Lonely nights always stretch on, long and dreary. The summer moonlit night shed the restlessness of the day, and the air was unusually tinged with a hint of coolness.
Deep darkness enveloped the heavens and the earth, leaving not a trace of light. All that was filthy and ugly seemed to sink into this blackness, hidden away.
The four people in the Li family's old residence each harbored their own thoughts, unable to sleep even until the early hours of the morning.
In the side room of the main house, the two youths felt as though they had met too late, endlessly discussing lewd matters between men and women, their naked lower bodies erect like iron rods.
In the west wing, the two fairies were preoccupied with heavy thoughts, speaking to each other in turn.
"A husband's son also plays the role of a man in life. Setting aside that relationship, a mother and son are merely a man and a woman. Since that's the case, if men and women are drawn to each other, regardless of the reason, as long as they follow their true feelings or pursue what brings them joy, what's wrong with that?" Xiao Xiyue earnestly advised.
At this moment, she carefully observed Chu Qingyi's expression and had already grasped the general situation. Recalling her first impression of Li Xuan, she had felt that his temperament was quite similar to Li Mo's. Connecting this with the topic Chu Qingyi was now asking about, even though Xiao Xiyue was reluctant to think in that direction, the facts were laid bare before her, and she had no choice but to face them.
The truth was that the woman Chu Qingyi spoke of was none other than herself, and the son was Li Xuan.
If it had been the Xiao Xiyue of the past, she would have found this utterly absurd—how could such a morally outrageous thing happen between a mother and son? But now, her mindset had shifted, and her views on certain matters were vastly different from before.
In her heart, as long as what one did brought enough joy and caused no regret afterward, then no matter how much it defied natural order, it was acceptable.
This was probably the essence of walking one's own path and letting others talk.
Moreover, and more importantly, since Chu Qingyi could ask such a question, it proved that the matter had already occurred. Seeing her in this state, clearly lost in confusion, if Xiao Xiyue were to say something inappropriate now, it might lead Chu Qingyi to form misguided thoughts and, driven by impulsive desires, do something irreparable.
Yet, a sense of sorrow also welled up within her.
Women as outstanding as her and Chu Qingyi should have had perfect lives, but it seemed as though fate had played a cruel joke on them. Both were deeply trapped in the cage of lust, entangled with two youths… But since things had come to this, no matter how much she wished to forget the past, she could only face the harsh reality.
She was like this, and Chu Qingyi was even more so.
Thus, Xiao Xiyue's earnest advice to Chu Qingyi now was in the hope that the latter would stop overthinking and confront her true feelings.
At the same time, she was also guiding herself.
"Qingyi, the world already imposes many constraints on women. If we, as women, add another shackle upon ourselves, locking our truest selves within a cage, then who in this world can save us from the bondage of our own thoughts?" Xiao Xiyue continued, "As long as what we do follows our hearts and leaves us with a clear conscience, it is enough. Besides, what could be more important than happiness?"
Upon hearing these words, something in Chu Qingyi's mind seemed to suddenly loosen. Her entire being felt enlightened, and her once dim and lifeless eyes regained their former brilliance.
"Sister, you are right," Chu Qingyi said, looking at Xiao Xiyue with gratitude.
Xiao Xiyue smiled gently, her delicate face blooming like a radiant rose, her breathtaking beauty enough to overshadow the heavens and the earth.
Seeing Chu Qingyi's carefree expression, she knew the knot in her heart had been untied, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sister, I am truly surprised to hear you speak like this today," Chu Qingyi said seriously, gazing intently at Xiao Xiyue's face.
Xiao Xiyue's pupils contracted slightly, and her heartbeat quickened. She feigned composure, shifting her gaze elsewhere, and asked softly, "Oh? Why is that?"
"I always thought you were solely devoted to cultivating immortality and indifferent to everything else. But today, Qingyi feels as if you are a completely different person—not just in aura, but in temperament as well," Chu Qingyi said, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she voiced her thoughts.
"..." Xiao Xiyue remained silent.
"Sister, I don't know whether this change is good or bad, but as you said, as long as we follow the happiness in our hearts and act with a clear conscience, we can pursue it without hesitation," Chu Qingyi said, skillfully applying the words Xiao Xiyue had used to console her earlier.
"Hmm," Xiao Xiyue glanced at her in surprise and gently patted her hand to reassure her.
"It's late now. You should rest early, or you'll be sleeping in tomorrow," Xiao Xiyue said affectionately, using her index finger to lightly tap Chu Qingyi's delicate nose, her tone full of fondness.
"Hmph, when we were little, you were even worse than me about sleeping in. You would cling to the blankets and refuse to get up even when the sun was high in the sky," Chu Qingyi pouted, looking utterly adorable.
If Li Xuan had been there to witness such a charming and innocent scene, his eyes would have nearly popped out of his head.
The two bantered back and forth before slipping under the covers, their perfectly sculpted, flawless bodies pressed closely together, sharing each other's warmth.
Chu Qingyi nestled like a little bird in Xiao Xiyue's embrace, burying her head deep against her collarbone, inhaling her intoxicating scent.
