Bibi Dong realized that, although she kept telling herself that Dai Chengfeng was merely a tool for her divine trials, there was something else gnawing at her heart…
"Was my anger earlier really just because I felt humiliated?"
"Could it be… that there wasn't even a hint of jealousy?"
She discovered that, without realizing it, Dai Chengfeng had become increasingly important to her—far more than just a mere tool for her divine trials.
For a moment, Bibi Dong felt a wave of panic rise within her.
She tilted her head slightly, gazing at her reflection in the nearby mirror.
In the mirror, the silver-gray silk robe had slipped slightly off her shoulders, revealing a stretch of smooth, creamy skin carved like fine jade. A few strands of slightly disheveled purple hair cascaded over her delicate collarbone, forming an alluring and languid curve.
The moonlight flowed over her sharp jawline and elegant nose bridge, casting faint shadows that accentuated her breathtaking beauty, yet also exuded an unapproachable coldness.
Her deep purple eyes, now devoid of the earlier aggression directed at Dai Chengfeng, held only complexity.
"Bibi Dong, you must remember this: no man in this world is worth your trust!"
"Dai Chengfeng… he's nothing more than a useful tool—a means to complete your divine trials, solidify your power, and occasionally… bring fleeting pleasure."
"You cannot take him seriously!"
Bibi Dong whispered softly to her reflection: "My anger earlier must have been because I felt humiliated… Yes, that's it!"
She tried hard to convince herself: "As the Pope of the Spirit Hall, I stand above all others, while Dai Chengfeng is merely a tool. Yet, he dared to come before me tainted with the scent of another woman. This is an affront to my dignity and authority!"
"My anger is justified and completely reasonable!"
"As the supreme ruler of the Spirit Hall and the inheritor of the Rakshasa deity… no one is worthy of you!"
With those words, Bibi Dong tipped her glass back and drained the last drop of red wine. The spicy, rich liquid burned as it slid down her throat, suppressing the unsettling flutter in her heart.
"I will reclaim that icy control and my lofty position!"
Soon after, Bibi Dong seemed to have regained her composure. The inviolable majesty of the Spirit Hall Pope returned to her demeanor.
It was as if everything was once again under her control.
Then, she rose gracefully, her movements fluid and elegant.
Her slender, jade-like fingers deftly untied the sash at her waist.
As she walked toward the bathroom, her silver-gray silk robe cascaded down her curvaceous body like flowing mercury, falling silently to the ground.
Her milky-white skin, smooth and flawless, was gradually revealed inch by inch in the cool night air.
Under the interplay of moonlight and the dim yellow glow of wall lamps, her skin shimmered with a soft, pearl-like radiance, both gentle and sacred.
By the time she reached the bathroom door, the robe had completely pooled at her feet, leaving Bibi Dong standing there—the most perfect creation under heaven, utterly unadorned.
Click—
The bathroom door opened.
"Teacher…"
Dai Chengfeng's voice rang out, filled with disbelief, quickly shifting to delight and a touch of flattered astonishment.
"Don't get any ideas. This is merely an extra… reward for how much you've helped me advance in the fifth divine trial. Mmm~"
---
An hour later.
In the center of Bibi Dong's bedchamber, on the large, soft bed…
Dai Chengfeng sat leaning against the headboard, his breathing steady. His gaze was satisfied, tinged with a hint of laziness.
Bibi Dong rested her head on his strong arm, curled up on her side.
The lingering flush had not yet fully faded from her skin, which was as delicate as jade, resembling freshly bloomed peach petals. It softened her usual icy authority, revealing a breathtaking allure.
However, her now-deep purple eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Dai Chengfeng's profile, mere inches away.
"Dai Chengfeng."
Bibi Dong's voice was soft, breaking the silence.
"Hmm? What is it, Teacher?"
Dai Chengfeng instinctively responded, lowering his gaze to the exquisite form nestled in his arms. His heart still throbbed with residual heat.
"That woman—who is she?"
For a brief moment, Dai Chengfeng's body stiffened. Then, feigning innocence and confusion, he attempted to evade the question:
"What woman? Teacher, what are you talking about?"
Silence.
Bibi Dong said nothing, simply staring at Dai Chengfeng.
After a long while, under Bibi Dong's penetrating gaze, Dai Chengfeng's facade of confusion quickly crumbled.
He knew Bibi Dong too well. He understood what this silence meant.
Helplessly, he slumped his shoulders, offering a sheepish smile mixed with a hint of flattery. His tone softened: "Alright, alright… Teacher, your insight is unmatched… It's Zhu Zhuqing."
"Zhu Zhuqing… is it?"
Upon hearing the name, Bibi Dong showed no trace of surprise.
Lowering her eyelids to conceal the flicker of complex emotions in her eyes, she murmured, "So it's her."
As the Pope of the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong commanded an intelligence network covering both empires and even the most hidden corners.
How could she not know about the marriage contract between Dai Chengfeng and Zhu Zhuqing, the fourth young lady of the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire, officially recognized by the Star Luo imperial family?
Moreover, the news of Zhu Zhuqing's secret arrival in Spirit City days ago had already landed on her desk like any ordinary report.
Thus, when the unfamiliar, youthful fragrance—so different from her own mature and regal aura—wafted over with Dai Chengfeng's kiss, the answer had almost immediately surfaced in her mind…
At this time, with this person—other than Zhu Zhuqing, his nominal fiancée—who else could it be?
Meanwhile, watching Bibi Dong lost in thought, her expression unreadable, Dai Chengfeng gently smoothed the luxurious purple hair draped over her snow-white arm, his heart secretly rejoicing.
"Thank heavens! It's just Zhu Zhuqing! At least this is explainable, given the prior engagement…"
"If Bibi Dong found out about my relationships with Qian Renxue… and Hu Liena… I'd be utterly screwed!"
After all, either of them would strike at Bibi Dong's most sensitive nerves!
Especially Qian Renxue, Bibi Dong's biological daughter… If that deadly connection were exposed, Dai Chengfeng feared even the Rakshasa divine trials wouldn't save him. He would likely face obliteration at the hands of a furious Bibi Dong!
"It seems I'll need to be doubly cautious from now on… I absolutely cannot carry even a trace of their scents around Bibi Dong—not even a single whiff!"
For a moment, the luxurious bedchamber fell into deep silence, broken only by their shallow breaths and the occasional chirping of insects outside.
But this quiet didn't last long.
Dai Chengfeng's gaze grew heated once more, greedily settling on Bibi Dong's flawless body, made even more stunning by her reclining posture.
He leaned in again.
"Mmm…"
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