My Arch-Nemesis is the R-Rated Male Lead - Chapter 6

“You can see through clothes?” Lu Rong could hardly believe it.

[Yes, but only if you can actually see the male lead.]

Lu Rong: “???” Incredible. Truly worthy of a restricted novel.

But she wasn’t a pervert who wanted to see Zhou Li’s naked body!

…She then glanced at the fifth nude sketch of Zhou Li she was still working on.

“…” Ahem.

Lu Rong reached out and tossed all of the drawings into her discard box.

But the more she looked, the more she felt she’d drawn them quite well. So she took them back out and pasted them on her screen instead.

Her studio had a large wooden screen covered with her favorite small sketches.

Most of them, unfortunately, were extremely indecent.

She cleared a spot in the center to paste the four completed drawings, then nodded in deep satisfaction.

“That physique, those abs, that V-line, and those smoldering eyes.” She was extremely satisfied with these drawings. If she weren’t scared that Zhou Li would kill her with his sword for sketching erotic pictures of him, she would’ve drawn him an entire comic book already.

Zhou Li’s looks were truly unmatched, though his personality was icy. Still, given his setting as a restricted-novel male lead, he was definitely scorching hot in bed.

Too bad she hadn’t had the chance to verify her theory before he threw her out.

Lu Rong touched the spot on her head where Zhou Li had tapped her earlier, still feeling weird about it.

Why did he suddenly touch her head? Is he insane?!

Washing hair is annoying enough as it is! Now she has to wash it again!

As she was brooding, Qiu Ling’s voice came from outside the door: “Lu Rong.”

Lu Rong didn’t even bother getting up and simply answered, “Inside.”

Moments later, a woman with a high ponytail and bright red clothes walked in. Her features carried a heroic sharpness, and with a dogtail grass between her teeth, she casually tossed something to Lu Rong.

“Here, the hairband you asked for.”

“Thank you!” Lu Rong happily accepted it, unwrapped it, and wrapped the peach-pink ribbon around her wrist. “This color is really pretty, and it really has little peach-blossom patterns.” Tied up, it would definitely make her look both innocent and a little flirty.

“Why do so many people like this stuff? I almost couldn’t buy it.” Qiu Ling plopped down beside her. Her father had raised her like a boy since childhood, so she wasn’t interested in girly things.

“Because it’s so pretty! It would definitely look beautiful with a dress.” Lu Rong had piles of colorful, flashy accessories, dresses, and jewelry.

She loved all kinds of pretty things and loved dressing herself up, so she secretly had quite a few admirers in the Xuan Yang Sect.

“Look at your room, what’s the point of piling up so many pretty things?” Qiu Ling said carelessly, picking up a peach from the table and eating it.

“There is a point. Looking at them makes me happy.” Lu Rong stood up as she spoke, grabbed something from somewhere, and came back to hand it to Qiu Ling.

“The sword tassel you said you liked last time.” Lu Rong handed her an open box.

When Qiu Ling saw the green sword tassel inside, her eyes brightened. “Where did you get this? It’s just like the one in the storybook.”

“I drew the design and then had someone make it.”

“As expected of you!” Qiu Ling hurriedly tied the sword tassel on, admiring it in the mirror for quite a while.

Lu Rong thought to herself that truly, no one could refuse something they liked—well, except for Zhou Li.

She still remembered how, when she was little, her father brought home an older brother who supposedly loved sweets. She had given him her favorite candied fruit, but he never took a single bite and eventually threw it away.

How annoying.

“Rongrong, when I draw my sword at the sect competition, everyone will definitely be drawn to it.” Qiu Ling happily twirled the blade, the tassel swaying like shimmering sword-light—truly a perfect match.

Lu Rong looked at the sword in Qiu Ling’s hand. Only those who reached the Golden Core stage could have a sword of their own.

So Lu Rong still didn’t have a sword yet.

She wanted her own sword too.

Damn Zhou Li. Why wouldn’t he give her a chance to fantasize? If she hadn’t tried doing it remotely last night and discovered it didn’t work, she wouldn’t even want to see him.

“Rongrong, why are you looking so gloomy?” Qiu Ling, done admiring herself, turned to find Lu Rong sprawled hopelessly across the table.

“I want to see Zhou Li,” Lu Rong said. She wanted to improve her cultivation.

Qiu Ling almost thought she’d misheard. “Who do you want to see?”

“That annoying Zhou Li,” Lu Rong repeated weakly.

“You two went from mortal enemies to lovers?” Qiu Ling looked at her with a hint of anticipation.

Lu Rong snapped, “Only if I’m dead!”

Qiu Ling withdrew her gaze in disappointment, fiddling with the sword tassel. “Then why do you want to see him?”

Lu Rong didn’t want to expose Zhou Li’s secret, so she came up with an excuse. “I want him to return the painting to me! But every time, before I can say a few words, he just drags me back.”

Qiu Ling thought for a moment. “Easy, let’s go.”

“Where to?” Lu Rong was dragged out with her.

“To make Venerable Jian come out to see you,” Qiu Ling said with full confidence.

Lu Rong grew suspicious. Since when was her friend this impressive?

Her doubts lasted until she watched Qiu Ling preparing to hang her from a tree in Wuhui Ravine.

“…Are you trying to hang me? Or are you the one who’s tired of living?”

“If you’re hanging here, do you think Venerable Jian will just ignore it?” Qiu Ling squatted on a branch, searching for a suitable spot to hang a person.

Lu Rong stretched out her leg and kicked Qiu Ling squarely in the butt. Qiu Ling nearly fell, and Lu Rong burst out laughing.

“I promise it’ll work,” Qiu Ling said firmly.

“Work my ass.” Zhou Li was cold-blooded and emotionless. There was no way he’d care about some idiot dangling from a tree.

Qiu Ling felt Lu Rong had completely underestimated her place in Venerable Jian’s heart.

They were childhood sweethearts, after all.

Lu Rong was also the only person besides the sect leader who could enter Wuhui Tower.

“You—” Qiu Ling was still trying to persuade her when a distant boom echoed.

It was the familiar sound of their sect’s plaque smashing into the ground.

Without thinking, she and Qiu Ling instinctively looked up, and sure enough, they saw two disciples from another sect flying in on their swords.

They approached aggressively, filled with the blind confidence of people who didn’t know fear.

“I am Mo Chou, disciple of the Qingfeng Sect—Mo Chou who has no confidant along the road ahead! I have come to challenge Venerable Jian Wuwen*!”

(TL’s note: 無問(Wúwèn)—Unquestioned/Without Question.  it’s usually a dao name or title expressing a philosophy, personality trait, or reputation)

“I am Lu Yuan, disciple of the Qingfeng Sect! I have come to challenge Venerable Jian Wuwen!”

“Where did these two idiots come from?” Qiu Ling muttered, then immediately charged upward with her sword. “If you want to see Venerable Jian Wuwen, you’ll have to face my sword first!”

Mo Chou, proud and disdainful, glanced at her. “I don’t compare myself with nameless juniors.”

“Nameless junior, my ass! My sisters are amazing!” Lu Rong had long been annoyed with this idiot Mo Chou.

“It’s you again.” Mo Chou remembered the figure he’d seen the other night. “You were the one spying on my heroic presence that time.”

Lu Rong sneered. “Why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself?”

“You!” Mo Chou flushed with anger. “Since you don’t know what’s good for you, don’t blame us for not showing mercy. Lu Yuan—one each.”

With that, Mo Chou raised his sword and charged at Lu Rong again. Qiu Ling tried to rush over but was held back by Lu Yuan.

Lu Rong was bewildered. “I just insulted you once, and you want to fight me?”

Mo Chou pointed his sword at her face. “By rights, you’re only at Foundation Establishment. You’re not worthy of fighting me.”

Lu Rong: “???” Not worthy my ass!

“I’ll show you how a Foundation Establishment cultivator can beat you to a pulp!” Lu Rong rolled up her sleeve, ready to pull out a magic tool to make this idiot cry.

But Mo Chou wasn’t just an empty-headed fool. His sword energy formed a ring, like a whirlpool of wind, trapping Lu Rong inside.

Lu Rong realized the gap between herself and him was vast. Lu Rong understood she had exaggerated wildly!

Just then, a cold wind blew, dispersing the circle of sword energy, and a branch landed perfectly in her palm.

