Confirmed that they wouldn't be trapped there forever, nor was there an issue with the speed of time,
Tang Yu was finally able to relax and decided to return the same way.
When he came back loaded with a bunch of loot, Ning Qingyan was standing at the entrance of the cave, looking outside with a slightly worried expression on her face.
Seeing Tang Yu return safely, she waved her hand and went to meet him to help carry the things, saying:
"I woke up and saw you weren't here, you really scared me! You didn't hurt yourself on the way, did you?"
"Wow, you're that concerned about me? Aren't you afraid Fang Meiyun will find out and kick you out of the sect?"
Tang Yu joked.
Ning Qingyan sighed upon hearing that and said:
"When we were in the sect, you and I were enemies, but now we're friends, right? There's no need to keep worrying about such pointless things."
"That makes some sense."
Tang Yu chuckled as he wiped the still-bloody bear skins with snow, then hung them at the entrance to dry in the wind.
The wild boar, on the other hand, was dismembered piece by piece by Tang Yu, skewered on wooden sticks, and left outside to preserve it.
Back in the cave, Tang Yu used the wood to make some furniture, like water buckets and the like.
Ning Qingyan crouched next to him to help.
Both worked silently, focused on their tasks, while outside the wind and snow howled. This feeling gave Ning Qingyan an immense calm; her mind emptied completely, and she even enjoyed the moment.
At least for now, she didn't have to think about the sect or her cultivation.
After finishing all the rudimentary furniture,
Tang Yu took one of the newly made buckets and said:
"Shall we go get some water to drink?"
"Can't we use the snow?"
Ning Qingyan looked at him curiously.
"It's not very clean. It's good for washing and such, but not really for drinking. I saw a stream earlier, we can fish a little while we're at it."
"Okay. Did you discover anything else this time when you went out?"
"Not much, we'll go explore together tomorrow."
"Alright."
The two seemed like a couple newly arrived in the countryside, adapting to rural life.
They walked shoulder to shoulder through the blizzard in search of water.
They returned carrying several buckets of water and a few fish, and the supplies in the cave grew more abundant.
The problem with water and food was completely solved, and the basic needs were also covered.
When it was time for dinner,
they sat next to the fire, holding a bowl of steaming fish soup.
Ning Qingyan took a couple of sips, then fixed her gaze on Tang Yu.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing her gaze, Tang Yu smiled and asked.
"I have a question for you."
"What question?"
"Why did we do so many things, but only make one bed?"
Ning Qingyan's question left Tang Yu thoughtful.
After pondering for a moment, he answered seriously:
"Mainly because getting bear skin is very difficult. Even though I know some martial arts, fighting bears is still very dangerous. If I get bitten and there's no medicine, wouldn't that be dying in vain?"
"With this little bear skin, covering just one bed is just right. If we squeeze together a bit, we can even keep warm. In times like this, does a cultivator really care about these things?"
Seeing how serious Tang Yu was,
the innocent Ning Qingyan thought it made sense.
If he really wanted to take advantage of her, why would he wait until now?
"Alright, my bad. I apologize, I hope you don't take it the wrong way."
Ning Qingyan sincerely apologized, then went obediently to boil water to wash herself.
Seeing her focused on washing her delicate white feet,
Tang Yu thought those feet, now washed, were of edible quality.
"What are you looking at? Aren't you going to wash yourself?"
Noticing Tang Yu was watching her, Ning Qingyan felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Yes, it's just that your feet seem so beautiful to me, like a painting… mine don't have that kind of artistry."
Tang Yu took off his shoes, stretched his foot, and said: "Look, with pure macho air, it's almost twice the size of yours."
At such a direct compliment, Ning Qingyan couldn't help but feel a little happy.
She didn't like those geniuses from other sects who looked at her with suggestive eyes.
And when she caught them, they acted oblivious, with that false politeness that she disliked so much.
"Maybe that's what makes him different from the others."
