After Cutting Off Love And Emotions, I Was Pestered By The Demon Sect’s Enchantress - Chapter 17

Immediately to Jade City (Part III)

A-Xu gazed at her without blinking. Her temples were damp with the cold sweat from moments ago, leaving her looking a bit disheveled, yet those eyes remained crystal clear, brimming with soft emotions.

Zhu Shengxi lowered her gaze, intentionally avoiding her stare. Recalling the heartfelt words A-Xu had just spoken, a flicker of awkwardness brushed against her heart.

Observing the other woman’s deliberate avoidance, A-Xu thought for a moment and said softly, “Although I’ve taken the detoxification pill, I won’t be able to move my left arm for three days. I might have to trouble Fellow Daoist Zhu with a few things.”

Her words were polite enough, but they faintly suggested she was waiting to claim a reward.

Zhu Shengxi glanced at her and asked, “For example?”

A-Xu patted the bedding, arched an eyebrow slightly, and said, “First, come and spread the quilt for me.”

It was a tone bordering on a command; no one had ever spoken to her in such a way before.

Zhu Shengxi’s expression remained indifferent as she leaned over slightly to arrange the bedding. As she bent down, several strands of hair fell forward.

A-Xu fixed her gaze on Zhu Shengxi’s profile. As the saying goes, the face is born of the heart—this woman’s features were elegant and refined, perfectly matching her quiet and indifferent temperament.

However, that proverb didn’t apply to A-Xu herself; she was not nearly as kind-hearted as she appeared on the surface.

Sensing A-Xu’s lingering gaze, Zhu Shengxi paused her movements, shot her a glance, and asked, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

Hearing this, A-Xu did not look away; instead, she stared even more wantonly, her expression innocent. “Is it not even allowed to take a look?”

Zhu Shengxi did not answer. She straightened up and said calmly, “It’s spread. Go to sleep.” Having said that, she turned directly toward the wooden chair.

A-Xu lightly tugged at her sleeve. “Didn’t we agree that you would sleep in the bed tonight?”

Due to the other’s injury, Zhu Shengxi did not immediately pull her sleeve away, letting her hold it as she replied, “Then what about you?”

A-Xu froze for a moment. At first listen, the question gave the illusion of concern, but she knew very well that Zhu Shengxi was simply asking a question, devoid of any superfluous emotion.

“I can sleep in the bed too; this bed is plenty large enough.”

Seeing the other remain silent, A-Xu added, “Besides, my left shoulder is injured. What if I roll off the bed in the middle of the night and aggravate the wound? If you sleep on the outer side, you can prevent me from falling.”

Zhu Shengxi peered at her, clearly skeptical of this reasoning. “During those nights with the Suluo tribe, I never saw you fall out of bed.”

A-Xu was momentarily speechless. Just as she was searching for another excuse, she suddenly saw a faint smile appear on Zhu Shengxi’s lips.

“Except for the time I pushed you off.”

A-Xu: “…”

She gave a soft huff and began to unfasten her outer robe again. Knowing she was preparing for sleep, Zhu Shengxi immediately turned her face away, letting her gaze fall elsewhere.

A-Xu slept on the innermost side, her left arm pressed against the cold wall, leaving half the bed empty.

After waiting a while, seeing the woman standing by the bedside motionless for a long time, A-Xu glanced over meaningfully and said pointedly, “Fine, if you find this bed cramped and lowly, I won’t force you.”

Sure enough, upon hearing this, a look of hesitation appeared on Zhu Shengxi’s face. She explained softly, “I do not find it lowly.”

After that explanation, A-Xu said nothing more. Zhu Shengxi hesitated for a long while before finally compromising, lying down on the outermost edge of the bed fully clothed.

She lay on her side with her back to A-Xu, leaving a gap about a finger’s width between them.

A-Xu glanced sideways and noticed she was still wearing her outer robe. Her black hair spilled over her shoulders and neck, partially veiling the ivory skin of her nape. The sight made A-Xu involuntarily recall the situation when she had treated her wounds that day.

The more this person avoided and distanced herself, the more A-Xu wanted to draw near.

