Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

Shen Jizhi's figure was light and graceful, his slim waist turning swiftly as the hem of his robe fluttered in the air. His long fingers pressed against the half-open door.

With a *bang*, the door shut.

The room, now sealed tightly, still carried a lingering hint of the earlier intimate atmosphere, faintly swirling in the air.

Jian Huan leaned against the door, her hands instinctively clasped behind her back.

Her dark eyes lifted, glancing at the young man before her.

The moonlight was blocked by the closed wooden window, and a gilded bronze lamp shaped like a Vermilion Bird illuminated the table.

The dim candlelight burned silently, casting a soft glow that embraced Shen Jizhi from behind.

With one hand resting beside Jian Huan and the other holding two talisman books, he slid his neatly trimmed index finger between the pages. He glanced at her and asked, "Were you just reading this?"

That's why the window was closed.

Jian Huan averted her gaze, playing with her fingers. Hearing his question, she tilted her chin up, her tone slightly haughty. "Why not? Can't I?"

She was an adult now. Wasn't she allowed to read such things?

It wasn't like she hadn't seen them before.

She had seen far more intense things online. In the modern world, the internet had everything.

Jian Huan felt a small sense of pride. In this regard, she knew much more than he did.

"Of course," Shen Jizhi replied obediently, flipping through the pages casually. "Is it good?"

Jian Huan glanced at him again, her long, curled lashes casting shadows. After a moment of thought, she shared her honest opinion. "It's better than *Human Affairs*."

*Human Affairs* was a picture book she had found in Fang Quan's Treasure Hall. The book had been collected by Fang Quan's master a thousand years ago, and being from an older era, it wasn't as explicit.

Shen Jizhi gave a soft hum, pausing as he flipped through the pages. He held the book up to Jian Huan and asked in a low voice, "What about this one?"

Jian Huan followed his gaze, a flush creeping up her ears. She stammered, "It's... it's alright, I guess..."

"It's late!" She straightened up, turning to pry his hand off the door, trying to open it and usher Shen Jizhi out. "You can go back and read it yourself..."

The hand on the door, though slender and seemingly fragile, was actually firm with hidden strength beneath the surface.

Shen Jizhi tossed the book onto the table behind him.

With a *thud*, the book landed, causing the candle flame to flicker.

Shen Jizhi released the door, wrapping his arm around Jian Huan's waist and leaning in closer.

The distance between the young man and girl, already close, vanished in an instant. Their hands touched, their legs brushed, their robes intertwined, and their breaths mingled.

It was like a spring rain, the first shower barely over, the droplets still clinging to the branches, when the second downpour began.

Jian Huan's lips, still tingling from the earlier kiss, were pressed again by Shen Jizhi's fervent mouth, leaving them slightly sore.

But it wasn't just pain.

This kind of pain sent shivers through her.

Jian Huan wrapped her arms around his waist, and as his tongue slipped into her mouth, she bit him lightly, letting out a soft, cat-like whimper. "...Didn't you... didn't you say you were leaving?"

Shen Jizhi inhaled sharply, pulling his lips away from hers to kiss her neck. His usually calm voice was now tinged with unmistakable desire. "Didn't you... tell me to learn?"

Feeling his movements, Jian Huan trembled slightly, her dark eyes filled with understanding.

The way he had returned suddenly and the page he had shown her earlier gave her a clear idea of what was about to happen.

But she didn't object, though her body instinctively tensed. She gripped his sleeve, a little nervous.

The tug on his sleeve, the fabric brushing against his hand—such a small action—snapped the last thread of Shen Jizhi's restraint.

He suddenly regained his composure, pulling his hand back and kissing her lips again, this time softer, more soothing, like the gentle drizzle of a fading rain.

Jian Huan blinked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he murmured, looking into her eyes. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, pulling her into a tight embrace. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "I really should go..."

If he stayed any longer, he would lose control.

It had only been three days since they had become cultivation partners.

He didn't want to rush things, making it seem like all these years of effort were just for this moment.

That would tarnish his feelings for her.

Jian ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍Huan lowered her gaze, glancing at the man whose face was buried in her neck. She fiddled with the golden embroidery on his sleeve, opening her mouth as if to say something but hesitating.

She had already prepared herself.

So now the rain just... stopped?

If that was the case, why had he barged in earlier?

What was wrong with him?

After muttering a few curses in her mind, Jian Huan suddenly spoke. "Shen Jizhi."

Shen Jizhi: "Hmm?"

"As a cultivation partner, you're terrible," she said bluntly.

The statement caught him off guard. He looked up, confused. "What?"

Jian Huan's lashes fluttered as she began to list his faults in a small voice. "You didn't read the book I told you to, and you made me return it. We haven't even gone halfway on our journey, and you just... stopped." Under his intense gaze, she lowered her head, ignoring his stare, and forced herself to finish. "You can't do anything properly. What are you even good at?"

Shen Jizhi was stunned. "?"

