Zhen watched Ling Feng's retreating back as he entered the bedroom, her gaze lingering for a long moment before settling into a look of determination. She tightened her grip on the vial in her hand.
She turned and first returned to the bathroom to turn off the faucet above the bathtub, then went back to the kitchen to make a bowl of hangover soup.
Zhen picked up the vial beside her, pried open the stopper, and poured the pink liquid, not a drop remaining, into the bowl. She stirred it with a spoon. Just as she was about to lift the bowl, she hesitated, set it down, and turned back into the bathroom.
A moment later, the sound of rushing water echoed from the bathroom.
A quarter of an hour later, Zhen opened the bathroom door and walked out. The kimono she had been wearing was gone, replaced by a pink and white bathrobe.
Her fair, rounded shoulders and long legs were exposed. Her curvaceous figure was outlined by the bathrobe. Her hair was still damp, falling over her shoulders, exuding a quiet beauty.
Zhen walked to the dining table, picked up the hangover soup, and headed towards Ling Feng's bedroom.
She pushed open the slightly ajar bedroom door. The air was filled with the scent of peach wine. The room was completely dark, with only a faint moonlight filtering through the window to provide a sliver of illumination.
Using the dim moonlight, Zhen looked towards the soft bed. Ling Feng, asleep, had a peaceful expression on his face.
Zhen gazed at Ling Feng with tender affection.
Ling Feng's features were clear and handsome, but not extraordinarily striking. He wasn't the type of breathtakingly handsome man who could instantly draw everyone's attention upon entering a room.
But… just looking at him brought her a sense of peace, as if with Ling Feng around, she had nothing to worry about.
Zhen glanced down at the hangover soup. As she closed the door, she cast a glance at Tu Shan Hong Hong's room and silently said, "Sorry Hong Hong, I'm going to steal a step."
With that, she gently closed the door, turned on the light, and returned to the bedside.
Zhen placed the bowl on the bedside cabinet, carefully nudged Ling Feng, and softly called out, "Zhen… Zhen…"
"Zhen… what is it?"
After a while, Ling Feng sat up, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and responded.
Zhen smiled sweetly, offered him the hangover soup, and said softly, "I made you a bowl of hangover soup. Drink it and sober up."
Ling Feng hummed in agreement. Although he was still somewhat groggy, his drunkenness had mostly subsided. But he couldn't possibly disappoint Zhen's kind gesture.
Without suspicion, he took the bowl, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp. Half the hangover soup in the bowl immediately disappeared.
Ling Feng wiped the water from the corner of his mouth. With half remaining, he didn't drink anymore and handed the bowl back to Zhen. "Give some to Hong Hong. I'm mostly sober now."
"Mhm."
Zhen smiled and nodded, took the bowl, and stood up to walk towards the door.
When she reached the doorway, Zhen unhesitatingly drank the remaining half bowl of hangover soup and placed the bowl on the counter of the storage cabinet by the door.
Something is wrong!
Ling Feng's expression froze. Zhen's action gave him an ominous premonition.
The Zhen before him was not a disguise. She harbored no ill will towards him; otherwise, with his strength, he would have detected it long ago.
Suddenly, a familiar yet strange sensation surged within him, a nameless fire burning fiercely in his abdomen.
"Aphrodisiac!"
As a cultivator, he was acutely aware of his body's state and quickly made an accurate analysis.
"Click!"
Hearing the sound, Ling Feng suddenly looked up. He saw Zhen locking the bedroom door from the inside. Immediately after, a purple light rose from the edge of the room.
A barrier!?
Ling Feng was startled. Before Zhen could turn, he instantly drew out the War God Blade and used "Immaculate." A pure power surged into his body, instantly neutralizing the effects of the drug.
The "ingredient" Zhen had given him was potent, beyond ordinary medicine, and could even affect him at the Golden Core stage.
If an ordinary person were exposed to even a trace, their reason would be instantly destroyed, leaving them uncontrollable and driven by instinct.
After neutralizing the drug, Ling Feng quickly sheathed the War God Blade, pretending to struggle to suppress his desire.
