My Arch-Nemesis is the R-Rated Male Lead - Chapter 24

Zhou Li stood there for a while, realizing that the emotional bond between him and Lu Rong had broken.

The bond had suddenly snapped. It could only mean that one of them had suddenly developed a strong sense of disgust.

So… she had gone from merely disliking him…to loathing him?

He looked at the dimming light in the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly. She had indeed managed to forget.

She probably intended to completely erase him from her mind, to ignore him altogether.

A dark, brooding shadow passed over his eyes.

He had never been a kind man. He wouldn’t let Lu Rong get away with it so easily.

Lu Rong couldn’t help sneezing a few times, thinking to herself that Zhou Li was surely cursing her.

Fortunately, the sensation vanished completely after three seconds.

This medicine was truly miraculous.

No wonder it was called  Forget-Me-Not Water. All worries couldn’t last more than three seconds.

“How long does this last?” Lu Rong asked, curious.

“About three or four days. Once it’s metabolized, it’s gone.”

Hearing A’Ling say that, Lu Rong finally felt a bit more at ease. As long as it wasn’t a lifetime case of fish memory, she could live with it.

She nodded—then saw Qiu Ling flipping through her drawings and immediately scrambled to snatch away the ones that absolutely did not belong in polite society.

“Don’t look!”

Qiu Ling grew curious. “Why do I feel like the men in these drawings look a lot like Venerable Jian?”

Lu Rong coughed lightly.

Truth was, these drawings were something she’d absentmindedly sketched the night before, while replaying the scene of her kissing Zhou Li in Tinglan Garden. She’d been thinking about it a little too intensely—by the time she snapped out of it, she’d already drawn several pages.

And every single one featured herself and Zhou Li.

Honestly, it counted as her treating herself to a very fragrant little meal.

She vaguely sensed that something was wrong with her lately. Her mind was full of nothing but this.

Under Qiu Ling’s openly curious stare, there was no way she could admit these were fantasies of her and Zhou Li engaging in all kinds of indecent, imagination-fueled activities.

So she stiffened her neck and said stubbornly, “I drew these specially for Zhou Li. Erotic paintings.”

Qiu Ling was even more shocked. “Why would you draw that for him?”

“Because he’s always making me mad,” Lu Rong snorted. “So I’ll just make him mad to death.”

Qiu Ling silently wondered whether this was supposed to anger him…
or reward him.

After all, the woman in the drawings did bear more than a passing resemblance to Lu Rong herself.

“You drew those erotic paintings for the two of you, didn’t you?”

“No! I just really hate him!” Lu Rong flusteredly deflected, putting her drawings away and quickly changing the subject. “Why are you here?”

“To ask how your preparations for the sect competition are going,” Qiu Ling said, idly fiddling with the row of brushes on Lu Rong’s desk.

“I’m not preparing anymore. I’ll come in last for sure,” Lu Rong admitted. She had no talent for cultivation or swordsmanship.

Qiu Ling pressed down lightly on her head, looking at her seriously. “Lu Rong, you’re at the Golden Core stage now!”

Lu Rong coughed lightly, thinking wryly that her Golden Core stage had been almost entirely thanks to Zhou Li. It was a classic case of forced growth: all cultivation, no real ability.

“And you also have the Yin-Yang Spring,” Qiu Ling added.

“What do you mean?” Lu Rong asked, puzzled.

“I saw that the snake demon in Luo City gave the Yin-Yang Spring to you and Venerable Jian. If you’re ever in danger, you can summon it. It’s a sentient magical object—it will surely help you.”

Lu Rong shook her head. “That’s A’Miao’s Yin-Yang Spring. Let it stay safely in Luo City.”

A’Miao’s death made Lu Rong painfully aware of her own weakness. If she had been braver, perhaps A’Miao wouldn’t have died.

But she knew she couldn’t be brave—not with her identity as the daughter of the Xuan Yang Sect’s leader.

Many of her actions represented her father and the entire Xuan Yang Sect. If Zhou Li’s identity were exposed one day, what would she do then?

Lu Rong propped up her chin, unable to shake her worry. She had discovered Zhou Li’s secret and had even caused him to enter his heat cycle early. Would that also affect his ascension?

The thought made her restless. She sighed, and Qiu Ling, seeing her troubled expression, chuckled. “Why do I feel like you’re trapped by love?”

