Chapter 56: Drunken Kiss

Sang Ying blinked, realizing what he meant, and her ears instantly flushed red. She scratched at the dragon tail scales with her nails and whispered, “I read the precautions for the Dragon Clan’s Heat Period. Dual Cultivation isn’t strictly necessary, right?”

The young man released her wrist, appearing entirely agreeable. “Then, junior sister, you may continue.”

Sang Ying: “…I suppose I’ll give it a try after all.”

Her hands truly couldn’t lift anymore.

As her words fell, the dragon tail coiled around her waist. The young man’s knuckles gripped her waist as he lifted her into his lap, his clear voice low and soft.

“Didn’t junior sister learn quite a lot in the past few days?”

Sitting in his embrace, her hands resting on his shoulders, Sang Ying gazed into his dark eyes.

This posture suddenly reminded her of that first night of cultivation. It had been just like this back then. Frustrated that he had the upper hand, she had stubbornly insisted he hold her upright.

Sang Ying felt somewhat uneasy, her face growing even redder. Fortunately, he couldn’t see her expression, allowing her a slight sigh of relief.

“Reading about it is one thing, but I have no practical experience. You’re the one who asked me to try. If I hurt you or anything, I won’t take responsibility.”

Leaning against the headboard, the soft glow of the luminous pearl illuminated his figure. His features were exquisite, cool and jade-like, with the Azure Jade Dragon Horns on his forehead gleaming with a lustrous, ethereal beauty—both enchanting and striking.

“Mhm, I won’t object to anything junior sister does to me.”

Sang Ying stared at his face, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. The thought of what she was about to do to him made her cheeks burn uncontrollably.

She stammered, “You promise? Then… then I’ll begin?”

The young man suddenly chuckled softly, raising his hand to stroke her wrist with his thumb. “Could it be that junior sister is too afraid to proceed?”

“Of course not!”

Sang Ying’s hands trembled slightly, truly unsure where to start. After a moment’s thought, she rolled off the bed, hurried to the table, picked up a jug of Green Pear Wine, and gulped it down.

Xiao Lingzhou always said that alcohol emboldened the timid. Last time, it was after drinking that she had written the Divorce Letter.

Xie Lingyu heard the sound of her drinking and assumed she was merely thirsty, paying it no mind.

A short while later, he heard her return, though her footsteps were unsteady this time, swaying as if she couldn’t keep her balance. She stopped by the bed and made no further movement, instead crouching down.

Xie Lingyu parted the gauzy bed curtains, his Spiritual Sense detecting her curled up into a ball. He laughed softly, “Junior sister’s way of backing out is quite creative. Are you pretending to be a mushroom?”

The girl finally stirred at the sound of his voice, slowly lifting her head. Her damp eyes looked up at him, and she tilted her head slightly. “…Who are you?”

As soon as she spoke, Xie Lingyu caught the scent of alcohol and immediately understood that her hurried actions earlier had been her drinking.

With her poor health, she still dared to imitate others by drinking. He frowned slightly, grabbing her arm and pulling her up from the floor. The girl, still unsteady on her feet, swayed dizzily and ended up crashing headfirst into him.

“Ouch!”

Her chin struck his collarbone, and she let out a pained cry, tears instantly welling up in her eyes as she covered her mouth.

“Let me see.”

Xie Lingyu quickly pulled her hand away and lifted her face, only to remember the next moment that he couldn’t see. He paused. “Where does it hurt?”

The girl’s voice was muffled: “Mmm… ouch.”

Fearing she might have bitten her tongue, Xie Lingyu cupped her face with his knuckles and gently kissed her, parting her lips with his own as his tongue slipped inside to check.

It was all the scent of Green Pear Wine. There was a faint taste of blood, but fortunately it wasn’t from biting her tongue—it was the inside of her lower lip being scraped by her teeth.

Having located the wound, Xie Lingyu released her and was about to take out some ointment to apply when the girl in front of him suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.

“You kissed me!”

This was the first time Xie Lingyu had seen her drunk, and it turned out she was like this. He chuckled softly, “Yes, I did.”

The girl grew anxious. “How could you kiss me? I already have a husband! You scoundrel, you lecher, you libertine!”

Xie Lingyu was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to not recognize him when drunk, yet still remember she had a husband.

He unscrewed the medicine box and said unhurriedly, “But I’ve already kissed you. What do you plan to do about it?”

Sang Ying furrowed her brows, her eyes moist, her expression grave. “Then it seems I have no choice but to silence you. You forced this on me. Take this… mmm.”

Her face was pinched into a plump little bun, forcing her mouth open. Xie Lingyu dipped his fingertip in some ointment, reached inside, and gently applied it to the bleeding wound. His Spiritual Power dissolved and absorbed the medicine.

The minor wound healed extremely quickly under the medicine’s effect. Sang Ying no longer felt any pain and smacked her lips lightly. She heard the young man in front of her ask, “Who is your husband?”

Without a second thought, Sang Ying replied, “Xie Lingyu, of course.”

Xie Lingyu paused, a smile spreading at the corners of his lips. He cupped her small face with his knuckles, turning it toward his own. “Then take a good look. Who am I?”

Sang Ying narrowed her eyes and leaned in for a closer look. After scrutinizing him twice, she uttered, “I don’t know, but you’re definitely not Xie Lingyu.”

“Why not?”

Sang Ying raised her hand, her fingers lightly touching his eyes, and mumbled, “Xie Lingyu’s eyes are much prettier than yours. They’re dark and bright, like black glass washed clean—the kind that looks very expensive. They’d definitely hold their value if collected.”

