The woods were quiet, save for the chirping of insects.
The mist that had shrouded the island had long since dispersed, and sunlight dappled through the leaves, casting golden specks.
Nangong Manyin bit her lower lip, her delicate face a picture of vibrant youth.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she unbuttoned her shirt, betraying her extreme nervousness.
She shed the man's jacket, revealing a fitted undershirt.
There was no swimsuit, as none had been prepared; Nangong Manyin had never imagined she would lose.
However, for a young woman who was exceptionally conservative, habitually wore men's clothing, and never exposed her calves, this was already her absolute limit.
Ji Hanhan, with gentlemanly grace, covered his eyes. Yet, his fingers seemed to have a mind of their own, leaving a rather wide gap.
"When you wore men's clothes, you were so understated. I never expected you to have such a fantastic figure."
Ji Mo praised her sincerely, then his pupils contracted involuntarily, his gaze brightening.
Nangong Manyin unbound her hair, and her long, straight black tresses cascaded down like a waterfall, instantly exuding femininity.
Beneath the snug undershirt, her nearly perfect figure was laid bare.
Sloping shoulders, a slender waist, skin like cream, limbs like jade, her curves were alluring and her form was tall and graceful.
Her face was like congealed fat, her eyes like luminous pearls, her long lashes fluttered, and her pretty cheeks were flushed red to the roots of her ears.
The sunlight fell upon her fair skin, casting a faint rosy glow.
Stripped of the disguise of men's clothing, Nangong Manyin seemed transformed into another person, radiating a myriad of charms.
She began to dance.
Her slender waist swayed, her fair wrists flicked lightly, and her supple form moved with the agility of a snake.
Nangong Manyin's dancing skills were indeed superb. Her movements were natural and fluid, sometimes graceful like clouds, sometimes spinning and leaping, sometimes splitting and lifting her legs. Her dance was elegant, soft, and exquisitely beautiful.
After watching for a while, Ji Mo could no longer restrain himself. He stepped forward and reached out his clumsy hand.
Nangong Manyin was instantly flustered.
She was dancing with all her heart and soul, giving her best performance, yet the thing she feared most had still happened.
This damned scumbag was truly indecent, reaching out his wicked, grasping hand towards her.
Nangong Manyin's body stiffened, and she had no chance to dodge. Her calf was already caught.
Should she struggle desperately, resist with all her might, or cry out loudly?
A myriad of thoughts raced through her mind. She was determined to protect her purity at all costs and would never let this beast succeed.
"Tighten your legs, suck in your abdomen, and lift your hips..."
Ji Mo spoke, pointing out her mistakes.
He wasn't taking advantage of her; he was kindly offering guidance on Nangong Manyin's flaws.
"Ah?"
Nangong Manyin was stunned.
"Your posture is wrong. It should be like this..."
Ji Mo corrected her errors with a serious expression, frankly stating that both her breath control and coordinated force were problematic, making Nangong Manyin seem utterly inadequate.
At this moment, ten thousand alpacas stampeded through Nangong Manyin's mind.
What did you mean by this?
Are you sick?
I've dressed like this to dance for you, and you're telling me my posture is wrong?
Are you even a man?
She felt utterly offended. Didn't her slender waist and long legs look good? Why were you nitpicking?
"Hmph, you're nothing."
Nangong Manyin looked at Ji Mo, whose gaze was clear, and her anger flared.
She stopped dancing, quickly put her clothes back on, and left in a huff.
Ji Mo scratched his head, feeling bewildered.
Honestly, he had offered his advice in good faith. Why couldn't she distinguish between good and bad?
If Nangong Manyin had humbly accepted his guidance, he believed her dancing skills would have taken a qualitative leap.
"Women are truly unreasonable."
Ji Mo also left.
Nangong Chou was still beating Ao Cheng, but his expression was extremely unpleasant.
What kind of lewd words was this guy spouting? Was he looking for death?
The harder he hit, the more Ao Cheng seemed to enjoy it, rather than feel pain.
Nangong Manyin returned, filled with anger, and immediately took it out on Ao Cheng, kicking him viciously in the head.
This time, Ao Cheng finally cried out in pain.
"Sis, why are you done with Brother Mo so quickly?"
Nangong Chou knew Nangong Manyin had gone to fulfill the bet, but he didn't understand why it was over so soon.
It didn't even seem like enough time for one dance. Did Brother Mo dislike her for not wearing a swimsuit, or was it for some other reason?
"You man-hating hag, your pretty boy is useless, so why are you taking it out on me?"
Ao Cheng had personally seen Ji Mo and Nangong Manyin disappear into the small grove, and he was convinced they must have been up to no good.
Now that Nangong Manyin was so furious, it must be because Ji Mo was incapable.
That made sense; they had returned so quickly. That pretty boy named Ji must be too inadequate.
"Who's useless?"
Ji Mo had also returned and vaguely heard Ao Cheng badmouthing him.
Me, a man who can urinate three feet against the wind, useless?
I'll beat you to death, you masochist.
"Brother Mo, don't be angry. Ten men are nine weak. Eat more kidneys in the future, drink ginseng and goji berry tea often, and recuperate slowly. It will improve."
Nangong Chou stepped forward to comfort Ji Mo solicitously.
He believed that since Ji Mo wasn't even interested in watching Nangong Manyin dance and had finished so quickly, there must be some physical problem.
Ji Mo's head was full of black lines; he wanted to slap Nangong Chou to death.
Talking nonsense, where was he weak?
Seeing Ji Mo's embarrassed expression, Bonu covered her mouth and giggled.
Ao Cheng, seeing his beloved girl interacting intimately with Ji Mo, was burning with rage, wishing he could devour this pretty boy alive.
Ji Mo saw this, and an idea struck him. He immediately put his arm around Nangong Chou's waist and deliberately said, "Whether I'm useless or not, you'll know if you try. Come on, let's go to the woods."
Nangong Manyin cast him a strange glance, then suddenly understood. No wonder this scumbag wasn't interested in her; he was into this kind of thing?
Ao Cheng's eyes instantly spewed fire, and he roared, "Bastard, let go of that girl, take your dirty hands off her."
"Ao Cheng, are you willing to submit to Bonu? If you remain stubborn, I'll go to the small grove and deal with you when I get back."
As he spoke, Ji Mo pretended to drag the bewildered Nangong Chou towards the nearby woods.
Ao Cheng's eyes were bloodshot and bulging with rage. Any man understood what going to the small grove meant. If his precious girl went with this bastard, she would surely be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, eaten down to the last shred.
The thought of his beloved girl being violated by this shameless, disgusting pretty boy made Ao Cheng's heart shatter.
"Let her go, and promise you'll never touch her again, and I'll agree."
Ao Cheng gritted his teeth, forced to submit.
No matter what, he couldn't bear to see Nangong Chou toyed with by Ji Mo.
"No problem, I promise not to touch even a single hair on him."
Ji Mo's plan had succeeded, and he quickly let go.
He wasn't gay, so he naturally had no interest in Nangong Chou.
However, he was also greatly surprised. He hadn't expected Nangong Chou to be so charming that Ao Cheng would submit so easily.
Indeed, cross-dressing experts were formidable!
Ao Cheng knelt before Bonu and swore a heavenly oath, choosing to submit to Bonu.
Of course, this was just a temporary measure. He already had a plan and was confident he could eliminate Ji Mo. Then, taking control of Bonu would be a simple matter.