After Zhen cast the soundproof barrier, she turned to look at Ling Feng. Her large eyes were filled with a playful, charming, and seductive light, misted over, radiating allure. Her small lips curved slightly, inviting a kiss.
Ling Feng's heart leaped, but outwardly he maintained the appearance of struggling to suppress his desire, exhaling heavily and asking, "Zhen, why?"
"Of course, it's better to strike first."
Zhen's cheeks flushed as she climbed onto the bed. Her bathrobe outlined the graceful curves of her body. Her exposed slender arms were flawlessly white, and below that was a waist that could be held in one hand, drawing the eye.
Zhen stared directly at him, her love for him unconcealed in her beautiful eyes.
"Ling, the number of girls who have feelings for you is growing. I've always felt a bit insecure, afraid that my importance in your heart is diminishing."
Zhen's sudden apprehension startled Ling Feng. His heart ached subtly, and his gaze deepened.
He hadn't expected Zhen to be so anxious, so unlike her usual cheerful self.
Without hesitation, Ling Feng pulled Zhen into his arms, holding her tightly.
Caught off guard, Zhen was stunned and surprised, not reacting immediately. The next second, warm breath brushed against her ear.
"I'm sorry… for making you feel anxious. It's my fault."
Ling Feng's voice was deep, tinged with a hint of self-reproach in its gentle tone.
This sentence seemed to possess a magical power. Zhen, whose evil fire had just been ignited, suddenly calmed down and quietly buried her head in Ling Feng's chest.
Feeling the beauty in his arms quiet down, Ling Feng's eyes deepened. His voice was soft yet firm, and he spoke word by word.
"No matter what the future holds… you are a very important, irreplaceable person in my heart. I promised you… I would take responsibility for you… and I will not break my word. Rest assured."
"Mhm."
Zhen nodded gently, the anxiety in her heart already dissipated. This was exactly what she had needed to hear.
Seeing this, Ling Feng took out the War God Blade and quickly said, "Zhen, place your hand on the hilt. I'll help you dissolve the drug in your body."
Dissolve…
Zhen was slightly taken aback. It was only then that she realized Ling Feng's breathing was steady, not at all like someone aroused by a drug. She immediately understood that Ling Feng had already neutralized the drug and then said with a playful, resentful tone.
"So… you were fine all along, and you were testing me?"
"This…" Ling Feng was instantly speechless, unsure how to respond.
Zhen licked her lips alluringly, placed her hands on Ling Feng's chest, looked directly into his eyes, and whispered, "I don't want to dissolve it… You said… you would take responsibility for me… right."
Zhen's hint was quite obvious. Since that was the case…
*Bang!*
Suddenly, the door was violently kicked open, startling both Ling Feng and Zhen.
They looked towards the door and saw Tu Shan Hong Hong's familiar figure standing there, head bowed, her aura radiating.
Hong Hong?!
Both of them were shocked. Ling Feng scrambled off the bed, looked at Hong Hong at the door, sweat beading on his forehead, his expression panicked as he tried to explain.
"Hong Hong… let me explain…"
At this moment, they looked like lovers caught in the act.
Before he could finish, Tu Shan Hong Hong strode to him in three quick steps and kissed him directly.
"Mmph…"
Ling Feng's pupils contracted. He was completely dazed.
Seeing Hong Hong, Zhen seemed to realize something. She pursed her lips into a smile, leaned against Ling Feng with eyes full of affection.
Outside the house, it was already past midnight. The bright moon hung in the sky. However, at this moment, a wisp of cloud drifted by, obscuring the moon, as if even the moon were feeling shy.
The next day, dawn broke.
Ling Feng, shirtless, pulled open the curtains and the window. The cool morning breeze rushed in, ruffling his hair.
Ling Feng gazed blankly at the whitening sky to the east, recalling everything that had happened last night, feeling as if it were a dream.
"Hoo…"
Ling Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright. He turned to look at the two sleeping women, a gentle expression appearing in his eyes.
Seeing that Hong Hong and Zhen were still asleep, Ling Feng silently left the bedroom.
He went to the living room and saw the remnants of last night's party, a mess. It looked like a burglar had broken in.
