After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 17

If it’s too small, just change it.

The hall was originally meant for only one person to rest in, and there was no second bed to be found. Yanlai tried to bring in the lounge chair from the small courtyard, and Hongchen kindly reminded her, “Everything in the hall is arranged in a specific way. Where did this extra lounge chair come from? Palace rules are strict, and every single item is recorded. Even one extra piece of paper would raise suspicion.”

Yanlai felt neither comfortable standing nor sitting, and she shot Hongchen a cold glare. Hongchen quickly stood up. “You’re injured. Lie down and rest. I’ll go take a look outside.”

“Going out again?” Yanlai’s eyelids twitched. The last time she entered the palace, she had witnessed something indecent. If she went out again, who knew what absurdities she might see?

The human imperial court was rather absurd. If the empress, who was supposed to be a model of virtue for the nation, was not upright herself, how could she command respect?

Yanlai cast a cold glance at the naive girl. “Are you planning to find the Noble Consort?”

Hongchen blinked but said nothing. Her silence was tantamount to admission. Yanlai asked irritably, “What do you want with her?”

Hongchen blinked again, her eyes clear and bright. Under Yanlai’s icy gaze, she quietly replied, “The demon physician said dual cultivation is the same as human union. I want to ask her about it.”

Yanlai: “…” She knew Hongchen had ulterior motives for coming to the palace.

“You’re the Demon Lord. How can you abandon your soldiers and come here seeking pleasure? Do you deserve the respect others have for you?” Yanlai questioned.

Hongchen smiled leisurely. “After I practice dual cultivation, my spiritual power will greatly increase, and I’ll return to avenge them.”

Yanlai was left speechless. “You are not allowed to go. If you seek out the Noble Consort, I will return to Phoenix Mountain.”

“You can’t fly anymore. You can’t go to Phoenix Mountain.” Hongchen wasn’t foolish, Yanlai was just an ordinary person now and couldn’t fly.

Yanlai was so angry her chest hurt. “I have a qilin to carry me back to the mountain.”

Only then did Hongchen remember she had gifted Yanlai a qilin. She had lifted a stone only to drop it on her own foot. Sighing, she sat down by the edge of the bed. She wouldn’t go looking for the Noble Consort; she would wait for the Noble Consort to come to her.

Yanlai paid no mind to what Hongchen was thinking. After lying down, she took out a piece of white gauze from her sleeve, silently recited an incantation, and soon the gauze covered Hongchen’s face, adhering to it before disappearing.

The gauze looked somewhat familiar. Hongchen touched her eyes. “What are you doing?”

“This gauze can block out unclean sights.” Relieved, Yanlai closed her eyes, ready to rest.

Hongchen recalled that whenever Yanlai looked at her, a piece of white gauze would inexplicably appear over her eyes. She asked Yanlai, “What technique from Phoenix Mountain is this?”

“Clarifying the heart.”

Hongchen widened her eyes. “Clarify what heart? If you can’t see beautiful things, what’s the point of having eyes?”

Yanlai ignored her. Even if the human Noble Consort and the empress were to kiss again, the little Demon Lord wouldn’t be able to see it. She thought for a moment, then stared deeply at the little Demon Lord’s delicate, pink ears. Hongchen instinctively covered her ears. “If I can’t see, fine, but if I can’t hear either, that would be too miserable. Close your eyes and sleep quickly. I promise I won’t go looking for the Noble Consort again.”

“What guarantee do I have?” Yanlai didn’t believe her.

Hongchen thought for a moment. “There’s no guarantee. Why don’t you just lock me up?”

Yanlai gave her a deep look. In her current injured state, she had no choice but to rely on Hongchen. Locking her up would only put herself in danger as well. Pretending to be magnanimous, she said, “I’ll trust you this once.”

Hongchen narrowed her eyes and smiled, slipping a bracelet onto Yanlai’s slender wrist. Her gaze was clear and bright. “I’ll guard you.”

As she spoke, her eyes shone like the morning light, brimming with excitement, as if the moment Yanlai closed her eyes, she would dash out to enjoy herself.

Yanlai was utterly exhausted and drifted into a fitful sleep. Hongchen stared at her intently when suddenly a layer of white gauze veiled her vision, limiting her sight. Yet, this abrupt obstruction jolted her into clarity.

She waved the gauze away and studied Yanlai once more, her gaze tracing the contours of Yanlai’s features like a brushstroke. Unconsciously, the corners of her lips curved upward Yanlai was beautiful.

Though she appeared cold, her form carried the gentle grace of a woman, exuding endless charm. Hongchen pursed her lips, and another layer of white gauze clouded her vision again.

Utterly vexing.

She brushed it aside once more and had only glanced a couple of times when footsteps sounded from outside. “Miss, the Empress invites you to dine.”

A meal? Human food? Hongchen felt a stir of curiosity but glanced back at the slumbering figure and reluctantly declined, “No need. We are tired and wish to rest first.”

“Rest well, miss. I shall inform Her Majesty.”

The maid’s footsteps faded into the distance. Bored, Hongchen settled on the footrest to meditate, emptying her mind while remaining alert to her surroundings.

At the border between the immortal and demon realms, countless celestial soldiers were stationed, their tents scattered like stars across the night sky. Time and again, the celestial troops attempted sneak attacks, only to be repelled by the demon soldiers. Crown Prince Qingfeng had come personally to oversee the battle, accompanied by Princess Yuling.

“Cousin, my attendant was captured by Yanlai. Please help me get her back.”

