Chapter 0054: Shen Yuan Trapped in Rippling Dreams, Xie Chengze’s Alluring Charm

Feeling Xie Chengze’s tongue sweep across his skin, Shen Yuan froze instantly. When he regained his senses, he hastily withdrew his hand in a fluster. The lingering dampness on his palm drained all strength from his entire arm, rendering it too heavy to lift.

A flush of shame instantly spread across his cheeks and ears. He scrambled to his feet, stammering an accusation, “Xie Chengze! You—”

Xie Chengze propped his head on one hand, staring at him with a contemptuous and vicious smile. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle being licked? When this prince licks you, it’s an honor! You should kneel and give thanks!”

I just want to disgust you, teach you a lesson, so you won’t be so disrespectful in the future!

Shen Yuan, both embarrassed and furious, hid his arm behind his back, avoiding eye contact. His tone carried an indescribable fluster. “Since Your Highness is willing to submit the formula, then your subject has nothing more to say. It’s getting late, please dine and rest early.”

With that, he rushed out the door in disarray.

The room fell silent for a while before Xie Chengze’s suppressed laughter erupted. He pounded the table, laughing uncontrollably, the corners of his narrow eyes glistening with tears that made his stunning features appear even more captivating and enchanting.

But as his laughter continued, the tears on his face multiplied. He roughly wiped away the tears from his face and the corners of his eyes with his already coarse sleeve, biting his lip as he whispered, “Shen Yuan, you’re not likable at all.”

…

That night, Shen Yuan slept restlessly.

He seemed trapped in a nightmare, surrounded by pitch darkness with no light in sight. Dressed only in the thin white undergarments he wore before bed, he wandered aimlessly through the endless dreamscape.

At one point, his bare feet suddenly stepped into a pool of warm, viscous liquid. Familiar yet strangely heated, it created clearly visible ripples across the surface. The warm liquid began to surge like seawater, gradually submerging his ankles, knees, waist, and even his chest. Unable to stop his footsteps, he felt his body growing heavier, as if about to be swallowed by this boundless warm ocean.

Just as the sweltering swamp was about to reach his neck, a pair of slender, delicate hands suddenly lifted him out. Accompanied by the sound of dripping water, a blinding light flashed before his eyes, forcing them shut.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene had completely transformed. He seemed to be back in his own bedchamber, still wearing the same sleeping garments, yet his body remained paralyzed on the bed. He struggled desperately to rise, but to no avail.

Until a warm, moist softness gently brushed against his palm—a sensation reminiscent of the daytime encounter—his hand finally twitched to life.

Instinctively turning his head, he met a pair of damp phoenix eyes staring back at him. The corners of those narrow eyes were tinged with extensive redness, as if subjected to inhuman torment, appearing both pitiful and alluring.

Their owner wore no undergarments, merely draped loosely in a sheer crimson Shu brocade robe embroidered with gold threads. With a face identical to Xie Chengze’s, their warm tongue slowly licked each of his fingertips.

With every touch, that finger would break free from the dream’s constraints, regaining its ability to move freely.

Seeming to notice the man had awakened, the beautiful young man narrowed his smiling eyes slightly. A voice both pure and bewitchingly seductive reached his ears, like a fox spirit luring souls, “Lord Shen~ You’re awake~”

Shen Yuan’s gaze darkened, his eyes flickering, “Your Highness… why are you here?”

“Lord Shen is ill, how could this prince stand by and do nothing?” The beautiful young man gently lowered his lashes, his pale fingertips dancing like a performer’s as they lightly traced Shen Yuan’s arm. Wherever they passed, a tingling, rippling itch emerged, stirring one’s heart.

Shen Yuan only felt his head growing dizzy again. He couldn’t recall why he had fallen ill, nor whether this was a dream or reality. Meanwhile, the beautiful young man seemed to shift his interest, pressing his palm against the man’s chest and gliding freely along the smooth lines of his muscles, evoking shivers of thrilling numbness.

