Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

Chapter 685 Extra: Autumn Homecoming Trip (3)

The moon sank slowly into the deep twilight. It was no longer clear how late it was; everything in the mountains seemed to be asleep, silent and still. Even the wind that had been rustling the leaves had quietly fallen silent.

Only the faint sound of rushing water could be heard in the hot spring pool, where white mist swirled around the pale blue water.

Mai Shude continued soaking in the hot spring with a white towel on her head, feeling the heat seep into her pores, making her limbs and body warmer and warmer. The candlelight from the stone lantern flickered on her face, illuminating her pretty and alluring wine-red face, making her indescribably beautiful.

A small wooden tray floated in front of her, filled with chilled sake. Drinking sake while soaking in the hot spring would be incredibly relaxing, and there were also hot spring eggs and milk to quickly replenish energy. It was unclear what had been prepared for.

The person sitting opposite Lu Mingfei had long since changed.

Mai's gaze unconsciously shifted to her side. The "splashing" sound of water in the hot spring pool wasn't just the sound of bamboo drawing hot spring water from the springhead into the bath. The water rippled around her, and concentric circles spread across the surface of the pool.

"Um……"

Hidden in the white mist of the hot spring, Aki wrapped her arms around Lu Mingfei's neck, embracing him face to face, her face flushed. Her slender eyebrows sometimes relaxed, and sometimes furrowed tightly.

She gently bit the boy's shoulder with her pearly white teeth, but that still couldn't stop her cute and charming voice from escaping from between her lips.

"Sister, sister..."

As the water in the hot spring pool gradually stirred, Aki's voice became even more melodious. Finally, she couldn't help but open her eyes, her misty eyes casting a pleading look at Mai beside her, her voice soft and gentle as she begged for help.

The twin sisters are equally sensitive and delicate. Aki only lasted about twenty minutes after taking over, and she was already starting to feel the strain.

The expression on her pretty face was unreadable—whether it was happiness, joy, pain, or both.
Mai pursed her lips slightly and swam towards Lu Mingfei. So, the girl sitting directly opposite Lu Mingfei was someone else. Her long hair rose and fell on the water.

Aki, now able to catch her breath, didn't immediately drink milk to replenish her energy. Instead, she bent her legs underwater, leaning against Lu Mingfei, her head gently resting on his shoulder. She breathed out sweet scents as she continued kissing her boyfriend, helping to ease some of the pressure on her sister.

"Mingfei...shouldn't you...go back to your room too...?"

Mai asked softly in a broken, sweet voice, "We've been soaking in the hot spring... for quite a while now..."

"Are you going back now?" Lu Mingfei asked after the brief kiss with Aki ended.

Compared to Kiaki and Mai's overwhelming workload, Lu Mingfei was clearly much more at ease.

For no apparent reason, he recalled a poem by the great poet Bai Juyi that he had read in his Chinese textbook, something about "the smooth skin from the hot spring water washing away the congealed fat." Now that he thought about it, Bai Juyi really wasn't exaggerating; skin soaked in hot spring water did seem exceptionally smooth.

He was so fond of it that he wrote what he said.

Savoring the mountains, inch by inch, bathed in hot springs. A life of ease and comfort.

"Um...I'm a little tired..."

Mai swayed her hips and hummed softly in a seductive voice, her beautiful eyes filled with passion. As if she wanted to please Lu Mingfei, she raised her face and kissed him.

She has lost her previous aloofness and has completely transformed into an obedient little wife.

The time when Mai and Lu Mingfei were at their closest was probably the night she hid in Lu Mingfei's closet and witnessed him first draw his Lust Treasure and conquer Little Ye Dragon King.

If she had been more decisive at the time and directly chosen to dedicate herself to completing the task assigned by her boss, she might have been able to exchange a few rounds with Lu Mingfei.

But now, when facing Lu Mingfei, she can only unilaterally endure his conquests.

Even with Aki by her side, she was no match for Lu Mingfei.

I'm thinking that one day I must drag that talkative potato chip girl into this mess and get to know her inside and out.

It seems that after becoming infatuated with Lu Mingfei's gentle charm, Mai also had some bad ideas. She felt that she couldn't be the only one who fell for him, and she had to drag her best friend down with her.

"What about you, Aki?" Lu Mingfei turned and asked.

Aki bit her lip, glanced at Mai, and whispered, "I... I actually wanted to soak a little longer..."

