Lixue pulled back slowly. Her eyes, usually clear and sharp as her blade, were now dark and swirling with a sudden, intense storm.
"You smell like her," she whispered, her voice tight.
"Lixue, I was treating a patient—" Shen Yu began, his tone soothing.
"I know," she interrupted, her voice trembling slightly.
She had told herself she wouldn't care. She had told herself, and him, that as long as she was his First Wife, she would tolerate other women for the sake of his cultivation. She knew he needed Yin Qi to heal his crippled body. She accepted it logically.
But standing here, smelling another woman's climax on the man she had loved her entire life? Logic shattered. Her possessive nature, usually channeled into her sword, flared up like a wildfire.
"I don't care about logic right now," she hissed.
Before Shen Yu could react, she reached up, grabbing the lapels of his white robe with her sweaty, trembling hands. She yanked him down roughly.
She smashed her lips against his.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was fierce, clumsy, and desperate. It tasted of salt and jealousy. She bit at his lower lip, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth, marking him, reclaiming him. She pressed her sweaty, voluptuous body hard against his, rubbing her chest against his chest, as if trying to scrub Meng Yan's scent off him and replace it with her own.
Shen Yu was momentarily surprised by her ferocity, but his inner demon purred in delight. He wrapped his arms around her damp waist, pulling her closer, returning the kiss with equal dominance, savoring the taste of her possessive rage.
After a long, breathless moment, Lixue broke the kiss. She pulled back, gasping for air, her lips swollen and wet. She glared at him, her eyes misty but burning with determination.
"Tell me," she demanded, gripping his robes tightly, the jealousy radiating off her, "Tell me everything. How you touched her. Where you touched her. Don't leave a single detail out."
Shen Yu looked down at her, a flicker of amusement dancing in his golden eyes. "Lixue, are you jealous?"
"I want to know," she insisted, her voice shaking but firm. "I need to know."
Just as Shen Yu opened his mouth to answer, perhaps to tease her, or perhaps to feed her jealousy further, footsteps echoed on the stone tiles of the corridor entrance.
"Young Master, Young Miss—"
A young female servant rounded the corner, carrying a lantern. She froze mid-sentence.
The servant's eyes went wide as saucers. She saw the "Sword Maiden" of the clan, dripping with sweat, her robes clinging scandalously to her body, clutching the Young Master's robes with swollen lips, their bodies pressed together in an intimate embrace.
The servant's face turned beet red. She quickly lowered her head, staring intently at her own shoes, trembling.
"I... I apologize! I didn't mean to intrude!" the servant squeaked, her voice panic-stricken. "M-Madam Yilan sent me! She says... she says dinner is ready and she is waiting for you both in the dining hall!"
Lixue flinched as if she had been scalded. She instantly let go of Shen Yu and jumped back a full meter, her hands flying up to cover her flushed face. The fierce, possessive swordswoman vanished, replaced instantly by a mortified young girl.
"I... We... It's not..." Lixue stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Shen Yu, however, simply smoothed the wrinkles on his lapel with unruffled elegance. He looked at the servant with a benevolent smile.
"Thank you," Shen Yu said politely. "Tell Aunt Yilan we will be there shortly. Lixue just needs to change."
"Y-Yes, Young Master!" The servant bowed hurriedly and practically ran away, desperate to escape the awkward atmosphere.
Shen Yu turned back to Lixue, who was still hiding her face in her hands, her ears burning red.
"Go wash up," he whispered, leaning in to brush a stray, wet lock of hair from her cheek. "We can continue this conversation... later."
-------
The dining hall of the Tang Estate was warm and inviting, illuminated by the soft glow of floating spirit-pearl lanterns. A round table made of fragrant rosewood sat in the center, laden with a feast that could make even a wealthy merchant drool.
Steam curled up from a large porcelain tureen of Spirit-Braised Golden Carp Soup, the milky white broth shimmering with condensed Qi. Beside it sat a platter of Five-Treasure Chicken, roasted to a crispy golden brown and stuffed with Ginseng, Goji berries, and spirit mushrooms. There were plates of Jade Moon Shoots, stir-fried until they glistened like emeralds, and a bowl of Crystal Rice that smelled of sweet rain.
Shen Yu sat at the head of the table, looking every bit the elegant young master. He had changed into fresh robes, and his demeanor was calm and refined.
To his right sat Mei Lixue, who had washed up and changed into a simple, pale blue dress. Her hair was damp, cascading down her back, and her skin still held a faint flush from her earlier... encounter. She ate quietly, picking at the Jade Moon Shoots, though her eyes darted to Shen Yu every few seconds.
Across from them sat Aunt Yilan. The beautiful, mature woman looked weary, the stress of managing the declining clan evident in the fine lines near her eyes, though they did nothing to diminish her gentle, motherly allure. She watched Shen Yu with anxious concern, her chopsticks hovering indecisively over her bowl of rice.
"Yu'er," Yilan finally broke the silence, her voice tight with worry. She couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. "How did it go at the Golden Leaves Pavilion?"
Shen Yu wasn't surprised by her knowledge of his whereabouts; Lixue, dutiful daughter that she was, would have certainly informed her mother. He didn't falter for a second.
He simply placed his chopsticks down on the porcelain rest and took a sip of the spirit soup before continuing.
"The treatment was a success. I was able to relieve the immediate pressure of her Lunar Fire Stagnation using a specialized Spirit-Dredging massage technique."
Lixue's chopsticks clicked loudly against her bowl. She stared intently at a piece of chicken, her ears turning pink, but she said nothing.
"Massage?" Yilan blinked, surprised. "I didn't know our Clan's medical knowledge included such manual techniques."
"It is an obscure technique from the inheritance I got," Shen Yu lied without a tremor in his voice, casually picking up a piece of Jade Moon Shoot. "It focuses on physically manipulating the meridian channels to forcibly vent excess Qi. It is spiritually draining, but the results speak for themselves."
He leaned forward slightly, his expression turning serious.
"Because I hold the only cure for her condition, Matriarch Meng has agreed to the terms I proposed. She will exchange the Astral Mending Herb for my continued treatment."
Yilan's eyes widened, her spoon clattering softly against the porcelain bowl. She stared at him in disbelief.
"She agreed? Truly?" Yilan let out a breath of profound relief, a smile tugging at her lips. "I begged her for that herb months ago, offering half our treasury, and she refused... To think it has finally returned to our hands through you. That is... that is wonderful news, Yu'er."
"It is," Shen Yu acknowledged with a humble nod. "However, the massage is only a temporary measure to buy time. To permanently cure her, I must refine the Nine-Yin Reversal Elixir."
"Nine-Yin Reversal..." Yilan murmured the name, her delicate brows knitting together as her alchemist's mind raced. She recognized the complexity implied by the name; it suggested a complete inversion of meridian polarity. "Yu'er, that sounds incredibly potent. What Tier is this pill ranked?"
Shen Yu met her gaze evenly. "Quasi-Tier 4."