Volume 3, Chapter 211 – Can You Turn Around?

“Hm?” Chi Xiyan’s brows furrowed slightly.

This girl had refused too hastily.

From her words, Chi Xiyan seemed to detect a hint of panic.

Was this girl… nervous?

“Sister, just stay behind me!” Lu Zhuxin quickly said, “N, no need to go through all that trouble!”

“But…” Chi Xiyan looked at Lu Zhuxin’s back, pondering quietly. “Like this, I can’t see the garment’s ties. I might accidentally touch places on your body I shouldn’t.”

“It’s fine, Sister. I won’t mind,” Lu Zhuxin continued. “We’re both women, what places could there be that can’t be touched? Sister, just try like this…”

Chi Xiyan’s brows remained furrowed. She vaguely felt something was off.

Yu Lizhi hadn’t avoided facing Chi Xiyan directly before, had she?

In fact, last night Yu Lizhi had even actively invited her.

Why had her attitude suddenly changed now?

Was it just because Chi Xiyan had accidentally squeezed her?

Was it really only that?

Chi Xiyan couldn’t understand.

Could it be…?!

Chi Xiyan came back to her senses slightly, narrowing her eyes as she prepared to say, “Zhizhi, actually I think…”

“Sister, why are you so nervous?” Lu Zhuxin interrupted her.

“Me? Nervous?” Chi Xiyan’s face showed bewilderment. “What… what would I be nervous about?”

“I can sense it. You’re a bit nervous, Sister,” Lu Zhuxin paused in her words, then said solemnly, “Sister, I’m just an ordinary girl.”

“Not some terrible monster.”

“Sister, what exactly are you nervous about?”

“Last night when you applied medicine for me, you weren’t this flustered.”

“Sister, you… don’t prefer women, do you?”

Lu Zhuxin’s counter-question made Chi Xiyan freeze.

Was she acting very nervous?

She was indeed somewhat nervous—not entirely because of her cleanliness obsession.

But was it really only because Yu Lizhi liked women that she was this nervous?

Chi Xiyan couldn’t quite figure it out herself.

Did she prefer women? That was even more impossible.

Moreover, were her actions that obvious?

This girl Yu Lizhi clearly hadn’t turned to look at her, yet she could still notice her nervousness?

“Zhizhi… it’s just that this is my first time doing something like this, so I’m not quite sure how to proceed,” Chi Xiyan said.

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“Sister,” Lu Zhuxin said, “it’s fine. Just follow your usual approach.”

“Mm…” Chi Xiyan gave a simple acknowledgment. She pushed down the stray thoughts in her mind.

Her fingertips rubbed together slightly. They still seemed to retain that strange, soft sensation.

Chi Xiyan’s brows drew together slightly as she cleared that touch from her memory.

She couldn’t possibly like women. Those words she’d just spoken, those actions she’d taken, were only to test whether Yu Lizhi truly harbored improper thoughts toward her.

Chi Xiyan said, “Then I’ll… continue…”

Only after receiving a response did Lu Zhuxin breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Lu Zhuxin had acted a bit too urgently just now, which could easily make Chi Xiyan notice something abnormal. Fortunately, she’d reacted in time and directly seized the initiative to muddle through.

The current situation was still going fairly smoothly for her.

Chi Xiyan picked up the undergarment she’d released earlier. Looking at the girl’s obedient back, her eyes grew solemn.

Her earlier mistake stemmed entirely from overthinking, which led to such an awkward situation.

Now that she’d regathered herself, she wouldn’t make such an embarrassing blunder again.

With this thought, Chi Xiyan held the undergarment and then shifted her position, slowly moving behind Lu Zhuxin.

She gathered her courage, her arms directly reaching around Lu Zhuxin’s sides, crossing in front of her.

“Eh…!” Lu Zhuxin’s expression immediately froze.

She felt herself completely enveloped by a warm embrace.

Chi Xiyan’s chest was pressing tightly against Lu Zhuxin’s back.

Though she was wearing clothes, of course.

However, helping someone dress was inherently a very intimate act.

For normal young ladies from prestigious families, such tasks were done by their personal maids.

As for cultivators, naturally there were all sorts of convenient spells or tools.

High-level cultivators generally didn’t need to change clothes. For some cultivators, clothing itself could even be replaced with magical treasures.

So it was understandable that Chi Xiyan hadn’t initially realized how intimate this act was.

Now the arrow was already on the string and had to be released, she could only steel herself and continue.

