Chapter 851: What Husbands and Wives Do

Chapter 851: Things That Couples Do

Since all his wives supported striking while the iron was hot, Zhao Changhe didn’t stand on ceremony. He took the transcribed translation and headed straight back to the snowy mountain where Ye Jiuyou resided.

From afar, he saw Ye Jiuyou still clad in black, sitting cross-legged atop the peak, letting the wind and snow howl around her. Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat, and he sensed trouble.

—If Zhao Changhe had any deliberate strategy, it wasn’t striking while the iron was hot—quite the opposite; it was letting things cool down for the night.

He also wanted to observe whether Ye Jiuyou, after a day in Chang’an and then returning to the darkness, had any ripples in her heart. If she remained as still as an ancient well, then he might have to back off. No one can warm a stone, just like Ye Wuming, who spent nearly three years together day and night, yet still schemed and left without hesitation… Perhaps her attitude toward him might be slightly different, but that took nearly three years!

Ye Wuming seemed ruthless toward her own Four Symbols and the ethereal realm, but after spending so much time with her, Zhao Changhe felt she wasn’t entirely heartless—at least her attitude toward Shuanghua showed there was some softness within. But Ye Jiuyou was likely even more extreme in this regard; she was truly someone who wouldn’t even have a single close companion.

If there were a ranking of the hardest to woo among the demon gods, Ye Jiuyou should top the list, let alone achieving it in a short time—it was practically hellish difficulty. That’s why his women were so intrigued by this endeavor, finding his actions almost heaven-defying.

Fortunately, Ye Jiuyou was currently in a chaotic phase, completely erasing the original imprints of the Heavenly Dao and replacing them with her own new will. This process was the easiest time for external influence; if he couldn’t succeed now, it would be impossible forever.

So seeing her unchanged appearance made Zhao Changhe’s heart sink a little.

As he drew closer, it sank even more. The accessories were gone, the blush and lip color had vanished, and she had returned to that pale visage. When she opened her eyes at his approach, the cold, sharp glare remained the same.

What kept him from being completely disheartened was that Ye Jiuyou spoke first: “Not bringing your flock of chirping birds along?”

“Didn’t you say I should come alone?” Zhao Changhe steadied himself and sat cross-legged across from her, just like before.

He was slightly closer than last time… The fact that she spoke first seemed like not all was lost, especially since there might be a hint of sourness in her words…

Ye Jiuyou acted as if she hadn’t noticed him getting closer, saying calmly, “You said you’d discuss with them and then come find me. What for?”

“First, I want to know if you’ve given up on the ancient Four Symbols corpse puppet plan.”

Ye Jiuyou was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “From you, I can obtain the essence of the Four Symbols, so the corpse puppets’ significance to me has indeed diminished greatly… But they can still provide me with immense combat support. You know I’m in a relatively weak period right now; the combat power of the ancient Four Symbols is very meaningful to me. It’s hard to just abandon them.”

Zhao Changhe said, “With my help, this weak period will be very short. Besides, corpse puppets are just puppets; they can’t truly unleash the power of the ancient Four Symbols. Their combined strength might not even match mine alone.”

Ye Jiuyou sneered, “Being comparable to you is already meaningful enough. Do you have any idea how strong you are now? If you were a pushover, I’d have crushed you long ago, and you wouldn’t be here babbling.”

“Uh…”

Ye Jiuyou said irritably, “Anyway, no matter how bad the corpse puppets are, they are puppets that obey me completely. What about you?”

Zhao Changhe reached out, and the metal in the mountain gathered in his hand, quickly forming the rough shape of a blade. Before it was even fully shaped, he snapped it in two with a “crack” and tossed it aside: “Since I got Longque, I no longer need any other junk. Even if other blades obey me completely, while Longque was once quite disobedient… And I never wanted Longque to become just an obedient puppet; its own will is what makes it my treasure.”

Ye Jiuyou smiled enigmatically: “You want me to treat you like a blade?”

Zhao Changhe said, “At least I have confidence that Longque will listen to me more and more. Do you have confidence that Zhao Changhe will listen to you more and more? If you could conquer me, what corpse puppet could compare? But you don’t even dare to think about it.”