Xie Lingyu couldn’t see her expression, but he could feel her gaze fixed on his eyes, intense and unwavering, her tone light and cheerful.

He lowered his eyelashes. But now he couldn’t see anymore, not even the things she liked.

“But what I like even more is his tail!”

Sang Ying chattered on, “It’s as beautiful as azure jade, and the tuft of white fur at the tip sways back and forth—it’s just too adorable. And those dragon horns, they’re so crystal clear and translucent…”

Xie Lingyu was stunned. She liked his tail and dragon horns?

But clearly, when he had let her touch them before, she had shown little interest, merely glancing at them before looking away. He had always thought she didn’t like them.

As the girl spoke, her gaze fell on the dragon horns on his forehead. She blinked a few times. “Hey, why are the horns on your head exactly the same as Xie Lingyu’s?”

She reached out and touched them, her slender fingers grasping his dragon horns, boldly stroking them. “They’re real…”

“You don’t have a tail too, do you?”

Letting go of the dragon horns, she searched around and soon spotted the Azure Jade Dragon Tail. Her eyes instantly lit up.

She pulled the Dragon Tail over and hugged it to her chest, as if she had found a favorite toy, eagerly stroking it. Her fingers gently traced over the jade-like scales.

“Xie Lingyu’s tail is just as smooth, but his is cold—icy cold. Every time it wraps around me, I shiver a little. Yours is warm.”

Sliding all the way to the tip, her fingers touched the golden binding ring at the end. Her ears suddenly flushed slightly, and her voice grew softer. “Xie Lingyu has one too, but it’s no longer pure gold. He and I have practiced Dual Cultivation, so there’s an extra crimson pattern on it.”

“Let me count yours… one…”

Her fingertip traced the golden binding ring, but aside from the crimson pattern she had just mentioned, there were no others. Sang Ying’s voice trailed off.

The dragon tail in her hand swayed slightly, the tuft of white fur at the tip brushing against her palm. “Why did you stop counting?”

Sang Ying slowly raised her eyes, a hint of sympathy in her expression. “Are you… not capable either?”

Xie Lingyu narrowed his eyes slightly. “Also?”

Sang Ying nodded. “Xie Lingyu isn’t capable either. Mother Rongrong told me that during the Tide Heat Period, dragons usually practice Dual Cultivation for at least ten days, but he only lasted one night. Because of that, the dragons in the clan sent him a lot of medicine.”

She patted his dragon tail. “Don’t be sad. Since you let me touch your tail, I’ll ask Xie Lingyu to share some of his medicine with you.”

Xie Lingyu: “…”

He had clearly been concerned about her weak constitution and inability to endure it, but in her mind, it had become his own inadequacy?

Xie Lingyu pulled her into his arms, pinched her small face, and made her wine-dazed eyes look at him. His tone was displeased. “Take a good look. Who am I?”

The scent of Green Pear Wine was overpowered by another familiar fragrance—cool and reassuring. Sang Ying, still dazed, blinked her eyes and looked at the person before her.

Suddenly, she jolted as if startled. “Xie Lingyu!?”

Seeing that she had finally recognized him, Xie Lingyu let out a light, meaningful hum. “Does my junior sister remember what she promised to do?”

Of course, the intoxicated Sang Ying had no recollection.

“Promise what?”

Xie Lingyu repeated it unhurriedly, expecting the young woman to blush and feel flustered after hearing it. Instead, she nodded thoughtfully, her clear eyes fixed on him.

“Xie Lingyu, you really aren’t capable anymore. You even need me to do this kind of thing.”

Xie Lingyu: “…”

He decided to postpone the matter of letting her take the initiative until next time. For now, he had to prove himself thoroughly to her, lest she continue to question his abilities every day.

Just as he was about to turn her over by gripping her waist, the young woman released his dragon tail. “Ah, well, I guess it’s up to me then.”

Xie Lingyu paused, then heard the rustling of fabric and the clinking of beads and ornaments on her dress.

Light gauze was pushed aside, whispering through the air, piece by piece falling to the ground.

Xie Lingyu couldn’t see, but he could smell the faint floral scent on her body growing stronger, floating in the air. The fabric beneath his fingers gripping her waist was pulled away, leaving nothing between them, her skin cool to his touch.

And the one sitting in his lap was now without barriers—small in stature, cool and soft.

She nestled in his arms like a porcelain doll.

Soon, the movements stopped. She took his hand and pulled it to the back of her neck, placing it over the knot tied with a red cord. Her tone was troubled. “Xie Lingyu, I can’t untie it.”

Xie Lingyu fumbled for a moment, his fingers loosening the knot. The taut red cord immediately slackened, and a cool piece of fabric fell right onto his dragon tail.

The young woman sighed in relief and tossed the small garment aside as well. “Hmm, let me think… where should I start…”

“Oh, right!”

The girl in his arms propped herself up by his shoulders, shifting for a moment until she was looking down at him, just as the Fluffy White Rabbit Tail brushed against his face.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

Xie Lingyu couldn’t see, but he could smell the floral scent on her, so close it was almost overwhelming—sweet and cloying, like honey.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his breathing grew heavier. “Hmm?”

Only now, in her drunken state, did Sang Ying notice the abnormality in his eyes. She waved a hand in front of his dull, lifeless pupils.

“Xie Lingyu, can’t you see?”

“Yeah.”

After receiving his confirmation, Sang Ying thought for a moment. “Alright, then I’ll just tell you.”

“I mean, didn’t you always kiss me all over before? And most of all, right here…”

As she spoke, Xie Lingyu felt her leaning closer, her scent enveloping him, and then the soft tip of the rabbit tail gently touched his lips.

“Kiss me,” she said.