While massaging his neck, still marked by Rihai’s fingers, Aotian looked up.

Suddenly, a blue runic rectangle appeared on the building, right in the direction they were ascending. The platform they stood on moved quickly, then gradually slowed down until it stopped, aligning perfectly with the lower part of this rectangle on the wall.

The card in Rihai’s hand vibrated again, and the blue glow of the rune turned golden. A vertical line appeared in the center of the rectangle, and soon, the “doors” opened inward.

Without hesitation, Rihai stepped forward and entered the building.

Aotian glanced at the key in her hand, then at the platform beneath his feet. His heart pounded.

Without thinking twice, he rushed inside before Rihai could go too far ahead.

‘If this platform descends with me still on it after she goes in, it’ll be humiliating! And I don’t even want to imagine how long Rihai would mock me for that…’ Aotian thought, alarmed.

“Pff! Haha!” Liu Rihai, who had been watching everything, couldn’t hold back her laughter at his frightened expression.

“Silly, the platform doesn’t descend if someone is still on it… Unless the key’s owner commands it.”

Aotian just rolled his eyes, choosing not to prolong the topic.

“Alright, where’s our room?” He looked around, curious.

The space was large but empty. There was no furniture, only several doors leading to unknown places.

“Our room only exists in your head!” Rihai rolled her eyes, amused, “If you weren’t so persistent and didn’t make that abandoned puppy face, you wouldn’t have come this far.” She said playfully and laughed as she looked at Aotian, who was biting his lips and blinking his eyes in a lamentable way.

“Come with me. The first door leads to the training area, the second through fourth are the bedroom corridors, the fifth is the library, and the sixth is the kitchen.” Rihai explained quickly.

Aotian tested the doors.

The first one opened to reveal a large empty space. The second, third, and fourth revealed hallways lined with multiple doors, probably bedrooms. The fifth led to a library with empty bookshelves, and the sixth opened into a spacious kitchen.

“You haven’t decorated much, huh?” Aotian commented, slightly surprised.

“This isn’t a permanent place, just a training spot. Besides, I lived alone, so it didn’t make sense to spread things around. I prefer carrying manuals and weapons with me.” Rihai shrugged.

Aotian fell into thought. ‘Rihai seems to have been alone for a long time…’

He smiled and looked at her.

“Don’t worry, I’m here with you now.”

Rihai widened her eyes for a moment but quickly turned her face away to hide her smile.

“That’s what I’m afraid of… you!” She teased.

Aotian chuckled and followed her.

She entered the second hallway and pointed at the first room.

“This one’s mine. Don’t come near, or I’ll cut your thing off.” Rihai warned with a gentle smile.

Aotian swallowed hard and quickly nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’m a gentleman!” He swore with an innocent expression.

“Heh! I know exactly what kind of gentleman you are!”

Aotian raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? And what kind am I?”

“The perverted kind!”

“Hey, slander! I’ll sue you!”

“Heh! My mistake, actually, you’re a super pervert!”

“Hmph! If that’s how it is, I’ll find a second wife in the future!”

“Heh? Fine, that has nothing to do with me. I might even help you find a wife faster… by giving you a one-way trip straight down—no need for the floating platform.”

“It was a joke! Calm down, I’ll only love Rihai, alright?”

Hearing that, Rihai couldn’t take the teasing anymore.

“Who said I want to be loved by you?! Hurry up, if you have nothing else to do, I’m going to my room!”

Blushing, Rihai shut the door to the second hallway with force.

Aotian stared at the closed door, still processing what had just happened. Then, he heard a heavy sound followed by something being dragged until it hit the door.

Dark lines appeared on his forehead.

“Damn it, I was planning to sleep in the room next to hers…”

…

After his evil plan failed, Aotian just shook his head in amusement and headed toward the other corridor.

Despite acting this way, deep down, he only wanted Rihai to feel comfortable with him and the idea of living by his side… forever.

But he had no intention of rushing the relationship. After all, they had known each other for less than a month, so his plan was to prolong the flirting for a while longer.

Even though she wasn’t a young mortal lady and had a vastly different common sense, as a cultivator, some things were still the same.

For example, the understanding that after flirting and confirming the relationship, marriage would follow—or, more precisely, becoming Daoist partners. This meant walking the path of immortality together as companions.

Aotian knew that there was no intermediate dating phase in this world. That’s why he needed to take the flirting phase slowly. Once they advanced, there would be no room for impulsive regrets.

Without overthinking, he chose the first room in the third corridor and smiled at the carelessness of his decision.

‘Rihai probably chose hers the same way, without caring too much.’

When he finally looked inside the room, he froze. The only thing inside was a stone platform in the middle of the space.

“Damn it! I’m not a cultivator! I can’t meditate to rest. I need a damn bed!” he complained out loud.

He glanced outside, toward the main hall.

“Ugh! If I had known, I wouldn’t have annoyed Rihai. Looks like I’ll have to sleep here tonight and go shopping with her tomorrow.”

Exploring the room, he found a bathroom. After a few tries, he managed to activate the formations, which generated water in the sink. There was even something very close to a toilet.

Seeing that, Aotian smiled.

‘Goodbye, latrine! Welcome back, modern life!’

With that issue settled, he decided to train a bit… but then froze again.

“Damn it, my clothes are with Rihai!” He slapped his forehead, helpless.

When they escaped from the forest, they had passed through a mortal city where he bought some sets of clothes. This allowed him to train without stinking along the way.

But Rihai was the one carrying the clothes in her ring, and now he had none.

“Ugh! Welcome back, naked training life!” Aotian shook his head in amusement and took off his clothes.

Completely naked, he began his exercises.

In the middle of a repetition, the door suddenly swung open.

“Aotian, I forgot to give you your clo—”

Rihai entered, holding a bundle of clothes, but froze when she saw him.

Her eyes involuntarily traced Aotian’s defined abdomen… before wandering lower. Her gaze landed on his “fallen snake,” which, as if reacting to her stare, twitched slightly.

“AHHH!!!”

Rihai screamed in shock, dropping the clothes to the floor and covering her eyes with both hands.

Aotian noticed that she was so embarrassed that she hadn’t even left any space between her fingers to peek.

He was also a little embarrassed to be seen naked, but that didn’t stop him from opening his mouth.

“Y-YOU! How could you do this?! Now I can’t get married anymore! You have to take responsibility!” He shouted, forcing a desperate expression, and pretended to hide his body with his hands!

Rihai, in complete panic, responded without thinking:

“D-Don’t worry, I’ll take respons—”

She froze. The gears in her mind turned, and in an instant, she realized she was being tricked.

“I’ll take responsibility for sending you straight to hell!!!”

Shouting in rage and embarrassment, she kicked the pile of clothes in his direction and ran off at full speed.

Aotian heard his own bedroom door slam shut, followed by a loud thud and the sound of something heavy being pushed against it.

“…She… didn’t try to lock me in my own room while she was confused, did she?”

Aotian tested the handle and effortlessly opened the door.

Outside, a wooden shelf had been positioned as a barrier. Too bad that, in her panic, Rihai hadn’t calculated that the door opened inward.

“Haha!”

He couldn’t hold back his laughter as he recalled her panicked face while fleeing.

“Damn it, woman… I’m falling more in love with you every day!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep