her lip, making them even more enticing and luscious, as if inviting someone to ravish them.

“Thank you, Yuebai~”

Ji Yuebai’s dark eyes darkened slightly, just staring at her without responding.

This made Xu Nian feel somewhat uneasy. She realized that she could have avoided touching Ji Yuebai, but when biting into the candied fruit, she had, almost involuntarily, lightly licked Ji Yuebai’s palm. It was a sneaky attempt to flirt.

Now, as Ji Yuebai looked at her with those dark eyes, Xu Nian felt as if her entire being, along with her petty schemes, was laid bare under that cold gaze. Her face heated up, feeling utterly embarrassed from the core.

If Ji Yuebai kept looking at her like that, Xu Nian felt like she wanted to fall at her feet, pleading for forgiveness, confessing that she was briefly misled by desire, daring to have unsuitable thoughts about someone so out of her reach.

At this point, Xu Nian dared not indulge in the fantasy that Ji Yuebai might like her.

It must have been just a ploy to keep her, the “villain,” happy.

Her grand strategy of winning over Ji Yuebai seemed more challenging than ever.