Ye Jiuyou was momentarily stunned by his words and didn’t answer.

Zhao Changhe continued, “You are indeed in a weak period now… When we first met in Chang’an, you were confident enough to stir up trouble in my harem and toy with me, but now you’re afraid of my pursuit.”

It was interesting, really—back then she could casually say she’d mess with his harem and even make other teasing remarks, but now she said none of that. Why? Was it really because of weakness? Or was it because, back then, she saw Zhao Changhe as nothing more than a roadside stone, free to say whatever she liked, but now that the relationship had changed, she dared not speak recklessly?

Ye Jiuyou found it a headache and didn’t answer directly, only saying, “Zhao Changhe, are you done? To stop me from using the Four Symbols corpses, you’re talking more and more nonsense.”

“I don’t want to talk about the Four Symbols anymore. I want to talk about you.”

“…”

“If it’s not fear, why aren’t you wearing the necklace? Not wearing clothes could be because the dharma robe has special uses, not wearing the bracelet could be to avoid battle damage, but the necklace can only be deliberate.”

“I’m just not used to it. I accepted your necklace yesterday as part of the transaction; once the transaction was complete, everything returns to the starting point. Why should I keep wearing it?”

“I gave you insights into darkness, insights into life and death, insights into the cosmos—ultimately, my goal was to give you something else? Do you hear what you’re saying?”

Ye Jiuyou couldn’t help but laugh: “Then what was the purpose?”

Zhao Changhe said with righteous indignation, “Of course, it was for my own pleasure when I look at you. If you don’t wear it, you haven’t fulfilled the transaction. So at least in front of me, you have to use it. When I’m not around, do as you please.”

Ye Jiuyou really wanted to say that she was never a person who kept promises—what misunderstanding did he have of her? But for some reason, she didn’t say it. Instead, she looked quite helpless, turned around, and changed into a long dress, putting on the bracelet and necklace properly. As if to say, it’s only for the sake of the transaction.

But whether it was truly to maintain the trust of their alliance, or because she herself wanted an excuse to wear them, even she didn’t know.

“Satisfied?” Ye Jiuyou asked, somewhat speechless, as she saw his gaze suddenly turn intense.

Zhao Changhe smiled: “Satisfied.”

Whether he was satisfied that she was willing to continue fulfilling the transaction, or that she looked good and pleasing to the eye, was unclear.

Strangely, when she had worn the same outfit for him yesterday, Ye Jiuyou hadn’t felt anything special. But today, being looked at by him like this, she inexplicably felt a sense of shame, though she didn’t know where it came from.

Zhao Changhe knew well the difference—being out in public with a crowd watching, versus privately dressing up for a man just to please his eyes, were entirely different psychological experiences. Few of the demon gods understood such subtle nuances of a woman’s heart, and Ye Jiuyou certainly didn’t.

She only saw Zhao Changhe’s burning gaze and began to feel restless: “Haven’t you looked enough?”

“Never enough.” Zhao Changhe chuckled and changed the subject: “Alright, let’s drop the ancient Four Symbols matter. If you really need their power for assistance, I’ll step in and take their place, okay?”

Ye Jiuyou said indignantly, “Even if it’s to beat up your Four Symbols?”

“You have no reason to beat them up. What conflict is left between you now? Fighting over a man?”

“You…” Ye Jiuyou paused, thought hard for a moment, and was startled to realize that if she maintained an alliance with Zhao Changhe, she really had no reason to oppose the current Four Symbols anymore.

This shift was hard to get used to all at once, given that she had been opposed to that system for who knows how many years—the imprint of opposition was as natural as eating and sleeping. Suddenly realizing there was no longer a reason for conflict, she felt a strange emptiness.

Not just Ye Jiuyou; even Ye Wuming was scratching her head at that moment.

Even she wasn’t used to it.

Once upon a time, when she had solemnly warned Zhao Changhe about Ye Jiuyou’s existence, she had pointed out that the biggest conflict lay with Zhuque, and had even predicted how fierce and dangerous their future battles would be. And now?

Apart from kissing her hand, had they ever truly fought?

