Chapter 22: Sudden Incident.
Li Tianxing sat cross-legged by the campfire, seemingly meditating with closed eyes, but his eyelids were slightly parted, his gaze resting on the girl beside him.
The girl’s brows were tightly furrowed, her delicate face flickering with a whirlwind of emotions—gritting her teeth one moment, then staring blankly into space the next.
Xie Qiyang irritably lifted her gaze, only to be stunned—the spot by the campfire was empty.
Li Tianxing had somehow returned to the tent without her noticing… and even lay down?!
“You… you’re going to sleep?” she blurted out instinctively.
From inside the tent came Li Tianxing’s lazy reply: “Mm. What, you want to join me?”
“No, no, no!” Xie Qiyang waved her hands frantically. “I’ll keep watch tonight.” As a cultivator in the Qi Drawing Realm, staying up for a few nights was no big deal.
Li Tianxing seemed to have asked casually, not pressing the matter, leaving only a long yawn before the tent fell silent.
A night alone was always a time for melancholy. Xie Qiyang buried her head deep into her knees, her unfocused gaze fixed on the black sea undulating under the moonlight.
Her thoughts crossed time and space, racing toward that distant yet familiar hometown.
“This lousy place… I don’t want to stay here even one more day…” she murmured under her breath, her voice thick with a nasal tone. “I miss my fried chicken and ice-cold cola… I miss my phone and computer… I miss my adult games… ugh… I didn’t even get to clear my browser history…”
Since I’ve transmigrated, what’s become everything familiar in my old world?
The night deepened, and the sea breeze, carrying a biting chill, pierced through her thin clothes.
The campfire’s lingering warmth had long faded, leaving only the monotonous sound of waves crashing against the shore, washing over the silence again and again.
So cold…
A bone-deep chill, rising from the depths of her marrow, quietly spread through her limbs, raging wildly.
Xie Qiyang couldn’t help but rub her icy, stiff fingers, trying to draw out a sliver of warmth.
It’s hard to imagine… how did the original owner endure this bone-chilling cold day after day since childhood?
An uncontrollable thought sprouted in her numb, freezing mind: Go inside… go into the tent… there’s a… heat source…
But her body seemed nailed to the spot, unmoving.
“No way… absolutely not!” She bit her tongue hard, using the pain to clear her mind a little. “If the original owner could endure it… why can’t I? I can’t rely on him… absolutely not…”
However, without the solar essence suppressing it, the lunar chill was like a wild horse broken free, rampaging through her meridians, recklessly stealing what little warmth remained in her body.
Her vision began to blur, her thoughts growing thick and heavy, as if filled with lead.
In the end, just before her consciousness sank completely into darkness, one absurd, desperate thought lingered in her mind:
“No way… am I… about to reach the grand finale?”
The faint light of dawn filtered through the gaps in the hide tent, casting a gentle glow.
Xie Qiyang slowly stirred awake, enveloped in a long-lost, warm, and utterly comfortable sensation.
Her consciousness wasn’t fully clear yet, but she felt surrounded by a soothing warmth that made her feel safe.
The warmth seeped into every cold cell of her body, so comfortable that she instinctively wanted to stretch her limbs and let out a satisfied moan.
But the next second, the clear sensation of her body snapped her fully awake, her body stiffening.
She… how was she… half-sprawled across Li Tianxing’s chest?!
Even worse—her legs.
Her calf was brazenly draped across Li Tianxing’s lean, muscular waist.
And her other foot… that jade-white bare foot was shamelessly resting right on his scorching, solid abs.
The sole of her foot clearly felt the startling heat of his skin, making her inwardly scream this is bad.
The girl’s entire face flushed red, even her delicate earlobes and slender neck tinged with an alluring crimson.
What… what happened to me last night?
How… how did I end up like this?!
When did I come in here? And with such… terrible sleeping posture?! This position… it’s practically like she threw herself into his arms, desperate to cling to him.
The overwhelming embarrassment made her wish she could evaporate on the spot or find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
She held her breath, her fingertips too stiff to bend, every muscle in her body tensed, afraid of making the slightest movement.
If he wakes up and sees me like this, looking like an “octopus”…
The foot draped over his leg, even its glossy toes curled up in extreme embarrassment, the arch of her foot taut.
Time seemed to freeze. Every second stretched infinitely. She maintained this awkward, overly intimate position, not daring to move an inch.
The light in the tent grew brighter, clearly outlining their entwined silhouettes.
The girl held her breath, summoning every ounce of control she had, trying to—ever so slowly, ever so carefully—lift that “culprit” foot off his scorching abs first.
The skin of her toes had just parted from his abdomen.
“Mmm…”
From above her head came a low, husky hum, thick with sleep, without any warning!
Xie Qiyang was so startled her soul nearly left her body, her entire frame freezing, even her breathing halting.
He’s awake?!
In a flash, she reacted instinctively—clamping her eyes shut, pretending to sleep. Even her eyelashes didn’t dare quiver. She looked utterly, deeply asleep.
Suddenly, the hand that had been loosely resting behind her slender waist, barely noticeable, moved.
It tightened naturally, instantly pulling her fleeing body back, pressing her even closer, more firmly against his solid, warm chest! Closer than before.
Xie Qiyang: “!!!”
Huh?! He’s not awake? Wait, how did I even get in here? Wasn’t I supposed to be keeping watch?
The girl was filled with shock and doubt, her heart pounding. Mustering every bit of courage, she tried again—this time, even the leg draped across his waist attempted to slowly slide down.
Her knee had just shifted an inch—
“Tch…”
That familiar voice, laced with a touch of morning grumpiness.
“Stop moving.”
Xie Qiyang turned to stone, even her eyelashes frozen.
He’s awake! He was awake all along, and that tightening just now was definitely on purpose.
And he must have been the one who brought her in here! Back then…
Xie Qiyang’s confidence faltered as she thought about it. Back then… she wasn’t exactly in great shape, was she…
Her last shred of consciousness was wondering if she was about to meet her “grand finale.” It was probably this guy who saved her.
Xie Qiyang felt a bit embarrassed. How come this Lunar Sacred Body didn’t feel like it strengthened anything, but its side effects were endless?
She gave up struggling, lying quietly to wait for Li Tianxing to wake up. Fine, fine—he saved her life, after all. And… being by his side did feel pretty comfortable.
This long-lost warmth made her feel unexpectedly at ease.