After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

Yu Qingtang was so startled he nearly threw the merfolk silk out of his hands.

Then he remembered—this stuff seemed pretty expensive.

He respectfully held the merfolk silk out in front of him, took a deep breath, gave two dry laughs, and quietly backed up a step. “I-I don’t know how to seduce anyone!”

“I can’t do this job. Why don’t you find someone else...”

“If he really likes you, you won’t need to do anything special.” Ren Jiangliu gave him a sidelong look. “All you have to do is breathe in front of him. In an atmosphere like that, he’ll naturally...”

“Ahem.” Yu Qingtang solemnly flung the silk over Ren Jiangliu’s face and clutched his own chest. “I’m a respectable man from a good family! You can’t just...”

Ren Jiangliu casually tossed the silk back over him. “What good would it do if I went? He’d just beat me up.”

The two of them were still shoving the merfolk silk back and forth when Li Ji raised a hand to lightly cover the corner of her mouth.

“If he doesn’t want to, then naturally we can’t force him,” she said softly.

“His wishes should come first. We certainly can’t make him go seduce—”

Ren Jiangliu abruptly straightened.

Yu Qingtang met his eyes.

A terrible premonition rose in his heart.

He wanted to turn and run, but they were at the bottom of the sea. Yu Qingtang knew his own limits well enough to realize there was absolutely no chance of escaping under these conditions.

So all he could do was widen his eyes innocently and attempt to awaken whatever scraps of conscience Ren Jiangliu still possessed.

Unfortunately—

Ren Jiangliu, with his love-addled brain, possessed no conscience whatsoever.

Not only was he unmoved, he trapped Yu Qingtang inside a water prison and then proudly pulled a yellow talisman from his sleeve, presenting it to Li Ji like a treasure.

“Miss Li Ji, I have an idea—this is a Mimicry Talisman.”

“Once I stick it on this guy, he’ll only be able to make the same movements I do.”

Yu Qingtang poked at the water prison and made one final attempt at resistance. “Does that talisman of yours even work after getting wet? Maybe we should just forget it...”

“Stillwater Sect is innately connected to water. Why would we draw talismans that stop working the moment they touch it?” Ren Jiangliu smiled at him without smiling. “Give up.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

“One last negotiation.”

Yu Qingtang held up the light, fluttering merfolk silk.

“Can I at least not change clothes?”

“Fine.” Li Ji nodded gently.

Yu Qingtang had just breathed a sigh of relief when she continued, “Once you enter the illusion, I’ll conjure an outfit for you.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

How was that any different from changing into it?

Ren Jiangliu stuck the talisman onto him.

Li Ji waved her hand, preparing to send the utterly lifeless-looking Yu Qingtang into the mirror.

Ren Jiangliu was still giving instructions from behind him. “Put some effort into it. Make your expression seductive... Never mind, that’s probably too difficult for you. At least try to look a little smarter. Don’t look so obviously dumb.”

“He can only obtain the Realm Stone if he truly passes the trial. Cooperating properly is helping him.”

Yu Qingtang said, “That sounds extremely reasonable, but I still feel like you’re tricking me into helping you—hey!”

Before he could finish, he was shoved straight into the water mirror.

His vision spun.

Yu Qingtang discovered himself whirling into the banquet hall like a little top. The beautiful men and women laughing and flirting around him automatically parted to form a path.

He shot straight through it—

and crashed into Ye Chenyan’s arms.

Yu Qingtang: “...”

The talisman was still stuck to him, so he couldn’t move freely. All he could do was swivel his eyes downward and sneak a quick glance at his clothes.

Then he closed his eyes with an expression of profound grief.

This outfit...

It was hanging off him every which way, revealing just enough without quite revealing everything.

Generally speaking, it would be very difficult to wear something like this to any respectable occasion.

Ye Chenyan had been wrestling with an illusion that kept tugging on his robes, trying to wrench the corner of his clothes back. Judging by his expression, he was already on the verge of truly losing his temper and overturning the entire banquet table.

Then someone abruptly crashed into his arms.

He instinctively moved to throw the person away—

only to freeze.

Ye Chenyan stared.

Yu Qingtang secretly cracked one eye open to look at him.

Ye Chenyan’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second.

But the next moment, a trace of murderous intent appeared in them.

