Chapter 16 Little Azure Dragon’s Tail

The night was murky and heavy, dark clouds veiling the moon.

Sang Ying couldn’t catch her breath, her consciousness muddled by the kiss.

A drop of cool rain splashed through the window lattice onto her face, jolting her awake. Suddenly realizing what was happening, she pushed him away with force.

What was she doing?

Even if this was an illusionary realm, she… she shouldn’t be doing this. He already had someone he liked, yet here she was in this illusion, fantasizing about kissing him. This kind of behavior… was disgusting.

If Xie Lingyu found out, he would only dislike her even more.

Leaning against the headboard, Sang Ying gasped for air, her cheeks still flushed and damp, but her clear eyes dimmed, filled with self-loathing.

Xie Lingyu was abruptly pushed away, the out-of-control actions of his Tide Heat Period interrupted, bringing him back to his senses.

Only then did he realize what he had done. He suddenly lifted his lashes and saw the disgust in the girl’s eyes, causing his restless blood to freeze.

But the girl didn’t say anything, not even looking at him. Instead, she slumped into the bed, pulling out a pillow to lean against.

Her breathing was still unsteady, her lips glistening and flushed. She scrunched up her little face, pounding the pillow while muttering something under her breath.

“…Damn illusionary realm.”

Whether it was relief or something else, Xie Lingyu remained quiet for a few seconds before half-crouching to look at her, his tone as calm and detached as usual. “Junior Sister.”

Sang Ying slowly lifted her head, revealing only her eyes, which met his dark gaze.

The familiar feeling returned—this was the Xie Lingyu of everyday life.

Now that Xie Lingyu before her had returned to normal, Sang Ying should have felt relieved. But the moment she saw him, she remembered that damp, fierce kiss. Her ears, hidden beneath her dark hair, grew even redder, and she buried her face back into the pillow.

She spoke stiffly, “You’re filthy, you smell awful. Go wash up!”

“Alright.”

The youth responded and turned to leave.

Sang Ying’s mind was a tangled mess. Her fingertips brushed her lips, the sensation still lingering there.

Soft, fragrant lips that had pressed against hers, even slipping inside to entwine with her tongue in a gentle, lingering way… The more she thought about it, the hotter her ears grew, and she buried her head deeper into the pillow, refusing to come out.

But after she pushed him away, he had returned to normal, becoming the usual Xie Lingyu. So, it really was the kiss she wanted, wasn’t it?

The sound of water reached her ears. Sang Ying lifted her head to look. While she had been lost in thought, the room had been tidied up, with not a trace of blood left in the corner.

Behind the screen, the faint silhouette of the youth was visible, accompanied by the sound of water—clearly, he was bathing.

…Couldn’t he have gone to another room to bathe?!

Wait, Sang Ying pondered. Could this also be what she wanted? Did she want to see Xie Lingyu bathing, so the illusionary realm arranged it for her?

Sang Ying covered her face. That time years ago, she really had seen it by accident—she didn’t have such a habit!

Through the gaps between her fingers, she caught a glimpse of a long shadow. Startled, she lowered her hands and saw a swiftly passing silhouette on the screen.

It wasn’t a human arm but something rather long… She realized—it was his tail?

She knew Xie Lingyu was a Demon Cultivator, his true form being Qinglong.

But she had never seen his original form, only catching a glimpse of his tail once when she found him at the age of twelve.

At that time, he was only fifteen years old, still a youth. The little azure dragon’s tail drooped listlessly behind him, and a pair of small dragon horns, like azure jade, stood upright on his forehead. She only caught a glimpse for a few seconds before they vanished.

After that, Xie Lingyu never revealed his true form again.

The sound of trickling water echoed in the room, unsettling Sang Ying’s thoughts.

How infuriating… She really wanted to see the dragon tail. Transforming into a little azure dragon to bathe in her room—wasn’t this just tempting her to commit a crime!

Sang Ying wrestled with her inner turmoil, struggling.

…Would it really be wrong to just take a look at the tail? Besides this illusionary realm, she might never have another chance to see it. She’d just take one glance, sneak a peek while passing by, and then leave.

Sang Ying put down the cushion, pretending to fetch water as she approached the screen. She poured a cup of tea and slowly shuffled closer.

Her field of vision gradually widened—the floor, the bathtub, the water, and a flash of azure-gold came into view. Her eyelashes fluttered. It was the little azure dragon’s tail!

She only caught a glimpse—a long dragon tail resting on the edge of the bathtub, its beautiful azure scales glistening with sparkling water droplets. A golden ring encircled the tip, and a few tufts of fluffy white fur swayed gently at the very end.

…So adorable!

Sang Ying’s gaze fixated on the tuft of white fur at the tail’s tip. Suddenly, the screen was pulled aside, startling her. Her hand holding the tea trembled violently.

A cool sensation enveloped her wrist—icy, slender fingers clasped her wrist, steadying the cup of hot tea.

Before her, the young man leaned halfway against the bathtub, his inner robe soaked and clinging to his body, maintaining his original posture. A pair of azure jade dragon horns on his forehead accentuated his refined, pale complexion, delicate yet strikingly beautiful.

His expression was calm and indifferent as he looked at her.

“What is Junior Sister doing?”

But Sang Ying’s attention was entirely focused on the dragon tail emerging from the water—its scales were magnificent and eerie, giving off an unreal, dreamlike sensation.

Though the young man’s expression was cold, the tufts of white fur at the tip of his tail swayed leisurely. This subtle incongruity made it impossible for Sang Ying to look away.

