After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 20

The group had not been this relaxed in a long time, but the current peace was merely the calm before the storm.

“Where are we going now?” Shen Shuheng asked, looking at her Master.

“To find the City Lord of this place,” Fu Xueke replied. The moonlight fell upon her face, draping it in a layer of thin gossamer.

“The weather is dry, beware of fires!” The rhythmic clanging of a copper gong grew closer, the voice becoming clearer in their ears. First, a dim yellow spark appeared before them, gradually revealing the silhouette of a man; it was a night watchman carrying a lantern, walking toward them.

The watchman also noticed them. “Are you immortals from afar?” he asked. He observed their extraordinary bearing he had never seen such people before. Especially the woman in white; she looked exactly like the immortals described in storybooks—not one who ate the food of the mortal realm, but one who lived on wind and dew.

Shen Shuheng took a step forward. “We are disciples of the Yuheng Sect, arriving at the City Lord’s invitation. May I ask where the City Lord’s mansion is?”

“I shall lead the immortals there,” the watchman said, bowing to them.

He led them to a residence where two stone lions stood before a vermilion gate. Under the moonlight, the lions’ eyes seemed to emit an eerie glow. He knocked repeatedly, and soon someone came to open the door.

“You must be the immortals invited by the City Lord. Please, follow me,” said the white-haired elder who opened the door.

The group followed him inside; the entire mansion was brilliantly lit. A middle-aged man walked toward them with hurried steps, his expression filled with joy upon seeing them. “I am the City Lord of this place, Cui Shijiu. It is late; everyone should rest first.”

City Lord Cui then looked at them with a sudden look of hesitation. “There are not many rooms left in the mansion. I’m afraid I must trouble two of you immortals to share a room. Please do not take offense,” he said, standing somewhat awkwardly.

Fu Xueke replied, “It is no matter. Have the disciples of the other sects arrived as well?”

“Yes, they arrived yesterday.”

Fu Xueke nodded slightly. She glanced at the disciples and saw that they were all weary, looking like wilted seedlings.

“Please follow me,” City Lord Cui said, making a gesture for them to follow.

“Master, I want to sleep in the same room as you,” Shen Shuheng said, tugging at Fu Xueke’s sleeve. She tilted her head and smiled at her Master, revealing two sharp little canines. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, holding a pool of clear light.

Her smile easily brought to mind a crystal-clear lake reflecting the moon; when a breeze blew, it shattered the reflection into shimmering ripples of silver.

Fu Xueke caught Shen Shuheng’s mischievous hand. “Why?” Seeing her disciple like this, she felt an urge to tease her.

Shen Shuheng grew anxious. In the past, no matter what she said, as long as she acted like this, her Master would agree. Her smile vanished, and she stared blankly at her Master.

“What do you mean ‘why’? I just want to be with Master,” Shen Shuheng said, blinking her eyes.

A smile faintly surfaced in Fu Xueke’s eyes. “And why do you want to be with me?”

Shen Shuheng didn’t understand. Why was Master asking “why” over and over today? She wasn’t like this before. “I just want to be with Master, I don’t know why,” she answered without thinking.

Then a thought struck her: did Master want a room to herself, or did she want to stay with another disciple? She shook her head vigorously. Absolutely not! How could Master be like that?

As Shen Shuheng pondered various possibilities, she clenched one of her hands hidden within her sleeve. The smile in Fu Xueke’s eyes had already spilled over, filling her entire face. She watched Shen Shuheng’s every move with great interest.

Shen Shuheng instinctively thought of a phrase and blurted out, “Master, how can you be so unfaithful after we’ve started something!”

Fu Xueke had hidden her smile when her disciple began to speak, but upon hearing those words, the amusement returned to her eyes. Shen Shuheng realized the term wasn’t quite right and wondered why she had said such a thing.

Regardless, she decided to “break the jar and throw it away” committing to the bit. “Is Master perhaps taking this chance to take another disciple? Do you despise A-Heng for her poor talent? Or is it that Master finds A-Heng annoying and wants to drive me away?” These words started as petulant outbursts, but as they left her mouth, she began to believe them herself.

As she spoke, a shimmering light appeared in Shen Shuheng’s eyes, as if the moonlight had shattered within them.

Fu Xueke noticed the tears about to overflow. She gently rubbed the top of Shen Shuheng’s head. “I have said it before: I will only ever have A-Heng as my disciple. In my eyes, A-Heng has always been the best. I will not drive you away; I will be with you forever.”

Her voice was incredibly gentle, like a spring breeze whispering in her ear. Only then did Shen Shuheng retract her tears, pridefully nuzzling her Master’s chin.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea occurred to her. Master had made her sad just now; a few words weren’t enough to coax her back. Shen Shuheng pulled her Master’s hand over and bit down on the area between the thumb and forefinger not with force, but by grazing it gently with her teeth.