Perhaps Yu Lizhi was right. She’d been too concerned about the fact that Yu Lizhi liked women.

She was the one initiating the test; she should be the one holding the power. She shouldn’t be timid and hesitant because of this.

After clarifying this point in her mind, Chi Xiyan directly pressed forward with determination.

After intimately pressing against the girl’s back, her hands in front indeed gained more control space. This would make her movements more convenient.

However, this also drew Chi Xiyan and the girl extremely close.

Her cheek rested beside Lu Zhuxin’s face.

With just the slightest breath, that rich, fragrant scent would continuously flood into her nostrils.

Chi Xiyan inconspicuously took a few light sniffs, thinking to herself, ‘So fragrant…’

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A fox demon’s pheromones could stir a person’s most primal desires, and this effect was especially pronounced on sword cultivators.

However, this function could actually be controlled.

With just light control of the dosage, it wouldn’t produce that effect. It could even be used as ordinary incense.

“Sister… what are you doing? It tickles,” Lu Zhuxin shrank her neck.

She shifted her body slightly, her jade-like legs slowly drawing together.

One small hand quietly moved downward, inconspicuously covering herself.

Chi Xiyan, her attention drawn by the girl’s body fragrance, didn’t notice Lu Zhuxin’s small movement.

However, she faintly sensed something off.

She was a pharmacist, more sensitive to scents than ordinary cultivators.

Apart from the medicinal fragrance she’d just applied, only Yu Lizhi’s body had this unusually alluring body scent.

Yet somehow, Chi Xiyan vaguely felt that this alluring body fragrance had just grown slightly more intense.

Though the change was subtle, it couldn’t escape Chi Xiyan’s perception.

So this girl’s body scent wasn’t unchanging.

Rather, it would change according to some action of hers?

Normally, because clothing provided covering, it was understandable that the body scent’s intensity might vary.

But right now, Yu Zhizhi wore not a thread. There was nothing blocking the scent from her body. Logically, there shouldn’t be any changes.

Then why was the fragrance from her body changing?

Where exactly was this scent emanating from?

Chi Xiyan shifted her gaze to the girl’s profile.

The girl’s skin was fair with a healthy flush.

Her complexion was rosy, her breathing steady, her heartbeat normal, and no fine perspiration showed on her forehead.

This indicated the girl’s body was healthy.

It also indicated the girl’s consciousness was calm.

High-level cultivators could control their internal breath, heartbeat, and even blood flow.

Feigning arousal or pretending calm weren’t particularly difficult tasks.

Yu Lizhi was an ordinary person. She had no cultivation and no spiritual energy. She couldn’t do such things.

In that case, the panic Chi Xiyan had just sensed must have been merely her imagination.

However, one more point made Chi Xiyan feel increasingly off.

Those born with body fragrance were commonly recorded in ancient texts.

And this alluring body scent generally emanated from a maiden’s skin, with the actual source of the fragrance being… perspiration.

Precisely because of this, the change in fragrance Chi Xiyan had just detected became even more inexplicable.

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“Sister, why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Lu Zhuxin tilted her head slightly. Using her peripheral vision, she saw Chi Xiyan staring at her cheek with an inscrutable gaze.

“Ahem… of course I’m looking at our Zhizhi,” Chi Xiyan cleared her throat, then continued, “Our Zhizhi is so beautiful. I wonder which young master will be fortunate enough to win her in the future.”

As she spoke, Chi Xiyan moved her gaze from Lu Zhuxin’s profile.

Her chest rested softly against Lu Zhuxin’s body, her exhaled warmth gently brushing Lu Zhuxin’s neck.

Hot and ticklish.

A wave of heat seemed to rise along her ear.

“Sister is so fond of joking,” Lu Zhuxin turned her head back to face forward, naturally continuing the conversation. “I’ve already had someone I liked, but all it brought me was wounds all over…”

The sword cultivator’s mark on her neck once again surged with waves of coldness, washing over Lu Zhuxin’s mind and body.

Just this level of stimulation wouldn’t make her lose composure again.

“Sister…” Lu Zhuxin paused in her words. “Have you ever had someone you liked?”

She redirected the conversation, bringing the topic back to Chi Xiyan.

Fabricated things weren’t real after all. Speaking in too much detail risked exposing flaws.

Moreover, she needed to avoid having Chi Xiyan constantly focus her attention on her.

