The two intertwined, pale bodies remained locked together for a long time before finally separating. One of them, experiencing pleasure for the first time, was so lost in the moment that he couldn't extricate himself. For Shen Qingshan, who was also experiencing it for the first time, this young man lacked the tenderness one should have shown. He became increasingly violent as it progressed, to the point that she didn't even have the strength to sit up.
Looking at Fang Jie's face contorted with pleasure, she felt an indescribable mix of emotions—a touch of happiness, a touch of satisfaction, and even a hint of pride. As for herself, she felt no pleasure whatsoever, only pain. Yet, she couldn't bear to stop the young man's roughness, even though she herself wasn't sure what kind of feelings she had for him.
It came somewhat suddenly, even though she thought she was prepared.
Lying on the bed, panting, she reached out to smooth the young man's hair. Looking at him lying beside her, she suddenly felt a strong urge to cherish him.
Shen Qingshan's fingers traced across Fang Jie's firm chest, feeling his body heat and sweat.
Fang Jie, still immersed in the exquisite sensation, turned his head to look at Shen Qingshan. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest, slightly deforming it, but how could one truly appreciate such beauty without experiencing it firsthand? He hadn't calmed down yet, so he didn't consider whether what he was doing was right or wrong.
But he loved this moment, was captivated by it.
Compared to his bronze skin, Shen Qingshan's body was dazzlingly white. One of her legs rested on Fang Jie's, its graceful curve making it impossible for him to look away.
The two lay there embracing for a long time, neither speaking. As their breathing gradually calmed, they both calmed down considerably.
"I... just didn't want to lose to Senior Sister, you know... right?"
Shen Qingshan released her arms from Fang Jie, her alluring legs moving away from him. She turned and pulled the thin quilt over herself, not even wanting to reveal her eyes. These words stung Fang Jie's heart; he didn't even know how to answer.
If Shen Qingshan's calm words were unsettling, what was even more unsettling was Fang Jie's inability to find the right words to express his thoughts. In fact, at this point, Fang Jie didn't even know what he was thinking. He felt calmer, yet his mind was even more chaotic.
Before entering Shen Qingshan's room, he hadn't expected this to happen.
In his frenzy, he was incapable of thinking.
Perhaps a man who tries to think calmly in a situation like this isn't a real man.
Looking at Shen Qingshan curled up in the blankets, Fang Jie suddenly wondered why this powerful woman was so fragile now? So fragile, as if she would shatter at the slightest touch. His heart ached. He reached out to touch her face, still flushed. But Shen Qingshan recoiled, whispering from under the covers,
"You should go."
Her voice was slightly hoarse.
Fang Jie's outstretched hand froze, hovering in mid-air, seemingly at a loss. After a moment of this stiffness, he finally slowly withdrew his hand. Seeing the hand return, Shen Qingshan's eyes dimmed. She pulled the blanket tighter, hugging herself tightly.
"Yes...it's time to go."
Fang Jie sat up, his bare upper body drenched in sweat.
He looked at the door, then at the window.
"They're both closed, but what's the point?" he suddenly asked.
Shen Qingshan froze, not understanding the meaning of Fang Jie's words. "I'm a small man, but a small man is still a man."
Fang Jie's lips gradually curved into a smile, exceptionally handsome: "No matter what you say, right now I'm sitting next to you naked, and you're sitting next to me naked. If I open the door now, what will people outside think when they see this? Surprised? Besides surprised?"
"Probably a knowing smile and a blessing, nothing else."
Fang Jie turned his head to look into Shen Qingshan's eyes and said seriously, "So, even if what you said before was true, and you're lying next to me now just because you don't want to lose to Sister Xiaoyao—such a ridiculous reason—I must responsibly tell you that you're mine from now on. Since you're mine, you need to be prepared; I won't allow you to be wronged when you're with me."
"Huh?"
Shen Qingshan was stunned for a moment, somewhat unable to react.
Fang Jie could only sigh at the sometimes clueless behavior of women, then suddenly reached out and pulled back Shen Qingshan's thin blanket, exposing her flawless body to his gaze once again. Caught off guard, Shen Qingshan gasped softly, instinctively reaching to cover her private parts.
But Fang Jie grabbed her hand, his strong physique pressing down on her again. He whispered smugly in her ear, "You're absolutely forbidden from wearing that damn cheongsam outside. If you want to wear it, do it in your room for a while. When you do, make sure all the doors and windows are closed, like now. If anyone dares to come near the room, slap them across the face. If anyone asks your name, you can tell them, but remember to add, 'I'm Fang Jie's woman.' Even if the Martial Arts Academy has that ridiculous rule against leaving the house, I'll still sneak back to see you."
"See me for what?"
A smile gradually spread across Shen Qingshan's lips, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Guess!"
Fang Jie gritted his teeth and said two words, then roughly pressed Shen Qingshan down beneath him again.
"No!"
"You think you can just say no like that?"
"You're really going to be late. The rules at the Martial Arts Academy are so strict..."
"To hell with the Martial Arts Academy's rules!"
...
...
Fang Jie had been in Chen Qingshan's room for far too long. So long that the big dog squatting at the door kept chuckling to itself, so long that the Qilin paced back and forth in the courtyard, so long that the coachman waiting at the door had taken a nap and even had a wet dream. When the door to the room was finally pushed open from the inside, Fang Jie seemed to have changed.
He walked with a very manly gait, even slightly raising his chin.
