Su Luowei thought this would be just a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water before a storm, barely brushing the surface before retreating.
She blamed her lack of experience in such matters. She never imagined that beneath Meng Shuying's usual calm exterior, there was not only deep affection but also intense desire.
She had underestimated her, and because of her own unusual behavior today, a vague sense of guilt welled up in her heart.
This mix of emotions left her unable to push Meng Shuying away when she leaned in. Before she could think it through, she half-heartedly tilted her soft lips up, waiting for Meng Shuying to claim her reward.
When Meng Shuying finally kissed her, pecking at her lips and nibbling on her lower lip with a gentle yet firm touch, Su Luowei could only feel a tremor spreading through her body, a numbing sensation creeping up her back. She wanted to push her away, but Meng Shuying seized her hand, interlocking their fingers with a strong, unyielding grip.
The sound of their lips meeting reverberated, making Su Luowei's ears burn, and her body seemed to lose all its strength.
Gradually, Meng Shuying's kisses grew more fervent, as if she wanted to steal the very breath from Su Luowei's lips. It wasn't until Su Luowei couldn't take it anymore and angrily bit her lip that Meng Shuying finally paused.
Su Luowei thought she had bitten hard enough that Meng Shuying would be in pain. After all, lips are so sensitive—being bitten like that must hurt.
Surely she would stop now.
Su Luowei thought.
Unexpectedly, Meng Shuying only hesitated for a moment before returning with even more passion, leaving Su Luowei dazed, clutching at Meng Shuying's clothes as she gasped for breath.
Only then did Meng Shuying finally let her go.
Meng Shuying's gaze darkened as she looked at Su Luowei's lips, still glistening with moisture. She wanted to touch Su Luowei's cheek but paused, then reached into her hair instead, gently stroking it over and over.
Soft, cool to the touch. Even though it was in her grasp, it felt as if it could slip away at any moment.
Su Luowei thought this would be the end of it.
After all, Meng Shuying looked so content, like a cat that had stolen some cream.
Su Luowei's lips were still tingling, and she couldn't help but want to touch them herself. But seeing the flicker in Meng Shuying's eyes, she held back.
She didn't know that in Meng Shuying's eyes, she was incredibly tempting at this moment.
Like the unattainable moon, now held close in her arms.
After years of longing fulfilled in a single kiss, Meng Shuying felt as if the heavens had granted her a gift.
Pressing Su Luowei's head into the crook of her neck, Meng Shuying inhaled the scent of her hair, forcing herself to quell the lingering thoughts in her mind.
She couldn't let this continue, or she would lose herself in her senior sister's warmth. And if she continued to indulge, her senior sister would grow wary of her.
With her face buried in Meng Shuying's neck, Su Luowei had been anxious, fearing she might suddenly lose control and do something unspeakable.
It was strange—when Meng Shuying had helped her... relieve herself... she hadn't felt so embarrassed.
Yet now, with just a kiss, she felt unbearably shy.
Su Luowei wrestled with these conflicting feelings for a long time before realizing something was off—it was too quiet.
Not that Meng Shuying was silent, but the little voice in her head, why hadn't it spoken up?
Normally, Xiao Ba would have been chattering away long ago, nagging her until she begged for mercy. But today, it was so quiet. Could it have... gone offline again?
As soon as Meng Shuying left, Su Luowei began calling for Xiao Ba, and after just a couple of calls, it finally appeared, its first words filled with suggestive insinuations: "You two finished?"
And then, more inappropriately, "Meng Shuying didn't last long, huh?"
Su Luowei: ?
What kind of thoughts are in your little head?
Xiao Ba sheepishly replied, "Even though I usually seem a bit unserious, I'm actually very pure."
So as soon as it sensed something was amiss, it had voluntarily cut off the connection with its host, afraid of accidentally seeing something it shouldn't.
"...I thought you'd try to stop her."
Su Luowei hadn't expected it to run away.
Xiao Ba: "Huh? Why would you think that? Unless there's a system warning, I don't interfere in your affairs. Besides, from what I've seen, Meng Shuying's recent behavior is quite fitting for a villain."
Su Luowei was puzzled. "But that's not what you said before."
Xiao Ba had never approved of her caring for Meng Shuying. Even when Su Luowei had wavered, Xiao Ba had subtly warned her that if she couldn't control her emotions, it might cost her her life.
Although Su Luowei hadn't listened to its advice and had stubbornly protected Meng Shuying, Xiao Ba's stance had always been firm. Why had it suddenly changed?
And not just Xiao Ba—even the system's penalties for Su Luowei's occasional lapses in character seemed to have lessened recently.
Was it because her cultivation had been increasing, or was there another reason?
"Do you find it strange too?" Xiao Ba sounded confused. "I've also been feeling lately that something's off with me."
But it couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong; it just felt chaotic.
A kind of chaos where it couldn't see the path ahead.
It could sense that something was amiss, but it couldn't identify the cause.
Thinking back carefully, it seemed to have started when Su Luowei jumped into the well in the Fox Mountain. Since then, something had been gradually awakening, while something else was being suppressed.
But fortunately, it was starting to get used to this feeling, and it had a vague premonition that it wouldn't be long before it understood the source of this unease.
On their last night on Dongji Island, as the sun rose again, they prepared to leave.
