Chapter 93 Testing her was just a gut feeling

The afternoon sun shone brightly on the drill ground, and a gentle spring breeze blew.

The students were already standing in neat rows, all eyes fixed on Cui Ying at the front, waiting for her to explain the key points of hitting the ball immediately.

Cui Ying, riding a black horse, brandished his golf club: "Come on, everyone, watch carefully. When hitting the ball, you must use your waist to drive your wrist, and the power must be smooth. Don't make a mistake..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the relaxed atmosphere froze for a moment, then burst into suppressed laughter from the students.

Cui Ying was stunned, recalling what she had said, and her ears suddenly burned.

"No, no!"

She hurriedly waved her hand, forcing herself to remain calm, and said, "You hit the wrong ball! Don't hit the wrong ball! After you hit the first ball, don't hesitate, immediately put down your cue, and then go to—oh no! Go after it, go after the ball!"

Not to mention the students, Cui Ying herself was stunned. Her fair face turned bright red instantly, as if it could bleed. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

The students could no longer contain themselves and began whispering and laughing.

A usually lively and outgoing female student laughed and asked loudly, "Madam Cui, what's wrong with you today? Why are you two always talking about how intimate you are?"

Cui Ying's cheeks flushed red, and her thoughts were immediately drawn back to last night.

In her dream, she originally only intended to take it easy and steal a small kiss from Xiao Qiyu.

But knowing that it was in her dream and that Xiao Qiyu didn't react at all, she gradually grew bolder, even imitating how he had forcibly kissed her before, and putting her tongue into his mouth...

Then, she was kissing so hard she was almost out of breath that she tried to lift her head up.

But suddenly the back of her neck felt incredibly heavy, as if it were being held firmly by a large hand, and she couldn't get up no matter what she did.

After that, she remembered nothing at all, only that she woke up in her own bed and the floor was empty, with no trace of a bed being made on the floor.

Damn it, how is she supposed to explain that she had a wet dream last night, and that it was a wet dream she initiated?

"Why isn't Madam Cui saying anything? What are you thinking about?" the student asked with a grin.

Cui Ying felt as if her face was on fire. She knew without looking that her face must be as red as a monkey's bottom. She chuckled awkwardly and said, "I've been reading too many storybooks. Don't worry about that. Focus on practicing your ball. Everyone, focus."

She turned around, trying to appear calm, pretending to check her golf clubs, but actually closed her eyes tightly and muttered "Oh God" several times.

That wretched Xiao Qiyu, no matter if he appears or not, whether he's real or an illusion, he always finds a way to embarrass her. The two of them are truly born to clash.

However, just as Cui Ying shook her head vigorously, trying to erase the images from her dream last night, a familiar, clear, and steady voice suddenly came from across the training ground—

"The horse stance is the foundation of martial arts. The key points are to lower the center of gravity, bend the knees slightly, straighten the back, and sink the breath into the dantian."

It was Xiao Qiyu.

Cui Ying's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and her gaze involuntarily followed the sound.

The students of the East Campus stood in neat rows, with Xiao Qiyu standing at the very front, his hands behind his back. He was dressed in a narrow-sleeved casual uniform, looking neat and clean, with a tall and elegant figure and a serious and earnest expression.

Cui Ying's gaze seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, lingering unconsciously on Xiao Qiyu.

She noticed that the jade crown he wore to tie his hair up today seemed different from usual, and that the cuffs of his clothes seemed to be embroidered with silver cloud patterns, making his movements shimmer with light.

etc.

Cui Ying suddenly woke up.

What am I looking at? How did I notice such tiny details as his changed hair ornament and the pattern on his sleeves?

She's never been like this before!

Cui Ying forced herself to look away, but after a while, she couldn't help but sneak a glance back out of the corner of her eye.

She watched as Xiao Qiyu walked up to the students, calmly correcting their movements, his brows slightly furrowed, his voice low and clear, his thin lips sometimes tightly pressed together, sometimes slightly parted.

As I gazed at it, the images from last night's dream surged back, and the lingering warmth of that dream seemed to still touch my lips...

Just then, as if sensing something, Xiao Qiyu paused slightly, his gaze inadvertently rising and looking directly towards the direction of the West Courtyard disciples.

The two locked eyes.

Cui Ying was caught off guard by his sudden gaze. As if burned, she turned her head away abruptly, her heart pounding. She hurriedly raised her golf club and swung it haphazardly a couple of times, then cleared her throat in a serious tone and said, "Everyone, watch closely, my next move is crucial!"

On the other side, the East Courtyard disciples, sweating profusely from practicing horse stance, wailed, "Xiao, we really can't hold on any longer. Can we rest for a while before coming back?"

Xiao Qiyu said calmly, "It hasn't been long. Let's complete half an hour of acupuncture first."

His gaze swept over the slender figure on the black horse, his eyes landing on the girl's bright red earlobes.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

...

In the afternoon, the sunlight dappled across the drill ground, and the forsythia bloomed brilliantly, swaying gracefully in the breeze.

Cui Ying had just finished teaching and was looking for a shady spot to rest for a while when she saw Yun Cheng carrying several books, hurrying from the direction of the library and passing by.

"Yun Cheng!"

Cui Ying instinctively called out to him and greeted him with a smile.

