The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 41

Even in the Cultivation World, the four seasons followed the natural laws of heaven and earth. Spring and summer brought forth the flourishing of all living things, while autumn and winter brought decay and dormancy.

Yet the power of magical arts and divine abilities could not be denied. While cultivators couldn’t defy the heavens entirely, they could use their abilities to briefly maintain a superficial appearance, a testament to their refined leisure and elegance.

Before their eyes, the Peach Tree transformed from death to life, its branches now adorned with tender green shoots and delicate pink petals that drifted slowly to the ground.

The very trunk Jian Li had repeatedly threatened to chop down now radiated vitality, standing tall and reaching skyward with renewed vigor.

Petals settled in their hair and on their shoulders.

A pink petal covered Jian Li’s eye, concealing her expression of surprise and delight. She instinctively closed her eye, revealing only a row of pearly white teeth as her lips curved into a radiant smile.

Yan Qingshuang plucked a Peach Blossom, her gaze lowering to meet Jian Li’s luminous blue eyes. “Xiao Li is daydreaming.”

Lost in the sudden surge of joy, Jian Li didn’t react until the moment passed. Then, she leaped up with a flurry of excitement, hugging Yan Qingshuang tightly and shouting in her limited vocabulary, “Ahhh! So pretty! So pretty! So pretty!”

Yan Qingshuang had always disliked noise. Whether it was the bickering during meetings or the need to visit crowded places, she consciously filtered out unnecessary sounds from her surroundings.

Even with her eardrums throbbing from Jian Li’s exuberant shouts, Yan Qingshuang simply wrapped her arms gently around the girl whose legs were twined around her waist. “You really like it.”

Jian Li’s eyes reflected Yan Qingshuang’s white veil, completely oblivious to the way her stomach was rubbing against the other woman’s abdomen.

She steadied her mind, reminding herself to stay calm and not cheapen her affection. I’m human now, I need to maintain some restraint.

With a swift tug, Jian Li ripped off the veil. In the next instant, Yan Qingshuang’s violet-smoky eyes, warm and gentle as water, met hers.

Forget calm, forget restraint! Jian Li’s heart pounded like a sprinter’s, accelerating relentlessly. Following her deepest impulse, she leaned in and planted a loud kiss on Yan Qingshuang’s cheek.

Her voice still high-pitched, Jian Li exclaimed, “I super like it!”

Yan Qingshuang’s cheek remained damp. Her eyes curved into a smile. “More than you like me?”

Jian Li playfully punched her shoulder. “I like you too, silly! What, are you jealous of a peach blossom?”

As she spoke, her hands roamed through Yan Qingshuang’s dark hair, creating a deliberately messy yet beautiful effect.

“Hmm,” Yan Qingshuang murmured, “I am a little jealous.”

Jian Li smoothed Yan Qingshuang’s hair back into place. “Well, then you can just stay jealous. Tell me, was this the peach blossom you picked the day you went to Sect Master Peak for the meeting?”

“I used a bit of Spiritual Power to make a blossom bloom on a withered branch,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

Jian Li said with concern, “How much spiritual power did it take to make this whole tree bloom? That’s such a waste.”

Yan Qingshuang replied, “Thanks to Little Shuang’s pills, I’m much better now. The spiritual power needed to revive the peach tree was negligible.”

“That’s wonderful!” Jian Li exclaimed. “Seeing these blossoms is so healing.”

Yan Qingshuang didn’t respond, but she supported Jian Li with one arm and took a few steps forward, pressing her against the tree trunk and shaking down a shower of petals.

The petals fluttered into Jian Li’s eyes, making her squint. “Little Shuang…”

Only then did she realize how strange the situation was. How had she jumped onto Yan Qingshuang and clung so tightly? It was clearly an aftereffect of her time as the Little Snow Leopard.

Yan Qingshuang’s free hand rested on Jian Li’s waist, her fingers kneading with a subtle probing motion. “Hmm?” she murmured casually.

Jian Li lowered her head awkwardly, gazing at the ground strewn with peach blossoms. “Little Shuang, this feels… odd.”

“Not odd at all,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

“Does it still hurt?” Jian Li asked.

Yan Qingshuang paused as if considering. “No, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you for helping, Xiao Li.”

Their position reminded Jian Li of her time as the Little Snow Leopard, when her beast body had pressed against Yan Qingshuang, her front paws wrapped around her neck to keep from falling.

But she was human now, and though shorter than Yan Qingshuang, she was still much taller than her leopard form. How could she possibly replicate those poses perfectly?

