chapter 36

In the end, she had no regrets.

The lingering effects of the intimate moment gradually faded, and Zhan Yunwei's consciousness became clearer. However, when she clearly saw the face above her and felt the heat in her body, her face, already flushed from her hurried breaths, turned an even deeper shade of red, almost as if it were bleeding.

Yue Zhiheng immediately noticed the change in her.

The person who had once been soft and forgiving like water towards him had become rigid. Even the broken, melodious sounds that had escaped her lips were now bitten back, suppressed by her clenched teeth.

He paused his movements and lowered his gaze to meet her eyes.

Zhan Yunwei had no choice but to speak in a muted voice, "I'm fine now… Could you… remove it?"

She knew that saying such a thing might be inappropriate. Although she was indeed better, Yue Zhiheng's state clearly wasn't one that suggested he was done. But if they continued, it would be awkward. The relationship between them, at this moment, felt like something that could not be done while both were conscious.

She froze, almost too afraid to move.

The fiery butterfly inside her had quieted completely, a sign that Yue Zhiheng had now become the host for the White Jade Butterfly. Although she had only just regained clarity, she could tell that he didn't seem unwilling. Could the White Jade Butterfly also affect people this way? She glanced at him and saw that his eyes indeed held a certain lack of clarity.

At least Zhan Yunwei had never seen Yue Zhiheng look at her with such a gaze—immersed, filled with desire.

The rain had stopped a little while ago, and in the quiet of the night, every sound could be heard clearly.

Yue Zhiheng lowered his eyes, took a few steadying breaths, and slowly withdrew.

The process was slow and almost torturous. Zhan Yunwei bit her lip so hard she almost drew blood to keep from making any embarrassing sounds.

She sat up and realized, to her dismay, that they were not in a bedroom but in Yue Zhiheng's study.

She silently tightened her legs, not daring to look at Yue Zhiheng's current state. However, the scene before her was so chaotic that no matter where she looked, it wasn't any better.

They were both nearly naked, and Yue Zhiheng knew her condition but did not purposely speak at this time. He first handed her back her skirt, using his spiritual power to dry it of the rain.

Zhan Yunwei took it, murmuring a quiet thank you, feeling weak and unsteady as she put it on.

By the time she finished dressing, Yue Zhiheng had already tidied himself up.

His voice was a little hoarse, but his expression was gradually returning to normal. The clarity returned to his eyes, and the familiar composure she had known was restored. He spoke, asking, "Would you like to go back and bathe?"

Zhan Yunwei nodded. The entire study was filled with a fragrance like orchids or musk, one that made her thoughts wander. She realized that in the future, she would probably never be able to walk into this room again with the same composure.

Yue Zhiheng noticed her thoughts and spoke, "I'll clean up here later."

Even if Zhan Yunwei wanted to help, she was physically too weak to do so. Just getting off the desk had required Yue Zhiheng's assistance to keep her from embarrassing herself.

She took a few steps but felt stiff.

Yue Zhiheng looked up at her, knowing what was going on.

"I'll carry you back," he said, bending down easily and lifting her up.

Zhan Yunwei hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't refuse. She was too exhausted, and every step she took only reminded her of the overwhelming sensation that left her feeling helpless.

Fortunately, Yue Zhiheng didn't ask any questions. He had someone bring water for her to bathe, and he returned to the study to clean up the mess.

As Zhan Yunwei soaked in the water, she could clearly feel that Yue Zhiheng's attitude had changed compared to before.

Last night, he had been cold and mocking when asking her about the fake "pink" sachet, but tonight, he seemed to understand her embarrassment and gave her the space to recover, leaving her alone for the time being.

Zhan Yunwei tried to recall the chaotic events of the previous night, but aside from her vague memories of leaving the mute girl's courtyard and the moment they finished, everything else was blurry. The only thing she could vaguely remember was the feeling of an overwhelming, uncontrollable white blur in front of her.

She couldn't say whether it was good or bad, but it was certainly unfamiliar.

She lingered in the hot water for quite a while, then suddenly realized there was something important she needed to consider. Although this was her first time and she was somewhat confused and naive about it, Madam Hua had warned her earlier not to get pregnant and had even taught her how to prevent it.

Zhan Yunwei knew she couldn't stay by Yue Zhiheng's side and live as his wife.