Although Lu Rong didn’t have her own sword, she had studied swordsmanship.

She gripped the branch and directly clashed with Mo Chou’s sword.

“You don’t even have your own sword… hah…” Mo Chou’s cold laugh froze as the branch, like vines, instantly wrapped around his sword.

With a bang, his sword shattered into dust again, dissipating in the wind.

Mo Chou stared in astonishment at the remaining hilt in his hand, looking at Lu Rong in disbelief.

Lu Rong, terrified from her first sword duel, closed her eyes, knowing only to keep swinging her sword.

In martial arts, speed is the ultimate weapon.

She had swung the branch fifty times and was panting hard. When she cracked her eyes open, she saw that the once lush tree had been stripped bare, and Mo Chou looked utterly bedraggled.

Huh? What happened?

Mo Chou stumbled back several steps, his clothes in tatters. His eyes shone with astonishment as he breathed out, “Genius.”

“???” Lu Rong stared. Was he sick?

Genius or not, she had no idea—she only knew that fighting was absolutely terrifying!

Her whole body had gone soft from fear, but she still forced herself to shout, “You can’t even beat me, a Foundation Establishment cultivator! And you dare to act wild in the Xuan Yang Sect? Get lost!”

The dazed Mo Chou was dragged away by Lu Yuan, the two fleeing like beaten dogs.

Lu Rong, too, completely gave out. Her legs went weak, her arms went weak, and she even forgot to maintain her qi while hanging in the air. The moment her strength slipped, she fell straight down.

She crashed to the ground, yelped an “ouch,” and when she looked up, she saw a pair of long, straight legs hidden beneath the hem of a pure white robe.

Lu Rong didn’t react for the first two seconds. She only realized what was happening by the third.

The X-ray starts when she touches Zhou Li!

Ahhhh! Look, you useless eyes!

[2…1…]

At the very last second, her gaze instinctively fell three inches below Zhou Li’s tightly belted waist—right in the center.

And then… she saw a giant mosaic!!!

“???!” Wait! How is this even allowed?!

[Sorry, that area is too restricted to explore for now… You must answer more questions to unlock it.]

Lu Rong lifted her head with a broken spirit and stared at Zhou Li’s indifferent face.

Zhou Li rested both hands on his chest. His fingers moved slightly, and the branch she had been holding flew from her grip into his palm, returning to its original form.

 It was actually Zhou Li’s Bing Lie transformed.

No wonder her swings had been so powerful. Her spiritual power was weak to begin with. If Bing Lie had been in Zhou Li’s hands, one strike would have collapsed the entire Wuhui Ravine.

Still, Lu Rong was surprised he would help her, and even more surprised he’d actually let her use his natal sword.

There’s a saying, after all, a sword is a sword cultivator’s wife.

Letting someone else use your sword is basically letting someone else use your wife, so normally, they never allow anyone to touch it.

“You worked hard,” Zhou Li said lightly.

Lu Rong stood up, dusted herself off, and thought that Zhou Li actually knew how to show concern. Maybe… he wasn’t that terrible.

Then she saw him lower his eyes slightly, gently stroking his sword with a touch of distress.

Lu Rong was puzzled. “What’s so hard about it?”

Zhou Li sheathed the sword, and with a flick of his finger, the chaotic surroundings reverted to their original state. He said calmly, “It has never been swung fifty times.”

Lu Rong clenched her teeth. “That really must’ve been exhausting.”

[He’s a dog! I hate him, hate him!!]

Zhou Li saw her smiling on the surface while cursing him in her head. He reached out to press her head down again, trying to stop her overly active mind.

But clearly, that trick no longer worked.

She was even more brazen, even more unrestrained.

[Touching my head again—trying to seduce me into kissing him, huh? He’s so close, I could stand on tiptoe and smash my lips onto his, pin him against the tree and kiss him senseless, hook his tongue and kiss him to death.]

Zhou Li’s mind began replaying the scenes Lu Rong was imagining, her rising on tiptoe, rosy lips pressing against his, one hand shoving him hard against the tree behind her…

———————-

Author’s Note:
Baby Rong: Thinking isn’t illegal, right?

Zhou Li: …