“I’m genuinely tired,” Lu Rong said, yawning as she slumped onto the table. “If we end up together later, you’d better pull me out.”

“This sect competition seems to go straight to Shiba Chong Inner Gate.”

“Huh?” Lu Rong grew even more dejected. “That’s great.”

“Huh? What’s great about that?”

“I can die sooner.”

She sighed weakly again. The Shiba Chong Inner Gate was filled with ferocious beasts—ordinary people really couldn’t make it through. Qiu Ling laughed at her utterly lifeless expression.

“How can you be this cute?”

After saying that, she pinched Lu Rong’s cheek. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll see if my dad is the supervisor; he’ll protect you.”

Because Shiba Chong Inner Gate is extremely dangerous, each time a disciple enters, a highly skilled supervisor accompanies them to ensure they don’t die.

Serious injuries or other problems aren’t managed. They only guarantee survival.

“Really?” Lu Rong was a little surprised. She hadn’t expected to get in through connections.

“Yes, but my dad said the supervisor hasn’t been decided yet.”

Now, Lu Rong didn’t ask for much. She just wanted to avoid dying in there.

Once Qiu Ling left, Lu Rong lay down peacefully again. Although her mind felt blank, she sensed it was still active. A system voice spoke in her mind:

[Host, you can now answer what the male lead’s demon form is.]

Her thoughts uncontrollably drifted back to last night, to the cool, long tail brushing between her legs. Was he a snake demon? Or something else?

[Host?]

Pressed for an answer, Lu Rong finally yanked the blanket over herself.

“I give up on this question!”

She wanted to temporarily escape the fact that Zhou Li was a demon.

Actually, she was still very worried about his situation. He had hidden his identity in the Xuan Yang Sect for many years. If it were ever exposed, no one would spare him.

Perhaps, as he said, everyone in the sect had high expectations for him. When they discovered the truth wasn’t so, would they still treat him so well?

Lu Rong turned over, tucking the blanket between her legs, her eyes shifting slightly. She thought, Zhou Li isn’t Xue’er. He’s so powerful. He should be fine.

[If you give up, you will lose any cheat abilities.]

Lu Rong hesitated for a moment but still chose to give up.

She thought, last place in the sect competition is fine. She was like a little ostrich, hoping in every possible way to protect Zhou Li’s earth-shattering secret.

[Question invalidated, cheat abilities invalidated.]

With a beep, her mind went blank for a moment, then she came to her senses.

Shiba Chong Inner Gate were so dangerous; without any special abilities, she wasn’t sure she could get out safely.

She suddenly remembered—her own father was the sect leader!

“A little help shouldn’t be a problem, hehe.”

Lu Rong jumped up and happily ran to find her father.

Upon arriving at Wuji Pavilion, before she could speak, her father called out, “Rong’er, come here.”

She ran over, blinking her big eyes. Seeing her pleading look, Lu Wen chuckled, “What do you want?”

“Daddy, please help me,” Lu Rong said.

“Huh?” Lu Wen didn’t understand.

“Could you secretly protect me during the sect competition?” Her eyes were watery. “I’m afraid I’ll die there.”

Lu Wen: “…?”

Lu Rong thought her father wouldn’t abandon his own daughter to death.

But, while he wouldn’t let her die, he might very well kill her beforehand!

“From now on, come practice swordsmanship with me every day,” Lu Wen said ruthlessly.

“I promise to practice swordsmanship with Senior Brother Lin every day!” Lu Rong hurriedly refused.

Practicing with her father meant training from morning till night, with absolutely no rest.

“Zetian went out to train. What will you practice with him?” Lu Wen glanced at her.

Lu Rong returned in a hurry, completely unaware that Senior Brother Lin had just come back and then gone out again to train.

“Then… then you found me a senior brother,” Lu Rong insisted firmly.

Lu Wen was thinking when she saw Zhou Li walking toward them with a sword.

Just as she was about to suggest that Zhou Li teach her, Lu Rong, seeing his expression, immediately knew what he would say and shouted, “You’re not allowed to let Zhou Li teach me!”

Zhou Li stopped in his tracks, looking at Lu Rong’s back.

Had she come to hate him this much?

Was it because he was a demon?

Or because they had gone too far last night?

