Nighttime.
"Are you heading back?" After finishing their meal, Jiangning asked.
Xie Xiaojiu hesitated for a moment before replying, "My lord, the snow is quite heavy, and it's too dark outside..."
"Understood." Jiangning nodded.
Just then,
The sound of footsteps approached.
A moment later,
Liu Wanwan appeared from the rear door of the hall.
"Miss Xie, your room is ready! Hot water is also being prepared."
Hearing this, Xie Xiaojiu froze for a second, her eyes darting toward Jiangning. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Jiangning chuckled.
"Sister-in-law, no need. She can stay in my room."
"Your room?" Liu Wanwan blinked. "Is that appropriate? Miss Xie is still an unmarried young lady."
Jiangning explained, "The past few nights I was away from home, I stayed at Miss Xie's place."
"Oh, I see!" Liu Wanwan's face immediately brightened with a knowing smile.
She glanced between the two of them. "Then I won't disturb you two any longer."
With that,
she hurried off to deliver the good news to Jiang Li.
"My lord!" Jiangning turned back to see Xie Xiaojiu looking at him.
"Before, I was the one taking advantage of you by occupying your room. Tonight, it's your turn to take advantage of me."
Hearing Jiangning's words, Xie Xiaojiu relaxed visibly, her expression softening.
"Thank you, my lord, for speaking up for me. If I'm staying at your home, I'd feel much safer in your room."
"Aren't you afraid of me?" Jiangning smirked.
"Not at all!" Xie Xiaojiu shook her head earnestly.
Jiangning laughed, then strode out of the hall. "Let's go."
Xie Xiaojiu quickly followed behind.
As they stepped into the front courtyard, light snow continued to drift down from the sky.
"My lord, it's a bit cold..." Xie Xiaojiu shivered as snowflakes melted against her neck.
"If you're cold, put on more layers," Jiangning said.
"I didn't bring extra clothes." Xie Xiaojiu lowered her head.
Then she added, "Later, I'd like to take a hot bath to warm up."
"Sure." Jiangning nodded.
A short while later,
The two arrived at the eastern courtyard.
Crossing the yard, Jiangning pushed open the door to his room and lit the nearby candle, dispelling much of the darkness inside.
"Come in first. It's cold outside."
Xie Xiaojiu hurriedly stepped over the threshold.
Once the door was closed,
the biting wind and snow were shut out, making the room noticeably warmer.
"Wait here. I'll fetch hot water for you."
"If you're still cold, you can light the charcoal in the brazier, but remember to crack the window slightly for ventilation," Jiangning instructed.
"My lord, let me fetch the water! How could I trouble you with such a task?" Xie Xiaojiu protested.
"No need." Jiangning shook his head. "It's too dark, and you don't know the way or where the kitchen is. Just wait here. I'll bring the hot water."
With that, he turned and left.
"So kind..." Xie Xiaojiu watched Jiangning's figure disappear through the door, her heart whispering. "If only my father had treated my mother like this, she wouldn't have suffered so much."
Meanwhile,
Jiangning was very familiar with the layout of the residence.
Even in the snowy darkness, he navigated effortlessly to the kitchen.
"Big brother!" The moment he stepped inside, Jiangning was surprised to see the burly man tending to the fire.
Jiang Li turned and grinned at the sight of his younger brother. "Ah-Ning, here to fetch hot water?"
"Mm." Jiangning nodded.
"Go for it! Seize the chance with Miss Xie don't worry about formalities!" Jiang Li pumped his fist encouragingly.
Jiangning: "..."
Then he asked, "Did Big Brother use the same approach with his sister-in-law back then?"
"Not exactly." Jiang Li scratched his head, a blissful expression on his face. "On our wedding night even though we didn't have our families' blessings it was still the happiest day of my life."
Looking at his earnest brother, Jiangning smiled.
Soon after,
he effortlessly carried a large bucket of preheated water and another of cold water back to his room.
"My lord, come in quickly!" Hearing Jiangning return, Xie Xiaojiu rushed to the door in three quick steps, opening it to greet him.