Zhao Changhe was saying, “You were supposed to break free from your inherent labels anyway. Isn’t your relationship with the Four Symbols part of that? Ye Wuming went even further—she killed the Four Symbols.”

Ye Wuming: “…”

Are you done? How many times are you going to use me to provoke Jiuyou?

Whether Ye Jiuyou was provoked this time or not, she was silent for a while before changing the subject: “Besides the Four Symbols, is there anything else?”

Zhao Changhe didn’t press her on whether she would abandon the Four Symbols corpse puppets, but asked, “Do you still need to gain insights from me about what you saw yesterday?”

Ye Jiuyou shook her head: “It’s enough. Going deeper would make it yours, not mine.”

“Tsk…” Zhao Changhe clicked his tongue regretfully.

Ye Jiuyou glanced at him and laughed, “What, addicted to being tormented? Or regretful that you have nothing left to dangle in front of me?”

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly: “I’ll never run out of such things.”

“Where does that confidence come from?” Ye Jiuyou chuckled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you—in as little as three to five days, or at most ten or so, my transformation will likely be complete.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I do have more, but I won’t keep giving. It feels like being a sycophant, and sycophants never end well.”

“Then what do you intend?”

“I want you to take the initiative and beg me a little.”

“I’ve already given you cosmic insights for free. Do you have anything left worth me begging for?”

“That was just a rough demonstration. There’s much more you haven’t seen. At best, it serves as a reference and a warning for you; it’s hard to have a greater effect.” Zhao Changhe said with a grin, “I’ll save that for later, when we’re closer.”

What did “closer” mean? Even if Ye Jiuyou had no knowledge of matters between men and women, she could quickly guess—showing the cosmos had already required soul-to-soul contact. To see more detailed and complete things, what would be needed? Spiritual communion? Or dual cultivation?

Ye Jiuyou wasn’t angry, though. She said leisurely, “Apart from that, you really have nothing to hold over me. Begging you? Dream on.”

Zhao Changhe flipped his hand, and a ball of energy jelly appeared in his palm.

Ye Jiuyou glanced at it, and her relaxed expression instantly froze: “You dared to steal a rubbing of my pool stone inscriptions?”

"Come on, you're using your own home to put Piaomiao and me under house arrest—if we don't stir up some trouble, wouldn't we be fools?"

Ye Jiuyou's expression darkened. "The place I'm confining you to isn't my residence; you broke in yourselves."

"You didn't even anticipate we'd break in—are you overestimating the defenses of your Nine Abyss, or underestimating Piaomiao and me?" Zhao Changhe chuckled. "Not that it matters much, but the real question is: have you fully deciphered this inscription?"

Ye Jiuyou fell silent. Of course she hadn't.

She also understood what Zhao Changhe was getting at. She could decipher parts of it, and so could Piaomiao. Given their vastly different attributes and experiences, the overlap in what they could decode was bound to be minimal. That meant if they combined their efforts, they should be able to unravel most of it, and even if some parts remained unclear, they could likely guess the gist.

Such a profoundly secret thing as the Heavenly Dao inscription—Ye Jiuyou would never have voluntarily sought out Piaomiao to share it; the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Whether Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao had sneaked into her bathhouse was now trivial. What mattered was that this accident had forced an unexpected collaboration between her and Piaomiao on this matter, greatly increasing the odds of solving the riddle.

"Piaomiao has deciphered some of the text. Want to know?" Zhao Changhe asked with a grin. "If you do, our next transaction is right here."

Ye Jiuyou ground her teeth, exasperated. His meaning was clear: unlike the previous offers, he wouldn't propose a deal this time; she would have to beg for it.

But it hit her right where it hurt—she truly needed this.

"Don't you want to decipher it yourself?" Ye Jiuyou finally forced out through clenched teeth.

Zhao Changhe laughed. "I do, but for now it's just curiosity—not a must. So... do you want to?"

Ye Jiuyou held back for a long moment, then said weakly, "What do you want?"

"What are you willing to give me?"

The air grew still. Ye Jiuyou's face was expressionless, but her mind was blank.

What could she give him?

