Chapter 1706

Zhao Chi: "... Mm, I won't go back for now."

Gu Qing: "You're holding her right now? Is she asleep? Or did you wear her out?"

Zhao Chi: "She's sleeping."

Gu Qing: "Oh, hehe, got it. I'll have Fang Li send someone to partition it off right away. How about we wall off one of the springs nearby? That makes it easy to separate, and it'll be more convenient for Li Ruanyu coming and going."

Zhao Chi: "Anything works. Just arrange it for me."

Gu Qing: "Got it. From now on we're family. I'm definitely going to handle this first thing properly for our newly-wed Sister Ruanyu. You just keep holding her, my lord. I'll go find Fang Li."

Zhao Chi: "Alright, thanks."

Gu Qing: "Hehe, no need to thank me."

After closing the system, Zhao Chi also drifted off into a dazed sleep.

However, just past the small hours of the morning, Zhao Chi woke up.

After all, he only needed to sleep 100 minutes, and he'd already slept 130 — already an extra-long rest.

Normally, this was the hour when the phoenixes in Phoenix Chant Tower wailed in chorus.

It was also when Zhao Chi's combat strength peaked.

But Li Ruanyu was sleeping soundly, so Zhao Chi could only hold her quietly.

Even so, Zhao Chi still felt a sense of unreality.

And just like that, she was his?

Before, he'd always felt the gap between Li Ruanyu and himself was huge.

One was a former nobleman's pampered daughter; the other, an orphan who'd lost both parents.

One was a county-level lord with extraordinary combat ability; the other, a newcomer who'd only just become a lord.

Zhao Chi was indeed far more confident than before, but holding Li Ruanyu in his arms still left him a little dazed.

Wasn't it all a bit too fast?

But this was definitely a good thing.

Then he wouldn't overthink it.

Li Ruanyu was willing, and so was he.

Even if it was fast, it was the natural course of things.

No problem at all!

Four in the morning.

Li Ruanyu woke up.

She felt the gentle stroking on her body and the pressure against her waist.

"... Zhao Chi, you didn't sleep? Or did you wake up?"

"I didn't sleep. Holding you, I couldn't bear to."

"Nonsense. You didn't sleep? Then what were you doing?"

"Touching you."

"You touched me the whole night?"

"Yeah, nothing else to do, so that's all I could do."

"Honestly, I really couldn't tell before that you'd be so fond of this sort of thing..."

"You don't like it?"

"I don't."

"Instructor Li, be honest."

"Aiya, I like it, I like it, I like it — stop pinching..."

"Good."

"But Zhao Chi, I know my looks and figure count as a slight advantage among women. Still, I really hope you like me for other things too. After all, I have flaws I would never show in front of outsiders, but with you... you might see them later. I hope you can be more forgiving then. Of course, I'll do my best to avoid them."

"Sister, you're far too modest. Where's this 'slight' advantage? In both looks and figure, you're absolutely unmatched under heaven! Even a fairy descending to the mortal world couldn't compare. This isn't flattery — it's fact. I'm a man. Trust what I say."

"Heh."

Li Ruanyu laughed.

Her brows and eyes were full of mirth.

She truly was the embodiment of lovely beauty.

One could tell that even though she'd just spoken that way, being praised for her looks still made her very happy.

"Heh, when others say that, I actually find it rather off-putting, but hearing you say it, I'm strangely happy. But you still haven't answered me."

"Don't worry, Sister. When it comes to willpower, I'm extremely confident. You can relax around me."

Li Ruanyu nodded lightly: "That's good. Even though I'm a bit older than you, I hope you... never mind, let's not talk about this. In short, we'll be tolerant of each other. Even if we run into disagreements, we'll try to settle them calmly. Sometimes I can be impulsive, but I'll try to stay rational. But if I do lose my temper, I hope you'll coax me a little. Of course, I'll do the same for you — I'll try to be tolerant of you too... Am I talking too much?"

"Not at all, Ruanyu. I understand everything you've said, and I'll do my best."

"Good. I believe I won't misjudge the person."

"Absolutely not!"

"Mm, that's wonderful. I'm going to get up now. You sleep a little longer, alright?"

"No need, I'm getting up too. You can go to my side — Carefree Spring has already been partitioned off into a separate space for you."

Li Ruanyu turned her head in surprise: "Ah? When?"

Zhao Chi smiled: "While you were sleeping just now."

"You had your subordinates do it overnight? You shouldn't have — that'll lower their loyalty."

"Haha, noted. Then shall we go?"

"Wait for me a moment, I'm going to wash up and take care of some business."

"Mm, I'll go too."

"Oh…"

One pattering, one splashing.

"Sister, do you have any refugee talismans over there? Give me some."

"How many do you need? Is fifty enough for you?"

"That many? That's plenty."

"Here you go."

Zhao Chi looked at the talismans in his system space and did not accept them.

"Sister, do you have enough over there?"

"I still have forty-eight, enough to last me a while. It's fine — I can get more on my side. You take them first, and you can pay me back later."

"Alright!"

Hearing her say that, Zhao Chi no longer stood on ceremony.

Zhao Chi planned to use all these refugee talismans to increase the Silks' population.

Although he could only use one per day, it still counted as a doubling.

Twenty Silks women a day wasn't bad either.

Peach Blossom Village.

At four in the morning, Peach Blossom Village was ablaze with lights.

One by one, ultra-bright torches stood like beacons on a lighthouse, illuminating vast swathes of area.

Although the Peach Blossom women possessed night vision, to accommodate Su Qin's elves, lighting still had to be provided.

This didn't consume too much fire-oil either, since the main lit area was only the Carefree Spring and its surroundings — which was also the range of activity for Su Qin's female elves.

Li Ruanyu stared in astonishment at the fair-skinned elves before her, unable to speak.

Those elves didn't know who Li Ruanyu was, and simply assumed she was another beautiful woman Zhao Chi had brought back.

In any case, Zhao Chi's women all looked different, but every one of them was as beautiful as a heavenly fairy.

The elves who came to bathe were all in a state of rest, so by the spring, on the lounging chairs, at the white jade railings — their figures were everywhere.

And with one sole exception, they were all naked, water trailing down their bodies, smiles on their faces.

Looking utterly carefree.

"Zhao Chi, has your race turned into elves? And why aren't any of them wearing clothes?"

"No, those elves all belong to Su Qin. My race is still human — look over there, those are my subjects."

Among the elves, some equally beautiful human women were mixed in.