In the Spirit Domain, practitioners had few children, and it wasn't uncommon for two spiritual cultivators to marry and still not have children even after hundreds of years. This made fertility pills incredibly rare and valuable. However, Spirit Masters were different. One of the main reasons every family wanted to marry a Spirit Master was because their constitution made them more likely to conceive.

Female cultivators who married male Spirit Masters were more likely to get pregnant, and the same was true for female Spirit Masters.

Zhan Yunwei gritted her teeth and began cleaning up the things Yue Zhiheng had left behind. Although it felt a bit like trying to fix a problem after the fact, she wasn't sure how useful it would be. But if she didn't take action, she feared she wouldn't find peace for a long time.

The intimate moment had been an accident, a desperate move for survival. She could not afford to have a child.

Tomorrow, she would need to look for pills.

The problem was, such pills were incredibly rare in the Spirit Domain. After all, very few Spirit Masters who were married would go to such lengths, and cultivators didn't usually worry about this—having children was something nearly impossible.

After Yue Zhiheng finished cleaning the study and returned, he found that Zhan Yunwei was still in the bath.

He didn't know whether she was regretting or had fainted, as it had been almost an hour.

Hearing the occasional sound of water from inside, he furrowed his brows—was it the former?

But even if she regretted it, what was the point of dwelling on it now? He couldn't stand seeing her deceive herself. He spoke, "Miss Zhan, are you trying to steam yourself?"

From inside, Zhan Yunwei's voice came, "I'm fine now."

There was no sign of any melancholy or painful emotions in his voice. Yue Zhiheng's gaze softened as he waited by the side for her.

A conversation was inevitable. They needed to address what had happened, and she needed to explain her thoughts on the matter.

Yue Zhiheng could accept that she wanted him to stop, but he could not tolerate even a hint of regret from her.

Zhan Yunwei came out after changing into her nightclothes and saw Yue Zhiheng sitting by the desk. This time, he wasn't reading but had set up a game of chess.

She walked over, and Yue Zhiheng looked up and asked, "White pieces or black pieces?"

It was almost dawn. Though her body was exhausted, neither of them could sleep. Zhan Yunwei was a little surprised when she heard him ask. In the Spirit Domain, many people held the prejudice that Spirit Masters were weak, and this bias was reflected in all aspects of life. Even in chess, they were usually given the black pieces with an arrogant comment like, "You can have one piece."

Because of this, every time Zhan Yunwei had played against the cultivators in the academy, she had easily won.

She had also played chess with Pei Yujing, and perhaps out of a sense of courtesy, Pei Yujing had also instinctively handed her the black pieces.

This was the first time someone had asked her which color she wanted to play.

Zhan Yunwei answered, "White pieces."

Yue Zhiheng glanced at her without surprise and handed her the white pieces.

He made the first move and reminded her, "My chess skills aren't bad, so be careful."

Soon, Zhan Yunwei realized that his "not bad" was an understatement. She had always prided herself on her excellent chess skills, and even the teachers in the academy couldn't match her. Yet, Yue Zhiheng's level was almost on par with hers, so much so that she could hardly discern the depth of his moves. She had to be cautious, and only with his reminder did she avoid making mistakes.

His style was different from the usual. His moves were unpredictable, sometimes cautious, and at other times, strangely decisive as if he were willing to sacrifice everything.

Because they had been so intimate when she woke up, Zhan Yunwei still felt slightly awkward around him. But soon, that unease dissipated. She realized that if she didn't focus, she would lose. She carefully considered her next moves, and the feelings of embarrassment and anger gradually faded away.

When she hesitated over her next move, Yue Zhiheng would glance at her.

The light from the Night Pearl was soft. The girl opposite him rested her chin in her hand, her fair fingers holding a white jade-like chess piece. Because she had cried earlier, there was a faint blush at the corners of her eyes, a trace of the emotional vulnerability she had shown.

But at least she wasn't as tense now, and she didn't purposely avoid his gaze. Instead, she wore a serious expression.

Zhan Yunwei finally decided on her move and placed the white piece on the board.

Yue Zhiheng picked up a black piece, lowering his gaze to study the game. They each made several more moves before Yue Zhiheng spoke again: "Shall I have a physician come check on you tomorrow?"

