Perhaps because she couldn't hold her liquor, the moment Chi Yao learned that what she'd been drinking was alcohol, she immediately felt her head grow a little dizzy.
She rubbed her forehead and looked up at Shen Yu—only to see something unbelievable.
Shen Yu poured another cup of tea into the glass and, right before her eyes, calmly drank it.
Worst of all, the cup Shen Yu was using was the very one she had just used.
Now Chi Yao was certain she really was drunk. Otherwise, how could she be seeing such an absurd scene?
"Senior brother, this… this cup—I just used it."
When Shen Yu raised the teacup to his lips once more, Chi Yao finally couldn't help speaking up to remind him.
Shen Yu's movement indeed paused—but only for a brief moment, before the rim of the cup pressed against his thin lips again.
Under Chi Yao's stunned gaze, Shen Yu took another sip of tea, and as he lifted his eyes, his throat bobbed along with the motion.
"I know."
He knew\…
Her senior brother actually said he knew!
Chi Yao's heartbeat quickened, followed by a ringing in her ears and an intense wave of dizziness. She felt as though she had grown even drunker.
"I… am I hallucinating?"
Chi Yao stared blankly at Shen Yu, murmuring to herself in confusion.
At that moment, Shen Yu set down his teacup, rose, and came to stand before her. His usually calm eyes were now tinged with a shade of darkness.
"What do you think, junior sister?"
What did she think?
"It must be a hallucination, of course. Senior brother would never use a cup I'd used."
By the second half of her sentence, Chi Yao's voice carried a hint of nasal congestion, sounding faintly aggrieved.
Shen Yu's eyes grew darker still. He leaned in closer, and when he spoke, his voice had turned low and husky:
"That's right. Junior sister is drunk. Everything is merely part of junior sister's dream."
"So it's a dream."
Chi Yao's tone turned dejected, her eyes drooping down. The next moment, a slender hand caught her chin, forcing her to meet those jet-black eyes once again.
"Since it's a dream, junior sister can do anything without hesitation. Whatever you wish is fine."
The low voice arrived along with a familiar faint fragrance, leaving Chi Yao's mind increasingly muddled, unable to manage even the most basic thought.
Only Shen Yu's deep voice remained in her mind, telling her over and over that this was a dream—that no matter what she did, it didn't matter, even if she brazenly took liberties with him.
Chi Yao's eyes grew more and more hazy. Finally, driven by that voice in her mind, she stumbled straight into Shen Yu's arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
"Senior brother, I really like you so much."
"I like you so much I want to hide you away where no one can see."
"Why can't you be mine?"
Chi Yao rested her head against Shen Yu's shoulder, greedily drinking in his scent.
She didn't realize that as she spoke, her breath spilling onto Shen Yu's neck made his body go taut, his breathing turning rough and heavy.
"I have been junior sister's from the very beginning."
Shen Yu's voice grew even more husky, as if he were suppressing some unspeakable impulse.
Chi Yao slowly lifted her head to look at him.
Her mind was still a haze, her vision blurred, but Shen Yu's handsome face remained vividly clear, still captivating her as ever.
A trace of infatuation crept into Chi Yao's eyes. She gazed at him adoringly and reached out to caress his cheek.
"Senior brother, you're so tempting."
The alcohol had fully taken effect, and a flush of crimson spread across Chi Yao's face—even her red lips looked all the more vivid.
Shen Yu's gaze rested on Chi Yao's face, his dark eyes gradually heating up.
Perhaps Chi Yao herself didn't realize it, but she was naturally stunning. In the past, her plain dress had managed to hide some of her beauty.
Now, set off by a pink gauze dress, she was dazzling, her once-dusted-over beauty fully revealed.
So when Shen Yu learned that Chi Yao intended to go see Ji Jiusi dressed like this, he'd felt somewhat jealous—especially when he saw in the mirror how mesmerized Ji Jiusi was by Chi Yao, his jealousy nearly drove him mad.
He gripped Chi Yao's waist, his gaze fixed on those red lips opening and closing. Long-suppressed jealousy and desire surged up together, and unable to resist, he lowered his head, captured those red lips, and bit down as if venting something.
A lingering fragrance of wine still clung to the soft lips. Shen Yu hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, yet in that moment he felt as if he were drunk.
He wanted to linger on those lips, entangle with them, to drown in them and never escape.
Fortunately, Shen Yu still possessed a sliver of reason. Just as he was about to lose control, he forced down his impulse and released those red lips.
This left Chi Yao's head buzzing. She stared at Shen Yu in disbelief, raising a hand to touch the lip he'd just bitten.
"Senior Brother actually kissed me."
Chi Yao became even more convinced she was dreaming, and the last shred of hesitation in her heart finally dissolved.
