The first light of dawn slanted through a narrow gap in the window, spilling over the Blue Silver Grass on the sill, over Zhu Zhuqing's breathtakingly fair and rounded curves, and finally over her jade-like face, which still carried a trace of exhaustion and lingering drowsiness.
Zhu Zhuqing, sensitive to the shift in temperature and light, stirred as her long, delicate lashes fluttered.
She woke quietly, her dark, luminous eyes opening to first glance at the pillow beside her.
Seeing Lu Feng still deep in sleep, her expression softened, a radiant smile blooming across her stunning features.
Memories of the previous night flashed through her mind, painting her cheeks with a fresh wave of shyness and sweetness.
With a contented stretch, she carefully slipped out of bed, moving as lightly as a whisper.
Just then, Lu Feng woke too.
After last night, Lu Feng couldn't stop thinking about how perfect Zhu Zhuqing's body was once her clothes came off, and how thrilling her wild, untamed spirit was in their intimate moments.
In the first half, Zhu Zhuqing dominated with her fiery abandon.
But in the second half, when he hoisted her long legs over his shoulders and took charge, she finally surrendered completely.
Lu Feng relished the heady memories of last night's conquest, a grin spreading across his face. He got up and wrapped his arms around Zhu Zhuqing from behind, pulling her close.
"Little vixen, how about some morning exercise?" Lu Feng teased.
Zhu Zhuqing shot him a playful glare and pushed him away.
"No way! I'm… a bit sore," she huffed. "And it's all your fault! I need to go home and shower first."
With that, she flashed a sweet smile, planted a quick kiss on his lips, and darted out the door, scurrying back to her place like she was dodging prying eyes.
Her walk was a touch awkward, though.
After all, it was her first time spending the night at Lu Feng's, and she'd given her first time to the man she loved.
She'd been so bold and proactive yesterday, a shift from her usual restraint, because while Lu Feng was away, she'd spent days thinking it over and decided she was ready.
It wasn't just the pull of her own heart. Lu Feng had dissolved her dreaded engagement for her, turned down immense benefits to choose her alone, and even gifted her priceless spirit bones. He'd given her so much, yet she'd had nothing to repay him with.
To make things worse, her father, Zhu Yan, had been vague about formally announcing her new engagement to Lu Feng, dragging his feet for reasons she couldn't fathom.
So Zhu Zhuqing had decided: she would take the initiative herself.
No matter what others thought, no matter what changed, she belonged only to Lu Feng.
Lu Feng shook his head with a laugh. "This greedy little cat didn't even shut the door."
After closing it himself, he headed for the bathroom, planning to wash up.
But the moment he opened the door, he froze.
There, curled in the corner of the bathroom with her knees hugged to her chest, sat Zhu Zhuyun, her face full of resentment, dark circles under her eyes.
Their gazes locked.
A mix of embarrassment, awkwardness, and shock flashed across both their faces.
After a stunned pause, Zhu Zhuyun hastily turned away, her voice weak but flustered. "Get out. I need to… clean up."
"You… why are you still here?" Lu Feng shut the door awkwardly, frowning.
From inside, Zhu Zhuyun's voice came out half-annoyed, half-ashamed. "Could I leave? Zhu Zhuqing absorbed two ten-thousand-year spirit bones from you, her power's skyrocketed, nearly matching mine now. If I'd moved an inch, she'd have sensed me."
A clear thread of jealousy ran through her words when she mentioned the spirit bones.
Last night, she'd just finished lathering herself with soap when Zhu Zhuqing burst into Lu Feng's room.
Horrified at the thought of being caught bathing there, Zhu Zhuyun had frozen mid-motion, holding her breath, not daring to make a sound. She'd assumed Zhu Zhuqing would leave soon enough.
She had no idea.
Lu Feng and Zhu Zhuqing were like dry tinder meeting a blazing fire, their passion growing fiercer by the moment. She could tell Zhu Zhuqing was especially bold this time.
Zhu Zhuyun waited all night.
The two young lovers seemed to have boundless stamina, entangled in a fiery dance through the hours, and she overheard every moment.
The feeling was beyond words.
Zhu Zhuyun didn't stay frozen in place all night. Driven by curiosity and a restless urge, she couldn't resist cracking the bathroom door open just a sliver.
But the more she peeked, the more unsettled she felt.
By the end, she was utterly drained.
Curiosity really did kill the cat.
After a while…
Zhu Zhuyun slipped into her clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.
Her peach-blossom eyes, glistening with unshed tears, fixed Lu Feng with a glare full of accusation.
"You're really… something else," Lu Feng offered with an awkward grin.
"Shut up!" Zhu Zhuyun lunged at him, sinking her teeth into his shoulder with a sharp nip then bolted out the door like a whirlwind, vanishing in a flash.
The usually untouchable, noble future empress, reduced to spending an entire night trapped in a bathroom, utterly disheveled, and under those humiliating circumstances.
Lu Feng rubbed his shoulder with a mix of amusement and exasperation, watching Zhu Zhuyun's retreating figure.
"Both sisters love biting, huh? Then again, they are cats."
He muttered to himself.
On the windowsill, the Blue Silver Grass trembled faintly, Ah yin giggling in shy mischief.
....
Afternoon.
Lu Feng arrived at a Zhu family training ground, invited by Zhu Zhuqing,
Daily cultivation couldn't be neglected.
Even before awakening his god-tier martial soul, Lu Feng had understood the importance of physical strength and combat prowess. For years, he'd consumed spirit herbs (within his body's limits) and spent hours daily tempering his physique, honing foundational combat skills under mentors like Yang Wudi and Bai He.
The result? A rock-solid foundation and razor-sharp basics.
As he scanned the training grounds, his eyes landed on Zhu Zhuqing, cornered by a group of young men.
At their forefront stood a tall, handsome blond youth.
Dressed in lavish robes, a noble's gold emblem pinned to his chest, he held a bouquet of red-and-white flowers.
"Zhuqing, please accept these. I gathered the Four-Leaf Frostblooms from the depths of Star Dou Forest, paired with rare crimson roses."
"Boring." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was ice, her gaze never touching the flowers or the noble as she sidestepped him without hesitation.
Then she spotted Lu Feng approaching.
Instantly, the frost on her jade-like features melted. A radiant smile bloomed as she strode toward him.
The noble youth wasn't deterred by her rejection; he seemed used to it.
Zhu Zhuqing wasn't just the Star Luo Empire's peerless beauty, she was also infamous for her glacial aloofness, her indifference to everyone.
Which was why the noble's jaw dropped when he saw it:
She smiled.
She actually smiled?!
Not just him, even the Zhu family's own disciples hadn't seen Zhu Zhuqing smile in years.
Her smile was so breathtaking, it seemed to steal the light from the sun itself. the roses and frostblooms in his hands instantly paling in comparison, their beauty dulled next to hers.
The noble youth's heart leaped with hope.
She's smiling… for me!
This had to mean his chances were soaring.
Grinning ear to ear, he hurried after her, bouquet thrust forward like a trophy.