Ling Feng had intended to clean it up later, but after a tiring night, he had no energy to do so.
Ling Feng waved his hand, and the melon seeds on the floor were swept into the trash can by a gust of wind.
The bowls and chopsticks on the dining table seemed to come alive. Those that were clean, without any leftover food, fell directly into the sink. Those with residue flew over the trash can, inverted, dumped the garbage, and then flew into the sink.
Everything else also flew back to its original position.
In less than a minute, the messy living room was spotless.
Ling Feng glanced at the clock on the wall. It was a little past six in the morning.
"I'll take a complete rest today. They've only been asleep for ten minutes, so they shouldn't wake up that early. I'll go out and buy some groceries, and make them a good meal at noon."
Ling Feng returned to his room, found his phone, sent a leave request to De Lisa, and then leaped out of the balcony, riding his sword into the distance.
"Mmm…"
After an unknown amount of time, Tu Shan Hong Hong woke up from her sleep. Seeing Zhen beside her, she couldn't help but recall the scenes from last night.
One by one, like slow-motion movie frames, they reminded her of what had happened last night, and her face instantly turned red.
Tu Shan Hong Hong glanced around the room and noticed Ling Feng was not there. She carefully got out of bed, picked up a bathrobe to cover her fair skin, and walked out of the bedroom into the bathroom.
When she came out, she saw Ling Feng in the living room at a glance.
Hearing the sound, Ling Feng turned his head. Tu Shan Hong Hong had just finished bathing, her hair was damp, her cheeks were flushed, her skin was fair, and she was wearing a bathrobe that reached her thighs, below which were a pair of long, slender legs.
Ling Feng looked up, his gaze falling on Tu Shan Hong Hong's face.
Sensing Ling Feng's scorching gaze linger on her legs for a moment, Tu Shan Hong Hong's thoughts drifted back to last night.
Her cheeks flushed, and she gritted her teeth, saying fiercely, "Have you seen enough?"
"Sorry, sorry." Ling Feng said sheepishly. It was beyond his expectation that Tu Shan Hong Hong hadn't immediately punched him.
"Right, is Zhen still asleep?"
"Not yet."
"Then I'll go wake her up. It's almost noon, and Ke Qing will be back soon." Ling Feng quickly excused himself and walked towards the bedroom.
Tu Shan Hong Hong breathed a sigh of relief.
However, as Ling Feng neared the door, he paused and said slowly, "By the way, Hong Hong, after lunch, go to Baishi Dongtian. I have something to talk to you about."
After saying that, Ling Feng pushed open the door and entered the bedroom.
Tu Shan Hong Hong stood stunned for a moment, a vague premonition dawning in her heart.
…
In the bedroom, Ling Feng saw Zhen lying on the bed, her sleeping face serene, and smiled faintly.
He tiptoed to the bedside, leaned down, and softly called out.
Who knew Zhen was pretending to sleep? As soon as he leaned down, Zhen suddenly opened her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and "attacked."
A moment later, Zhen beamed with joy and said, "Surprised, aren't you… mmmph…"
Before she could finish, Ling Feng suddenly pressed the back of her head and kissed her.
This usually gentle and self-possessed man seemed to have shed his mask, becoming forceful and aggressive.
After a long while, their lips parted. Ling Feng raised an eyebrow, stared at Zhen's watery eyes, and asked, "Dare you do it again?"
"I don't dare."
Zhen looked adorably coy, like a young girl who had been bullied by a scoundrel.
"Hurry up and get up. It's noon. Ke Qing will be back soon."
"Mhm." Zhen obediently nodded.
After Zhen left the room, Ling Feng waved his hand, and the items in the room automatically flew back to their original positions, as if nothing had happened last night.
However, there were still things that proved last night had truly happened.
And those things were put away by Ling Feng.
After changing to a new duvet, Ling Feng returned to the kitchen and served the dishes he had prepared.
Before long, Ke Qing returned, and Zhen also took a bath and changed into her kimono.
The four of them sat at the dining table, eating with gusto, the atmosphere warm and cozy.