Chapter 84: Kiss Me
It was too fast.
His emotions flared up in an instant, and his tears fell just as quickly.
You could tell there was some genuine heartache and sincerity, but it was probably more for show.
Jian Yu looked at his reddened eyelids. His tears were like pearls, large and glistening—a very melodramatic display.
’But so what? At least he’s willing to put in the effort for me.’
"Yanyan."
Her voice was thick and husky, not as sweet and delicate as before. Jian Yu wasn’t sure if it would be enough to move him.
They were so busy. Unlike the male leads in novels, they didn’t have time to just dote on her.
This feeling that they could pull away at any moment left her deeply insecure.
Ling Yanzhi gently pulled her lip from between her teeth. His voice was husky. "Don’t bite your lip."
Her eyelashes, wet and clumped, trapped the tears. They couldn’t fall, instead welling up and making her eyes burn with a stinging, aching pressure.
She blinked, forcing her eyes wide. She knew they were her best feature.
"Kiss... me."
The black straps, connected to rings on her wrists and ankles, felt as if they were channeling something into her body.
The pain was bearable, but her body trembled uncontrollably.
Jian Yu’s mouth hung open. She wanted to bite his hand.
"What was that?" Ling Yanzhi hadn’t heard her clearly, so he leaned in closer.
This meek, docile look didn’t suit him. Unruly and flamboyant was his true nature.
"I..." Jian Yu let out a small cough.
Her tears remained trapped, and the aching pressure in her eyes grew heavier, more intense.
Her eyelids felt hot, and her vision began to blur. "You... kiss... kiss me."
A series of emotions flashed through Ling Yanzhi’s eyes: astonishment, bashfulness, then triumph.
He held her and kissed her, his eyes wide open as he secretly observed her reaction.
When she whimpered with pleasure and chased his lips, he continued.
When she frowned and turned away, it meant she wasn’t enjoying it, and he had to try a different technique.
Pei Yin couldn’t leave the console. Seven of his ten fingers were busy operating it.
His gaze would lift, then fall, then lift again, repeating the motion endlessly.
Aching. His eyes, and his heart.
"Being a doctor really is the most thankless job in the world."
He stared at the two on the bed. "Having fun seducing her? Why not let me in on it?"
Without turning his head, Xi Yu silently shifted one of her legs aside. "I’ll bring you in."
His voice was still cold, but it didn’t have that chilly air of jealousy.
After he spoke, he lowered his head and resumed his licking and kissing.
Pei Yin shot him a look, his vision practically blacking out.
He cursed in a low voice, "Pervert."
"Nghh..."
Jian Yu’s hips arched off the bed as they kissed her.
Her eyes were closed, hidden behind her long lashes, completely lost in the moment.
Ling Yanzhi pulled back out of habit to let Jian Yu breathe, but her face was flushed as she initiated the next kiss, demanding more with an urgent hunger.
He couldn’t help but pause, watching her with a dazed expression before suddenly letting out a laugh.
His laugh was a mixture of smug satisfaction and the sweet taste of triumph.
The desire to conquer welled up in his heart. He still couldn’t bear to close his eyes.
He showed off all his skills, controlling her pliant waist until their breathing grew ragged and they were on the verge of breathlessness.
His aggression subsided, and a gentler side of Ling Yanzhi emerged. He closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to simply enjoy the moment.
But the image seared into his mind was still of Jian Yu, lost and dazed in her pleasure.
"Don’t stop. Keep kissing," Pei Yin suddenly said, his voice serious.
At the command, the sound of sucking came from Xi Yu’s direction.
"..."
"A little too enthusiastic. I wasn’t talking to you."
Pei Yin’s eyes met Ling Yanzhi’s.
Both men had red-rimmed eyes, and they instinctively looked away from each other.
A silent understanding passed between them. They each returned to their tasks.
「Half an hour later.」
Pei Yin unfastened the clasps, coiling up the black straps.
"Are we done?" Xi Yu lifted his head, his lips bright red.
"I don’t exploit my staff," Pei Yin said, patting his shoulder. "Since you’re so diligent, how about fetching some water to wash her up?"