For a moment, the room was dead silent.

Shen Jizhi stared at Jian Huan intently.

Jian Huan swallowed nervously, feeling as if something had dropped in his eyes—something dangerous and unpredictable.

Regretting her careless words, she decided to make a quick escape, but he held her firmly in place.

Shen Jizhi leaned in, his eyes locking onto hers. He tilted his head slightly and repeated her words slowly. "I... can't do anything properly?"

Jian Huan met his gaze, her neck stiff, and nodded defiantly. "Yes, you can't do anything properly."

"..."

Shen Jizhi studied her expression carefully. After a moment, as if he had figured something out, he smiled faintly.

"Alright," he said softly, his eyes curving with amusement. He leaned down and kissed her fiercely, leaving no room for protest.

His warm fingers trailed downward, landing on the delicate belt at her waist. With a gentle tug, the belt loosened, and her collar slipped slightly, revealing her pale collarbone.

Jian Huan shivered as the cool air touched her skin.

Before she could react, his lips were on her again...

Her light green robe slid down, pooling around her waist.

The rough wooden door pressed against her back, while his hands, warm as if they had been basking in the summer sun, moved over her.

Jian Huan gasped, biting her lip tightly, her body trembling like a fragile flower in a storm.

Shen Jizhi suddenly lifted her, turning her to face him.

Jian Huan leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

Now that he was holding her, she was slightly taller than him.

He lowered his head.

Jian Huan struggled to open her eyes, looking at him.

He was... making it impossible for her to see his face, only the top of his head.

The wooden hairpin in Shen Jizhi's hair had loosened, and most of his hair had come undone.

Holding her, kissing her, he slowly walked toward the bed.

Shen Jizhi laid Jian Huan down on the bed.

He propped himself up on one arm, his gaze roaming over her body, dark and intense.

His usually cold lips now glistened with moisture, stained a deep red, as if she had painted them with rouge. The sight was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic.

The young man, unashamed to ask for guidance, leaned closer, his nose brushing against hers. He asked earnestly, "Jian Huan, how was that just now? Was it... alright?"

Jian Huan's black hair fanned out across the white sheets.

She hugged herself, trying to cover up, her breathing uneven. She glared at him, her face flushed, refusing to answer.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Not good?" Shen Jizhi murmured, as if talking to himself. He reached for the talisman book on the table. "Then I'll learn something new..."

Jian Huan couldn't take it anymore. She kicked him lightly, her voice filled with embarrassment and frustration. "Shen Jizhi!"

Shen Jizhi chuckled softly, catching her foot and pulling her closer.

The pale yellow bed curtains fell, enclosing them in a small, intimate space. He captured her hands, kissing her with a mix of reverence and mischief.

His fingers deftly undid the intricate sash at her waist, exploring further...

...

He used a cleansing spell to wash his hands thoroughly.

The rainy night enveloped the world in a damp mist, the mountains shrouded in a soft haze.

Shen Jizhi gently kissed the corner of Jian Huan's lips, his glassy eyes fixed on her flushed, dazed face.

He trembled with restraint, the struggle to maintain control evident in his every movement.

He still took a deep breath and told her clearly, word by word: "Jian Huan, you can still call it off now."

Hearing Shen Jizhi's words, Jian Huan struggled to regain her composure.

The dim light in the room cast a soft glow, and the young man's eyes were red, as if stained with blood.

Desire and reason, coldness and allure—two completely different auras coexisted within him, making him all the more radiant.

Jian Huan reached out, touching his hand that was braced on the bed, gently hooking her pinky with his, and shook her head slightly.

Reason completely crumbled.

Shen Jizhi clasped her hand in return, slowly leaning down.

Everything became impossible to ignore.

In Jian Huan's eyes, ripples of emotion swayed.

It felt as if someone had punched her, her mind spinning wildly, dizzy and overwhelmed.

Holding his head in her arms, she called out to him in a breathless, distant voice: "Shen Jizhi..."

Shen Jizhi felt as though he were being scorched by a thousand flames. Jian Huan's call only fueled the fire, something inside him clamoring and roaring, unrelenting even unto death.

...It was unbearable.

Jian Huan tugged at his index finger, her voice trembling as she dragged out the words: "Shen Jizhi, I want to call it off..."

Sweat dampened the hair on his forehead. Shen Jizhi hummed in acknowledgment, slowing down slightly but not stopping.

He leaned in, kissing the corner of her lips, and whispered softly to her.

"It's too late now. No turning back."

...

In the latter half of the night, the moon was partially obscured by a veil of clouds, and the dark night poured down like ink.

The towering mountains stood solemnly, and a fierce wind began to howl.

The wind swept violently, bending the pine trees on the cliff until they nearly snapped. Just as they were about to break, the wind paused for a moment.

The pines steadied, only for another gust to rush in.

Back and forth it went, the sound of the wind echoing endlessly through the mountains, like the distant wailing of an opera singer on stage, their voice hoarse from singing through the night.