On the other side, Xu Sheng was completely unaware of Mo Ruxue’s inner turmoil.
If Xu Sheng were told about Mo Ruxue’s current psychological changes, he might even feel genuine admiration for her from the bottom of his heart.
It could only be said that when dealing with this type of old, seasoned woman, Xu Sheng had used the right method.
…
Behind the screen, Xu Sheng was especially diligent in “treating” Zhu Yuexi, and Zhu Yuexi was also doing her utmost to cooperate with him.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Zhu Yuexi had no choice but to cooperate, even if she didn’t want to.
Xu Sheng’s hands were now both pressing on the back of Zhu Yuexi’s head, preventing her from even uttering a simple reply.
She didn’t even dare to let her muffled sounds become too obvious.
After all, Mo Ruxue was right on the other side of the screen.
At the very beginning, when Xu Sheng first wanted to do something to her, if Mo Ruxue had discovered it, Zhu Yuexi might have still had some room to maneuver.
But in the current situation, if her master were to see her in this state, Zhu Yuexi felt she would rather just die.
And there was no way to explain why she had compromised with Xu Sheng in the first place, going along with his “taking medicine” charade.
Xu Sheng, however, seemed to have grasped Zhu Yuexi’s psychology perfectly, and his actions grew increasingly bold.
He released one of the hands holding Zhu Yuexi and instead wrapped it around her neck.
Although Xu Sheng would have liked to continue communicating with Zhu Yuexi openly through hints, some meanings weren’t so easily conveyed that way.
So, after the “treatment” began, Xu Sheng started transmitting his voice directly to Zhu Yuexi.
‘You actually like this the most, don’t you? This feeling of suffocation…’
“Mmph…” Zhu Yuexi shook her head with an extremely small arc but at a very fast frequency.
Xu Sheng frowned slightly and pressed down harder on the back of her head.
‘What are you pretending for, Zhu Yuexi? Remember a month ago? I know you remember all the details clearly. When things were halfway through, I choked your neck. Your body had a noticeable reaction then.’
“Mmph…”
Tears had already gathered in Zhu Yuexi’s eyes, though actual委屈 was the minority; most of it was due to the physiological “discomfort” brought on by the situation.
And Xu Sheng continued:
‘Zhu Yuexi, don’t you feel it yourself? Or have you long since felt it but can’t face it directly? What was your reaction back then…’
As he spoke, the hand gripping her neck tightened slightly.
Xu Sheng’s hands were actually quite beautiful.
Long, slender fingers, joints white with a hint of red, faint blue veins visible beneath his pale skin. And now, likely due to some excitement, those veins became especially prominent.
Feeling Xu Sheng’s palm constrict slightly—the pressure wasn’t great, but with her mouth blocked and her breathing already difficult—Zhu Yuexi felt suffocation once more.
And the sensation that came with this suffocation was…
So… comfortable.
Why did she have such a thought?
And Xu Sheng, as if able to guess what she was thinking, immediately provided an answer:
‘Because you, Zhu Yuexi, are just born to be a dog… Isn’t it true that being treated so roughly by me still feels good? I could see your true nature from the first time I met you, Zhu Yuexi.’
Xu Sheng’s words, transmitted directly into Zhu Yuexi’s ears, caused her already flushed skin to turn red all the way to the roots of her ears.
Zhu Yuexi wanted to open her mouth to refute Xu Sheng, but with her mouth blocked, she couldn’t respond.
And her body’s reaction was proving the correctness of Xu Sheng’s words.
Zhu Yuexi felt so hot.
Could it be… just this… just this could make her feel this hot?
She recalled the scene with Xu Sheng a month ago.
Back then, she had also felt this bodily heat, but she had simply attributed it to the medicine.
Now, in this room with her master present, there was no way Xu Sheng could have drugged her.
So… all of this was her own most genuine reaction.
Upon realizing this, Zhu Yuexi’s body seemed to have an even more intense reaction.
And in the next instant, Xu Sheng let go.
The feeling of suffocation on her neck vanished, leaving only the imprint of Xu Sheng’s fingers. Her previously dazed eyes looked at Xu Sheng, filled with confusion.
Xu Sheng understood the meaning in that gaze. He reached out and lightly patted Zhu Yuexi’s cheek.
‘Still want to argue? Hmm? Zhu Yuexi?’
Hearing this, Zhu Yuexi realized she had fallen into Xu Sheng’s trap. She glared at him with an extremely resentful look, as if she wished she could bite a piece of flesh off him.
But of course, she couldn’t bite.
Xu Sheng, meanwhile, smiled brightly, and that hand returned to the back of Zhu Yuexi’s head.
‘Let’s play a game, okay?’
Zhu Yuexi: ?
What kind of game could they possibly play in this situation?
‘I’ll count. Let’s see how many seconds you can hold your breath. Come on, try it.’
Hold her breath…?
Were they in water now? How could she hold her breath?
Zhu Yuexi was confused, but Xu Sheng’s hand was already applying pressure.
Completely blocked, Zhu Yuexi had no time to react, while simultaneously hearing Xu Sheng’s transmitted voice.
‘One, two, three…’
This feeling was strange.
It seemed as if everything around them had grown quiet, the whole world reduced to just Xu Sheng and herself.
And this suffocation and strangeness weren’t as unbearable as she had imagined.
More than that, she felt an indescribable, peculiar sensation.
The neural stimulation brought on by this suffocation and blockage seemed to trigger some instinct in her body, allowing her to still feel… comfort.
It started like that, but later, as she held her breath for too long, she even felt that if it didn’t stop, her body wouldn’t be able to take it. So, Zhu Yuexi had no choice but to reach out and slap Xu Sheng’s arm.
Xu Sheng released his hand.
Simultaneously, he transmitted:
‘Well done. Forty-seven seconds.’
At the same time, Zhu Yuexi began to gasp and cough violently.
Xu Sheng took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the moisture from the corners of Zhu Yuexi’s mouth.
This gentle action formed a stark contrast with his earlier roughness. Zhu Yuexi didn’t resist; she only felt something deep inside her continuously crumbling.
Hearing Zhu Yuexi’s cough from the other side of the screen, Mo Ruxue couldn’t help but speak up:
“Yuexi, are you alright?”
“She’s fine,” Xu Sheng answered first. “It’s just that there really was a bit too much medicine. It was prepared according to Saintess Zhu’s constitution. Since her constitution is good, I prepared a bit more. She drank it too quickly and choked a little, but it’s okay. There’s just a little left.”
After saying this, Xu Sheng lifted Zhu Yuexi’s chin and wiped the corner of her mouth again.
“Are you alright, Saintess Zhu?”
Zhu Yuexi opened her mouth, trembling slightly, and finally spoke.
“Mas… Master, I’m fine. I just choked a little while drinking the medicine. It’s nothing.”
Hearing Zhu Yuexi’s voice from outside the screen, Mo Ruxue’s slightly anxious heart settled.
Then, Xu Sheng’s voice came again:
“Alright, there’s just the last bit of medicine left. I’ll feed it to Saintess Zhu now.”
…