Lu Wen awkwardly patted Lu Rong’s head. “What nonsense are you talking about?” Then he called out to Zhou Li. “Li’er, you’re here.”

Hearing this, Lu Rong turned around and saw Zhou Li walking toward her, his face pale.

“Master, is there something you need?” he asked.

“I do need your help. Rong’er has already reached the Golden Core stage and needs a sword of her own. I wonder if you can help her forge a sword that suits her.”

Lu Wen had been searching for a good sword for Lu Rong all this time but hadn’t found a suitable one.

Zhou Li looked at Lu Rong, who instinctively turned her head away, screaming inwardly, don’t look at me! I’m so embarrassed!

He could tell from her expression that she was secretly thinking something, yet even being this close, he couldn’t hear her thoughts at all.

The air around Zhou Li seemed to chill slightly.

“Do you need it?” he asked.

Lu Rong wanted to vanish into the ground. Just as she was about to say no, her father gently pressed her head down and nodded twice.

“She needs it,” Lu Wen said with a smile, as if daring her to say no would get her into serious trouble.

Lu Rong could only force a smile and nod again. “Yes, thank you for your trouble.”

Seeing her reluctant expression, Zhou Li said coldly, “Oh? I can tell you don’t actually need it.”

Lu Rong: “…”

Ugh, why is he so frustratingly annoying!

Zhou Li finished speaking and turned to leave without looking back. Lu Rong watched his retreating figure, pursing her lips with a strange feeling in her chest.

It seemed as if Zhou Li had reverted to his cold and distant self. Even his gaze held a bone-chilling sharpness, lacking the calm gentleness he had shown in Luo City.

Lu Wen sighed softly, patting his daughter’s head. “Then you don’t have a sword that truly suits you.”

Lu Rong felt a little flustered. “He rejected me.”

“Did you two fight again?” her father asked curiously.

“We didn’t fight.” Lu Rong pouted.

They hadn’t fought—they had been passionately together in bed!

“I’ll go find him,” Lu Rong thought, realizing she still needed to prioritize the bigger picture.

Besides, she had been so over the top with Zhou Li last night. Even though he said it was fine, she had relentlessly bitten him, leaving so many marks on his body. Just now, she even checked if his neck had healed.

Lu Wen nodded. “Rong’er, your senior brother treats you differently. Look at who he usually speaks to. You’re the only one he exchanges even a few words with.”

“That’s only because he ignores everyone, that’s why no one talks to him!” Lu Rong snorted, waved goodbye to her father, and prepared to leave.

Before walking off, she reminded him, “Remember to protect me during the Shiba Chong Sect Competition.”

Lu Wen saw that she was still the same as when she was little, always needing his protection whenever she did something dangerous.

He was a little amused and exasperated. “How old are you that you still need protection?” But he nodded indulgently, his eyes full of affection. “Yes, go ahead.”

He couldn’t help thinking that his daughter was so adorable. Luckily, she was still young and carefree enough not to be easily taken advantage of.

After leaving, Lu Rong headed to Wuhui Ravine to find Zhou Li.

But when she arrived and saw the three layers of barriers inside and outside, she fell silent.

Is this… to keep me out?

Damn it.

She turned angrily to leave, but thinking she couldn’t let it go, she ran back, took out her jade token, and sent Zhou Li a message.

[Lu Xiaorong: Why did you set up so many barriers? Are you keeping me out?]

At first, he didn’t reply. Then he sent back four words.

[Zhou: Keeping you out from what?]

[Lu Xiaorong: From going in to kiss you.]

[Zhou: Oh? We kissed?]

Lu Rong: ??? 

This guy!

She was about to curse when she suddenly remembered that she had said, “I’ve forgotten everything that happened last night.”

“…Damn it,” she muttered to herself. How could she have said something so shameless!

Patting her lips lightly and refocusing on her goal, she sensibly typed back:

[Lu Xiaorong: Okay, can you help me practice swordsmanship?]

No sooner had she sent it than she saw Zhou Li’s miniature projection hovering above the jade token. Lu Rong hadn’t expected him to bypass normal telepathy and essentially ‘video call’ her.

Zhou Li stood there in the dim light, looking rather uninterested.

His eyes were emotionless as he said softly, “If you don’t need me, don’t force it.”

