The Goddess of Wu Mountain fell into a daze. Hm, what was I doing earlier?
Something felt amiss, but her mind refused to process what was going on. It was as if the logical part of her brain had shut down, rendering her incapable of recognizing the bizarre situation she was in.
Her attention was quickly drawn to the scene before her. She was in a huge room, seemingly a palace. It looked simplistic and humble, a far stretch from the glorious celestial palaces and her cavern on Wu Mountain. She vaguely heard the maids outside addressing someone as king.
Judging from the surrounding ki, this seems to be a human country’s palace?
She thought that it was a decent palace by human standards, especially since her impression of humanity was still one of primitive tribes.
She was sitting on a huge bed. It was so soft that it made her heartbeat hasten. The bed was covered in celebratory red drapes, and the word ‘囍 (Bliss in Marriage)’ was plastered everywhere. All this left her wondering: When did I get married?
If her groom wasn’t Zu An, she would have immediately grown vigilant, but somehow, everything seemed to make sense when she looked at his familiar face and faint smile. I actually married him! And it looks like we’re on the consummation stage of our marriage.
“How beautiful.” Under the illumination of the flickering candlelight, Zu An examined her up close. Wonderment was reflected in his eyes.
The Goddess of Wu Mountain shyly averted her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. Despite the lack of a mirror in the room, she knew that her face had to be bright red. Even though she could sense the admiration in his eyes all along, it was her first time being directly complimented by him. He has a way with words... Is he not worried about angering the other ladies around him?
She suddenly fell into another daze. What are the names of the ladies around him? Why can’t I remember them? She even became uncertain whether there were other ladies around him or not.
In her daze, she felt hot, soft lips pressing against her cheeks. Zu An had kissed her. What’s he doing? Why is he suddenly so proactive?
Shocked, the demure Goddess of Wu Mountain instinctively tried to push him away. However, his hands held her body in place like metal bars.
“You...” She was about to say something when Zu An’s face suddenly became magnified in front of her, and before she knew it, her lips were sealed.
Her eyes widened as her mind completely went blank. He kissed me? Has he always been this wild...
What further flustered her was that she should have gotten angry, but she felt no anger at all.
She had heard fairies chatting about love before, but the concept of love had always eluded her. It was only at this moment that she realized that their descriptions were apt—she could hear her heart beating loudly.
Zu An’s movements were so skillful that she swooned right away and instinctively closed her eyes. Is my response too promiscuous? Should I push him away lest he think I am a casual woman? But he’s so good at it...
Sensing Zu An going further and further, the Goddess of Wu Mountain’s eyes suddenly shot open. She finally pushed him away and said, “No, we can’t do this anymore.”
Zu An was perplexed. “Why are you so shy when we’re already an old couple? Ah, I get it now. How could I be so dense? What a frisky one you are.”
The Goddess of Wu Mountain was stunned.
Come again, who’s frisky? And what do you mean by old couple?
While she was confused, Zu An wrapped his arm around her waist once more and pushed her down. This familiar yet foreign sensation prompted the Goddess of Wu Mountain to instinctively embrace him.
“AH!”
“It’s getting more and more realistic. Manman, it’s a waste you didn’t pursue an acting career.”
...
Tears brimmed in the Goddess of Wu Mountain’s eyes as she lay in a daze. Why was I so proactive earlier? How could I have given my body to him just like that? But our movements were so smooth that it really felt like we were an old couple.
...
Many doubts surfaced in her mind, but it was quickly interrupted by another dominant thought. I didn’t know this could feel so... No no no, I shouldn’t think about it now!
...
Before her mind shut down, she suddenly became cognizant of a crucial detail. Wait, why did he call me Manman?
She looked at the copper mirror by the side. It was indeed her, but her reddened face and moist eyes looked feminine and seductive. It was unlike her usual cold demeanor.
She belatedly remembered how Zu An had excitedly called her Manman on their first meeting and embraced her. He has a lover who looks exactly like me. This must be his marriage night with that Miss Manman, and they are the king and queen of some human country.
She shyly pushed Zu An away. “I’m not your Manman!”
Looking at Zu An’s shocked eyes, the scenery before her shattered to reveal a pitch-black fog suffused with eerie demonic ki. She finally remembered what she'd been doing earlier. The many souls inside the Myriad Souls Banner must have shaken my mind and stirred up hidden desires that even I was unaware about.
But why did I see such an embarrassing illusion?
Thinking back to the moment their bodies and souls became one, the Goddess of Wu Mountain’s face turned scarlet. It had felt so realistic that it made her wonder if it was truly just an illusion.
Just then, Zu An suddenly reappeared beside her. She shouted in a mix of frustration and embarrassment, “I won’t let you bully me anymore!”
She warned herself that it was only an illusion, and she was even ready to shatter this embarrassing illusion once more.
Zu An awkwardly dodged her attack as he asked, “What’s wrong, goddess?”
The Goddess of Wu Mountain was startled. Ah, it’s the real Zu An. Her face reddened. “It’s nothing. I was in an illusion earlier, but I have woken up now.”
Zu An was perplexed. What does she mean by bullying?
“Did you and Miss Manman reside in a palace, where you're the king and she’s the queen?” Something prompted the Goddess of Wu Mountain to ask this question which, even she found hilarious. How could he know what happened in my illusion?
Zu An was taken aback. “How did you know?”
He and Manman had spent decades as a couple in Yinxu. The time they'd spent together was so beautiful that he nearly couldn’t extricate himself from it.
The Goddess of Wu Mountain’s face reddened. Hold on, was that not my hallucination?
But Zu An wasn’t in any state of mind to probe deeper. He flashed away after confirming her safety, saying, “Take care! I’ll check on Xihe.”