Chapter 288: After finishing her makeup, she quietly asked her husband

In the end, Ye Tinglan didn't answer anything. She just turned her head away in a huff, pretending to sleep.

Lu Xingzhou embraced her from behind, pressing close.

His caressing hand remained there, and Ye Tinglan didn't struggle, as if tacitly agreeing. As long as he wasn't groping her, she might as well give him a little leeway, to prevent him from getting too rough again.

Lu Xingzhou felt even more at ease holding her. Embracing the soft, fragrant body of the mature woman from behind brought him immense joy. His disturbed sleepiness returned, and he drifted off to sleep again.

Ye Tinglan could tell from his breathing that he had fallen asleep, and her heart eased slightly. But she kept her eyes open, not knowing what she was thinking for a long time. She knew that if she didn't want it, Lu Xingzhou wouldn't even be able to touch a corner of her clothes, let alone kiss her aggressively. Even now, being held in his arms like a pillow while he slept, she could simply leave if she wished. Yet she lay there quietly, allowing him to hold her.

Not long ago, she had thought Shen Tang's behavior was pathetic, wondering why he was even succeeding to leadership; the empire might as well be destroyed. Yet here she was now, acting no different from Shen Tang. If the State Preceptor behaved this way, shouldn't the empire just be destroyed?

Why think so much? Anyway, she wasn't the State Preceptor now. In front of him, she was Ye Zhuoyu; in front of Qingli, she was Yuan Muyu.

"I, Ye Tinglan, do not cuddle and kiss men!" Ye Tinglan angrily closed her eyes and simply went to sleep.

Heaven knows how a cultivator who never needed sleep, and could meditate for years, managed to sleep twice within just a few days. Perhaps it was because his embrace was so comforting and secure.

When she woke up, Ye Tinglan found that their positions had changed. She didn't know when she had turned around, nestled sweetly into the hollow of his shoulder, becoming a nauseatingly docile little bird. Feeling a little embarrassed, Ye Tinglan quietly raised her eyes to look at him, only to see that Lu Xingzhou was already awake and looking down at her. His eyes held a smile, his expression was gentle, and there was a hint of indulgence. His gaze was so tender he could have been looking at a beloved pet.

All of Ye Tinglan's embarrassment vanished with that look, replaced by a hint of shyness. "What are you looking at?" she asked.

Lu Xingzhou replied, "Nothing... I just feel happy seeing you sleep so peacefully."

*That's because anyone would be happy to have the world's number one nestled in their arms.*

Ye Tinglan was no young girl; she understood the male psyche perfectly well. She asked testily, "Are you satisfied now?"

"Not by a long shot," Lu Xingzhou said, bending his head down to gently kiss her forehead.

Feeling this damned tenderness, Ye Tinglan suppressed a hint of longing in her heart, knowing she couldn't let him take an inch. Otherwise, she had no idea how far this guy would push his luck. She finally got up and out of bed, making conversation for no particular reason. "These past few days you've been sleeping and waking, waking and sleeping, like a pig," she said. "I'm so disoriented I can't even tell the time."

Lu Xingzhou also got out of bed and peered out the window. He felt like he had indeed slept for a long time. When Little White Hair had come looking for them, it was evening and they were drinking porridge, but now the sun was in the east; it was morning. The nights in Frosty Heaven Kingdom were already very long; to be able to sleep from evening until dawn truly meant sleeping soundly, utterly oblivious to time. He felt the spiritual energy and magical power within him and was delighted to find he could mobilize quite a bit; his injuries were healing significantly.

Ye Tinglan also realized how long they had slept. She couldn't help but frown, then turned and took Lu Xingzhou's hand, placing her fingers on his pulse. A moment later, her delicate brows relaxed. "Not bad. You're recovering much faster than I expected," she said. "Strange, there shouldn't be any special changes according to reason. Could that bowl of porridge from yesterday have been more effective?"

Lu Xingzhou didn't address her question. Instead, he took hold of her wrist and led her towards the window.

Ye Tinglan was very confused. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Lu Xingzhou pressed her shoulders and gently pushed her to sit on a stool in front of the bronze mirror by the window. Then he casually picked up a comb from the dressing table and began to comb her hair. "You're always thinking of taking care of people," he said. "But Master, my intention was to ease your burden..."

Ye Tinglan stared blankly at herself in the mirror. Her complexion was rosy, and her brows and eyes showed ease and relaxation. *Was that still herself? No wonder Qingli had been a little shaken earlier, wondering if this might truly not be her master. Images of what the real Revered Tinglan was like normally flashed through her mind; she had almost forgotten herself.*

His hand gently stroked her long hair, the comb smoothing downwards, stroke by stroke, with a rhythmic cadence. Her mind became empty again, as if no thoughts could coalesce. And there was no need for them to. She had always thought of him as a weak little puppy needing care, satisfying her protective instincts. But in reality, his "strategy" – "I hope you can relax a bit" – had already been perfectly achieved. If this strategy were translated, it actually meant Lu Xingzhou wanted to take care of her. It was an inversion of the natural order, yet it was being achieved subtly and silently.

"Still wet behind the ears, yet you want to take care of people," Ye Tinglan heard herself say, her voice ethereal and soft, almost like she was pouting playfully.

Lu Xingzhou chuckled from behind her. "Then, my lady... let's take care of each other."

"Master" had again become "My Lady." He said it as if it were perfectly natural, yet Ye Tinglan's heart rate quickened again. This lazy morning awakening, getting ready in front of the mirror – what else could it be but a husband and wife's routine?

