Chapter 136: Huddling in the Cave

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Whoo…

The cold wind whistled through both sides of the cave.

It was still raining heavily outside.

Luo Qingzhou was in a daze for a moment when he saw the girl stretch out her arched and slender foot toward him. He subconsciously glanced at the sword in her arms.

Her other hand was not holding the hilt of her sword.

But…

Was this a test?

She deliberately stretched out her foot to test him. When he revealed his dirty thoughts and reached out to touch her foot, she would suddenly unsheath her sword and slit his throat. Could that be the case?

Then she would yell, “You lecher, you deserve to die!”

From then on, a pitiful ghost appeared under the pitch-black and cold bridge.

Luo Qingzhou looked at the foot in front of him. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he did not dare to reach out to touch the foot. He said, “Umm, that… Miss Xia Chan, you should take off your shoes and socks yourself.

It is improper for men and women to have any bodily contact. We should not have any contact, let alone touch your foot. That is…”

He suddenly stopped talking.

Unknowingly, the girl’s other hand was already on the hilt of her sword.

“Well, I also said earlier that martial arts practitioners do not need to abide by worldly etiquette when they are outside or have too many misgivings. They should do whatever they want… If you don’t mind, I will help you to remove your shoes and socks, Miss Xia Chan.”

Luo Qingzhou did not hesitate anymore. He reached out and held her slender ankle. He picked her foot up and carefully helped her take off her wet shoe.

Then, he slowly took off her snow-white stocking.

Her foot was stripped of stockings, revealing a snow-white and delicate foot under the bright flames. When he held it in his hand, it looked like snow-white and exquisite jade. It was flawless.

Luo Qingzhou did not dare to look at it anymore. He placed her foot on his lap and looked up at her.

The girl still had her face turned away and was looking elsewhere. After a slight pause, she stretched out her other foot from under her skirt and placed it in front of him.

Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and picked up her other slender foot to help her take off her shoes and socks.

“The floor is dirty. Put your feet on my lap.”

To ensure that she was comfortable, Luo Qingzhou turned around and stretched out his leg. Then, he took her shoes and socks and dried them over the bonfire.

The girl was tightly wrapped in his large clothes. She tilted her face to the side and looked outside the cave.

After a long time, she slowly turned her face to him. She glanced at him, then at the shoes and socks in his hand, and then at his outstretched leg. Finally, she looked at her snow-white feet on his leg, and a dazed look appeared in her eyes.

Luo Qingzhou placed her shoes on the ground beside the bonfire and dried them. Then, with a serious look on his face, he leaned closer to the fire to dry her stockings.

It was silent in the cave.

There was only the sound of firewood burning and the whistling of the cold wind on both sides of the cave entrance.

They were silent. Neither of them spoke.

The girl blinked her long eyelashes and stared blankly at his serious expression and his handsome side profile.

She was in a daze. It was as if she had returned to that day.

Back then, it was snowing heavily. Luo Qingzhou sat on the steps of the alley and looked gently at the two little beggars who were happily eating steamed buns beside him. His expression was calm and peaceful.

The wind in the alley had ruffled her long hair, but it seemed to have stirred her heart too.

She had never known what love was.

Of course, she did not know what love at first sight was either.

But at that moment, her heart was full of tenderness for him. Her eyes were filled with him.

For the next few days, she secretly watched him.

Then, on the day of his marriage, at the last moment, she suddenly mustered her courage. For the first time, she blushed and said those words to Young Miss and Bai Ling that made her feel ashamed.

Boom!

Outside the bridge cave, a deafening thunder suddenly sounded.

The girl’s body trembled and she subconsciously leaned closer to Luo Qingzhou. She hugged her knees tightly and curled up into a ball. Her face turned pale.

Night, thunder, strong winds, and torrential rain were nightmares and shadows that she—who had once wandered the streets and fields—could never forget.

She was afraid of these.

Luo Qingzhou saw that her delicate body was trembling and her face grew ashen. After a short pause, he reached out, wanting to hug her, but he did not dare to. He could only comfort her softly, “It will be okay. It’s very safe here. Thunder sounds scary, but it’s actually very far away for us. It’s in the sky, and we’re on the ground, so…”

Boom!

Suddenly, there was another clap of thunder.

A bolt of lightning tore through the sky and landed on a willow tree by the river not far from the cave.

Crack!

The willow tree was split into two on the spot.

It burst into flames.

But soon, the rain extinguished the fire.

Luo Qingzhou stared agape at the splintered and charred willow tree. He bit back the words he wanted to say.

The girl beside him trembled even more violently.

Luo Qingzhou did not hesitate anymore. He opened his arms and hugged her. He said softly, “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’m here…”

The girl leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. Gradually, her trembling stopped.

Luo Qingzhou hugged her with one hand and gently stroked her shoulder and smooth hair. He comforted her gently and helped her dry her stockings with the other. A strange feeling aroused within him.

The night quietly passed.

Outside, the wind howled and the thunder boomed.

On both sides of the cave, the cold wind was still howling.

The two of them leaned against each other in front of the fire. There was a rare sense of peace and coziness.

“It’s already dry. Let me help you put it on. Otherwise, your feet will freeze.”

