165: Chapter 165 Ye Qingxian Still Wants to Steal a Kiss!

The flying ship pierced through the clouds, leaving only Lu Chen on the deck.

Wind poured in from the bow, sweeping past the empty main mast, the unoccupied grandmaster chair, and the spotless deck floor.

There was no Nangong Ziyi clinging to the mast and wailing.

No one was drugging his tea, and no one was visiting, dressed in red silk while carrying poisonous tea.

Lu Chen took a deep breath.

Clean. The air only held the moisture of the clouds and the faint scent of pine from the spirit wood ship's hull.

He slumped into the recliner, limbs splayed, the back of his head resting against the chair back, eyes half-closed, his lips finally curling upward by a fraction.

This is the life an Emperor should lead.

No need to guard against drugs, no need to guard against sneak attacks, and no need to worry about waking up to someone riding on top of him.

His right hand rested on the armrest, his index finger tapping rhythmically against the spirit wood, a relaxed rhythm. His entire being radiated the relief of someone who had just survived a disaster.

"Revered Master."

A head poked out from the cabin doorway.

Ye Qingxian's large eyes scanned to the left, then to the right. After confirming that Lu Chen was the only one on deck, a smile appeared on her small face.

Holding a pot of freshly brewed spirit tea, she tiptoed over at a trot.

"Revered Master, have some tea."

"You brewed this?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Did you add anything to it?"

Ye Qingxian blinked her large eyes twice, her entire face filled with grievance.

"Revered Master! I didn't!"

Lu Chen stared at her for three breaths. Confirming that the girl's gaze was clear and devoid of even a trace of Impurities, he reached out to take the teacup.

He held it under his nose to sniff, probed it with his spiritual sense to scan it, and after confirming the ingredients were normal, took a small sip.

He felt he would never be able to break this habit in this lifetime.

Ye Qingxian placed the teapot on the low table, brought over a soft cushion, placed it beside the recliner, and knelt down.

"Revered Master, are your legs still sore?"

Lu Chen glanced at her.

"Why are you so attentive today?"

A fawning smile hung on Ye Qingxian's small face.

"It's only natural for a disciple to be filial to their Revered Master."

She stretched out both hands, her ten fingers landing on Lu Chen's calves.

The moment her fingertips touched him, Lu Chen's brows twitched slightly.

Ye Qingxian's hands were small, her fingers slender. Her fingertips carried the softness and warmth characteristic of a young girl, pressing against his calf muscles with a force so light it was almost imperceptible.

She began to massage.

Her technique was surprisingly gentle. Her thumbs pushed downward from below the knees along the outside of the tibias, reached above the ankles, and then returned. Every movement followed the flow of the Meridians, neither rushed nor heavy.

Her fingertips drew small circles on his muscles, and occasionally, when she encountered a tight knot, she would gently knead it open with the base of her palm.

Lu Chen's brows relaxed.

He didn't know who this girl had learned her massage technique from; it was even more meticulous than the attendants from those Holy Lands.

The pressure was just right—neither ticklish nor painful—simply the kind of comfort that made one's bones feel half-melted.

Ye Qingxian knelt on the soft cushion, head bowed, her gaze fixed on her own fingers and Lu Chen's legs.

Her small eyes traveled upward from Lu Chen's calves, sweeping over his knees and across his thighs.

Ye Qingxian's hands slid from his calves to above his knees.

Her fingertips touched the edge of his thighs, and she hesitated for a moment.

Lu Chen opened his eyes.

"Just massage the calves; don't go any higher."

Ye Qingxian's hands retracted, obediently returning to the position of his calves.

She muttered in her heart: "Although Revered Master is a lecherous old ghost who spent the whole night in the room with Big Sister Ziyi, he is truly the most handsome man in the world. His features are flawless from any angle, making one's heart skip a beat."

Ye Qingxian's technique became even gentler. Her thumbs pressed against the Acupoints on the outside of Lu Chen's calves, her spiritual power carrying the unique warmth from within her body, feeling toasty and warm.

Lu Chen closed his eyes completely.

Comfortable.

Being caught in a pincer attack by Nangong Ziyi and Yuan Miaoyu over the past two days had left his Origin depleted; his whole body felt like it had been drained eight hundred times over.

This pure, unadulterated service from Ye Qingxian, devoid of any ulterior motives, finally allowed his tightly wound nerves to relax.

