Chapter 72: The Kiss
Chapter 72: The Kiss
Nothing could have prepared Xiang Ling for the kiss that came out of the blue. Zhe Yuan’s lips met hers with a softness that belied the suddenness of the action, and for a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still. She felt her senses igniting as the kiss enveloped her, sending shivers down her spine.
She was frozen in place, her mind unable to process the sensation that swept over her. His mouth on hers felt foreign yet not wrong, igniting a fire within her that she had never known before. His lips were warm against hers, his breath mingling with hers in the charged atmosphere.
As the kiss lingered, Zhe Yuan pulled back ever so slightly, his gaze intense as he searched her eyes for a response. In that moment, Xiang Ling felt as though she could drown in the depths of his purple eyes, lost in a world that was entirely their own.
But before she could gather her thoughts, he drew her back in, his lips claiming hers once more. This time, the kiss was different—stronger, deeper, as though each brush of their lips conveyed an unspoken promise of something more.
She was unable to decide what to do. So, she remained still and let him take the charge. A part of her brain was aware of the other four men who were also present there to witness the scene but she was too overpowered by the kiss to worry about anything else.
It felt like an eternity had passed before Zhe Yuan finally ended the kiss and pulled away. His eyes were burning with an intensity that made something flutter deep within Xiang Ling. She was unable to look away until she heard someone clearing their throat and reality came crashing over her.
Her shocked gaze shifted toward the others and she felt her heartbeats picking up their speed. Crimson color decorated her cheeks as she realized what had just happened. Her frantic gaze shifted toward Zhe Yuan and she found the man back to his usual calm and fun self. While staring into her eyes, he folded one of his fingers, reminding Xiang Ling of the words he spoke before kissing her.
"Well... who’s going to-"
"It’s getting late. I should get some sleep now." Xiang Ling hurriedly spoke before they could propose to continue with the game. She had enough surprises and embarrassment for one night.
Without waiting for their response, she stood up from her seat and took a couple of steps in the direction of her chamber before coming to a stop. To the men’s surprise, she walked back to the table and grabbed the half-empty jar of wine.
Her eyes wandered over to the wine jars that were sitting in one corner of the table. She grabbed two more of them and without a single word, left. The men stared at her departing back in shock until she disappeared inside her bedchamber.
* * *
The jar of wine rolled across the floor and joined the other two empty ones that had been long discarded.
"All the wine is gone." Xiang Ling let out a sigh of unhappiness as she stared at the empty jars. Even after finishing all three jars, she was still craving the wine. Unfortunately, there was no more left and she had no idea where it came from.
As she thought about the source of the wine, her gaze shifted toward the big white wolf who was sitting on her bed while gazing in her direction. Standing up from where she was sprawled on the floor, she headed toward the bed and took a seat next to the wolf.
"You..." She began while pointing at the wolf. "... tell me where you get this wine from."
The wolf lifted its head and turned its eyes toward her. The very next moment, much to Xiang Ling’s surprise, it opened its mouth and replied, "You didn’t win the game. So, I can’t tell you the source of this wine."
Instead of getting angry for not getting the answer she wanted, Xiang Ling was more surprised to see the wolf speaking. "So, you can speak in your wolf form as well. At what level of cultivation are you to be able to speak while in your spirit form?" She found herself fascinated by the wolf, or it was probably the alcohol that was getting the best out of her.
The wolf didn’t bother to answer her question and returned to rest as it had been doing for the past hour.
"Hey! Remind me again, what are you doing here in my room?" She asked while poking her index finger into its back. Its fur was soft to the touch and she failed to hold herself back. Before she knew it, her fingers were running through its fur.
"How soft." She whispered and trailed her fingers to scratch its neck. The moment her fingers passed through the underside of one of its ears, the wolf let out a small sound as if it was enjoying the attention. Giggling at its reaction, Xiang Ling continued to scratch its ears and throat.
Feeling tired and drowsy, she laid down next to the wolf. "Let me close my eyes for a moment..." She whispered the words as she closed her eyes and it didn’t even take a moment before she lost herself to the darkness that was awaiting her.
The wolf watched her sleep for a few long moments before it shifted to the human form. A bright silvery light shone through the room and the very next second, a very naked Li Dao Ming was standing next to the bed.
With a single click of his fingers, pants covered his lower body but he didn’t bother to hide his upper body that had muscles in all the right places.
He covered Xiang Ling with the blanket before he blew out the candles and the lanterns with a flick of his wrist. For a moment, it seemed like he would leave the room but then he climbed on the bed and slipped under the covers next to a fast asleep Xiang Ling.