Chapter 26: Blushing at the Corners of the Eyes

The dragon tail coiled around her leg, startling Sang Ying. As she watched the tip of the tail continue upward, her skirt rustling chaotically, she panicked and stepped on the dragon tail. “Stop moving around!”

Her ears flushed crimson. “Xie Lingyu, how can you calculate it like that? If it’s a draw, how can both sides win? Why can’t it be considered both sides losing?”

The young man glanced at her. “If Junior Sister wants to calculate it that way, I have no objections.”

Sang Ying was about to breathe a sigh of relief when it occurred to her—what’s the difference between both sides losing and both sides winning? Either way, there would still be punishment.

How wicked! This man is truly sly and cunning!

On the surface, he appears to be a gentleman, but in reality, he’s a big, black-tailed wolf through and through!

The young man’s knuckles brushed against her ankle bone, his tone unusually gentle. “Junior Sister is frail. If the effects of the medicine aren’t neutralized soon, your body won’t be able to endure it. Behave, and I’ll help you.”

Sang Ying’s mind was still hazy. She felt his cool hand and wanted to press closer, but hearing his words stirred a rebellious impulse. She turned her head away.

“Who says you have to be the one to help me? There are so many male cultivators outside. I could just find any one of them… Mmm!”

The dragon tail abruptly pulled her closer, the Golden Chain whipping through the air.

Her words were swallowed as her lips were bitten hard, followed by a fierce, relentless kiss—wild and aggressive.

Her waist was gripped tightly by strong fingers. She tried to struggle, pushing weakly against him with her hands, but he pressed firmly into the hollow of her back.

Instantly, she went limp, losing the strength to resist, leaving only pitiful whimpers.

Sang Ying could clearly sense his anger. Unlike his earlier composed and teasing demeanor, he was genuinely furious now. The air around him grew dark and oppressive once more, and even the way he kissed her carried a ruthless intensity.

She pushed against him. “Xie… Mmm.”

Perhaps annoyed by her resistance, he removed the Golden Ring from the dragon tail, seized both her hands, raised them high, and effortlessly clasped them together.

As his hands released her, Sang Ying struggled desperately but couldn’t break free. The Golden Ring was formed from his Spiritual Power, and with her cultivation base, there was no way she could undo it.

Sang Ying was bewildered, unable to understand.

She had only said one sentence. She hadn’t actually gone to find another male cultivator. Was he really that angry?

Cool fingers brushed against her neck, making Sang Ying tremble. She felt that hand settle on her collar, pushing it aside to rest on the small patch of collarbone.

It was the spot he had kissed yesterday, still marked by a clear, deep red imprint.

His fingers lingered on that red mark for a moment before moving downward to the bite mark.

After a day, the bite mark had faded significantly, leaving only a faint trace.

…This was also left by this wicked dragon!

He showed no remorse for his misdeeds and actually had the nerve to touch the evidence he’d left behind.

Sang Ying, both embarrassed and furious, parted her lips to let him kiss her more deeply. Then, taking advantage of his momentary lack of defense, she bit down hard on the tip of his tongue.

The familiar sweet taste of blood spread across her tongue—the same sweetness from the medicine she usually drank.

The young man merely paused briefly before gripping her waist and kissing her even more fiercely. This sweetness, mingled with the scent of White Sandalwood, completely overwhelmed her.

It was happening again—that feeling.

As if he wanted to devour her.

Sang Ying’s damp eyelashes fluttered incessantly, like the fluttering of butterfly wings, while a blush reminiscent of spring peach blossoms spread to the corners of her eyes.

Under the influence of the medicine, her mind was already muddled. Now, kissed breathless, her thoughts grew even more chaotic, and her consciousness began to slip away.

Until his fingertip touched her lips, picking up a bit of Lotus Dew, Sang Ying suddenly snapped awake.

Sang Ying instinctively wanted to grab his hand to stop him, but both her wrists were locked in place by the Golden Rings, unable to move.

Her gaze shifted, her ears flushed crimson, and she tightly pressed her legs together. “Xie Lingyu! What are you doing?!”

The young man’s expression remained calm; her feeble strength was no match for him.

With a bit of Lotus Dew on his fingertip, he gently traced the soft contours of her lips, parting them slightly to probe inside. “What am I doing? Don’t you understand, shimei?”

Sang Ying let out a soft whimper. The unfamiliar sensation on her lips left her flustered. Her mind screamed that this was wrong, but the drug-clouded part of her consciousness yearned for more of his closeness.

She bit her lip, her eyes misty with unshed tears. “Xie Lingyu…”

Since childhood, Sang Ying had always admired Xie Lingyu’s hands.

Long, slender, fair, with distinct knuckles and broad palms. When she compared hers to his, hers seemed childlike in contrast.

She loved watching him wield his sword the most—each strike precise and fierce, brimming with youthful vigor.

But she had never imagined these hands could be like this, effortlessly cupping the peony-like softness in his palm.

The calluses from years of sword practice brushed against her little fox tail, rubbing the tip until it flushed red, trembling pitifully.

