Fairy, I am truly a virtuous gentleman!

"Why are you calling me Miss Xiao again? Aren't I your personal maid?"

Xiao Lingjiang waved her sleeves lightly and smiled.

Ning Yuan quickly realized what was happening, smiled appropriately, looked at the girl, and called out to her.

"Then, Ling Jiang?"

Xiao Lingjiang blushed slightly and responded softly. Then, she moved gracefully to sit beside Ning Yuan, her posture extremely beautiful. She placed her hands on her thighs, acting like a young girl.

After a moment of hesitation, she finally composed herself, mustered her courage, looked at the boy, her face calm and composed, and parted her red lips slightly.

"What...what do you think of my looks?"

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but his expression was completely different from his words. His hesitant and stammering speech plunged the room into an eerie silence.

Xiao Lingjiang's fair face flushed instantly, and two streaks of crimson appeared on her translucent earlobes.

My mind was filled with a deafening roar, as if I had been struck senseless during a tribulation, leaving me with nothing and hearing nothing at all.

At that moment, the girl had only two thoughts in her mind.

How embarrassing...

And how would 'he' answer?

Ning Yuan didn't tease or mock Xiao Lingjiang. Instead, he straightened his face and carefully examined the girl, not even blinking once, as if he wanted to imprint her appearance into his eyes before he would stop.

Xiao Lingjiang's eyebrows are long and beautiful, slightly arched, exuding a confident and elegant temperament. Her nose is straight and delicate, with a well-defined profile.

All of this made her face even more flawless, like a piece of jade carved by a master craftsman, exquisite and smooth, with extraordinary beauty.

Moreover, her figure is beautifully curved, slender and elastic, full but not exaggerated, exuding a captivating beauty; she is a sight to behold simply by sitting there motionless.

If the Chu Ci is a tender bud, with the delicate sweetness of bamboo shoots after rain, making people want to cherish and savor it.

Then Qiao Shuang is the most beautiful and eye-catching flower blooming in the forest, its plump petals covered with white morning frost, delicate and beautiful.

Unlike Qiao Shuang's mature charm and Chu Lingci's pure innocence, Xiao Lingjiang is somewhere in between.

Having experienced many ups and downs, she possesses a resolute and sharp look between her brows, and her well-trained body exudes a lithe and supple strength that can be felt even through her clothes.

However, she was still inexperienced and occasionally revealed her naivety, but she pretended to be experienced and indifferent, which aroused people's interest.

Gradually, Xiao Lingjiang gave in and began to sob and beg for mercy, as if surrendering.

Stop staring at me, say something...

Even Xiao Lingjiang herself didn't realize that her words contained a shy and coquettish undertone.

Ning Yuan seemed to snap out of his daze and quickly said, "Sorry, I got so engrossed in what I was watching. As for the answer to your question..."

He paused deliberately, "She is naturally an absolute beauty."

Xiao Lingjiang held her breath and asked shyly, "Do you praise other girls like this too?"

Ning Yuan shook his head.

"Other girls? In this Luodu, there are very few women who can catch my eye."

Xiao Lingjiang chuckled and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"So, I should be proud to have caught the eye of you, the son of the Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom?"

Ning Yuan nodded in agreement.

"That's true."

All of the above were jokes, but Xiao Lingjiang did feel that the atmosphere had eased a lot.

Her gaze darted around the room unnaturally, and she opened her mouth several times as if to speak, but her expression remained hesitant.

Ning Yuan wasn't in a hurry. With a wave of his right hand, a cup of hot tea was placed in front of him.

He slowly poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.

Seeing this, Xiao Lingjiang began to get restless.

She said with a hint of reproach, "Aren't you curious why I asked you that question?"

Ning Yuan countered, "Should I be curious?"

Xiao Lingjiang's breath hitched.

As Ning Yuan said, since she was taken in by him, although she had become a maid, the young man had never overstepped his bounds and had always treated her with courtesy.

Although she was usually quite proactive, often volunteering herself, asking her to help with washing and grooming was the closest she ever got to Ning Yuan.

A gentleman's friendship is as pure as water.

That's true, but when it comes to a man and a woman, it takes on a different meaning.

Am I really that unattractive?

Those things that were so special and precious to her were actually just the other person's equal kindness and compassion.

Xiao Lingjiang felt somewhat disappointed and resentful.

At that moment, Ning Yuan suddenly put down his teacup and said to the girl, "Would you like to try?"

Xiao Lingjiang asked in confusion, "What?"

Ning Yuan said slowly and deliberately, "As you should know, I sent Qiao Shuang out to handle important matters, so no one will be watching us no matter what we do today."

Xiao Lingjiang's beautiful eyes lit up with a strange light as she softly asked, "What would you like to try, young master?"

"I'm tired of kendo. How about we test our willpower today?"

"How should we compare them?"

Ning Yuan smiled slightly and opened his arms to Xiao Lingjiang.

Xiao Lingjiang immediately understood the meaning behind the boy's actions.

A moment later, she bit her red lips with her silver teeth and stood up involuntarily, walking slowly toward Ning Yuan.

However, before she could get very close, Ning Yuan pulled her into his arms.

Ning Yuan gently laid the girl's soft body flat, stroked her rosy cheek with his right hand, and said with his head down, "You can be more confident. Although I won in swordsmanship from the beginning, I lost this contest of composure the moment I arrived."

There was no romance or sweet words.

But Ning Yuan's straightforward words easily opened the girl's heart.

The warm breath tickled her snow-white neck.

Xiao Lingjiang felt a little surreal; the sudden surprise and turn of events left her momentarily speechless.

She just stared blankly at that handsome face so close to hers, and as if possessed, she leaned closer.

Their lips met.

Xiao Lingjiang couldn't describe the feeling. It was just physical contact, but it was different from hugging or holding hands. The tingling sensation, like an electric shock, instantly swept through her body, making her abandon her reserve, moan softly, and involuntarily want to succumb to it.

Ning Yuan's eyes flickered as he skillfully guided the other party, and the hands holding the girl also began to move.

Xiao Lingjiang, already lost in her own world, was completely oblivious, continuing their tireless lovemaking and savoring the long-suppressed release and reward.

When Xiao Lingjiang finally regained her senses and understood what had happened, she was panting heavily and drenched in sweat, as if she had just finished a major battle.

"Young Master... Ning Yuan..."

Xiao Lingjiang wrapped her arms around Ning Yuan's neck, her eyes hazy, as if veiled in a layer of mist, so thick it was almost dripping with water.

He kept calling out Ning Yuan's name.

It seems like both longing and demanding.

Ning Yuan, however, seemed to suddenly wake up from a dream. His eyes regained their clarity, his expression changed, he loosened his embrace, and quickly withdrew.

Xiao Lingjiang was left alone, at a loss.

She looked blank and murmured silently, "What did I do wrong?"