Chapter 55: Difficult to Adapt

( ) Chapter 66: Difficult to Adapt

Li Bucai stared at her blankly, and after a while said, "Is… is this still my original Wan'er?"

Wan'er seemed unaware of any change in her appearance and replied, "Of course I am Wan'er; whether past, present, or future, I will always be the Lord's Wan'er."

Li Bucai kept his gaze fixed on her eyes, daring not to look away even a fraction, lest the small tent that had collapsed moments ago rise again and be noticed by them; he smiled faintly and said, "It's good that nothing has changed, it's good that nothing has changed, the weather is getting cool, hurry and put on your clothes."

Only then did Wan'er realize she was still completely naked; a pinkish flush rose on her pale face, and she hurriedly covered her chest with her hands, scurried back to put on clothes, and descended the mountain with the others, returning to the big village at White Horse Crossing.

Along the way everyone praised her beauty, leaving Wan'er a little confused; when they returned to the village it was already late, and everyone went to their rooms to rest. Wan'er hurried back to her room and looked at herself in the mirror, and was shocked: the blue Magic Crystal could not only elevate a person's lineage but also alter appearance. She could not believe her eyes; the person in the mirror was several times more beautiful than before, and she felt deep gratitude to the Lord for his gift.

After enjoying their new looks for a while, Wan'er still felt no sleepiness, but everyone else was already resting; feeling bored, Wan'er went to Wu Zhuoran's room to check on him. Although Wu Zhuoran was still unconscious, he seemed to be sleeping, so she did not disturb him and returned alone to her own bedroom, lying down for a while. She vaguely felt a restless qi stirring inside, making her chest very uncomfortable.

Wan'er's lineage had just been elevated, and her internal organs could not immediately adapt; it was as if a flame burned within her blood, and the sensation grew stronger, making her unbearably hot. She stripped off all her clothes, yet the scorching heat did not lessen. In desperation, she filled a wooden bathing tub with cold water and plunged into it.

After a while, as the water in the tub became milder, the scorching sensation on her body lessened considerably, yet her heart still held an indescribable anguish, a deep sadness and loss, as if the whole world contained only her, causing an inexplicable chill and loneliness; she dared not stay in the tub any longer.

She got out of the tub, and her mood gradually improved, but soon after her mood lifted, another wave of unbearable heat struck her body. She had to fetch more water and re‑enter the tub, repeating this until dawn. As the sun rose in the east, the scorching feeling faded, her spirits ceased to be so low, she dressed and went to wipe Wu Zhuoran's body and move his limbs.

That day, Li Bucai's condition had nearly improved, but he still felt weak and could only rest another day.

First, as each morning, he visited Wu Zhuoran, then together with Yan Qiu and others they built a tiny pier by the river and erected an elegant wooden raft, rowing and playing with the girls.

Amid the girls' laughter, Li Bucai noticed that Wan'er seemed like a different person; the Wan'er who had always loved bustling crowds now sat quietly alone by the river, not speaking a word for a long time, and only forced a faint smile when asked.

Li Bucai stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No… nothing…" Wan'er was daydreaming there and was startled.

"No? Could it be that our Wan'er has become a great beauty, and even her heart has changed? If I knew it would take away Wan'er's happiness, I would rather have the original naive, lively Wan'er back; I don't want to become like this—beautiful, yet pitied by people."

Wan'er gave a guilty smile and said, "I am still the Wan'er I was, only…"

"What is it?"

After hesitating a moment, she said, "After returning last night, I don't know why, but my heart suddenly felt very sad. I asked Yan Qiu, and she said it's because Wan'er suddenly changed from an ordinary person to this state, and she can't yet adapt to the new lineage. Once this period passes and she adapts, she will return to the original Wan'er, so the Lord need not worry; in a few days she'll be fine."

"So that's it, good." Li Bucai patted her fragrant shoulder and said, "Just stay idle these days; I'll have someone look after Zhuoran as well."

"No need, I can handle these myself."

……

At night, in front of Wan'er's door, Li Bucai knocked lightly a few times. She had said during the day that she felt uncomfortable at night, and Li Bucai couldn't rest easy, so he came to check.

No one answered inside, the door was not locked, so Li Bucai gently pushed it open and entered, standing before Wan'er's bedroom; he knocked again, but still received no reply.

"Wan'er, are you there?"

He called several times, yet the house remained silent; then he heard the sound of water splashing from a neighboring room, whose door was wide open, and he went toward the sound.

Li Bucai had been here before, but only ever visited Wu Zhuoran's room to check on his condition, never paying attention to other rooms. When he reached the doorway, he found, to his surprise, a bathroom; the door was wide open and a light was on, clearly showing Wan'er in the tub, facing the doorway, hands resting on the rim, her face full of sorrow as she stared blankly at the floor.

When Wan'er saw Li Bucai at the doorway, their eyes met, and Li Bucai hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I… I'll come back in a moment."

"Lord…"

Li Bucai heard her call and stopped in his tracks.

"I… I'm so sad…" her voice was as mournful as her expression, almost pleading, she sobbed, "I shouldn't have troubled the Lord like this, but once I step out, it feels like being in fire, agonizingly painful; I can only stay here, yet when I'm in the water, my heart inexplicably aches. Could you stay here and talk with me for a while…?"

Seeing her distressed, Li Bucai felt deep sympathy and wanted to step forward to wipe away her tears and soothe her sorrowful heart, but she was completely naked, so he could only stand at the doorway.

"I came precisely because I couldn't stop worrying, didn't expect the Magic Crystal to make you so sad. Rest assured, I'll stay here and talk with you, I won't go anywhere."

Wan'er nodded gratefully.

With him there, her heart gradually stopped hurting as much, and her mood improved considerably.

Li Bucai saw her trying to stand, so he first sat in the guest room for a while.

Soon after, Wan'er slipped on a thin outer garment and emerged; because the water on her body hadn't fully dried, the fabric clung tightly to her curvaceous form, a pure sensuality that was breath‑taking.

She came before Li Bucai, bowed and said, "It's all my fault for disturbing the Lord's rest."

"You've rested too much these days, and I'm struggling to fall asleep and pass the time. Have you been unable to close your eyes since last night?" Li Bucai noticed a weary hue on her face.

Wan'er did not deny and said, "Since returning last night, lying in bed feels like a flame burning inside my body; I can only relieve the pain by bathing, but once in the bathroom my body feels a bit better, while my heart remains empty."

"Do you feel better now?"

"Hmm." Wan'er nodded gratefully and said, "Having the Lord here to talk with me makes my heart no longer feel as lonely as last night, though I'm not sure if in a while I'll become unbearably hot again."

"Then take this chance to rest well now; perhaps if you fall asleep you won't feel so uncomfortable."

"Lord, are you going back to rest?" Wan'er was somewhat afraid of that sudden loneliness; if the Lord could stay here, even soaking in the tub all night without sleep, she didn't want to feel that again. Worried that Li Bucai might leave, she gazed at him with pleading eyes.