Lu Rong felt that he was teasing her. The gaze made her cheeks inexplicably warm, and she could only mutter, “I do need it.”

“Hmm?” he uttered, as if he hadn’t heard.

Determined to appear confident, Lu Rong shouted, “I need it! I really need it!”

Zhou Li watched her slowly reddening face. Just like last night, under his fingertips her pale body flushed a deep, ripe red, as if a little more pressure would make her wet.

His fingertips pinched the jet-black jade, his gaze deep and serious, long lashes slightly drooping, giving him a fragile, captivating beauty.

Lu Rong heard him murmur in a low voice, “I thought you didn’t want anything from a demon.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the word ‘demon.’ “Shh! Don’t say that word!” she whispered urgently.

The corners of Zhou Li’s eyes lifted, a fleeting, obvious joy flickering in them. Though it disappeared quickly, Lu Rong noticed it. His smile was undeniably alluring.

The chill in his heart seemed to soften, and his expression became less solemn: “What kind of sword do you want?”

“Something as beautiful as Bing Lie,” she said.

Zhou Li hummed in agreement, then severed the connection.

Lu Rong figured he was probably rushing off to deal with a demon. Demons in heat were truly unpredictable.

Having distracted Zhou Li, she headed home, planning to find someone to train her in swordsmanship for a few days. With the sect competition in three days, some last-minute cramming might still help.

Lu Rong rummaged through her jade token for someone to train her in swordsmanship, noticing Zhou Li’s blank space.

She thought, “Should I ask him?”

But she was afraid that while practicing, she might accidentally pounce on Zhou Li again.

After all, she had been fantasizing about doing intimate things with Zhou Li recently to increase her cultivation.

Especially about Zhou Li’s sword, Bing Lie, she had fantasized several times about hilt play.

She feared Zhou Li wouldn’t be able to resist seducing her with the hilt either.

That would mean she wouldn’t actually practice swordsmanship, only focusing on various temptations, and her innocence with Zhou Li would be lost.

Terrible.

So Lu Rong rationally and firmly dismissed Zhou Li.

She turned to Qiu Ling and asked her to train her in swordsmanship.

Qiu Ling simply replied with two words: “No time.”

Lu Rong bitterly reproached her.

But Qiu Ling’s remaining conscience led her to arrange someone else to train Lu Rong in swordsmanship.

At first, Lu Rong thought it was one of her senior sisters, but the next day, carrying her little wooden sword, she went to the practice area and saw a young man.

He looked quite young, and when he smiled, his small tiger teeth showed. Upon seeing her, he happily called out, “Senior Sister Lu!”

Oh my, a little puppy.

Qiu Ling had really outdone herself. She even knew little puppies now.

“Senior Sister Lu, you’re so pretty!” the little puppy said, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her.

Lu Rong lightly coughed. “Are you going to teach me swordsmanship?”

“Yes. Senior Sister Qiu Ling asked me to come. Don’t worry, Senior Sister, I’ll teach you well.”

Lu Rong felt a little embarrassed, sensing she might make a fool of herself in front of this junior brother.

After all, her memory now only lasted three seconds.

She hesitated for a moment. “Um, could you demonstrate it for me first?”

She wanted to see if she could remember the moves.

As expected, she couldn’t remember anything at all.

By the end, Lu Rong had taken out her water bottle and slowly sipped her homemade sparkling water.

While watching the little puppy energetically practice his swordplay, she sent a message to Qiu Ling.

[Lu Xiaorong: Oh no, I can’t remember anything in three seconds!]

[A’Ling: Tsk, he’ll take off his clothes and practice swordsmanship with you. Let’s see if you can remember it.]

[Lu Xiaorong: I’m a proper senior sister.]

[A’Ling: Oh? Indeed, last time you drew a picture of an older senior brother and a junior sister with their necks intertwined.]

[Lu Xiaorong: Goodbye!]

“Senior sister, how’s my swordsmanship?” The little puppy ran over cheerfully and asked.

“Very impressive!” Lu Rong praised.

“Then can I spar with Venerable Jian?”

“Huh?” Lu Rong wasn’t sure if the child was talking in his sleep or drunk.

Zhou Li’s first sword strike was at a level that many couldn’t achieve in a lifetime.

She thought the little puppy’s skill was about the same as hers.

