Chapter 207: A Night's Rest and Bath

Chapter 207: A Night's Rest and Bath

Xiaojiu Manor.

"Sir!"

Xiaojiu lit the candle and was startled to see Jiang Ning already in the room. She had entered without making a sound, and Xiaojiu had no idea how she had gotten so close without her noticing.

Such supernatural abilities meant that if Jiang Ning wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as snapping his fingers.

"Sir!" Xiaojiu exclaimed, startled. She quickly composed herself and spoke up.

"I've been a bother these past few days," Jiang Ning said.

Xiaojiu shook her head repeatedly, "It's nothing! As long as you don't mind the simplicity of my place, that's all that matters! And..."

At this point, Xiaojiu hesitated for a moment.

"I don't like being served by servants, so the courtyard I live in doesn't have any. If you need anything, I can serve you in their stead."

As she spoke, the calm expression she had maintained under the candlelight faded, and a hint of shyness appeared.

Jiang Ning chuckled and shook his head, "I'm just a commoner, I don't have the habits of those from noble families!"

Hearing this, Xiaojiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, I only have one bed here. Will it as a title.

"Sir, I only have one bed. Can you sleep on my bed tonight? The bedding was just aired out a couple of days ago, so it's clean! And I bathe every night before bed."

"What about you?" Jiang Ning asked, his eyes holding a hint of a smile.

"I'll just find a chair to sleep on for the night."

"Would you resent me if I did that?"

"How could I possibly resent you?" Xiaojiu shook her head, her high ponytail swaying from side to side. "You've been so kind to me! I'll always remember that! I'm happy to help in any way I can!"

Jiang Ning smiled, "How could I take a young lady's bed? I'll just find somewhere to sleep for the night."

"Sir," Xiaojiu began, but Jiang Ning interrupted her, "There's no need to discuss this further. Just do as I say!"

Xiaojiu nodded slightly, "Yes, sir!"

After their discussion, Jiang Ning stood up and walked out of the room.

With the day still young and enemies surrounding them, Jiang Ning knew he had to make the most of this time to improve his strength.

He entered Xiaojiu's courtyard and found a suitable spot to continue refining the Dragon Tiger Sinew Pill within him.

Meanwhile, Xiaojiu observed Jiang Ning for a moment from inside the room. Seeing that he was still focused on his cultivation, she turned around and headed to the bathroom.

With the hot weather, she wanted to take a relaxing bath to unwind after returning home.

Otherwise, with sweat on her body, she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.

Normally, she lived in a courtyard without any servants, so she could do as she pleased.

But now, with Jiang Ning under the same roof, she couldn't very well ask him to leave.

So, she took advantage of the time when Jiang Ning was deeply focused on his cultivation to quickly take a bath.

After preparing the bathwater, Xiaojiu quietly closed the door and lowered the window.

The sound of her undressing echoed in the candlelight, and her beautiful silhouette was reflected in the window as she slowly stepped into the bathtub.

At that moment, Jiang Ning had just finished a round of pill refinement and looked up to see the reflection in the window.

He was momentarily stunned.

The sound of water filled the room.

Jiang Ning realized that sharing a roof with a woman could be quite inconvenient.

Just the sound of the flowing water was enough to stir his qi and blood, making it hard to control his primal instincts.

Facing this surge of energy, Jiang Ning could only helplessly shake his head and clear his mind of distracting thoughts.

Then, he returned to his meditative state, visualizing the furnace and using his qi and blood as fuel to refine the pill, removing its impurities.

Xiaojiu opened the door slightly and peered out, relieved to see that Jiang Ning was still deeply focused on his cultivation.

She then opened the door and carried a large bucket of bathwater outside.

Xiaojiu's appearance now was completely different from before.

Her long hair, which had been tied up, now fell loosely around her, giving her a gentle and charming aura.

The water stains on her hair occasionally formed droplets that fell onto her slender shoulders and white, jade-like arms.

She wore a long black robe that reached her knees, and as she stepped over the threshold, she tiptoed across the courtyard to the other side.

After her bath, she was only wearing this one piece of clothing.

