Leaning against the doorframe, Li Mo pricked up his ears but heard nothing.
Did Ying Bing see it?
Had she already gone to rest?
Li Mo pondered whether he should slip in another note. Even Ying Bing might overlook things sometimes...
Take this analogy, for instance.
Those little ads with phone numbers slipped under hotel doors.
They always appear only after you, a lone traveler, have endured a long, lonely night, just as you're about to leave the next morning.
Their sole purpose is to remind you:
The best things always arrive unnoticed, and by the time you realize it, they've already expired...
So what to do?If this were Zhong Zhenyue or anyone else, the genius Li Mo could whip up ten solutions in a heartbeat.
But when it came to himself?
The love guru Li Mo found himself fumbling like an amateur.
...
What he didn’t know was this:
Just beyond the door, $2ing Bing held the paper in her hands, gazing at the handwriting, her lips pursing slightly.
So, that line at Fengyue Pavilion wasn’t just Li Mo’s spontaneous musing—the poem had been complete all along.
The mention of Hua Nongying’s name in one verse was merely a coincidence.
This was written for him and her.
Ying Bing lowered her eyes, carefully folded the paper, pressed it against her chest for a moment, then tucked it into the big-headed doll container.
Only then did she push the door open.
"Huh? Ying Bing, did you see it?"
"See what?"
Ying Bing tilted her head slightly, feigning confusion.
Li Mo froze, glancing down. Had Ying Bing not seen it? But the floor was empty.
Had the wind blown it away?
He stepped into the room, scanning the corners, but still found nothing.
"Li Mo."
"Yeah?"
"The Cloud-Soaring Tower seems to have mosquitoes too. Let me... seal them for you."
Ying Bing shut the door softly, her tone deadpan as she spun this absurd lie.
"?"
Is... is that even plausible?
Li Mo looked up. The Cloud-Soaring Tower was so high even birds struggled to reach it—what kind of super-mosquito could make it up here?
But Ying Bing had already settled onto the chaise lounge, slipping off her boots. Her pale legs stretched out, her cool gaze flickering toward him, her lips parting as if to speak before hesitating.
Li Mo: "!"
Who cares if it’s plausible!
This is reason enough!
In an instant, Li Mo swept her up, cradling her in his lap. The cool fragrance enveloped him, her softness pressed against him—this logic was both lofty and unyielding.
He looked up. Moonlight bathed her face, a stray strand of hair clinging to her lips. He reached out and gently brushed it aside.
Ying Bing had meant to say something, but the warmth at her lips made her forget her words.
She’d snapped at him earlier today... so she could indulge him for a while.
But then...
...One incense stick’s worth of time passed.
...Half an hour slipped by.
...Nearly a full hour later.
Ying Bing gradually lost count of how many times she’d meant to call a stop, but each time the thought reached her lips, it was swallowed back by the warmth.
Like waking on a winter morning, glancing at the time, knowing you must rise for work or school.
At first, you’re determined—until the cold wind drives you back under the covers. Then it’s just one more minute, five more minutes, ten more minutes...
Until you’re lulled back to sleep, utterly sealed by the cozy embrace.
Ying Bing’s neck flushed pink.
She exhaled softly, her gaze drifting to Li Mo’s throat.
Ah, right—the seal...
"Ying Bing, do you want me to seal you too?"
"?"
Seeing the gleam in his eyes, Ying Bing averted her gaze.
"No need."
Gentleman Li Mo straightened with solemnity. "But the Cloud-Soaring Tower’s top floor has mosquitoes."
"It’s fine. Those mosquitoes don’t like ice."
The fingers of the Frost Immortal, the Phoenix Heaven Empress, curled slightly as she spoke nonsense she didn’t even understand.
Oddly, Li Mo tuned into her wavelength. Lifting a hand from her thigh, he raised a finger:
"What if—just hypothetically—there’s a mosquito that loves ice?"
"I’m quite fond of shaved ice myself..."
Ying Bing stared at him in silence, realizing he didn’t want to apply a seal.
He wanted to be that ice-loving mosquito.
"Jiejie."
"..."
Ying Bing’s heart skipped, her gaze darting away.
She said nothing, but the blush creeping down her snow-white neck laid bare her vulnerability to the gentleman’s ravenous maw.
Li Mo took a deep breath, as if preparing for a sacred ritual!
He lowered his head.
The Frost Immortal’s eyes glazed slightly. She felt no pain—only a tingling, as if the fluttering in her chest had spread from her neck through her entire body.
Her fingers tightened reflexively on his shoulders.
"Hmm?"
Li Mo lifted his head, blinking in confusion before licking his lips.
"Alright, sealing complete. Time to rest."
"Mm..."
"Good boy."
And so, under the night sky, Gentleman Li Mo reluctantly ended his ice feast. Hunched over, oozing guilty delight, he slunk back to his room.
Delicious. Loved it. Wanted seconds.
Ying Bing lay on the chaise for a long while, waiting for her strength to return.
Only then did the cool Frost Immortal rise and retreat to her bed.
What was that noise?
Oh... just her heartbeat and ragged breaths...
Ying Bing picked up the mirror by her bed, studying her neck in the moonlight. She paused.
A damp patch glistened, but no mark was left.
How considerate of this mosquito—a true ice connoisseur, savoring without draining.
"Always thinking about... those things."
"Yet such a fool..."
After steadying her pulse, she remembered something—the system’s ranking cooldown had ended.
It was time for another round.
She’d already wasted days.
[Hey hey hey~ Host, you remembered me without a reminder! How odd. You used to focus solely on strength, but lately, you’ve been initiating rankings much more eagerly.]
"..."
Ying Bing sat at the bedside, ignoring the nonsensical script.
After a pause, the system chimed again:
[Now then, let’s extract a penalty from the last winner’s mind.]
[What will it be this time?]
[Feeling a little excited?]