She had only seen the glazed lamp “go missing” once.
It was because he had been too busy that day and left it in the room.
A cleaning disciple from Joyous Union Palace had casually moved the lamp while wiping the table.
When he returned to the room, his face went deathly pale.
Anxiety, panic—not exaggerating—despair shone in his eyes.
Only when he spotted the lamp again, lost and found, did he beam with overwhelming joy and let out a long sigh of relief.
From then on, he carried it with him day and night.
This led to another embarrassing matter for Liu Qiao’e.
Even when bathing, Mu Daoying would properly place the lamp on a nearby stool.
Liu Qiao’e, forced to peep at his bath: ……
A man’s body was so tall and straight.
Slender back, narrow waist, long legs, perky buttocks, damp black hair trailing down the groove of his spine—endlessly evocative.
She had been a proper adult woman “in life” and shared several soul-stirring, ecstasy-inducing trysts with him.
Truly ecstasy-inducing; even thinking back now made her mouth water.
This erotic scene made her cheeks burn and her mouth go dry.
Seeing such a tall, vigorous, youthful body brimming with yang energy, yet unloved, made her heart crawl with a thousand ants, restless and impatient.
Until she saw Mu Daoying suddenly hesitate, reach out his dripping hand, and adjust the lamp’s position.
Facing outward, back to him.
Liu Qiao’e: ? Why so distant all of a sudden?
As she wondered, a warm, broken gasp suddenly came from the bath barrel.
The youth suppressed a thick tide of desire.
“Ha… Lady E… Mm…”
Liu Qiao’e shrieked and floated out the window.
The next day, she did not even dare look up at Mu Daoying’s face.
But the young Daoist under the sunlight was again impeccably dressed, bright and upright as ever.
It was said that medicine and Dao shared origins; nine out of ten Daoists were physicians. He set up a free medical stall in the city for the poor.
With a healer’s heart like a parent’s, his gentle admonitions bore no trace of last night’s wild waves.
Rogue Daoist! Lecher! She spat at him, her face still hot.
In truth, this truly wronged Mu Daoying. In the past, he had been aloof and melancholic, with no heart for such things—how could he dare sully her?
But since sensing her presence, his spirits lifted, life held hope, and his spring thoughts stirred unbidden.
He even turned the lamp away in shame, fearing she would see.
Over these years, it had only happened a handful of times.
Under the sunlight, Mu Daoying’s jade-like handsome features drew many young girls to sneak peeks from the crowd.
He rented a modest little courtyard in Osmanthus Alley. Neighbor Aunt Zhao adored his bearing and kept scheming to marry her beloved daughter to him as a wife. Mu Daoying had politely refused several times, but it did not dampen her enthusiasm.
That day, as he returned home with his medicine box, Aunt Zhao came knocking with a slice of watermelon.
Mu Daoying said warmly, “Dame, thank you for your kindness, but it’s truly unnecessary.”
Aunt Zhao: “Oh, come on. Last month, Xier was sick and got better quickly thanks to the medicine you sent.”
Mu Daoying remained amiable: “Neighbors helping each other—it’s no trouble at all.”
The Xier in Aunt Zhao’s mouth was her precious daughter.
Liu Qiao’e crossed her arms, floating behind them, and sneered coldly. Mu Daoying felt a chill down his back. In the midsummer heat, a cold wind seemed to blow, making him shudder.
“…” Was it an illusion?
As soon as her daughter was mentioned, Aunt Zhao could not help probing Mu Daoying’s intentions, going on and on about her girl’s virtues.
Zhao Xier, eavesdropping by the door, blushed furiously and could no longer stand her mother’s hawking of her own wares.
In a fluster, she stomped out. “Mother, oh come on, what nonsense are you saying? Come back!”
Mu Daoying saw Zhao Xier and greeted her, “Lady Zhao.”
Zhao Xier’s face reddened further. The sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl mumbled like a mosquito, “Dao-Daoist Mu.”
She felt a bit happy inside, but seeing Mu Daoying’s calm and composed demeanor made her a bit dejected.
Daoist Mu was always so polite and distant with her—where was the sign of interest?
Her mother truly—With that thought, she tugged at Aunt Zhao’s arm.
Aunt Zhao just laughed. “The child’s grown up and shy. It’s about time to find her a match.”
Mu Daoying pretended not to catch the hint and smiled faintly. “She’s still young. Better to stay home and keep her parents company a while longer.”
This infuriated Liu Qiao’e to no end.
Pah! Old hag! Trying to steal her man?!
“This is my man! My man!” She planted her hands on her hips and floated right in front of Aunt Zhao, humming loudly in dissatisfaction.
Unfortunately, as a spirit body, no one paid her any mind. It was like punching cotton, leaving Liu Qiao’e fuming and glaring daggers at Mu Daoying too.
She could not live like this anymore. Gritting her teeth, she floated back inside.
Spotting Mu Daoying’s neatly arranged desk, in a fit of anger, she swept her hand across it.
Crash! Inkstone, brush, paper, and inkstone shattered to the floor.
Liu Qiao’e froze.
Wait—what?
She looked at her hand. Ten slender white fingers, flesh and blood—not a spirit body.
The noise inside drew the attention of those outside.
Mu Daoying paused.
Aunt Zhao’s expression changed. “Daoist Mu, did a thief break into your room?”
