Chapter 43

After hearing Yu Li’s words, Yu Tao fell silent for a moment before speaking in confusion, “Little Senior Brother, why would you think that?”

“Even though it’s just sleeping…”

She didn’t dare turn around and swallowed dryly, saying stiffly, “But, aren’t you lacking a clear self-awareness?”

Yu Li furrowed his brows tightly. What did she mean by that?

…Was she rejecting him?

Yu Tao sighed lightly, “Little Senior Brother, if you’re in human form, I can’t sleep with you anymore. I’ll stay outside to keep watch instead.”

The fingers that had been resting on his collar suddenly froze. His hand lowered, and his fingers unconsciously tightened, turning white at the knuckles.

He lowered his gaze, his long lashes trembling slightly, and his voice became softer, tinged with a hoarse quality: “I understand.”

Yu Tao didn’t notice anything strange. She nodded lightly and walked out of the wooden hut.

It was a bit awkward to close the door with her back to it. She reached around with her hand several times before finally finding the edge of the door. As she closed it, she paused, thinking it was necessary to give Little Senior Brother a little lesson in education, just like what she had learned from Zhu Mingyu and Lu Qingyu.

With a small gap left in the door, Yu Tao turned sideways, her hand resting on the doorframe, and she cleared her throat gently.

“Um, Little Senior Brother, boys need to learn to protect themselves out here. Don’t say things like ‘sleeping with anyone casually’ again in the future.”

Yu Li suddenly lifted his gaze, his light golden eyes focused on the side of her face through the gap in the door.

Her face flushed a deep red, and her ears turned pink as well. Her eyes were moist, and her hand clenched tightly at the door frame. As she said this, her expression was shy and awkward.

Yu Tao used her fist to cover her lips, trying to hide her embarrassment, and continued, “This time it’s fine because it’s me, but if it were someone else, they’d definitely take advantage of you when you’re asleep, doing some very bad things.”

Honestly, she felt that she might not have been able to hold back either.

God knows how much effort she used in the past few days to resist doing anything when she was holding the cat.

But when holding the cat, she could still manage to control herself. If it were Little Senior Brother in her arms… she felt like she would probably lose control from the overwhelming temptation, and at that point, she would definitely do… well, not-so-good things.

Hmm… At least, she was quite clear about herself in this regard.

After saying this, Yu Tao withdrew her hand, intending to close the door and leave him to rest in peace.

Just as she moved her hand slightly, the door was suddenly pushed against, and it wouldn’t budge an inch.

Yu Tao turned quickly and saw the hand pressing against the upper part of the door, just where she had been holding it—long, distinct fingers gripping the doorframe.

Before Yu Tao had the chance to ask what was going on, she heard a light voice from above.

“There’s no one else.”

Yu Tao was a bit stunned. “What do you mean, no one else?”

“This is something I’ve only said to you.”

Yu Tao froze for a moment, then immediately smiled. “Of course, I know you’ve only said this to me. If you had said it to anyone else, you’d have learned this lesson by now and wouldn’t dare say such things again.”

As she spoke, she nodded confidently. “Others definitely wouldn’t be as upright and self-controlled as I am.”

Yu Li: “…”

Yu Tao, as upright as she claimed, didn’t even spare him a glance as she spoke. She kept her gaze fixed on the rain outside the door, the steady drizzle tapping against the window.

She continued earnestly, “Little Senior Brother, I think you might not have a clear perception of your appearance. Let me put it more specifically. In ancient times, if someone was extraordinarily beautiful, they’d use the term ‘^[1]“tilting the nation and the city” (倾国倾城) is a Chinese idiom used to describe extraordinary beauty, often referring to a person whose appearance is so stunning that it could cause … Continue readingtilting the nation and the city’ to describe them. I think that phrase suits you perfectly.”

When she had first seen him in Haicheng, she had been struck by his beauty and frozen for a moment, surprised that there could be someone so stunning in Eastern Kingdom.

Although after arriving at the Wuchang Sect, she realized that many cultivators had exquisite appearances due to their cultivation, she still felt that he was the most handsome person she had ever seen.

Well… maybe it was because of her crush on him.

In any case, because of Yu Li, when she later saw the mermaid, who was renowned for their breathtaking beauty, she had remained indifferent, not paying much attention.

But cultivators didn’t seem to care much about looks, focusing more on cultivation. Yu Tao thought this was probably why Little Senior Brother had such an unclear understanding of himself.

She spoke seriously, “So Little Senior Brother, you need to remember this, or else some things you won’t like will happen in the future.”

“Yu Tao.”

Yu Tao’s tone lifted as she replied, “What’s the matter?”

Yu Li’s gaze fixed on her face, and he spoke slowly, “Just now, you said others would definitely do some bad things they couldn’t resist. What exactly were you referring to?”

Yu Tao froze for a moment. How was she supposed to answer that? She didn’t know what others might think.

“If you’re unsure, you can just tell me your own thoughts.”

In the name of education, Yu Tao had no choice but to clear her throat and reluctantly express her thoughts, dryly saying, “Well, maybe they might try to touch you or pinch your face while you’re sleeping.”

“Mm.”

The young man answered softly, his gaze unreadable. Suddenly, he opened the slightly open door.

Yu Tao, caught off guard, was pushed by the door and found herself facing Yu Li. Her gaze met his pale neck, where the collar was slightly open, revealing a minimalist black collar.

Before she could react, she heard his calm voice.

“Then come.”

Yu Tao’s pupils dilated: ???

The rain outside dropped steadily onto the roof, the rhythmic sound adding to the gloomy atmosphere. The rainy weather, with its dim light and moist air, was the best environment for sleep.

