"Hmm…"
The slightly delicate and naive murmurs lingered in the air, and Huo Yuhao, still lost in sleep, didn't realize what was happening until he felt the soft flesh in his arms nudge closer to him.
The strange sensation, akin to being run over by a large vehicle, caused his tightly shut eyelids to quiver slightly, and he finally began to open them slowly.
What greeted his eyes was a plump and tender body that was countless times whiter than the first ray of morning sunlight.
And there were enticing grapes that were several times redder than the morning sun, almost poking him in the forehead.
"...?"
What happened?
As he felt the soreness radiating through his limbs, Huo Yuhao's confused eyes gradually focused, and his chaotic thoughts quickly returned along with memories of last night.
Due to the significant difference in cultivation between him and Ma Xiaotao, even though his martial soul quality was much higher than hers, he still didn't gain much advantage while suppressing the evil fire.
Moreover, because of the existence of the Eye of Destiny, although Huo Yuhao was still quite weak in this life, he had absolute control over his spiritual space. Figures like Tiandream and the Ice Empress couldn't even perceive the external situation without his permission.
Unlike in his previous life when he relied on the Ice Empress's help to suppress the evil fire, without soul power, Huo Yuhao took out a baby bottle, absorbing while continuing, relying entirely on his terrifying willpower to fully suppress the evil fire last night.
During this long process, their clothes had endured countless cycles of temperature changes, eventually becoming tattered and torn.
This sudden change undoubtedly caused greater trouble in the subsequent process of suppressing the evil fire, forcing Huo Yuhao to endure not only the physical pain brought on by the evil fire entering his body but also the mental anguish from the visual shock.
The hardships of this process were enough to make anyone hear it feel sorrowful and weep, not suitable for outsiders to hear.
So much so that when he finally suppressed the evil fire completely, it was as if a tightly strung string had finally snapped; Huo Yuhao could no longer withstand the fatigue of both spirit and body and fell into a deep sleep.
A faintly enticing fragrance wafted into Huo Yuhao's nostrils, causing his gaze to inadvertently drift.
He instinctively shifted his hips back slightly to avoid disturbing the sleeping Ma Xiaotao by suddenly getting up.
If only he had known not to nourish his body so well... what a sin!
He sighed inwardly, and Huo Yuhao carefully began to wiggle out of the embrace that had also been mercilessly tossed about by the alternating temperatures.
Although Huo Yuhao was being very careful, Ma Xiaotao, as an inner courtyard disciple, had an incredibly sharp perception.
As soon as he moved, Ma Xiaotao's somewhat meaningful voice drifted into his ears.
"It's just dawn. Don't you want to sleep a little longer?"
Huo Yuhao's body stiffened, and he instinctively raised his head, his gaze crossing over towering mountains to meet Ma Xiaotao's light pink eyes, which held a hint of a smile.
Perhaps due to the complete suppression of the evil fire, Ma Xiaotao's gaze was no longer as dreamy as last night, but it still contained a rich complexity.
The two of them maintained this strange eye contact for a moment, before Huo Yuhao was the first to break the silence.
"Good morning, Xiaotao."
Noticing that Huo Yuhao's posture seemed a bit off, Ma Xiaotao immediately lowered her head to glance into the dim covers.
Upon seeing the hidden beast lurking in the depths of darkness, she trembled as if she had been electrocuted, her delicate face flushing slightly as she huffed.
"You little rascal."
Before Huo Yuhao could feel embarrassed, Ma Xiaotao seemed to recall something and looked at him with concern.
"Didn't you say the evil fire was beneficial to your body? How are you feeling now? Did you get hurt?"
At her words, Huo Yuhao gently raised his hand in a vague gesture, smiling as he nodded.
"A little improvement; I owe it all to you, Xiaotao."
"Really?"
Ma Xiaotao raised an eyebrow, grabbing his arm. With just a light squeeze, an indescribable sensation of soreness surged through Huo Yuhao, interrupting his half-finished sentence.
"Pretending to be fine when your movements are this stiff? Do you think I can't see?"
Seeing Huo Yuhao's muscles visibly tense under her pressure, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but snort, but internally, she felt a bit relieved.