The big dog was still chuckling, and the Qilin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Were you getting impatient?"
Fang Jie smiled apologetically at the Qilin, but glared at the big dog.
Qilin said, "It's my first day at the Martial Arts Academy. It wouldn't be good if I was late and people talked about me."
Fang Jie said, "Let's go now."
Then he glanced at Big Dog and snorted, asking, "Have you been squatting at the door the whole time?"
"No, no, no... I just got here too. I was trying to hurry you up, but when I got to the door, I suddenly felt a stomachache, so I squatted there for a while. I was just about to call you when you came out. I swear, I really had a stomachache."
"Bullshit!"
Fang Jie's lips curled into a smirk. "You squatted at the door with a stomachache because you were planning to poop in your pants?"
Big Dog said smugly, "A stomachache is just a..." "It must be poop? Don't even mention it, it's just a few farts. Besides… it's not like I haven't done it before! Back when I was being chased so badly, I hid in a big tree to escape the pursuers, hiding for a whole day without daring to move. What's a little poop or pee in my pants?"
Fang Jie was surprised: "I don't remember. But your awareness of squatting down even to fart is commendable."
Da Quan didn't explain, but smiled and leaned closer, lowering his voice to ask Fang Jie: "How did it go? Did you succeed?"
"Screw you."
Fang Jie rolled his eyes at him, but subconsciously looked back towards the house. He saw Shen Qingshan standing by the window, wearing a robe, waving at him. Da Quan guessed the truth from Fang Jie's eyes, and he grinned foolishly: "I told you, good things shouldn't go to outsiders. If you didn't win over those two beautiful women, you'd be letting down all my hard work."
Fang Jie was speechless, and then gave a few more instructions about the shop. He instructed Big Dog to keep a close eye on the tailors, ensuring that the clothing patterns and finished products were absolutely not taken out. As he reached the gate, Fang Jie turned back to survey the Sanjin Marquis's residence, silently bidding farewell before boarding the carriage sent by the Martial Arts Academy, which was already waiting at the gate, with Qilin in tow.
According to the rules, students of the Martial Arts Academy could bring a page. Fang Jie didn't have one, and after some thought, decided that bringing Qilin was the most suitable. If he brought Big Dog, that guy might cause some trouble. And if he brought Shen Qingshan, Fang Jie couldn't imagine the uproar he would stir up in the Martial Arts Academy. Although Qilin was burly and fierce, he was very reserved; if others didn't provoke him, he would never provoke others.
The carriage traveled smoothly along the flat street, and Fang Jie remained silent throughout. Qilin assumed he was contemplating his future life at the Martial Arts Academy and didn't disturb him. Little did he know that Fang Jie was still reminiscing about his past intimacy with Shen Qingshan. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with her jade-like body; how could Fang Jie possibly calm his heart?
To be honest, even now, he wasn't sure what Shen Qingshan's feelings for him were. If it was purely romantic love, he didn't think someone like him had the ability to conquer Shen Qingshan. After all, that woman was abnormally powerful.
All the way there, he kept thinking about why Shen Qingshan had made this decision.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Martial Arts Academy, Fang Jie could only conclude that such thoughts were just being a hypocrite. He had taken her body and was still wondering why she liked him; this actually revealed a lack of self-confidence.
So, as he got out of the carriage and looked at the gates of the Martial Arts Academy, Fang Jie secretly vowed that he had to work hard just to be worthy of such an outstanding woman beside him.
He took a deep breath and then, with Qilin in tow, stepped into the most solemn military academy of the Sui Dynasty.
...
...
When Fang Jie entered, he noticed many students whispering and glancing at him furtively, as if he were a freak. But Fang Jie knew that few of those discussions were malicious anymore; his outstanding performance in nine subjects was enough to command respect.
Approaching the gates of the Martial Arts Academy again, Fang Jie felt a different emotion. The previous two times he'd entered the academy, he'd rushed through due to exams, not appreciating the scenery. So this time, he walked slowly, trying his best to memorize everything.
On his first day at the Martial Arts Academy, there were no classes. After registration, professors assigned students to classes. Afterward, professors led them to their accommodations, and then the students were free to explore and familiarize themselves with the place. Hundreds of students were divided into ten classes based on their grades, each with the top ten students, resulting in a very even distribution of academic performance. The Martial Arts Academy had a tradition of frequently pitting two classes against each other; if the strength difference was too great, a match was impossible.
The ten classes were named according to the ten Heavenly Stems.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, G.
Fang Jie was in Class B, and to his surprise, Mo Xidao was also in this class. Fang Jie liked this straightforward brigade commander; being with him meant he didn't have to put in so much effort to scheme. Even when Fang Jie was with Zhang Kuang, he wasn't this relaxed.
"Fang Jie!"
Just as Fang Jie and Mo Xidao were chatting, Professor Qiu Yu walked slowly over from a distance and beckoned, "You two come with me."
Fang Jie and Mo Xidao quickly went over, first bowing and then asking what was the matter. Qiu Yu said as she walked, "Everyone in the courtyard who can cultivate will be tested to see which direction you are best suited for. After that, a special professor will come to guide you."
"I cannot cultivate,"
Fang Jie said frankly.
"I know."
Qiu Yu smoothed a strand of hair that had fallen across his forehead. "The Dean asked me to bring you along, though I don't understand why."
"What's the Dean like?"
Fang Jie asked curiously.
"A… very ordinary old man."
Qiu Yu replied.