117: Chapter 117 As White as Jade

"Brother Ye Yun! You're finally back!"

Zhao Hu grabbed his arm, looking him up and down, his eyes reddening.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt? I was worried sick!"

Ye Yun felt a warmth in his heart seeing him like this. He patted Zhao Hu's shoulder and smiled.

"I'm fine, just a minor injury. It'll be better after a couple of days of rest."

Zhao Hu finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the corners of his eyes, and began to ramble.

"You said you were going to train in the Fengyun Mountains for a while, but I didn't expect it to take so long. If you hadn't shown up soon, I would have died of worry..."

Ye Yun listened to his nagging without annoyance, simply nodding with a smile.

Once Zhao Hu finished, Ye Yun finally spoke up and asked.

"By the way, did you say Senior Sister Mu Wanyao was looking for me?"

Zhao Hu slapped his forehead and hurriedly said.

"Right, right, right! Senior Sister Mu came looking for you yesterday. Seeing you weren't here, she asked me to tell you to visit her place once you returned, saying she had something to tell you."

Ye Yun nodded and stood up.

"Alright, I'll head over there now."

A moment later, Ye Yun arrived at Mu Wanyao's residence—the Bamboo Rhyme Cottage.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar, and it was quiet inside.

Ye Yun stood outside the door, knocked gently, and called out.

"Senior Sister Wanyao? It's Ye Yun."

There was no response from inside.

He knocked twice more, but there was still no sound.

Ye Yun's brow furrowed slightly. He reached out and gave the gate a gentle push, and it opened with a creak.

He hesitated for a moment before stepping into the courtyard.

The courtyard was silent, save for the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves.

Ye Yun's gaze swept around, but he didn't see Mu Wanyao. Just as he was about to call out again...

...he suddenly heard the faint sound of splashing water coming from the backyard.

His footsteps paused. After a brief hesitation, he headed toward the backyard anyway.

Passing through a moon gate, the scene before him caused him to freeze instantly.

In the center of the backyard was a small pool. The water was crystal clear with steam curling above it, clearly supplied by a hot spring.

And at that moment, a slender figure in the pool had her back turned to him.

She sat by the edge of the pool, letting the warm stream of water wash over her body.

The figure only revealed her smooth, bare back.

Her skin was as white as jade, glowing with a warm, pearly luster amidst the hazy mist.

Her long hair was pinned up high, revealing her long, fair neck. Her shoulder lines were smooth and delicate, and her shoulder blades were faintly visible.

Her waist was slender enough to be held in one hand, and further down, she was submerged in the water, hidden from view.

Water droplets slid down her smooth back and into the pool, creating tiny ripples.

Ye Yun's pupils constricted, and his breath hitched for a second.

[Senior Sister Wanyao... is bathing.]

Right then, the figure in the pool seemed to sense something and turned her head slightly.

Her gaze swept over and met Ye Yun's stunned eyes.

The moment their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze.

Mu Wanyao froze completely. A flash of blankness first crossed her gentle eyes.

It then turned into shock, and finally transformed into extreme panic and shame.

She instinctively wanted to scream, but the moment she recognized who it was, she forced herself to swallow the sound.

"Ye... Junior Brother Ye Yun?!"

Her voice was trembling uncontrollably.

Her cheeks instantly turned bright red, the flush spreading from her face to the tips of her ears and down her neck.

Even her exposed shoulders were tinged with pink.

She abruptly submerged herself further into the water.

With only her head showing, her eyes reddened as she looked at him with a mix of shame and anger.

Ye Yun finally snapped back to his senses, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face.

He quickly turned around to face away from her, his voice filled with apology.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I knocked, but no one answered, and the gate was open, so I thought... I'm leaving right now!"

As he spoke, he walked quickly toward the exit, his footsteps somewhat frantic.

Mu Wanyao's embarrassed and annoyed voice came from behind him.

"You... wait!"

Ye Yun's footsteps paused, but he did not turn around.

A moment later, the rustling sound of clothes being put on came from behind him.

After a long while, he finally heard Mu Wanyao's voice again, much quieter than before.

It carried a shyness that had not yet fully faded.

"Al... alright, you can turn around now."

Only then did Ye Yun turn around.

Mu Wanyao had already dressed in a moon-white gown, which made her figure look even more slender and elegant.

Having just finished her bath, her cheeks still bore a faint red glow, and the tips of her hair were slightly damp.

A few stray strands of hair clung to her cheeks, and her skin was steamed to a translucent, pearly pink by the heat.

She looked like a hibiscus emerging from the water, so beautiful that one could not look away.

Mu Wanyao stood there with her head lowered, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress, not daring to look at him.

That shy and awkward appearance...

...was a far cry from the usually gentle and calm Mu Wanyao, yet it possessed a different kind of moving charm.

The two of them just stood there, neither speaking, as an awkward yet flirtatious atmosphere filled the air.

After a long time, Mu Wanyao finally worked up the courage to glance at him.

She quickly lowered her eyes again and asked in a small voice.

"Why... why are you here?"

Ye Yun cleared his throat, suppressing the fluttering in his heart, and explained.

"Zhao Hu said you were looking for me, so I came over. I knocked and no one answered, and the gate was open, so I thought you were in the courtyard and, well, I came in. I didn't expect..."

As he spoke, he also scratched his head, feeling a bit sheepish.

Listening to his explanation, Mu Wanyao's cheeks turned even redder, but she also knew she couldn't blame him.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

But her pounding heart simply would not settle.

After a moment of silence, Mu Wanyao finally spoke, her voice soft and carrying a hint of concern.

"Where have you been these past two days? I went to look for you, but you weren't there."

Ye Yun looked at her and told the truth.

"I accompanied Zhao Hu to the Fengyun Mountains for a mission. After we finished, I went a bit deeper to hone my Martial Skills, which took some extra time."

Hearing this, a flash of worry appeared in Mu Wanyao's eyes.

"The inner regions of the Fengyun Mountains? It's very dangerous there. Are you okay?"

Ye Yun shook his head.

"I'm fine. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

Mu Wanyao finally sighed in relief, then she thought of something. Her expression became serious, and her gentle eyes were full of solemnity.

"Ye Yun, I came to find you to remind you that the Outer Sect Grand Competition is in two days. Murong Yun will definitely try to sabotage the match. You must be careful."

Seeing her worried look, Ye Yun felt a warmth in his heart, and a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Wanyao. I have a plan. If Murong Yun wants to play, I'll play with him until the very end."

Seeing his confident and calm demeanor, a complex emotion flashed in the depths of Mu Wanyao's eyes.

She bit her lip gently and whispered.

"You... you be careful. I... I don't want to see anything happen to you."

The words were spoken very softly, yet they carried an unmistakable sense of care and tenderness.

Ye Yun looked at her slightly reddened cheeks.

Looking into her eyes, which were filled with worry and gentleness, a warm current surged through his heart.

He nodded and said solemnly.

"Alright, I promise you, I'll be fine."

Only then did Mu Wanyao reveal a shallow smile, like an orchid blooming in spring, gentle and moving.

The two of them fell silent again for a moment before Ye Yun cupped his hands.