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As night deepened, the banquet at the Dugu residence concluded in a subtle and quiet atmosphere.
After a whole afternoon of gentle guidance and comfort from Lan Xi , Dugu Yan finally stopped looking like she was about to faint. However, her gaze toward Jiang Zhen was still filled with awe and a complex emotion of looking at a "non-human monster." She barely spoke during the meal, focusing only on eating.
Dugu Bo was also preoccupied, occasionally glancing at Jiang Zhen with a probing and incredulous look, clearly still processing the enormous shock brought about by the simultaneous appearance of the nine rings.
After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Bing Di , Xue Di, and the miniature sea princess, Phantom Spirit, were arranged in the same spacious guest room.
Jiang Zhen naturally shared a room with Lan Xi .
However, Jiang Zhen did not fall asleep immediately.
Lan Xi had been accompanying Dugu Yan all day and seemed a little tired. After washing up, she quickly fell asleep.
Jiang Zhen tucked her in and quietly left the room alone, going into the courtyard.
The night was cool and still, and the bright moonlight, like a silver veil, bathed the courtyard in a soft glow, coating the flowers, plants and trees with a layer of radiance.
He found a bamboo recliner from somewhere, casually placed it under a tree in the yard, lay down on it, put his hands behind his head, and gazed at the starry sky in a daze.
The night sky in this other world was completely different from the blue planet he remembered.
Free from industrial pollution and light pollution, the starry sky here appears exceptionally low, clear, and dazzling.
The enormous silver moon hangs high like a jade plate, its clear light spilling out, while countless stars, densely packed together, form a vast and dazzling Milky Way stretching across the sky, as if one could reach out and pluck the stars.
This magnificent and pristine beauty of the starry sky is a sight that was almost impossible to see in the steel jungle of the city in my previous life.
He couldn't help but feel a little dazed, his thoughts drifting to his distant hometown and then back to this Douluo world full of unknowns and possibilities.
Just as he was lost in thought, a slightly cool voice, tinged with curiosity, rang out beside him:
"Ah Zhen? Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Jiang Zhen snapped out of his daze and turned his head to look. He saw that Bing Di had also come out at some point and was standing not far away watching him.
She seemed to have just taken a bath; her long, emerald-green hair was slightly damp and draped over her shoulders. She had changed into a simple white nightgown, and in the moonlight, her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were like crystals. She had lost some of her usual sharpness and gained more of a girlish gentleness.
"I'm bored, so I'm looking at the stars."
Jiang Zhen smiled and patted the recliner beneath him.
"To see the stars?"
Bing Di tilted his head, his gaze immediately drawn to the very comfortable-looking recliner.
She had never seen anything like it before. In the far north, there were only ice thrones or jade beds; there was never such a lazy and casual piece of furniture.
She blinked her emerald eyes, a hint of eager curiosity in them, and pointed to the recliner, saying to Jiang Zhen, "Get up, let me try it, let me try this."
Seeing the rare glimpse of her girlish side, Jiang Zhen couldn't help but chuckle. He obediently stood up and offered her his seat, saying, "Alright, let you try."
Following Jiang Zhen's example, Bing Di lay down on the bed somewhat clumsily, yet with a sense of novelty.
The bamboo chair swayed slightly, making a soft creaking sound. She adjusted her posture, found the most comfortable angle to lie down, and, like Jiang Zhen, looked up at the starry sky.
"Hmm...it feels quite comfortable..."
She muttered something under her breath, swinging her legs.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she lifted her slender, fair legs, which seemed to glow in the moonlight, and looked at Jiang Zhen, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness and matter-of-factness: "Zhen, I've walked so far today, my legs seem a little tired... Could you... could you massage them for me?"
Jiang Zhen was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked down at the delicate white feet stretched out in front of him.
Bing Di 's feet were exceptionally beautiful, snow-white and delicate, as if they were meticulously carved from the finest mutton-fat jade.
Her feet were delicate and exquisite, with a slightly curved arch that drew an alluring arc. Her soles were pink and soft, and her toes were arranged neatly like tender lotus sprouts, round and cute, just like obedient silkworms.