Ning Qingyan silently assessed in her heart, then stretched her small foot to compare it with Tang Yu's and laughed.
"Yeah, it really is much bigger, right? I guess that's the difference between men and women."
"Not necessarily. Are there no female cultivators in your sect with big feet?"
"I think there are…"
Tang Yu waved his hand and said seriously:
"Beauty doesn't depend on size. Feet, like people, can be the same size, but their appeal can be very different."
"Let's take your toes as an example. They're long and well-aligned, that's the first point."
"Also, your nails are round and full, which is also very important."
"The proportion of meat on your toes is just right, the curve is perfect, and your heel is very well-formed."
"The most important thing is the color of your feet. That white tone with a touch of pink…"
While speaking, Tang Yu had already taken Ning Qingyan's foot in his hands without realizing it.
Ning Qingyan snapped back to reality and felt the pads of Tang Yu's fingers gently sliding over the back of her foot.
That sensation made her body tremble slightly, involuntarily.
The tips of her ears turned a faint shade of red.
"Ta... Tang Yu."
After saying his name, Ning Qingyan gently withdrew her foot.
"Sorry, sorry."
Tang Yu let go of Ning Qingyan's foot with a look of sudden understanding and said:
"I've offended you. It's just that it really seemed like a work of art, I instinctively felt the urge to hold it and admire it."
"Work of art?"
Ning Qingyan didn't quite understand that strange term.
"It's something very beautiful. Like, for example, a perfect jade or an exceptional painting. Your feet seem carefully sculpted by the heavens, they're truly perfect."
Tang Yu said with a smile.
Ning Qingyan lowered her head, not knowing how to respond.
But in her heart, she didn't feel that Tang Yu had offended her; rather, she understood it in some way.
After finishing her bath and getting ready to sleep, Ning Qingyan started pacing back and forth by the bed, a bit shy, occasionally stepping outside to look at the snow falling outside.
Tang Yu, after adding more firewood to the fire, had already laid down in bed.
Seeing that Ning Qingyan was clearly embarrassed, Tang Yu called her with a smile:
"It's time to sleep. Tomorrow we still have to look for a way out. Are you going to sleep on the inside or the outside?"
"An... I'm fine with either."
Ning Qingyan played with her hair, biting her lip as she answered.
Before meeting Tang Yu, she had almost no dealings with men.
And now she had to share a bed with one… Although the situation was special, she couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
"If you're embarrassed, then sleep in the bed. I can sleep by the fire."
Seeing her still hesitant, Tang Yu pretended to get up to give her the bed.
"No, no, no. You worked so hard during the day, you need a good rest. I'll lie down in a bit."
Ning Qingyan didn't feel she had the right to let Tang Yu sleep outside.
He had done almost all the hard work, it would be too selfish of her.
"Well then, I'll go ahead."
With his plan working, Tang Yu closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.
Seeing that Tang Yu fell asleep quickly,
After much hesitation,
Ning Qingyan finally sat on the edge of the bed and slowly settled in until she lay down.
Not knowing why,
her heart began to beat faster, with a strange feeling that was hard to describe.
After lying there for a while, fatigue finally overcame her and she fell asleep.
Just as she drifted off, Tang Yu slowly opened his eyes.
He looked at Ning Qingyan's sleeping and delicate face, so close.
Tang Yu couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for deceiving this sweet and innocent girl.
Fortunately, being a true gentleman, Tang Yu would never do anything inappropriate.
He just wanted to sleep, and if his sleeping posture was a bit disordered, and his hands moved unintentionally, well, it was just a coincidence.
Just as he was thinking of moving a little, it was Ning Qingyan who made the first move.
It seems she wasn't a very still sleeper.
She turned to her side, got closer to Tang Yu, and placed one leg over his.
Her left hand also landed on him, though the spot where it fell was a little delicate.
In that instant, she held the future.
The hand Tang Yu had lifted fell again, and with a satisfied expression, he murmured a "good night" in his heart.