Chapter 18: Couple Outfits

The morning sunlight spilled into the humble cabin, casting patterns upon the walls and the table. Two figures lay on the bed; Qing Mei opened her obsidian-like eyes wide, gazing at Nan Qingcheng before her. Looking at this perfect face, Qing Mei couldn't help but reach out. Her fingers slid from his smooth forehead to the tip of his nose, and then to his rosy lips. Qing Mei lingered there for a moment; touching those soft lips, she felt an urge to kiss them, though she didn't know why she felt this way. Qing Mei slowly leaned in and planted a "smack" right on Nan Qingcheng’s lips. Feeling satisfied, she curled back into Nan Qingcheng’s arms and stared at him in a daze.

Nan Qingcheng had actually woken up the moment Qing Mei moved, but he continued to feign sleep, wanting to see what the girl was up to. He hadn't expected her to lean in and kiss him. Now, with Qing Mei staring at him incessantly, he couldn't hold back any longer. Qing Mei had been blinking her eyes at him when, suddenly, Nan Qingcheng opened his eyes. "Have you seen enough, little Mei'er?"

Qing Mei was startled, and even more so, she felt guilty, because she had just snuck a kiss. The combination of these reasons caused her to jump up in a panic, and with a "thud," she miserably bumped her head.

"Hiss," Nan Qingcheng drew a sharp breath and hurriedly pulled Qing Mei up to check her head. "Are you alright? Where did you hit yourself?" Nan Qingcheng asked, his heart aching for her.

Qing Mei pouted. Of course she hit her head; did he think she hit her hand? "I'm fine," she thought, though she didn't voice the retort.

"Alright, alright, get up quickly. It won't be good if others see us," Qing Mei said, pushing at Nan Qingcheng.

Without a word, Nan Qingcheng scooped Qing Mei up into his arms. "Hehehe, Nan Qingcheng, what are you doing?" Qing Mei whispered indignantly; it wouldn't be good if Ning'er heard them outside.

"Getting you dressed, of course. What did you think I was doing?" Nan Qingcheng said with a chuckle. He placed Qing Mei on the stool in front of the bronze mirror and glanced at the wardrobe. Most of the clothes inside were white, black, or ink-colored. Nan Qingcheng closed the wardrobe and took a set of blue robes from his spatial storage.

"You... you're actually a spatial mage too?" Qing Mei asked, looking at the clothes in Nan Qingcheng’s hands.

Nan Qingcheng smiled faintly. "Yes."

"Then what rank are you? And what elements?"

"Darkness, Lightning, and Wind, eighth rank."

Qing Mei felt a slight sense of loss. "Oh." She had thought that being third rank was enough to protect herself, but now, if she encountered someone like Nan Qingcheng, wouldn't they just swat her to death with a single palm? Qing Mei’s small claws tightened silently; she had to become stronger.

Seeing Qing Mei’s expression, Nan Qingcheng guessed what she was thinking. He took the clothes and helped Qing Mei put them on. Qing Mei cooperated, raising her arms as needed, until Nan Qingcheng finally stopped once he had dressed her beautifully.

"Do you... often dress other people?" Seeing how skilled and quick Nan Qingcheng was at dressing her, Qing Mei assumed he had done the same for others he had been with before. But Qing Mei didn't know that Nan Qingcheng would never personally help others dress; he wouldn't even allow others to get close to him.

"This is the first time. I just did what I’ve seen others do," Nan Qingcheng said, looking at Qing Mei in the mirror.

"Then... in the future, can you only do this for me?" Qing Mei didn't know why she asked this, perhaps because she wanted to possess all of him, forever.

"Alright, only for you..." The two stayed like that for a while. "Mei'er, shall we go to the Seven Profound Forest together? It’s a good chance for some training, and you can advance your rank faster." Nan Qingcheng suggested it, thinking the Seven Profound Forest would help her train.

"Okay, today?" Qing Mei knew Nan Qingcheng wanted to help her, so she agreed.

"Mm, let's go today."

"Then I'll head out first; you get dressed," Qing Mei said upon noticing Nan Qingcheng was only wearing his undergarments, and then she stretched and walked out.

Nan Qingcheng curled his lips, then took a set of clothes from his spatial storage—the same style as the one Qing Mei was wearing, also blue, distinguished only by the cut for a man. After putting them on, he opened the door, and Qing Mei’s gaze happened to drift toward him. Qing Mei was stunned for a moment. Nan Qingcheng’s outfit was exactly the same as hers; it was clearly a modern-day couple's outfit. The blue clothes set off his handsome face, making him look even more striking.