RPDPHW Chapter 60

Zhong Shujin never expected that just a slightly more intense kiss than usual would leave her breathless.

For someone like Master Zhong, who possessed profound inner strength, this was indeed a bit embarrassing.

After all, martial artists had longer-lasting breath control compared to ordinary people.

In the past, she had rarely been kissed by Gu Qingyin to the point of breathlessness. But today, due to a minor illness, she had already surrendered before she could even fully indulge in it.

She weakly wrapped her arms around Gu Qingyin, rubbed her cheek against hers, and muttered, “Something’s off today… Let’s fight another day…”

Gu Qingyin was momentarily stunned before breaking into a helpless chuckle.

“You…”

She gently ruffled Zhong Shujin’s hair in a doting manner before finally loosening her embrace. “You must be exhausted from the journey. San Niang has prepared a banquet to welcome us later. It’s still early—rest for a while, and I’ll wake you up later.”

Before Gu Qingyin could step away, Zhong Shujin tugged at her sleeve. “Where are you going?”

Gu Qingyin chuckled. “What? Want me to stay with you?”

At this, Zhong Shujin huffed in irritation. “No need!”

With that, she stomped toward the bed in a sulky manner.

“I’m just going back to my room to find something,” Gu Qingyin said, following her. She helped Zhong Shujin remove her outer robe and tucked her into the blanket, instructing, “If you’re sleepy, just go ahead and sleep. I should be back soon, but I can’t say for sure, so don’t wait for me.”

Hearing that Gu Qingyin was leaving so soon after their moment together, Zhong Shujin was naturally reluctant to let her go.

Wrapped tightly in the blanket, only her little head peeked out.

The feeling of having her hands trapped inside the covers was uncomfortable—let alone the fact that she couldn’t even reach out to hug Gu Qingyin. This only made her even more displeased.

So she quickly wriggled and struggled, saying, “The blanket is too tight! I’m hot!”

Gu Qingyin immediately pressed down on Zhong Shujin’s shoulders to stop her. “Don’t move.”

Seeing that Zhong Shujin actually listened and stopped, Gu Qingyin found it amusing. She reached out to wipe away the beads of sweat forming on Zhong Shujin’s forehead and said, “Sweating a little is good—it’ll help you recover faster.”

Zhong Shujin let out a dissatisfied huff.

“Oh? Since when did the great Doctor Gu become such a quack? Do you really think you can fool me with words meant for children?”

“Oh? But Master Zhong, aren’t you the one who threw away the medicine because you’re afraid of bitterness—just like a child? Or perhaps, you threw it away because you don’t trust this so-called quack doctor’s prescription?”

At the mention of the spilled medicine, Zhong Shujin suddenly felt a bit guilty.

“That’s not it! I had my reasons… It wasn’t because I was afraid of bitterness…”

Gu Qingyin pinched Zhong Shujin’s cheek and raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile. “Oh? Then tell me—why did you do it?”

Hearing the playful tone in Gu Qingyin’s voice, Zhong Shujin suddenly grinned mischievously. “Stay here and keep me company, and I’ll tell you!”

With that, she wriggled free from the tightly wrapped blanket, lifted a corner of it, and raised an eyebrow at Gu Qingyin.

With such a rare invitation from his beloved, how could Gu Qingyin possibly refuse?

After all, what could ever be more important than Zhong Shujin?

Gu Qingyin chuckled helplessly, said no more, and simply slipped off her outer robe before lying down beside Zhong Shujin.

“Now, will you tell me?”

Only then did Zhong Shujin finally feel satisfied, wrapping her arms around Gu Qingyin as she happily said, “Don’t you think that when I’m sick, you’re… hmm… extra, extra gentle with me? So, I figured that if I recover a little slower, you’ll be gentle with me for a little longer. And besides, along the way, there were people eyeing you like a tiger stalking its prey. I felt that only if I take longer to get better, you’ll have no choice but to stay with me all the time. That way, your eyes will only ever see me…”

Hearing this, Gu Qingyin was momentarily stunned.