Yu Tao stiffly sat by the bed, trembling as she covered the young man with the quilt and tucked in the corners.

While doing this, her mind was in chaos, replaying the strange conversation that had just taken place.

“Little Senior Brother, are you serious?”

“Mm.”

“But you usually don’t like physical contact, don’t you? Won’t this feel like an invasion of your space?”

“…I’ve gotten used to it lately. I need someone to be with me to sleep well. As for the rest, I don’t mind.”

“Well, if you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“Wait, wait!”

Yu Tao’s mind went blank for a moment. What? There was a chance to touch Little Senior Brother so casually? How could she possibly miss this opportunity?

Without hesitation, she walked toward the room: “Little Senior Brother, I’m willing!!”

And so, they ended up in the current situation.

The cold, aloof young man was now lying with his eyes closed, his long lashes like crow feathers, softly brushing against his skin. His breathing was slow and even. His black hair spilled over the pillow, some of it lying beneath his head. As Yu Tao withdrew her hand, her little finger brushed against the silky strands of his hair.

His hair looked so soft and fluffy, Yu Tao couldn’t help but think.

Ahh, why did she really walk in here? Why couldn’t she resist the temptation?!

The edge of the bed was too high, so Yu Tao moved a small stool and sat beside the bed, resting her chin in her hands, quietly watching him sleep.

Perhaps it was because his true form was a cat, but even in human form, the young man didn’t like to sleep lying flat. After a while, he shifted to his side, facing Yu Tao.

His messy, fluffy hair had been tousled, and one hand was sticking out of the quilt in a lazy, carefree manner. Gone was his usual indifference, and he looked much more like a big, fluffy cat.

So cute.

Yu Tao smiled and squinted her eyes, feeling incredibly lucky to be able to look at him so closely, seeing him so unguarded.

Oh, she had even seen his cat form. Not only had she seen it, but she had also held him.

She could answer Little Senior Brother’s earlier question with certainty.

How could she possibly dislike him?

As for being afraid… well, maybe she was a little afraid.

Afraid that, just like before, she might do something strange to him. Although that time she had been sick, unconscious, and asleep, she couldn’t remember it clearly, but it still happened.

Little Senior Brother had forgiven her for his good temper, but that didn’t mean he would forgive her every time.

So Yu Tao firmly decided: Even though she couldn’t resist in the first moment, she would definitely hold back this time. After all, it was just sleeping together, she could handle it!

Yu Tao held out for an entire afternoon, until nightfall, when the room darkened completely.

Her legs had gone numb, but she remained disciplined, only adjusting his quilt during the entire time and never once touching him.

It seemed like he had pressed his hair uncomfortably while sleeping, and in his dreamlike state, he furrowed his brow. Yu Tao gently pulled the hair from under his head, and his expression relaxed.

The rain began to ease, the steady sound of drops still ticking on the roof.

Yu Tao stared at his sleeping face in a daze. Suddenly, a thought popped into her mind: Little Senior Brother was completely unguarded around her, and he had said he didn’t mind these things. So, maybe she should take this opportunity to do something she wanted to do?

One part of her mind told her to be upright, that even if he didn’t mind, she shouldn’t do anything inappropriate.

The other part whispered that this was the only chance, and once he was asleep, he wouldn’t know. Plus, hadn’t he already agreed?

After going back and forth in her mind for a while, Yu Tao finally made her decision. Her heart started racing, pounding in her chest.

She swallowed nervously, stretching out her finger, and first poked the slender wrist of the arm that was resting by the bed.

No reaction.

Yu Tao deliberately coughed a little louder, watching his reaction. He remained still, his long lashes dark and thick, his breathing steady and undisturbed.

He must have fallen into a deep sleep after resting for so long.

Yu Tao let out a breath of relief, and slowly, her hand moved upwards, gently shifting along, covering his warm palm, slipping her fingers through his.

Then, with slow and careful movements, she tightened her grip, their fingers interlocking.

Heh heh, holding hands.

Yu Tao chuckled foolishly to herself for a while, before finally remembering to proceed to the next step. She bent slightly, gently lifting his hand while holding it.

Then, she brought it to her lips and lightly kissed his fingertip.

Her face flushed, warmth rising in her, and she could feel her ears burning.

Originally, she had planned to kiss his face, but in the end, Yu Tao still didn’t have the courage. Kissing his hand was already a significant challenge for her.

After doing something mischievous, Yu Tao immediately felt guilty. She quickly placed his hand back where it was, pretending nothing had happened.

As for the hand she was holding, she hesitated for a moment, unwilling to let go. She lingered for a full minute before finally deciding to release it.

She whispered softly to herself, ‘That’s enough for now.’

‘I hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future.’

Yu Tao released her fingers, and just as she was about to pull away, his hand suddenly gripped hers back. His long fingers interlocked with hers, his touch burning with heat.

Yu Tao froze, lifting her eyes to look at him.

Her confused gaze met the young man’s pale gold, beautiful eyes. His eyes were clear, not at all like someone who had just woken up.

Yu Tao’s heart raced. When had he woken up?

He wouldn’t have known about what had just happened, would he?

In her panic, she instinctively tried to pull her hand away. However, Yu Li didn’t hold her tightly, allowing her to break free. He simply sat up slowly, leaning back against the headboard.

His dark hair hung loosely behind him. He lowered his lashes, his fingers slowly caressing the fingertip that had been softly touched.

The hoarse voice of the young man, now awake, was lazy and cold. Seeing the nervous and uneasy expression on Yu Tao’s face, he lifted his eyes and spoke slowly, his tone neither urgent nor slow.

“Is this all you want, Junior Sister?”