Mo Ruxue ultimately followed Xu Sheng out of the room.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
Xu Sheng had reached out his hand during the daytime meal even with Zhu Yuexi right beside them…
Now, being in a single room, Mo Ruxue couldn’t guarantee Xu Sheng wouldn’t do something.
If Zhu Yuexi were to wake up at that moment, and she hadn’t noticed…
Mo Ruxue didn’t dare imagine that scene.
Xu Sheng’s manor was built facing the river. The two of them left the room and found a spot by the railing to stand and admire the river view.
Xu Sheng actually quite liked this place.
Secluded from the world, accompanied by beautiful scenery, with almost all pressure cast aside…
He had even thought that if he received that massive compensation in reality, he would also find a place to build a similar paradise.
Watching the moon’s reflection in the river water, Xu Sheng spoke without any particular reason:
“Spring river tides level with the sea, the sea’s bright moon rises with the tide…”
Hearing this line of poetry, Mo Ruxue was stunned, even somewhat agitated.
“Where have you heard this poem?”
Xu Sheng had originally intended to use the plagiarist’s method to show off, about to say it was a stroke of genius he’d stumbled upon. But upon second thought, he found Mo Ruxue’s question a bit strange.
He looked at Mo Ruxue with a peculiar expression.
“You’ve heard this poem?”
“I…” Mo Ruxue hesitated. A few seconds later, she seemed to decide on something and said through gritted teeth, “This seems… to be a poem from my hometown.”
Now it was Xu Sheng’s turn to be shocked.
In this cyber world, there indeed existed the profound and extensive culture of China, and this particularly classic line of poetry was naturally recorded within it.
But what shocked Xu Sheng was…
Mo Ruxue actually had an impression of this poem?
Although she was within the dream, she actually retained impressions of some things from reality.
Was this the result of him constantly stimulating her brain?
Xu Sheng probed, “Odd changes to even, unchanged?”
Mo Ruxue looked at him with a face full of confusion.
“…’Imperial Court Jade Liquid,’ never mind, you wouldn’t know that one either.”
Seeing Xu Sheng’s strange behavior, Mo Ruxue seemed to think of something and tentatively asked, “Are these all poems from my hometown?”
Xu Sheng shook his head. “Where is your hometown?”
Hearing this, Mo Ruxue’s eyes seemed to grow somewhat desolate.
“I… can’t remember clearly. I only know it’s a very, very faraway place.”
“Oh…” Xu Sheng roughly understood. “That line of poetry I just said was something I heard an old man say by chance while wandering the martial world. I thought it had great artistic conception, so I memorized it.”
“And that old man?”
“Naturally, I don’t know. Moreover, the poem’s artistry is extremely high. It’s normal for it to be passed down and praised. Probably very few people know where your hometown is.”
Hearing this, Mo Ruxue opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something more, but upon careful thought, she felt what Xu Sheng said did make sense.
Xu Sheng didn’t want to continue the topic of hometown. For Mo Ruxue, her hometown was likely just a vague concept, a blurry memory.
Once his stimulation of Mo Ruxue was sufficient, by that time, her brain would naturally help her remember everything.
“I didn’t expect Immortal Maiden Mo to have such worries on her mind.”
Hearing this, Mo Ruxue lowered her eyes and brows, looking toward the moon in the sky.
“I’m not a deity. How could I not have worries?”
“You’ll become a deity eventually.”
“Are you wishing me an early breakthrough to the Tenth Realm?”
“That’s the idea.”
Hearing this, Mo Ruxue’s mood seemed to improve slightly. She wasn’t some little girl to begin with; it was just that Xu Sheng’s line of poetry had suddenly made her miss her hometown.
“The Tenth Realm… My cultivation hasn’t made progress for a long time now, except…”
At this point, Mo Ruxue paused and looked at Xu Sheng.
The hot spring she soaked in today and the wine on Xu Sheng’s dining table both had the effect of enhancing her cultivation.
And there was no possibility of forced growth; the cultivation improvement felt as natural as water flowing into a channel.
Xu Sheng’s expression appeared nonchalant.
“They’re just some external aids. The effect won’t be as good the second time.”
Just some external aids…
Mo Ruxue knew that once these things were placed in the outside world, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they could cause a storm of bloodshed.
Yet Xu Sheng spoke of them so lightly.
Xu Sheng’s mystery seemed to exceed her imagination. An impulse to pry into Xu Sheng’s secrets arose in Mo Ruxue’s heart.
At this moment, Mo Ruxue was only wearing thin sleepwear. Under the hazy moonlight, her graceful figure was faintly visible, and her face seemed veiled in a layer of mist.
Exquisitely beautiful, she seemed to rival the splendor of the river scenery itself.
Xu Sheng was a man of the world, but having a woman like this looking at him under such moonlight—to say he wasn’t moved would absolutely be a lie.
Fortunately, no slip showed on Xu Sheng’s expression.
A cool breeze blew past. Xu Sheng glanced at her sleepwear and subconsciously began to take off his own outer robe, as if to drape it over her.
His hand was already suspended in the air when Xu Sheng realized—she was a Ninth Realm cultivator… how could she be afraid of the cold?
Mo Ruxue was also stunned, watching Xu Sheng’s action.
It took her a good while to truly understand Xu Sheng’s intention.
This was… afraid she might be cold?
For a moment, Xu Sheng felt somewhat awkward, though his expression remained as impassive as ever.
“After all, our ‘Number One Under Heaven’ can even slip and fall in a hot spring. Being afraid of the cold is a normal thing.”
As he spoke, Xu Sheng draped the outer robe over Mo Ruxue’s shoulders.
Mo Ruxue, who had just been about to mock Xu Sheng, blushed almost instantly upon hearing his words.
Why is he still going on about that…
At the same time, Mo Ruxue caught the scent on the robe—that faint medicinal fragrance she often smelled on Xu Sheng.
This extremely light medicinal scent wasn’t unpleasant. On the contrary, it actually made Mo Ruxue feel a bit more at ease, as if the slight indignation that had risen from Xu Sheng’s teasing had completely vanished.
Xu Sheng had already turned away, facing the river view, though the corner of his eye was still stealing glances at her.
“This evening, when I came to your room, that teacup… was it the one you used?”
Mo Ruxue didn’t know why Xu Sheng suddenly brought this up. At the time, Xu Sheng had subconsciously picked up the teacup she had used, and had even used his eyes to hint that she should deny the cup was hers…
“Yes.”
“Didn’t I hint with my eyes for you to say you hadn’t used it?”
Mo Ruxue didn’t understand Xu Sheng’s purpose in clarifying this now. She could only turn her face away.
“I… didn’t catch the hint.”
“I never thought the upright and incorruptible Immortal Maiden Mo would also lie.” Xu Sheng’s tone carried a hint of derisive laughter.
“……” Mo Ruxue truly had never been bested so many times by one person before, especially one she genuinely couldn’t afford to offend.
“What, do you find it so repulsive that I used your teacup?”
At this, Xu Sheng turned his head, staring into Mo Ruxue’s eyes.
Mo Ruxue felt Xu Sheng’s gaze was a bit too intense at this moment. Just as she was about to turn away, Xu Sheng reached out, cupped her chin, and forced her to meet his eyes.
Xu Sheng’s gaze held a bit of frivolity, a bit of amusement…
All of this felt truly too scalding for Mo Ruxue.
Xu Sheng leaned in slightly closer.
“I’m asking you. Do you find me disgusting?”
……