"Oh. Then don't come out again."
"No... Shu Bai, what you said is a bit hurtful!"
"What's wrong?" Shu Bai lazily raised his eyes. "Anyway, it's shy."
"I'll have it apologize to you in person right now! Quick! Tell Uncle Shubai you're not ashamed!"
…
The bell rang first from her ankle, a clear, crisp sound.
Immediately, the heavy bracelet on her wrist responded in unison, its tone even lower, and wrapped around her.
At first, they made sporadic sounds, but gradually they started to follow each other's rhythm.
The bell on the ankle was eager to escape, but the one on the wrist chased closely, jingling and jingling, each step followed by a delicate, trembling sound.
Later, the rhythm got messed up.
The two strings of bells were intertwined, their sounds intertwined, making it impossible to tell which one was vibrating which.
When it's rapid, it's like a sudden downpour hitting the eaves of a bell, dense and continuous; when it slows down, it's like the wind passing over a tower, the lingering sound grinding away.
The pillowcase was gradually becoming damp, and the red rope was soaked through with a dark color.
…
Li Yuheng felt that being a ghost, especially a ghost as outstanding as himself, was a great thing.
One of the greatest pleasures is being able to admire my wife anytime, anywhere, from every angle.
For example, right now, Shu Bai has just finished bathing and is only loosely wearing a moon-white undergarment. Her dark hair is wet and draped over her shoulders, with water droplets sliding down her clear collarbone and into the depths of her clothes.
He was practicing calligraphy, and his profile was incredibly handsome in the candlelight.
"Shu Bai, do you know that the way you are right now makes you look exactly like a mountain spirit seducing a scholar?"
Shu Bai didn't even raise his head, his pen moving swiftly: "Then you are that unfortunate scholar who was bewitched by beauty and is about to have his yang energy drained."
"It is my greatest honor! To be attracted by a spirit of your beauty and grace is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes. Please do not pity this delicate flower!"
Shu Bai chuckled, put down his brush, picked up the Xuan paper, and shook it.
"This is a reward for you."
Li Yuheng leaned over to take a look and saw a lifelike beagle drawn in ink on the paper. Its hind legs were stuck in a dog hole, its butt sticking up high, and several sparrows were pecking at its tail.
A line of small characters was also inscribed on the side: "Guardian Beast of the House, Legacy of the Duke".
Li Yuheng: "..."
He stroked his chin and examined the painting for a moment, then nodded: "It's well done, capturing a bit of my spirit. It's just that the choice of scene is slightly flawed."
Shu Bai tapped the dog's butt with her fingertip: "I think you're the one who feels ashamed of having your butt stuck in a dog hole."
"...You don't understand. The main character always has to go through some trials. Getting stuck in the dog hole was a revelation from fate, telling me that the road to success is inevitably bumpy."
He suddenly turned around: "But don't you think this painting is missing something?"
The sparse white is incomprehensible.
Li Yuheng pointed his finger and placed a dot of yin energy on the painting.
As the ink flowed, a line of gleaming gold and wild cursive script appeared beside the dog hole:
"In the past, the dragon was trapped in shallow waters; today, the phoenix soars to the nine heavens—Li Yuheng rose from humble beginnings."
“It’s perfect now.” Li Yuheng nodded in satisfaction. “It’s both factual and educational.”
Shu Bai stared at the line of gold characters that were almost blindingly bright: "...Why don't you leave another paw print?"
"A paw print? Good idea! But my paw print is too imposing, I'm afraid this paper can't withstand it."
Li Yuheng changed the subject, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shu Bai: "Why don't you press it? You turn back into a kitten and leave your mark next to me, how about that?"
Shu Bai immediately put away the drawing paper: "It's not very good."
"Why?"
"I have no interest in embarrassing myself with you."
"How is this shameful? This is a testament to our love."
Shu Bai finally raised his eyes, a playful smile curving his lips: "You want me to leave my paw print?"
"think."
"Okay." Shu Bai put down the drawing paper and leaned back in his chair leisurely. "Then bark once."
"Woof."
"...You're ruthless."
