Chapter 36

Golden light dances on the surface, and quiet reflections sink into the depths. The village night was not completely quiet, with occasional dog barks and children’s playful noises. It was the relaxed time of the night, and after dinner, every household sat at their doorsteps or under trees to chat. The continuous chirping of cicadas drifts in waves with the summer heat, so even with the doors and windows tightly closed, the room was still filled with various sounds.

The candlelight flickered; the flame grew and shrunk as if a gentle breeze could extinguish it. Xue Ming sat nervously on the bed, staring at the flame, worried it might suddenly go out.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Xue Ming quickly looked up to see Yan Yuhe stepping over the threshold. He had gone to bathe, his long hair loosely tied with a hairband, draped in a black silk robe that faintly reveals the white inner garment, and wearing wooden clogs similar to slippers. Water was still dripping from the ends of his hair.

Yan Yuhe closes the door behind him and steps towards where Xue Ming sat. Earlier, when Xue Ming finished bathing, she noticed her back heating up again after Yan Yuhe’s reminder. Although she hadn’t received a definite explanation, she vaguely knew that the thing on her back was Jiang Ruoming’s doing, intended to collect Yin energy from her body better. That’s why she felt a strange sensation on her back during the previous two activations of the Yin Gathering Array.

The union of Yin and Yang can destroy the extreme Yin body. When Yan Yuhe mentioned the heavy Yin energy in this place, he used a businesslike tone without any hint of desire, but Xue Ming knew it meant she needed to receive Yang energy again.

When the Yin Gathering Array is activated, a large amount of Yin energy gathers in her body. If it weren’t for the Yang energy Yan Yuhe previously transferred to her, she wouldn’t have the strength to stand now. Xue Ming knows she needs a lot of Yang energy.

After a few moments of thought, Yan Yuhe had already walked to the bedside and looked down at her. In the dim candlelight, her face was half illuminated and half in shadow, with long, dense eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks, slightly covering her eyes. Her lips appeared moist and red as if she had licked them herself.

Instantly, she raised her eyes and met Yanyu He’s gaze. Her almond-shaped eyes, bright like stars, seemed to see into his heart.

Yan Yuhe recalled the night they first met. She hurriedly stumbled in, clumsily crawling a few steps on the ground, making an unpleasant ghostly scream. But when she turned her head, a pair of bright eyes were revealed, filled with panic yet still beautifully captivating. He pressed his knee on the edge of the bed, bent over, and placed his hand on the back of Xue Ming’s head, forcing her to lift her head and receive the kiss from him.

Xue Ming didn’t have time to think at that moment. Her hands instinctively lifted and landed on his shoulder, then slowly climbed up and embraced his neck. Yan Yuhe slowly pressed her into the bed, his warm tongue gently touching her lips as if a hidden tenderness wrapped around the two of them.

Xue Ming had never felt this before, so she didn’t know she liked this passionate kiss. It was gentle and slow, giving her a feeling of being cherished and loved. The warmth radiating from his back warmed her whole body, but her heart became moist. It felt like a spring rain had fallen, with tender shoots sprouting and even the tip of her heart itching.

Xue Ming opened her lips and tentatively extended her tongue to entangle with Yan Yuhe’s lips and teeth. As their breaths intertwined, she smelled the fragrance emanating from Yan Yuhe’s body, similar to the scent of lotus flowers, a clean and refreshing aroma after washing. With her eyes closed, Xue Ming felt her teeth being licked and her lips lightly bitten by him. Yan Yuhe had always changed during these intimate moments. In the beginning, he didn’t know how to control his strength and even bit her lips, causing pain for several days. But now, he learned to lick gently, like the tenderness between lovers, affectionate and gentle. His kissing skills had improved more than a little, making Xue Ming’s heart beat uncontrollably, pounding ceaselessly. Her back lay on the stiff bed, and Yan Yuhe’s tall body pressed down on her. At some point, his hand reached her neck, unbuttoning her clothes one by one, and his fingers slid inside along the collar; then he released her lips, kissed down her chin, and sucked on her tender and fair neck — initially fair skin now had some slightly red marks, which looked very eye-catching.

