The spacious living room fell into a brief silence.
Even Dugu Yan, usually so straightforward, now avoided eye contact, her demeanor surprisingly similar to Zhu Zhuqing's.
Wasn't this just typical empty boasting?
Li Xun couldn't help but laugh at the sight, though he said nothing more as he walked over and sat down between the two women.
"How is... Rongrong?" Zhu Zhuqing's heart was a tangled mess, and she shifted uneasily.
Though she had long anticipated this situation, for some reason, she couldn't shake the discomfort in her heart.
Logically, given her upbringing, her mindset should have been open-minded. Yet when faced with reality, she realized she wasn't as strong or selfless as she had imagined.
Was it because life had been too comfortable, making her greedy? Zhu Zhuqing pondered silently.
"Rongrong is fine, just a bit tired," Li Xun said as he lay back, resting his head on Zhu Zhuqing's lap. "But she probably won't be coming out tonight."
Zhu Zhuqing trembled slightly but didn't pull away.
Li Xun tilted his head, his gaze passing between her breasts to meet her eyes.
Winning Ning Rongrong over first had been his plan all along, but now that it had actually happened, he couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt toward Zhu Zhuqing.
Compared to Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing was far too quiet. Ever since arriving in Heavenly Dou, she had followed him without causing any trouble for anyone.
Her temperament was also relatively steady.
If he had approached Zhu Zhuqing first, someone like Ning Rongrong would have thrown a fit long ago, given her personality.
Sensing Li Xun's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing flinched as if shocked and quickly averted her eyes. "You haven't eaten yet, right? Let me get you something to eat."
With that, she tried to help him sit up, but he wrapped an arm around her waist instead.
"Let me rest for a bit. There's still a tough battle to fight tonight," Li Xun said, finding a comfortable position and closing his eyes contentedly.
Once things started, they had to be settled decisively. If he let either of them overthink it, complications were bound to arise.
If not for the sense of unfairness he felt toward Zhu Zhuqing, he might have made his move right then.
A tough battle to fight? Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment.
Was he planning to go see Ning Rongrong again tonight? Or...
In that instant, countless thoughts raced through her mind. Her heart pounded uncontrollably, a mix of shyness and resistance surging within her.
Zhu Zhuqing felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She shifted uncomfortably but restrained herself from making any large movements, mindful of Li Xun resting on her lap.
As time ticked by, Dugu Yan, who had been pretending to be an ostrich all this while, could no longer sit still.
She stole a glance at Li Xun, then cautiously rose from the sofa, careful not to make a sound.
She had always thought she was the boldest among the three of them, but after hearing the commotion last night, she realized she was wrong.
Though she had some vague understanding of relations between men and women, the sounds Ning Rongrong made last night were downright terrifying—even the God Trial, as difficult as it was, hadn't been like that...
Dugu Yan suddenly felt the bottle of medicine her grandfather had given her burning a hole in her pocket. It seemed she had underestimated the complexity of such matters.
Hearing the movement, Li Xun cracked his eyes open slightly, took a look, and then drifted into a deep sleep.
Past experiences had proven time and again that honest people were easy to bully.
Li Xun slept for a full hour.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming impact, Zhu Zhuqing remained lost in inner turmoil until Li Xun's hands grew increasingly unrestrained, jolting her back to reality.
"I'll go prepare some food," Zhu Zhuqing struggled to help Li Xun up before fleeing like a startled deer.
During lunch, neither Dugu Yan nor Ning Rongrong appeared. Zhu Zhuqing had little appetite herself, hastily eating a few bites before returning to her room.
Left alone, Li Xun indulged in ravenous eating to replenish the energy he had previously expended.
Inside the room
Zhu Zhuqing curled up on the sofa, entangled in intense internal conflict. She simultaneously feared that Li Xun wouldn't come looking for her, yet dreaded his actual arrival.
Her thoughts drifted to childhood lessons from her mother: "I had long anticipated this moment, so why can't I calm myself now?"
"Besides, Brother Li Xun isn't the type to indulge in frivolous pursuits."
The clock ticked relentlessly as time slipped away second by second.
For some reason, Zhu Zhuqing felt as if each passing moment stretched into eternity.
One hour, two hours - the expected arrival never materialized.
Her inner turmoil gradually dissipated, replaced by a faint sense of disappointment: "Could it be that Brother Li Xun didn't mean what I thought? Or is he angry because I left too abruptly earlier?"
Li Xun observed Zhu Zhuqing's tightly shut door, giving it a push only to find it locked.
Being a law-abiding citizen, he gently knocked: "Zhuqing, open up. I need to talk with you."
His voice penetrated the door but elicited no response. With no alternative, Li Xun infused a trace of Soul Power into his words: "Zhuqing, this is truly important business."
After a long while
Perhaps realizing this stalemate was futile, or fearing Li Xun genuinely had urgent matters to discuss, Zhu Zhuqing pressed a hand to her chest and slowly cracked the door open a sliver.
"What is it?"
Peering through the gap at Zhu Zhuqing's cautious demeanor, Li Xun smiled. He braced against the door and slipped inside amid her startled gasp.
Zhu Zhuqing's heart leaped with alarm, well aware of what might follow. She retreated repeatedly: "Brother Li Xun, didn't you say you had important matters to discuss?"
Hearing her stammered words, Li Xun locked the door behind him: "Come, let's continue our conversation inside."
"Brother Li Xun, we can talk right here..." Zhu Zhuqing clutched her chest, struggling to calm her racing heart.
"Who discusses serious matters at the doorway? Be good, wait for me on the bed." Li Xun deftly removed his outer coat and hung it on the doorframe hook.
Witnessing this, Zhu Zhuqing felt her heart might burst from her chest. Her mind went blank, and she drifted numbly to the bedside.
She stood there frozen.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Let me examine you."
Noticing her state, Li Xun approached with concern, supporting Zhu Zhuqing for a closer inspection.
Feeling the scorching heat radiating from his arm, Zhu Zhuqing shuddered. Her legs weakened, collapsing onto the bed: "I'm fine..."
Breathing grew difficult as her chest heaved with rapid breaths: "Brother Li Xun... you still haven't told me about the important matter..."
"Nothing matters more than your wellbeing. Let me check you over first to prevent any illness." Li Xun pressed the back of his hand to Zhu Zhuqing's forehead.
"Your temperature is slightly elevated. Why are you wearing so many layers in this warm room? Going outside like this could make you catch cold."
Having said this, Li Xun thoughtfully helped Zhu Zhuqing remove her heavy outer garments.
Zhu Zhuqing desperately clutched her inner clothing: "You... you still have important matters... to discuss, don't you?"
"What could be more important than your health?" Li Xun lifted Zhu Zhuqing's slender legs, removed her shoes and socks, then gently placed them on the bed.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing still sitting there woodenly, Li Xun patted her bottom: "Move further in. You're squeezing me out of sitting space."
Knowing she couldn't avoid this, Zhu Zhuqing buried her head in the quilt, feeling the tingling sensation on her bottom that made her whole body tremble.
Hearing the rustling sounds of clothes being removed, she asked through the quilt in a muffled voice: "Brother Li Xun, can you talk about serious matters now?"
"Isn't this serious business?" Li Xun threw back the quilt and slipped inside.
(End of Chapter)