Zhu Zhuqing, who was checking Lu Feng's condition, noticed the obvious bulge in his pants. A shy, knowing look crossed her face as she asked, "Were you…peeking on us?"
Zhu Zhuyun, wearing the smug expression of a seasoned detective, analyzed the situation. "Peeking? Unlikely. The door was closed we'd have noticed if he opened it. More like… eavesdropping."
"Eavesdropping made his nose bleed?" Zhu Zhuqing couldn't decide whether to laugh or scold.
"Some perv, hearing the noises and painting a whole picture in his head," Zhu Zhuyun teased.
"Really?" Zhu Zhuqing shot Lu Feng a skeptical glance.
Lu Feng could only muster an awkward smile, staying quiet.
Anything he said now would dig a deeper hole.
And he didn't want to lie to them.
"Come here, silly," Zhu Zhuyun said, tugging Zhu Zhuqing to a corner.
Leaning in, she whispered, "Your guy's probably just starving for you."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, clueless. "Starving? He ate a ton at lunch—"
"Not for food," Zhu Zhuyun groaned, flicking her forehead. "You've been sharing a bed with me these past few nights, leaving him all alone."
"But it's only been two weeks!"
"I heard that once a guy gets a taste of a woman, he's hooked, always wanting more," Zhu Zhuyun whispered. "He said he's burning up, and there's probably some truth to it. All that heat's got nowhere to go."
"So…" Zhu Zhuqing hesitated.
"Take care of him," Zhu Zhuyun said with a nudge.
As the words left her mouth, a weird twinge hit her heart, like she was giving away her favorite toy.
But at least it was her sister, not some stranger. She wouldn't let just anyone have what was hers.
"But… it hurts," Zhu Zhuqing mumbled, head down, chest tight, her face flushed all the way to her neck. Talking openly about her and Lu Feng's private moments with her sister made her embarrassment skyrocket.
Her first time had been wild, intense, and way too long, with no experience to guide her.
The memory of that pain still lingered in Zhu Zhuqing's mind, casting a small shadow. She thought being intimate with a man would always feel like that.
She longed to be close with Lu Feng again, but the fear of that pain held her back.
Zhu Zhuyun heard this and rolled her eyes, exasperated. Your pain? Can it even compare to mine?
"Then I can't help you," she said. "But if you don't take care of him, aren't you worried he'll go mess around with some other woman?"
Zhu Zhuqing's striking eyes flashed as she glanced at Lu Feng, quick to defend him. "Lu Feng's not like that. You saw how he turned down those twin sisters downstairs just now."
"True. If it were the Dai brothers, they'd have kept them as pets. But your man actually told them to learn 'useful skills' instead." Zhu Zhuyun conceded, then added gravely, "He won't chase skirts, but skirts will chase him. Given enough time, even the most disciplined man cracks under temptation especially when the pursuer is someone like Hu Lie'na, the Beauty of Spirit Hall. Rumor has it Pope Bibi Dong sent her to Star Luo City specifically for him."
Zhu Zhuqing sighed. "If it's not some… random woman, I suppose it's fine." In her world, powerful men like the Star Luo Emperor or her own father always had multiple wives. She'd never expected to monopolize Lu Feng.
"Fool. We can't let Spirit hall snatch him. This ties into Star Luo's political landscape—ugh, never mind. You wouldn't get it." Zhu Zhuyun flicked her hair. "Luckily, we left before Hu Lie'na arrived. But it's your call how to handle this."
With a final glance at Lu Feng, she sashayed away to change.
Zhu Zhuqing stole a shy glance at Lu Feng, her eyes shimmering with emotion. Her gaze steadied as she made up her mind. Even if it hurt tonight, she'd take care of him.
Though the sisters thought they were speaking privately, every word reached Lu Feng's ears.
Since absorbing his spirit ring, his hearing had sharpened exponentially. But what truly set him apart was his ability to share senses with plants not just visible flora, even airborne pollen and spores became his silent informants.
In this world, past or present, I'm the only one who's awakened the Starry Sky Tree martial soul. This power is mine alone.
A wry smile touched his lips. So that's the issue…
He'd assumed Zhu Zhuqing's wildness came from desire, but that wasn't the full story.
It was her first time, and the intensity had been too much for her body, especially paired with his own unrestrained passion.
She'd toughed it out without a word, but it left a lingering fear in her heart, making her reluctant to be intimate again.
That was the real reason she'd been dodging sharing a bed with him these past few days.
He'd been careless back then.
Now that he understood the root cause, fixing it would be simple.
Next time, he'd be as gentle as possible, tending to her with care and tuning into her feelings every step of the way. If she wasn't ready, he wouldn't push her. He'd take his time to ease her heart open.
Since she'd given herself to him, he was determined to cherish her for life.
Thankfully, he'd overheard their whispers—otherwise, he might've never figured out what was going on in her head.
A strong, stubborn girl like her could really tug at the heartstrings.
With that thought, Lu Feng's burning desire cooled, and he headed off to take a shower.
After the three of them rested in the room for a bit, night fell, and it was time for dinner.
Manager Wang and his staff had been waiting at the landing for hours, all smiles as they ushered them toward the dining hall.
Considering the 'private matters' the esteemed elder might've been occupied with earlier, none dared disturb him by knocking.
Normally, the Rose Hotel only served breakfast but rules didn't apply to a Merchant Alliance elder. Every elder held shares in Alliance businesses, making them de facto owners.
For this occasion, they'd recruited Suotuo's finest chefs. The table groaned under exquisite dishes, each plated with precision.
Had they known they were hosting the Alliance Master himself, the extravagance would've multiplied tenfold, with branch leaders from neighboring cities rushing to pay respects.
Lu Feng had modeled the Merchant Alliance after modern corporations, emphasizing free employment.
Yet in this world, hierarchical loyalty ran deep many viewed service as a lifelong vow, especially under a leader who rewarded competence unprecedentedly.
For commoner soul masters and non-combatants alike, the Alliance was a ladder to heights once unthinkable.
Candlelight flickered.
Fresh roses perfumed the air.
Polished silverware gleamed.
The atmosphere was elegant, warm, and undeniably romantic.
Compared to Star Luo Empire's practical simplicity, the Tian Dou nobility adored luxury and refinement, a preference Lu Feng had tailored the Merchant Alliance's services to accommodate.
Yet even Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun, raised in austerity, couldn't resist the allure of such beauty. Their eyes sparkled as they took in the delicate silverware, the flickering candles, the roses in full bloom. For once, they let themselves indulge, their appetites matching their delight.
Lu Feng, watching their rare smiles, made it his mission to keep the mood light. He teased them with playful banter, coaxing out laughter that rang like wind chimes through the dining hall.
Outside the window, Doudou paused mid-flight, her wings beating softly as she peered in.
Assigned by Steward Ao to check if the elder needed anything, she couldn't help but linger.
"So this is the young elder… Even more handsome than Manager Wang described."
Her gaze drifted to the trio inside their easy camaraderie, the way the candlelight caught in Zhu Zhuqing's hair as she laughed, the teasing smirk Zhu Zhuyun aimed at Lu Feng.
"They look so happy together, so in sync. A guy with two women… something sweet and steamy's bound to happen tonight. But no way I'm sneaking a peek."
Her cheeks flushed pink as the thought crossed her mind.