The Second Fall - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Reward

Lan Cixing’s face turned a violent red, visible to the naked eye. Wisps of steam practically rose from the top of her head.

Rong Yushu’s hand remained in Lan Cixing’s pocket. She didn’t bother pulling it out; taking advantage of the fact that the pocket was unobserved, her fingertips pressed down on the back of Lan Cixing’s hand.

Lan Cixing had clearly crashed. Judging by the look in her eyes, she was likely thinking about things she shouldn’t be thinking about.

Rong Yushu’s eyes curved into a fox-like grin. Today, she seemed determined to make Lan Cixing experience her “vixen arts,” slowly enveloping her with her own presence. The embrace formed a web. The bars of a cage closed around Lan Cixing’s body step by step. Even her breath was locked away.

Lan Cixing turned crimson, her expression becoming increasingly abnormal. She was indeed thinking about the last time they had “slept” together. Her hindered breathing caused a burning sensation in her throat—heat from passion and heat from shame mingled together.

Finally, the scorching heat jolted Lan Cixing awake. She realized what she was undergoing. It felt as if Rong Yushu had grown nine fox tails, entwining her limbs and leaving her unable to move. Though it was an embrace, Rong Yushu’s movements were too domineering, as if she were… hunting.

Lan Cixing would always be Rong Yushu’s prey. She was gentle and obedient; she wouldn’t even resist or run away. She was captured with ease.

“T-t-this isn’t a good idea…” Lan Cixing shivered, the softness against her arm becoming even more pronounced. Her refusal almost carried the sound of a sob.

Rong Yushu clicked her tongue internally. “How is it not good? Sharing a bed with me—could you possibly be losing out?”

Countless people were desperate for a chance to spend a night with Rong Yushu. No, even for just one hour, they would be willing to pay a massive price. Among them were not just Alphas; many Omegas desired her, and even Betas, who were usually most indifferent to such matters, craved her pity. Yet Lan Cixing refused her. Repeatedly. It hadn’t been like this before.

“I am an Alpha, after all…” Though her period had just passed, Lan Cixing didn’t dare imagine what would happen to her in a place saturated with Rong Yushu’s pheromones, where she might be touched at any moment.

Rong Yushu let go, looking somewhat bored. Her eyes narrowed like crescent moons, but a sneer escaped her lips. It was as if she were saying: You? An Alpha?

“You talk as if…” Rong Yushu finally released her. Seeing her looking unhappy, she slapped her on the back. She didn’t hold back; the force was significant. Had Lan Cixing not been diligent in her training, that slap would have sent her staggering. At the moment, it only blurred Lan Cixing’s hearing, preventing her from catching Rong Yushu’s words clearly.

Lan Cixing stood frozen, looking at Rong Yushu with eyes filled half with grievance and half with confusion. Rong Yushu’s sleeve was hooked by Lan Cixing’s disobedient finger, causing her to naturally turn back. Lan Cixing seemed to want to ask something but didn’t dare, using this awkward method to catch her attention.

Rong Yushu raised an eyebrow, and the finger dropped, returning peace to her sleeve. She didn’t bother answering, giving only a scoff to acknowledge her. But as she turned back, Rong Yushu caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. In Lan Cixing’s eyes, there was a hidden sliver of longing.

It was very, very shallow. Now that she was grown, Lan Cixing hid her desire well. Only Rong Yushu, who had interpreted her movements for years, could catch a glimpse of it. Rong Yushu turned her back to her again, her gaze darkening.

“I’m going to take a shower. Find a place to stay. Come over and give me a massage later.” It was only for a second. When she looked up to speak again, her tone was full of improper teasing.

“Okay.” Lan Cixing was like a dog incapable of getting angry; even after being played with, she nodded to show her goodwill. After thinking for a moment, she hurried out of the room to wash her hands at the open kitchen.

As she carefully rinsed them, Lan Cixing finally realized what that blurred sentence had been. Rong Yushu had spoken quite bluntly:

—You talk as if you’d actually mark me.

Surprisingly, Lan Cixing detected a hint of loneliness in it. Her hand-washing paused. It was true. she didn’t dare make another mistake. She didn’t dare mark her.

By the time Lan Cixing finished washing her hands, Rong Yushu naturally hadn’t finished her shower. Lan Cixing knew exactly how long she took. Most of the time, rather than washing, Rong Yushu seemed to be playing with the water. Even without a bathtub, she could play with the body wash and her own skin for quite a while.

