Chapter 49: I Don’t Believe You!

“Hiiiisss! Wh-Why did the back of my neck suddenly feel so cooooold?!”

Crouched by the girl’s legs in the corner of the main hall, He Yimo felt a sudden, sharp wave of killing intent wash over him. His eyes widened in alarm, and even the fingertips that had just brushed against the smooth white silk trembled violently before snatching back.

He looked up, eyeing Jiang Jinyue suspiciously. But the girl merely blushed slightly, not looking angry at all. Being stared at so intently by He Yimo, she unconsciously pressed her legs together tighter, tilting her head curiously.

“Hm? Wha’s wong~? Haven’t you found your little token yet~?” Jiang Jinyue asked, glancing down at her own leg.

Yep, no mistake. The token was tied securely to her left thigh, nestled in the ‘absolute territory’ above her white over-the-knee stocking. He Yimo just needed to put in a little effort to untie the red ribbon, and the token Jiang Jinyue had ‘prepared’ for him would be his.

‘Unless… H-He couldn’t have figured out the secret on my leg already, could he…? ‘The thought made Jiang Jinyue’s face flush a little deeper with nervousness.

He Yimo swallowed hard, his voice tight with unease. “W-Well, you see… I just felt this nasty chill run up my spine… Sooo, I couldn’t help but wonder… do you maybe have some kinda trap hidden on your leg? Like, the second I touch it, BAM! You kick me across the hall and start screaming ‘Molester! Help meeee!’, or somethin’ like that?”

“W-Wha—?! H-Hold on! Even if— theoretically—I did have a little scheme, don’t you think that’s taking it a bit faaaaar?! I mean, wow, that’s… Eww! That’s low!” Jiang Jinyue looked genuinely shocked, as if she’d never conceived of such a crude tactic.

But He Yimo remained skeptical. “Isn’t it? And heeeey, you didn’t exactly deny having a scheme on your leg just now.”

“Of cooourse not! Hmph! I’m not that kind of— !” Jiang Jinyue puffed up, clearly annoyed. Combined with being accused of stealing loot at the mountain temple that night, she almost pointed a finger to lecture He Yimo about how she really wasn’t that bad.

But then… a memory flashed through her mind—a certain night back at the Grand Preceptor’s mansion…

{Hmm… Ackchyually… maybe I have done something that… inventive… before…}

Jiang Jinyue clicked her tongue silently, stopping mid-sentence. Regrouping her thoughts, she tried a different angle:

“Look! That night at the mountain temple, when you were putting the medicine on… y-you practically felt up both my legs, top to bottom! Did I say anything theeen~? Hmph?”

“We’re practically besties who’ve faced death together now! Why would I frame you over something like thaaaat?!” The girl pouted, planting her hands on her hips and stamping her foot lightly.

Today, she wore delicate embroidered cloth shoes paired with pale pinkish-white, over-the-knee stockings that covered her feet. The outfit perfectly balanced the pure, cute image of a junior sect sister with the inherent allure of a fox demon, especially where the tops of the stockings squeezed her slightly plump thighs, creating that ‘absolute territory’.

Clearly, Jiang Jinyue had adjusted her attire based on He Yimo’s preferences. She’d skipped the black stockings specifically to test his focus on different colors… Turns out, white silk captured his attention just as effectively, maybe even more so than the black calf-high socks from the other night.

“Huh… Yeah, you’ve got a point there,” He Yimo conceded, finally relaxing a bit. “Maybe Senior Sister’s insane high-pressure training just messed with my head and gave me some kinda complex…”

He reached out again, one hand steadying Jiang Jinyue’s thigh while the other fiddled with the red ribbon tied in a neat bow.

Jiang Jinyue let out a soft “Hmph~♡”, a smug little smile playing on her lips as she watched him struggle. She wasn’t worried at all. It looked like a simple bow, but she’d secretly tied it into a dead knot! He Yimo wouldn’t be able to untie that ribbon and get the token without spending at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!

And that was the real little trick Jiang Jinyue had hidden on her leg—

“Oi.”

“Why have you been petting my head this whole time?” He Yimo asked, looking up from his crouched position, his face slick with a bead of sweat, suspicion returning to his eyes.