But when she saw Zhong Shujin’s suddenly nervous and guilty expression, a deep, amused smile spread across her lips.

Such a little scheme—it was enough to make her happy for quite some time.

“Oh? Are you saying I’m not usually gentle with you?”

Zhong Shujin confessed honestly, “Usually, you just bully me…”

“Bully you?” Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow with a playful smile. Then, her hand slid to Zhong Shujin’s waist, tracing along her sensitive spot over the fabric of her inner robe. With an ambiguous tone, she asked, “You mean… this kind of bullying?”

Zhong Shujin let out a soft gasp, her face flushing as she grabbed Gu Qingyin’s mischievous hand and scolded, “Stop messing around! I’m being serious!”

That breathy gasp made Gu Qingyin’s throat tighten slightly.

For a moment, certain thoughts nearly surfaced—thoughts that were almost drawn out by that single sound. But remembering that Zhong Shujin was still unwell, Gu Qingyin restrained herself, stopping her playful teasing.

Instead, she simply rested her hand properly on Zhong Shujin’s waist and spoke in a gentle voice, “Next time, don’t joke around about your own health like that. You don’t need to be sick for my eyes to only see you—understand?”

Such straightforward words caught Zhong Shujin off guard.

Her heart warmed in an instant.

Before she could respond, Gu Qingyin had already placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Just like always, she pulled Zhong Shujin into her embrace, gently patting her shoulder and coaxing her to sleep.

“Be good, sleep now.”

Zhong Shujin’s heart was still racing, yet before she could calm down, Gu Qingyin had already closed her eyes.

She immediately felt a little annoyed.

How could she do this?! Saying such heartwarming words, only to fall asleep right after?

“It’s broad daylight! Why are you sleeping?!” Trapped in Gu Qingyin’s embrace and unable to move, Zhong Shujin had no choice but to poke Gu Qingyin’s waist and casually bring up a topic. “Are you unhappy that I told San Niang about this?”

Gu Qingyin furrowed her brows slightly, not even opening her eyes as she replied, “No, just sleep peacefully.”

So cold?

Zhong Shujin was unconvinced. She deliberately poked Gu Qingyin again.

“Then why are you ignoring me?”

Hearing this, Gu Qingyin had no choice but to open her eyes helplessly. She firmly caught the mischievous hand that was about to poke her waist again.

“Ah Jin, if you keep this up, don’t blame me if I decide to ‘bully’ you again.”

At that moment, Zhong Shujin finally noticed the smoldering fire in Gu Qingyin’s eyes.

She knew exactly what that burning gaze meant.

Seeing Gu Qingyin struggling to hold back like this was rare, and Zhong Shujin found it amusing.

She suddenly smiled brightly, then softened her body, pressing herself closer against Gu Qingyin. Wrapping her arms around Gu Qingyin’s neck, she murmured, “Oh? Did you really think your Master Zhong was easy to bully?”

Her proud curves were now firmly pressed against Gu Qingyin’s body.

Gu Qingyin instantly felt the surrounding air grow thinner, as if even the simplest act of breathing required extra effort.

And as Zhong Shujin spoke, those soft peaks trembled ever so slightly.

At this moment, Gu Qingyin was pressed tightly against that softness, naturally able to feel even the slightest change in it.

She didn’t respond—just gazed at Zhong Shujin in silence. But whether intentionally or not, Zhong Shujin rubbed against her ever so slightly again.

“Why aren’t you speaking, hmm?”

That tiny movement alone was enough to spark a fire.

Noticing the faint smile at the corner of Zhong Shujin’s lips, Gu Qingyin instantly realized this person was up to no good.

She steadied herself, calmed her racing heartbeat, then suddenly tightened her grip on Zhong Shujin’s waist and flipped them over, pinning her beneath.

“Ah Jin.” Putting an end to Zhong Shujin’s teasing little movements, Gu Qingyin reached out to gently brush away the stray strands on her forehead and murmured in a low, restrained voice, “Do you realize you’re playing with fire?”

