Sizzle~
A slight sound echoed at the bow of the boat, and it seemed as if there was only a small boat left in the world.
The little bird squatted behind and looked on curiously. If Ye Jingtang had just waved his hand, it definitely wouldn't have left. It was only when Ye Jingtang raised three fingers and indicated that it could eat freely for three days that the little bird was satisfied and quietly flew away from the boat.
The peerlessly beautiful ice-cold beauty sat blankly at the bow of the boat. Her white teeth had somehow been pried open, and she curled her hands in front of her in a somewhat bewildered manner.
This was probably Ye Jingtang's first passionate kiss with the girl he loved. It was a bit unrealistic to say that he could maintain absolute rationality. As he kissed, he got a bit carried away, and his hand involuntarily...
"Woo?!"
Luo Ning didn't know how much time had passed. The movement in front of her brought her back to her senses in an instant. She quickly pulled away, her face flushed red, and stared at Ye Jingtang!
Ye Jingtang sat down awkwardly, pretending that what had just happened hadn't occurred:
"Alright, let's continue. Do you still want to make the bet?"
"..."
Luo Ning stared at Ye Jingtang for a long time. Only then did the myriad emotions in her eyes subside and turn cold:
"Compose another poem now. If you can't do it, I..."
She placed her hand on the soft sword at her waist and looked at Ye Jingtang's lower body.
Ye Jingtang smiled and looked at Lady Luo, whose red lips were glistening and moist:
"So you still want to bet? If I can't compose it, you'll castrate me. But if I can compose it, what will you do?"
Luo Ning wasn't stupid. She said in a deep voice, "I don't believe that your talent for poetry is greater than your talent for martial arts. You must have come prepared and deliberately made the bet to deceive me. If you can compose another poem on the spot according to my requirements, then I'll believe you."
?
According to the requirements...
Ye Jingtang's expression froze. This time, he was truly心虚 (uneasy). In order to make Lady Luo give up on her own initiative, he leaned close to Luo Ning's ear:
"Okay. If I can compose it, you..."
The implication was probably that she would let him have an intimate moment with her, a more passionate one...
?!
Luo Ning's beautiful peach-blossom eyes widened a little, her face turned red, and she raised the soft sword at her waist.
"You shameless little rascal! How can you even say such a thing? I..."
Ye Jingtang knew that Lady Luo wouldn't agree. He shrugged as a matter of course:
"If Lady Luo doesn't dare to make the bet, that's fine. Let's call it a day. Hmm... Qingyun City isn't far away. I'll go back first. Lady Luo doesn't need to see me off..."
This move was to take the opportunity to retreat and get away before being exposed and getting beaten up.
But Luo Ning wasn't stupid either. When she saw that Ye Jingtang wanted to run away, she understood that this little rascal was truly心虚 (uneasy). She glared at him and said:
"Stop right there!"
Ye Jingtang stopped in his tracks and blinked his eyes:
"Does Lady Luo really want to make this bet with me?"
Luo Ning originally didn't dare to make the bet, but when she saw Ye Jingtang showing timidity, her courage suddenly surged. She placed the sword on Ye Jingtang's shoulder, her face as cold as ice and her tone frosty:
"Let's make the bet. If you can compose the poem according to the requirements, I'll let you have your way. If you can't, I'll castrate you!"
Ye Jingtang looked at the three-foot green sword on his shoulder:
"Well... Lady Luo definitely won't really do it. How about changing the bet? If I can't do it, I'll swim back to Qingyang City naked..."
Luo Ning could see that Ye Jingtang was admitting defeat and trying to reduce his losses. Her eyes became even more furious:
"No way!"
However, it was indeed highly unlikely that she would really castrate Ye Jingtang. After thinking about it, she changed her words:
"If you lose, you'll kowtow three times towards Tiannan right now and join the Pingtian Sect. You'll be a lowly initiate in the Pingtian Sect, the kind who fetches water and sweeps the floor, with no benefits at all. You'll be a member of the Pingtian Sect in life and a dead soul of the Pingtian Sect in death!"