He leisurely kissed her reddened eyelids, then pressed his two long fingers deeper into the softness. Feeling her breath hitch, he kissed her lips again.

The tip of his dragon tail lifted her small face, and his voice was light and unhurried. “Shimei, do you think my kisses feel good?”

Sang Ying was already completely dazed by the kisses. “Mhm.”

The young man pressed on, “Did his kisses feel better than mine?”

Sang Ying didn’t even think, only murmuring vaguely in response. “Mhm.”

As soon as the words left her lips, the air, which had just begun to warm, turned cold again. Sang Ying shivered involuntarily, sensing him rise and pull away.

Still unsatisfied, she opened her eyes unhappily, about to look, when she suddenly felt pain.

He kissed her again, his lips crashing against hers—rough and fierce.

He forced her lips apart and delved inside.

Tears instantly welled in the corners of Sang Ying’s eyes. Through her blurred vision, she searched for Xie Lingyu, her subconscious instinctively seeking his help, only to realize he was the source of her pain.

Her fingers clenched helplessly, and she whimpered through her tears, “It hurts…”

The young man paused, his breathing heavy.

Sang Ying didn’t understand what he was doing, only that he was kissing her, and it hurt so much.

She sobbed softly, tears pooling in her eyes, but her hands remained bound by the Golden Rings, unable to break free. The helplessness only deepened her sense of grievance.

“Xie Lingyu… it hurts. I don’t want to kiss anymore.”

His cool fingers had grown warm at some point. Cradling her small face, his voice was stiff but gentle. “You’ve never kissed him like this?”

“What him? What are you talking about? Only you’ve ever kissed me, you perverted dragon! It hurts so much.”

Sang Ying’s eyes were red-rimmed as she sobbed and cursed him, her nose flushed.

The young man’s fingertip lightly traced the bite mark on her chest. “Then what about this?”

Sang Ying glanced down, anger and frustration boiling over. She hiccupped through her tears, “How dare you bring that up! Yesterday, I saw you were about to go into Qi Deviation during your Tide Heat Period, so I tried to help you out of kindness. Not only did you not show any gratitude, you even bit me!”

The young man was clearly taken aback, his dark eyes flickering with astonishment. “I bit you?”

“You still want to deny it?”

Sang Ying sniffled again, her damp eyes glaring at him angrily. “And did you want me to die from the pain? I already said I didn’t want to kiss anymore.”

As she wished, the young man released her and removed the Golden Ring from her wrist.

Sang Ying had been pampered since childhood; even a small bump would leave her in pain for half a day. Even after he withdrew, she still felt sore, whimpering softly.

Xie Lingyu wanted to pull her into his embrace, but she slapped his hand away and burrowed into the blanket. “Don’t touch me, you bad dragon!”

Xie Lingyu, unusually stiff, wrapped his arms around her and the blanket, murmuring softly, “I thought you had already practiced Dual Cultivation with someone else.”

When he saw that intimate, clear bite mark on her chest, he couldn’t control his madness.

Throughout the night she was drunk and asleep, he had thought long and hard, his mind filled with images of her being intimate with others.

He had always been afraid she would despise him. The dragon clan was driven by desire, yet for three years, he had never shown her his Tide Heat Period, fearing she would loathe that side of him.

But the contents of her Divorce Letter implied she found him inadequate.

Was it because he couldn’t bring her pleasure that she sought someone else?

This thought consumed him.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he had locked her up.

He thought, if she enjoyed it, why couldn’t he be the one?

He could bring her joy too. He could do better than anyone else.

A muffled voice came from under the blanket, tinged with tears.

“…Am I that kind of person?”

Sang Ying hid beneath the blanket, refusing to come out.

Truthfully, she wasn’t particularly angry. She had read Cave Master Cai Xia’s dual cultivation technique and knew that the first time could be painful, so she had been somewhat prepared.

What she felt more was embarrassment. The thought of Xie Lingyu’s dragon tail truly, truly entering her made her feel unbearably shy, and she was using anger as an excuse to hide.

Sang Ying buried her head in the blanket. How had she let him kiss her into such a daze, losing all sense, nearly practicing Dual Cultivation with him?

The young man above her spoke softly, “I misunderstood you, junior sister.”

Sang Ying snorted, ignoring him.

“Does it still hurt?” After a long silence, he asked gently.

Sang Ying’s eyes brimmed with moisture as she slowly nodded.

She thought to herself, the technique said that if done skillfully, it wouldn’t hurt much during cultivation. Since it hurt so much, his skills must be terrible.

“I was too reckless earlier and may have injured you. Come out and let me check.”

Sang Ying’s face flushed crimson at his words. She bumped her head against his chest through the blanket. “Who wants you to look? Shameless!”

If Xie Lingyu were still the gentleman he used to be, her refusal would have worked. But he wasn’t that person anymore.

Not only was he not, but he had become a pervert.

The young man simply grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the blanket. Seeing this, Sang Ying panicked and covered his eyes with her hands. “Don’t look!”

