Ye Feifei was the Young Lady of the Ye Family. Her place of cultivation was a separate courtyard, which was rarely disturbed, making the entire place seem exceptionally serene.
Ordinarily, a single handmaiden served her, but even the handmaiden was sent away whenever she was cultivating. She didn't want anyone to disturb her.
Ye Tian slowly made his way toward Ye Feifei's courtyard. He was pondering how to explain his plans to leave for cultivation. What if she didn't agree, or what if she insisted on coming with him? How should he handle that?
With an uneasy heart, he arrived at Ye Feifei's courtyard before he knew it. Ye Tian stopped in his tracks, for a sign stood before the courtyard: "Male Disciples Halt."
Although it was just a sign, it reflected Ye Feifei's usual character and disposition. She wasn't a casual sort of person, someone Ye Shixue couldn't compare to.
After standing outside the gate for a few breaths, Ye Tian pushed it open and walked straight in. The sight instantly stunned him. The place was practically a garden from the Imperial Palace.
Beyond the gate was a single path less than a meter wide, its surface paved with colorful, cross-patterned stones that made it look exceptionally beautiful.
But the sides of the path were another story entirely. All kinds of exotic flowers vied for attention with their beauty and fragrance. A single breath was enough to be overwhelmed by the floral aroma, filling one with a sense of peace and refreshment. Ye Tian couldn't help but stare, utterly captivated.
He walked slowly along the path, and soon, a wide, open courtyard came into view. This must be where Ye Feifei usually cultivated. Several stone pillars stood around its perimeter.
Ye Tian could clearly see numerous sword marks on the pillars. The stone had to be incredibly hard; otherwise, with Ye Feifei's strength, they would have long been shattered to dust by a single strike.
At that moment, Ye Tian felt the urge to test how deep a mark his own sword could leave on the stone. But he was afraid he might destroy a pillar in one go and would have no way to explain it to Ye Feifei.
In the end, Ye Tian gave up on the idea and walked toward Ye Feifei's residence. Once he reached the door, he stopped again.
He considered knocking but felt it would be impolite, so he chose to call out to her from outside. "Feifei! Feifei, are you in there?"
Ye Tian's voice wasn't loud, but it had a powerful, penetrating quality that carried straight into the room. Inside, Ye Feifei had just finished her cultivation and was preparing to step out into her garden for some fresh air.
When Ye Tian called out the first time, she thought she had misheard. She silently scolded herself for thinking about him too much, to the point of having auditory hallucinations in broad daylight.
But she quickly dismissed that thought, as she heard his voice a second time, much more clearly. It was Ye Tian. A wave of delight washed over her, and without a second thought for her current attire, she quickly opened the door.
The moment she opened the door, she saw the man she yearned for day and night. An impulse to throw herself into his arms surged through her.
But she quickly seemed to notice something. Ye Tian's eyes were fixed directly on her. Only then did she realize she was wearing just a thin inner robe.
Beneath the thin robe was her last line of defense. It was as if her entire body was suddenly exposed before Ye Tian. An irrepressible, searing heat flushed across her face.
Of course, there was that time he'd seen her bathing in the deep pool of the back mountain. But she hadn't known he was there, and since neither of them had ever brought it up, there was no awkwardness. This time, however, was truly embarrassing.
"Brother Tian, wait for me a moment, I'll go put on some clothes!" Ye Feifei said, preparing to close the door and change inside.
But in that moment, Ye Tian didn't know what came over him. He suddenly pulled Ye Feifei into his arms, taking her completely by surprise. Her heart, already racing, began to beat even faster.
He felt a scorching heat slowly rising within his body. The normally calm Ye Tian seemed to understand something. He hurriedly released Ye Feifei, leaving her momentarily stunned and unable to react.
Ye Feifei glanced at Ye Tian and saw an indescribable expression on his face. It seemed to be a mix of pain and pleasure, which felt very strange.
Changing her clothes was out of the question now. Thinking that she would be his woman sooner or later anyway, and that he had already seen her body, she gave up on the idea of changing.
"Brother Tian, come in! You're the first disciple from the family to ever enter my room, you know," Ye Feifei said in a soft voice, her face still flushed.
Ye Tian knew something was wrong. He wanted to leave immediately, but when he saw the affectionate look in Ye Feifei's eyes, he couldn't bear to. Gritting his teeth, he followed her inside.
Ye Tian walked to Ye Feifei's desk and sat down. The first thing he did was pour a cup of tea from the table and gulp it down in one go. Meanwhile, Ye Feifei closed the door, perhaps afraid someone would find out there was a man in her private chambers.
After downing one cup, Ye Tian immediately poured and drank a second. The scorching heat in his body was growing stronger and stronger, becoming almost unbearable.
Ye Feifei walked over to Ye Tian and was stunned to find him drenched in sweat.
"Brother Tian, what's wrong? Why are you sweating so much?" Ye Feifei asked, then walked to her bedside to fetch a jade-green handkerchief to wipe his forehead.
The handkerchief carried a fresh, clean fragrance, which only made Ye Tian feel worse, as if adding fuel to the fire. An impulse rose within him, along with a pang of regret.
When Ye Feifei's hand touched Ye Tian's forehead, she found it was burning hot. This gave her a terrible fright, and her heart instantly filled with worry.
"Brother Tian, what's happening to you? Are you having a cultivation deviation?" Ye Feifei didn't know what to do, her voice laced with anxiety.
Ye Tian didn't dare look at Ye Feifei. He felt that another glance might intensify the Pure Yang Qi within him. He could only say through gritted teeth, "Feifei, get out of here. I can handle this myself. It's dangerous for you to be here. Trust me!"
His words only made Ye Feifei more worried. There was no way she would leave him at a time like this. "Tell me what's wrong! You're my Brother Tian, don't scare me like this!"
Suddenly, tears began to stream down Ye Feifei's face. At last, Ye Tian couldn't hold back any longer. "Quick, take me to your bath! I need water to cool down! I'll explain the real reason later! If we wait any longer, I'm afraid I'll do something to wrong you!"
Hearing this, something seemed to click in Ye Feifei's mind. "Don't tell me Brother Tian was drugged with an aphrodisiac? Heavens, that's a death sentence!"