The night was deep.
Luo Zhilian lay on the wooden bed, her gaze distant, as if it could pierce through the darkness.
She glanced at Zuo Qiuli beside her. The Qingqiu Fox Girl had her eyes tightly closed, her alluring and beautiful face rising and falling gently with her steady breaths.
‘Mother’ must have fallen asleep, right?
She rubbed her head gently against the other’s full Dao Fruit, making sure there was no response.
Now, Nalan’er could begin her plan.
A blush crept across her pretty face as her body started to squirm restlessly.
Because of a certain fox girl’s inexplicable insistence, there was only one big bed on the wooden frame.
Luo Zhilian, like a little caterpillar, carefully wriggled out of Zuo Qiuli’s embrace and crawled beneath the bedding, inch by inch, until her jade-like hand brushed against something firm.
Only then did the corners of her lips curl up in satisfaction.
‘Father,’ Shizun has arrived.
She rolled over and climbed right onto the sleeping Limuqun.
Compared to Zuo Qiuli’s refined, lady-like sleeping posture, Limuqun’s was somewhat “wild.”
He sprawled out, face up toward the ceiling, as if a blank sheet of paper had been laid flat on the bed.
Perhaps everything that had happened during the day had already left him exhausted. As soon as Limuqun touched the bed, he immediately fell into a deep sleep, occasionally even letting out a snore or two.
Precisely because of this, the little thief Luo Zhilian was able to smoothly climb onto his body, her petite figure straddling his waist, pressing her whole self against his chest.
“Father, father.” She lowered her voice, whispering into Limuqun’s ear.
“Mm… For work matters, please leave a WeChat message. I don’t answer calls after hours.”
Half-awake, still lost in dreams, Limuqun mumbled as if talking in his sleep.
What nonsense is that?
Luo Zhilian pouted in dissatisfaction and reached out to pinch Limuqun hard on his inner thigh.
“Ow—something sharp—!”
Limuqun instantly jolted awake, his mouth just opening when he found a pair of warm, jade-like little hands softly covering his lips.
“Mmm… mm?”
Only after seeing the owner of those small hands did the fear in Limuqun’s eyes shift to shock.
Luo Zhilian?
“What are you doing up in the middle of the night?”
He brushed off Luo Zhilian’s hands, unable to help but ask.
“Shh 🤫.” Like a thief, Luo Zhilian anxiously looked toward the other side of the bed, and only when she confirmed that Zuo Qiuli’s shadow had not moved did she let out a sigh of relief.
“Father, keep your voice down. Don’t wake up Mother.”
Huh?
What is this, sneaking around like they’re having a secret affair at midnight?
He was increasingly confused, but Luo Zhilian pressed close to his ear, her breath fragrant as orchids.
“Actually, actually, I still have a wish.”
Limuqun’s ears tingled, but the fatigue from the day made his eyelids flutter, and he couldn’t help but say, “Alright, alright, whatever your wish is, let’s talk about it tomorrow, okay?”
“No, no.” Luo Zhilian twisted on his waist, the warmth making Limuqun’s old face flush red.
“This wish has to be said now, only now.”
Seeing that she was being so insistent, Limuqun could only sigh, “Alright, alright, what is this wish, and how are we supposed to make it come true in the middle of the night?”
“It has to be in the middle of the night.”
With delight, Luo Zhilian leaned into his ear, her face so red it could drip water, fidgeting for a long time before finally whispering:
“I… I want Father to spank me.”
???
No way, Luo Zhilian, do you have to be this perverse?
In an instant, all sleep vanished from Limuqun’s mind, a rush of hot blood shooting straight from his feet to the top of his head.
He swallowed hard, doing his best to restrain his wicked thoughts, and whispered harshly, “Shizun, Shizun, we’re just playing house, not doing some kind of fetish play!”
“What kind of father spanks his daughter in the middle of the night, anyway?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Hmph.” Luo Zhilian puffed up her pink lips and kicked, hard, at a certain part of him that was growing restless for no reason.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Limuqun cried out in pain, his face twisting, but after the pain, an odd pleasure rose up that he neither dared nor wanted to admit.
