Maybe a Cute Girl is Better Than a Man After All
How much time had passed?
By the time the hazy morning light began to seep through the paper windowpane, I opened my eyes with a dazed mind.
"Mmm..."
On one side of the bed, Soso, who had been sitting cross-legged all night, stretched and opened her eyes.
Unlike the day before, her face was remarkably clear and brimming with vitality.
"Whoa... Sister! This is seriously amazing! My body feels so much lighter and more refreshed than if I had just slept normally!"
Soso bounced around in excitement, but then she tilted her head in confusion when she noticed me leaning against the edge of the bed, looking half-dead.
"Huh? Sister, what's wrong? Your face... you look completely drained."
My condition was the exact opposite of her morning-sunshine radiance.
A heavy fatigue weighed down on me, and my legs were still trembling from the multiple intense orgasms I had experienced last night.
Suddenly, a wave of deep emotion welled up in Soso's eyes.
"Ah...! Don't tell me... did you overexert yourself because of me?"
Soso, once again jumping to her own emotional conclusions, clasped her hands tightly together.
"You must have spent so much of your internal energy yesterday to clear my blocked Qi passages! And on top of that, you didn't sleep a wink and stayed up all night guarding me...! *Sniff*, Sister...!"
Soso grabbed my hands, fat tears streaming down her face.
"How can I ever repay this profound debt...! I'm seriously so moved!"
Watching her rub her face against my hands and sob, I couldn't bring myself to reveal the filthy truth—that I had stayed up all night squirting repeatedly in the hallway.
Forcing a dignified expression, I offered an awkward smile and patted her head.
"Ahem! Yes. Well, I did push myself a bit too hard with my true Qi. But as long as you safely attained your breakthrough, that's all that matters. Don't take it to heart."
"Sister...! *Wah*, I'll seriously serve you for the rest of my life!"
As Soso hugged my waist tightly and rubbed against me, I cleared my throat and looked out the window.
The sun was already climbing high into the sky.
Sigh. Anyway... I wonder what happened to that bastard Seomun Jin and those women.
As I recalled yesterday's mating scene—where they thrashed around like beasts on the bed, painting the entire room with thick, white fluids—a sharp, tingling sensation shot through my lower abdomen once again.
Since they had turned their room into such a depraved, chaotic mess, all three of them were bound to be passed out with their bones turned to jelly by now.
At this rate, will we even be able to set off for Kaifeng today?
Just as I swallowed a sigh that threatened to escape my lips—
Knock, knock.
"Benefactor, are you awake?"
At the sound of the voice from outside the door, I startled so badly I almost tumbled off the bed.
Se... Seomun Jin?!
After pumping his hips and spilling his seed like a wild beast all night, he came to greet me in the morning with such a perfectly normal voice?
Dumbfounded by Seomun Jin's miraculous—no, downright terrifying—stamina below the belt, I stared blankly at the door.
When I opened the door and stepped out with Soso, the sight of Seomun Jin standing in the hallway completely shattered my common sense.
"Good morning, Sect Leader."
Far from stumbling on jelly legs, Seomun Jin's skin looked even fairer and smoother than it had yesterday.
His eyes glistened with moisture, and a strange, seductive allure practically oozed from his delicate, sorrowful beauty.
What the hell? Did he practice some kind of Yin-absorbing, Yang-replenishing art last night?!
To think he could pour out his semen like water all night long and still look this lively without a single trace of fatigue.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and cleared my throat.
"...Let's eat first."
When we went down to the first-floor dining area, Chaeryeong and Soyun were already there waiting for us.
"Ah, Young Master, you're here?"
"Please sit here, Young Master."
The faces of Chaeryeong and Soyun as they welcomed Seomun Jin were flushed with a luscious, healthy glow.
Their cheeks were stained a peach-like pink, their eyes shone with a glossy sheen, and a subtle sensuality radiated from their entire bodies.
Perhaps because they had been filled to the brim with Seomun Jin's semen last night, their bearing was far more voluptuous and sultry than before.
...Is there some secret manual in the Jianghu I don't know about? A three-person Dual Cultivation technique where you build internal energy by mating all night?
I swallowed an absurd laugh.
