Le Gui had no idea what was happening to her. Her mind was foggy, and everything felt distant, as if she were floating.

And she was hot.

Desperate for some kind of relief but unsure what to do, she instinctively turned to Di Jiang.

Di Jiang leaned lazily against the edge of the pool, watching as she clung to him and let her hands roam. His voice was laced with icy amusement. “Are you trying to die?”

“No, I’m trying to find you.” Le Gui mumbled. Then, catching sight of his prominent Adam’s apple, she bit down without thinking.

She didn’t use much force, but the sting was still there. Di Jiang had just finished healing and couldn’t be bothered to push her away. He decided to see just how far she would go—whether she really had the guts to devour a Demon Lord whole.

As it turned out, even in her muddled state, all she did was leave two rows of faint teeth marks on his skin. In her daze, she still had the clarity to confirm, “Your Lordship, since you’re not hitting me, I’ll take that as permission to continue. You can’t go back on it later.”

What kind of ridiculous logic was that?

Di Jiang chuckled.

“You’re laughing on purpose to look even more attractive. You really are trying to seduce me.” Le Gui said seriously.

Di Jiang shot her a glance, then simply shut his eyes, ignoring her entirely.

The steam rising from the water blurred his features. His pale skin, too easily flushed by the heat, had turned a delicate shade of pink. His head was tilted back, exposing his throat, and the faint teeth marks on his Adam’s apple stood out starkly against his skin, making him look… strangely vulnerable.

“I must be losing my mind. How could I think of the Demon Lord as vulnerable?” Le Gui muttered.

She really wasn’t thinking straight. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be saying things out loud that she usually only dared to think.

Di Jiang remained silent, clearly intending to ignore her until she gave up.

Le Gui put in a great deal of effort—so much that she even felt bad for herself. Yet, this man remained indifferent, eyes shut, treating her advances like a child’s clumsy performance.

She blinked sluggishly, then suddenly pinched him.

Di Jiang’s eyes snapped open, his voice cold. “I see you really do have a death wish.”

“I knew you weren’t asleep!” Le Gui beamed, cupping his face and planting a firm kiss on him.

Di Jiang: “…”

“Your Lordship, I like you so much. Let’s do something fun, okay? I promise to take responsibility. I would never abandon you afterward.” Le Gui declared shamelessly.

She wiggled against him, convinced she was being seductive and alluring. But to Di Jiang, it was no different from a puppy rolling around for attention.

Little puppy Le Gui thought she was well-versed in theory, that seducing a ‘paper man’ should be a piece of cake. But after all this time, Di Jiang hadn’t shown even the slightest reaction.

For a moment, she had no idea what to do next.

[When you don’t know what to do, just kiss them!]

Le Gui stared at Di Jiang’s lips for a long time before finally biting down on them.

Di Jiang’s gaze darkened instantly, yet he remained motionless, letting her do as she pleased.

He was genuinely curious—curious to see just how far she would take this.

And as it turned out, she had no shortage of tricks up her sleeve.

After clumsily kissing him for a long while without receiving any response, a hint of confusion flickered in Le Gui’s eyes. Then, without hesitation, she reached her hand beneath the water.

Di Jiang, who had been watching her antics from above, finally had a shift in expression. He swiftly grabbed her audacious hand from the water and yanked it away. Caught off guard, Le Gui lost her balance and fell onto him, leaving a row of red teeth marks on his chest.

“Your Lordship, why aren’t you reacting?” Before Di Jiang could reprimand her, she was already in shock.

[Could it be that he… can’t?]

Di Jiang sneered. “I truly underestimated you.”

Though her mind was still hazy, her instincts had begun to awaken. Le Gui subconsciously tried to escape, but the moment she turned, she was forcefully pulled back.

“Your Lordship…” She grinned at him, attempting to curry favor.

Di Jiang stared at her for a long while before the corners of his lips curled up.

Le Gui’s alarms went off instantly. Without thinking, she struggled to break free, but before she could move, his fingertip landed on her forehead.

[…How is his hand still so cold after soaking for so long?]

Le Gui’s muddled brain could barely process anything before an icy chill surged into her head. Just as she was about to react, the cold transformed into scorching heat. In the haze, she seemed to see a blinding white light and instinctively followed it, thinking that salvation was near. But in the next moment, she was sent soaring high before crashing unceremoniously into the mud.

She was dying.

It was over. She was really going to die.

That thought echoed in her mind as her body weakened, slipping limply into the water.

“This is all it takes to break you, yet you dared to try seducing me?”

Just before losing consciousness completely, she vaguely heard Di Jiang’s mocking voice.

She had a long, long dream.

In the dream, she was back at her familiar university campus. It was late autumn in November, and the maple trees lining the roads were ablaze with red. A gust of wind sent leaves fluttering down in showers. The crisp morning air was cool but not freezing. She and her friends clutched their freshly bought breakfasts from the cafeteria as they sprinted toward the lecture hall, barely making it before the class bell rang.

