Back in the western chamber, Long Chen sat down, looking playfully at Tuoba Jiao, who had followed him in. "What are you still standing there for?"
Tuoba Jiao hesitated at the doorway, her heart in turmoil.
"What are you still standing there for?" Long Chen urged. "Don’t waste time. Hurry up and bring me a basin of hot water."
"You... Long Chen, don’t push me too far!" Tuoba Jiao felt utterly wronged. She was filled with regret. If she had known this would be the outcome, she never would have made that bet with Long Chen!
"It seems I need to go out more, have a good chat with our brothers from the Human Institute..." As he spoke, Long Chen started to get up.
Seeing this, Tuoba Jiao panicked. She quickly stopped him, then peered around the doorway. After confirming no one was there, she hurriedly shut the door.
"Sit down!" Tuoba Jiao snapped at Long Chen before walking further into the room with extreme reluctance.
Three minutes later, she returned, holding a basin of water, which she brought before Long Chen.
Long Chen finally smiled with satisfaction. "That’s more like it. One must accept their losses and honor their bets. Now that’s how you set a good example."
"Long Chen, I’m warning you!" Tuoba Jiao’s tone was ice-cold. "Only the two of us know about this. If I find out a third person knows, I will personally cut out your tongue!"
Long Chen ignored her. He leaned back lazily in his chair like a lord and said indifferently, "Enough talk. Get started."
Tuoba Jiao angrily slammed the basin of hot water onto the ground, spilling a good amount of it. "Well?" she snapped. "Aren’t you going to stick out your stinking feet?"
Long Chen sighed. "I don’t know if it’s the weather, but I’m just so exhausted today. I don’t feel like moving a muscle."
Long Chen! You bastard! I’ll never forgive you for this!
Tuoba Jiao cursed silently, pinching her nose as she bent down to help Long Chen take off his shoes.
The dignified daughter of the Human King, reduced to washing Long Chen’s feet and giving him a massage? No one would believe this if they saw it with their own eyes. They simply wouldn’t!
As soon as his feet entered the water, a pleasant warmth spread through them. Long Chen nodded in satisfaction. "It seems you have a talent for this. The water temperature is perfect. Very good."
"Now, start scrubbing."
Swallowing her disgust, Tuoba Jiao gave his feet a perfunctory scrub and then stopped. "There. I’m done."
Long Chen was stunned. "The whole process took less than a minute from when you brought the water over. That’s it?"
"The bet was that I’d wash your feet. It didn’t specify how," Tuoba Jiao said coldly. "I personally took off your shoes and even gave your feet a few rubs. You should be grateful. Plenty of people would kill for this kind of treatment, and you dare to complain?"
"Then let’s move on to the massage." Long Chen shook his head with a smile and lay down on the bed. He wasn’t going to fuss over the details. After all, he had achieved his goal: to knock Tuoba Jiao’s pride down a peg.
Hearing this, Tuoba Jiao sat beside him, filled with resentment. Looking at Long Chen, a mischievous idea sparked in her mind. She placed her hands on his shoulders.
Then, a powerful force surged from her palms toward Long Chen!
Long Chen sneered. A burst of battle qi erupted from his body, instantly numbing her arms.
Tuoba Jiao’s expression changed.
"Are you sure you want to provoke me?" Long Chen asked coldly.
Worried that Long Chen would expose their arrangement, Tuoba Jiao had no choice but to relent. She suppressed the intense humiliation and began to properly massage him.
"Not hard enough."
"Harder! Lower, that spot right there!"
Long Chen’s commands continued to ring out, and Tuoba Jiao could only obey.
Just then, Chen Yao suddenly pushed the door open, walking right in on the scene. She froze, completely taken aback. "What are you two..."
"Sister... Sister Yao?" Tuoba Jiao’s eyes widened, and she quickly snatched her hands back from Long Chen’s body. "Sister Yao, why didn’t you knock before coming in?"
"My mistake," Chen Yao said, turning to leave. "I won’t disturb you. Please, carry on."
A sense of dread washed over Tuoba Jiao. I have to explain, and quickly! Otherwise, I’ll never be able to clear my name, even if I jump into the Yellow River!
"Sister Yao, it’s not what you think!" Tuoba Jiao blurted out.
But Chen Yao, who knew her well, just smiled. "Jiao Jiao, I’m actually quite relieved to see you’re finally interested in a man."
"Long Chen, you really are something. You’ve only been in the Sect for half a month, and you’ve already managed to get our Jiao Jiao to..."
"Sister Yao, what are you even saying?" Tuoba Jiao grew more frantic. "It’s really not like that!"
"Long Chen, you scoundrel! You’re ruining my reputation! Aren’t you going to explain yourself?" Her expression turned grim as she glared at him, looking as if she wanted to eat him alive.