novelnext Chapter 464 450: Lu Ruoxi, Yearning to Be Commanded and Treated Roughly by Her Junior Brother
Chapter 464 450: Lu Ruoxi, Yearning to Be Commanded and Treated Roughly by Her Junior Brother
"Oh, I see. Has Junior Sister Ye gone into seclusion?"
"Yes. That's why I'm the only one visiting you today, Senior Sister."
In the small pavilion, the senior sister and junior brother sat opposite one another, both a little awkward.
Perhaps knowing that Junior Brother Pei had been put off by the tea she'd brewed for him before, Lu Ruoxi didn't prepare any this time. Instead, she had set out a platter of exquisite Spirit Fruits.
Lu Ruoxi watched as Pei Yuhang accepted the large purple grape she offered, placing it in his mouth instead of refusing it like he had the tea last time.
When she saw the subtle bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed the fruit's pulp, a soft glint of relief flickered in Lu Ruoxi's eyes, and even her breathing grew a little lighter.
'This is the first step toward atoning for what I've done to my junior brother.'
Lu Ruoxi recited silently in her heart, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
"Junior Brother Pei, about Huang Wanshi... I know what happened... Thank you for taking action on my behalf..."
Lu Ruoxi's voice was gentle, carrying a faint, fawning quality that could make any hero's knees weak, but Pei Yuhang merely shook his head, his expression serene.
"There's no need for that, Senior Sister. I only acted against that woman for my own sake."
Although Lu Ruoxi had expected this response, a flash of disappointment still crossed her eyes when she actually heard it.
She moved her full, glistening lips, momentarily unsure of what else to talk about.
She now felt extremely awkward and inferior in front of Pei Yuhang. She was no longer the bold, confident woman who could bring up any topic to tease her junior brother.
The last time, Junior Sister Ye had been there, so Lu Ruoxi hadn't felt this much pressure. Now, facing Pei Yuhang alone, she felt suffocated by it.
Lu Ruoxi nervously bit her lower lip and sat up as straight as she could, wanting to give her junior brother a good impression—to show him that she had turned over a new leaf and was no longer the wicked woman who had tried to seduce him.
Her full, slender legs were pressed tightly together, and her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the hem of her skirt, leaving a trail of tiny creases.
Every so often, she would raise her eyes to look at her junior brother, her gaze no longer holding the flirtatious charm of before, but instead filled with cautious apprehension.
Silence spread through the pavilion; even the wind seemed to stand still.
After a long while, she took a deep breath, forced herself to lift her head, and managed a faint smile. "Junior Brother, I plan to get myself back in order after a bit more adjustment and then resume my position as an Elder of the Dan Yun Pavilion."
"By then, I'll be able to help you with many things, Junior Brother."
"In that case, I congratulate you in advance, Senior Sister."
His tone was still perfectly calm.
Lu Ruoxi lowered her head as a lock of black hair slipped from behind her ear, hiding the redness in the corners of her eyes. Her slender fingers twisted together so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
There was no blame in Pei Yuhang's words, nor any other emotion. This made Lu Ruoxi feel as though, in his heart, she had become someone insignificant.
'No, I don't want this!'
'Even if Junior Brother Pei scolds me, or beats and curses me!'
'I don't want to become someone he doesn't care about!'
Lu Ruoxi leaned forward eagerly, her pale fingers unconsciously gripping her sleeves. "Junior Brother Pei... D-do you need my help with anything right now?"
Her voice held a slight sob, and her eyes shimmered like peach blossoms dampened by rain.
Although she meant to offer Pei Yuhang her help, it looked instead like she was begging for his.
The Cyan-skirted Fairy's gaze was filled with humble begging, as if she would brave any danger to atone for her mistakes if Pei Yuhang just said the word.
Pei Yuhang sighed softly, a trace of weariness appearing between his brows.
He lowered his gaze, looking like a benevolent, otherworldly Immortal:
"Senior Sister, please don't be like this..."
Lu Ruoxi trembled at his words and suddenly reached out to grab his wrist.
Her slender fingertips were icy and trembling, her nails almost digging into his skin:
"Junior Brother, don't despise me—I can help you! I promise I won't bully you like I did before. Please, believe me!"
Lu Ruoxi's voice trembled, and a film of mist quickly welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.
Pei Yuhang slowly shook his head, his gaze falling on her hand gripping his.
"Senior Sister, don't be like this."
Lu Ruoxi just shook her head, repeating insistently:
"Junior Brother, don't despise me..."
Pei Yuhang hesitated for a moment before gently taking hold of the small hand that was clutching his wrist.
"Senior Sister, I don't despise you... I just hope we can return to the normal relationship we had before."
He paused, then added, "Even if I needed your help, Senior Sister, I wouldn't want you to face me with such a subservient attitude."
Lu Ruoxi's tears finally broke free, streaming down her pale cheeks.
She bit down hard on her lower lip until it turned white, leaving deep teeth marks.
Pei Yuhang reached out as if to wipe her tears, but his hand stopped mid-air, and he eventually withdrew it. "Senior Sister, I don't need you to compensate me. As for what happened before, let's just let it go."
"I can't let it go! It can't be let go!"
Lu Ruoxi's voice suddenly rose, echoing in the pavilion.
Her chest heaved, the knuckles of the hand clutching his sleeve were white, and her entire body trembled slightly.
The Cyan-skirted Fairy gave a wretched smile, her vision blurred by tears:
"What I did to you... you remember it, and I remember it."
"How could you possibly forget the terrible things I did to you just because you say to let it go... You must hold a grudge against me in your heart!"
As if grasping at a final straw, Lu Ruoxi rose only to collapse onto Pei Yuhang's lap, murmuring:
"This is the only way... Let me compensate you, serve you like a slave girl. Only then will I feel a little better."
"Even if you insult me or treat me as brutally as you want, I would feel it's what I deserve. I deserve to be insulted and cursed by you, Junior Brother."
Lu Ruoxi looked up, her expression pitifully endearing. Combined with her alluring, husky voice and the words she spoke, even with Pei Yuhang's firm resolve, he felt a dark flame surge in his chest.
It was as if he was truly being tempted by his senior sister to curse her.
'If he could just slap her full figure and watch her cry out...'
Pei Yuhang drew in a sharp, cold breath and quickly recited the Calm Heart Technique to steady his mind.
'Dammit, my Dao Heart almost wavered!'
'It's one thing for Senior Sister to awaken some strange proclivities, but she can't be allowed to lead me astray too.'
'When Liyuan comes out of seclusion and finds that I've become strange, what if I frighten her!'
Pei Yuhang's eyes regained their clarity. He calmly helped Lu Ruoxi's soft, delicate body up and said:
"Senior Sister, let's forget about the beatings and curses. But since you're so insistent on doing something for me... there is actually one thing I need to ask of you."
Lu Ruoxi wiped her eyes and said softly, "What are you saying, Junior Brother? If you need me to do something, just order me. Don't use polite words like 'ask'."
"Whatever you need from me, just give your orders directly to Ruo Xi~"
As she spoke, Lu Ruoxi bowed to Pei Yuhang like a handmaiden. Her full, exquisite figure, wrapped in the cyan skirt, no longer projected the untouchable, otherworldly aura of a Fairy. Instead, it stirred wicked thoughts of becoming her master...