Yang Zhang leaped out, its appendages touching the ground as it scurried off.
In less than two minutes, it ran back holding a basin of water.
Pei Yin looked at the marks on Jian Yu’s ankles and squeezed his eyes shut tightly.
’They’re all like dogs.’
It made him seem far too normal by comparison.
"Just a simple wipe-down. She can bathe in another three hours."
Xi Yu had already grabbed her leg and was about to put it in the water.
He froze when he heard that. "We’re not soaking her feet?"
Pei Yin reached over and removed the black pads from Jian Yu’s back and stomach.
He glanced back over his shoulder. "No foot soaks for a day, and it’s best not to today. Your mouth could use a soak, though."
"..." Xi Yu washed his hands, and when the comment registered, he ran off to brush his teeth.
Yang Zhang’s appendages wrung the towel dry. A tendril then rolled it up neatly. It looked very well-behaved.
Pei Yin took the towel and patted its large head. "A big head really makes a difference. You’re smarter than your master."
Yang Zhang’s black head seemed to flush red.
Its appendages trembled, slapping against the floor. SLAP, SLAP.
Pei Yin glanced over. "Stop flailing those noodles around. I don’t like the show."
Ling Yanzhi sat on the edge of the bed, holding her. "Did you find anything?"
Her eyelids felt heavy, but this was about her. Jian Yu desperately wanted to open them.
After struggling for a moment, she gave up.
It felt as if her bones had gone soft as well; just holding herself upright was a struggle.
"I think we can treat her like a semi-Awakener," Pei Yin said, wiping Jian Yu’s lips with the towel, a hint of jealousy in the action.
"It’s very likely not that she doesn’t have a Soul Beast. It’s just that her Soul Beast..."
As Pei Yin spoke, he trailed off, not quite knowing how to describe it.
He squatted down and began to lift Jian Yu’s shirt.
Ling Yanzhi’s gaze darkened, his fingers tightening into a fist.
He intercepted, taking hold of the hem of her shirt himself. "I’ll do it."
The warm, damp towel glided across the side of her neck, down her spine, and over her stomach, wiping away the film of sweat.
Warmth flooded her entire body, chasing away her exhaustion.
As the cloth moved on, the skin it left behind tingled with a faint coolness, leaving her feeling refreshed and comfortable.
Jian Yu slowly opened her eyes, her face full of weariness.
Her body went limp, and she started to slide down.
Ling Yanzhi caught her, pulling her securely onto his lap.
He wrapped a blanket around her, leaving only her head exposed.
Pei Yin put a straw in a glass and held it to her lips. "Drink some of this."
She took a sip. It was astringent and bitter.
Ling Yanzhi looked at her scrunched-up face. "What did you give her to drink?"
"I’m a doctor. When I give someone a drink, it’s medicine. What a pointless question."
Pei Yin checked the temperature of Jian Yu’s forehead.
"Chinese medicine. Drink more, it’s good for you. This stuff is a pain to make; it took a long time to brew."
After forcing down three sips, Jian Yu turned her head away.
Ling Yanzhi fed her a gummy candy.
The cup was still more than half full. Pei Yin shook it, a little disappointed at the waste.
Jian Yu wanted to know what they hadn’t finished saying earlier.
But she also worried they were deliberately holding back.
’Shedding a tear or beckoning with a finger could solve problems without any real time or effort. I like that.’
’But I can act weak, I can pretend to be weak, but I can’t actually be weak.’
’I want them to give me a sense of security. It’s a need I look to others to fill, because I can’t find it in myself.’
’But beyond that, I need to be strong myself. That double-layered security would give me options.’
Jian Yu pursed her lips, silently organizing her words.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, Ling Yanzhi simply glanced down at her before asking the question for her.
"What did you mean earlier, about her Soul Beast?"
Pei Yin set down the medicine cup and his gaze met Jian Yu’s glistening eyes.
His voice softened unconsciously. "Her Soul Beast... it’s like a monster."
Jian Yu blinked. "..."