Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 179

Zi Jin stroked Xiao Bai's silver hair: "Master told me to practice the zither properly. I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so I didn't wake you. Why don't you sleep here for a while..."

"I don't want it." Xiaobai blocked the zither with half of her body, and stubbornly hugged Zi Jin's waist, making Zi Jin look at her.

"Why don't you lie down and take a nap first, and we'll go eat later?" Zi Jin coaxed softly, looking at Xiao Bai's still sleepy eyes.

Little White seemed extremely sleepy and didn't make much noise. It obediently lay down with its head on Zi Jin's lap. Zi Jin carefully tucked the blanket in and patted Little White gently.

"Little Purple...sing..." Little White said softly, her eyes half-closed.

Zi Jin was slightly taken aback. Singing… After being mute for four years, let alone singing, sometimes she had even forgotten how to speak. Singing… it seemed she had never seen anyone sing since arriving here, let alone learned any songs. Back then, she was mute; who would teach a mute to sing?

"Little Purple..." Xiao Bai urged again when she saw that Zi Jin hadn't responded for a while.

"Uh...no, I don't know how," Zi Jin said somewhat awkwardly.

Xiao Bai, who had been half-closing her eyes, suddenly opened them and looked at Zi Jin with some surprise: "You don't know?...Woman, you don't know?"

Zi Jin pinched Xiao Bai's cheek hard and said in a harsh voice, "Who told you that women have to be able to sing?"

“They all do,” Xiaobai argued.

Zi Jin blushed instantly, turned her face away, and said angrily, "Go find whoever can sing it, why are you clinging to me!"

Xiao Bai slowly sat up, gently wrapped her arms around Zi Jin's waist, and buried her face in the crook of her neck: "Don't be angry..."

Zi Jin remained unmoved and still ignored Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai buried her face in Zi Jin's neck and whispered, "As long as, Xiao Zi... don't want them... Xiao Zi, Xiao Zi, I was wrong, I was wrong, okay?"

A hint of a smile appeared in Zi Jin's eyes, but she still kept her back straight, neither turning around nor replying.

Xiao Bai gently kissed Zi Jin's neck, his hands deftly slipping inside her clothes, his body gently rubbing against Zi Jin: "Xiao Zi..."

Zi Jin finally lost her composure, her body going weak. She quickly turned around and said, "No, stop it, you're not feeling well yet... uh..."

Xiao Bai leaned in and silenced Zi Jin with a kiss, pressing his entire body against hers. Zi Jin, afraid of hurting him, dared not exert any force, yet unable to pull him away, could only submit. Gradually, Zi Jin's breathing became heavy, and her resistance weakened. Before she knew it, Xiao Bai's undergarments were mostly removed, and his nimble fingers easily unfastened Zi Jin's robes. Those loving eyes and incredibly gentle movements made Zi Jin completely surrender, submitting obediently.

A gentle morning breeze rustles through the deep bamboo grove, and the spring moon shines endlessly...

Zi Jin lay in the hot spring with her eyes closed, the warm spring sun shining on her. An indescribable sense of satisfaction and sweetness lingered in her eyes, though a faint trace of fatigue clung to her face. It was strange, really. He was the one who was clearly weak, yet why did he always seem tireless and enthusiastic, while she herself was the one who was utterly exhausted? If she hadn't checked his pulse every day, she would have truly thought he was faking it.

However, deep in these mountains, his silver hair and flawless face made him seem more like a demon who lived by sucking human life essence. A demon… heh heh, but his aggrieved and foolish expression, and those watery eyes, didn't look like a demon at all. He looked more like… more like a loyal little white dog… Little white… Little white… Hahaha, isn't that exactly what Shin-chan's little male dog meant when he named him? Haha… Little white… Little white…

"Little Purple... is singing."

Zi Jin suddenly opened her eyes, and what she saw was Xiao Bai's face, which was close to hers and filled with anger. Zi Jin reflexively covered her chest: "Didn't we agree that you would come over after I finished washing?"

