All The Female Disciples Want To Kill Me

Chapter 385 - 241 Embrace Each Other_2

"Of course not..."

Just as his voice faded, Key Smoke’s voice came from within the courtyard:

"Is Elder Su feeling better?"

"Could Young Master Su come to the courtyard for a chat? I have a private matter I wish to discuss with you."

"..."

Die Yi looked at Su Bei with a puzzled expression, clearly recalling that Key Smoke had previously said no one was allowed entrance.

Su Bei rubbed the tooth marks on the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, then hurried towards the courtyard.

In the courtyard stood a rockery, not very tall. Beneath it was a bamboo pavilion, quietly nestled within its surroundings, exceedingly tranquil and not easily noticed.

「Moments later.」

Last night’s rain had moistened the slate-paved corridor and thoroughly soaked the banana plants in the courtyard. It even refreshed the bamboo and willows in the corner.

The sunlight was somewhat dazzling as it streamed through the rockery, causing one’s eyelids to tremble incessantly.

The halo of light fell upon Su Bei’s cheeks, and he instinctively used his sleeve to shield his eyes.

—And then he saw the woman in the pavilion.

Su Bei’s gaze was instantly riveted; the halo of light seemed exceptionally piercing, leaving him spellbound for a moment.

Key Smoke turned her head, looking toward him.

Her lips were very red, as if meticulously painted with rouge.

Her long eyelashes trembled gently, her eyes holding an enigmatic expression.

"What took you so long!?"

It was a voice tinged with discontent.

Su Bei stared at her, her very familiar words echoing in his ears.

It was as if in that one dream, the girl waiting beneath the dormitory building had also worn such an expression and uttered such words.

She wore a small white shirt, not of this era, and a linen-colored pleated miniskirt. Her skin, smooth and fair as white jade, was thus exposed.

Her slender, snow-white neck gleamed in the sunlight. Her black hair danced gently in the wind, as did the delicate hand she used to brush a stray strand aside.

The simplest of clothes could not conceal her stunning figure—plain, yet exceptionally beautiful.

Su Bei murmured softly to himself, "Key Smoke..."

Hearing Su Bei’s words, Key Smoke lightly crossed her slender, jade-like legs. Her fair, plump, and sensuous calves, encased in white stockings, looked delightfully curvy.

Her eyes held a playful glint as she said teasingly, "What’s the matter? Not calling me Saintess anymore?"

Su Bei came to his senses, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

This attire... it was precisely what Key Smoke had worn during his Heart Demon Tribulation.

But for her to appear before him like this... He was overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions, unsure how to express them.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in his heart, a bittersweet smile on his face. "I pay my respects to the Saintess."

"It’s just... I don’t understand..."

Before he could finish, he heard Key Smoke laugh lightly and say, "Are you wondering why I dressed like this?"

"..."

The sunlight was dazzling. The woman in the pavilion, despite her mature allure, wore the clothes of a young girl—an almost indescribable contrast.

She truly did resemble a modern woman. Perhaps, aside from her, he would hardly encounter anyone else dressed this way; such a sight was a rarity in this lifetime.

Seeing that she had anticipated his question, Su Bei felt somewhat embarrassed. Unsure what to say, he merely nodded.

But then, he noticed Key Smoke’s expression suddenly grow complex. She stood up, looking at him.

Then, with her jade-like, unshod feet, she stepped towards Su Bei.

Stepping onto the ground, still damp from the rain, water soaked through her white stockings. It revealed the semi-transparent, cherry-pink hue of her skin beneath, and her vermilion-painted jade-like toes stained the white fabric red.

Half temptation, half purity. Perhaps two words would describe it best: ’pure desire’.

She extended two slender fingers, placing them on Su Bei’s chest. Her lips parted slightly as she whispered faintly, "I hate you."

Su Bei stared at her, puzzled by her sudden declaration.

"You are my Heart Demon."

"..."

...

After Key Smoke sensed Su Bei’s departure, she had closed off the courtyard and instructed Die Yi to turn away all visitors.

She had prepared for a very long time for this breakthrough, to face the so-called Heart Demon Tribulation.

However, her mind could not fully immerse itself.

Although she didn’t know why Su Bei had gone out in the dead of night, she figured it was related to that divination of hers. Indeed, on the very night he disappeared, after she performed another divination for Ji Nanjue, the ominous hexagram had completely vanished.

Although she had already guessed it, the confirmation still left a profound emptiness in her heart.

She sighed softly, murmuring to herself, "I did feel my heart flutter for you a few times. If it weren’t for Jue Er, perhaps I might truly have fallen for him."

"..."

She was Ji Nanjue’s Shizun. And because of this, on the night Su Bei disappeared, the moment she saw Ji Nanjue’s divination change from perilous to safe, she knew she had missed her chance.

Key Smoke leaned against the bed, gazing at the lit candle. With a flicker of her mind, she actually conjured a streetlamp in the room from her memory. The bright, radiant light, though sustained by her Spiritual Energy and not the so-called ’electricity,’ still bore an eighty percent resemblance.

She laughed, then suddenly sank onto the bed, her face holding a wretched look. She pressed a delicate hand to her chest, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

She repeated this action several times, hoping this would calm the inexplicable agitation in her heart, but it had no effect.

Shaking her head to dismiss these thoughts, she decided to try reading a novel to calm her heart.