Yan Yuhe nibbled and left behind scattered red marks, making her ears and cheeks turn red like a gorgeous sunset. Yan Yuhe’s black hair spread out and fell on her, feeling silky and slightly cold against her skin.

Xue Ming couldn’t help but reach out and grab a strand, tightly holding it in her hand, trying to keep her breath from getting out of control.

Yan Yuhe lifted her and put her hands on his clothes, looking at her without saying a word; the implication was clear. Xue Ming met his gaze, and at this moment, she discovered that Yan Yuhe’s usually calm eyes were like a lake that had been disturbed by a stone, rippling layer by layer with the collision of desire, gathering into a strong affection. It was as if they naturally had a pair of passionate eyes, but they did not show much emotion on ordinary days. However, once emotions were intertwined within them, they displayed the appearance of love.

Xue Ming stared blankly, feeling like she was stepping into a space and falling into it. Seeing that she didn’t respond, Yan Yuhe leaned closer, lightly kissed the corner of her lips, and then whispered, “Undo it for me.”

Xue Ming quickly regained focus after being distracted. She used her fingers to unbutton his shirt one by one, revealing his muscular chest. Compared to his ghostly appearance before, he now looked normal again. His skin was still pale but no longer devoid of color. Instead, it had a healthy flush; occasionally, a faint red mark would appear when her nails grazed his skin.

Yan Yuhe embraced and kissed her waist, causing Xue Ming’s face to blush profusely. Trying to get up, she placed her palm on his shoulder but couldn’t stand despite her efforts.

Yan Yuhe leaned closer and licked her earlobe. They were on a wooden bed that had been unused for many years. It was a handmade product; over time, it had become loose in various places. So, whenever someone moved on it, the bed would sway dangerously and emit a creaking sound. At this moment, a dog barked twice, followed by a child calling for a playmate. Then, the voices of people engaged in idle chatter could be heard. The soundproofing in this room was so poor that it might as well not exist at all.

Xue Ming suddenly became much more alert and hurriedly patted Yan Yuhe’s shoulder, whispering, “Don’t do it here; we might be heard.”

Yan Yuhe had astonishing arm strength and could hold Xue Ming steadily in his arms. Then, Granny Ma’s voice came from outside the door, “Are you two going to sleep now, young master?”

The voice felt like Granny Ma was right by the door, but the soundproofing here was so bad that even the slightest sound would carry outside.

Xue Ming was instantly frightened. She had forgotten whether she had made a loud noise just now. If she were discovered, her face, no matter how thick-skinned, would not be able to handle it.

Xue Ming patted his shoulder to make him stop, but Yan Yuhe ignored her.

Xue Ming was extremely nervous. Beads of sweat trickled down her face, and she bit her lip to avoid making any sound.

Yan Yuhe held his breath and shouted, “What’s the matter?”

Granny Ma said, “I suddenly remembered that the bed at my home is too hard. Your wife might not be comfortable sleeping on it. So, I brought a clean blanket for you to place on it to make it softer.”

Xue Ming buried her head low, and hot breath sprayed on his neck. She prayed that Granny Ma would leave quickly, but Yan Yuhe cruelly didn’t respond. After calming down, he breathed and replied, “Thank you. Just leave it at the door. I will take it after giving medicine to my wife.”

Granny Ma sighed, placed the things near the door, and left.

Xue Ming looked up with wet eyes, only to realize that his shoulders were covered with fingerprints. Red imprints intertwined and quickly became noticeable on his skin.

Xue Ming felt a little guilty. She thought he deserved it since he didn’t stop just now. Xue Ming wanted to complain, but when she turned her head, she saw Yan Yuhe reaching out from a distance, grabbing the bedding sent by Granny Ma through the door, and throwing it on the bed.

