Chapter 40 Greed

The moonlight was clear and bright, shining through the window lattice.

Sang Ying sat by the bedside, guiltily tucking the quilt over the young man leaning against the headboard. Her gaze shifted nervously, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Well… I just acted on instinct.”

Ultimately, it was his fault. Despite being so severely injured, he still clung to her. When she first opened her eyes, still groggy, it was only natural to mistake him for a flower thief.

The young man looked at her with dark eyes, his tone ambiguous. “It’s been a long time. Your skills have improved greatly, junior sister.”

“Of course! Did you think I spent the past hundred years training for nothing?”

As soon as she started talking, Sang Ying grew animated, her eyes sparkling as she gestured with her moves, chattering nonstop.

“Let me tell you, I learned several palm techniques. They were taught by an old master living in seclusion in a town. When I first started practicing, he almost fainted from anger, blowing his beard and glaring, saying my strikes felt like tickling. But eventually, I found the right style for my palm techniques…”

The girl before him had curved brows and lively eyes, her expression vivid as she recounted her experiences with great enthusiasm.

Her beautiful, clear eyes were like the moon by the window, slowly filling every dark corner with light.

“You know, I actually did encounter a flower thief once. He was lusting after my beauty and tried to climb into the courtyard in the middle of the night. I happened to test out my newly practiced palm techniques and gave him a good beating. In the end, I tied him to a tree in the town for a month.”

“But that was a long time ago. Now, the grass on his grave is tall, and the children in town still spit when they pass by…”

Sang Ying talked for a long time before realizing how unusually quiet it was. She looked at Xie Lingyu, who hadn’t spoken a word, and found his dark eyes simply gazing at her quietly.

She gently poked his chest with her finger. “Xie Lingyu, did I use too much force earlier? Did your wound reopen?”

“It does hurt a little. Would you help me check, junior sister?”

Since it was her responsibility, Sang Ying naturally had no objections. She moved closer, leaning in to study how to unwrap the bandage.

Suddenly, her wrist tightened. The young man grasped her hand and pulled her into his embrace. In an instant, Sang Ying was enveloped in the rich scent of White Sandalwood.

Before she could react, he rested his chin against the crook of her neck and held her even tighter.

Sang Ying blinked, a little dazed. “Xie Lingyu?”

The young man’s voice was soft, slowly falling by her ear.

“You’ve worked hard, junior sister.”

Sang Ying’s ears flushed slightly. She averted her gaze, her tone awkward. “It was… alright, I guess. It was just a bit boring waiting. What about you?”

“Me?”

Sang Ying didn’t push him away, simply leaning gently against him.

“Yes, how have you been?”

Looking at his injuries, Sang Ying already knew his past hundred years couldn’t have been easy—he must have suffered greatly. But she still wanted to hear him say it. She wanted him to talk more, to share his experiences, to let his scent grow even stronger.

…Considering he was injured while saving her, this time, she would comfort him.

But she didn’t expect him to say:

“I missed you very much, junior sister.”

“…”

Sang Ying was stunned for a moment. When she finally processed his words, her ears flushed bright red, and her heart suddenly raced, thumping loudly.

She fluttered her eyelashes twice, trying to calm down. “Don’t think saying that will make me overlook the things you kept from me. Did you come to the Yaochi Secret Realm for me?”

Xie Lingyu paused slightly. “You already know?”

It made sense. She had originally left the Yaochi Secret Realm but later turned back and even managed to enter the restricted zone that Yaochi had sealed off. Clearly, someone had informed her about this and helped her enter the restricted zone.

That person could only be one—Shen Ying.

Xie Lingyu’s thumb brushed lightly over her wrist. “Was it also her who helped you condense your Fire Spirit Root?”

Seeing that he had already guessed, Sang Ying didn’t hide anything. She told him what Shen Ying had done and how she had used Yaochi’s Ancient Secret Technique to help her form the Fire Spirit Root.

Originally, she had still been a bit short of forming the spiritual root. Without Xie Lingyu, she had cultivated for a very, very long time in Yaoshui Town to make up for the lacking fire element spiritual power.

Xie Lingyu frowned. The idea of cultivating a spiritual root after birth was unheard of, and he had never heard of Yaochi having such a secret technique.

Moreover, if Yaochi truly possessed such a secret technique, there wouldn’t be other forces contending with it now—the Cultivation World would be dominated solely by Yaochi.

But upon careful examination, the spiritual root within the girl’s body showed no abnormalities whatsoever. It was filled with spiritual energy, perfectly normal.

Sang Ying turned her hand to grip his, wriggling out of his embrace, and huffed angrily, “Xie Lingyu, don’t try to change the subject! Give me an honest explanation.”

Xie Lingyu lowered his gaze.

Originally, he had only made a deal with Shen Ying to obtain the key to the restricted zone, but she had gone and done all this.