As Seomun Jin approached the table, Chaeryeong and Soyun clung to his arms from both sides as if they had been waiting, blatantly rubbing their voluptuous breasts against him.
"Young Master, did you sleep well last night?"
"Please eat first. I'll serve you."
Seomun Jin blushed slightly and glanced around at his surroundings.
"Ah, ladies... there are many eyes watching..."
Just as he cast a troubled glance at me, Soso, who was busy munching on a dumpling, widened her eyes and chimed in.
"Ah! You three weren't like this yesterday! When did you get so close overnight? You're sticking together just like a married couple!"
"Pfft!"
I almost spat out the tea in my mouth.
Seomun Jin's face turned so red it looked ready to burst from embarrassment, and Chaeryeong and Soyun also flinched, quickly letting go of his arms.
However, they couldn't hide the suggestive smiles spreading across their faces.
"Ahem, ahem! I-It is not like that... We simply grew closer after surviving such hardships together."
Seomun Jin offered a ridiculous excuse as he hurriedly picked up his chopsticks.
I let out a smirk at his shameless excuse and shook my head.
"Well, fine. I'm glad to see everyone has recovered so well. We will set off for Kaifeng as soon as we finish eating. Since it seems everyone has plenty of stamina to spare."
At my pointed joke, Seomun Jin's group blushed and quietly buried their faces in their noodle bowls.
Leaving our night at the inn behind, we hit the road toward Kaifeng once more.
Although too many exhausting things had happened overnight, my goal remained simple.
Safely escorting this group to the Seomun Clan's branch in Kaifeng, and then cutting ties at a reasonable point.
Although Seomun Jin had practically begged me to visit the Hebei Seomun Family, I had never given him a definitive promise.
Well, if I ever run tight on cash in the future, I can always pay them a visit then.
After all, there was nothing more reassuring in this world than free connections.
With my plans slightly adjusted in my head, we continued down the official road, pulling the cart at a snail's pace.
"Sigh... Why is it so damn hard just to go see a big city?"
When I let out a genuine sigh, Soso, who was walking ahead holding the cart's reins, turned around with sparkling eyes as if she had been waiting for this exact moment.
She puffed out her chest and looked back at me triumphantly.
"That's because you're still a total newbie to the Jianghu, Sister! When we get to Kaifeng, you're going to be absolutely shocked. There are so many people, so many goods, and the streets are incredibly wide! Your eyes will spin, I tell you!"
I stared at her smug face for a moment, then silently flicked my finger.
Flick!
"Ouch!"
"What are you so proud of that you're puffing your chest out like that?"
"But it's true! I was actually born in Kaifeng. Since I was a kid, there isn't a single back alley or marketplace I haven't wandered through!"
Soso rubbed her forehead, looking deeply wronged. I snorted and looked away.
How grand could a big city even be? It's not like it can compare to a modern forest of skyscrapers.
Of course, that was strictly by the standards of my past life.
Still, seeing Soso act all smug as if I were some country bumpkin was mildly irritating.
"Sure, sure. All hail the Kaifeng native."
Despite my half-hearted response, Soso grinned happily to herself.
"Hmph, I'm serious! Do you have any idea how delicious the noodle shop near the South Gate of Kaifeng is? No, of course you don't. And once we enter the market, your mind will be blown. They have everything from silk and accessories to all kinds of snacks."
Her expression as she chattered away without a pause was so vivid that it felt as though the bustling streets of Kaifeng were already unfolding inside her head.
On the other hand, Seomun Jin's eyes lit up at the phrase "newbie to the Jianghu," as if he had discovered some intriguing clue.
"Lady Yeonhwa."
Seomun Jin approached my side and spoke with a gentle smile.
"By any chance... has it not been long since you entered the Central Plains?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I simply thought that if you are traveling for the first time, many things might feel unfamiliar. If you do not mind, I would be honored to guide you, even if only a little."
Before I could even answer, Soso chimed in once again.
"Our sister spent all her time training in the Divine Maiden Sect and only just stepped out into the Central Plains properly for the first time!"
"Soso."
"Ah, what? It's not like I'm lying."
Seomun Jin let out a soft chuckle and turned to look at me with an even gentler expression.
