Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 851 (2): Matters of the Wedded

Chapter 851 (2): Matters of the Wedded

Zhao Changhe was still speaking: “The point was always to break free from imposed identities, wasn’t it? Your relationship with the Four Idols is just another one of those labels. Ye Wuming’s gone even further. She’s killed one of the Four Idols.”

Ye Wuming: “...”

Would it kill you to stop using me to provoke Jiuyou?

Whether Ye Jiuyou was provoked or not this time was hard to tell. She merely fell silent for a while, then said, “Aside from the Four Idols... what else?”

Zhao Changhe did not press the question of whether she would truly abandon the corpse puppets. Instead, he asked, “Do you still need the insights I showed you yesterday?”

Ye Jiuyou shook her head. “That was enough. Any deeper, and it’d stop being mine.”

“Tsk...” Zhao Changhe clicked his tongue in mild regret.

Ye Jiuyou cast him a sidelong glance and chuckled. “What, are you addicted to being tormented? Or just regretting that you’ve got nothing left to keep me on the hook?”

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. “There will never be a shortage of such things.”

“And where does that confidence come from?” Ye Jiuyou asked with a smile. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Soon, my transformation will be complete.”

Zhao Changhe replied, “I do have more, but I won’t just keep handing them over. That would make me look like some lovesick dog, and we all know how such things end up.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“I want you to take some initiative. Ask me for it.”

“You gave away insights into the cosmos itself, and you still think you have leverage to make me ask for more?”

“That was just a surface-level preview,” Zhao Changhe said with a slow, easy smile. “What you saw was nothing more than a point of reference—at most, something to stir caution. The real impact of that point of reference really is quite limited. I’m saving the rest for a time when you and I are a little closer.”

What did “a little closer” mean? Even someone as inexperienced as Ye Jiuyou in matters between men and women could easily imagine it. Yesterday’s insights into the cosmos had involved contact between their souls. If she were to see deeper, more intricate things, what would that take? Spiritual communion? Dual cultivation?

Yet, she did not get angry. Instead, she said lazily, “So, in the end, you really have nothing left to hold over me. You want me to beg you? Dream on.”

Zhao Changhe flipped his hand over. A ball of gelatinous energy appeared in his palm.

Ye Jiuyou gave the object a glance, and the serene expression on her face froze at once. “You actually dared make an impression of the carving in my pool?!”

“Come on,” Zhao Changhe said. “You used your own home to imprison me and Piaomiao. Wouldn’t we be idiots not to do something while we were there?”

Ye Jiuyou’s expression turned stormy. “The place where I confined you wasn’t even my residence. You broke in.”

“So you really didn’t expect us to be capable of doing so. Were you overestimating the defenses of your Abyss of Jiuyou, or were you underestimating Piaomiao and me?” asked Zhao Changhe with a smile. “Well, it’s not like that matters. What does matter is whether you’ve fully deciphered the carving.”

Ye Jiuyou fell silent.

She had not.

And she knew exactly what Zhao Changhe meant. Since she had managed to interpret part of it; Piaomiao naturally could as well. Moreover, given the vast difference in their attributes and perspectives, the parts each of them could understand were unlikely to overlap much. This meant that between the two of them, they likely had a near-complete solution. And even if some parts were missing, it would not be hard to guess the overall meaning.

Something as deeply concealed as a carving made by the Heavenly Dao was obviously something that Ye Jiuyou had never considered sharing with Piaomiao. The idea had not even occurred to her. Whether or not Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao had snuck into her bathhouse was now irrelevant. What mattered was that their little stunt had inadvertently created a forced collaboration, greatly increasing the chances of figuring out the secrets of the carving.

“Piaomiao managed to decipher some of the characters,” Zhao Changhe said, grinning. “Want to know what they are? Then that’ll be the basis for our next transaction.”

Ye Jiuyou ground her teeth, utterly vexed. His meaning was obvious. Unlike before, he was not going to propose the terms himself anymore. This time, she had to ask.

And unfortunately for her, she did need what he had.

After a lot of hesitation, Ye Jiuyou finally managed to squeeze through clenched teeth, “...Don’t you want to decipher it yourself?”

Zhao Changhe smiled and said, “I do, but for me, it’s just curiosity, not a necessity. Still, the question is... do you want it?”

Ye Jiuyou sulked in silence for a long moment before replying in a quiet voice, “What do you want?”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “What are you willing to give?”

Silence fell between them. Ye Jiuyou’s expression was blank, but inwardly, her mind was spinning.

Right... What can I give him?