Yesterday's deal had already heavily favored her—it was just a stroll. As for what she could truly offer, what was there? He didn't need anything; all he wanted was her.

If she had to make the offer, what could she possibly propose?

Ye Jiuyou finally sighed. "You name it. As long as I can do it."

Zhao Changhe stared at her steadily, until he saw a flicker of anger in her eyes, then said softly, "What if I said... I want you..."

Ye Jiuyou's palm gathered shadows, her expression icy—a clear sign she was about to turn hostile.

No matter what, she would never submit to such coercion.

But Zhao Changhe continued: "...to dress more completely. What you have now is just a facade—far from enough. Also, yesterday when I tried to put the necklace on you, you dodged. I was very displeased. For the remaining items, I must handle them myself, and you can't avoid it."

Ye Jiuyou: "?"

What else? Earrings? Hair ornaments? If that was all, she'd breathe a huge sigh of relief—what harm was there in letting him put them on her?

Was this man truly so blinded by infatuation that he'd trade something so important for this?

Ye Jiuyou almost eagerly agreed: "Deal."

Zhao Changhe smiled and pulled out a small bundle. "Then put this on first."

Ye Jiuyou was startled. "What is this?"

Zhao Changhe unwrapped it, revealing a pure white, soft bellyband. "This."

Ye Jiuyou: "!!!"

Zhao Changhe said seriously, "I told you, what you have now is just a facade—it's missing the inner layer. And what's the inner layer if not a bellyband?"

Looking at his deadpan face, Ye Jiuyou really wanted to punch him.

And white!

So this was what he meant by "must be handled by me, can't avoid it"?

And when exactly had he swiped a bellyband from that shop, wrapped it up, without her even noticing his movements? Did a man's potential skyrocket tenfold when stealing something like this?

Ye Jiuyou took a deep breath, forcing a seductive smile. "In the end, you just want my body... Come on, it's not like you haven't touched it before."

She tugged at her sash, her long dress loosening slightly, revealing the pale skin of her shoulder. With the smile on her face, she suddenly looked breathtakingly alluring, heart-stopping.

Zhao Changhe stood up, shaking the bellyband as he approached. Ye Jiuyou watched him come closer with a smile, but deep in her eyes, coldness lurked.

She would remember this humiliation... Once she got the translation, she would immediately turn hostile—this collaboration couldn't go on a moment longer!

Just as she thought this, Zhao Changhe stuffed the bellyband through the gap of her loosened collar and whispered in her ear with a mischievous breath: "You'd better put this on yourself."

Ye Jiuyou was taken aback. Zhao Changhe straightened up, sitting right in front of her, and pulled out a box of rouge and powder from his bosom.

Ye Jiuyou stared dumbly as he opened the powder box, took out a cotton puff, and gently dabbed it on her face, saying, "This washes off with a rinse—you'll need to reapply every day... Once you improve your cultivation method and can naturally have a rosy complexion, you won't need these anymore... Probably just a few days."

His voice was soft, his expression focused—not the lecherous look she had imagined.

Ye Jiuyou sat there frozen, letting him dab powder on her face, her mind a blank. He was so close she could feel his breath, and that mischievous whisper in her ear still buzzed in her head, making her body tingle.

It took her a long while to regain some composure. "You schemed all this... just for this?"

"What else?" Zhao Changhe replied casually. "Do you know what this is between us now?"

"What?"

"This is what couples do—and it's the same as that kind of thing."

"You..."

"Did you really think I, Zhao Changhe, would use a deal to take advantage of a woman? Am I that low? If I'm low, it's in a different direction."

"Spit it out!" Ye Jiuyou was utterly flustered.

"From now on, whenever you see me, you must look your best. If you refuse, then we'll trade the translation word by word—and every day, I'll come to apply your makeup again." As he spoke, Zhao Changhe put the powder box into her hand, then took out lip rouge and pressed it to her lips, signaling her to pucker.

Ye Jiuyou instinctively pressed her lips together.

Her eyes shimmered, locking onto his eyes so close that they could see each other's reflections.

But it wasn't as clear as a mirror. If it were, Ye Jiuyou would have seen the lingering allure in her own eyes, still undimmed.