Xue Ming looked at him and suggested, “Are you tired? Why not take a rest for a while?”

Yan Yuhe’s expression became even more splendid after being stained with desire. He lowered his gaze and glanced at her, kissing her cheek and softly asking, “Are you tired?”

Xue Ming replied, “Hmm.”

Yan Yuhe pinched her ear, took a deep breath, and said, “Almost.”

The moon rose above the willows. Outside, it became quiet at an unknown time. The adults took their children home, and the dogs and cats also fell asleep. The whole village became calm and peaceful. The candle in the room was still burning, casting the shadows of the intimate figures on the wall. The heavy breathing intertwined and echoed in the room.

However, this tranquility in the house did not last long. Soon, the old bed began to squeak again, the candle flickered incessantly, and the surroundings alternated between light and dark. The night covered the beautiful spring atmosphere, allowing people to deeply experience the ups and downs on the unknown narrow bed until late at night.

Xue Ming liked the feeling of yang energy flowing into her body, which energized her. But this process was torturous, so she decided to take more at once and minimize the number of times she absorbed yang energy.

After a deep sleep, she woke up to find it was still dusk. Xue Ming opened her eyes and found herself alone, lying in bed. She sat up, stretched, rubbed her sore waist, put on her clothes and shoes, pushed open the door, and saw that the western horizon was still filled with a thousand miles of sunset glow, occasionally revealing glimpses of blue sky with golden light shining upon the world.

Granny Ma sat in the courtyard sewing clothes. When she heard the sound of the door opening, she turned her head and smiled at Xue Ming, saying, “Awake? Is your body feeling better?”

Xue Ming nodded and said, “Yes, much better. I feel rejuvenated after sleeping for a night.”

“That’s good. Your husband prepared water for you. Go wash up, and I’ll heat up some food for you.”

Granny Ma put down what she had in her hands, got up, and walked towards the kitchen, jokingly saying, “You and your husband loved each other so much. You both look young. Did you get married recently?”

Xue Ming walked to the bucket and nodded in response, saying, “Yes.”

“That’s great.” Granny Ma sighed and seemed to be reminded of something from the past. She continued, “My son was also around the same age as your husband. I had arranged a marriage for him, but he passed away before getting married. Sigh…”

Xue Ming turned her body and glanced at Granny Ma, seeing the sorrow and regret on her face; it didn’t seem like she was pretending.

Xue Ming couldn’t help but console her softly, “Granny Ma, don’t be sad. The past is like the wind; don’t always dwell on it.”

“You are a fortunate person, young lady.” Granny Ma smiled at her and said nothing more. She turned around and went to the kitchen.

After Xue Ming washed up, Granny Ma brought some simple porridge and dishes.

Xue Ming was hungry and didn’t find it crude at all. She thanked Granny Ma and started eating. She couldn’t see Yan Yuhe’s figure around her, so she ate until she was half full and asked, “Granny Ma, when was this village established?”

“It’s been many years.” Granny Ma said.

“Then, when did the village only have a sunset view and no sunrise?”

Xue Ming asked again. Granny Ma thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know. I was born and raised in this village, and I have never seen the sunrise.”

Xue Ming looked at Granny Ma’s wrinkles and felt a wave of sadness in her heart. She thought about how many people in this village had never seen the sunrise in their entire lives, just like Granny Ma, and couldn’t help but sigh. She took a sip of porridge and continued to ask, “Has anything strange happened in your village?”

“Strange things?” Granny Ma looked puzzled, unaware of why Xue Ming asked such a question. But she thought about it seriously for a while and then said, “It seems like there was. I can’t remember exactly when it happened, but I remember that after a heavy rain, a big hole suddenly collapsed on the hillside to the west of the village. After the rain stopped, the village chief led people to investigate, but after entering the big hole, no one came out for some reason. Ten people went in one after another, but none of them came out again.”