Yun Cheng seemed not to hear her voice at all. Instead of stopping, she hurried even more, burying her head even lower.

Without thinking twice, Cui Ying quickly caught up with him, circled around to his side, and blocked his path: "I'm calling you, didn't you hear me? Why are you running?"

Yun Cheng stopped, his gaze still lowered, and bowed respectfully. His voice was gentle, but tinged with nervousness: "This student greets Madam Cui. I was in a hurry just now and did not notice. Please forgive me, Madam Cui."

For some reason, even though only a few days had passed, Cui Ying felt that Yun Cheng was treating her with unusual distance and formality.

But the two of them weren't particularly close. Although Cui Ying was puzzled, she didn't think much of it. She looked at his thin figure and slightly pale profile, and her tone softened as she asked with concern, "Don't be so polite with me. I just wanted to ask how you've been lately. Have those people been causing you trouble again?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Cheng shook her head, her voice still gentle: "Thank you for your concern, Madam Cui. Thanks to you, I'm feeling much better lately."

His answer was brief, and his tone revealed no emotion.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of the wind through the grass and trees.

Seeing his obvious reluctance to talk, Cui Ying felt strange but didn't press him. She nodded and said, "That's fine then. If anyone bullies you again, you must not suffer in silence. No matter who it is, I will help you."

Yun Cheng paused, then suddenly uttered a strange question: "Whoever it is?"

Cui Ying was taken aback, then nodded emphatically: "That's right, even if the King of Heaven himself came, it's still wrong to bully people."

Yun Cheng chuckled, his voice lacking its usual gentleness and instead carrying a hint of coldness: "Yes, student will remember. If Madam Cui has no further instructions, student—"

Before the words "I'll take my leave now" could even leave his lips, Yun Cheng subconsciously looked up, his gaze falling on Cui Ying's back, and his eyes instantly went blank.

When Cui Ying noticed his strange expression, she turned her head and followed his gaze. The moment her eyes met his, her heart skipped a beat.

Xiao Qiyu had already stood quietly a few steps away, arms crossed, watching them calmly.

The two hadn't been this close for a long time. Cui Ying could even see the curve of his hair in the wind and the clear sunlight reflected in his eyes. An inexplicable excitement seized her, and her heart felt like it was pounding with a little rabbit.

She forcefully suppressed the inexplicable flutter in her heart, trying to make her voice sound relaxed and casual. She even pointed at Yun Cheng and forced a smile, saying, "You've come at the right time. In the future, please take good care of him in the academy and don't let him be bullied by others anymore."

Cui Ying was testing the waters.

She was waiting for Xiao Qiyu's reaction to these words.

The fact that he offered to take Yun Cheng back to her dormitory when they were at the hospital last time was already surprising enough, since he had warned her before that she could joke around with anyone but not with Yun Cheng.

Cui Ying didn't understand what grudges existed between him and Yun Cheng. She just had a gut feeling that if Xiao Qiyu still cared about her, he definitely wouldn't do what she said.

"I'm sorry, Yun Cheng, I used you as a litmus test. I'll definitely treat you to something delicious another day," Cui Ying thought guiltily.

Meeting Cui Ying's overly bright almond-shaped eyes, Xiao Qiyu showed no extra expression, and his voice remained as steady as ever, revealing no emotion: "Fine."

There is only one word.

There was no questioning, no displeasure, not even a ripple; he simply agreed.

Cui Ying's prepared follow-up remarks were all stuck in her throat.

She had imagined him refusing with a cold face, or questioning her with sarcasm, but she never expected him to be so... compliant?

This reaction was completely unexpected. Instead of making her happy, it felt like punching cotton, and that inexplicable feeling of annoyance quietly resurfaced in her heart.

Yun Cheng had already bowed to Xiao Qiyu and said politely, "Thank you, Xiao Qiyu."

Xiao Qiyu glanced at him, then remained silent.

Cui Ying chuckled twice, trying her best to keep her tone natural: "I never knew you were so helpful."

Xiao Qiyu said indifferently, "Since you've asked, I'll naturally help you."

Cui Ying felt even more like she was punching cotton, and suddenly she didn't want to say another word to him.

She made up an excuse and turned to leave.

As the sun sets and the moon rises, night falls.

Cui Ying was upset and tossed and turned on the bed for a long time before finally managing to fall asleep.

She didn't know how many hours had passed, but in her dazed state, she felt a little breathless, as if she were enveloped by something hot and heavy.

A tingling, itchy sensation emanated from my neck, as if something soft and moist was gently pressing and licking it.

She struggled to lift her heavy eyelids, and through her blurry vision, she was met with a pair of long, deep eyes that were very close to hers.

Xiao Qiyu

Cui Ying's breathing became completely erratic, her limbs felt limp and powerless, and she murmured softly, "Am I...am I dreaming?"

His kiss landed on the tip of her nose, then lingered on her lips, traveling down her body. The youthful, fiery aura unique to the boy overwhelmed her.

"Of course it's a dream."

A familiar and seductive voice whispered in her ear, and her delicate collarbone was enveloped in a warm, moist embrace, slowly and teasingly licked and outlined in its slender shape.

"Sweetie, go back to sleep."

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Author's Note: I'm so stuck! I failed to reach the word count. I'll try again tomorrow. [crying emoji]