"I have also prepared my own gift."
Hearing Mu Qingyue's voice, Lu Jin'an stopped in his tracks, not so much out of curiosity about what she wanted to say, but because a jet-black sword Qi had already blocked his path.
Sword Qi completely opposite to the impression given by Mu Qingyue.
Lu Jin'an had to turn around to face Mu Qingyue, who was pressing forward step by step, and directly asked, "Senior Sister, the gift you prepared for yourself isn't a rope, is it?"
Mu Qingyue stopped in front of him once again, holding a black collar up to his throat, and after a few seconds of silence, she said, "Try and see if it fits."
As her words fell, a mist of snow rose up around them, isolating the outside from the shade of the trees: "No one else will see."
"Even if they can't see, I'm not trying it on." Lu Jin'an shook his head, "You said you also prepared a collar for yourself? The same style? Show it to me."
"It's not done yet."
"... " Lu Jin'an was speechless for a moment. Although he couldn't see Mu Qingyue's eyes, he could feel her looking at him, exactly how wasn't clear.
"Then I refuse." Lu Jin'an still shook his head, "I don't like this style."
"Then, shall I try first?" Mu Qingyue retracted her hands and placed the collar in front of her elegant, white neck, "And then you try, is that alright?"
Looking at his blindfolded Senior Sister's gestures, Lu Jin'an truly thought that Mu Qingyue wearing this thing would have a quite contrasting allure.
But this thing was made by her, it might not have any special effect when she wore it, but if he did?
What if it was like Zhu Nanzhi's poison, imprisoning all his cultivation?
Maybe Mu Qingyue wasn't as perverse as Zhu Nanzhi, but in Lu Jin'an's heart, there was no real bottom line.
Lu Jin'an took another step back: "Even if you use this method of retreating to advance, I won't wear this collar. If you dare to force me... I'll go to the Master."
"Why..." Mu Qingyue's fingers stroked the edge of the collar, "Not wear it? Don't you also think the collar is nice?"
"Nice is nice, but putting it around the neck, maybe not." Lu Jin'an said seriously, "There are so many pretty necklaces, why insist on this style?
What do you take me for?"
In the end, Lu Jin'an's voice rose several decibels, "If you still want to force me to wear it by force, I am confident I can escape from your hands."
"Then, this way." Mu Qingyue put away the collar and approached Lu Jin'an again, extending both hands and circling his neck with her thumb and index finger.
The cold touch of her fingers made Lu Jin'an tense up, but soon, Mu Qingyue withdrew her hands, maintaining the size she had measured with her hands, seemingly speaking to herself, "A bit big.
But just right, too tight would be hard to breathe."
Saying this, she looked up again, "Junior Brother, your size, I always remember."
"It's the neck size, right?" Lu Jin'an looked at the black cloth covering her eyes.
"Hmm?" Mu Qingyue seemed not to understand why he stressed this point.
Lu Jin'an also did not explain, instead asked, "Why give me a collar as a gift?"
"You're going to the brothel... dirty." Mu Qingyue took out the collar again, lightly snapped it with her fingers, and the hook in the back separated: "You're not allowed to go."
Lu Jin'an didn't believe her explanation at all. This collar was clearly premeditated—he had never been to a brothel before!
However, hearing Mu Qingyue's voice, Lu Jin'an had another question he wanted to ask, and he asked it directly, "Senior Sister, are you stopping me from going to the brothel because you like me?"
Mu Qingyue slightly raised her head, as if looking at him, then... turned around and walked away directly.
The snow mist formed by spiritual power around them didn't ripple at all, Lu Jin'an stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, asking again, "Is that so?"
Mu Qingyue paused, turned back slightly, and parted her red lips, "Let go, listen to me."
"Is it because you're too shy to answer..." Before Lu Jin'an could finish, Mu Qingyue clasped the collar with one hand, making a crisp "click" sound.
Lu Jin'an's eye twitched, he gently released his grip on her wrist, watching as Mu Qingyue gradually vanished from his sight.
"Senior Brother, did you two kiss?" Guan Wen came running over immediately, full of curiosity, and asked, "Otherwise, why all the secrecy?"
"Senior Brother, why did Senior Sister Mu want to give you a collar, does it have some special meaning?" Zhao Shize also came over with a face full of ambiguity, "Does it mean she wants to lock you down, and keep you with her always?"
Hearing Zhao Shize's voice, Lu Jin'an couldn't help but turn his head and stare at Zhao Shize, making him feel a little uncomfortable all over, "W-what's wrong? I think that's a pretty nice implication."
"I'm skipping the evaluation this afternoon." Lu Jin'an began to walk, "You guys go and eat, I have something I need to do."
Lu Jin'an wanted to find a safe place to go into closed cultivation.
Zhu Nanzhi wanted to lock his soul, and Mu Qingyue seemed like she wanted to lock his body—Zhu Nanzhi's poison was insidious, and Mu Qingyue's cultivation, strength were both stronger than his now.
No matter how slight the possibility, he didn't want to live in constant fear.
"Senior Brother, are we still going to Zuiyan Building tonight?" Zhao Shize quickly asked, "We just agreed to it..."
"You go ahead."
······
Taichu Peak.
Mu Qingyue, finishing the last few steps, slightly lowered her head as she was about to walk past Pei Wanyu's side.
"Why is my good daughter blushing?" Pei Wanyu naturally wouldn't let her off, "Did Jin'an flirt with you?"
Mu Qingyue looked at her left hand stopping her, "I'm not your daughter."
Pei Wanyu looked at her with smiling eyes, "You didn't answer my question, so did Jin'an really flirt with you?
Hug you? Where did he touch? Or did you two kiss?"
Mu Qingyue said nothing, just picked up the collar, "He clearly said it was nice, yet he didn't want it."
Pei Wanyu squinted her beautiful eyes, "Why do you want to give him this? You...
The pet you want to keep shouldn't be Jin'an, right?"
"Possibly?" Mu Qingyue started walking, "I have to go into closed cultivation, Junior Brother is getting stronger."
This time Pei Wanyu did not stop her, only crossing her arms and speaking as if unintentionally, "Jin'an went out for a year and a half, and got married to someone else."
As the footsteps faded, Pei Wanyu looked down, finding great amusement in watching the neatly arranged tiles being covered in a layer of impenetrable ice, then suddenly said, "It was just a fake marriage."
Behind, the sound of footsteps resumed, and Pei Wanyu's smile grew, "But, entering the bridal chamber was real."
The sound of footsteps vanished, only to be followed by a rapid burst of them.
Pei Wanyu watched Mu Qingyue, who was standing in front of her, and had long since collected her teasing smile, "What's up?"
"Who was it... Who went into the bridal chamber with Junior Brother?" Mu Qingyue's voice grew colder, "Where?"
"You're nervous?"
"Who?" The area around Mu Qingyue, filled with jet-black abyss-like sword Qi, vibrated.
"Zhu Nanzhi."
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