Unexpectedly, the two sisters disagreed on this point. Seeing Mai's slightly resentful gaze, Aki looked away, feeling embarrassed.

Aki mainly felt that even if they went back to the room, they definitely wouldn't get any rest; instead, it would make it easier for Lu Mingfei to do bad things. Now, soaking in the hot spring, at least she could rest for a while... although it would make things harder for her older sister.

"Let's soak a little longer before going back to our room."

Lu Mingfei accepted Aki's suggestion. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Aki's slender waist. Before she could react, she was already in Lu Mingfei's arms, the two sisters sitting together on his lap.

Aki blinked, bewildered: "How...?"

"We can't always dote on Mai and neglect Aki."

Lu Mingfei said, naturally holding the two girls and skillfully turning them around so that they were lying face down in the hot spring, their hands resting on the edge of the bluestone bath.

So the two sisters, who were huddled together, turned their backs to Lu Mingfei.

Before Aki could even react, the tenderness arrived unexpectedly. The hot spring bath, which had finally quieted down a bit, began to splash and gurgle again.

The howling of wolves came from an unknown direction, startling the sleeping flock of birds, which fluttered up from the dark woods. Tonight, this not-so-lonely autumn night resonated from the babbling of the hot spring water all the way to the creaking and swaying of the wooden floors of the houses.

It wasn't until the moon, which had risen gently, moved from the first half of the night to the second half that the empty Jiude family mansion finally returned to its original tranquility.

Lu Mingfei covered Aki and Mai, who were sleeping peacefully together in an embrace, with a blanket. Both girls slept peacefully, their relaxed brows and eyes showing fatigue, but the corners of their mouths were slightly upturned; it was hard to tell if they were having a sweet dream.

After making sure the corners of the blankets were tucked in, Lu Mingfei gently kissed both girls on the cheeks before standing up, closing the sliding door, and quietly leaving the room.

Perhaps because it was a rare opportunity to soak in a hot spring together, he was a little too excited tonight. Although Aki and Mai also enjoyed themselves, their physical condition was still not as good as Lu Mingfei's.

After a passionate night of entanglement, the two A-grade mixed-race sisters finally ran out of energy and lay limply on the tatami bed, panting softly as they said they wanted to rest for a while. As a result, the sisters, who were taking a nap together, fell asleep without prior arrangement.

Lu Mingfei wasn't feeling tired at all, so he decided to leave the room and wander around to see the place where Mai and Aki were born and raised. The autumn night was still a bit chilly, and Lu Mingfei strolled along the gravel path, his yukata and hakama swaying gently in the autumn breeze.

There were many stone lanterns in the courtyard, befitting a wealthy family, but none of them were lit with candles. Lighting candles on so many stone lanterns would have been quite an undertaking; it's likely that the Jiude family used to employ servants specifically for this task.

Fortunately, the moonlight in the mountains was beautiful, and the pure white moonlight shone down, outlining the shape of this ancient courtyard in front of Lu Mingfei's eyes.

Red leaves carpeted the ground. Lu Mingfei walked slowly through the courtyard, stepping on the autumn wind and leaves, the gravel path beneath his feet making a soft, rustling sound.

The cost of such gravel roads was quite high. He had heard that noble houses in ancient Japan often used such gravel for paving, as it would make a rustling sound when someone walked by. This was a means to prevent thieves or robbers. If a thief sneaked into the house, the sound of footsteps would attract the attention of the night-patrolling retainers.

It seems the Shutoku family was indeed a prominent and wealthy family in ancient times. No one knew that by the time of Aki and Mai, the Shutoku family was reduced to just the two of them.

Just as no one knows what happened to Mai during the decade or so that she suddenly left home. These are probably secrets that don't need to be known too deeply.

However, this feeling was quite strange. Thinking that this was the place where Mai and Aki grew up, and that he had walked this road, a road that Aki and Mai had once walked together, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but feel a connection as if time and space had been misplaced.

In the midst of a hectic life, it's rare to have such a pleasant and relaxing moment.

Suddenly, he heard the rustling sound of footsteps on gravel behind him. Lu Mingfei turned around and saw Aki wearing a plain-colored hot spring yukata, slowly walking towards him in the moonlight.

The moonlight shone on the girl's fair skin, making it appear almost transparent. Her long hair, which had been growing out of its roots, was simply tied back with a ribbon, swaying gently with her steps. The Yamato Nadeshiko under the moonlight was truly beautiful and moving, making you want to hold her in your arms, but also worrying that she might break.

