You Su noticed her actions and quickly suppressed his laughter, calling out:

"Junior sister, don’t panic! They’re not real people! Everyone stop!"

The two women listened to You Su and instantly paused in their movements, their hands outstretched, frozen mid-action.

This behavior was indeed unusual, and Ji Lingruo forced herself to suppress her anger:

"Explain clearly! If they’re not real people, could they be monsters?!"

You Su, both amused and exasperated, explained:

"These are paper ladies, not real people. This was a gift from the Second Elder of the Profound Sky Sect. The Second Elder is a master of talisman crafting and gifted me a stack of Lady Talismans. Each one can summon a paper lady to complete a task for me."

"If they’re paper figures, why don’t they dissolve in water?!"

Ji Lingruo continued her questioning. Though she hadn’t heard of Lady Talismans, she was familiar with the concept of summoning items with talismans.

"The Second Elder is a notable figure, a leading expert in talismans across the Five Continents. It’s quite reasonable his Lady Talismans would have a waterproof feature..."

"If they’re paper ladies, why are their clothes so indecent?! And waterproof! What exactly are these ladies serving?!"

Ji Lingruo could hardly believe this was crafted by the Second Elder, who was second only to the Sect Leader and the Head Elder in the Profound Sky Sect.

Is this really a proper talisman?!

Even You Su felt uneasy. When he first received the Lady Talismans, he questioned whether anyone would use them for something indecent.

"They can do chores like laundry, cleaning, serving tea. What else would they do?" You Su feigned ignorance, "Besides, it’s my first time using them. After a tiring day, I thought I’d summon a couple for a massage to relax. If the massage wasn’t comfortable, they dissolve into paper again, so they won’t appear!"

You Su waved his hand at the two still ladies, and with a righteous tone, ordered them.

The two females truly underwent a change, gradually flattening until from the side they appeared only a line thick, then folded themselves, turning into neatly folded paper lying on the ground.

"That Second Elder can make such talismans and boldly gift them to juniors; surely, he isn’t a lecherous old man, right?"

"Junior Sister! Mind your words!"

You Su quickly interrupted, discussing a powerful figure behind their back wasn’t wise.

Ji Lingruo was shocked too, covering her mouth, muttering a couple of times, before asking:

"Was this really your first time using them?"

Ji Lingruo squinted her eyes, full of disbelief.

"Please believe me, Junior Sister, as a blind man, how could I have any thoughts about paper figures?"

"Hmph! Who knows what quirks you have? Later, bring all Lady Talismans to my room; I’ll confiscate them all to prevent you from hoarding them! When you don’t want to do chores, come ask me for them."

Ji Lingruo stood with her hands on her hips, looking still a bit upset.

"I was just planning on that, Junior Sister. You know me, I’ve been used to simplicity since childhood, really not accustomed to being served." You Su chuckled, wishing for this ordeal to pass quietly.

"Simplicity? But why is it that after two months apart, Senior Brother seems to have learned to enjoy yourself? Since when do you need someone to massage and serve you while bathing?"

You Su blushed, it was a habit formed at the Jade Ring Pool, feeling something missing without a soak or a massage during bathing. However, he certainly couldn’t admit this to his junior sister:

"Oh, you know, just for novelty... But how did you know I had paper figures serving me while bathing? Did I leave my window open? That shouldn’t be..."

Upon hearing this, Ji Lingruo blushed too, her pretty face flushing as she nervously tugged at her clothes, thinking of how to respond without revealing she had peeked through a hole.

"You were shouting so loudly during the massage earlier; who outside wouldn’t hear? I thought you’d brought in two courtesans for fun, with those soulful cries."

Ji Lingruo gave a charming roll of her eyes.

Listening to Ji Lingruo’s assumptions, You Su was instantly enraged, standing straight in the bath and asserting:

"Why would you think such of me, Junior Sister? I pride myself on being upright and virtuous!"

Saying this, he spread his arms as if to show just how clean he was.

Ji Lingruo’s gaze lingered on You Su’s sturdy body, suddenly spotting the faint shape of a dragon in the steam, startling her. She quickly covered her eyes with slightly parted fingers and exclaimed:

"Ah! What are you doing?!"

"Why isn’t the brother wearing clothes?"

A pure voice suddenly chimed in, startling both You Su and Ji Lingruo.

"Kids shouldn’t look!"

Ji Lingruo hurriedly tried to cover Fairy Wangshu’s eyes.

Neither expected their senior sister to arrive so swiftly and silently, catching them both off guard.

You Su quickly took on the role of a martial arts master, covering himself thoroughly.

Fairy Wangshu looked confused; she was much taller than Ji Lingruo, who couldn’t fully cover her eyes alone.

Wangshu tilted her head left and right, trying to get a better look. Ji Lingruo stood in front of her, turning it into a game of cat and mouse.

The small bathroom turned into hectic mayhem. Thankfully, You Su finally spoke up to put an end to the chaos.

...

The stars and moon hung high, deepening the night.

Ji Lingruo lay on the bed, dressed in a loose robe, her slender and long legs swaying gently, toes delicate, the soft pink of her toes inviting touch and playful exploration.

She sighed softly. Though she had only been at Lotus Peak for a day, so much had happened, even if it wasn’t anything life-threatening.