"Sister, they say men should marry and women should wed. Why hasn't your master found you a husband yet?" Chu Qingyi teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You're talking nonsense again. Do you think I'm like you, eager to marry myself off as soon as possible?" Xiao Xiyue responded with an exasperated roll of her eyes.
"Sister, don't forget, you were the one who understood matters of the heart earlier than I did. I still remember your childhood sweetheart—what was his name again?" Chu Qingyi's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she gently kneaded the soft flesh at Xiao Xiyue's waist with her slender hand.
"You silly girl, if you put this gossipy energy into cultivating immortality, you'd probably have surpassed your mother's achievements long ago." Xiao Xiyue felt ticklish from the playful pinches at her waist and instinctively dodged away.
"Oh, sister, just tell me about it," Chu Qingyi persisted, pouting her little mouth as her restless hands continued to toy with the soft flesh at Xiao Xiyue's waist.
With her vulnerable spot now undefended, Xiao Xiyue felt a tingling, ticklish sensation that made her squirm and dodge repeatedly. Her delicate, moist lips let out a series of clear, ethereal giggles.
For a while, the room was filled with a joyful and relaxed atmosphere.
After some time, drowsiness gradually crept over Chu Qingyi. She yawned several times, feeling her eyelids growing heavy and beginning to droop. Sleepily, she turned to Xiao Xiyue and said, "Sister, I'm going to sleep first. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Xiao Xiyue replied with a sigh of relief. The girl had finally settled down.
The smile faded from her face, replaced by a somewhat melancholic mood. Even the shimmering light in her eyes grew unusually dim.
She gazed forlornly out the window, where a crescent moon hung high in the night sky. Thick clouds obscured the surrounding stars, leaving them all out of sight.
The crescent moon looked particularly lonely at this moment, its solitary figure the only presence in the vast night sky.
She stared blankly at the moon, lost in thought.
Rather than the moon being alone, it was her own heart that felt desolate and utterly lonely.
Earlier, Chu Qingyi had unintentionally mentioned her childhood sweetheart, stirring ripples in her heart.
No matter how much she pretended not to care, her mind was now filled entirely with that person's shadow.
On this lonely moonlit night, she was far in the north, longing for the man who held her heart. But what about him? He was likely whispering sweet nothings to the one lying beside him...
"Ah..." she sighed softly, forcing herself to banish the thoughts from her mind. Then, with a quiet sigh, she closed her beautiful eyes, cleared her mind, and drifted into a deep sleep.
A few hours later, a sliver of pale light appeared in the eastern sky. The sun slowly rose from the horizon, its golden rays gradually spreading across the land until they enveloped the entire world.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo..." The clear crowing of roosters echoed continuously through Jinling City, rousing those still lost in dreams.
"Mmm..." Chu Qingyi rubbed her sleepy eyes and lazily stretched under the covers.
She instinctively turned her head to look. Xiao Xiyue had not yet awakened, breathing rhythmically through her nose, her delicate chest rising and falling with each breath.
Her exquisite face was bathed in the morning light, adding a touch of sacred warmth.
Her refined features seemed as if carved from jade, so perfect they appeared otherworldly. Only her beautiful eyes remained gently closed, their long, delicate eyelashes fluttering slightly as if sensing something.
Her breathtaking beauty was enough to overshadow all the world's scenery. Her face, capable of toppling cities and captivating nations, defied description. Women would feel inferior in her presence, while men would inevitably fall under her spell upon seeing her.
Chu Qingyi stared in a daze. Among all the women she had seen since childhood, Xiao Xiyue was undoubtedly the most beautiful. Her beauty lay not only in her appearance but also in the ethereal aura she exuded from within—like a snow lotus blooming atop a secluded mountain peak, noble and utterly mesmerizing.
In the midst of her slumber, Xiao Xiyue faintly sensed a gaze fixed upon her. Her dormant consciousness gradually stirred, and after fluttering her long, curled eyelashes a few times, she slowly opened her eyes.
"Good morning, Qingyi," she said lazily, her voice carrying a soft, feminine tone.
"Good morning, sister. Tell me, why are you born so beautiful? Just looking at you brings me joy," Chu Qingyi said affectionately, wrapping her arms around Xiao Xiyue and nuzzling against her.
"You silly girl, you're just as beautiful yourself. Instead of admiring me here, you should spend more time looking in the mirror," Xiao Xiyue replied, pretending to push her away in annoyance, hoping to catch a little more sleep while the drowsiness lingered.
Chu Qingyi had known since childhood that Xiao Xiyue tended to sleep more deeply than most, especially during the quiet, cozy mornings when she enjoyed the embrace of her blankets. So, she decided not to disturb her any further and let her drift back into a deep slumber. Chu Qingyi then carefully slipped out of bed, moving as quietly as possible.
Meanwhile, in the main room, Li Xuan and Li Mo had also begun to wake up.
From the moment their consciousness faded into sleep, thunderous snoring had filled the air, rising and falling in waves. Their nostrils seemed to have transformed into two bellows, wheezing and puffing with each breath, while stray nose hairs playfully peeked out, dancing wildly with every inhale and exhale.