"You weren't asleep?" Lu Mingfei asked, somewhat surprised.

“She was asleep,” Aki said, rubbing her eyes wearily, as she walked closer to Lu Mingfei. “But she woke up and found you weren’t in the room, so she came out to look for you.”

Lu Mingfei smiled and hugged Aki's slender waist, lowering his eyes: "If you're awake, just go back to sleep. You must be exhausted tonight, right? I'm not a child, I can't possibly get lost at home."

"I'm fine... it's mainly my sister who's tired. Mingfei, you bullied my sister a bit too much. She already admitted defeat, but you're still clinging to her."

Aki leaned forward instinctively, nestling herself in the boy's arms, and blinked as she asked, "Besides, aren't you a child? In my eyes, you'll always be my junior brother!"

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"Then who was that pretty senior sister who was calling out 'husband' and begging for mercy just now?"

"Well……"

Aki choked on her words, feeling the restless, undulating hands around her waist, and suddenly realized that she and Lu Mingfei were alone together now.

If Lu Mingfei wants to... then she won't even have a sister to share the firepower with.

Fortunately, Lu Mingfei was only indulging in a bit of fun. After all, he had already tormented Aki and Mai quite a bit tonight. His junior sister had to beg for mercy after being entangled with him all night, let alone Aki and Mai, who were only half-bloods. If he played another round, Aki probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

Even just the simple pleasure of touching her was becoming too much for Aki to bear. Before long, her eyes filled with a misty, passionate light. Finally, she couldn't help but press down on Lu Mingfei's hand, giving him a pleading look: "I... I was wrong."

"Anything else?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"Husband, good husband, you're the best." Aki swayed her body and acted coquettishly, looking at Lu Mingfei with a pitiful expression in her eyes.

Seeing Aki's pitiful expression and her commendable attitude in admitting her mistake, Lu Mingfei smiled and stopped what he was doing, instead taking the girl's fair and delicate hand in his own.

However, when their fingertips touched, Lu Mingfei felt the coldness of the girl's hands and quickly asked with concern, "Why are your hands so cold? You didn't even put on an extra layer of clothing when you were cold. You came out wearing just a bathrobe."

Aki shook her head with a smile: "That's just how I am. My hands and feet get cold easily, but I don't actually feel cold. Besides, Akira, you're only wearing a yukata, aren't you?"

"My hands are warm."

"Isn't that enough? Mingfei, you can just hold my hand the whole time."

It's unclear whether this flirtatious remark came from a straightforward Yamato Nadeshiko or contained some subtle hints from an older female senior. In any case, it undeniably touched Lu Mingfei's heartstrings.

This house must be quite large. He counted the rooms while he was taking a walk earlier, and there should be more than twenty rooms in the two-story building, which includes the sleeping quarters and the main hall.

When I no longer need to slay dragons and retire, I'll turn this place into a vacation estate. Every autumn, I'll take the little fairy Miaomiao and junior sister Wenwen on a trip to enjoy the scenery. It's also close to Erii's hometown, so I can visit her brother-in-law while passing through Tokyo.

The only concern is whether the hot spring pool at home can accommodate so many people. But if it really can't, we can always expand it later.

Perhaps it's the gentle warmth of an autumn night that makes people lazy; Lu Mingfei even started fantasizing about his life after retirement.

But such a leisurely life is only temporary; he can only enjoy it for a few days.

But even just these few days were enough for Lu Mingfei. Wasn't all the busy work of the year just for these few days of leisure?
A gust of wind suddenly swept by, causing the red leaves on the ground to swirl and even Lu Mingfei felt a slight chill.

He looked down at Aki: "It's a bit cold outside, shall we go back to the room?"

"Hmm..." Aki hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

"What's wrong?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Aki bit her lip, her eyes slightly avoiding Lu Mingfei's gaze, her cheeks flushed red like crimson leaves under the moonlight.

"If you're cold..."

Aki asked hesitantly, "Would you like to soak in the hot spring for a while longer?"

The autumn nights didn't seem much colder than the summer nights; after a brief silence, melodious music filled the courtyard again. Lu Mingfei was no longer worried about Aki being cold; his only concern was whether the girl in his arms would be able to get up tomorrow.

……

(End of this chapter)