Reluctant to see their daughter go, Su Hao and Zhan Xueqing had spent the night gathering all sorts of treasures, stuffing them into Su Luowei's storage bag.
Elixirs to enhance cultivation, spiritual herbs to heal and nourish, and powerful talismans.
Su Luowei couldn't help but wonder if they had raided the Dongji Sect's treasure vault overnight to gather so much.
After bidding farewell to everyone, they reluctantly embarked on their return journey.
Ever since they left the Qingxu Sect, they had been rushing around—first to Dawn City to solve the case and catch the thief, then to Dongji Island for the Five Sects Assembly. Except for a few days of rest in Dawn City, they had been traveling non-stop.
Now that everything was settled, they finally had time to enjoy the scenery along the way. No longer confined to the cabin day and night, they often ventured out to take in the sights.
With so much walking around, it was inevitable that they would run into familiar faces. On the third day on the ship, Meng Shuying was surprised to find that Yu Qing was also on board.
At the time, Yu Qing was accompanied by five disciples. After the Five Sects Assembly, their senior uncle Yun Fei had taken the disciples back, leaving Yu Qing behind to handle matters assigned by Min Lanmeng.
As for what Min Lanmeng had tasked Yu Qing with, Meng Shuying wasn't interested, and Yu Qing didn't volunteer the information.
Although they were both disciples of the same master, Meng Shuying didn't consider herself close to Yu Qing and would rather spend her time with her senior sister than exchange pleasantries.
But Su Luowei didn't want her around.
Joking aside, ever since that incident, Meng Shuying's gaze had become more intense, as if she wanted to devour her whole. Su Luowei could barely find time to hide from her, let alone invite her to stay.
Even Xie Hanzhu noticed the shift in their relationship and often teased her about it.
Having Xie Hanzhu around to tease was a relief; at least Su Luowei didn't have to worry about how to face Meng Shuying.
No matter how intimate the atmosphere was, Xie Hanzhu's teasing could easily break it, not to mention the occasional interruptions from Little Red Bean.
But after spending more time with Xie Hanzhu, Su Luowei noticed that she seemed not just curious about her and Meng Shuying but also using it as an excuse to avoid Wen Miaomiao.
There was something unusual about the atmosphere between Xie Hanzhu and Wen Miaomiao.
What happened? They were getting along just fine on Dongji Island.
Su Luowei didn't dwell on it, knowing that in the original story, those who liked Wen Miaomiao could line up from the Qingxu Sect to Penglai Island.
The heroine, after all, was always popular—there was no helping it.
But no matter how popular she was, Wen Miaomiao had never shown any special interest in anyone—except Meng Shuying.
She was the only exception.
However, since then, Wen Miaomiao seemed to have shown no interest in Meng Shuying. In fact, she seemed closer to Su Luowei and Xie Hanzhu than to her.
At first, Su Luowei found it odd, but after seeing so many deviations from the original story, she had become accustomed to it. She simply assumed that her presence had caused minor changes in the plot. As long as the system didn't alert her, she chose to turn a blind eye.
Life on the ship was dull, so Xie Hanzhu somehow procured a Nine Rings puzzle and dragged Su Luowei and Little Red Bean into playing with it every day.
Meng Shuying, unable to stay by her senior sister's side as she wished, grew increasingly sullen. Yu Qing, noticing her foul mood, invited her to the deck for some fresh air.
In the years since they last met, Yu Qing's cultivation had improved significantly, but her brow was furrowed with even more worry, suggesting that things hadn't been going well for her.
It was impossible for her to be happy, watching the one she loved being close to someone else every day.
Especially when that person was her master—what right did she have to complain?
Jiang Ye and their master had mutual feelings. What could she say?
If she pushed Jiang Ye too hard, he would snap back with hurtful words, cutting deep.
"You can do it, but I can't?"
"You're just jealous because I can make our master happy."
"You can't give me a way out, so you won't let me find one for myself? Yu Qing, how can you be so selfish?"
Her sincerity, her advice, meant nothing to Jiang Ye.
Her pain was so intense that she had asked the sect leader for an assignment, bringing her to Dongji Island for the Five Sects Assembly.
Running into Meng Shuying here was a rare joy.
Yu Qing pretended not to notice Meng Shuying's irritation and carefully inquired about her experiences over the years.
Meng Shuying patiently recounted the highlights, cautiously omitting critical details.
Although she knew Yu Qing wasn't one of Min Lanmeng's people, seven years was a long time. People's hearts could change, so she remained guarded.
After hearing about Meng Shuying's travels, Yu Qing sincerely remarked, "Meng Shuying, sometimes I really envy you."
Meng Shuying's expression shifted slightly. "What do you envy?"
"I envy that the person in your heart is the right one."
When you meet the right person, love becomes courage, propelling you forward.
When it's the wrong person, love becomes a shackle, binding you for life.
If life could start over, how she wished she had never met Jiang Ye and could be free to be herself.
"You're wrong. As long as it's her, there is no right or wrong." Thinking of her senior sister, Meng Shuying's expression softened, and a smile appeared in her eyes.
Whether right or wrong, she would always stand by her senior sister.
If her senior sister was right, that was wonderful.
If her senior sister was wrong.
Then she would turn the world upside down.
Today, Little Meng is still in her lovesick puppy phase—woof!