In her own courtyard, she would usually untie her bindings, feeling relaxed and free, enjoying the rare moments of ease.

But now, there was a man in the courtyard, Jiang Ning.

She walked out wearing just a single robe, and her heart was filled with unease and tension.

This unease and tension even made her feel a subtle thrill.

In the backyard, she emptied the bucket of bathwater she was carrying and then turned back towards the front yard where Jiang Ning was.

Stepping through the circular arch, she saw Jiang Ning slowly opening his eyes and looking at her.

Xie Xiaojiu's face instantly turned bright red.

Although untying her chest bindings made her feel more comfortable, she was now blushing with embarrassment.

Only she knew how much more prominent her figure would be with just a single robe on after untying the bindings around her chest.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes and saw Xie Xiaojiu's startled expression.

He also paused for a moment.

His eyesight was now so sharp that even in the pitch-black darkness of night, he had vision as clear as daylight.

He couldn't help but notice the changes in Xie Xiaojiu's appearance.

After all, the once gentle slopes had now become majestic peaks, an obvious transformation.

He glanced at Xie Xiaojiu and then quickly averted his gaze.

He had noticed her embarrassment.

Then, he closed his eyes again.

Seeing Jiang Ning close his eyes once more, Xie Xiaojiu rushed back to her room like a gust of wind.

When she returned with the bucket full of bathwater, she had retied her chest bindings, and several black cloths were visible outside her robe.

After making several trips back and forth, Xie Xiaojiu finally emptied all the bathwater in the backyard.

After returning to the room, she quietly observed Jiang Ning for a while, and then, as if remembering something, she turned and headed back to the backyard.

Half an hour later, Xie Xiaojiu saw Jiang Ning open his eyes again.

"Sir, I've prepared your bathwater. Do you need to take a bath?" Xie Xiaojiu's voice reached Jiang Ning as he opened his eyes.

After the prolonged meditation on the furnace, his qi and blood energy had been almost completely depleted.

Hearing Xie Xiaojiu's voice, he nodded slightly, "That would be good."

For him, taking a bath and soaking in the water could help restore his depleted qi and blood energy, and it would be a good opportunity to recover.

"Then I'll adjust the water temperature for you!" Xie Xiaojiu said, and then turned towards her room.

As he opened his eyes, Jiang Ning caught a glimpse of Xie Xiaojiu, and he noticed that she had changed significantly.

The previous Xie Xiaojiu's figure was so impressive that she could not see her feet when she bowed her head.

But now, it was just a gentle slope.

Xie Xiaojiu had clearly bound her chest.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning shook his head and then stood up.

Xie Xiaojiu's room.

As Jiang Ning stepped over the threshold, he saw Xie Xiaojiu lifting a bucket of steaming hot water and pouring it into the bathtub.

The hot water poured down, and steam rose continuously.

Xie Xiaojiu poured some water, then bent down to stir the water temperature with her hand, mixing it together, and then tested the water temperature.

After repeating this process several times, Xie Xiaojiu straightened up from her previously bent waist.

"Sir, the water temperature is just right, it's the most comfortable temperature I usually feel."

Jiang Ning nodded and walked towards the bathtub.

Xie Xiaojiu approached him, bent down, and reached out to untie Jiang Ning's belt.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Ning was startled and quickly grabbed Xie Xiaojiu's hands.

Xie Xiaojiu raised her head and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm helping you undress for your bath!"

"It's unnecessary!" Jiang Ning shook his head repeatedly, "You go out, I can do it myself!"

Hearing this, Xie Xiaojiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Compared to Jiang Ning, she was even more nervous at this moment.

After Xie Xiaojiu left the room and closed the door, Jiang Ning finally relaxed.

Taking a bath was something he was used to, but he felt extremely awkward.

Especially since the person helping him was a woman; just the thought made him feel uncomfortable all over.

Then, he scanned his surroundings and felt a bit embarrassed.

The entire room was decorated like a young girl's bedroom, and undressing completely in such an environment was still a bit uncomfortable for him.

He hesitated for a moment.