Xie Lingyu had long noticed the girl’s furtive movements and the occasional glances she cast his way.

Perhaps she was up to something again, but he paid it no mind. Knowing she wouldn’t approach, he immersed himself in the icy water, calming his restless blood.

This Tide Heat Period felt somewhat different from before—his dragon horns and tail had emerged uncontrollably. He closed his eyes, doing his utmost to suppress them.

When he regained his senses, he found the girl standing at the corner of the screen, her gaze fixed on… his tail.

A few years ago, when she had sneaked down the mountain to pick up Lengmian, she had encountered a not-so-powerful malevolent demon. By the time he found her, the demon had already been reduced to ashes by her Five Thunder Talisman.

But she seemed deeply frightened. For the first time, the self-proclaimed boss of Minghua Mountain disregarded her image and hid behind him, crying while expressing disgust, “The demon’s tail is so disgusting.”

Since then, he had made sure never to reveal his true form in front of her.

Demon cultivators are naturally adept at cultivating and fighting in their true forms, yet even in the fiercest battles, he only used his sword.

Noticing her gaze, Xie Lingyu instinctively wanted to hide his dragon tail. But he saw no trace of disgust or fear in the girl’s eyes—instead, there was… curiosity?

She stared unblinkingly at the tip of his tail resting on the bathtub, her clear, bright eyes blinking as if she had discovered something novel.

After a moment’s thought, he raised his hand and pulled aside the screen.

The girl was indeed startled, revealing a guilty expression, but her attention quickly refocused on his tail.

He tried flicking the tip of his tail, and unexpectedly saw her eyes follow the movement, growing even brighter.

“Junior Sister?”

Sang Ying heard his voice again and finally snapped back to reality, shifting her gaze away from the dragon tail. Remembering how she had been staring at his tail, her expression turned slightly awkward.

“I was just… a little thirsty, pouring some tea to drink,” she pointed to the cup in her hand.

The young man’s gaze shifted from her hand to her face, his tone indifferent. “Then why were you staring at me, Junior Sister?”

Sang Ying thought, since this was just an illusion and not the real person, she brushed off the awkwardness and spoke with confidence. “I’ve never seen it before. Can’t I take a look?”

With a splash of water, the young man before her stood up.

His crimson inner robe, completely soaked, clung tightly to his body. The thin, translucent fabric hung loosely, revealing his pale collarbone and chest, with droplets of water trickling down.

Further down, his firm waist and abdomen pressed against the fabric, while the dragon tail drooped listlessly behind him, its scales glistening with water droplets.

Sang Ying was stunned for a moment before quickly turning around, her ears burning.

“Xie Lingyu! Why did you suddenly stand up?”

The young man’s voice behind her was calm.

“Didn’t Junior Sister want to see?”

Sang Ying felt both embarrassed and annoyed. This Xie Lingyu in the illusion was far too generous—allowing kisses and now this.

“I meant the tail! Just the dragon tail. Who wants to watch you bathe?”

The sound of dripping water continued behind her. Sang Ying heard him step out, and a cool, damp air washed over her. A few drops splashed onto her wrist, icy cold, making her shiver.

…Do all demon clans bathe in cold water?

Aren’t they afraid of the cold?

Even in summer, she could only bathe with hot water. In winter, she didn’t dare touch cold water at all. If she caught a chill, she would easily fall ill, suffering for days and needing to take a lot of medicine.

As her thoughts wandered, the person behind her had already used a spell to dry his clothes and hair. He walked over to her and took hold of her wrist.

Seeing herself being led away, Sang Ying wondered where they were going, but after just a few steps, she was gently pressed down in front of a dressing table.

The mirror reflected her appearance. On the day of the wedding, she had been lost in grief, paying no attention to anything else.

That day, her spirits were low, so the bridesmaid had applied heavy makeup to conceal it, styled her hair, and placed a crown on her head.

The young man stood behind her, reached out to remove the crown and set it aside, then took out the hairpins one by one, letting her hair down. Instantly, she felt much lighter.

He then brought over a basin of hot water and took out a box of white ointment, applying it gently to her face.

“Lower your head.”

Sang Ying obediently lowered her head. His slender fingers wrung out a cloth and slowly wiped her face until it was completely clean. He then brought a fresh basin of hot water for her to wash again.

Sang Ying looked at her clean face in the mirror and blinked. Three years ago, on that night, she had cried herself to sleep. When she woke up the next day, she had already been tidied up, and Jingxi called her for breakfast.

Back then, it was Jingxi who helped her. She never expected that in this illusion, it would be Xie Lingyu doing such things for her.

The mirror reflected the young man standing behind her. After that kiss, Sang Ying hadn’t dared to look at him closely. Only now, in the mirror, did she finally gather the courage.

And then she noticed something peculiar.

…Was his mouth a little too red?

Her lips still felt a bit moist. At this thought, Sang Ying suddenly realized—it seemed to be… her lip rouge.

Should she remind him?

Sang Ying shook her head vehemently in her mind, firmly dismissing the idea. It had nothing to do with her anyway—he was the one who had rubbed against it!

Sitting upright, Sang Ying’s gaze involuntarily fell upon the youth in the mirror.

He hadn’t retracted his dragon tail, letting it hang behind him instead. A few tufts of white fur at the end of the Golden Ring swayed gently in the air.

It looked so adorable—she just wondered how it would feel to touch…

Suddenly, the youth behind her leaned slightly forward, close to the side of her neck. His dark eyes were deep and intense, and his low, cool voice unexpectedly fell beside her ear.

“Does junior sister want to touch it? The tail.”