Ying Ran agreed, planning to tidy the bed.
In the room, she found the bed already made, their bundles stored in the wardrobe, and daily clothes laid out.
Xu Lingshan had arranged everything that afternoon.
With nothing to do, she sat on the bed, waiting for him to bring the hot water.
But after a while, he didn’t come.
Ying Ran went out to find him cleaning the bathhouse in the side room.
Speaking of which, Wuyin Village’s bathhouse was different from Yiwang Continent’s.
In Yiwang, most commoners bathed in wooden tubs with boiled water.
But Wuyin’s bathhouse was like a modern shower: pour boiled water into a tank, activate the mechanism, and it worked—very convenient.
The first time Ying Ran used it at Uncle Xi’s, she was delighted, saying to Xu Lingshan: “Let’s study this. If we settle somewhere else later, we should use this kind of bathhouse.”
Xu Lingshan: “Yunzhou bathhouses are all like this. No need to study.”
Wuyin’s bathhouse used outdated mechanisms. In better parts of Yunzhou, they piped spring water and used spirit stones to activate, no boiling required.
It was practically a modern shower.
Ying Ran was thrilled but annoyed she hadn’t mentioned wanting this in Yiwang. Xu Lingshan would’ve set it up for her long ago.
Still, she was happy to start using it now.
The bathhouse Uncle Xi prepared was already clean, but Xu Lingshan’s personal cleanliness made him scrub it again. There wasn’t any dirt to begin with.
After cleaning, he and Ying Ran grabbed clean clothes and returned to the house.
Ying Ran held the clothes, her face slightly warm, and entered the bathhouse with Xu Liling.
It was late when they emerged.
Thankfully, the weather was warm, and they used the shower; otherwise, the water would’ve long gone cold.
Ying Ran’s legs felt weak, and Xu Liling carried her back to the room.
He hadn’t gone too far, but she still felt some discomfort.
Perhaps because it had been a while since they’d been intimate, she wasn’t used to it. Lying in bed, she tossed and turned.
Xu Liling tidied the bathhouse, returned, and lay beside her: “What’s wrong?”
Ying Ran mumbled, “It feels… swollen…”
She wasn’t sure—she couldn’t see—but it still felt like his hand was there.
Xu Liling reached under the blanket, and she instinctively flinched.
Xu Liling: “Let me check.”
Ying Ran pushed his hand: “No, it’ll be fine soon.”
She grumbled inwardly, blaming him.
In the bathhouse earlier, he hadn’t truly wanted to go further but teased her anyway.
Before, she hadn’t thought much of it. But after seeing the unapologetically mischievous Xu Liling from a thousand years ago in her dreams, she realized today’s him was doing it on purpose.
He wasn’t interested in that, but he loved teasing her.
Xu Liling patted her back soothingly, blew out the candle, and pulled her into his arms.
Ying Ran pushed him in a small fit of pique but stopped when he whispered softly in her ear, “I was wrong.” She nestled into his embrace and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, she felt a touch where she was uncomfortable. Her body tensed, and she reached back to grab his hand, glaring at him: “What are you doing!”
She couldn’t pull him away; he did as he pleased.
Ying Ran’s breathing grew rapid and heavy. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she saw his face, close and lazily calm.
He said, “It is a bit swollen.”
Ying Ran, embarrassed and annoyed, swatted him: “It’s your fault.”
The crisp slap landed on his back, harder than she intended, making her hand sting.
Ying Ran froze, wanting to ask if it hurt him.
Xu Liling withdrew his hand, sat up, lit the candle, and got out of bed without a word.
Ying Ran wondered: Was he angry?
If he was, so be it. He’d gone too far, causing the swelling, and still touched her when she told him not to. She wasn’t going to coddle him.
Ying Ran turned away to sleep.
She didn’t fall asleep. After a while, the bed dipped behind her—Xu Liling was back.
Xu Liling asked, “Does your hand hurt?”
It did; her palm was hot and numb from the slap.
Ying Ran thought so but didn’t reply.
Xu Liling took her hand, and soon she felt a cool sensation on her palm, like water with a faint fragrance being applied.
Ying Ran glanced back.
In the warm candlelight, Xu Liling sat on the bed’s edge, head lowered, gently rubbing her palm with his fingertips. A white porcelain bottle rested beside him.
His cool, long hair fell, half-veiling his face, softly scattered over her.