At this, Zhong Shujin only laughed even more brightly.

She placed her hands on Gu Qingyin’s waist, and with a slight flick of her fingers, they slipped beneath the fabric through the seams.

Her cool fingertips skimmed along Gu Qingyin’s skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

“My body is so weak today—I doubt I could handle your fire.”

As she spoke, her hands traced up Gu Qingyin’s back, gliding over each ridge of her spine until they reached the knot of her undergarment.

With a light tug, the knot came undone.

“So… why don’t I help you put out the fire instead?”

“Put out the fire?” Gu Qingyin let out a low chuckle, suppressing the flames burning hotter within her. But when she met Zhong Shujin’s eager gaze, her lips curled into a smirk.

“I’d rather not. If all you know is how to start a fire but not how to put it out, tell me—where would I go to cry about it?”

These words made Zhong Shujin feel a little guilty.

She withdrew her hand sheepishly and huffed in displeasure. “You’re looking down on me!”

Though Zhong Shujin had stopped playing around, Gu Qingyin was already thoroughly teased, leaving her feeling restless.

Even without Zhong Shujin’s touches and embraces, the heat coursing through Gu Qingyin refused to subside.

Letting out a barely perceptible sigh, she rolled off Zhong Shujin, lying flat beside her while taking a few deep breaths.

After a moment, she lifted the blanket and sat up, smoothing out her disheveled clothing. In a gentle voice, she said, “Get some rest. I’m stepping out for a bit.”

At this, Zhong Shujin’s little tantrum was instantly forgotten. She quickly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Gu Qingyin’s neck from behind before she could leave. In a soft voice, she asked, “Didn’t you promise to stay with me?”

“I’ll be back soon.” Gu Qingyin squeezed the hand around her neck, her tone carrying a hint of embarrassment. “I just need to… cool down first.”

Zhong Shujin blinked in surprise and only then noticed the faint redness creeping up Gu Qingyin’s ears.

Realization dawned on her.

So that’s how it was—Gu Qingyin had seemed so composed earlier, but in truth, she had been just as affected.

Tsk, tsk. Who would’ve thought? Who would’ve guessed that Qingqing was this easy to stir up?

A slow, mischievous smile curled Zhong Shujin’s lips.

Instead of letting go as Gu Qingyin intended, she tightened her embrace.

“Qingqing~” Zhong Shujin deliberately leaned in close, her lips brushing against Gu Qingyin’s ear as she murmured, “Don’t go.”

With every word, her lips lightly grazed the burning skin of Gu Qingyin’s ear.

Gu Qingyin trembled violently, barely suppressing the moan that nearly escaped her lips.

“A-Jin… don’t do this…” she pleaded, her voice tight with restraint.

Zhong Shujin let out a soft, dreamy laugh. Her tongue flicked out, curling around Gu Qingyin’s burning earlobe before drawing it into her mouth.

“Mm…”

That single lick, that gentle pull—it was enough to make Gu Qingyin’s body go weak, a tingling numbness spreading through her limbs.

She gasped, her breath shaky with urgency. “A-Jin! You—”

Before she could finish, Zhong Shujin had already pulled her down onto the bed.

“Qingqing, if you’re feeling hot, then don’t try to cool down.”

Before Gu Qingyin could react, Zhong Shujin pressed her down, capturing her lips in a kiss.

The touch was soft yet carried an irresistible force, making any thought of resistance crumble.

“You said if I sweated a little, I’d recover faster, didn’t you?” Zhong Shujin murmured against Gu Qingyin’s lips, rubbing their foreheads together. Her trembling fingers found the sash at Gu Qingyin’s waist as a flush crept up her cheeks. “Then… let’s warm up together.”

Gu Qingyin was utterly stunned.

But before she could say a word, Zhong Shujin silenced her again—sealing her lips with another deep kiss.

Their breaths intertwined, the lingering bitterness of medicine still faintly present between their lips.