"So you have rarely had the chance to explore the Central Plains in earnest?"
"Well, there were just various circumstances."
I tried to brush it off vaguely, but Seomun Jin didn't back down and naturally kept the conversation going.
"If it is not too rude... may I ask which prestigious family's daughter you are?"
"And why do you want to know that?"
"Someone as outstanding as Lady Yeonhwa must surely have been raised preciously in a renowned family. I simply found myself curious."
It sounded polite enough, but his intentions were transparent.
He was subtly probing into my background and family to close the distance between us.
Well, it wasn't like I couldn't understand where he was coming from.
I was the savior who had rescued him, I possessed powerful martial arts, and I was beautiful.
On top of that, I held the title of the Sect Leader of the Divine Maiden Sect. It was only natural for this silver-spoon kid to show interest.
The problem was that, from my perspective, this wasn't welcome at all.
Just because I had turned into a woman didn't mean my mind had instantly changed along with it.
The sensibilities of living as a man were still vividly engraved inside me.
It wasn't that I had absolutely no lingering attachment to a male body, and of course, I did have a strange curiosity about having sex with a man.
But when it came to actually accepting it as something that would happen to me, an inexplicable sense of distance and dread washed over me first.
Setting aside all those complicated emotions, one thing was absolutely clear right now.
I can't bring myself to like men yet.
No matter how pretty Seomun Jin looked, that was that, and this was this.
As I was now, the mere thought of getting intimately involved with him felt incredibly burdensome.
Honestly, I'd rather date Soso than date that guy.
As that thought suddenly crossed my mind, I shifted my gaze toward Soso, who was bustling along ahead of us while pulling the cart.
And then, I paused.
...Huh?
Looking at her under the bright sunlight, Soso was actually way cuter than I had realized.
Her petite yet sturdy frame, her swaying hair, her alert, animal-like expressions, and even her lips that never stopped chattering—it all strangely drew my eye.
I had only ever thought of her as a talkative, trouble-making, annoying brat, but looking at her closely now, she felt different.
She was highly sociable and incredibly expressive, possessing a knack for subtly disarming people.
Wait. If I were still a man... I might have actually fallen for someone like Soso.
I felt a strange jolt of shock.
Perhaps because I had grown too accustomed to my own beauty lately, my ability to appreciate the charm of other women had grown dull.
But looking at Soso again, she was actually quite dangerous.
She was the type who kept drawing your gaze, the type who made you smile along without even realizing it.
This kid is actually pretty great.
As I stared at her with a meaningful look, Soso felt my gaze and whipped her head around.
"Sister! What is it? Did I do something wrong again?"
"...No."
"Really? You have that look you get right before you scold me."
"You must have a guilty conscience about a lot of things."
"Aw, there you go again."
Her pouting, grumbling expression looked somehow adorable, making me chuckle despite myself.
Seizing the moment, Seomun Jin carefully spoke up again.
"Did I ask too rude of a question?"
"A little."
When I cut him off flatly, Seomun Jin flinched for a moment.
"I believe we've already introduced ourselves."
"...My apologies. I was careless."
"As long as you understand."
Although the conversation had ended, the light in Seomun Jin's eyes hadn't died out at all. If anything, he seemed to be calculating his next move to slowly close the gap.
Tsk. That is not the face of someone who has given up.
I let out a quiet sigh.
Ever since last night, this guy had definitely changed. But what was truly messing with my head right now wasn't his lingering, sticky gaze.
"Sister! Why do you keep looking at me? You're acting really weird!"
Soso narrowed her eyes suspiciously. I cleared my throat for no reason.
"It's nothing. Just... I was thinking that you're actually quite cute."
"...Huh?"
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Well, of course I'm surprised when those words are coming out of your mouth, Sister!"
Soso's jaw dropped, but soon the tips of her ears flushed red, and she self-consciously brushed her hair back.
"Hehe... Well, to be honest, I've always been a bit cute."
"Give you an inch of praise and you take a mile."
Watching Soso huff while her lips twitched upward in a grin, I burst into laughter once more.
Once we arrived in Kaifeng, this sticky, exhausting connection with Seomun Jin would finally be put to rest.