A-Xu’s gaze flickered, her tone carrying a hint of complaint: “Fellow Daoist Zhu, you are too far away. You’ve pulled the quilt away with you.”

Zhu Shengxi remained silent for a few seconds. Instead of narrowing the distance between them, she simply gave the entire quilt to A-Xu.

A-Xu looked at the quilt in her hands and frowned slightly.

Is she stupid? Giving the whole quilt to me—what if her cold poison flares up in the middle of the night?

No, she would rather suffer the cold than be close to her.

At that thought, a nameless fire seemed to rise in her heart. A-Xu took a deep breath and spoke no more.

After an unknown amount of time, once the breathing behind her had gradually stabilized, Zhu Shengxi sat up and looked at A-Xu with a complex gaze.

What exactly was this person’s goal? If she truly wanted to get something from her, she could have just struck directly—why wait until after the cold poison was removed?

Furthermore, did A-Xu have any connection to the Xu family mentioned by the storyteller today?

Various doubts tangled together in her heart like a knot of thread that couldn’t be unraveled, and all of them were related to the person beside her.

Zhu Shengxi sighed almost imperceptibly and began to meditate and cultivate. However, she soon discovered that she was actually struggling to calm her mind. The shallow breathing of the person beside her and that familiar sweet fragrance caused her to lose focus involuntarily.

What is happening…

She had practiced at the Guiyun Sect since childhood. Through years of cultivation, her heart had become like still water. Both her Master and Senior Sister had praised her for her clear and tranquil state of mind, saying she was not easily disturbed by the outside world.

Yet, beside this person, her thoughts were chaotic and her mind restless.

Just as she was pondering the reason, the person beside her suddenly let out a pained moan. Zhu Shengxi turned her head and saw A-Xu’s brow furrowed tightly; something seemed to be manifesting at the space between her eyebrows.

“A-Xu?” Zhu Shengxi called softly, but there was no response. The brow remained furrowed.

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhu Shengxi reached out, her fingertips lightly touching A-Xu’s brow.

It was abnormally scalding.

Before Zhu Shengxi could think further, A-Xu suddenly grabbed her wrist and pressed the space between her eyebrows against Zhu Shengxi’s cool palm.

A sudden heat touched her palm, and it seemed her heart was scorched along with it. Zhu Shengxi forgot to pull away for a moment, allowing her wrist to be held.

Seemingly finding that the cool palm relieved the heat, A-Xu instinctively nuzzled against it. Feeling the movement, Zhu Shengxi froze in place.

What brushed against her palm first were the soft eyelashes, bringing a slight itch; then came the elegant nose; and finally, the lips, accompanied by warm breath.

The soft lips unconsciously brushed across her palm. Zhu Shengxi’s breath hitched, and she hurriedly withdrew her hand.

With her mind in disarray, she scrambled to look at A-Xu, only to find her still with her eyes closed, looking fast asleep. Shifting her gaze upward, there was nothing unusual about the woman’s brow, as if everything she had just seen was merely an illusion.

After a long silence, Zhu Shengxi looked at the person beside her, reached out to tuck in the corners of the quilt, and then turned to get off the bed.

The wooden door gave a “creak” as Zhu Shengxi opened it and stepped out. She didn’t notice that the moment she left the room, the person on the bed slowly opened her eyes, her mind perfectly clear.

A-Xu took out a bronze mirror. Her reflection showed no abnormalities, and the heat between her brows had vanished. Seeing this, she spoke toward the darkness: “You can come out now.”

A shadow detached itself from the darkness, gradually forming a figure. A low, somewhat raspy female voice rang out: “You almost exposed your identity.”

A-Xu’s face was icy, tinged with impatience. “If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

“What, unable to gain her trust as a companion, so now you’ve started attacking her heart?”

A-Xu said coldly, “It’s none of your business.”

The dark shadow let out a low chuckle. “True, I can’t control what you do. But my appearance today is by the Cult Leader’s order. You’d better make your move soon—don’t go playing the part so well that it becomes real.” With that, the shadow merged back into the night and gradually receded.

A-Xu’s eyes darkened as she lightly touched the space between her eyebrows.

The sensation of that slight coolness seemed to linger there still.