She forced herself to retort, "Don't just call me that." But in her eyes in the mirror, there was a clear hint of coquetry. What was even more annoying was this scoundrel; he was so skilled at styling women's hair, perfecting styles that many women didn't even know how to manage themselves. Her dark hair was coiled in layers to the top of her head, secured with a jade hairpin. The bun resembled stacked clouds, elegantly styled, with two wisps of hair falling gracefully on either side, enhancing the elegance of her face.

"How many women's hair have you styled?" she asked, grinding her teeth, though her heart felt a little sweet.

(Actually, only Shen Tang and Pei Chuyun. Yuan Muyu had never enjoyed this treatment. As a swordswoman, Shen Tang didn't like too many ornaments in her hair. This elegant and noble style, suitable for Ye Tinglan, was something he had learned from Pei Chuyun.)

Lu Xingzhou answered honestly, "The Pei family's styling method."

Knowing it was because of Pei Chuyun, Ye Tinglan's anger lessened considerably. Instead, she secretly cursed herself for acting like a Succubus of Pleasure... *Oh well, at least she hadn't actually done what a Succubus of Pleasure would do.*

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Lu Xingzhou say, "Regarding my accelerated recovery and the fact that we both slept for so long... it's probably not because of the porridge, but the result of Yin and Yang merging."

Ye Tinglan was speechless. *That's right. Regardless, they had kissed last night, establishing the basic conditions for the circulation of Yin and Yang energies. The Yin energy from her, many times stronger than his own, had flowed into his body, and her long-deprived body had received nourishment from his Yang energy. The benefits for both were self-evident. That's why she herself had also slept so deeply. She had just thought she hadn't done what a Succubus of Pleasure would do. What was this now? Was there a big difference?*

Lu Xingzhou finally finished styling her hair and leaned forward to place the comb on the dressing table in front of them. As he leaned forward, it was like he was embracing her again, his head resting close to her cheek. Once the comb was placed, he naturally turned his head and kissed her cheek. "My lady is treating my injuries," he murmured. "Shouldn't we do more things that are beneficial for them?"

The kiss was far too natural. Ye Tinglan, annoyed, shifted her small foot and stepped on his toe. "Don't use your tricks for charming young girls to fool me," she said.

Lu Xingzhou hopped on one foot, holding the other.

Ye Tinglan glanced back and laughed gleefully. "Serves you right," she said.

She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, very satisfied with the style Lu Xingzhou had created. She looked around for a while, then suddenly asked, "Do my eyebrows need to be darkened a bit more to match this style?"

Lu Xingzhou was surprised that she was actually considering her appearance. This was truly unlike something Ye Tinglan would normally consider. He naturally knew the standard answer: "My lady is naturally beautiful and needs no embellishment."

"You know how to talk," Ye Tinglan said, standing up, satisfied, and quite naturally linking her arm through his. "Don't think bad thoughts all day; let's go out and eat something."

Lu Xingzhou's idea of subtly suggesting more "healing" was cut short. He could only follow, looking a little wronged, as she pulled him out of the inn's back courtyard and into the front hall restaurant.

The restaurant already had a few guests eating breakfast. Seeing the two of them coming out, supporting each other, the waiter came over with a smile. "It's rare to see you two dining together," he said. "Sir's complexion looks much better. Is your illness almost gone?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled, "Yes, it's almost gone."

"My lady also looks even more radiant today," the waiter continued. "It seems good fortune has come your way."

Lu Xingzhou secretly glanced at Ye Tinglan. Seeing that she didn't seem displeased about being mistaken for his wife, he said, "My illness is almost gone; isn't that the biggest happy news?"

"Indeed, indeed," the waiter sighed admiringly. "We've never seen such a good lady for you, sir. She cooks every meal herself and takes care of you so meticulously. With such a lady caring for you, any illness would disappear."

Lu Xingzhou said, "I think what you're trying to say is, with such a lady caring for me, you'd wish you were the one who was ill..."

Ye Tinglan finally slapped him on the head. "What nonsense are you talking?" she chided. "Sit down."

Lu Xingzhou obediently sat down. The waiter tsked, "Sir, it's not shameful to listen to your wife. With a wife like that, I'd gladly crawl if she asked me to."

Lu Xingzhou retorted, "...Are all waiters in the world so talkative? Go serve your dishes."

Ye Tinglan leaned her rosy cheek on her hand, sitting languidly in front of him. "So, what?" she drawled. "Does listening to Master's words insult you?"

Lu Xingzhou offered a placating smile. "Not at all, not at all," he said. "Even if my lady stepped on me, I'd be happy."

Ye Tinglan's eyes darted, and she lightly tutted. "Call me Master when we're outside," she said. "You can't just call me anything."

"..." Lu Xingzhou ventured. "Does that mean... I can really call you My Lady in private?"

"Get lost. No, you're not allowed," Ye Tinglan said, gritting her teeth. "After this trial, when I return to the Alchemy Academy, I'll expel you from my tutelage! I don't have a student like you who defies his master and shows such insubordination!"

The waiter brought the porridge, and Lu Xingzhou fell silent.

*(Are you sure you don't mean that once you expel me from your tutelage, I won't have to worry about calling you 'Master' and can just call you 'My Lady' directly? Anyway, officially outside, you're Madam Ye, and others also call you 'My Lady.' Who knows what 'My Lady' means when different people say it?)*