Male Beauty

The moon hung above the willow branches, cold as water, while the bustling street grew quiet as shadows dispersed.

The night watchman tapped his gong, paused momentarily, yawned, and as he opened his eyes, he suddenly saw a red figure darting past him. Startled, he took a few steps back, rubbed his sleepy eyes, but found nothing there. Glancing around, he saw no trace of anyone.

Maybe he was just seeing things, he thought to himself, shaking his head and returning to his duties.

"The weather is dry; be careful of fire."

In the stillness of the night, in the third-floor Tianzi room of an inn, the spacious chamber was thick with steam, mist swirling, and water droplets falling to the ground with a crisp 滴答 sound, breaking the silence of the night.

Lanyuxuan leaned against the edge of the bathtub, his long black hair draped behind him, his ivory skin submerged in water. Drops of water sprinkled his shoulders, glowing faintly pink, exuding a moist luster as he closed his eyes, resting comfortably, the droplets sliding slowly down his skin, utterly tempting.

"So you have this peculiar habit."

Lanyuxuan, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, gazing at the ceiling with a low chuckle before closing his eyes again, a faint smile still on his face.

"Are you waiting for me, my lord?"

The voice was soft and alluring, accompanied by the sound of the window being pushed open. Lanyuxuan abruptly opened his eyes, looking at the woman in front of him, his brows momentarily furrowing.

At that same moment, the woman in red laughed, her brows arched, as she trotted over to Lanyuxuan. Her gaze was that of someone admiring a perfect, flawless work of art, punctuated by gasps of astonishment.

"I, Hualian, have roamed the rivers and lakes for twenty years, and I've never encountered such extraordinary beauty in the world. How about you become my male consort?"

She stretched her hand toward the edge of the wooden tub, swallowing hard, her face adorned with a flower-like smile, ready to caress Lanyuxuan's back.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I must decline."

Lanyuxuan turned slightly, fixating on the hand reaching toward him, still smiling, appearing humble. Hualian, however, dared not make any further advances, a sudden sense of shame rising within her, as if her touch would be a desecration of a deity.

Having traversed the martial world for twenty years, she had seen countless men, including many handsome ones, yet she had never felt such an attraction before.

Hualian stood there, dazed, her desire to claim Lanyuxuan growing stronger.

"I thought you were here to rescue someone."

Lanyuxuan spoke softly, his voice calm and serene, revealing no hint of alarm.

"What's the use of that? Why save someone useless?"

Hualian waved her hand dismissively, scoffing: "If it weren't for someone's request, I wouldn't bother taking that lecherous man as a disciple. I'll walk my sunny path, and he can navigate his own way; I'm interested in you."

Hualian smiled, her well-maintained hands with bright red nails drawing attention, her flirtatious gaze deepening as she slowly moved closer to Lanyuxuan.

"How long do you intend to stand outside?"

Her tone had shifted from its usual gentleness, tinged with hidden heat, like the thick mist filling the room, almost imperceptible unless one listened closely.

Hualian interpreted this as Lanyuxuan's attempt to lure her away and thought little of it, her lovely face displaying an awkward smile: "I, Lian, have been around the world for twenty years, and I've slept with at least a thousand men. I'll ensure you're left wanting more, unable to part with me for even a second."

Men in this world were all greedy and lustful; Hualian, like the madam from Liyan Pavilion, though slightly past her prime, still exuded charm. Especially Hualian, well-kept and possessing unmatched beauty, she prided herself on her looks and skills, confident that she need not resort to despicable means.

The lecherous men were no match for Lanyuxuan; overpowering Hualian would be a simple task for him. He had a strong sense of cleanliness, especially regarding his body, never allowing anyone else to assist him with bathing or changing, not even Lei An or Lei Yun. How could he allow this Hualian any exception?

"I, Hualian, have traversed the martial world for twenty years, and of the countless men I've encountered, the only one I wish to bed is you. It should be, 'Auntie Lian, you ought to say it that way.'"

Her voice, filled with laughter, was crisp like water droplets falling to the ground, yet laced with a hint of mischief, as if someone were teasing her nerves.

"Auntie Lian" was clearly an icy taunt, yet it struck her as hard to feel displeasure. Hualian turned around to see a white figure flying in through the window, spotting a smiling face that was young and beautiful, exceptionally nimble. Recalling the icy "Auntie Lian" she had just encountered, her heart ignited with anger.

"Lanyuxuan is always clean; how could he ever fancy a body that's been with thousands?"

At that moment of irritation, the figure of Xianyue had already halted in front of Hualian, gazing back at Lanyuxuan, pursing her lips, unable to hold back her laughter.

"Daring to steal a man from me, you're courting death."

This delicious duck had already been served up, and yet someone had interrupted. Hualian could hardly contain her rage, glaring at Xianyue, wishing to tear her apart.

"Don't worry; even if all the men in the world died, I wouldn't look at the man behind you. But you're already so old, why delay someone else's golden years and ruin such a bright future for this young man?"

Xianyue managed to suppress her laughter but still wore a look of glee, casting a sidelong glance at Lanyuxuan, raising an eyebrow in triumph.

"Are you satisfied, Miss Xian? If it brings you such joy, Lanyuxuan feels honored."

Lanyuxuan placed his hands on either side of the tub, looking at Xianyue, the thick mist around him obscuring any semblance of anger.

Xianyue nodded: "If this continues, I will be even happier; why did you have to interrupt?"

She rested her chin on her hand, looking pleased: "A woman stealing flowers."

Xianyue pointed at Hualian, laughing even harder.

Seeing them treat her with such disregard only fueled Hualian's anger. Just as she was about to explode, she suddenly heard a loud bang, and water splashed everywhere. Hualian instinctively turned, and the gushing water, accompanied by the surging force, struck her, feeling as though she had been hit by a stone, causing her immense pain, as if a hurricane had swept across the sea. She reflexively raised her hands to shield her face, retreating several steps.

As calm returned, the tick-tock sound of water became even more pronounced. Hualian felt a haze clouding her vision, her eyes seeming glued shut. She reached out and wiped her hand across her face, only to find it covered in blood, droplets merging with water as they flowed steadily to the ground.

Women love beauty, and Hualian was no exception. Seeing her meticulously maintained beauty marred, she felt furious but couldn't shake her lustful thoughts. Blaming all her anger on Xianyue, she tried to retaliate but found herself unable to muster any strength. Looking up at Lanyuxuan, she noticed the fear in his blood-soaked eyes.

"Lanyuxuan, who allowed you to change clothes in front of me?"

In the blink of an eye, Lanyuxuan had donned a thin yellow shirt, covering the springtime glow of the room.

"You can close your eyes."

He lowered his head, tying a knot at his waist, looking up at the furious Xianyue, smiling.

"I was worried someone might sneak attack."

Xianyue watched Lanyuxuan's calm demeanor, deciding against her anger and argument. She rarely gained the upper hand.

"Oh no, my face is ruined."

She pointed at Hualian, whose face was smeared with blood, covering her mouth in shock.

"Lanyuxuan, don't you know to cherish beauty?"

Her gaze toward Lanyuxuan held a hint of contempt and mockery.

"If it were you, I would show mercy."

"My lord."

The tightly shut door was suddenly pushed open with great force, and Lei An and Lei Yun barged in. They glanced at Lanyuxuan, taking in the chaos, and knelt on the ground: "We're late, our protection was inadequate; please punish us, my lord."

"You have no objections to me handling this woman?"

Lanyuxuan asked Xianyue, still looking composed.