Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Pei Su followed her lead and pressed close, feeling her warmth and moisture.

Shen Xiyin embraced his broad, solid back, her body opening up in passion.

The taut string in Pei Su’s mind snapped the moment he felt her trembling response to his touch.

What did it matter if an abyss lay ahead? Let him fall into it.

He thought, nearly out of control, as he lifted her waist and pressed forward.

“Congratulations, you two, on successfully clearing the stage.”

The clearance prompt of the Mind-Trapping Array came at the moment of his loss of control, and the Lust Control Thread that had coiled around him receded like a tide at the sound.

The force driving his restlessness vanished, and a sliver of clarity seeped into his out-of-control will.

But that sliver of clarity wasn't enough to quell the heat within him.

Her quick, hot breaths fell on his neck, like tiny hooks tugging at his mind one by one.

The arrow was nocked.

How could he turn back now?

Let him in.

His body told him that.

Shen Xiyin, shyly clinging to his back, lowered her head to rest on his broad shoulder, her lips tentatively brushing his neck.

She didn't know if this was right, but when they first entered the Mind-Trapping Array, she had seen on the mural in that stone chamber that the entwined man and woman did that.

Maybe doing this would bring him pleasure.

The moment her lips touched him, his body shuddered.

Feeling that her small gesture could elicit such a reaction from the man before her, Shen Xiyin felt a secret thrill.

That joy, deviating from propriety, was hidden deep, something she could never tell anyone.

After the shudder, he lay over her, panting softly for a moment, then spoke:

“I’m sorry.”

Shen Xiyin's face flushed crimson, her body tightening along with her heart as she trembled and closed her eyes, awaiting his assault.

The next moment, the weight on her suddenly vanished, the pressure that had pinned her down abruptly lifted.

Shen Xiyin opened her eyes and saw him retreating to sit to the side.

She looked at him for a while, then suddenly understood the meaning of the apology he had just spoken.

She felt a hollow emptiness, and after a dazed moment, it was as if a basin of invisible cold water had been dumped over her head.

Pei Su pressed a hand to his forehead, his brows furrowed.

On his neck, the wet trace left by her lips was still damp. When those two soft lips had touched his skin, he had nearly gone mad.

Amidst the surge of wild thoughts, an absurd, intrusive idea mingled in—

Had she ever pressed her lips to her husband's neck like this?

Pei Su's breath caught, a dull ache settling in his chest.

Right.

She had a husband she was deeply in love with.

Then what was he to her?

What the hell was he doing?

After the Lust Control Thread fully receded, reason gradually returned, reclaiming control.

He suddenly felt ridiculous, so ridiculous that he was comparing how she treated him to how she treated her husband.

Such a base thought made him feel deeply ashamed.

He felt guilty for crossing the line in his heart.

And his pride stirred, reminding him not to lose the unyielding spirit of a scholar.

Pei Su closed his eyes, forcefully driving away the lingering desire in his heart.

Once his mind was clear, he said to her in a low voice, “I apologize for my rudeness.”

Shen Xiyin looked at his back as he turned away, silent for a long time. Finally, she curled up on the inner side of the bed, helplessly closing her eyes. She wanted to avoid something, yet felt too tired to do so.

Pei Su sat quietly with his eyes closed, unaware of when the person beside him had drifted off.

The room was silent. He reached out and covered her with a thin blanket. Inevitably, he saw the clear marks of his fingers on her body, from her shoulders to her feet, some dense, some sparse.

He regretted being so rough.

She was in a daze, her sweat still not dry, her lingering tremors not yet ceased, and the warm, moist place still secreting its fluids.

His back was also covered with the scratches and nail marks she had left, now stinging faintly.

Pei Su looked at the mess on the floor, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh. He then picked up the scattered clothes one by one.

Her bamboo basket lay by the door, and the boots inside had fallen out.

Pei Su walked over and picked up the pair of men's boots.

These boots fit his foot size perfectly. They were newly made, but the material was old. She must have searched for a long time to find these usable materials in this abandoned village.

The old leather on them she had wiped clean and carefully, with no musty smell of aged hide. The cloth at the soles was sewn tightly and snugly, so they would surely not pinch when worn.

His boots were worn out and needed replacing, but...

One could not indulge in the warmth of a lover’s embrace.

When Shen Xiyin woke from her daze, it was already late at night. The earlier confusion and chaos had completely faded, leaving only clarity.

She always harbored improper fantasies because of a little response from others.

When she calmed down and recalled her actions, she only felt shame and pointlessness. Her body felt a bit more comfortable. She sat up and saw the clothes that had been torn to the floor neatly folded beside her.

In the dim room, a tall, familiar figure sat silently on the edge of the bed. His black robe was once again immaculately worn, the collar snug against his neck, the cuffs smooth and flat, without a single wrinkle.