She reached up to Shen Yu's shoulders, tilted her head back, and mimicking his earlier gesture, captured his lips and gave a gentle suck, then—like tasting a pastry—slipped out her tongue and licked across them.
The instant the tip of her tongue brushed his lips, Shen Yu's body suddenly trembled. His breath stalled for a moment before growing even heavier, his chest heaving violently.
The last of his reason collapsed completely in that instant. The hands at Chi Yao's waist abruptly tightened, and he swept her up, turning them around.
The next moment, Chi Yao's body was pinned against a tree trunk, and Shen Yu's kiss came crashing down.
He kissed urgently, but his movements were somewhat clumsy, often causing Chi Yao pain.
Chi Yao was rather dissatisfied with this, struggling to push him away—but the more she struggled, the more urgent Shen Yu's kisses became.
It wasn't until her lips went numb that Shen Yu finally released them.
Both of them were breathing heavily, the air between them tangled with an intimate, suggestive warmth.
Chi Yao still stared straight at Shen Yu, making no attempt to hide the infatuation in her eyes.
"Senior Brother, your kiss was a bit rough, but I still like it so much."
Shen Yu's breathing suddenly grew even more ragged. The hands confined at Chi Yao's waist tightened a few degrees more. He lowered his head to press against her forehead, the love in his eyes somehow even more intense than her own.
"Junior Sister, you are mine. I will never let anyone take you from me."
Shen Yu's repeated calls of "Junior Sister" echoed in Chi Yao's ears, muddling her mind further, until gradually even her vision blurred.
Within moments, Chi Yao went limp in Shen Yu's arms and fell asleep.
Shen Yu held her, gazing at her sleeping face, the corners of his thin lips curving slightly upward.
"Sleep well, Junior Sister."
…
Ji Jiusi paced back and forth in the Ink-Bamboo Grove, glancing from time to time at the small path to one side, looking somewhat nervous.
Soon, faint footsteps sounded from the far end of the path. Ji Jiusi immediately perked up, gripped his sword, and began practicing in earnest.
His moves had become even more fluid compared to yesterday, with an added touch of elegance.
As the footsteps drew closer, Ji Jiusi grew more focused.
Just as the footsteps stopped, Ji Jiusi spun around and landed his final move.
But when he saw who had arrived, his expression froze.
"M-Martial Uncle?"
"Are you surprised it's me?"
Shen Yu looked at Ji Jiusi coolly. His gaze always carried a sense of pressure, and Ji Jiusi's aura instantly weakened.
"This disciple… thought the one coming would be the Young Martial Aunt, so I was a bit surprised. Please forgive me, Martial Uncle."
"You needn't wait any longer. She won't be coming." Before Ji Jiusi could ask why, Shen Yu added, "Not in the future, either."
Ji Jiusi's expression froze, and a trace of disappointment surfaced in his eyes.
"Is the Young Martial Aunt… is something wrong with her? Is she unwell?" Ji Jiusi still refused to give up.
"She's fine. From now on, I will oversee her cultivation. There's no need for you to concern yourself, nephew."
With only those words, Shen Yu turned and walked out of the Ink-Bamboo Grove.
Watching Shen Yu's back, a flicker of hesitation crossed Ji Jiusi's face—then his expression suddenly turned resolute.
"Martial Uncle, please wait!"
Shen Yu's steps halted. When he turned to look at Ji Jiusi, his face remained expressionless, but the pressure emanating from him seemed even stronger.
Ji Jiusi took a deep breath, then cupped his fists and bowed deeply to Shen Yu.
"This disciple is in love with the Young Martial Aunt. Though my status is humble, I will work hard to prove myself, to become worthy of her."
"Heh."
Just as the grand declaration left his mouth, a soft laugh sounded in Ji Jiusi's ear.
He looked up to see a mocking smile on Shen Yu's face.
"You say you're in love with my junior sister?"
Shen Yu's figure appeared before Ji Jiusi in an instant. Before Ji Jiusi could answer, Shen Yu raised a hand and seized his throat.
Shen Yu's grip forced Ji Jiusi backward step by step, until he was slammed heavily against a bamboo stalk and finally stopped.
"But what do you have to compete with me?"
Shen Yu's face was full of cold fury, and his grip kept tightening.
Ji Jiusi's face gradually flushed red, while his heart sank into an icy abyss.
He had long vaguely suspected that Shen Yu might be in love with Chi Yao, but in his view, an Immortal Lord like Shen Yu, so high above everyone else, would surely never reveal his feelings easily.
That was why he had just confessed his love for Chi Yao to Shen Yu—he wanted to seize the initiative. He had assumed Shen Yu would continue to hold back. Who could have known Shen Yu would admit outright that he, too, loved Chi Yao?
The hand around his throat kept tightening, and Ji Jiusi found it harder and harder to breathe.