Finally, those fingertips came to rest on the man’s firm, taut leg. Seeing the man remain completely still, Xie Chengze suddenly furrowed his brows slightly, his expression displeased as he said, “Lord Shen is truly dull, such a disappointment.”

With that, he rose to leave.

A panic surged in Shen Yuan’s heart. Instinctively, he reached out to grab him, to make him stay. It was only then that he realized he could move. He hurriedly got up from the bed and blocked Xie Chengze’s path. Raising his eyes, he met the other’s bright, questioning gaze that seemed to hold some expectation, yet for a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.

The beautiful young man, however, smiled, seemingly quite satisfied with his reaction. He walked back to the bed and half-reclined upon it. The Shu brocade robe draped casually over his frame partially revealed his pale, delicate physique, clearly outlining his slender waist beneath the fabric—utterly bewitching and alluring…

Shen Yuan instinctively averted his gaze, his throat moving slightly, “Your Highness, this is my bed.”

“Under the vast sky, every bed belongs to the royal family…” The slender arm propped up his head lightly as the beautiful young man stared directly at the man. His fair fingertips idly played with the slightly rough, thin quilt beneath him, like a precious kitten placed on coarse burlap by its owner, evoking a sense of wasteful extravagance. “Could it be that this prince is not allowed to sleep in Lord Shen’s bed?”

The enchanting youth in red, now holding a golden-threaded fan that had appeared in his hand at some point, fanned a playful breeze. The motion caused the loosely draped Shu brocade robe to flutter, revealing vast stretches of spring-like beauty. Shen Yuan could no longer restrain himself and stepped forward, intending to adjust the robe of this indulgent, unruly kitten.

Unexpectedly, the young man’s arms seized the chance to hook around his neck, while an inexplicable force from behind shoved him harshly onto the bed. Instinctively, Shen Yuan wrapped his arms around Xie Chengze’s waist and rolled over, shielding him from any harm the force might cause.

The candlelight swayed gently, reversing their positions. On the wall, their shadows overlapped. The beautiful young man now knelt astride him, and as Shen Yuan looked up, he met those dewy, luminous eyes fixed intently on him, as if bearing some great grievance that made one yearn to fulfill his every desire. “Lord Shen, this prince does not like these clothes.”

The beautiful youth pressed his face firmly yet gently against the man’s broad, slender palm, nuzzling into his hand with eyes brimming with rippling affection and provocation. “Use this hand to help this prince undress, won’t you?”

Having never seen Xie Chengze in such an alluring posture, Shen Yuan’s mind went blank as if flooded with blood, momentarily unable to think or move.

Noticing his lack of response, the exquisite youth furrowed his delicate brows slightly and brought his crimson, full lips close to the man’s ear, whispering with orchid-scented breath, “Lord Shen, this is merely a dream. What reservations could you possibly have?”

The word “dream” shattered Shen Yuan’s rationality and defenses completely. As the beautiful youth above him swayed his slender waist, Shen Yuan uncontrollably reached out to tug at the loosely tied sash around his waist. The red robe cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing vast expanses of snow-white skin tinged with sun-kissed pink. The lightest touch elicited involuntary soft moans from the youth—sounds resembling suppressed pain, temptation, and coy resistance.

“My waist hurts, Shen Lang…”

The youth’s complaint came in a voice as soft and delicate as a kitten’s. Shen Yuan’s throat moved slightly, his gaze growing increasingly dark and obscure. Though he knew he shouldn’t continue, his hands refused to cease their motions against his desires. His burning fingertips kneaded the pale, soft skin of the youth’s lower back while the fallen red robe barely concealed the spring scenery within, perpetually luring the man’s gaze and fingers to stray and explore further…

Just as his fingertips were about to reach their destination, a cold, disgusted voice suddenly came from above: “Lord Shen, what do you think you’re doing?”