But for the child’s sake, she nodded politely. “You can spar. Perhaps the student will surpass the master.”

“Oh?” A sinister voice echoed.

Lu Rong turned around as if she had seen a ghost and saw a person holding two swords.

His brows were impossibly cold, his face handsome and immaculate, and his tall figure seemed to chill the air around him.

Zhou! Li!!

She was so startled she almost fell off the stone table.

“You… what are you doing here?” Lu Rong asked, her voice trembling.

Zhou Li looked at the bewildered little puppy, then at Lu Rong, and tugged slightly at the corner of his lips.

“Am I bothering you?” he asked calmly.

“No, no, I’m practicing swordsmanship.”

Lu Rong instinctively stood up. Zhou Li’s eyes flickered as they fell on the small wooden sword she was holding.

Noticing his gaze, Lu Rong looked down at the sword in her hands and instinctively hid it. It was actually a sword Zhou Li had made for her.

When she first began practicing swordsmanship, she could never hold the sword properly. Her father said her hands were too small and weak, and he would slap her palms every time she failed to grip it.

Every time she cried, the entire Xuan Yang Sect could hear her.

One day, while she was crying her eyes out, Zhou Li gave her this sword.

It was made from thousand-year-old peach wood and very light, with a hilt half the thickness of a normal sword. She could finally hold a sword without difficulty.

She had kept this sword all along, and today, when she took it out to use, he actually saw it.

He would definitely laugh at her for still practicing with a sword from her childhood!

Lu Rong glared back fiercely. “What are you looking at?”

Zhou Li didn’t say a word; he just moved closer. The little puppy beside him asked curiously, “Senior Sister Lu, is this Senior Brother?”

Lu Rong thought, Even if you practiced for several lifetimes, you could never compare to Venerable Jian!

She didn’t reply, but Zhou Li said, “I didn’t intend to duel with the Master.”

The little boy was momentarily shocked, then excitedly drew his sword, bowed politely, and sent the sword flying. It formed a sword array that trapped Zhou Li inside.

Zhou Li didn’t move his sword; with a flick of his long finger, a gust of wind shot out. The sword array shattered like a fragile glass ball, and the little boy was blown away, his whereabouts unknown.

Lu Rong squinted at the vanished puppy, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

Such an adult bullying a child, shameful!

Zhou Li, who had been ‘bullying’ the child, calmly withdrew his hand and returned his attention to her.

Lu Rong instinctively straightened and stepped back. “You hit him, so you can’t hit me.”

She felt a twinge of guilt, having just said that the student might surpass the master.

“Lu Rong, you’re avoiding me,” he said, staring intently at her.

She truly was avoiding him, worried that if she didn’t, next time it wouldn’t just be a kiss.

“No!” she insisted stubbornly.

Seeing her defiance, Zhou Li said nothing further. Instead, he drew out an even more slender sword from his robes and held it before her.

“Your sword.”

Lu Rong looked at the translucent, jade-like blade, every inch perfectly lustrous.

She reached out and grasped it; the hilt fit firmly in her palm, and her eyes sparkled with delight.

“What a beautiful sword,” she said with a smile. “Thank you.”

She examined her sword again and again, noting that its size compared to Bing Lie’s made them look like a pair of mismatched couple’s swords.

“How did you make it?” she asked curiously.

Zhou Li didn’t answer. In truth, the sword he intended to give her still lacked something.

However, with the sect competition approaching, she needed a good sword, so she forged one from a wisp of sword energy from Bing Lie.

Therefore, like Bing Lie, whenever she touched this sword, all her sensations would be transmitted to Zhou Li.

But the sensation wasn’t as strong as Bing Lie’s.

Zhou Li didn’t explain further. Seeing that she could use it without issue, he turned to leave.

Seeing him about to go, Lu Rong instinctively reached out and grabbed him.

Suddenly, her thoughts flashed into Zhou Li’s mind again.

[Why are you running here? Is your heat acting up again?]

[Your hands don’t seem warm, it shouldn’t be.]

Zhou Li looked at her. Lu Rong instinctively let go, and her thoughts disappeared once more.

So now, he had to be skin-to-skin with her to form a bond?

Or did it require even closer intimacy…?

———————–

Author’s Note:
Zhou Li: I have plenty of methods 😎

Rongrong: I want him, I want him—no! Behave!