Chapter 425: New Kink Unlocked
It looked like Zhenlan had developed a new kink that I never knew about before. Not like I ever really knew that side of him.
No, he seemed to be taking great pleasure in making me wait until he had packed every container back into the bag before he would tell me where we were going next.
He even went so far as to slowly wipe the table, closed the cake box, and checked beneath the chairs for anything we might have dropped. The entire time, his face stayed calm, but I could tell he knew I was practically bouncing on the balls of my feet, wanting to know where we were going next or even a hit about what we were going to do.
I looked over at him for just a moment to see him watching the path behind the vines.
The plants were still leaning that way, and apparently, they had never learned how to keep a secret.
When Zhenlan finally stood, he held out his hand. I took it and let him lead me through the opening in the flowers.
The path curved farther into the garden instead of returning toward the mansion. It was narrow enough that the plants brushed both of us as we passed. Wet leaves dragged across my bare arms, leaving cool lines on my skin, while the sun warmed everything they missed.
Zhenlan carried the empty food bag and kept me close to his other side. Whenever the stones became slippery, his hand moved from mine to my waist until we reached dry ground again.
The man was becoming very handsy.
I still didn’t hate it.
The path ended near one of the oldest trees on the property. Its branches spread over a large patch of grass that stayed mostly shaded even in the afternoon.
A wooden swing hung from one of the lower branches.
I stopped walking.
It wasn’t one of those tiny boards tied to questionable pieces of rope that children were expected to trust with their lives. The seat was wide enough for two people, with a low back and thick ropes wrapped around the branch above it. Someone had added cushions and tied them in place so they wouldn’t fall off.
The grass beneath it had been cut.
A small table stood nearby with another pitcher of iced tea.
I looked at Zhenlan. "You built me a swing?"
"I had help with the ropes."
"From who?"
"Yuche."
That explained why the metal hooks holding everything together looked strong enough to support a truck.
I walked around the swing and pushed the seat with one hand. It moved easily, but nothing creaked or shifted above us.
"How long has this been here?"
"Since this morning."
"You built this while I was sleeping?"
"Yuche built most of it. I just carried things."
That was probably the safest division of labor. Yuche understood how metal worked. Zhenlan understood how to destroy it with lightning.
I sat carefully and bounced once to test the seat.
Nothing broke.
Zhenlan placed the food bag near the table, then came around behind me. His hands settled on the ropes above my shoulders.
"You know I’m not six," I said.
"I know."
"I can push myself."
"I know that too."
The swing moved before I could put my feet down.
Zhenlan gave it one easy push, then used the wind to carry me higher. My stomach dropped when the seat swept forward, and I grabbed the ropes as the garden opened beneath my feet.
I hadn’t expected him to send me that far.
The swing moved back toward him. Zhenlan caught the ropes, slowed me for half a second, then pushed again.
Air rushed through my hair.
I tried to glare at him over my shoulder, but the swing was already moving forward. A laugh escaped before I could stop it.
That was embarrassing.
Zhenlan heard it.
His next push sent me higher.
"Don’t get stupid," I warned when I came back.
His hands slid along the ropes as he caught me. "Tell me when it’s too much."
"It isn’t."
That was all the permission he needed.
The wind curled around the swing and lifted beneath it. I flew forward without the hard jerk that should have come from the ropes. Leaves moved around me, flowers bent beneath my feet, and the mansion appeared beyond the trees before I fell backward again.
Zhenlan stayed behind me.
Every time the swing returned, his hands caught the ropes near my shoulders. Sometimes he pushed. Other times, he let the wind do it while his fingers brushed my skin.
I stopped thinking about how ridiculous I probably looked.
The sun was hot, but the air around me stayed cool. My plants followed the movement, turning their leaves each time I passed as though they were watching the world’s least useful tennis match.
One of the vines tried to catch my foot but I kicked it away on the next pass.
"Control your children," Zhenlan said from behind me.
"They don’t listen. It’s like herding cats," I replied, my voice a high pitch whine.
"That one does."
"It listens when I tell it to kill things. This is different."
The vine rose again.
Zhenlan sent a small burst of wind through the grass, rolling it away from the swing before it could reach me.
The plant immediately started crawling back.
Traitor.
After a while, my calf began to tighten. I didn’t say anything, but Zhenlan noticed when I stopped stretching my legs forward.
The swing slowed.
He caught it from behind and held the ropes until the seat stopped moving completely. Then he walked around and crouched in front of me.
His hand closed gently around my ankle.
"I’m fine," I told him.
He rubbed his thumb along the sore muscle above the bite. "You’re done swinging."
"I didn’t say that."
"You don’t have to."
There was no point arguing when my leg had already betrayed me.
Zhenlan stood and sat beside me instead. The swing dipped beneath his weight, pressing our hips together while he stretched one arm along the back.
I leaned against him.
The wind started the swing again, but this time it only moved us a few feet in either direction. It was slow enough that I could watch the garden instead of holding on, enjoying just being present in this unexpected slice of paradise.