Mu Daoying did not think so. “I’ll go check.”
If there really was a thief, he would have noticed standing at the door.
Aunt Zhao eagerly grabbed the broom by the entrance and dragged her daughter after him.
But the moment they entered the bedroom, Mu Daoying’s face changed drastically, and he slammed the door shut!
His usual gentle aloofness—Aunt Zhao had never seen such intense emotion on his face.
“What?!” She gasped. “A real thief?”
His heart pounded wildly, his hands trembled. He struggled to say something to the Zhao mother and daughter, but his vision blackened. “Just a cat. Dame, no need to worry. The room’s a mess; I need to tidy up, so I can’t entertain you.”
With that, he darted inside and slammed the door again.
Leaving Aunt Zhao stunned in place.
Mu Daoying had no time to care about Aunt Zhao’s thoughts. He stared blankly at the woman before him.
His lips trembled, and he hoarsely uttered the two words he had recited a million times: “Qiao’e.”
A furious woman stood by the bed, stark naked from head to toe, cheeks flushed with anger, watery eyes glaring at him.
She had suddenly taken form without warning—not even clothes to wear—and was furious.
Seeing his dazed, besotted look without a shred of sense, she grew even angrier.
New grudges and old hatreds surged up together.
“Mu Daoying!”
A familiar, gritted-teeth female voice rang in his ears.
He shuddered all over, trembling uncontrollably.
“Go die!!!”
Mu Daoying trembled harder and harder, but in the end, he could not help laughing.
–
Outside the room, Aunt Zhao and her daughter stared at each other.
Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from the bedroom door—furious, a bit coquettish.
Pointing at Daoist Mu’s name and cursing him soundly.
Wasn’t he a Daoist? Aunt Zhao felt the world spin, a bit dizzy. How was there a woman’s voice inside?
Suddenly, that woman’s voice turned extremely panicked.
“Ah……let go of me!”
Mu Daoying’s voice was once again that mild and pleasant tone, but it carried an undisguisable joy and indulgence:
“Be good, put on some clothes first.”
Aunt Zhao: ??
Her vision went black.
This this this……in broad daylight……
No wonder he had no intention of marriage; there was already one hidden in the house, and in the middle of the day, without even wearing clothes!!
Aunt Zhao’s face turned entirely green. She grabbed Zhao Xier and dragged her home.
Rogue Taoist! Lewd scoundrel!
She had nearly married her daughter to this stinking rogue!
Zhao Xier: “Hey, Mom! Mom!”
Aunt Zhao covered her daughter’s ears: “Don’t listen, don’t look! You’ll go blind!”
Inside the house.
Mu Daoying scooped Liu Qiao’e up in a princess carry and carried her straight to the bed.
As he carried her, he did not forget to undo his own Daoist robe.
Liu Qiao’e’s face turned entirely green. She looked at him no differently than if he were a beast, her voice trembling and stuttering: “Y-y-you……what do you want to do? Let go of me……”
Having personally witnessed the immortal-poised, matchlessly pure Mu Daoying committing a scandal, her impression of him underwent yet another shift.
Indeed, she had rarely seen him relax before. After holding back for so many years, the moment he transformed, he wanted to do this sort of thing……
Even as the Joyous Union Old Mother, she was somewhat overwhelmed!
Moreover, those few times with him had been so intense……with that endowment of his……could her fragile little divine soul withstand it? After such a long separation and reunion, would she just be done in by him like this?
Mu Daoying had no women’s clothes at hand, so he took off his Daoist robe and wrapped it around her. Unexpectedly faced with her such intense reaction, he was also momentarily stunned, somewhat unable to process it.
Only when he saw her ears flushed completely red did he suddenly understand.
Liu Qiao’e was so ashamed her entire face was crimson; she did not dare look at him at all.
Suddenly, a young man’s light chuckle sounded by her ear. She roared in fury: “What are you laughing at?!”
“Nothing.” Mu Daoying cleared his throat. Seeing her so delicately proud, draped in his Daoist robe with her pitch-black hair atop her head.
He could no longer suppress the tide of emotions that had been building since earlier and pulled her entirely into his embrace.
Her breath was filled with the familiar scent of white sandalwood. Liu Qiao’e was so tense she did not dare move, afraid this man would commit some bestial act.
But unexpectedly, Mu Daoying merely buried his face in her neck and deeply inhaled, as if he wanted to draw her scent into the depths of his lungs.
One hand continuously caressed the center of her back, as if to engrave her warmth into his heart.
He softly sighed.
His long hair flowed like water, falling on her shoulder. It was somewhat itchy, and Liu Qiao’e uncomfortably shrank back a little, only to be insightfully drawn forward by him again.
Liu Qiao’e got angry and raised her palm to slap him.
But he caught her wrist in one grasp and pressed it to the side of his face, gently, softly nuzzling against it.
Liu Qiao’e’s fingertips twitched, brushing his dense, velvety eyelashes. Scorching tears slid down through the gaps between her fingers.
Mu Daoying smiled faintly. His tears wetted the palm of her hand as he gently said while crying: “I’m just……too happy.”
“Lady E, I missed you so much.”
Liu Qiao’e: “……?”
So he was the pure one?
And she was the pervert??
Her hand hung stiffly in midair. Ashamed of her filthy thoughts filling her mind, she could not lift her head and simply buried her face entirely in his chest.
“Me too.”