Chapter 273

Ever since he learned that no one else could see his diary, Jiang Sishui had not been overly guarded about it.

Of course, if Hou Jian was awake, he would still change locations.

After all, although the girls couldn't see the diary, the motion of his hand writing with the brush could not be hidden.

"Mm?"

Jiang Sishui was thinking about where to head next when he suddenly sensed something and looked toward a small water basin on the table.

Inside, the clear water was half full, and an image appeared on the surface—it was exactly their residence at Yanxia Shanzhuang.

This was before the fierce battle; Jiang Sishui had Hou Jian cast a technique for real-time surveillance so they could respond in time.

Seeing Tu Xuejuan enter the surveillance range, Jiang Sishui teleported straight back.

……

Tu Xuejuan paced around the courtyard for a while, and finally mustered her courage to step forward.

"Knock knock!"

"Creak—"

The moment the knocking fell and its echo had yet to fade, the door was opened.

Caught off guard, Tu Xuejuan saw Jiang Sishui right before her eyes and couldn't help feeling a sudden pang of guilt.

Jiang Sishui looked at the blushing young girl and smiled: "Miss Xuejuan, you came looking for me—is there something you need?"

Tu Xuejuan cautiously looked around, saw no one else nearby, and her heartstrings eased slightly. "Can we go inside to talk?"

Jiang Sishui looked at the oddly familiar shyness in the young girl before him, his heart stirred slightly, and he stepped aside: "Of course, please come in."

After Tu Xuejuan entered the room, the door closed.

With a "snap," as if a hammer had struck her heart.

A lone man and a lone woman, sharing a room late at night—the young girl's heart thumped wildly, like a startled fawn.

"Where's Miss Hou Jian?" she tried to use another topic to ease the tension inside.

Jiang Sishui had been observing her manner all along; at this point he could basically confirm his guess, and he smiled: "I sent her back."

"Just like when you brought her here during the day?"

"Mm."

"Then……"

Her words cut off abruptly. Tu Xuejuan's delicate body suddenly stiffened, because the whole of her had been pulled into Jiang Sishui's embrace.

"I understand what you've come for… Miss Xuejuan, I like you too."

A warm breath gently brushed against her ear, making Tu Xuejuan's whole body go limp. Before she could utter a single word, she was enveloped by a thick masculine scent.

Tu Tu Xuehua, who had rushed back to Mantuo Shanzhuang covered in dust, and still had to suffer Sun Biyun's misunderstandings and cold looks, was utterly exhausted in body and mind. After reading the diary, she fell asleep at once.

But not long after, she was woken up again.

Tu Tu Xuehua lay on the embroidered bed, covered her blushing face with the quilt, leaving only a pair of hazy peach-blossom eyes, glistening and enchantingly alluring.

She couldn't sleep.

A martial artist's hearing was already sharp to begin with, and her room and Jiang Sishui's were in the same courtyard—such a loud commotion naturally could not escape her.

The unbroken sounds of delicate moans reached her ears; even though Tu Tu Xuehua had never experienced such things, she knew exactly what was happening inside.

After half a shichen, she was already parched, her forehead beaded with fragrant sweat.

"That little brat, is she really that impatient?"

Tu Tu Xuehua couldn't help but worry for her younger sister.

Because judging from the sounds, Tu Xuejuan had clearly reached her limit; her whole being had collapsed.

If someone asked her name right now, she probably couldn't even answer.

Finally, in what felt like an endless torment, a long, winding moan rose and fell, and everything returned to calm.

Tu Tu Xuehua let out a long breath, feeling limp in both hands and feet—more exhausted than after a real fight.

"It's over……"

It's over……

These three words flashed through both sisters' minds at the same time.

In the room not far away, Jiang Sishui caught Tu Xuejuan, who had rolled her eyes back and fainted, and placed that boneless, mud-like body onto the bed.

Looking at the young girl's flushed cheeks, Jiang Sishui felt deeply satisfied.

Ever since that time with Huang Rong, he had resolved that from then on, he would take the initiative before the girls did.