“You finally made it! Next time, don’t cut it so close,” their roommate, who had saved them seats, warned. “The professor just announced that to instill a good sense of punctuality, he’ll be taking attendance two minutes before every class. If you don’t respond, it’s an automatic absence.”

“No way! That’s insane!” her friend wailed in despair.

Their roommate sighed. “That’s not all. He also said that since we spend too much time holed up in the dorm playing on our phones, our health is worse than his. So, starting next week, he’ll organize mandatory morning runs. Anyone who skips gets their grades docked.”

“This is outrageous! Unbelievable!” Her friend was so furious she lost her appetite. Then, turning around, she noticed Le Gui was still happily eating. She hesitated and asked, “You’re not mad?”

“Oh, this is nothing,” Le Gui replied casually. “You guys have never met someone worse.”

“There’s someone worse than a professor who takes attendance two minutes early and forces students to run?” Her friend and roommate were equally shocked.

Le Gui nodded. “Of course. My crazy boss—Di Jiang.”

“Who’s Di Jiang?” her friend asked, confused.

Le Gui was stunned by the question.

Yeah… who was Di Jiang?

She blinked in confusion.

In the next second, her roommate and friend vanished. The other students disappeared. The lecture hall faded away. The hallway. The fiery red maple trees lining the campus road…

“No!”

Le Gui jolted awake, her breathing ragged.

The vast, empty sleeping chamber. The now-cold pool water. The blackened bloodstains on the garments by the edge of the pool… She was still in this novel world after all.

Le Gui rubbed her face and tried to stand, but the moment she got up, her legs buckled, sending her collapsing onto the ground. A wave of weakness spread from her waist to her fingertips.

She froze for a moment before looking up—only to see Di Jiang standing at the doorway.

Their eyes met.

The memories from before she fainted rushed back, and after three seconds of silence, Le Gui lay back down.

Di Jiang took his time walking over, standing leisurely above her with his hands on his hips. “What trick are you pulling now?”

“Just give me a quick death!”

She had actually acted out her wildest fantasies. Could she possibly still be alive after that?

Le Gui shut her eyes, embracing her fate.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds… Five minutes passed.

Le Gui was on the verge of dozing off when she realized death had yet to claim her. She cracked open her eyes slightly and found Di Jiang still staring at her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes fully and put on an innocent look. “Your Lordship.”

“You want a quick death?” Di Jiang smiled maliciously. “I refuse.”

Le Gui: “……”

“How about coating you in honey and hanging you outside a demon ant nest? I wonder how long it would take for them to devour you completely. Or maybe I should feed you to the vengeful spirits in the forests? There are quite a few on Diyun Peak that enjoy gnawing on mortals. I could even place a restriction on you, so you’d stay alive just long enough to—”

Before he could finish, Le Gui had already latched onto his leg.

Di Jiang paused, then lazily asked, “What are you doing?”

“Begging for forgiveness,” Le Gui said, looking up pitifully. “Your Lordship, please spare me this time.”

Di Jiang raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you want a quick death?”

“Not anymore,” Le Gui replied obediently. “Your Lordship must be lonely living all alone in Cangqiong Palace. I want to stay by your side. Forever and ever.”

Di Jiang stared at her for a long while before curling his lips into a smirk.

“I don’t need that.”

Le Gui: “……”

[Big Brother, isn’t this the part where you’re supposed to be deeply moved, open your heart, and vow to be with me for life? What do you mean you don’t need it?!]

Le Gui whimpered and tightened her grip around his leg. “Your Lordship, please, have mercy on me this time!”

Di Jiang let out a cold laugh. “Let go.”

Le Gui immediately released him, only to see his gaze land on the black blood that had soaked into the robe covering the ground. Bracing against her sore waist, she quickly started wiping it clean. Before she could finish, the sound of water rippling behind her made her pause.

Di Jiang had returned to the pool.

As he sank back into the water, the once-cold pool gradually warmed, returning to a comfortable temperature. Le Gui had always assumed it was Di Jiang who controlled the water’s warmth, but now she realized the pool seemed to have a will of its own. It adjusted its temperature the moment he entered.

[So this pool only serves him.]

A sudden memory flashed through her mind—when she had touched the bubbles earlier, she had seen a vision. It seemed as if he had been born from this very pool.

[So… is the Wanghuan Pool actually… his mother?]

Le Gui sucked in a sharp breath. Noticing that her sash was still floating in the water, she hurriedly fished it out.

[My apologies, Auntie. Truly, I meant no offense.]

Di Jiang, who had intended to focus on his meditation, paused.

Le Gui, however, did not stop her internal monologue.