Yesterday’s deal had already been a massive concession in his favor as they had only gone out to shop. If she really considered what she had that he wanted... what was there? He did not need anything. What he wanted was her.

But if she had to name it herself, what could she possibly say?

At last, she sighed. “Just say what it is that you want. As long as it is within my means, I will give it to you.”

Zhao Changhe fixed her with a steady gaze. He did not speak for a long time, long enough that Ye Jiuyou began to show signs of irritation. Then, finally, he said in a low voice, “What if I said... I want you...”

Ye Jiuyou’s palm filled with shadow. Her expression turned icy, on the verge of outright hostility.

No matter what, she would never accept being threatened like this.

But Zhao Changhe calmly continued, “...to dress more properly. Right now, these few accessories are all surface-level. They’re nowhere near enough. And yesterday, when I put the necklace on you, you dodged. I was not happy about that. Going forward, I want to be the one to do it. No more dodging.”

Ye Jiuyou: “?”

What else do you want? Earrings? Hairpins? If that’s all that you’re after...

Ye Jiuyou let out a breath of genuine relief.

Fine, you can be the one to put them on. What difference does it even make?

This man must really have had his brain scrambled. Something that important, and this is what he trades it for?

Ye Jiuyou almost could not agree fast enough. “Deal.”

Zhao Changhe cheerfully pulled out a small bundle. “Then put this on first.”

Ye Jiuyou blinked. “What is it?”

He unwrapped the bundle, revealing a white, pink-tinged dudou.

Ye Jiuyou froze.

Zhao Changhe, dead serious, said, “I told you before, the current setup is only superficial. Of course, I meant it lacked something at its core. And what else could that be but a dudou?”

Ye Jiuyou stared at that serious face, a twitch threatening the corner of her eye. She truly wanted to punch him right then and there.

White, no less! So this is what he meant by “personally handling it” and “no dodging”?

And when the hell did he swipe a dudou from the shop? It’s even wrapped! I never even noticed him take it! Is this some hidden potential all men have, that they gain some bonus when stealing underwear?

Ye Jiuyou drew in a long breath, forcing a flirtatious smile. “So in the end, it’s still about my body... Go on, then. It’s not like you haven’t touched it before.”

She deliberately tugged at her sash, loosening the top of her gown just slightly, exposing a pale shoulder. Combined with the bewitching smile on her face, it made for a scene both dazzling and deadly.

Zhao Changhe stepped forward with the dudou in hand. Ye Jiuyou smiled as she watched him approach, but there was a cold glint hidden deep in her eyes.

She would remember this humiliation. The moment she got the translated carving, the deal was off. She would turn on him in an instant.

Just as she was thinking this, Zhao Changhe slipped the dudou down into her half-loosened neckline, leaned in close, and blew gently into her ear. “This part... I’ll leave to you.”

Ye Jiuyou froze. Zhao Changhe calmly straightened up and sat down across from her again. From within his robe, he pulled out a small box of cosmetics. Ye Jiuyou sat there dumbly as he opened the box, plucked up a puff, and began to lightly dust her cheeks. “This stuff washes off when you clean your face. You’ll need to reapply it daily. Well, if you modify your cultivation technique a little and make it so that you glow with health and beauty from within, you won’t need this anymore. It shouldn’t be long from now.”

His voice was soft, his manner focused. There was not a trace of lewdness in his actions.

Ye Jiuyou sat still, letting him pat her face. Her mind had gone blank. He was too close, close enough for her to feel his breath. That mischievous puff of air he had blown in her ear was still echoing in her skull. Her whole body buzzed with static.

Only after a long while did she manage to regain some semblance of thought. “You mean to tell me... you went through all that scheming just for this?”

“What else?” Zhao Changhe replied casually. “Do you know what we’re doing right now?”

“What?”

“This is something that husbands and wives do. Just like that other thing.”

“You...”

“Did you really think I would use a transaction just to cop a feel? Do I seem like the kind of man with no standards? If I were going to be shameless, I’d rather go all in.”

“Speak plainly or shut up!” Ye Jiuyou felt like her mind was about to implode.

“From now on, every time you see me, you’ll need to look your best. If you refuse, then the translation comes one word at a time. Each day, I’ll do your makeup again.” As he spoke, he tucked the cosmetics box into her hands, then took out a stick of lipstick and gently pressed it to her lips in silent instruction.

Ye Jiuyou instinctively pursed her lips.

Their eyes met. They were so close that they could see each other’s faces reflected in the other’s gaze.

Unfortunately, the reflection was not clear enough. If it were, Ye Jiuyou would have seen the lingering allure still in her own eyes.

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