After Accidentally Marking the Cold and Elegant Eldest Princess - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Naturally Gifted

During their first encounter, driven by the effects of the drug, Yuan Jingxue’s mind had been too hazy to remember who she was. It was only at the final moment that Yan Yunti had forced her to cry out that name: “A-Yun.”

Now, seeing Yuan Jingxue’s eyes unfocused, Yan Yunti wasn’t sure how lucid she was. She desperately wanted to hear Yuan Jingxue call her name. Seeing that the woman was ignoring her, Yan Yunti pressed her body even lower. The palm supporting Yuan Jingxue’s lower back lifted slightly, bringing their fronts closer together until the soft sensation was vivid.

“Does Your Highness remember who I am?” Yan Yunti asked again.

The watery light in Yuan Jingxue’s eyes trembled. Sensing the Qianyuan’s persistence, her gaze slowly focused on Yan Yunti’s face—the young woman’s phoenix eyes were stained with a vibrant crimson, her eyes exceptionally bright and spirited, radiating a sense of pleasure.

It made it increasingly difficult to look away.

Yuan Jingxue clearly perceived that after the initial haze, a restless thirst, stronger and more impossible to ignore than before, was climbing upward.

It seemed that a single temporary marking was not enough to soothe a Dependency Period that had been pushed to its absolute limit. Instead, it was like throwing a spark onto a pile of dry firewood; the flames erupted instantly.

Yuan Jingxue gazed into those phoenix eyes, seeing the waves surging once more within the Qianyuan. It was obvious that the other was trapped in the same predicament as she was.

Yuan Jingxue slowly raised her hand, hooking onto Yan Yunti’s collar to pull her closer. Her lips brushed against the Qianyuan’s flushed ear as she breathed out: “Yan Yunti.”

The moment the words left her lips, the palm against her waist pressed firmer.

Yuan Jingxue’s brow arched slightly. Noticing the Qianyuan’s preference, she leaned against her ear and spoke syllable by syllable: “It seems A-Yun’s scent truly likes me as well.”

Yan Yunti had said the exact same thing yesterday. Now, Yuan Jingxue repeated the words in the same posture—seemingly intimate, but in truth, a provocative counter-attack. It served only to make Yan Yunti’s restless heart even more frantic.

Yan Yunti tried to slow her breathing, responding to Yuan Jingxue with action. Her palm slid up along Yuan Jingxue’s waistline, measuring the narrowest part of the woman’s waist with her hand before finally stopping at her side, giving a light pinch that made the waist tremble.

Yan Yunti let out a silent chuckle; she had remembered correctly.

Pulling back slightly to meet Yuan Jingxue’s gaze, she rubbed the curve of the woman’s waist with her thumb while asking, “Does Your Highness remember how I pinched you here last time?”

Yuan Jingxue’s waist rose and fell with her slightly rapid breathing. She understood Yan Yunti’s subtext—last time, Yan Yunti had gripped her waist with both hands, her movements extremely bold and abrasive. Under the influence of the drug and the fact that it was her first time, she hadn’t understood the concept of gradual progress or gentle treatment.

If she were allowed to continue “following her heart,” she would likely be even less restrained than before.

Since it had already happened once, what was the harm in another?

Yuan Jingxue had long since made up her mind. Her long lashes fluttered as her gaze met Yan Yunti’s deep phoenix eyes, and she slowly uttered a sentence: “You were too rushed last time.”

With that single sentence, the Qianyuan understood her meaning perfectly. Last time was too rushed, so this time should be slower and gentler.

Yan Yunti took the hint. Her fingertip hooked onto the sash at the woman’s waist as she whispered in response, “Alright. I will go slowly. If anything is wrong, please tell me, Your Highness.”

The sash came loose with a single tug. The two layers of snow-colored collar fell open to the left and right, revealing a lotus-root-colored inner bodice. The pale purple-red hue contrasted brilliantly with her jade-white, pink-tinged skin.

Yan Yunti raised her hand, the base of her thumb and forefinger pressing right against the fabric at the root. With her reason intact, her senses were sharp.

Yuan Jingxue spoke up to remind her: “Do not do anything unnecessary.”

Yan Yunti looked up, explaining earnestly, “Your Highness, this is not unnecessary. All things must proceed slowly from top to bottom. If I go straight to the main point, Your Highness will blame me for being reckless again.”

How to avoid being reckless? Naturally, it required a slow progression. As Yan Yunti spoke, she pushed upward with the base of her fingers.

The rouge color on Yuan Jingxue’s face deepened. She turned her head slightly, which served as silent permission.

Yan Yunti’s fingers were long and powerful, accustomed to gripping a sword; using them for other tasks proved quite skillful as well. The orchid pattern on the bodice rose and fell. Yuan Jingxue’s breathing, which had barely settled, grew rapid once more. Under the clarity of reason—unlike the haze of the drug—the sensations were entirely different. The unavoidable touch and scent shrouded her at every moment, and the fragrance from her nape began to drift out again.