After all, she knew the power of the evil fire well; judging from Huo Yuhao's condition, it should just be residual soreness left over from the meridians being tempered by the evil fire, without any actual injury.
"Don't move, okay?"
A slightly gentle voice rang in his ear. Before Huo Yuhao had the chance to question it, he felt a scorching warmth radiate from Ma Xiaotao's palm.
"Xiaotao?"
"Just lie down nicely."
Without further explanation, Ma Xiaotao simply held onto his arm and began to gently massage it.
Huo Yuhao quickly realized what Ma Xiaotao was trying to do. Through this massage, she was gradually helping him relieve the soreness in his meridians and muscles.
It seemed that the warmth from her palm was taking effect; wherever Ma Xiaotao's hand passed, Huo Yuhao felt as if he was soaking in a hot spring, and the soreness faded away at a rapid pace.
The intense feeling of comfort made Huo Yuhao unable to utter any words of refusal, and he softly said, "Thank you, Xiaotao."
"Thank you should be what I say to you."
Ma Xiaotao's hands moved across his body while she softly explained.
"In all these years, this is the first time I've experienced not being invaded by the evil fire."
At this point, Ma Xiaotao paused her tone and sincerely said to him, "Thank you, Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao merely pulled at the corners of his mouth, saying nothing further, silently enjoying Ma Xiaotao's massage.
For a moment, the dormitory fell into silence again, only the rustling sounds of the massage echoed continuously.
As time passed by, Huo Yuhao's originally stiff limbs gradually relaxed, but his expression grew increasingly awkward.
"Xiaotao."
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Ma Xiaotao's gaze on him, Huo Yuhao blinked, his throat rolling for a long time before he cautiously suggested, "Why don't you put on some clothes before you continue?"
"Weren't you quite interested when I was asleep just now? Now you're shy?"
In the next moment, a light smack landed on his forehead, followed by Ma Xiaotao's irritated voice.
"You little rascal, not only did you see me completely, but now you also want me to massage you? It's such a huge loss for me."
Although she said this, Ma Xiaotao's hands didn't stop their movements at all.
"If this makes it so I can't find a partner in the future, I'll hold you responsible and make you support me for the rest of my life."
After saying this, feeling unsatisfied, Ma Xiaotao placed her other hand on Huo Yuhao's head, as if in retaliation, she ruffled his already somewhat messy black hair until it looked like a bird's nest.
Listening to Ma Xiaotao's fierce words, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but twitch his mouth, unable to suppress a laugh as he replied, "Okay, okay, I'll support you for the rest of your life, Xiaotao."
His joking words made Ma Xiaotao's movements freeze instinctively. Before Huo Yuhao could question it, a voice filled with an indistinguishable emotion rang in his ear.
"Really?"
"Ah."
The sudden change left Huo Yuhao confused, and he absentmindedly nodded.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. You're really a little rascal."
Ma Xiaotao muttered as she withdrew her hands from the massage. Seemingly feeling that this was too lenient on Huo Yuhao, she reached her fingers back into the blanket, finding her target before giving little Huo a gentle flick.
Immediately after this impulsive action, she began to regret it.
Huo Yuhao let out a surprised shout, springing up from the bed as if he had been shot from a spring, looking at Ma Xiaotao with a bewildered and frightened expression.
Realizing just how perverse her previous impulsive behavior was, Ma Xiaotao's face flushed slightly, and then she forced herself to calm down and urged, "Stop looking! Do you want me to rely on you? We're about to have class; hurry up and get dressed."
"But Xiaotao, you—"
Before Huo Yuhao could finish, Ma Xiaotao pulled the blanket over herself and calmly said, "I'll sleep a little longer. I'll leave after you all go to class. If I leave now and get seen by the newcomers, it'll be a disaster. Hurry up; don't be late for class."
This statement felt somewhat... peculiar.
Huo Yuhao's eyelids couldn't help but twitch. Not wanting to disturb Ma Xiaotao any further, he quietly got dressed and directly left the dormitory.
Click.
As the dormitory door closed, Ma Xiaotao, who had been pretending to sleep, suddenly opened her eyes wide.
Recalling everything that had happened from last night until now, a faint smile crept across her face.
"...You little rascal."
(End of Chapter)