[Auntie, I swear I didn’t know you were his mother. If I had known, I would never have dared to take liberties with your son in front of you… Wait, no, this wasn’t even in front of you. I was directly inside your..]

[..Hold on. I thought this was just between two people, but it turns out I was involved with both mother and son..]

[Oh, crap, crap, crap! This just keeps getting worse! Auntie, you could’ve at least given me a warning! Right, Di Jiang did say the Wanghuan Spring has both a ‘mother’ and a ‘child’ version. This one must be the mother, and the one over by Juzi must be the child. If the mother spring is his mother, then does that mean the child spring is his sibling?]

Di Jiang, who had reached his limit, interrupted, “The Wanghuan Pool is my companion artifact.”

Le Gui blinked. “Huh…?”

[What’s his deal? I didn’t even ask, so why did he suddenly feel the need to explain? It’s almost as if… he could hear my thoughts.]

Feeling a little uneasy, she decided to test it out. [Di Jiang, you’re a pig.]

Di Jiang: “…”

One, two, three… three seconds had passed, and she was still alive.

[Phew, guess it was just my imagination.]

Di Jiang narrowed his eyes, watching her with a dangerous look. Normally, he disliked noise, yet for the first time, he found himself seriously considering whether strangling her would bring him some much-needed peace.

Sensing the tension, Le Gui quickly changed the subject. She took a deep breath and plunged into the water, swimming up beside him. “Your Lordship, when you were meditating earlier, you created a lot of bubbles. I accidentally touched one and saw a lot of things.”

It was a clumsy attempt to shift the conversation, but strangely, it worked. Di Jiang’s irritation subsided. “That was my memory,” he said flatly, as if he already knew what she had seen.

Le Gui obediently sat next to him. Just as she was about to continue, her gaze drifted downward, and she let out a startled noise. “Huh? Your Lordship, what happened to your wound?”

“It’s healed.” Di Jiang cast her a glance, not understanding why she seemed so shocked. “What did you think I was soaking in this pool for?”

“I know you were healing, but…” Le Gui was still in disbelief. “The wounds from the Soul-Extinguishing Formation are supposed to be nearly impossible to recover from. You were so badly injured—wasn’t it supposed to take at least a thousand years to fully heal?”

“A thousand years can be replaced with a thousand years’ worth of cultivation,” Di Jiang replied indifferently. “I used nearly two thousand years of my cultivation to speed up the healing.”

It can be like this…

Once again amazed by the fantasy world she had landed in, Le Gui reached out and lightly touched his now-unblemished skin before quickly pulling her hand back. With a hint of admiration, she said, “At least you don’t have to suffer anymore. That’s good.”

Di Jiang, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, immediately caught the sincerity in her words. He looked at her with a strange expression, as if he couldn’t understand why she seemed genuinely happy about his recovery.

If she was constantly plotting to steal his artifact, shouldn’t she be hoping for his death?

“Your Lordship,” Le Gui suddenly said, “When you sit alone on your throne, what are you thinking about? Do you find this endless existence tiresome? Lonely, even? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have thought of dispersing your cultivation to enter eternal slumber.”

Di Jiang remained silent, curious to hear what she would say next.

Le Gui smiled. “From now on, I’ll keep you company. You won’t be lonely anymore.”

It was like an old, forgotten instrument gathering dust in an abandoned house. Its strings had rusted, and no one should have been there to pluck them. And yet, someone had come, idly strumming a chord, bringing forth a clear, lingering note.

Di Jiang stared at her for a long time, listening to the soundless melody in his mind.

Then, she leaned closer, eyes sparkling. “Your Lordship, are you bored right now? Want me to serve you?”

Her excitement was barely concealed, as if the words “let’s dual cultivate so I can steal your spiritual power” were written all over her face.

Di Jiang said nothing, just continued watching her.

Le Gui felt a chill run down her spine. She slowly shrank back. “I was just joking… Your Lordship, surely you’re not so petty that you can’t even take a joke, right?”

A long silence followed.

At last, Di Jiang finally spoke. “I truly cannot decide if you are foolish or cunning.”

If she was foolish, she had the instincts of a small animal, knowing exactly when to advance and when to retreat. She danced on the edge of danger, constantly testing his limits, yet somehow always managed to escape unscathed. But if she was cunning… well, she had never shown any sign of possessing true intelligence.

“Am I…” Le Gui hesitated, trying to find a neutral phrase. “Am I just wise in a simple way?”

Di Jiang’s expression remained unreadable. “I’d say you’re simply a great fool with weak intellect. Now get lost—I need to meditate.”

Le Gui: “…”

Reluctantly, she stepped back three paces.

“Farther,” Di Jiang commanded mercilessly.

Le Gui had no choice but to keep retreating until her back pressed against the edge of the pool. Only then did she timidly ask, “Is this far enough?”

The distance was now over two meters. Di Jiang glanced at her and finally felt at peace.