Luo Qingzhou held her delicate and smooth feet and helped her put on her dry white stockings.

“Um, why don’t… you lie on my lap and I’ll help you dry your hair. Otherwise, you’ll fall sick tomorrow.”

It was rare that Xia Chan was behaving so gently. Upon seeing that, Luo Qingzhou no longer had any reservations or fear when talking to her.

The girl leaned into his embrace and was silent for a while. Then, she slowly bent down and obediently lay on his legs.

Her long hair fell like a waterfall.

Luo Qingzhou ran his fingers through her hair and rubbed it gently near the flames. He could not help but praise, “Your hair is so beautiful.” The girl buried her face in his leg and did not move or say a word.

She still held her sword tightly.

After a long time.

Luo Qingzhou said, “Your hair is dry now. Umm, why don’t you take off your coat too?”

The girl lay on his lap without moving or speaking.

Luo Qingzhou continued, “Miss Xia Chan…

The girl still did not move, but she slowly loosened her grip on the sword.

“Okay, then go to sleep. Sleep near the fire. Your clothes should be dry soon.” Although Luo Qingzhou’s legs were a little numb, he did not move.

One of them was sitting while the other lay on his tummy. None of them spoke.

The storm finally stopped in the middle of the night.

However, the wind was still bone-chilling cold.

Snow was falling soundlessly outside.

Luo Qingzhou was not sleepy at all. His legs were very numb from the pressure, but he could not bear to disturb the girl who seemed to have fallen asleep on his lap.

He slowly lay back and looked at the dark ceiling of the cave, thinking about something.

The flames of the fire gradually extinguished.

The cold wind blew in from the cave entrance, and the girl trembled again.

Luo Qingzhou sat up, took some dry firewood from the side, and filled the fire.

The flames burned the damp withered branches and emitted a pungent smoke. The wind blew it toward the two of them.

Luo Qingzhou hurriedly took off his shirt and waved the smoke above the girl’s head away. He placed one hand on the side of the girl’s face, cupping her cheek, and gently fanned it out.

The cold wind quickly blew the smoke away.

The moisture on the firewood dried up and started to burn.

Luo Qingzhou’s upper body was bare. He clenched his fists and stiffened his arms. Under the firelight, he observed his tough skin that was emitting a luster.

He looked at his left arm and then at his right arm.

After looking at his right arm, he lowered his head and looked at his chest.

He puffed out his chest and touched it. It was very firm. He pinched his flesh and flicked it. It was very tough.

He looked down at the two dots on his chest.

How was the skin and flesh over here like?

He pinched one with his fingertips, pulled it, and suddenly released it.

Whack.

Yes, it was also very resilient.

Indeed. After refining his skin and flesh, his entire body… Hmm?

He suddenly saw a pair of dark eyes staring at him quietly between his legs.

They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

Luo Qingzhou’s face heated up. He hurriedly put on his shirt and looked at the girl lying on his lap.

The girl who had been peeking at him just now buried her face in his legs again, as if she had already fallen asleep.

Luo Qingzhou could not help but say, “Miss Xia Chan, my legs are numb, can you get up first?”

The girl ignored him and continued to lie there, motionless.

Luo Qingzhou looked at the sword in her hand. He suddenly felt the urge to touch it, and he reached out his hand.

However, when he carefully stretched out his hand, the girl lying on his lap suddenly sat up as if she had eyes on her back. She held the sword in her hand tightly and looked at him coldly.

Luo Qingzhou hurriedly took the opportunity to move his numb legs. He placed his hands on the ground, bared his teeth, and stood up to get the circulation moving again in his legs.

“You weren’t asleep just now?”

Luo Qingzhou walked around for a while. After his legs gradually recovered, he sat down again and asked her.

The girl bent her legs and hugged her sword. She turned her face away and looked at the snow falling outside the cave. She ignored him, seeming to have returned to her cold and arrogant demeanor. Luo Qingzhou said, “There will be thunder later.”

The girl looked outside and still did not speak.

Luo Qingzhou filled the fire with some dry firewood and lay down. “I’ll sleep for a while. I still have something to do tomorrow. If you can’t sleep, watch the fire. If you want to sleep but find the ground uncomfortable, you can lay on me again. I’m okay with that.”

With that, he closed his eyes.

His heart was calm, and he had no thoughts or desires. Soon, he fell asleep.

The girl sat quietly for a while. When she heard his even breathing, she slowly turned around and looked at him in a daze.

After a while.

She leaned close to him again and lay gently in his arms, closing her eyes.

But she could not fall asleep.

She suddenly thought of what she had just seen. She looked up at him.

Whack.

“Huh?”

Luo Qingzhou suddenly opened his eyes and looked down. The girl was lying in his arms, sleeping soundly. She held a sword in one hand and placed the other hand on her own body obediently.

“Weird…”

Luo Qingzhou was puzzled. Could it be that he had pinched himself just now?

“Forget it. I should get back to sleep.”

Tomorrow, he still had to go to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion to gather with the other martial artists before leaving the city to do missions.

Therefore, he had to rest well.

Otherwise, if he encountered demon beasts and was slightly distracted, his life would be in danger.

Soon, he closed his eyes and fell asleep again..