Several hours passed quickly, and as the sky began to brighten slightly, the crowing of a rooster roused the two from their dreams.
Li Xuan was the first to wake. He turned his head to glance at Li Mo, who was still sound asleep beside him, then craned his neck to look down at his own lower body. There, a thick, unsightly penis lay limp and lifeless, its glans hidden beneath wrinkled foreskin, resembling an exhausted, oversized worm.
An itch began to stir from below. He reached down with his small, tender hand and scratched the area covered in pubic hair, causing pale, flaky skin to scatter chaotically into the air.
The motion tugged at his penis, making it sway and bounce from side to side.
Next, he touched it again, pinching it between his fingers to examine it closely.
After gently caressing it for a moment, Li Xuan sat up, pulled on the trousers he had carelessly tossed aside earlier, and sat on the edge of the bed in a daze, gazing blankly around the room.
Then, as if remembering something, he rubbed his eyes with the same hand he had used to scratch himself, wiping away the sleep crust before stretching lazily.
"Aahh…" A tired yawn echoed through the room as Li Mo, who had unknowingly woken up, struggled to prop himself up into a sitting position before slumping back against the wall like a boneless creature.
"How'd you sleep, little brother?" Li Xuan chuckled, addressing Li Mo.
"Not bad," Li Mo mumbled, his eyes still heavy with sleep, his mind clearly not fully awake.
After barely holding himself upright for a few moments, he simply lay back down, allowing his heavy eyelids to meet once more as he drifted back into sleep.
The snoring resumed, growing louder with each breath. Li Xuan shook his head helplessly, casually picking up a nearby blanket to drape over Li Mo's lower half, concealing that unsightly worm.
If it were just him, it wouldn't matter, but now there were two fairies in the courtyard. If they happened to catch a glimpse of Li Mo's lower body—especially Chu Qingyi—he couldn't bear the thought of her eyes falling upon another man's member.
Yawning and stretching, Li Xuan stepped out of the room, already pondering what to cook for breakfast that morning.
As soon as he stepped out of the main room, he felt the warm sunlight bathing his body, bringing a comforting heat.
At that moment, an incredibly beautiful scene unfolded before his eyes.
Chu Qingyi, who had somehow appeared in the courtyard, was washing her face. Her delicate hands scooped clear water from the basin and gently splashed it onto her cheeks.
Tiny, transparent droplets scattered freely, reflecting a spectrum of colors under the sunlight.
Her flawless, fair face, devoid of any adornment, was breathtakingly beautiful. At this moment, Chu Qingyi had lost all traces of her usual aloofness, instead exuding the pure and innocent aura of a young woman.
A few droplets clung to her cheeks, like glistening pearls sliding down the side of her face. The strands of hair near her temples were dampened by the water, clinging intimately to her skin.
In Li Xuan's eyes, time seemed to freeze at that instant. His gaze was fixed solely on Chu Qingyi's stunning beauty.
His breath caught, and his mind could only conjure the word "awe."
Even though he interacted with Chu Qingyi intimately every day, seeing her like this still made him feel as if such a woman belonged only in the heavens, a rare sight in the mortal world.
To have the fortune of witnessing such unparalleled beauty in this lifetime, he felt that even death would hold no regrets.
Chu Qingyi, who was washing her face, noticed Li Xuan's gaze. After giving him a surprised glance, her lovely face suddenly blossomed into a smile, like a sacred white lotus blooming gracefully.
Today, she was in an exceptionally good mood—partly due to the joy of reuniting with an old friend, and partly because a long-standing knot in her heart had finally been untied.
Thus, when she saw Li Xuan, she rarely offered him a smile.
Her casually bestowed smile left Li Xuan rooted to the spot, as if his heart had been struck by something heavy, sending ripples through his soul.
Two faint blushes crept onto his cheeks, and his eyes widened in astonishment as he stared blankly in Chu Qingyi's direction.
Thump, thump.
His heart pounded violently, as if it were about to leap out of his throat.
It was only after what felt like an eternity, long after Chu Qingyi had disappeared from sight, that Li Xuan finally snapped out of his daze.
"Did she... did she just smile at me?" Li Xuan murmured to himself, an irrepressible grin spreading across his lips.
This was the first time Chu Qingyi had ever smiled at him. The excitement and astonishment in his heart were beyond words, as if a brilliant flower had bloomed beautifully at the very core of his being. Joy spread from the gently swaying petals to every corner of his body, making countless cells dance with delight.
He nearly couldn't contain his excitement and almost leaped three feet into the air, but mindful of his fragile waist, he suppressed the urge to jump.
A beautiful day always begins in the morning. Chu Qingyi's unintentional smile was enough to keep Li Xuan beaming with joy all day long.
With lingering reluctance, he glanced toward the east wing, then hummed a cheerful tune as he strolled leisurely toward the kitchen.
He planned to showcase his culinary skills to the fullest, preparing a lavish lunch.
Not only to entertain Xiao Xiyue and Li Mo, but also to win Chu Qingyi's favor.
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