Ye Qingxian raised her head and snuck a glance.

Revered Master was closing his eyes, his breathing becoming long and even, the corners of his mouth slightly relaxed, the curve of his jawline softened by three parts.

Her heart rate accelerated.

Ye Qingxian's hands slowly stopped.

She withdrew both hands from Lu Chen's calves and quietly wiped them on her skirt.

Then, bracing her hands on the recliner's armrests, she leaned forward on tiptoes.

Her knees left the soft cushion, switching to a crouching posture as her center of gravity shifted forward.

Her face inched closer to Lu Chen, inch by inch.

She could see the side of his nose bridge.

She could smell the lingering scent of pine and cypress from when he circulated the Yunxiao Emperor Scripture.

Ye Qingxian's large eyes were watery, reflecting Lu Chen's side profile as he slept.

Her lips were slightly pursed—pink, tender, and possessing the fullness characteristic of a young girl—as she leaned toward Lu Chen's cheek.

She could even feel Lu Chen's breath hitting her face.

Ye Qingxian's heart was racing in her throat.

When she was an inch away, a hand precisely slapped onto her face, covering Ye Qingxian's entire mouth perfectly.

With fingers spread, the thumb pressed against her left cheek, the four fingers hooked onto her right cheek, and the palm pressed against her lips and the entire area below her nose.

Ye Qingxian's large eyes widened to their maximum instantly.

Lu Chen's eyes opened. There was not a shred of sleepiness; they were very clear, his pupils filled with mockery.

He hadn't been asleep at all.

"Little girl," Lu Chen laughed, smiling very casually, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "Still trying to sneak attack your Revered Master? After suffering a loss at the teahouse last time, would I fall for it a second time?"

With her mouth covered, Ye Qingxian let out muffled "woo-woo-woo" sounds.

She struggled five or six times, but couldn't break free.

Her large eyes turned from shock to grievance, from grievance to unwillingness, and finally into puffed-up annoyance.

Her entire small face was flushed red, her lips pressed against Lu Chen's palm, her breath hitting his palm lines, hot and warm.

Lu Chen could feel her pursed lips rubbing back and forth against his palm, soft, carrying the tender touch and slightly damp warmth of a young girl.

His earlobes twitched.

Then, he quickly let go.

"Ahem."

The moment Ye Qingxian gained her freedom, she took a deep breath, her entire face already flushed pink from holding it in.

"Revered Master, you..."

Before she could speak, Lu Chen raised his index finger knuckle and tapped her on the forehead.

The force was neither light nor heavy, just enough to make a crisp "thud" sound.

"It's useless." His expression shed the smile, replaced by a serious face.

"You are my disciple. Although your Revered Master's Dao Heart hasn't been very firm lately, I still have a bottom line when it comes to my own disciple."

His eyes stared at Ye Qingxian, his gaze becoming three parts more serious.

"Revered Master and disciple is a no-go, understand?"

Ye Qingxian clutched her throbbing forehead, a layer of moisture gathering in her large eyes.

She pursed her lips, retreated back to the soft cushion, sat cross-legged, hugged her knees with both hands, and rested her chin on them.

She muttered sulkily.

"Fine, if you won't let me kiss you, then you won't."

Her voice was very small, carrying a nasal tone.

"Revered Master is a stingy ghost."

Lu Chen leaned back against the chair, watching the curled-up Ye Qingxian.

This girl had buried her face behind her knees, revealing only her pair of large eyes and the small spot on her forehead that he had tapped red.

Her eyelashes fluttered, half-aggrieved and half-defiant, yet she didn't dare to lean in again.

Lu Chen tapped his fingertips on the armrest twice.

Then he reached out and rested his hand on Ye Qingxian's head.

His palm covered the top of her head, his fingers threading through her soft, long hair, gently rubbing it twice.

It wasn't a gentle motion, but the casual kind of head-patting comfort a Revered Master gives a Junior.

Ye Qingxian's body stiffened for half a breath.

Then she buried her face deeper, the tips of her ears turning transparently red.

Lu Chen withdrew his hand, picked up the teacup, and took a sip.

The wind blew from the bow, and the sunlight was just right.

His gaze crossed the edge of the teacup, casting toward the sea of clouds ahead, his pupils reflecting the vast sky.

As for how long this bottom line could hold, he wouldn't think about it; he would drink his tea first.