Jiang Jinyue, lounging on the bench, shrugged innocently, giving her leg a little shake. “Well~♡ I let you play with my leg, so why can’t I pet you too~?”

“Play?! What do you mean ‘play’?! You said the token was on your leg and told me to get it myself!”

“Riight~♡ Because I knooow Young Master He loooves playing with my legs~♡ Otherwise, why would such a gentleman agree to such an unreasonable request, hmmm~?” Jiang Jinyue flashed a charming smile, her peach-blossom eyes, reflecting those faint crimson patterns, feigning innocence while the playful glint deep within revealed she knew exactly what He Yimo’s ‘preferences’ were.

She ruffled his hair again, her voice dripping with mock affection, “There, there~♡ Hurry up and work hard to get your little token, okay~? Good boy~ Be a good little junior brother~♡♡♡”

For a split second, He Yimo felt that Jiang Jinyue’s coaxing tone, combined with his current crouched-down, head-petted position, made him feel exactly like a puppy being praised by its owner.

AHA! I KNEW IT! He finally understood why she’d tied the token to her leg! Damn it! I knew she was up to no good!

Honestly, He Yimo had been suspicious when Jiang Jinyue first suggested it. But the moment she’d slightly lifted her skirt, revealing the white silk clinging to her thigh, the sight had irresistibly drawn him in. His eyes felt like they’d locked on target, refusing to look away. After a brief internal struggle, he’d succumbed to the fox demon’s temptation.

Aghhh, it’s not my fault! My little brother downstairs just wanted to scientifically investigate how tightly that red ribbon was constricting her thigh! What’s wrong with scientific curiosity?! It’s all Jiang Jinyue’s fault for being so devious! She must have used illusions to peek into my mind! How else could she target the preferences of a righteous gentleman like me so perfectly?!

“Young Master He~♡ You better hurry up, you know~♡” Jiang Jinyue purred. “If other people in the hall see you sweating buckets down by my leg… they might get the wrooong idea about your… unique hobbies~♡ Oh, and hmmm~ looks like Miss Yun Jin is almost done queuing over there~♡ We wouldn’t want her to see this little scene, now would we~?”

Jiang Jinyue shifted elegantly on the bench in the corner, crossing her left leg over her right knee. Cupping the boy’s sweaty, handsome face in one hand, she looked down at him, thoroughly enjoying his expression, a pleased smirk curving her lips.

“Grrr… You deliberately tied this in a dead knot and you’re still rushing me?!” He Yimo muttered under his breath, hands fumbling fruitlessly with the stubbornly tight red ribbon on her leg.

Giving up on untying it, he abruptly pulled out his dagger, intending to sever the ribbon by force.

But Jiang Jinyue didn’t seem worried in the slightest, continuing to swing her silk-clad leg leisurely, apparently savoring every second of being attended to like this.

“Gah! Seriously?! Where did you even get a red ribbon that a dagger can’t cut?!” After sawing away uselessly for a while, He Yimo finally slumped against Jiang Jinyue’s leg, panting from exhaustion, completely stumped by the incredibly tough ribbon.

Jiang Jinyue bit her lip to stifle a giggle, her crescent-moon eyes overflowing with undisguised amusement. “Heehee~♡ If you really can’t undo it… maybe Young Master He could… beg me~? Plead really nicely~? If you do, I might just take the whole stocking off and give it to you as a prize~♡”

“…”

This time, however, He Yimo ignored her teasing. He buried his head against her leg again, fiddling for another moment. Then, abruptly, he gave up, sheathed his dagger, stood up, and dusted off his hands.

“Eh? Young Master He, are you… giving up already?” Jiang Jinyue lifted her head, her playful smile fading slightly. She watched his face with a hint of concern, confusion flickering in her enchanting eyes. She’d only meant to tease him a bit, get a little playful revenge for him turning the tables on her at the mountain temple. It wouldn’t be fun anymore if her prank actually made He Yimo angry.