Ying Ran watched for a moment: “Is this medicine?”
Xu Liling: “Moon Locust Dew, not quite medicine. It’s spiritual dew condensed on a spiritual locust tree. It nourishes the body and heals minor injuries.”
Ying Ran: “Where’d you get it?”
Xu Liling: “Picked it from the locust tree outside.”
Ying Ran: “It’s Wuyin Village’s property. Can we just take it?”
Xu Liling: “The dew only benefits the living.”
Uncle Xi, eager to bond with Xu Liling, had deliberately arranged for them to stay here to use the spiritual locust.
Ying Ran understood, feeling deeply grateful.
After Xu Liling finished rubbing her hand, the heat and numbness faded, and her sulkiness vanished.
He placed the dew bottle on the bedside, got into bed, blew out the light, and settled down.
Ying Ran lay beside him, closing her eyes to sleep.
Half-asleep, she suddenly felt a cool sensation below. Too tired to open her eyes, she only whimpered uncomfortably twice, hearing Xu Liling soothe her: “It’s okay, sleep.” The empty feeling was replaced by the warmth of a thin blanket, and she drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, Xu Liling was already up and dressing.
In her groggy state, Ying Ran recalled the dreamlike moment and asked, “What did you do last night?”
Xu Liling, casually tying his outer robe, said, “Applied spiritual dew for you. Still uncomfortable?”
He glanced at her waist and below.
Ying Ran clamped her legs and glared but felt no discomfort. Still, the idea of using the dew there felt odd, and her expression twisted.
Xu Liling, reading her thoughts, chuckled: “I steamed it. It’s clean.”
Ying Ran’s face relaxed, and she reached out: “Get my clothes. I want the green lotus set.”
Her tone softened, carrying the usual mix of affection and slight coquetry.
Xu Liling took the dress from the wardrobe and handed it to her by the bed.
Ying Ran sat up, shedding her nightclothes to change. Before she could, Xu Liling suddenly wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her into his lap.
Ying Ran yelped, tumbling into his embrace. She pushed at his shoulders, but he didn’t budge, and another playful tussle ensued.
They’d woken at late morning but didn’t leave the main room until mid-afternoon. Xu Liling washed clothes and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Ying Ran emerged even later, her cheeks still faintly flushed, with subtle red marks peeking from her collar.
She’d planned to sun the clothes, but Xu Liling had already done it, so she sat in the courtyard playing with Big Flower and Little Yellow.
Teasing them with grass picked by the roadside, she glanced toward the kitchen.
Seeing his silhouette there, her lips and eyes curved with an involuntary smile.
Big Flower, fed up after a bit, said, “If you don’t want to play, don’t.”
Ying Ran snapped back, realizing the grass had somehow landed on Big Flower’s head. Little Yellow seized the chance for revenge, swiping a paw at Big Flower, whose whiskers practically flew in rage.
Ying Ran quickly patted Big Flower’s head, apologizing.
Big Flower huffed, nose in the air: “Apologies don’t cut it. I want fish.”
No wonder it hadn’t fought Little Yellow today—it was settling scores with her.
Ying Ran: “I don’t know if the village has a river…”
Big Flower piped up instantly: “There is! There is! I saw it last time I went out with that dumb dog.”
Ying Ran narrowed her eyes: “Been eyeing the river fish for a while, huh? Just waiting for today’s chance?”
Big Flower guiltily scratched its face with a paw.
Ying Ran laughed, ruffling its head: “If you want to eat, just say so. I’ll ask Huaizhen later if he’s free to go fishing.”
Little Yellow wagged its tail excitedly.
Big Flower’s tail shot up, swaying back and forth.
Xu Liling finished cooking plain porridge and brought it out for Ying Ran.
They sat in the courtyard sipping porridge, and she mentioned wanting to go fishing. After finishing, he went to the woods, chopped two bamboo stalks, and returned to make fishing rods.
Ying Ran leaned against his shoulder, watching him work.
Big Flower and Little Yellow waited nearby, eyes wide with anticipation.
The two little creatures were so eager for fish they’d skipped breakfast.
The weather was clear, the sky a pristine blue, and the forest breeze carried a sweet fragrance.
Xu Liling crafted simple fishing rods, holding both in one hand and Ying Ran’s hand in the other, strolling down a forest path toward the river.
Big Flower and Little Yellow each carried a small bucket as a fish basket, trotting happily behind them.
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