The young man didn’t pull her hands away, allowing her to keep them there. With those intimidating eyes hidden, he reverted to the gentle, aloof young man.

“If you’re injured, it’ll hurt for days without medicine.”

Sang Ying paused. “It’ll hurt for a long time?”

The injured area already felt slightly numb, a pain hard to describe—like the bloated ache of overeating, yet also a tearing pain as if a wound had been stretched.

The thought of enduring pain for several days made her hesitate. “Then… I’ll check myself.”

“Alright.”

Xie Lingyu didn’t object, taking out a small mirror to help her examine the injured area.

Sang Ying’s ears flushed red as she slowly shifted her gaze. Where his fingers had touched earlier was red and covered with a glistening layer of Lotus Dew. That seemed… to be hers. Suddenly recalling the unfamiliar sensation from not long ago, her face grew even hotter.

She quickly averted her eyes and muttered softly, “It seems there’s a bit of bleeding.”

“Then it’s injured.”

The young man, still in the position of having his eyes covered, used his Dragon Tail to pull her ankle slightly apart, leaning down and lowering his head.

Sang Ying was startled. By the time she reacted and tried to stop him, his lips were already almost touching the injured area. “What are you doing?”

“Dragon saliva can heal wounds,” he replied calmly.

Oh, so he was trying to help her heal.

Sang Ying punched his shoulder, nearly laughing in exasperation. “Xie Lingyu, do you think I’m stupid? Just applying some medicine would do.”

The young man didn’t speak, handing her the Storage Ring instead.

Sang Ying rummaged through it for a long time but only found a small pink medicine bottle—the Love Potion.

Sang Ying: “…”

Her face flushed red. “Th-that won’t do either. I’d rather endure the pain for a few days than apply any medicine.”

How could she possibly let him kiss… kiss there? He was really too much!

The young man suddenly asked, “Do you feel very hot? Does your chest ache a little, and does your head feel dizzy and swollen?”

Sang Ying was taken aback. “How did you know?”

“That’s your body about to completely succumb to the effects of the Love Thread Entanglement. When that happens, you’ll be completely controlled by the drug and lose consciousness.”

“Dragon saliva can heal wounds and also neutralize the drug’s effects.”

The young man stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes lowered so she couldn’t see his emotions, and slowly said, “So, junior sister, would you rather wait until you’re unconscious and cling to me for Dual Cultivation, or let me help you now?”

Sang Ying was stunned by his words. A choice between two options?

But she didn’t want either of these choices; both were unacceptable. Just as she furrowed her brows and began thinking seriously, the young man suddenly chuckled softly.

Sang Ying immediately realized and punched him again. “Xie Lingyu, you lied to me!”

“Only junior sister would believe such a thing.”

Sang Ying: “…”

She thought so—if dragon saliva could detoxify, why would she still be affected by the drug?

The young man raised his hand and condensed a golden lotus in his palm, opening the lotus heart to reveal a pale white ointment. “This is wound medicine. If junior sister doesn’t want to apply it herself, I can do it for you.”

Sang Ying snatched it away immediately. The young man, quite self-aware, turned his eyes away. Sang Ying hid under her small blanket, hastily and haphazardly applied the ointment, then wiped her hands clean.

Her face was still flushed. “What about the Love Potion? Didn’t you say there’s no antidote?”

“Give me your hand.”

Sang Ying, confused, extended one hand. The young man grasped it, their fingers interlocking and palms pressed together.

Warm Spiritual Power filled her palm, flowing into her spiritual veins. The toxins flowing in her bloodstream were fused and gathered by this surging Spiritual Power, eventually flowing to her fingertips and condensing into a perfectly round drop of blood.

Xie Lingyu wiped away the blood drop with a handkerchief. “Done.”

Having forcibly expelled the toxins, Sang Ying felt her head clear up, slowly regaining her senses. She thought, this really was a good method.

But… she looked at him. “What about you?”

Xie Lingyu paused, surprised by her concern.

Based on what she had seen since waking up—his true nature exposed, and all those overbearing misdeeds he had committed against her—he probably thought she would despise him to the core and, upon regaining consciousness, her first act would be to tell him to get lost.

He chuckled, lifting her chin with his fingertip. “Even after being bullied like this, my junior sister is still concerned about her senior brother at a time like this?”

Sang Ying’s ears flushed red as she buried herself under the covers. “Who’s concerned about you! You perverted dragon! Just suffer on your own!”

The air fell silent.

After a long while, a muffled, hesitant voice emerged from under the covers.

“…But if you really can’t stand it, I guess I could help you out. Just once, though! Only once!”

“Consider it a favor for all those years you spent as my lackey. I’ll reluctantly help you just this once.”

“…”

The air grew quiet again.

Sang Ying waited for a response but received none. She lifted a corner of the covers and peeked out, only to meet the young man’s gaze.

His eyes were dark, somber, and unreadable. He looked at her, speaking slowly and softly.

“Junior sister, I want to kiss you.”