What was particularly eye-catching was that her ten small and delicate toenails were carefully painted ice blue, shimmering with a subtle, dreamlike luster under the moonlight.
Jiang Zhen's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
He looked at Bing Di 's seemingly self-righteous eyes, which actually concealed a hint of shyness and expectation deep within, and felt both helpless and somewhat amused.
This king of the far north is getting more and more bossy.
He did not refuse, and naturally sat cross-legged in front of the recliner, reached out and gently grasped the jade foot that was offered to him.
Upon touching it, it feels warm and smooth, as if you are not holding an ordinary object, but a piece of exquisite jade that has warmth and life.
The touch from my fingertips is soft and elastic, with a slight coolness unique to ice, but it is not cold; instead, it has a strange sense of comfort.
Jiang Zhen composed himself and recalled the acupressure techniques he had learned in a course called "Massage and Wellness" that he had taken in college in his previous life in order to earn credits.
He pressed his thumb precisely on the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of her foot, applying just the right amount of pressure, and gently massaged it.
"Um..."
Bing Di let out a very soft, satisfied nasal sound, his body tensed slightly for a moment, and then quickly relaxed.
She lay on the recliner, biting her lower lip, trying not to make any more strange noises. Her emerald eyes looked somewhat hazy in the moonlight as she let Jiang Zhen's warm and strong fingers move over her slender feet, which had never been touched by a man before.
Jiang Zhen's technique was very professional. From the heel to the sole, and then to each slender toe, he rubbed, pinched, pressed, or gently scraped, carefully relieving the muscle fatigue.
His movements were gentle and focused, as if he were handling a fragile treasure.
Bing Di felt an indescribable tingling and comfortable sensation spreading from the soles of her feet all the way up to her limbs, making her feel lazy and limp, as if she were lying on a cloud.
A strange and ambiguous feeling, unlike anything she had ever experienced before, flowed silently through her heart, which had been frozen for hundreds of thousands of years, like a stream in early spring.
She secretly opened her eyes and looked at Jiang Zhen's profile as he massaged her under the moonlight. His earnest expression made her heart beat faster for no reason.
The courtyard was quiet, with only the chirping of insects and the occasional soft creaking of bamboo chairs.
The moonlight was like water, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky, creating a tranquil and enchanting scene.
After an unknown amount of time, Bing Di felt the fatigue in his feet had completely vanished, replaced by a tingling, blissful sensation.
She seemed to snap out of her daze, hastily pulling her legs back, her voice trembling slightly: "Okay...okay, that's enough for today...thank you..."
Before she finished speaking, she had already jumped off the recliner. Without even bothering to put on her shoes, her bare, dazzlingly white feet, like a startled fawn, led her quickly towards her guest room without looking back, leaving behind only a faint, unique jasmine fragrance.
Jiang Zhen watched the slender figure almost flee in panic, then looked down at his fingers, which still seemed to retain that delicate touch and slightly cool temperature, and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
...
Inside the guest room.
Bing Di leaned against the tightly closed door, using her petite yet terrifyingly powerful body to hold it in place, as if there were some ferocious beast outside.
She was slightly out of breath, a suspicious blush on her beautiful face, and her heart was still pounding.
She raised her hand to touch her slightly flushed cheeks and sighed softly, with a hint of confusion.
What was wrong with me just now? How could I have made such a request... and... it didn't feel so bad?
She shook her head, trying to shake off those jumbled thoughts.
However, when she looked up, she suddenly met a pair of icy blue eyes that held a mocking smile.
Xue Di sat gracefully on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, watching her with a leisurely air.
The sea princess floated on the Xue Di's shoulder, casting a gossipy glance at her as well.
Xue Di 's exquisite face wore a meaningful smile that said, "I know everything."
That look in his eyes seemed to see right through her thoughts.
Bing Di 's face flushed even redder.
"Xue...Xue'er...you...you're still awake?" Bing Di asked somewhat haltingly, her eyes darting around, not daring to meet Xue Di 's gaze.
The curve of Xue Di 's lips became more pronounced, her voice still cool, yet carrying a strong hint of teasing:
"Hmm...the moonlight is nice, and...was the foot massage comfortable?"
...