“So two-faced, clearly you also—”
“This is a normal physiological reaction!”
Limuqun did his best to suppress the restlessness inside and retorted righteously.
“I don’t care, I don’t care, just spank me.” Luo Zhilian pounded her fists against Limuqun’s chest, acting like a spoiled child.
“You’re my disciple, can’t you even grant me this little request?”
Limuqun’s breathing gradually grew heavier. He felt like his mind had split in two—one half, an angel, urging him to stand firm in his Dao heart and keep his reason; the other half, a devil, whispering that this was all just the memory world anyway, why not take advantage?
Seeing Limuqun unmoved, Luo Zhilian switched tactics. She lay flat against his chest, her big, watery eyes glimmering pitifully as she said:
“In the future, I’ll definitely act up and cause trouble for you, right? Why not just let me admit my mistake now, and pay off some punishment in advance? Isn’t that okay?”
Couldn’t she pick another reason? This one was way too hard to refuse.
In a flash, the tug-of-war in his mind shifted. The angel took the devil’s side, earnestly saying: “That was all nonsense before. Now, I fully agree with Mr. Devil’s advice.”
That’s right, Limuqun, outside, that Luo Zhilian nearly turned you into an x slave—what’s the harm in punishing her a little?
It’s just a spanking, right? Happens all the time. Didn’t you get whipped when you made mistakes as a child?
With wicked thoughts on the rise, his brain began running at full power, concocting countless justifications.
Zuo Qiuli, stop sleeping and save me!
The last shred of reason tried to cry out, but his hand had already, without him realizing, climbed onto Luo Zhilian’s backside.
Hmm, not as full as in the future, but firmer.
His head was spinning in a daze, and such a thought suddenly popped up in Limuqun’s mind.
He lifted his hand, but dared not use too much force, only gave a light slap.
“Pa.”
It was as if a shooting star flashed across the sky, making the whole bed tremble gently.
“Good… mm.”
Luo Zhilian raised her head shakily, biting her lip, her eyes shimmering with mist.
“Again, one more time, a bit harder.”
Her voice made Limuqun tremble all over, his breath almost spitting out flames.
“You, Luo Zhilian, I—”
“Just one last time, I’m begging you, please?”
Luo Zhilian, you asked for this!
He felt like his hands had lost all control, and before he knew it, they’d risen up and came down with force.
“Pata!”
“～”
It was as if he’d slapped a thick layer of jelly, the fullness and bounce making his hands tremble uncontrollably.
But as soon as that crisp sound rang out, Limuqun was stunned.
That was too much, too much—now Zuo Qiuli will definitely wake up.
If she saw this, he’d be laughed at for a lifetime!
Nervously, he glanced to the other side. Zuo Qiuli still slept like a dead pig.
Woc, did someone give you sleeping pills or what? How could you sleep so soundly?
Luo Zhilian didn’t notice Limuqun’s panic. She nestled in his arms, her delicate face resting powerlessly yet contentedly against his chest.
To be honest, she didn’t know why she behaved this way.
It was just that, seeing Limuqun and Zuo Qiuli bantering like an old married couple during the day, she’d felt an inexplicable ache in her heart.
Why is it always like this?
Sister is like that. Aunt Xue is like that too.
Why won’t anyone spare Nalan’er a glance?
It took so much effort to finally feel what it’s like to have family.
Why does Nalan’er have to be left out too?
If that’s the case, then I’ll make you pay attention to me in my own way.
An unspeakable, twisted longing drove her to make this midnight assault.
But even so, this game of playing house would only last until tomorrow.
Tomorrow, she would return to her sister’s side, become once more the Xuan Female of the Moon Palace who could only cultivate.
Tomorrow, she would return to the Moon Palace again, becoming once more the center of everyone’s attention, yet cared for by none.
Her misty eyes suddenly shed a single tear.
At the horizon, a strange Red Glow had already begun to rise, evaporating that tear.
So fast.
Dawn was here, and the Dew would soon vanish.