Xiao Bai's face was full of resentment as he stared intently at the area Zi Jin was covering: "You won't let me see, but I'll still look..."

Zi Jin felt helpless. Thinking about it, it was quite boring. If she couldn't let him see it, who else could? But he couldn't always appear out of nowhere like that. Otherwise, she would be scared to death sooner or later. However, judging from his expression, he seemed more sullen. What was he angry about? He was the one who scared her, wasn't he?

"Just now... Xiao Zi was singing..." Xiao Bai stared intently at Zi Jin, looking at her with an expression that said, "You lied to me, you are guilty of a heinous crime."

"Singing? Did you sing?" Zi Jin turned her head and thought for a while. Did you sing? Probably not.

“I heard… I saw me, stopped… You don’t want to, I know… Little Purple, you don’t like it…”

"Nonsense, how could I not like you? I was just daydreaming and didn't notice. If you ever say you don't like me again, I really won't want you anymore," Zi Jin said coldly.

Xiao Bai stood there timidly, her eyes slightly lowered, her long eyelashes trembling gently, and her pink lips pressed tightly into a line. She looked extremely aggrieved and pitiful.

Zi Jin felt a sudden pang of tenderness, finally understanding Cheng Qingsong's words. She had indeed been completely under the thumb of this simpleton. No matter how foolish he was, he clearly knew how much she liked him and how much she couldn't bear to part with him, and he also knew how to make her feel even more sorry for him. She absolutely couldn't give in this time, otherwise she would be even more completely under his control in the future.

Xiao Bai stood there timidly for a while. Seeing that Zi Jin really ignored him, he timidly reached out and gently pressed Zi Jin's waist, his skillful touch just like before: "Xiao Zi, don't be angry... are you feeling better?"

Zi Jin leaned against the pillow stone and slowly turned to the side, as if she hadn't heard Xiao Bai's words.

Xiao Bai was both anxious and saddened to see Zi Jin ignoring him. He pressed gently for a while, but seeing that Zi Jin had no reaction, he slowly withdrew his hand, feeling even more distressed. Now that he had no internal energy left, even if he pressed for several hours, she probably wouldn't feel anything.

Xiao Bai thought for a while, then timidly reached out again, removed the bamboo hairpin from Zi Jin's hair, and gently combed Zi Jin's messy hair with her fingers: "Xiao Zi... I... you..."

"Do you know you were wrong?" Zi Jin's voice was cold, without a trace of warmth.

"Hmm..." Xiaobai pursed her lips and nodded slightly.

"Would you dare to do it again?"

Xiao Bai looked up at Zi Jin, who had her eyes closed, her dark eyes filled with grievance, but she still nodded slightly: "No... no."

Zi Jin slowly opened her eyes and stared at Xiao Bai, who was half-naked: "Who gave you permission to come to the Earth Spring?"

"I...I...you...this..."

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'? You clearly don't take my words to heart! Or did you never take me to heart in the first place? If you feel this wronged with me, then I'll have Master send you out of the valley tomorrow!"

"No, no, Xiao Zi... you won't see me off, you won't see me off... I'm not... I like, I like Xiao Zi... Xiao Zi won't see me off, I dare not, I dare not... Xiao Zi, Xiao Zi..." Xiao Bai's gentle, jade-like eyes were filled with anxiety and panic. He wanted to reach out and grab Zi Jin, but he was afraid of angering Zi Jin again. He could only stand aside and stare at Zi Jin's face with caution and hesitation.

Zi Jin secretly laughed maniacally to herself. She glanced at Xiao Bai and asked, "You said you like me?"

"I like...I like Xiao Zi."

"Now I'm going to punish you. Are you willing?"

"Little Purple, don't be angry... No matter what, it's fine..." Little White lowered her eyes, her fan-like eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes, not daring to show the slightest grievance.

"Fine, then you stand still and don't move. No matter how I punish you, you're not allowed to fight back!" The voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.

Xiao Bai lowered her eyes, bit her lip tightly, and nodded.