This person’s actions were strange, but Xie Lingyu set that aside for now. What mattered most at the moment was the girl before him, who was fuming with anger.

The girl’s clear amber eyes glared at him, growing angrier as she spoke. “You kept it so tightly under wraps. You never even asked me—how could you think I’d be happy if you exchanged meridians with me? I never wanted any talent for cultivation, especially not if it came at your sacrifice. Xie Lingyu, you…”

“I didn’t want Shimei to leave me.”

The young man’s cool fingers wrapped around her fingertips, pausing briefly. “Would Shimei want to see me become a widower so soon after our marriage?”

Sang Ying was taken aback, her ears tinged with red. She blinked a few times, her expression stiff. “But you still shouldn’t have done that. If Shen Ying hadn’t told me, were you planning to just go ahead with the exchange without saying a word?”

The young man lifted his beautiful, obsidian-like eyes to look at her, pursing his lips slightly. His voice was soft. “In Shimei’s heart, am I such an autocratic and dictatorial person?”

For some reason, Sang Ying detected a hint of grievance in his calm gaze.

Moreover, the young man was severely injured, his face pale and weary, like a large cat who had done something wrong and was being scolded by its owner. Unable to speak, it could only avert its gaze, feeling misunderstood and sullen.

Her heart trembled, and her tone stiffened as well. “I… I didn’t really think that…”

“Really?”

Sang Ying recalled their time as martial siblings and the three years after their marriage. In truth, Xie Lingyu had always indulged her, letting her do whatever she wanted without objection.

Even when she bullied him, making him carry her on his back every day, he never protested.

Thinking this, Sang Ying suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Indeed, those words were all her own assumptions. Perhaps Xie Lingyu hadn’t thought that way at all.

The young man before her moved his arm as if to reach for something but tugged at his wound, letting out a muffled groan.

Remembering that he had broken several ribs, Sang Ying quickly stopped him, her voice tense with worry. “What’s wrong? Do you need water?”

Xie Lingyu pointed, and Sang Ying followed his gesture to retrieve something from her storage ring. It was dull gray and felt like a tree branch.

“This is the ten-thousand-year bond tree core required for the secret technique. I’ll leave it to you to handle. Now, can you trust me?”

Sang Ying wasn’t feeling guilty anymore—she was ashamed.

He had clearly given her the item needed for the secret technique, making it obvious he was leaving the choice to her, yet she had still doubted him so much.

Sang Ying averted her eyes, feeling awkward. “Alright, I’ll let this matter go. But don’t ever think of such ideas again, not even in your mind.”

“Alright.”

Xie Lingyu responded softly, lowering his gaze.

None of these things mattered to him. The only thing he cared about was her.

His nature was selfish, dark, and twisted. He wanted her, wanted her to stay with him forever, and he would find a way to make it happen, no matter the means.

Xie Lingyu took hold of her fingertips. “Can I hold you now?”

Sang Ying’s ears flushed red. “Even with broken ribs, you’re still thinking about holding me? You perverted dragon!”

“Xie Lingyu, don’t get too happy just yet. I still have a score to settle with you.”

Sang Ying adopted the demeanor of the head of the household, pulling out the bag of spirit stones Shen Ying had given her as evidence. “Hiding private savings, were you?”

Before the young man could speak, the Luo Qing Sword hanging nearby suddenly stirred. The chubby little dragon sword spirit popped out and eagerly interjected, “Sang Ying, the boss had a reason for hiding private savings!”

Sang Ying narrowed her eyes at it. “So you’ve been eavesdropping all along?”

Luo Qing put on a serious face. “As a dignified sword spirit, how could I possibly stoop to such shameless behavior as eavesdropping?”

It lifted its chin. “I was listening openly and honestly.”

Sang Ying: “…”

Sang Ying grabbed its little dragon horns and shook them. “Out with it. What’s the reason? Otherwise, you’ll be kneeling on the washboard alongside your boss.”

Xie Lingyu glanced at her lightly.

No wonder she suddenly bought a washboard. So this was her plan all along.

Sensing his gaze, Sang Ying turned to him and huffed loudly. “What, do you have a problem with that?”

The beautiful, pale young man leaned against the headboard, looking sickly. His long hair was loosely tied, and his dark eyes, veiled like mist under the moonlight, appeared both cold and fragile.

He chuckled softly. “How could I? At home, of course, I listen to my wife.”

Sang Ying’s heart skipped a beat, and her ears flushed bright red. She quickly turned her head away, feeling flustered and unsure how to respond.

…What nonsense was he saying!

Fortunately, the chubby little dragon happened to pull something out just then, breaking the atmosphere with its loud exclamation.

“The boss spent all his private savings on buying medicine and gifts for you! Here’s the bill—see for yourself if you don’t believe me!”

Sang Ying patted her slightly warm cheeks and took the thick stack of bills. Each page listed expensive elixirs and various other expenses.