He seized the lower half of Yu Qingtang’s face and shoved him against the table.

“...Don’t use his face to do something like this.”

Yu Qingtang: “Ow—”

His head was ringing.

His face immediately twisted in pain.

The strength in Ye Chenyan’s hand vanished at once. He stared at him in sudden panic. “You-you can’t possibly...”

Yu Qingtang felt spiritual power surge from the talisman on his back.

It tugged at his limbs like puppet strings, forcing his body to reproduce the controller’s movements.

Yu Qingtang watched helplessly as his own leg lifted—

and slowly rubbed upward along Ye Chenyan’s leg.

His eyes flew wide in horror.

Ren Jiangliu, you bastard!

Ye Chenyan’s ears instantly turned red.

The hesitation in his expression disappeared. Irritated, he grabbed Yu Qingtang’s leg and held it firmly in place.

“So you really aren’t...”

He narrowed his eyes.

“If you don’t stop, I’m not going to be nice.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

Which kind of not nice are we talking about here?

Because preferably, he would like neither kind.

Yu Qingtang’s gaze turned bleak.

Was he really going to have to make some enormous sacrifice for this trial and let Ye Chenyan beat him up?

Back when he had dressed as a woman to trick Ye Chenyan, he hadn’t even gotten beaten.

Was karma finally going to catch up with him now?

He watched his own hand rise with suicidal determination.

His fingertips ambiguously traced over Ye Chenyan’s Adam’s apple, slid down along the edge of his robes—

and tugged his collar open.

Yu Qingtang shut his eyes, ears burning red.

Outside the water mirror, Ren Jiangliu was half-reclining on the seafloor, propped against his manta ray.

One leg was raised.

One hand was hooked dramatically through empty water.

He clicked his tongue. “That idiot. Can’t he even whimper ‘it hurts’ in a soft voice and act a little spoiled?!”

Li Ji watched him with a complicated expression.

“Ahem.” Ren Jiangliu put on his shy, refined smile again while maintaining the exact same pose. “He’s simply too stupid. He can’t even handle something this basic without me teaching him personally.”

His eyes filled with inquiry as he looked eagerly at Li Ji.

“Miss Li Ji, perhaps... you could lend me a hand?”

Li Ji remained impassive, but did not immediately refuse. “What do you want to do?”

“Nothing much.”

Ren Jiangliu glanced at the scene inside the water mirror.

Slowly, little by little, he raised his body.

Inside the mirror, Yu Qingtang’s body followed, gradually rising closer to Ye Chenyan.

For all that Ye Chenyan’s expression looked fierce, his gaze did not dare land properly on Yu Qingtang at all. Ears burning red, he kept retreating until Yu Qingtang had somehow driven him all the way back against one of the banquet hall’s red pillars.

At the same time, Ren Jiangliu had reached Li Ji’s side.

Tentatively, he raised a hand and gently placed it on her shoulder.

Li Ji’s expression did not change.

She merely glanced sideways at the water mirror—

where Yu Qingtang also lifted his hand toward Ye Chenyan’s shoulder.

Except he failed.

His arm was a little too short.

Li Ji slowly looked back.

Then she caught Ren Jiangliu by the wrist.

Ren Jiangliu startled, looking completely at a loss as she lifted his hand slightly higher, giving Yu Qingtang just enough reach to rest his hand on Ye Chenyan’s shoulder.

Ren Jiangliu looked at his own hand, which was now hovering some distance above Li Ji’s shoulder.

Then he looked at Yu Qingtang’s hand in the water mirror, perfectly positioned on Ye Chenyan.

He clicked his tongue.

That short bastard had ruined everything!

Ye Chenyan’s gaze fell to the hand on his shoulder.

For an instant, his expression turned strange.

Slowly, he looked at Yu Qingtang, who seemed unable to open his eyes properly or even raise his head.

His fingers twitched.

Then his palm settled against Yu Qingtang’s back.

His hand brushed over the delicate merfolk silk, slid slowly down Yu Qingtang’s spine—

and came to rest at his waist.

Merfolk silk really was only good for repelling water.

As insulation, it was utterly useless.

The palm against his waist was scorching hot.

Yu Qingtang’s eyes flew open.

He stared at Ye Chenyan in disbelief.

You really can’t resist temptation?!

“Why did you come in dressed like this?” Ye Chenyan muttered.