…
Shu Bai had just transformed back into her calico cat form and hadn't even had time to dry her fur when Li Yuheng scooped her into his arms.
"Oh my, whose kitten is this? It's so cute! My husband wants to kiss it!"
Li Yuheng buried his face in the cat's belly and took a deep breath. "Oh, it's my cat."
Shu Bai's body stiffened, and a slight tremor rose uncontrollably in his throat, the shameful snoring sound almost bursting out of his throat.
He immediately pursed his lips tightly, using all his willpower to suppress the sound.
At the same time, she coldly raised her paw and firmly pressed it against Li Yuheng's approaching forehead, trying to stop this overly intimate gesture.
"...Are you still going to leave your paw print?"
He tried to change the subject, his voice sounding somewhat stiff from deliberately suppressing his emotions.
"I'm not pressing it anymore, I'm not pressing it anymore."
Li Yuheng nuzzled the softest downy hair on the side of his neck, tightening his arms around him, looking completely intoxicated: "Shubai, don't say anything yet, let me immerse myself in the experience first."
The comfortable caresses intensified, with slender fingers gently scratching behind his ear.
Shu Bai felt that damned snoring sound stirring in his chest again, almost uncontrollable.
Shu Bai narrowed his eyes, then decisively kicked his back foot lightly, nimbly jumping out of Li Yuheng's embrace, and instantly returned to human form.
He walked to the table, casually picked up an orange, and began peeling it with his eyes down.
Li Yuheng immediately started making a fuss: "Shu Bai, what do you mean? I haven't hugged you enough yet!"
Shu Bai twirled the orange pith between her fingertips: "...I'm afraid you'll get too caught up in it and bend over right there."
Li Yuheng suddenly fell silent.
He crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on Shu Bai's face. From his slightly trembling eyelashes to his tightly pursed lips, his gaze was so intense it felt like it could burn two holes in the other's face.
Keep an eye on it.
Keep an eye on it.
She watched as Shu Bai's movements as she peeled the oranges became slower and slower, and even the roots of her ears turned a suspicious pink.
Finally, Shu Bai could no longer bear it and threw the orange peel he had just peeled at Li Yuheng.
The orange peel traced a perfect parabola in the air, as if shouting: I am free!
Li Yuheng caught the flying orange peel precisely, and with a deft twist of his fingertips, the orange peel settled steadily on his fingertip and began to spin.
His lips curled into a wild smile: "Huh? Suddenly I remembered, wasn't there some kind of sound just now? A snoring sound. Shubai, did you hear it?"
Shu Bai expressionlessly put a segment of orange into her mouth: "I didn't hear you."
Shu Bai felt that the biggest mistake a cat, especially a cool cat like him, made was being controlled by a dog demon.
For example, right now.
Li Yuheng blinked. "Oh? Really? Maybe I misheard."
Okay.
We mustn't provoke Shu Bai.
What if his wife stops being a cat? Where will he go to pet her?
He could still tell the difference between a full meal and a full stomach.
As a leading man, one should have a long-term vision.
Li Yuheng stared at the orange peel spinning between his fingers, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
The candles in the room went out instantly.
Darkness enveloped everything in an instant, leaving only the faint moonlight from outside the window to outline the furniture.
Shu Bai paused, "What are you doing now..."
"Shh—" Li Yuheng's voice carried a mysterious laugh in the darkness, "I'll show you something good."
He picked up the orange peel and brought it to the only lit candle.
Before anyone knew it, he was holding a small bronze candlestick in his fingertips.
With a gentle squeeze, a few drops of glistening juice fell into the candle flame.
"Crack!"
A cluster of tiny, golden-green sparks suddenly burst forth, like miniature fireworks exploding in the darkness.
Shu Bai slightly widened her eyes.
The fresh scent of orange peel filled the air, mingling with the warmth of the candlelight.
"How was it?" Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow in the flickering firelight. "More interesting than fireworks, isn't it?"
Shu Bai watched the tiny sparks dancing in the darkness, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. "Hmm. But why does it feel like children playing with fire?"
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