The room was quiet, with a ray of sunlight slanting in, bringing along a few curled leaves.
Lou Xiyue slowly played with her fan, chuckled softly, and said unhurriedly, "Xiao Xiang, you're blushing again."
I threw the undergarment and clothes into his arms, saying, "I don't want to wear it."
Lou Xiyue didn't mind. He neatly folded the clothes and placed them on the couch. He rested his chin on the fan handle, as if deep in thought. "Oh, so you don't like blue."
Then, he stepped closer to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and asked with a friendly smile, "So, what color do you like?"
I said bitterly, "I've had bad luck with men."
Lou Xiyue nodded. "When I first entered Medicine King Valley, I felt the same way you did. But—" He breathed into my ear and lowered his voice, "I've gotten used to it now."
I suddenly felt a slight itch on the back of my ear, and my whole body trembled. I took a step back to create some distance between us and said seriously, "Ahem, Lou Xiyue, don't talk to me in such an improper tone."
Lou Xiyue shrugged, saying innocently, "I've always been like this."
I said, "You're a scoundrel."
He leaned back lazily in his chair and smiled faintly, "I am your disciple, and I was taught by you no matter what."
I sighed and said, "Let's pack our luggage and get going."
Lou Xiyue waved her fan and said slowly, "I've heard that the people of the East are very open-minded and that male concubines are very common."
I looked at him. "Hmm?"
He said, "Any male prostitute who's even remotely pretty will be bought by a wealthy family, and their status will be similar to that of the girls in brothels." Lou Xiyue glanced at me and said indifferently, "With your looks, you'll definitely attract the attention of many people."
He said slowly, "The Eastern Lands are not like the Li Kingdom; they are not our territory. If you are really kidnapped, you won't be able to explain yourself even if you have the right to." After speaking, Lou Xiyue glanced meaningfully at the pile of clothes on the bed.
I said, "You go out, I'm going to change my clothes."
As he stood up, he said with a smile, "You can wear the blue one for now."
The clothes Lou Xiyue picked out fit me fairly well, so I changed and went out.
When he saw me, he covered his mouth and coughed lightly, his eyes filled with a smile as he said, "You look quite good dressed as a girl."
I haven't worn a skirt for almost three years, and I'm really not used to the fitted waist and narrow shoulders. I turned my face away and said, "Now that you've seen enough, let's hit the road."
Lou Xiyue clapped her hands, and Ji Jiu suddenly descended from the sky, respectfully saying to Lou Xiyue, "Seventh Young Master."
He smiled gently at Ji Jiu and said, "Ji Jiu, you are a girl, so stay by Xiao Xiang's side and protect her."
Ji Jiu glanced at me expressionlessly and said coldly, "Yes."
Ji Jiu is an extremely elusive girl. When Lou Xiyue and I were traveling on horseback, she was nowhere to be seen. But at crucial moments, she would appear behind us without a word.
As they traveled to the outskirts of Xianyang, the sky suddenly darkened, a rumble of thunder sounded, and then a light rain began to fall.
Lou Xiyue and I galloped to a tree and dismounted to take shelter from the rain.
The tree we chose wasn't very lush, and rain occasionally fell. The rain got heavier and heavier, the thunder grew louder and louder, and the sky grew darker and darker. In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, we felt as if the world had turned upside down.
Lou Xiyue reached out and brushed the wet hair from my forehead, then placed her hand in my palm and used the 'Sunrise Heart Technique' to warm me.
He held my hand and smiled, "Your clothes are wet, do you want me to dry them for you?"
I then noticed that Lou Xiyue's brocade robe was completely dry. I asked in confusion, "How come you didn't get wet?"
Lou Xiyue circled her fingertips in my palm, a smile playing on her lips. “Your clothes are quite thin…” Then, she murmured with lingering satisfaction, “I have a good eye for clothes.”
I said, "You, you quickly used your powers to dry my clothes."
Lou Xiyue said "Oh," and placed his palm on my waist, pulling me into his arms. A warmth came from my waist, and I felt that the position was a little inappropriate, so I stiffened my back, not wanting to lean against his chest.
I heard his low laughter behind me.
Regarding Lou Xiyue's repeated harassment of his teachers and his tarnishing of the reputation of Medicine King Valley, I had previously considered that he was naturally unrestrained and that as his teacher, I was broad-minded and tolerant, and would not hold it against him.
However, my indulgence gave Lou Xiyue the wrong impression that I was turning a blind eye to his groping behavior.
This is really not good for Lou Xiyue's mental health.
I snorted coldly, "Hmm."
Lou Xiyue gripped my shoulder with one hand and moved the other hand to my back, channeling her strength into me.
Once the clothes were almost dry, he said in a flippant tone, "The back is dry, but the front doesn't seem to be very dry yet. Do you want me to—help you...?"
I held my hands up, elbows pointing back towards Lou Xiyue's lower abdomen, but he caught them with his palms, forcefully blocking me in the middle.
Lou Xiyue wrapped her arms around him and smiled, "Xiao Xiang, do you want me to help you?"
He seemed to have me loosely wrapped in his arms, but I couldn't break free no matter what I did. In desperation, I raised my voice and gritted my teeth, saying, "No, Lou Xiyue, let go of me! Stop being a scoundrel!"
"Oh," he replied casually, then let go.
I turned around and saw Lou Xiyue leaning against a tree trunk, lost in thought.
A string of raindrops slid down from between the leaves, cutting right between us.
He turned his head to look at me, staring intently into my eyes, then smiled brightly, his eyes slightly narrowed, and he adopted a nonchalant expression again. "This rain is just in time."
I remained silent and took a few steps back.
Lou Xiyue waved to me, "Don't stand so far away from me, you're about to stand in the rain."