Fu Xueke allowed her disciple to bite her hand. The girl seemed to be using her hand to grind her teeth; the warm breath hitting her skin, combined with the nibbling, created a ticklish sensation that sent a strange feeling through the very tip of her heart. My disciple is acting more and more like a little animal, she thought. Now she even likes to grind her teeth on my hand.

After venting her frustration on her Master’s hand, Shen Shuheng released her grip. She still held the hand she had bitten; under the moonlight, she saw the glint of moisture remaining on her Master’s skin, though not even a faint tooth mark was left.

Shen Shuheng’s face flushed hot. Master’s hand was covered in her saliva. She guided the hand to the corner of her robe and used her own clothes to wipe it dry. After a moment, she let go. “So, is Master still staying with me?”

“We must stay together,” Shen Shuheng said righteously, standing on her tiptoes to match her Master’s height. Her hair continued to sway because of her movements.

Fu Xueke watched the girl’s dark hair swaying back and forth before her eyes, occasionally brushing against her face, bringing with it a soft, fragrant breeze. “It is late, let’s go,” Fu Xueke said, gently pressing her disciple back down to her original height and taking her hand.

The two returned to the room. It wasn’t very large but was clean and organized. The flickering yellow candlelight cast a soft, illusory glow on everything in the room, creating a cozy atmosphere. Fu Xueke pulled back the bright red bed curtains, which were embroidered with complex gold thread patterns of two lifelike mandarin ducks.

Shen Shuheng took the bedding she had brought from the Inquiry Pavilion out of her storage bag. “Why did you bring these as well?” Fu Xueke asked, taking the quilts from her.

Shen Shuheng gave a mischievous smile. “I know Master loves cleanliness and likely wouldn’t want to use someone else’s things. So, I brought them along.”

An undercurrent surged within Fu Xueke’s usually stagnant eyes. Shen Shuheng stared at her Master’s eyes, signaling for a bit of praise. Seeing that her Master hadn’t quite grasped her meaning, she proceeded to take the original bedding off the bed and set it elsewhere. She took back the quilts she had handed her Master and personally spread them across the bed. Once finished, she used her hands to smooth out every wrinkle.

Done with the task, she stood before her Master again. Her Master’s eyes seemed to be looking at something, yet nothing at all. Shen Shuheng gave a fake cough. “Master, it’s ready.”

Fu Xueke turned her head. The bed had already been made by her disciple, though she had intended to do it herself. “Go to bed and rest first. You sleep on the inside.”

Why hasn’t Master praised me yet? “No, I want to sleep on the outside. Master should sleep on the inside.” Shen Shuheng looked up, nudging Fu Xueke toward the bed. “Master, get in first.”

The corners of Fu Xueke’s lips curved slightly. She undid her outer robes and set them aside, leaving her in only a snowy-white inner garment. Finally, she undid her hair ribbon, allowing her dark hair to spill down her shoulders, softening her cold features.

Shen Shuheng removed her outer clothes, and just as she was about to get into bed, her Master stepped forward and undid her hair ribbon for her.

The bed was just the right size. Shen Shuheng shifted closer to her Master and stopped once they were pressed together. As her disciple drew near, Fu Xueke shifted closer to the wall. Shen Shuheng followed immediately. After a few times, she couldn’t help but ask, “Master, why do you move away as soon as I get close?”

“I am making more room for you, fearing you would find it too small,” Fu Xueke said calmly.

Shen Shuheng shifted back toward the outside a little. “Master, come over this way a bit; you don’t have much room left.” Once they were close again, she stopped moving.

They lay face-to-face, their breaths brushing against each other. “Doesn’t Master think A-Heng is very thoughtful?” Shen Shuheng finally couldn’t resist stating her goal.

Fu Xueke gave a small laugh. “Yes, very thoughtful. Now, sleep.”

Having heard what she wanted, Shen Shuheng’s hand found her Master’s hair again. The cool, smooth sensation came through her fingers as she twined the dark strands around them. “Master, you smell so good,” she said while playing with the hair.

“Do you know that in the mortal realm, there is a kind of person called a ‘Dengtuzi’ (a lecher/rake)?”

Shen Shuheng’s hand immediately let go of her Master’s hair and retreated obediently into the quilt. She knew exactly what a Dengtuzi was; her current behavior was indeed quite like one. At this thought, her face flushed with heat.

This was the second time today Fu Xueke had teased her disciple. Every time she spoke a few words, the girl’s face would flush red, and she would cautiously observe her with watery eyes.

“Why is your face so red?” Fu Xueke moved even closer, staring seriously into Shen Shuheng’s eyes.