Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1514: 942: Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing

The pair of tails, now resting within his palm, felt remarkably soft and downy.

However, as Shu Ci had observed, they possessed an icy chill, as if plucked straight from a frozen river, each strand of fur as cold as a silken drizzle.

Baili An’s gaze fell upon the dark circles beneath Shu Ci’s eyes – they were profound and stark.

Although present when they first met, her lack of rest in recent days had clearly deepened their hue.

Gathering her tails closer, he inquired, “For how many days have you forgone sleep?”

Shu Ci, puzzled by his question, nonetheless began to count.

She responded with candid honesty, “Perhaps over twenty days without any sleep?”

Baili An had initially assumed she’d been diligently attending to him ceaselessly over the past few days, unaware that her sleeplessness stretched back over two decades.

By this calculation…

She hadn't experienced a restful night since encountering him in that desolate valley, right up until this very moment?

Baili An questioned, “Do beings like you, fairies, not require sleep?”

While Shu Ci naturally slept very little, refraining from sleep for twenty consecutive days was unprecedented even for her.

Considering this, her expression shifted, tinged with a deepening sense of grievance:

“Ever since encountering you, my vexing adversary, restful nights have eluded me.

In your absence, my thoughts are consumed by constant worry for you.

And when you are near, my eyes refuse to close, seized by the fear that you might vanish in an instant.”

Even the mischievous witch Ning Feiyan would struggle to concoct such cloyingly sweet words that could send shivers down one’s spine.

Fortunately, Baili An had gradually grown accustomed to her dramatic pronouncements.

Witnessing the pronounced dark circles under her eyes, he offered few words of reply.

He then gently parted his already warm chest, drawing her two fox tails into his embrace and holding them securely.

Shu Ci observed him, her eyes alight with curiosity, not solely due to his unexpected shift to a tender demeanor.

This ailment of persistent cold had plagued her for many years; truthfully, it was a curse inflicted by the Demon Lord Arao.

Shu Ci had to concede that Arao possessed a certain knack for creating trouble, leaving her with this peculiar affliction of being cold despite her immortal nature.

Yet, over the passage of time, she not only adapted to the constant companion of death but also became self-reliant and strong.

Despite her youthful visage, no one within the Demon Clan dared to treat her with disrespect, let alone approach her casually.

Should her chilling affliction manifest, she would never display vulnerability before others, invariably transforming into her fox form, curling into a ball, and seeking out a warm hearth to nurse herself.

From her very inception, she had endured countless agonies and borne numerous scars.

But since she could not perish, she had never sought solace in another’s arms.

Therefore, her current predicament was, in essence, quite extraordinary for Shu Ci.

The cool tails nestled against his chest began to gradually radiate warmth; the embers beneath the old kang still glowed with heat, the bedding remained invitingly soft, and the fur beneath his hand felt exceptionally comforting.

A languid fatigue, tinged with comfort, began to replace Shu Ci’s bone-deep chill under the pervasive warmth.

Her eyelids grew progressively heavy, and she contentedly narrowed her eyes, the tip of her tail peeking out from the collar of Baili An’s garment.

With a delicate nudge against his chin, she murmured in a voice thick with drowsiness, “If you continue to be this obliging, I shall be remarkably gentle when I eventually consume you.”

Witnessing her, on the verge of slumber, still contemplating such matters, evoked a dual sense of amusement and exasperation.

Baili An found himself instantly revitalized, his own weariness vanishing, regardless of how much longer he might remain in bed.

Thus, he remained by Shu Ci’s side, accompanying her through another night of rest. As her internal chill receded, the torrential downpour outside gradually subsided, and a faint glimmer of light began to subtly permeate the paper screens.

The heavy shroud of clouds parted, and lingering droplets on the verdant leaves caught the nascent dawn, scattering like luminous jewels, breathtaking in their beauty.

From beyond the courtyard, the faint chirping of birds could be discerned, though it remained unclear who was attending to them.

“Sister Shu, are you awake? That bothersome rain that lingered for days has finally ceased; it’s a bright day today, and you can take out the bedding to air. I’ve located two drying racks for you; come and take a look…”

The small door, unlocked, was cheerfully pushed open by Aunt Wu, who was met with the unexpected sight of two disheveled figures intertwined on the bed; her expression instantly faltered.

The wooden racks she held clattered to the ground.

Shu Ci’s restless movements during the night were likely a consequence of her affliction’s retreat.

With two tails and two bodies pressed together on the modest bed, and the kang radiating warmth from below, their bodies had become thoroughly heated in the latter half of the night.

The bedding had been partially kicked aside, dangling precariously off the edge of the bed, slipping down to her waist.

This revealed a striking figure and a slender midriff, her skin of pristine white yielding to delicate bones.

She lay on her side at that moment, her arms holding the young man on the bed tightly.

From Aunt Wu’s vantage point, her gaze traced the elegant curve of Shu Ci’s supple waist, forming a devastatingly alluring arc.

The young man on the bed had already stirred, reposing lazily against a plush pillow.

One of his hands rested lightly and naturally upon the head of the woman he held, as if in a gentle caress.

His collar was slightly undone, revealing pale, slender muscles beneath his shirt, his hand poised as if to draw the discarded bedding closer.

Facing Aunt Wu, the unannounced visitor, Baili An maintained a composed attitude, betraying no sign of guilt.

He cast a casual glance her way before deliberately pulling the covers up to shield Shu Ci's delicate form.

With a subtle nod to Aunt Wu, he conveyed his thanks, stating, "Your kindness is much appreciated, Auntie."

This particular stance carried an air of protective husbandly concern.

Aunt Wu appeared frozen in place, her eyes wide as she fixed her gaze upon the distinct bite mark adorning Baili An's right cheek…