As she flipped through, one entry suddenly caught her eye, and she froze.

She was skilled at writing talismans and also loved calligraphy, often practicing in her spare time.

Last winter, a piece by a calligraphy master she had adored since childhood appeared at the auction house. However, she had been ill and asleep at the time, unaware of the news.

When she recovered and was lamenting having missed it, she discovered the calligraphy piece hanging in her study.

She had asked Jingxi about it, and Jingxi had said the piece had great collectible value, so she had taken the liberty of bidding for it. Sang Ying had even praised her for her good taste.

So it was actually Xie Lingyu…

There were still many clothes, hairpins, snacks… Sang Ying flipped through them—all were gifts for her, but each time they were handed over by someone else, he never appeared in person.

Sang Ying turned to look at him, puzzled: “Since they’re all for me, why don’t you give them to me directly?”

The young man leaned against the headboard, his voice soft: “Wouldn’t Junior Sister find it disgusting?”

Sang Ying was taken aback. The things he gave were all things she liked, but she had never told anyone about these preferences.

So… it could only be that he had been secretly observing her, watching her from the shadows, studying everything about her to learn these things.

Put that way, it did seem a bit perverted.

Sang Ying’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Her ears abruptly grew warm.

But… he cared about her so much.

She had thought he was just a lustful dragon who took a liking to her appearance and body, but she never expected him to put so much effort into pleasing her.

Seeing her lower her head, clenching her fingers without speaking for a long time, Xie Lingyu thought he had hit the mark and pursed his lips.

In the end, he was still greedy. He not only coveted his junior sister, wanting to possess her from the moment they first met, to hide her away in his den where she would belong only to him.

He also greedily wanted… her love.

That was why he had always concealed his true nature. She liked chivalrous heroes like the eldest senior brother, so he became that kind of hero. She admired righteous gentlemen, so he pretended to be a righteous gentleman, deluding himself into thinking he could win her love this way.

If she fell in love with this version of him, he could even keep up the act for a lifetime.

But due to the unexpected divorce, he lost control and exposed his true nature, bullying her.

He thought she would despise him for it, but instead, she softened and didn’t hold it against him, even agreeing to be with him because of her innocence.

To him, his junior sister was like a flawless, radiant moon.

He was now in a conflicted state—wanting to pretend to be a righteous gentleman and simply be with her, letting the bright moon shine upon him.

Yet he couldn’t resist the greedy urge to taint her a little more, to pull her into his dark, damp den, entwine her, and possess her.

He thought, with her soft heart, she might forgive him again.

“Junior Sister…”

“Next time…”

They spoke at the same time and paused simultaneously.

Sang Ying glanced at him, lightly scratching her earlobe with her fingertips, then looked away and muttered softly: “Next time you want to give me a gift, just give it to me directly. No need to be sneaky about it.”

“But from now on, if you want to buy anything, go to Jingxi to get money from the household funds, or come to me. In any case, you’re not allowed to secretly hoard private savings!” Men become corrupted when they have private money—she hadn’t forgotten that.

Xie Lingyu lowered his lashes, hiding the emotions in his eyes, and chuckled softly, “Alright.”

Sang Ying stole a glance at him: “What were you going to say earlier?”

“I wanted to say, during all these years searching for you, I often had hallucinations, seeing you in front of me, only to realize it was an illusion when I tried to touch you.”

Hearing this, Sang Ying’s heart softened. So that was why he always wanted to hold her—to confirm she was real, not an illusion.

Sang Ying let out a soft hum, “Then just hold me for a little while.”

She slowly moved closer, opened her arms, and gently embraced him.

The young man also reached out to hold her, resting his chin on her shoulder, his breath falling on the nape of her neck, forming a warm, misty cloud.

Actually, Sang Ying also really wanted to hug him and stay close, but since he was injured, she was worried about touching his wounds.

Compared to before, his figure had become a bit thinner, but the scent of White Sandalwood on him remained unchanged—cool and familiar. Sang Ying’s heart softened even more as she carefully pressed her face against his shoulder and gently nuzzled.

“Junior Sister, isn’t there still an account you haven’t settled?”

After staying like this for a while, a clear, low voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

The warm breath tickled her ear, and Sang Ying tried her best to ignore the strange sensation, thinking seriously, “Is there? It seems like there isn’t anymore?”

Her expression turned serious. “Did you hide something else from me?”

A soft chuckle sounded by her ear.

A force wrapped around her waist as the Dragon Tail coiled around her, its tip deftly slipping into the collar of her robe. The fine fur at the tip brushed against the skin of her waist, making Sang Ying tremble instantly.

Just as she was about to reach out and grab his unruly Dragon Tail, her earlobe was gently bitten, and the young man softly uttered two words.

“Senior Sister.”

…!!!

Sang Ying suddenly froze all over.

Help, how could she have forgotten about this lover!