Shen Xiyin turned away, lowering her head to get dressed.

In the silence, Pei Su slowly spoke, explaining the matter of the Lust Control Thread to her. He didn't make excuses for himself, just solemnly repeated, "I'm sorry."

"I..."

He wanted to say more, but Shen Xiyin didn't let him continue. She simply said, "I understand."

Her gaze fell on the boots he had placed back into the bamboo basket. She lowered her eyes and repeated softly, "I get it all."

On the table nearby, warm water and a cloth were set out. Pei Su said to her, "You might need these. I should have gotten these ready earlier for washing, but I... couldn't do it myself."

Shen Xiyin silently got dressed, stepped down from the bed, and picked up the bamboo basket off the floor. "I'll just go back and wash up myself."

With that, she rose and left the room.

Outside, the moonlight was frost-like, silently spilling over the village paths, rooftops, and distant hills, illuminating everything clearly and coldly.

Shen Xiyin looked up at the cloudless night sky, blinked back the sting in her eyes, and pursed her lips into a smile.

At least she hadn't gone all the way to sin.

Pei Su stood by the window, watching her figure disappear into the night from afar, his hand clenching unconsciously.

The next morning, dawn light spread over the hills, flooding the village.

A new day began. Shen Xiyin rose early as usual, ate a hearty breakfast she'd made herself, and set out with her bamboo basket.

At the village path's entrance, she noticed a new path that hadn't been there before.

She followed this path, crossed a small hill, and continued until she saw a stretch of mudflat. In the distance, a vast, muddy river stretched endlessly.

Several white waterbirds flew past the boundary between the mudflat and the river. The air mixed the fishy scent of the river and the damp mud smell of the sun-baked flats.

By the riverbank, a few abandoned old boats were moored.

Their hulls, worn by wind, rain, and sun, had turned gray-black and rotten. Some were half-submerged in the murky water, others tilted on the mudflat.

Pei Su slowly stepped out from the shadows of the boat wrecks.

As he approached, Shen Xiyin's fingers subtly tightened on her sleeve.

Pei Su stopped before her, paused for a moment, and then spoke, "Most of these boats are too wrecked to use, but there's one that's relatively usable. After some patching up, it can still sail."

Shen Xiyin looked at the river stretching out endlessly before her. "Sail?"

Pei Su said, "The water route is the only way for us to leave this place. My spiritual energy isn't enough to carry us both on a flying sword. To get out, we have to use a boat."

Shen Xiyin asked, "When do we leave?"

Pei Su replied, "Tomorrow."

As soon as possible, before the fourth Trial of Passion hits.

Shen Xiyin answered, "Alright."

Pei Su stayed behind to repair the boat, while Shen Xiyin asked how much the boat could hold and went back to pack food and gear.

The river water was murky and undrinkable, so clean water was the most essential item for the journey.

She'd planned to bring a few water jars onto the boat, but Pei Su said there was a water tank on board. Once he finished fixing the boat, he'd get some well water to fill it.

With that, Shen Xiyin stopped worrying about the water.

She went back to the village house, packed some spare clothes, candles, cooking utensils, and sewing supplies. She dug up some taro and wild greens from the fields and picked a basket of peaches.

After careful calculation, the food she'd prepared would last the two of them a good while.

The path ahead was unknown, but they couldn't just hole up here forever.

It'd be best to escape the Mind-Trapping Array, but if they really couldn't find a way out, they could always come back here to restock.

That night, bracing for the worst, Shen Xiyin wiped away the growing stickiness, closed her legs, and drifted off. Just before drifting off, she thought hazily, once they got out of the Mind-Trapping Array, she'd properly treat her illness, and after that...

The next morning, at the first glimmer of dawn, Shen Xiyin boarded the boat with Pei Su.

The bow cut through the calm river, stirring up layers of ripples, gradually pulling away from the forest village that had trapped them for days.

Pei Su stood silently at the bow, the river wind rustling his black sleeves. His gaze was calm as he looked toward the misty, boundless distance.

Shen Xiyin stood stiffly at the cabin entrance, her eyes briefly sweeping over the tall figure ahead before quickly darting away.

Pei Su turned from the bow to look at her. "The wind is strong here. Why not come into the cabin and sit for a while?"

Shen Xiyin glanced at the cabin.

The boat wasn't very large. Aside from the water tank and the storage compartment filled with luggage, there was only one cabin left for resting.

Shen Xiyin's expression was uneasy. "I wanted to ask..."

Pei Su said, "What is it?"

"How should we use the remaining cabin?" Shen Xiyin's voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the sound of the river lapping against the hull.

She had originally wanted to ask how they would sleep at night with only one cabin, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, so she changed her words.

She thought Pei Su would understand her meaning.

Pei Su withdrew his gaze from her, looked back at the river, and replied, "You sleep inside."

"I'll stay outside. I won't disturb you."