The frustration in her heart felt like several great mountains, pressing down on Lin Huanhuan until she could barely breathe. Yet, she couldn’t tell anyone about this sort of thing; she could only endure it alone.
Lin Huanhuan leaned against the soft couch, staring blankly at the flowers outside the window. ‘People truly are strange. Before experiencing it, I thought it was no big deal. But when it actually happens to you, it feels agonizing.’
After a moment of melancholy, Lin Huanhuan let out a long breath. She was about to spend her time cultivating when the door opened.
Dong Yun’er walked in, her eyes lighting up when she saw her. She called out softly, “Miss, you’re finally back. Did something happen? Why were you gone for over a day?”
Based on others’ past experiences collecting Profound Water, half a day should have been more than enough. When Lin Huanhuan failed to return, Dong Yun’er immediately knew something was wrong. She had planned to seek out Lin Shuangye if she didn’t return by the next day.
To her surprise, she found Lin Huanhuan lying on the couch as soon as she returned. A look of joy appeared on her face as she asked.
Lin Huanhuan was also a bit happy to finally see her personal maid again. She couldn’t help but complain immediately, “Yun’er, you have no idea. After we went in…”
Lin Huanhuan poured out her grievances. Dong Yun’er stood by her side and listened, nodding from time to time in empathy.
“I didn’t expect such a thing to happen. You’ve worked hard, Miss. That Green Leaf and the guy who destroyed the formation are truly wicked. Fortunately, nothing bad happened in the end.”
Dong Yun’er sighed with emotion. Seeing the suppressed exhaustion beneath Lin Huanhuan’s curved eyebrows, she felt a pang of heartache. “It’s a pity I had to search for other natural treasures. Otherwise, if I had gone with you, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so much trouble.”
“That’s not it. I just saw the diversity of species once again. It was a bit beyond belief, that’s all.” Lin Huanhuan shook her head, not particularly bothered.
Dong Yun’er poured a cup of tea and brought it to her lips. Lin Huanhuan took a sip, feeling comfortable once more.
Dong Yun’er also sat on the bed. She patted her lap and said with a smile, “Miss must be exhausted, right? You should take a proper rest. Combining work and rest is better for cultivation.”
“You used to love sleeping like this, saying it was more comfortable. It’s good to reminisce about the past.”
Lin Huanhuan shook her head firmly in refusal. “No, I still have to cultivate. How can I spend such precious time resting? Wasting time invites divine retribution. Absolutely not!”
“Is that so? Taking a rest really is beneficial.”
“Truly, stop trying to persuade me. I will absolutely not do it.” Lin Huanhuan turned her head away with an incredibly determined attitude. Dong Yun’er gave a soft smile.
***
Three seconds later, Lin Huanhuan, unable to withstand Dong Yun’er’s persistence, lay down anyway. She rested her head on the young girl’s lap, which wasn’t particularly plump, and nuzzled it. She said stubbornly, “I’ll only lie here for a little while. You must wake me up in half a cup of tea’s time at most, or I’ll be angry.”
Dong Yun’er nodded with a smile. She stroked her head a few times and gently brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen into the crevices to avoid hurting her later.
“Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll wake you up as soon as the time is up. Sleep now, and take a good rest…”
Dong Yun’er’s gentle voice was like a lullaby. Lin Huanhuan felt a wave of sleepiness wash over her. Her nerves, which had been tense for the past two days, finally relaxed a bit. Her mind grew hazy, and even the sound of the wind outside the window seemed a bit louder.
“Yun’er, fortunately, I still have you…”
After mumbling this incoherently, Lin Huanhuan fell directly asleep.
Dong Yun’er looked at her, her gaze suddenly softening. Under the glow of the setting sun, she gently stroked the sleeping girl with tender movements.
After a long time, an extremely faint voice whispered, “If only things could always be like this, how wonderful it would be. I truly want time to stop and remain at this moment forever.”
***
When Lin Huanhuan woke up, the sky outside was pitch black. She sat up, the blanket covering her body sliding down. She dazed for a moment before reacting with a startled cry, “Oh no, I really overslept!”
‘Looking at the sky, I’ve probably slept for over four hours.’
Originally, Lin Huanhuan had been feeling proud of her recent hard work. But ever since the day she saw Dong Yun’er waking up before dawn to practice her swordplay and learned that her sister, Lin Shuangye, didn’t sleep at all, she felt a sudden sense of shame.
‘My talent isn’t high, and my efforts aren’t keeping up. At this rate, even with a Super Inner Demon, it will be hard to go far, let alone master my own fate.’
Therefore, since that day, Lin Huanhuan had decided to cultivate even more diligently. Yet, she hadn’t expected to slack off for so long right after coming back. It was like a slap to her own face.
‘That hateful Yun’er, she’s actually tricking me into being lazy again. See if I don’t teach her a lesson!’ Lin Huanhuan was a bit angry.
Ever since she learned Dong Yun’er’s true nature, Dong Yun’er no longer hid her attempts to tempt her into depravity. Although she didn’t think about imprisoning her, she seemed quite intent on pampering her into a useless person. How could this be allowed!
Lin Huanhuan walked out of the room and summoned Dong Yun’er. She was about to give her a scolding when she saw her holding food, giving her a graceful smile.
“Miss has slept for so long; you must be hungry. You probably didn’t eat very well inside the secret realm, so I timed it to prepare some food. Come and try it.”
Dong Yun’er placed the dishes on the table. The seductive aroma wafted over. Lin Huanhuan swallowed her saliva and stammered, “Fine, I happen to be hungry. This is good.”
‘I’ll scold her after I finish eating. It’s not good to scold someone while eating.’
Lin Huanhuan sat down. Under Dong Yun’er’s service, she ate bite by bite, her face full of happiness.
Halfway through the meal, Dong Yun’er spoke again with a smile, “I saw Miss sleeping so soundly earlier and thought you must be too tired, so I didn’t wake you. I’m truly sorry. Please punish me, Miss.”
Lin Huanhuan stared at her, speechless. She chewed and swallowed the food in her mouth before letting out a huff. “You’ve said everything I was going to say. How am I supposed to punish you now?”
‘Damn it, she has me pinned down perfectly. It seems being too familiar isn’t good. She even knows the limits of my unreasonableness. I’m practically seen through inside and out.’
‘No wonder some people like new flames. It’s the feeling of freshness. Bullying a new girl must have a special flavor…’
While Lin Huanhuan was thinking random thoughts, she took a sip of tea. She saw Dong Yun’er tilt her head, her eyes sparkling with a smile. “Actually, there is another kind of punishment. That is, place me on the bed, strip off my clothes, tie me up with rope, and then stuff my mouth with my undergarments for Miss to enjoy.”
“That way, it serves the purpose of punishment and makes Miss happy. Isn’t it killing two birds with one stone?”
Lin Huanhuan’s pretty face flushed red, and she immediately cursed, “I think the one who would be happy is you, right? How is that a punishment? That’s clearly a reward!”