This absolute crushing disparity in strength left him with no room to struggle at all.
Just as Shen Yu had asked—he had no ability whatsoever to compete with Shen Yu for Chi Yao. No matter how hard he tried, it would be useless.
Ji Jiusi's heart sank bit by bit, and his expression turned to despair.
Just as the last breath of air in his chest was about to be squeezed out, the hand around his throat finally released, and he collapsed limply to the ground.
"Since you lack the ability, then put away those thoughts you shouldn't be having."
Soon, Shen Yu's voice sounded above Ji Jiusi once more.
Ji Jiusi's expression grew even more desolate. He slowly rose to his feet, head lowered, and left the Ink-Bamboo Grove looking utterly lost.
Meanwhile, on Guiyun Peak, Chi Yao had just woken from her hangover.
She rubbed her forehead and looked out the window. Seeing the sun already hanging high in the sky, she scrambled up from the bed in a panic.
"Oh no!"
But the moment she spoke, Chi Yao suddenly felt a slight pain in her lips.
A hint of puzzlement crossed her face, and she raised her hand to conjure a mirror. In the mirror, her lips showed nothing unusual—only a slight swelling.
Chi Yao didn't dwell on it. She was still thinking about the sword practice she had arranged with Ji Jiusi.
After hastily dismissing the mirror, Chi Yao hurried down the mountain toward the Ink-Bamboo Grove.
But when she arrived at the grove this time, the entire forest was silent—there was no sign of Ji Jiusi at all.
Could it be that Ji Jiusi hadn't waited for her and had already left early?
The moment this thought surfaced, Chi Yao suddenly heard the faint sound of a qin drifting through the forest.
She looked in the direction the music was coming from, hesitated a moment, then followed the sound deeper into the bamboo grove.
After crossing most of the grove, a white-robed figure finally appeared in Chi Yao's line of sight.
Chi Yao stopped in her tracks, her heart trembling.
The person playing the qin was actually her senior brother…
Shen Yu sat quietly in the forest, his slender fingers gently plucking the strings, every movement pleasing to the eye.
Chi Yao was instantly transfixed.
She had always known that Shen Yu practicing his sword was ethereally beautiful, something she found utterly captivating—but she had never imagined that Shen Yu sitting quietly playing the qin would be just as mesmerizing.
She truly was falling more and more for Shen Yu.
But just as Chi Yao was lost in fascination, the qin music suddenly stopped.
Before she could react, Shen Yu raised his eyes and looked over.
"Have I disturbed you, Junior Sister?"
"No… no, I just heard the qin music and came to take a look. I didn't expect to find you here, Senior Brother."
In truth, Chi Yao was quite curious why Shen Yu would be here. After all, from her observations these past days, she knew Shen Yu almost never left Guiyun Peak.
For him to suddenly appear here—and playing the qin, no less—was truly strange.
"It's quiet here. Good for playing the qin."
Shen Yu seemed to have seen through Chi Yao's thoughts and offered the explanation on his own.
"I see. Then did you happen to run into Ji Jiusi on your way here, Senior Brother?" Chi Yao, not noticing the flash of coldness across Shen Yu's face, instinctively stepped forward. "I arranged to practice swordplay with him, but I accidentally overslept."
"I saw him." Shen Yu brushed his fingers over the strings, lowering his eyes to hide the emotion within. "His master needed him for something important. I'm afraid he won't be able to practice swordplay with you anymore, Junior Sister."
Shen Yu stopped and looked up at Chi Yao. Only when he saw no particular reaction on her face did his expression soften somewhat.
"Yesterday, it was I who let you drink wine by mistake, which is why you missed your appointment today. As compensation, how about I teach you swordplay for the time being, Junior Sister?"
"Of course!"
A surge of intense joy welled up in Chi Yao's heart.
She was so excited she hardly knew what to do. As her gaze shifted, it accidentally landed on Shen Yu's thin lips.
Suddenly, many unfamiliar images flashed through Chi Yao's mind.
There was one of her holding Shen Yu, and another of Shen Yu pressing her against a peach tree and kissing her.
Chi Yao's expression froze instantly.
She knew these must have been her dreams, but the sensations lingering in her memory were far too real. And since she had been drunk at the time, there was no guarantee she hadn't lost control of herself and done something to offend her senior brother.
If that were really the case, her senior brother would surely become wary of her in the future, making her wish to imprison him even harder to fulfill.
Chi Yao looked anxiously at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu's expression was as calm as ever, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
"Senior brother… after I got drunk yesterday, did I do anything to offend you?"
After a moment of hesitation, Chi Yao finally asked.
"I wouldn't call it offensive."
This answer made Chi Yao breathe a sigh of relief, but the moment she met Shen Yu's eyes again, a sudden sense of foreboding rose within her.
"Junior sister, last night you tried to steal a kiss from me."