Then he pulled Yu Qingtang firmly into his arms.

Turning his back to the room, Ye Chenyan glanced around warily and completely shielded Yu Qingtang from everyone else.

“They don’t get to look.”

Held tightly against him, Yu Qingtang suddenly wasn’t sure whether Ye Chenyan had recognized him or not.

“...”

Outside the water mirror, Ren Jiangliu seized the opportunity to edge closer to Li Ji as well, trying to slip into her arms.

He stopped one step away.

His gaze flickered aside.

“Forgive me,” he murmured.

Li Ji watched his movements.

Ren Jiangliu lowered his lashes and slowly leaned toward her face, his lips trembling slightly—

his intentions could not have been more obvious.

Li Ji gave a faint, knowing laugh.

At the sound, Ren Jiangliu’s ears instantly turned so red they looked ready to bleed.

He froze where he stood, no longer daring to push his luck.

Inside the water mirror, Yu Qingtang’s face was slowly being drawn toward Ye Chenyan’s chest.

His eyes were bewildered.

He had no idea what deeper meaning Ren Jiangliu’s movement was supposed to possess.

Could leaning toward a man’s chest really have some seductive significance he knew nothing about?

But he was a man too!

While he was still wondering, he suddenly felt as though someone had caught his chin and tipped it upward.

His face was guided higher and higher.

The apparent destination—

Ye Chenyan’s chin.

Soft lips brushed his chin.

Ye Chenyan’s eyes curved with amusement.

He lowered his head, cupped Yu Qingtang’s face, and laughed softly.

“Where are you kissing?”

His arm remained around Yu Qingtang’s waist, and whether deliberately or not, his hand kept lightly stroking him every so often, sending prickles across Yu Qingtang’s scalp.

“Here.”

Ye Chenyan tapped his own lips and looked at Yu Qingtang expectantly.

Yu Qingtang: “...”

It was over.

He seemed to have completely forgotten about the Realm Stone.

Your world might actually be doomed.

Outside the water mirror, Li Ji had Ren Jiangliu by the chin, tilting his head farther and farther upward.

Ren Jiangliu stared blankly into the endless seawater overhead.

Li Ji leaned close to his ear.

“Stand on your toes.”

Ren Jiangliu: “...”

Ye Chenyan, did you really have to grow that tall?! What good does being so much taller than Yu Qingtang do?! The man has to stand on tiptoe just to kiss you!

Ren Jiangliu was overwhelmed with grief and indignation.

Nevertheless, he obediently rose onto his toes.

Guided by Li Ji, he kissed the empty water above her head.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced toward the water mirror.

There was Ye Chenyan, beauty in his arms. He’d gotten one little kiss and his eyes were already shining, his grin utterly insufferable.

Rage rose from Ren Jiangliu’s heart.

Malice sprang from his courage.

He abruptly smashed his head downward.

Inside the water mirror, Yu Qingtang immediately delivered Ye Chenyan a vicious headbutt.

“Hm?” Li Ji instantly seized Ren Jiangliu’s chin.

Only then did Ren Jiangliu realize what he had done.

Guilt flooded his face. “I...”

Li Ji released him and took one step back, her gaze returning to the water mirror.

“Forget it. This should be enough.”

She gave Ren Jiangliu a smile that was not quite a smile.

“Just stay like that.”

Ren Jiangliu remained on tiptoe with his face tilted upward, not daring to move a muscle.

“Hiss!”

Ye Chenyan had been caught completely off guard.

Such an obvious attack was probably something only Yu Qingtang could ever land on him.

He wasn’t angry.

He merely rubbed his forehead, then lowered his head pitifully to show Yu Qingtang.

“You hit me.”

“It hurts.”

Yu Qingtang himself was grimacing in pain, except his hands still weren’t free enough to rub his forehead.

“Your head hurts too?” Ye Chenyan hurriedly reached over to rub it for him.

His fingers also gently massaged the back of Yu Qingtang’s head where he had slammed him against the table earlier, then he gathered him into his arms and softly soothed him.

Yu Qingtang had just reached the conclusion that this world was probably doomed when Ye Chenyan leaned close to his ear and whispered,

“Don’t panic. I found a way out.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

That’s great and all, but the hand you’ve got on my leg isn’t exactly behaving itself either.

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