Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Chapter 102 A Guilty Heart

"You're so hot, you've made me sweat all over. I need to take a shower."

Ji Lingyuan added.

Shen Wei found an empty room for Ji Lengyuan and then prepared a wooden tub and hot water for her.

He then slowly retreated outside the room, leaned against a wooden pillar under the eaves, and pondered aimlessly.

Outside, the sun had already set. He looked up and saw that only his room shone with light in the vast courtyard. The bustling sounds of people outside gradually faded away, and only the sound of flowing water could be heard inside the house.

An overwhelming sense of loneliness suddenly swept over him.

Gu Lengyue left a letter and quietly departed, only to have Ji Lingyuan, whom he was looking for, suddenly appear before him again—

The sudden loss of his goal, coupled with the disruption to his normal life, left him feeling somewhat lost.

"Sigh, let's stay here for the night first and see what happens."

In the room separated from Shen Wei by a wall, Ji Lengyuan submerged her entire body in warm water and began to hold her breath.

This is her unique way of relieving stress, because it makes her mind go blank and she can't think of anything. She likes this feeling of being on the verge of suffocation.

But this time was different; she couldn't calm down because her mind kept replaying everything that had just happened.

Her thoughts drifted away, causing her to momentarily forget that she was holding her breath, and a strong feeling of suffocation washed over her.

"Cough cough—cough cough."

Upon hearing this unusual cough, Shen Wei instinctively pushed open the bathroom door.

The room was filled with mist, which also blurred the view.

"Are you alright?"

"fine----"

Ji Lengyuan, who was enjoying the slightly stunned look in Shen Wei's eyes as he stared at her body, realized that he had misunderstood something and was instantly so ashamed and angry that she wanted to commit suicide.

"Get out! Or I'll bite you."

This reaction suggests that everything is probably alright.

"I've left my bathrobe here. I'll go out first. Come out and put it on yourself."

"I don't want to wear her things!"

Shen Wei sometimes really felt that women were creatures completely different from men.

How could he be so perceptive that he could determine there were other women living here after only glancing around the courtyard?

He sighed softly and explained in a low voice, "It's my bathrobe."

"Get out of here right now!"

Shen Wei left the room.

A moment later, the door was gently opened, and Ji Lengyuan came out wearing Shen Wei's oversized bathrobe. The loose fabric covered her slender figure, making her appear even more petite and frail.

Her long, snow-white hair was still damp, with a few strands falling to her neck, giving her an ethereal air. After her bath, her originally fair and translucent skin became even more delicate, with a faint blush. She was the epitome of beauty.

Shen Wei stared blankly for a moment, while Ji Lengyuan noticed and smiled, seemingly enjoying his expression.

But he quickly regained his composure and said to her, "You can sleep in this side room tonight. It's been empty and no one has ever lived here."

"No," Ji Lingyuan shook her head immediately. "I want to sleep in the same room as you."

"You're so grown up now."

These words instantly struck at the pent-up resentment that had been building up in the girl's heart for years. She immediately retorted, "Then how could you have slept in the same bed with me without any qualms before?"

He was only fourteen when he met Ji Lengyuan. She was so young, and her development seemed a little delayed. He had always treated her like a younger sister who needed his care.

Thinking of this, Shen Wei glanced at the girl's chest, which wasn't particularly large at the moment.

Okay, actually, it hasn't developed much yet.

"I always thought of you as a younger sister," Shen Wei explained frankly.

"Then why not now? If you really see me as a little sister, what's wrong with sleeping together with me?"

"Is there something you're hiding in your heart?"

Shen Wei was momentarily speechless, but still responded decisively.

"It just won't work."

Gu Lengyue had just left, and it was inappropriate for him to sleep with another woman, even if it was Ji Lengyuan.

Upon hearing this, Ji Lengyuan immediately became displeased. She crossed her arms, turned her head to one side, and said confidently, "Fine. Then I won't say a single word to you from now on, especially not about Shizun!"

After saying that, Ji Lengyuan, still seemingly not satisfied, added another sentence.

Shen Wei sighed, but still prepared to turn and leave. Before leaving, he left only one sentence that lingered in the room.

"I've already made up your bed, so you should get some rest."

Watching his resolute departure, Ji Lingyuan was both angry and aggrieved. Finally, she couldn't help but stomp her foot, "Shen Wei, you bastard!"

******

Shen Wei lay on the familiar bed, where the scent of plum blossoms from Gu Lengyue still seemed to linger among the bedding, bringing him a sense of peace but also a touch of loneliness.

So much has happened in the month I've been away.

At first, he was just escorting Ye Qingci for a while, thinking it was a trivial matter, but he never expected to be drawn into that hidden conflict.

The secret collusion between the Fuyou Sect and the Demonic Sect, Meng Changgeng's scheming, the bizarre use of the demonic pill in Mo Qianying's possession, the hidden court forces behind Qin Yunshang, and the current emperor's plot—

Finally, there was Gu Lengyue's sudden and unexpected departure.

As Shen Wei was falling asleep, a sentence from Gu Lengyue's letter inexplicably popped into his mind: "But, some things are ultimately inescapable."

I can't escape, and neither can you, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

What exactly does this sentence mean?

Shen Wei pondered the words carefully, but they were too vague and could refer to too many things. He couldn't figure them out and eventually fell asleep.

The next day, early in the morning.

Shen Wei was awakened by a slight itching sensation on the tip of his nose.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the itchy spot, only to find that it was strands of pure white hair covering his nose, which was causing the itching.

Following the strand of hair downwards, he discovered a young girl curled up in his arms, breathing evenly and sleeping peacefully.

The girl could only be Ji Lengyuan.

Ji Lingyuan's oversized nightgown slipped loosely off her shoulders, unable to conceal her pale, translucent skin. It was completely empty underneath, revealing a delicate, snow-white glimpse of spring.

In addition, it was morning, so some things naturally began to stir.

His slightest movement gently startled the person in his arms.

But Ji Lengyuan didn't seem to have any special reaction. She just lazily rubbed against his clothes, yawned in his arms, and her eyes were still a little sleepy.

Shen Wei subtly adjusted his posture, then asked helplessly.

"How did you get in?"

Before going to sleep last night, he had already learned from his previous experience in Qingyun City. After closing the door, he used his spiritual power to set up a restriction on the door, so that even a Nascent Soul cultivator could not easily break in.

It's impossible for them to sneak in so quietly.

Fortunately, this wasn't the first time Shen Wei had experienced something like this, and this time at least his life wasn't in danger.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and said with a smile, "Hehe, I've learned quite a bit from Master in the past month."

After saying that, she wrinkled her nose slightly, nuzzled his chest, and then said in a somewhat awkward tone, "There's another woman's scent on this bed, which I was initially quite annoyed about. But your scent is stronger, Brother Shen, which just covers it up, so I can barely tolerate it."

Did I ask you to get into my bed?

You're still not happy?

He also wanted to correct something: that wasn't just any woman, it was his—

But considering Ji Lingyuan's reaction yesterday, Shen Wei decided not to provoke her.