"How do you intend to thank me?" I asked, swallowing and feigning ignorance.
Bingbing giggled, her lips brushing my ear. "I just took a shower. How about you go too?"
"Sure," I replied eagerly, heading for the bathroom. However, as the warm water gradually heated my body, my mind began to clear.
This was wrong.
Halfway through my shower, I dried myself and put on my clothes. Bingbing had already cozied up in the bed, her clothes neatly arranged on the nightstand. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Seeing me emerge, Bingbing shifted to the center of the bed, making space for me. But she was wrapped tightly in the duvet, which, in a way, helped solidify my resolve.
I sat on the edge of the bed, took one of her hands from under the covers, and gently placed it on my lap. I asked softly, "Bingbing, you've never had a boyfriend before, have you?"
Her WeChat Moments were completely open to me. When I had free time, I'd browse them, going back as far as 2016, and found no trace of her being in a relationship.
"Mm, never... I was too busy training before, no time for that. It's only been the last half-year or so that I've been semi-retired," Bingbing said cautiously. I could feel her hand trembling.
"So, your most precious possession is still with you, right?" I asked.
Bingbing blushed and nodded.
"Since it's your most precious possession, you should cherish it and save it for the one you love most," I said seriously. It wasn't that I was being prudish; it was truly how I felt. Bingbing might have thought that Yao Yao and I were quite casual, willing to engage in intimacy in cornfields or cars, but in reality, Yao Yao and I had a deep emotional foundation. After all, we had spent a whole month together every night, spending as much time with each other as any ordinary couple.
Bingbing frowned. "Brother Chengfeng, do you mean you don't want me? Are you disgusted by me?"
"No, don't misunderstand. I'm not disgusted by you. On the contrary, your beauty and your figure are second to none. I very much want to experience something pleasant with you, and I believe we might develop such a relationship in the future. But for now, I feel the time is not right."
Bingbing blinked, as if she understood what I meant, and nodded emphatically. "Okay then, I'll save myself for Brother Chengfeng!"
I pinched her nose. "Good. I appreciate your intention. Cherish it well. As for your mention of thanking me, I think it's necessary to correct you."
"Oh?" Bingbing was confused and sat up in bed. I handed her the clothes from the nightstand. Bingbing didn't hesitate, threw off the duvet, and began to put on her clothes, piece by piece.
I have to say, physical training really works. So tender!
"It's my and Yao Yao's and the others' place to thank you," I said earnestly. This wasn't just politeness; it was the truth. Without Bingbing's help, and without the equipment her father, Old Zheng, generously provided at a friendly price, I would never have been able to open the Nine Immortals Cave on my own. Not to mention bringing Yao Yao's body up the mountain, carrying it down, and loading it into the car. If Yao Yao hadn't been stolen by us, the eight demons wouldn't have been unsealed.
Therefore, I wasn't the sole instigator of events; Bingbing played a crucial role. This was why Yao Yao and the eight demons alike cared for Bingbing, a mortal, and why they had so readily returned to Fucheng last night to help her find her mother, all for Bingbing's sake.
I explained this reasoning to Bingbing, and she received it well, giggling and puffing out her chest. "Then I can stand taller in front of them from now on! Otherwise, I always feel like a little burden!"
Just as I was about to seize the opportunity to give her more confidence and praise her expertise in extreme sports, Yao Yao, who had apparently been standing on the balcony for some time, chuckled, "You're no little burden at all, Bingbing. To be honest, your physical fitness is top-tier among ordinary people. If you wanted to cultivate, with your foundation, you'd achieve twice the results with half the effort. What others might achieve in three to five years, you might accomplish in half a year."
"Really?" Bingbing was overjoyed and jumped out of bed, but she quickly realized her pants weren't fully on and dove back under the covers.
"Perhaps you two should continue?" Yao Yao teased with a wicked grin.
"If it never started, how can it continue?" I replied, feigning composure.
"Stop pretending," Yao Yao pouted at me. "Although your martial arts foundation isn't great, you have a rather extraordinary talent when it comes to stamina. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen you back then..."