With the slightest movement, an indescribable sensation stirred in her lower abdomen.

Jian Li tried to push Yan Qingshuang away, but couldn’t budge her. When Yan Qingshuang used her Spiritual Power, Jian Li’s strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Realizing her efforts were futile, Jian Li pleaded softly, “Little Shuang, if you want to thank me, these peach blossoms are more than enough.”

Yan Qingshuang: “I want to return the favor in kind. May I?”

Isn’t this already a repayment? Jian Li met her gaze, growing increasingly mesmerized the longer they stared. “Of course. You’ve already repaid me.”

Yan Qingshuang leaned forward, her warm breath ghosting across Jian Li’s neck. Jian Li’s legs trembled, and she instinctively let out a soft moan.

Yan Qingshuang whispered, “Xiao Li, I mean a perfect reciprocation. May I?”

That made sense. Jian Li hugged her, pondering for a moment before her dazed mind recalled the massage. “Little Shuang, do you mean… an exchange of gifts?”

Yan Qingshuang pinched her cheek. “May I?”

Flustered, Jian Li couldn’t find the words to refuse. After a long pause, she nodded reluctantly.

Yan Qingshuang chuckled softly, and Jian Li pressed a hand over her mouth. “Don’t laugh at me.”

“Mm,” Yan Qingshuang murmured, her hand subtly shifting downward in the direction of “reciprocation.” Her voice remained gentle. “I’m not laughing at Xiao Li…”

Jian Li’s heart raced. “The position… the position is wrong.”

Yan Qingshuang: “It’s the same. Trust me.”

Jian Li looked at Yan Qingshuang with bewildered eyes. “Really? I’m scared.”

Yan Qingshuang’s voice was gentle. “Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt. I’m right here.”

Well, if Yan Qingshuang promised, there was no need to doubt her.

But the sensation was strange, as if the unspeakable emptiness that had haunted her for days was finally being filled.

It was just a massage, so why could Yan Qingshuang achieve such perfect balance between relaxation and stimulation?

Before long, the tree trunk swayed violently, showering down a flurry of peach blossoms.

The ground was carpeted in pink, and the lingering fragrance enveloped Jian Li’s senses.

The wind howled through the branches, but Jian Li had long lost interest in the scenery. Her eyes were closed, and she sobbed softly against Yan Qingshuang’s neck.

Her thoughts drifted like driftwood, aimless and adrift. Instinctively, she clung to Yan Qingshuang, wrapping her arms tightly around her and crying, “Little Shuang… what do I do? This feels so strange…”

Yan Qingshuang’s tone carried an undeniable possessiveness. “What feels strange? Tell me. I love hearing your voice.”

They were outdoors, and Jian Li could feel Yan Qingshuang’s breath growing warm, tinged with an unmistakable coldness. Yet the words she spoke left Jian Li’s head spinning.

Dizzy and flustered, Jian Li protested weakly, “No… you’re too wicked.”

Yan Qingshuang hummed in agreement. “Mm, wicked.”

Jian Li found Yan Qingshuang particularly annoying at times like these. They weren’t even lovers, yet Yan Qingshuang spoke so directly, without any reservation. If she didn’t restrain herself, Jian Li would probably retreat into her shell like an ostrich.

Her vision blurred, filled with static like a snowy television screen.

A jolt of electricity surged through her limbs. Jian Li’s eyes burned with heat as she realized just how wicked this woman was. The great demon lord from the game was indeed Yan Qingshuang.

Tears soaked Yan Qingshuang’s neck as Jian Li sobbed and hiccuped, “Little Shuang, stop it.”

Yan Qingshuang patted her back gently, teasing, “Giving up already?”

“What do you mean ‘giving up’? Don’t say I’m giving up!” Jian Li retorted, wiping her tears all over Yan Qingshuang’s neck. Her blue eyes, misty with tears, glared back. Where had the usually composed, cold beauty Little Shuang gone?

Yan Qingshuang’s fingers kneaded her skin. “Mm, Xiao Li is the best. Shall we continue?”

After just one time, Jian Li was already intimately familiar with this sensation. She snapped awake as if from a dream, shaking her head violently. “I’m not the best. I’m just a useless little thing.”

Yan Qingshuang kissed her cheek. “Xiao Li isn’t useless.”

Yan Qingshuang really holds grudges, Jian Li thought. She even wants to get back at me for a cheek kiss. Still, she refused. “No way. Not today. You’re not getting any more.”