After setting down the two buckets,
"Wait!" Xie Xiaojiu suddenly spoke, then stood on tiptoe to brush off the snowflakes dusting Jiangning's hair.
"There!" She clapped her hands lightly, her eyes curving with satisfaction.
Jiangning chuckled. "Do you want to adjust the water temperature yourself, or should I help?"
"My body runs cold I prefer hotter water. I'll do it myself." Xie Xiaojiu replied.
Jiangning nodded. "Alright, then you bathe first. I'll step outside and wait until you're done."
He turned to leave.
"My lord!"
"What is it?"
Jiangning glanced back.
Xie Xiaojiu bit her lip nervously, remaining silent for what felt like an eternity before finally speaking.
"Outside... it's too dark, the snow is still falling, and the wind has picked up. It's freezing."
"My lord should stay inside."
By the time she finished speaking, Xie Xiaojiu had buried her face in her chest.
Such straightforward words had turned her cheeks a deep shade of red.
At this moment,
Jiangning glanced at Xie Xiaojiu.
Then, unexpectedly, he nodded.
He understood that for an unmarried woman to say such a thing required immense courage.
So he replied, "Then I'll wait behind the screen."
With those words,
he walked toward the folding screen in the room.
His quarters spanned over a hundred square meters.
When he first moved in, there had been a screen near the entrance.
Originally, he had found it obstructive and moved it to a corner.
But now, under these circumstances, hiding behind the screen was the best solution.
"As you wish, my lord." Seeing the screen in the corner, Xie Xiaojiu let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Though everything was proceeding as she had hoped, now that the moment had arrived, her heart was pounding with nervousness.
The screen provided a psychological buffer.
Otherwise, she wasn't sure how overwhelmed she might have felt.
Soon after,
Jiangning moved the screen to divide the space between them.
Then, he fetched a towel and a bath towel from the wardrobe.
"These are mine a face towel and a bath towel. If you don't mind, you can use them later."
"Not at all!" Xie Xiaojiu quickly took the items from him, clutching them to her chest.
"I'll step aside now," Jiangning said.
"Of course, my lord." Xie Xiaojiu nodded.
Watching Jiangning's silhouette disappear behind the screen, she exhaled softly.
Once her racing heart had calmed slightly, she set the towel and bath towel aside.
Then, she began mixing hot and cold water in the bathtub until the temperature was just right.
Only then did she start unbuttoning her clothes.
For martial artists, even in the depths of winter, thick clothing was unnecessary.
Excessive layers could restrict movement, hindering agility.
Thus, she wore only three layers no different from spring or autumn attire.
Meanwhile,
Jiangning watched with quiet amusement through the screen as Xie Xiaojiu's graceful figure was silhouetted against the light.
He looked because he wanted to.
He made no pretense of being a saintly gentleman.
At this point, he wasn't foolish enough to misunderstand her intentions.
But he had his reservations.
In this world, no matter how much potential he knew he had, he was still just a small figure.
He couldn't even claim absolute self-preservation.
Especially after learning that He Jinyun's second brother, He Jinsheng, had entered the city that morning.
If conflict erupted in the coming days beyond any hope of reconciliation
The more people closely tied to him, the greater his vulnerabilities would be.
And a lover would be his greatest weakness.
Moreover, having tasted the thrill of martial arts, Jiangning found cultivation far more rewarding than romance.
Power belonged to oneself. Every increment of strength brought immense satisfaction.
The elevation of life itself and the transcendence of limits granted him unparalleled fulfillment.
Just as his thoughts began to drift,
the soft rustle of fabric reached his ears.
Clothes slipped to the floor.
Bathed in candlelight, Xie Xiaojiu's silhouette was unveiled in all its elegance.
On the other side,
Xie Xiaojiu glanced toward the screen. Though Jiangning stood in shadow, his figure indistinct,
She could feel his gaze upon her, and a shy smile touched her lips.
Her heart had long been resolved.
She was unafraid.
A moment later,
She stepped into the tub.
Behind the screen,
Jiangning watched as Xie Xiaojiu's silhouette vanished into the bath, the sound of splashing water reaching his ears.