“Cousin, she is your fiancée and should listen to you. If she won’t even heed your words, why marry her at all?”

“Cousin, cousin!”

Yuling trailed behind Qingfeng, weeping incessantly. Qingfeng patiently comforted her, “You were the one who spoke out of turn earlier. The High Goddess is still angry. Once she cools down, I will retrieve your attendant. For now, I’ll assign two guards to accompany you back to Hundred Flowers Mountain.”

“Cousin, you truly are the best.” Yuling stopped crying and wrapped her arms around Qingfeng’s waist.

A few miles away, Yanguang watched wide-eyed and turned to her sixth junior sister. “Are they here to fight a war?”

Yanheng, the sixth disciple of the Demon Lord, stared blankly for a moment before Yanguang tapped her head. “Answer me.”

“Senior Sister, can that woman even fight?” Yanheng frowned deeply. “What if we capture her and force the celestial prince to surrender?”

“Sounds like a plan. Shall we try?” Yanguang was intrigued. “Do you think the prince likes her?”

“Isn’t the prince’s fiancée a bird?” Yanheng asked.

“She’s a phoenix, not just any bird. But celestial men have many women, unlike our demon race, which practices monogamy. Never mind, let’s just capture her first.” Yanguang wasn’t sure if the prince truly cared for the woman, but seizing her couldn’t hurt.

After a quick discussion, Yanguang led a team to sneak away, while Yanheng remained to guard the border.

Meanwhile, after resting for two days, Yanlai finally awoke. Hongchen had grown increasingly irritable, her vision repeatedly obscured by the white gauze. The moment she saw Yanlai stir, she resolved to remove the nuisance from her eyes.

Naturally, Yanlai refused. Hongchen cupped her face, gazing at Yanlai with eyes as clear and sparkling as crystal. A pang of guilt surged in Yanlai’s heart, yet she remained unmoved, turning over to face away from Hongchen.

Hongchen grew anxious and reached out to turn Yanlai’s shoulders back. Startled as if burned, Yanlai quickly broke free, gripping Hongchen’s wrists firmly. “What wicked thoughts are you scheming now?”

“It’s too much of a hindrance. Every time I look at you, the white veil covers my eyes,” Hongchen said with righteous indignation. “If you don’t remove it, I, I’ll kiss you.”

Yanlai: “…”

“You’re the one with impure thoughts, who else can you blame?” Yanlai mocked, her gaze drifting upward until she caught sight of the snow-white skin below Hongchen’s neck, where the view within the valley was breathtaking.

For a moment, she forgot to blink, and a white veil naturally covered her eyes.

Hongchen burst into laughter, mercilessly teasing the hypocrite before her. “You’re the one with impure thoughts, coveting my beauty.”

Yanlai flushed crimson with embarrassment, wishing she could vanish into the ground. Ignoring the urge to push Hongchen’s wrists away, she instead reached out to smooth the other’s collar, her palm gliding down the fabric until it brushed against something soft, gentle as floating clouds, smooth as silk.

Hongchen didn’t move but paused, her gaze fixed on the slender arm. “Where are you touching?”

“Stop talking.” Yanlai, flustered beyond words, hastily withdrew her hand and scrambled to her feet, covering her eyes with both hands. “Your clothes fix them.”

“My clothes are just fine. This is how they dress in the palace cross-collared, just like this.” Hongchen pointed to the garments sent from the palace, arranged on the small table by the bed, and picked up the smallest piece. “This is the dudou. The one I lost last time, I specifically asked how to wear it. Let me teach you.”

“Shut up.” Yanlai was so mortified she wished she could send Hongchen away. She covered her eyes, refusing to open them, surrounded by darkness. Yet a warm breath brushed against her ear, light as a feather, stirring a gentle breeze in her heart.

Annoyed, Hongchen leisurely explained, “The clothes are a bit small, but you could wear them too. If they’re too small.”

Before she could finish, Yanlai covered her mouth. Their eyes met, Hongchen’s gaze pure and clear, Yanlai’s face flushed with shame.

The room fell silent.

Yanlai leaned against Hongchen, her posture weak and delicate, cheeks flushed like peach blossoms. Her palm pressed against Hongchen’s soft lips, tingling and burning, stirring ripples in her heart as if she were floating above the clouds.

Suddenly, Hongchen pushed her wrist away and pressed her down with overwhelming force, their positions intensely ambiguous. Hongchen complained, “I was talking. Why are you blocking me?”

“You don’t press on me.” Yanlai’s emotions surged, her chest heaving violently, tears glistening in her eyes. Hongchen’s expression remained calm, her lashes fluttering slightly, clearly feeling the trembling body beneath her cool yet delicate.

The woman before her was the supreme deity of the three realms, aloof and unattainable. Hongchen stared, mesmerized, until her eyes were inopportunely veiled. The touch of her lashes against the soft white fabric snapped her back to reality. She gracefully released Yanlai and straightened her own collar.

“If it’s too small, have someone exchange it.”

“Shut up.” Yanlai couldn’t help scolding again. If this person were her disciple, her past life would have been chaotic and unbearable.

Hongchen hung her head, chastised, her gaze cooling slightly. Rebelliously, she lifted the dudou and waved it lightly in front of Yanlai, the primrose yellow strikingly bright. “They all say you should wear red underneath, but since I’m wearing red, I picked primrose yellow for you. It’s worn inside, so no one can see it. There’s no need to be shy. Great Deity, say something.”