Besides, based on her assessment of him that night, he should really enjoy playing with her legs. She’d even switched to his preferred white silk and practically served it up to him! How could he possibly be angry? Strictly speaking, this was a win-win game! Jiang Jinyue got to enjoy feeling like the master petting her puppy, and He Yimo got to be the obedient puppy enjoying his master’s leg…

“Nah, not giving up,” He Yimo replied, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead and letting out a long breath, like someone who’d just completed a difficult task. “Just infused the token with a little spiritual energy, that’s all.”

At those words, the fox girl, who had been lounging relaxedly, instantly perked up her ears. Jiang Jinyue stared at He Yimo suspiciously, a thought occurring to her, making her face flush cherry red and her lip twitch.

“I-Infused…? Infused with what kind of spiritual energy?!” After the ‘medicine incident’, Jiang Jinyue had developed a whole new understanding of the phrase ‘infuse spiritual energy’, especially coming from He Yimo’s mouth. Thinking back, she instinctively touched her thigh.

“W-Why… Why is this token getting… warm…?”

“Relax~ Don’t be so tense. It’s just a special secret technique I applied to the token,” He Yimo said nonchalantly.

Hearing the words ‘secret technique’, Jiang Jinyue’s expression became even more precarious. As a ‘Witch of Delight’, she usually possessed overwhelming confidence. Against ordinary tricks, she wouldn’t worry about her defenses being breached. But facing this particular human boy… Jiang Jinyue genuinely felt uncertain. He had, after all, effortlessly bypassed her physical defenses in a single night and toyed with her feet!

“N-No, don’t be mysterious! What did you do to my leeeeg?! What spirit technique did you use?!” “Why does my thigh feel… itchy?! Like something’s… drilling into me…?!” The more Jiang Jinyue imagined, the more nervous she became. She clamped her legs together tightly, instinctively grabbing the still-warming token. She tried desperately to pull off the token infused with He Yimo’s ‘strange’ spiritual energy, but because the ribbon was tied in a dead knot, even she couldn’t remove it in her panic.

“It’s really just a technique to help me easily remove the token, that’s all,” He Yimo repeated, watching Jiang Jinyue’s growing panic with a calm, almost calculating look. He stood with his hands behind his back, adding with deliberate vagueness, “You can rest assured, Senior Sister. This technique won’t seep into your leg… or numb your nerves… or consequently make your body… m-more sensitive…”

“Y-You…! You didn’t— You didn’t put that weird ointment from that night on my leg again, did you?! AAAGH!” Listening to He Yimo’s evasive words, Jiang Jinyue’s panicked expression turned into one of undeniable, deep embarrassment.

She vividly remembered the strange sensations from that night. While the healing effect, combined with He Yimo’s ‘medical skills’, was indeed potent, the stimulation had left her feeling overly sensitive for days. Even walking made the soles of her feet tingle, and her nerves below the waist felt almost jelly-like and weak.

“He Yimo! Listen! I’m telling you, don’t mess around, okay?! We have to go to Snow Village soon! A-And there are so many people heeeere!” Jiang Jinyue hissed, grabbing his clothes, her tone a mix of threat and desperate plea.

He Yimo just shrugged nonchalantly. “Didn’t mess around. It’s a totally legit, normal secret technique.”

“Liar! You’re trying to fool a dummy! I don’t believe yoooou!” The girl retorted, her cheeks puffed out, looking surprisingly cute like an angry hamster in her flustered state.

He Yimo continued to watch her with cool, playful eyes. “It’s fine~♡ If Miss Jiang really feels uncomfortable later… I could always carry you to Snow Village~♡”

“I-I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!” Jiang Jinyue sputtered, “Y-You’ll just stop and start all the time to rub against my buns!”

“Wow, you learn faaast!” He Yimo chuckled.

“Ahhh, stop teasing meeee! He Yimo, PWEASE, PWETTY PWEASE turn off the secret technique!! NOW! Just turn it ooooff!” Feeling the token on her leg getting progressively hotter, Jiang Jinyue finally broke, pleading desperately.

He Yimo looked back at her, shrugging again, genuinely confused this time. “If you’re really that scared… why don’t you just untie my token from your leg and give it back to me?”

“BECAUSE IT’S A DEAD KNOT! I DON’T KNOW HOOOOW TO UNTIE IIIIT!” Jiang Jinyue wailed, near tears.

“——?” He Yimo just stared blankly.