Ye Chen was in a great mood. Two and a half years of true seclusion without taking a single step outside. Now, seeing Luo Bingling's tiny, powerful waist, his heart stirred, his mouth went dry, and the fire rose within him. So he walked over, gently wrapped his arms around that waist, and lightly twisted the dazzling gem at her navel, smiling as he spoke: "Fairy Luo, two and a half years without seeing you has been pure torture. Please come into my cave abode with me. Let us ease my longing."

Luo Bingling felt the heat of his palm. Her body reacted instantly. After all, two and a half years apart—she missed it too. But everything else could wait. She had waited this long. The stage was finally hers. The chance to reel him in was right in front of her. Seize it and she might even get the Dao Cauldron. So she flicked her violet hair, gently removed Ye Chen's hand with a wistful look, and said:

"I miss you too, Fellow Daoist Ye. But right now, I truly have no heart for such things. When I first met you, you were only First Heaven Mahayana. In the blink of an eye, you've caught up to me—we're both Third Heaven now. My War God Clan really cultivates too slowly. It makes me miserable. I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with you in the future. These past few days, aside from worrying about your seclusion, I've been thinking nonstop about how to increase my cultivation speed. So I really have no mood for anything else. Please forgive me…"

She had rehearsed these lines countless times in her heart. When she spoke them now, they even carried a hint of Yao Yuezhi's flavor.

Ye Chen instantly laughed. Trying to play me now, huh? But the Dao Cauldron? Never happening. On the contrary, if Luo Bingling became his dao companion, sharing it wouldn't be out of the question. Senior An, An Yuyi, and Elder Lin—they had all enjoyed the Dao Cauldron's cultivation boost. But since she refused to crit and refused to become a dao companion, Ye Chen was out of options.

Thinking of Senior An's cool, aloof, yet devastatingly seductive appearance, Ye Chen suddenly found the tiny waist much less fragrant. So he looked at Luo Bingling, nodded seriously, and said: "Indeed, cultivation is the most important thing for us cultivators. In that case, I won't disturb Fairy Luo's serious contemplation. See you later…"

With that, thinking of Senior An's cave abode, he drifted away without looking back.

Luo Bingling, who had prepared an entire tug-of-war performance, watched Ye Chen leave so cleanly. She stood frozen in place, face full of stunned disbelief.

Ye Chen… just left like that?

Luo Bingling watched Ye Chen leave at lightning speed, without the slightest reluctance, without even a backward glance. Her face was instantly filled with stunned disbelief.

What was going on? Hadn't Ye Chen already been desperate to have her? Hadn't she already had him completely under control? So why, after she refused, did he leave without a second thought?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

This…

Mahayana cultivators had powerful divine sense. When she sensed Ye Chen heading straight for An Miaoli's cave abode, her emotions grew even more complicated. Confusion, and a hint of regret. After all, two and a half years apart—though she looked down on humans, her body still missed him.

And now she had practically handed him over to someone else. Had she misjudged the balance? Not giving the final step was one thing, but not even letting him touch her waist—had she made him angry? If Ye Chen was angry, what would he do? Would he stop being obsessed with her? Would he completely give up on her?

The more she thought about it, the more regret filled Luo Bingling.

…

The days that followed only confirmed her fears. After breaking through, Ye Chen was unbelievably busy. He spent a full month (off and on) in the cave abodes of Senior An and her niece.

When he finally emerged, Luo Bingling "happened" to run into him at the door. She planned to lower her stance first, return to their old games, and use the final step to reel him back in. But to her shock, Ye Chen merely smiled and greeted her, then went straight to Elder Lin, who had long been waiting with open arms.

Another full month.

This convinced Luo Bingling: Ye Chen really was angry with her. She finally waited until Ye Chen came out from Elder Lin's place. She was just about to go find him. But when she arrived at his cave abode, it was empty. A quick ask revealed—he had gone to Heavenly Intention Holy Land to see Yi Qingwu.

Luo Bingling's mouth twitched… Thinking of that woman who had splashed her twice now rising above her again, regret consumed her even more. She desperately wanted to return to how things used to be with Ye Chen.

Another month passed, and Ye Chen still hadn't returned. When she asked around, she learned that after leaving Heavenly Intention Holy Land, he had gone to the Sword Sect. Soon after, news came again. After the Sword Sect, he went to the Yao family.

At this point, Luo Bingling completely panicked. Was Ye Chen going to the Central Continent next to find Lan Nuo and Su Yuxuan?

Fortunately, he didn't go to Central Continent. After the Yao family, he finally returned to Heavenly Evolution Holy Land.

Luo Bingling, who had been ignored for half a year, dropped all pretense. She temporarily gave up on "reeling him in." She only wanted to quickly return to how things used to be.

But something even more unacceptable happened. Ye Chen said he needed to organize his cave-heaven and raise his cultivation—so he entered seclusion again. He only came out once a week to guide disciples or elders, bestow a few gifts, then immediately returned to cultivating.

Even when Luo Bingling blocked him several times and even proactively said she was "a little hungry" and "the cherries were ripe," Ye Chen never invited her into his cave abode. He truly acted like a devoted ascetic. He wasn't cold to her.

Every time they met, he still wore a gentle smile. But that smile made Luo Bingling feel the distance between them growing wider and wider. This time, she genuinely regretted it. In the past, Ye Chen would touch her waist, press her head down, but he would also give her pills, Treasure Techniques, and share all kinds of insights…

Now?

He treated her like any ordinary dao friend—polite, yet distant. He didn't even spare her tiny waist a second glance. Once, she deliberately flew in front of him without her golden war boots, and he still didn't look twice.

What on earth was she supposed to do?

Luo Bingling fell into deep distress.

…