Jiang Ning only removed his outer robe, leaving on a pair of loose underpants.

After placing his clothes on the screen, Jiang Ning stepped into the bathtub.

"Hiss—"

As soon as his right foot touched the water, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

He quickly lifted his right foot out of the water.

Then, he dipped his hand into the water to test its temperature.

Jiang Ning: "..."

The moment his palm entered the water, he was speechless.

In his eyes, the water was hot enough to scald a pig, yet it was the temperature that Xie Xiaojiu usually found most comfortable.

"No wonder people online always complained about women using scalding hot water for baths in my past life!"

"Looks like it's the same everywhere!"

Jiang Ning shook his head.

With a thought, he used his Water Control Technique to rapidly lower the water temperature by a few degrees.

After feeling that it was suitable, he stepped back into the bath.

"Comfortable!!!"

Leaning against the bathtub, Jiang Ning closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

Soaking in the warm water made him feel his exhaustion dissipating rapidly, and his nearly depleted Qi and Blood Power was quickly replenishing.

Outside the room, Xie Xiaojiu quietly enjoyed the evening breeze.

Tonight's wind was particularly refreshing.

As it brushed past her cheeks, she felt the long-awaited coolness of autumn.

"It's already early October! According to past years, it should be deep autumn by now!" Xie Xiaojiu felt the cool breeze, opened her eyes, and looked at the still-green leaves above her head, letting out a sigh.

Wuuuu—

The evening breeze blew past her.

It lifted the fallen leaves on the ground, making Xie Xiaojiu's robe cling to her body, revealing her slender and graceful figure.

Her delicate and smooth legs were also on full display beneath the tight-fitting robe.

Unfortunately, such a beautiful sight had no audience.

Time passed slowly.

Xie Xiaojiu turned to glance inside the room.

Through the candlelight casting shadows on the window lattice, she saw Jiang Ning lying quietly in the bathtub, motionless.

"With another person around, it doesn't feel as lonely, and it's actually quite nice!"

A faint smile appeared on Xie Xiaojiu's face, and her eyes softened.

Dong dong dong—

As Jiang Ning lay in the bathtub, he suddenly heard knocking on the door.

"Sir!" Xie Xiaojiu's voice also echoed from outside the room.

"What is it?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Sir, can I come in?" Xie Xiaojiu asked.

Jiang Ning looked down and noticed the black loose underpants he was wearing.

"Then I'll trouble you!"

A gentle smile appeared on Xie Xiaojiu's face, "It's no trouble! My clothes need washing too, so I can wash yours at the same time!"

Then, she added apologetically, "Sir, I don't have any suitable clothes for you to change into, but if you don't mind, you can wear the ones I've worn before."

Hearing this, Jiang Ning patted his head.

Before leaving, he hadn't thought this through.

It was only when Xie Xiaojiu mentioned it that he remembered he hadn't prepared a few sets of clothes for washing in his Infinite Ring.

If his clothes were taken to be washed, he wouldn't have anything to wear for the time being.

He couldn't very well walk around in just his loose underpants, could he?

He wasn't living alone.

There was also Xie Xiaojiu, who was close to his age.

Walking around in just his loose underpants would indeed be inappropriate.

He hesitated for a moment.

"Let me see them first!" Jiang Ning said.

Xie Xiaojiu immediately turned and walked towards her wardrobe.

She searched for a short while.

Soon, she returned with a white robe and approached Jiang Ning.

"Sir, take a look!" Xie Xiaojiu came to the bathtub and slightly spread out the clothes she was holding to show Jiang Ning.

Taking this opportunity, her gaze secretly fell on the loose underpants Jiang Ning was wearing.

A hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

"Will this fit me?" Jiang Ning asked.

Xie Xiaojiu quickly replied, "When I wore it, it was slightly loose, but it should feel a bit tight on you, though it should still fit."

"Then let's try it!" Jiang Ning stood up.

Xie Xiaojiu's height was slightly taller than Li Qing.

Compared to Xie Xiaojiu, he was almost a head shorter.

"If it was slightly loose on her, it might just fit me," Jiang Ning thought to himself.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end