Tu Xuejuan's late-night visit—as an experienced man who had been through this before, he quickly judged her intention.

And so, Jiang Sishui simply cut through the tangle with a swift stroke.

As for why Tu Xuejuan had come to him on her own initiative?

He had his guesses.

One was the kindness of having restored her appearance; the second should be wanting to get closer, then asking him to rescue Sun Biyun.

Of course, beyond that, she herself must certainly have feelings for him—otherwise, given Tu Xuejuan's personality, Jiang Sishui didn't think she would make such a great sacrifice for someone she didn't like.

The request Tu Xuejuan hadn't spoken aloud, Jiang Sishui was confident he could fulfill them all, so he unceremoniously swallowed this sugar-coated offering.

Glancing at Tu Xuejuan, who was fast asleep, Jiang Sishui looked once more toward Tu Tu Xuehua's room.

Perhaps the time for this "rice bowl" to be served could be moved up quite a bit from the plan.

……

As a first-rate faction, Yanxia Shanzhuang was also a local hegemon; even the city it was in was called Yanxia City.

Ever since Yanxia Shanzhuang had widely invited fellow members of the jianghu to annihilate the Jiaodiyu Sect, sects and gangs had gathered one after another, and then taken lodging at several large inns that Yanxia Shanzhuang had booked.

With five days still to go before the appointed date, Yanxia City had become even more lively because of these visitors from all corners of the world.

On the long street, Jiang Sishui and Miss Nangong wandered about here and there.

Miss Xuejuan still couldn't get out of bed at present, and Tu Xuehua was looking after her, so Jiang Sishui returned to Mantuo Shanzhuang and brought Miss Nangong along.

If he didn't capture this girl's heart soon, who knew when she might just run off.

Watching Miss Nangong skipping about in high spirits — dashing over to this stall, browsing that one — seeming to like everything, wanting to buy everything, Jiang Sishui thought of Huang Rong.

Because these two elfin little ladies had a great deal in common.

Pretty, cute, clever, playful, lively, and spirited—all cut from the very same cloth.

"Rong'er…"

When Jiang Sishui wasn't at Mantuo Shanzhuang, the women actually often went out together to have fun.

Especially after Hou Jian arrived, coming and going became even more convenient.

Their safety was basically assured, so Jiang Sishui let them be.

After all, he didn't want to keep the women like caged canaries.

Therefore, even though Sishui cannot be by each and every one of their sides at all times, they were never lonely.

Suddenly, a clear "jingle-jingle" rang out, like a mountain spring.

The pitch was clearly not loud, yet it drowned out the surrounding hubbub, growing more rapid and distinct.

Jiang Sishui halted.

Judging from the change in the bell's tone, he knew the source of the sound was rapidly approaching.

Two breaths later…

"Ah~"

Accompanying a delicate cry as clear and sweet as a bell-tone, a figure in pink darted through the crowd; just as she was about to pass Jiang Sishui, she stumbled.

The moment she drew near, Jiang Sishui had already taken in her attire.

Pink gauze, bare feet, and two exquisite, dainty strings of bells hung at her ankles, jingling as she walked—clearly the sound from earlier had come from her.

That getup instantly made Jiang Sishui think of someone.

So he stretched out an arm, hooked her, caught the maiden as she stumbled toward the ground, and顺势 pulled her into his embrace.

Sweet-scented, soft and yielding.

Wonderful to the touch!

At the same time, Jiang Sishui clearly felt the bare-footed maiden's slender body stiffen, then a rosy flush spread across her cheeks.

Jiang Sishui tilted his head slightly, taking a closer look at the maiden's features.

What met his eyes was a face bewitchingly, eerily beautiful — not seeming of this mortal world — a Demon Realm sprite capable of making a monarch light the beacon-fires for a single smile.

She possessed a beauty as though all the spiritual excellence of heaven and earth had gathered upon one person, a graceful figure like rolling peaks and ridges, skin tender as snow and supple as jade yet brimming with an elastic resilience, and an uncanny aura as dreamlike, bewitching, and demon-seductive as could be.