(T/N: This chapter may contain explicit scenes; reader discretion advised)
Morning light filtered through the window frames.
Ning Xian slowly stirred awake, her consciousness not yet fully returned, but her body remembered the events of last night before her mind did.
She lazily curled up, only to find the space beside her empty, with just the lingering warmth between the mattresses.
Last night......
Ning Xian buried half her face into the pillow, which still carried Fang Xuan's body warmth, her ears quietly flushing.
Her junior brother was truly too gentle. She.....actually didn't really like it.
So.....how should she tell her junior brother......
'When they were together....she didn't mind how intense it got......'
'What she wanted was something more intense......something that would let her momentarily forget her anxieties and surrender to pure sensation.'
'Just like many times during training before, so overwhelming she couldn't even think......'
'But how could she say something like that to her junior brother?'
Ning Xian buried her entire face in the pillow, feeling like she was about to steam.
No, absolutely not. She couldn't say it out loud.
But......if she didn't say anything, would her junior brother think she liked it gentle, and keep doing it that way from now on?
Then her role as senior sister would be too.....incompetent.
She sat up from the bed, her long hair disheveled, her eyes still a little muddled from just waking up, but a “I'm very serious” expression already graced her small face.
She had to make it clear......for the sake of future cult.....cultivation efficiency.
Hm, it was definitely just for cultivation.
She hurriedly dressed, not bothering with a careful wash, simply gathered her long hair, tied it with a wooden hairpin, and pushed open the door to leave.
In the courtyard, Fang Xuan was sitting at the stone table, leisurely drinking morning tea.
The morning light shone on his profile, his expression content.
Seeing Ning Xian emerge, he smiled and greeted her: “Senior Sister, good morning. The tea just finished brewing.”
Ning Xian walked over and sat opposite him, her movements a bit stiff.
She picked up an empty cup, poured herself some tea, held it in her hands, and took small sips.
Her eyes, however, kept glancing at Fang Xuan, wanting to speak but hesitating.
'How to say it... How to begin......'
She held it in for a long time, so long that Fang Xuan looked at her with some confusion, before she finally mustered her courage and put down the teacup.
Then she straightened her back, trying to make her voice sound cold and serious: “Not.....not striving for progress.”
After speaking, she felt a little regretful.
'Was her tone too harsh? Would it scare her junior brother?'
'She really wasn't good at this kind of......expression.'
'She used to be alone, accustomed to hiding everything in her heart.'
She nervously watched Fang Xuan, apprehension hidden in her eyes, only hoping her junior brother wouldn't get angry.
Fang Xuan merely rested his head on his hand, silently watching her.
'A cold senior sister also had a certain appeal.'
'He felt that such a senior sister......with her clumsy cuteness amidst the coolness, held a different kind of charm than her usual confused and soft cuteness.'
“Alright, Senior Sister, I was wrong.”
Hm?!
Ning Xian was caught off guard by his swift admission of fault, and the subsequent words she had prepared suddenly got stuck in her throat.
Her small face uncontrollably began to flush, the teacup in her hand held awkwardly.
Finally, she steeled herself, tilted her head back, and drained the now slightly cool tea in one gulp.
'Junior brother.....so well-behaved.'
'She.....liked it so much, wanted so much......'
'No, he must be pretending to be good, using this obedient appearance to entice her!'
'His tactics were truly becoming more refined.'
Ning Xian's inner self was stomping its foot, but she still had to try and maintain the facade of being angry.
She cleared her throat, deciding to proceed with her original plan, continuing to seriously question him as the cold senior sister:
“Why.....were you so negligent during cultivation yesterday?”
She kept her small face stern, trying to make her voice sound intimidating.
Fang Xuan blinked, looking innocent: “Senior Sister, yesterday.....you almost fainted.”
“That.....that was because your movements too slow.” Ning Xian's face grew even redder, and she stubbornly lifted her chin, trying to make her excuse sound believable.
“I....I was bored to the point of exhaustion......”
After she spoke, she quickly closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling nervously, waiting for Fang Xuan to immediately admit his mistake as before.
Then swear he would “cultivate diligently” in the future, “not to bore Senior Sister.”
'Say it quickly.....admit your mistake......'
'Then promise that next time would......would put in more effort.'
Fang Xuan still rested his head on his hand, quietly watching her, nearly bursting with laughter internally.
'He had to savor this little bit of fun.'
'Senior Sister is angry, better comfort her quickly.'
He reached out and stroked her small head.
“Don't.....don't casually touch Senior Sister's head.”
Ning Xian immediately opened her eyes and looked at him.
'No, she was still angry, she had to maintain her senior sister's dignity.'
“Mm-hmm,” Fang Xuan withdrew his hand.
Then he spoke with a sincere tone: “Next time, I will definitely cultivate diligently, and not bore Senior Sister too much. I will definitely ensure Senior Sister.....hm, stays awake and participates fully.”
Ning Xian's ears felt slightly hot from his last pointed remark, but having received the assurance she wanted, the little awkwardness in her heart finally eased.
She tried hard to keep her small face stern, and then lightly hummed: “Ju.....just so you know......”
Fang Xuan laughed and teased her a couple more times, finding it utterly amusing how she was clearly happy but insisted on feigning indifference.
After a while of playful banter, the atmosphere became relaxed again.
...
Fang Xuan brewed fresh hot tea.
“Senior Sister,” he picked up his teacup, his tone becoming more serious, “Regarding the body tempering, when do you plan to start?”
Upon mentioning serious matters, Ning Xian also put away her little emotional quirks and became earnest: “Anytime is fine. I've already checked the mystic spirit stone; its spiritual energy is stable.”
After body tempering, Junior Brother's speed in absorbing spiritual energy during cultivation would greatly increase, virtually eliminating any concern about spiritual energy depletion.
Furthermore, integrating the mystic spirit stone into his body would allow it to store excess spiritual energy, perfectly aligning with his cultivation method's characteristics.
The most.....most insignificant additional effect was that during dual cultivation, it would become much more.....potent.
...
“I'll follow Senior Sister's arrangements,” Fang Xuan replied with a smile.
Ning Xian nodded, taking small sips of tea, but another matter came to mind, and her mood became somewhat downcast again.
'Junior brother's family affairs......'
'She knew that these were things she would have to clarify with her junior brother sooner or later.'
'His background, his family, the burdens he might carry... she couldn't keep pretending not to know.'
'But.....what if she told him, and he wanted to go back and see?'
'What if.....there were people or things he cared about more there?'
'Like....some family marriage alliance.....childhood sweethearts, arranged marriages, fiancées......'
Ning Xian's fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.
'At that time.....she could only hide and secretly watch him.'
'Just imagining that scene made her heart ache.'
She took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of bitterness.
'No, she couldn't think about such depressing things.'
'At least for now, Junior Brother was by her side, and his eyes were only on her.'
She looked up, gazing at Fang Xuan, who was smiling at her from across the table, and a thought, almost greedy, suddenly rose in her heart.
'Tonight.....she absolutely had to enjoy it more.'
'She had to deeply engrave his scent, his body warmth, his appearance when moved by passion, into her very bones.'
'That way, even if she had to remember it alone later......she could endure a very, very long time......'
“Then....let's begin the body tempering this afternoon.”
Ning Xian set the time, her voice returning to its usual coolness, but also tinged with a faint, underlying expectation.
'Tonight......it would definitely be very comfortable......'
“The process might be a bit uncomfortable, but don't worry, Senior Sister will protect you......”
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