Zhan Yunwei understood what he meant. Although he was likely being careful, it was still their first time, and there was still some swelling.

It wasn't particularly painful, just uncomfortable and stretching.

She fiddled with the white pieces. Since the event had already happened, there was no point in avoiding it. Zhan Yunwei responded softly, "I'm fine."

"Lord Yue, is the White Jade Butterfly inside you?"

"Yes."

Zhan Yunwei noticed that Yue Zhiheng's moves were now more gentle. The atmosphere between them had also thawed from its earlier tension. No matter what, she had to thank Yue Zhiheng for finding her and saving her today.

She had broken her promises, but the White Jade Butterfly wasn't a spiritual creature. Zhan Yunwei had learned in the past few days that without the antidote, the White Jade Butterfly had side effects.

The first time, one would lose cultivation. The second time, one would lose their talent. The third time, it would inevitably lead to death.

Such a harmful, self-destructive thing could only have been raised by the first-generation Lord of the Chétian Mansion.

Zhan Yunwei had overcome the mental hurdle in her heart, and finally, she remembered to comfort him as well: "Lord Yue, don't worry. The July Secret Realm is opening soon. We'll definitely get the antidote and break the bond. I'll do my best to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again."

Yue Zhiheng didn't respond, his head not even lifting as he took one of her pieces.

"…" Zhan Yunwei could only watch as he took the rose-white piece and asked him, "Lord Yue, you will accompany me to the Secret Realm, won't you?"

Yue Zhiheng remained silent for a long time, his tone a little more subdued when he answered, "Of course, who would want to go unwillingly?"

Zhan Yunwei saw another piece of hers in danger and had to quickly intervene, thinking of how to take one of his pieces.

But now that they had openly addressed it, she took the opportunity to ask him, "Lord Yue, do you know where I can get the Contraceptive Pills from the Dynasty?"

He sneered softly.

Zhan Yunwei blinked and looked up at him. His expression was unreadable, but he gave a slight smile. "So, Miss Zhan, was your hour-long bath just to do something so trivial?"

She widened her eyes slightly, surprised that he had guessed that.

But then she realized that with his wide experience, it wasn't so surprising that he could guess. This topic was rather awkward, and she couldn't exactly agree. Instead, she felt a strange chill between them, the warmth fading, and the atmosphere returning to its earlier state.

He lowered his gaze again. "Don't worry. If you don't want it, then it won't happen. Tomorrow, I'll go find the pills."

With his reassuring answer, Zhan Yunwei let out a breath of relief, though she felt that he seemed much colder than before.

Yue Zhiheng's moves became more aggressive, and one by one, Zhan Yunwei's pieces were taken. His own pieces, however, weren't in a much better state.

Originally, the game could have ended in a draw if they followed a gentler strategy, but with his unpredictable moves, each one caught her by surprise. By the end, Zhan Yunwei was growing more and more hesitant with each move.

Yue Zhiheng didn't even look up. "What are you afraid of? You won't lose."

That much was true, but Zhan Yunwei replied, "But I've never seen anyone play like you."

"So Miss Zhan finds it fascinating and keeps watching?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

"No," Zhan Yunwei hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I was just thinking, you didn't show any signs of losing at first. When did you start losing?"

Yue Zhiheng seemed at a loss for words and glanced at her. "What do you think?"

Out of all the moves, how could she possibly remember them?

Before dawn, the game finally came to an end, and Zhan Yunwei won narrowly. Her eyes lit up with joy, a smile blooming on her face. With the two things that had been weighing on her mind now settled, the exhaustion she had been suppressing suddenly caught up with her.

Yue Zhiheng still had a few days off, but he had to head to the royal city today.

He gathered the chess pieces and noticed that Zhan Yunwei had already climbed onto the couch, looking as if she were about to fall asleep from exhaustion.

With no visible emotion, he changed into his outer garments and prepared to leave.

Just as he reached the door, the girl, still drowsy, spoke up, "Lord Yue, thank you for finding me in time yesterday." At that moment, she truly thought she was going to die.

He paused for a moment, and after a long silence, he responded with a simple acknowledgment.

Forget it, it was better than being unwilling or searching for death afterward. At least she wasn't sad, and she didn't regret it.