His mind involuntarily conjured the scene
of a beauty in her bath.
"No." Jiangning shook his head firmly.
He knew that if he continued like this, he wouldn't be able to suppress the impulses of his body.
Today, he wasn't prepared.
With that thought,
He shook his head, forcibly clearing his mind of distractions, then closed his eyes.
The next moment,
he turned his focus inward, immersing his consciousness into his body.
Immediately, he began channeling his qi and blood energy, condensing it into tiny hammers.
Boom
A deep tremor resonated within him as bone-forging commenced.
With his experience from the afternoon, Jiangning now moved with even greater ease. Executing the 108 Heavenly and Earthly Tempering Hammer Technique felt smoother than the first time.
One hammer strike faded, the vibrations subsided then another followed.
Meanwhile,
Xie Xiaojiu bathed with a heart full of tension.
She knew that in a situation like this a man and woman alone together, with Jiangning at the peak of youthful vigor anything could happen.
Every passing moment filled her with nervous anticipation.
For over an hour, her heart never settled.
Especially when the time came to step out of the tub. It took an internal battle before she finally mustered the courage.
The next moment
Splash
The water rippled as Xie Xiaojiu rose from the bath.
Yet no one witnessed the sight.
Jiangning was wholly absorbed in his bone-forging, with no attention to spare.
A short while later,
Xie Xiaojiu dried herself and wrapped her long hair in the towel atop her head.
Only then did she pick up the undergarments she had set aside earlier.
Once dressed, her cheeks burned scarlet.
At home, she often lounged in sleepwear like this.
But now was different.
She was sharing a room with Jiangning.
The moment she stepped past the screen, her intimate attire would be laid bare before his eyes.
Though her undergarments weren't particularly revealing
The top covered everything but her slender arms and the curve of her waist,
While the bottom concealed all but the lower half of her thighs and calves
by the standards of Jiangning's past life, it was less revealing than swimwear at the beach.
But this world was different.
Such attire was deeply private. For a respectable woman, only her husband should see her like this.
For Xie Xiaojiu, it was a tremendous psychological hurdle.
Head bowed, lips bitten, she hesitated.
Then,
Summoning her courage, she took the first step forward.
Once past the screen,
she saw Jiangning seated cross-legged, eyes shut.
Only then did she notice the faint, rhythmic tremors emanating from within him.
Xie Xiaojiu: "..."
For a long moment, she could only stare blankly, speechless.
She never expected this to be the outcome.
Keeping Jiangning in the room while she bathed, only for him to be utterly indifferent.
After a prolonged daze, she glanced down at herself.
"Am I really that unappealing?"
Her heart sank a little.
Just then,
Jiangning completed a full cycle.
His eyes snapped open.
With a wave of his hand,
a jade vial containing Iron Bone Pills appeared in his palm.
The next instant,
he inhaled sharply.
Five pills, each the size of a silkworm cocoon, flew from the vial into his mouth.
As the pills entered his body, he closed his eyes again.
Xie Xiaojiu, standing nearby, went entirely unnoticed he had no attention to spare for her.
Seeing this, Xie Xiaojiu obediently stayed quiet, not making a sound.
She could tell Jiangning was at a critical juncture.
Astonishment filled her.
The Iron Bone Pills were unmistakable at a glance.
"His talent truly is peerless he's already begun bone-forging! I'm far from his equal!"
Her gaze fixed on him intently.
She knew that ingesting the pills marked the most crucial phase of bone-forging.
In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea,
Jiangning, with practiced ease, guided the dissolved iron marrow into the thirteen bones he had just tempered.
Forging thirteen bones at once remained his current limit.
Only when the process stabilized did he finally open his eyes.
The next moment,
his pupils dilated slightly.
"So big..." he mused inwardly.
Right now,
Xie Xiaojiu stood before him in her undergarments. Without the usual chest-binding restraints, the thin fabric accentuated her striking fullness.
"No wonder she always bound her chest before!"
The sight before him made everything clear.
For a martial artist, excessive size truly was a hindrance to movement.
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