The release of the scent was not as urgent or thick as before; it was like a magnolia flower slowly unfurling its petals on a rainy night. The fragrance seeped out bit by bit, colliding with the cold fir scent spreading through the air, merging lightly and perfectly. The sweetness was no longer cloying, but just right, making one relax involuntarily.

Yuan Jingxue’s grip on the white fox fur loosened slightly. Her averted gaze moved back, landing on Yan Yunti’s serious, focused expression. She couldn’t remain passive forever.

Yuan Jingxue raised her hand, stroking the sweat from the girl’s forehead. “Are you very hot?”

Yan Yunti’s fingertips paused for a moment before pressing down again. “I’m alright. Is Your Highness still cold?”

“What do you think?” Yuan Jingxue pressed her warm fingertip to Yan Yunti’s brow, sliding down the bone of her eyebrow to her cheek, chin, and collarbone. Her fingertip traced a light circle at the collarbone before withdrawing as if nothing had happened.

Yan Yunti pursed her lips and watched her. After all that had transpired, no matter how cold Yuan Jingxue’s constitution was, she shouldn’t be afraid of the cold anymore.

Yan Yunti felt relieved. She caught Yuan Jingxue’s hand just as it was about to pull away, rubbing her fingers and palm before pressing it against the belt at her own waist. Her expression was exceptionally sincere: “Shouldn’t Your Highness help me as well?”

She was wearing two layers; of course she was hot. Reciprocity was only fair; Yan Yunti felt that Yuan Jingxue should help her undress.

Yuan Jingxue’s eyes narrowed slightly. She hooked her finger into the belt and pulled the girl down, her tone suddenly turning cold: “Miss Yan seems quite experienced.”

Last time, she thought the Qianyuan was simply naturally gifted, but there was another possibility. Seeing how popular Yan Yunti was today, Yuan Jingxue couldn’t help but overthink.

Yan Yunti caught the suspicion in her tone. Her phoenix eyes curved as she leaned in with a smile. “Is Your Highness praising me for being naturally gifted?”

Yuan Jingxue was dazed for a moment by her smile. Recovering her composure, she whispered a warning: “Before the Dependency Period ends, do not let me smell another Kunze’s scent on you. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise, Your Highness will dig out my gland and make me live in agony?” Yan Yunti finished her sentence, her face showing an appropriately hurt expression. “It seems I haven’t worked hard enough, if Your Highness can still think of such cruel things at a time like this.”

Having said that, her long fingers worked even harder.

Yuan Jingxue’s breathing became unstable. She pulled hard on the Qianyuan’s belt to bring her closer, a shallow smile suddenly appearing on her face. “Rest assured, while the Dependency Period lasts, I will not harm your gland. However, there are music halls in the capital specifically for the pleasure of Kunze. I hear they have a thousand ways to train Alphas; perhaps I should look into it one day.”

Yan Yunti ground her fangs. As expected of the Eldest Princess—even her threats were unique.

Yan Yunti let out a huff, leaning down to whisper clearly in the woman’s ear: “Rest assured, Your Highness. I will certainly serve you well, leaving you so satisfied that such a thought will never cross your mind.”

Threatening someone at this moment was clearly a bad idea.

The now-piqued Qianyuan bit down on the woman’s earlobe without another word, her sharp canines grinding lightly and repeatedly. She didn’t forget to ask: “Won’t Your Highness help me?”

She asked for help, yet the moment Yuan Jingxue tried to untie her belt, Yan Yunti began to act even more wildly. Her lips moved from the earlobe to the side of the neck and the collarbone, and her hand gripped the woman’s side…

The floor heating burned hotter and hotter. The heat was enough to take one’s breath away. Yan Yunti was like a scorching little sun; Yuan Jingxue could no longer feel even a hint of chill. Even the slowest movement or the lightest friction could draw a sweat.

Until something ice-cold touched her skin. Yuan Jingxue instinctively leaned in, yet felt confused. She looked down and saw that two jade thumb rings had suddenly appeared on the index and middle fingers of Yan Yunti’s right hand.

These rings?

Seeing her curiosity, Yan Yunti raised her right hand. “Does Your Highness think they look good?”

“You…” Yuan Jingxue frowned slightly. The more she looked at the rings, the more familiar they seemed. “Why are you wearing thumb rings?”

The corners of Yan Yunti’s lips curled up. She bent her fingers, pressing the ice-cold jade against the woman’s collarbone. “Your Highness has likely forgotten—these jade rings were given to me by Your Highness as a reward today. Naturally, I wanted to show Your Highness how ‘useful’ they can be.”

Yuan Jingxue suddenly remembered. After Yan Yunti won the polo match today, she had said she would double the reward. These two jade rings of excellent quality were something she had casually pointed out to be added to the prizes.

But when had she ever said that Yan Yunti should use them at a time like this?