Yan Qingshuang: “What about tomorrow?”

Jian Li’s eyes lit up. “Tomorrow I’ll transform into the Little Snow Leopard!”

Yan Qingshuang, understanding her discomfort from keeping her legs raised, sat beneath a tree and cradled Jian Li in her arms. “A Form Transformation Pill…”

Finally able to stand on solid ground, Jian Li, aware of Yan Qingshuang’s limited Spirit Stones, gloated, “Form Transformation Pills are so expensive—1,000 Spirit Stones each! Your entire monthly stipend for ten months would barely cover one. Ha ha! Don’t even look at me; I’m not lending you any money.”

Regardless of Jian Li’s exaggerated claims about the pill’s cost and their financial situation, Yan Qingshuang replied calmly, “They’re not that expensive.”

Liar! Jian Li thought, but she still nuzzled against Yan Qingshuang’s neck. “Little Shuang, I’m a bit tired.”

Yan Qingshuang: “Tired after just one time?”

Jian Li retorted, “Could you handle more?”

Yan Qingshuang: “Mm.”

This morning… Jian Li glanced at their clothes draped together, the hem of her skirt brushing against the peach blossoms on the ground, and couldn’t help but recall the morning’s events.

So, Yan Qingshuang’s kisses this morning were just a mid-session break? If he wanted more, why didn’t he say so? It’s not like she was too exhausted to help.

Jian Li declared emphatically, “Little Shuang, from now on, whenever you’re sore and need a massage, just ask! I’ve got plenty of energy.”

Yan Qingshuang closed her eyes to rest, her lips parting slightly. “Thank you, Xiao Li.”

Jian Li’s heart fluttered. She leaned in and kissed Yan Qingshuang’s beautiful face. “We’re family, so there’s no need for thanks. Oh, I still haven’t finished studying the bloodstains on your clothes.”

Yan Qingshuang stopped Jian Li’s wandering hands, effortlessly lifting her into a princess carry. “It’s just chicken bl00d. Let’s go back.”

“Ah, so early?” Jian Li protested. “I wanted to admire the flowers a bit longer.”

“Change your underwear,” Yan Qingshuang replied pointedly.

Jian Li’s cheeks flushed crimson. She puffed out her cheeks and pinched Yan Qingshuang’s face. “You’re the one who needs to change! I’m perfectly clean, head to toe!”

Yan Qingshuang’s smoky eyes narrowed as Jian Li pinched her cheek. “Mm, I need to change too.”

Too… Jian Li was so embarrassed she couldn’t meet Yan Qingshuang’s gaze. She was certain Yan Qingshuang had changed; how else could she speak so boldly about such things, leaving even Jian Li secretly impressed?

Was she being blunt or just honest?

Jian Li glanced back at the Peach Tree. In an instant, all its petals scattered, carried away by the wind, leaving only the bare, black branches behind.

Jian Li let Yan Qingshuang carry her back inside.

“Stay here for a while,” Yan Qingshuang said. “I’ll go heat some water.”

Jian Li nestled into the armchair, her eyes still as pure as those of a Little Snow Leopard. “Shall we bathe together?”

Yan Qingshuang found clean underwear in the cabinet and laid it out. She paused, then asked, “What was that?”

“Because you always used my bathwater,” Jian Li replied, “it was kind of pitiful.”

Changing the water took a considerable amount of time, and the Little Snow Leopard didn’t need a large volume of water to bathe. Now that Jian Li was human, Yan Qingshuang stroked her cheek. “Xiao Li, would you like to bathe with me?”

Jian Li immediately refused. She understood the implication of bathing together—being naked in each other’s presence. She had seen Yan Qingshuang without clothes once before, and her figure was remarkably well-developed in all the right places.

Her waist was slender and supple, and her legs were long and perfectly straight.

Suddenly, a wave of heat rushed to Jian Li’s head. She hadn’t even started bathing yet, but she already felt dizzy, and her lips felt sticky.

Yan Qingshuang frowned. “You’re having a nosebleed.”

“Huh?” Jian Li, disoriented, touched her philtrum and found her hand stained crimson. Oh my god, bl00d! It’s bl00d!

Yan Qingshuang calmly retrieved a dry cloth, instructed Jian Li to tilt her head back, and cast a Cleansing Spell.

Through her Spiritual Sense, Yan Qingshuang watched Jian Li whimpering softly. She gently soothed her, “Be good, don’t talk. It’ll stop soon.”

Jian Li blinked, indicating she understood.