“Zhizhi, you’ve already asked this question,” Chi Xiyan answered. “I’m already engaged. My betrothed is of noble status and exceptional talent, truly outstanding among people.”

Chi Xiyan’s gaze slowly moved down along Lu Zhuxin’s collarbone.

“Sister, it’s not the same,” Lu Zhuxin shifted slightly to the side, crossing her legs.

“I didn’t ask about your betrothed. I’m asking whether you’ve had someone you liked?”

“Why ask this?” Chi Xiyan’s hands came together at Lu Zhuxin’s waist, tying the undergarment’s ribbons for her.

With the undergarment’s covering, Chi Xiyan no longer had to worry about seeing those delicate, tempting cherries atop the exquisite snowy peaks.

Though these were things she herself possessed, whenever Chi Xiyan recalled the temperature and sensation of that squeeze between her fingers, her heart always felt somewhat strange.

“This question is meaningless,” Chi Xiyan said. “Children of prestigious families generally don’t have the freedom to choose their own lovers.”

“I am the eldest young lady of the Chi family. My betrothed can only be chosen for whoever benefits the Chi family most.”

“To merchants, an engagement is merely a transaction… what does liking or not liking have to do with it?”

As she spoke, Chi Xiyan took another layer of clothing. She gently grasped Lu Zhuxin’s hand, helping her into the sleeves.

The girl’s obedient appearance made Chi Xiyan feel she was like a beautiful dress-up doll.

While dressing her, Chi Xiyan’s fingertips inadvertently slid across the girl’s snow-tender skin.

That smooth sensation was captivating.

This girl’s skin was so moist and delicate it didn’t seem like that of a farm girl at all.

No wonder Lin Xiu never believed Yu Lizhi’s identity.

However, the personal maids of some great family young ladies, benefiting from their mistresses’ favor, could also be raised to such a fresh appearance.

Chi Xiyan found nothing strange about this.

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And when her fingertips lightly touched Lu Zhuxin’s skin, Chi Xiyan kept her attention focused on Lu Zhuxin.

Though alchemists weren’t physicians in the truest sense, having studied medical principles, she had her own methods for detecting lies.

Right now, she could also use this to verify her earlier speculation.

Though this girl had inconspicuously redirected the topic, Chi Xiyan naturally still remembered her purpose here.

However, what surprised her was that even facing such inadvertent intimate contact, this girl showed no particular reaction.

No shyness, no instinctive avoidance.

This girl naturally and calmly accepted Chi Xiyan’s service.

Earlier, the only time this girl had shown any loss of composure was when Chi Xiyan accidentally squeezed where she shouldn’t have.

But even Chi Xiyan herself would show the same reaction as Yu Lizhi if someone touched her there.

It was a very normal, natural reaction. Nothing strange about it.

So Chi Xiyan’s earlier speculation still couldn’t be verified.

In doubtful cases, assume innocence.

Perhaps she really was just overthinking?

“Sister,” Lu Zhuxin said, “marriage concerns a girl’s entire life. Why do you confine yourself to this cage instead of pursuing the freedom and happiness that should be yours?”

“I’ve explained this before too,” Chi Xiyan said. “Zhizhi, I have my own goals and aspirations. Before achieving them, I have no leisure to seek those ethereal, difficult-to-grasp things.”

Words alone are hard to use to convince this girl, Lu Zhuxin thought.

Still, she stubbornly continued, “Sister, is that goal really so important to you? Is a goal someone else imposed on you really worth sacrificing everything for?”

Chi Xiyan’s brows drew together slightly. “Zhizhi, if it were you, would you give up your mother’s blood vengeance for a so-called good match?”

Lu Zhuxin found herself at a loss for words.

This question she truly had no way to answer.

If she answered yes, she would contradict the persona she’d been cultivating in front of Chi Xiyan all along.

Heh… what a troublesome girl.

“Sister… I’m sorry,” Lu Zhuxin lowered her head slightly. “I asked the wrong question. I shouldn’t have dismissed your goal.”

“It’s fine,” Chi Xiyan said. “You’ve experienced too little, so your thinking is rather simple. Just don’t ask such questions in the future.”

“Mm…” Lu Zhuxin nodded obediently.

At this moment, Chi Xiyan took a skirt.

She gently spread the skirt with one hand, her gaze turning meaningfully toward Lu Zhuxin.

“Zhizhi, now I need to help you put on the skirt.”

“Can you…”

“Turn around?”

Lu Zhuxin’s legs instinctively clamped tightly together.