"Er..."
This bet was honestly a bit hard to accept.
But Ye Jingtang had just kissed Lady Luo for a long time. He had brought this upon himself and couldn't blame anyone else. So he could only say:
"Alright. Let's bet on this. I'll join the Pingtian Sect from now on, but let's forget about the kowtowing..."
?
Luo Ning tightened the grip on her sword: "You haven't composed the poem yet, and you're already admitting defeat? I knew this little rascal was deceiving me. You..."
"Oh, right."
Ye Jingtang had actually forgotten about this. He sat up a bit straighter:
"Okay, you set the requirements, and I'll try my best to struggle on the verge of defeat."
Luo Ning could see that Ye Jingtang really didn't have the confidence. She felt a bit soft-hearted for a moment and didn't make things too difficult for him. She just gave a relatively simple topic:
"Compose a poem with the river water and the moon as the themes. If you can do it, I'll believe you."
River water, moon...
Ye Jingtang blinked his eyes—is she deliberately giving me an easy task?
Ye Jingtang's confidence immediately returned. He sat up a bit straighter:
"Well... I moored my boat by misty islets at nightfall; A traveler's sadness grew with the coming night. The wilderness was vast, the sky seemed lower than the trees; The river was clear, and the moon appeared close to people. How is it?"
Luo Ning's cold expression froze. Her red lips parted slightly, and she stared at Ye Jingtang in disbelief.
Ye Jingtang wanted to laugh a bit but didn't dare. He coughed lightly and sat a bit closer:
"Lady Luo, you set such an easy topic. I really feel a bit like I'm winning without much effort. Sigh... Look at how things are now. I'm a bit embarrassed..."
"..."
Luo Ning clenched her silver teeth tightly. After the initial shock, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes gradually became misty, just like an innocent female swordsman who had been deceived by a playboy.
After staring at Ye Jingtang for a moment, Luo Ning angrily threw the long sword aside, raised her hand to undo the buttons of her collar. It looked like she had really been bullied to the point of crying.
When Ye Jingtang saw that something was wrong, he quickly held Luo Ning's hand:
"No need, no need. I was just joking. How could I force you if you're not willing..."
"Take your hand away!"
Luo Ning's words were filled with a sobbing tone and a tremor. She stubbornly undid the collar, shedding tears as she did so and sobbing twice.
Ye Jingtang raised his hand to pull up the collar:
"Alright, alright. We were just sitting together chatting and joking. It's not fun if you really cry. Let's change the condition. I also changed the bet just now. It's only reasonable for you to change one too without breaking the bet."
"..."
Luo Ning had tears in her eyes and sobbed twice but didn't say anything. However, she stopped undoing the collar.
Ye Jingtang thought about it seriously: "Well... How about changing it to Lady Luo letting me kiss you once a day from now on? What do you think?"
Luo Ning's lips moved, and it seemed that she didn't want to agree.
"Just a hug every day is okay, right? If not, forget it. I'll just pretend that what just happened didn't exist."
This time, Luo Ning's eyes softened a bit, and it seemed that she could barely accept it.
Ye Jingtang extended his little finger and put it in Luo Ning's hand, hooking their fingers together:
"It's a deal! A hug every day from now on. Lady Luo can't refuse, can't call me lecherous, and can't be angry or cry."
Luo Ning didn't move her finger, but it was still hooked. Then she raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, stood up, and said:
"Qingyang City is here. You can go on your own. Yunli is still waiting for me. I'm leaving."
Ye Jingtang stood up and watched her go: "Shall I wait for you and Yunli at the dock tomorrow?"
Luo Ning didn't say anything. She jumped off the bow of the boat, lightly tapped the sparkling river surface with her toes, and gradually drifted away...