Lan Cixing stood by the bedroom door, her conscience weighing on her. She didn’t even dare play with her phone, waiting blankly. But after only a few minutes, a warm fragrance smothered the scent of white tea, wafting into her nostrils and heating her entire face.

Lan Cixing turned her head. Water vapor hit her eyes, blurring the sight of Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu was nearly half a head shorter than her. From her downward angle, Lan Cixing could see the collarbone that hadn’t been dried yet. Droplets of water sat there, their outlines clear and distinct, making Rong Yushu’s pink-white skin look even more beautiful. Like moistened jade. To touch it with one finger would be to experience supreme bliss.

This was the charm of the last vixen immortal in the world.

Lan Cixing stared for a long time until a muffled laugh came from Rong Yushu’s throat. “Little cub. Still so fond of looking at me.” For however long Lan Cixing had stared at her collarbone, Rong Yushu had been staring into her eyes.

Lan Cixing’s eyes were special—gray-blue, looking impersonal, like frost or snow, impossible to read. In reality, they were very easy to understand. Usually crystal clear, most of her thoughts were written in the highlights. Even her staring had different interpretations. For instance, right now, she definitely wanted it.

“I’m sorry…” Lan Cixing closed her eyes and lowered her head. Unfortunately, there was no praise like there had been when she was eighteen.

Rong Yushu felt a sense of desolation and tugged at a strand of hair falling in front of Lan Cixing’s face. It was this hair that blocked their eye contact. Rong Yushu vented her irritation on the wine-red curls, twisting them as if she wanted to pull them out.

“Sister…” Lan Cixing looked up to plead for mercy, her eyes shimmering. Stooping and lowering her brow, she was in a posture of complete submission.

Rong Yushu’s fingertips were still hooked in that lock of hair. When Lan Cixing looked into her eyes, she only felt cold. Between gray-blue and emerald green, the former usually felt colder, but Rong Yushu’s green eyes often made one tremble with fear.

When Lan Cixing blinked again, Rong Yushu had let go and flopped onto the large, soft-looking bed. “Come massage me. Why are you standing there dazed?” After waiting two minutes without getting the hands she wanted, Rong Yushu lost her patience and turned her head to call her “stupid dog.”

Lan Cixing snapped out of it, ran over, and sat on the bed, but found herself with nowhere to put her hands. Rong Yushu was wrapped in nothing but a towel. It barely covered her body and hadn’t absorbed the surrounding water at all. As a result, Lan Cixing could see a droplet at the tip of her hair, one on her shoulder, and another further down. The crystal-clear water droplets on Rong Yushu’s skin were perfect works of art.

“Forgive the intrusion…” Lan Cixing took a deep breath and decisively unwrapped Rong Yushu’s towel.

There were many things she didn’t not want to do. She just didn’t dare. But Rong Yushu seemed to have been hinting at it for a long time. To continue being disobedient would be a lack of romantic awareness.

“…” Head buried, Rong Yushu shuddered, momentarily speechless. She thought this “stupid dog” wouldn’t unwrap it and would just massage her through it. That would have given her a reason to kick her—for being hopelessly stupid and constantly making her angry.

But now, Lan Cixing actually dared to be so offensive, removing her only cover without a word. Rong Yushu’s neck heated up, and even the tips of her ears turned red. She had probably forgotten: at the very beginning, Lan Cixing had been this bold.

Once, Rong Yushu jokingly invited her to shower together. Without a second thought, Lan Cixing took off her clothes and looked at her nakedly, her eyes shining. It forced Rong Yushu to set aside her shame and take the child into the bathroom to wash her.

It seemed the desensitization training of the past few days was quite effective. Under Rong Yushu’s constant offensive, Lan Cixing had relaxed slightly, slowly reverting to her old attitude.

As those hands landed on Rong Yushu’s waist and began a methodical massage, Rong Yushu truly trembled, her fingertips death-gripping the sheets. “Ngh…” She couldn’t even voice a reproach. She was incredibly sensitive; the tip of Lan Cixing’s hair brushing against her could stir ripples in her heart, let alone something this direct.

A massage. Lan Cixing was indeed massaging her. Her technique was professional, learned specifically for Rong Yushu. She did housework year-round, and her training was grueling; her fingers had calluses. Those hard calluses rubbed against Rong Yushu’s skin like the edge of a blade.

Rong Yushu shuddered wave after wave, her eyes welling with tears. She wanted to bite the sheet but found her breathing obstructed. Scolding words reached her lips only to be crushed.

A sudden pain hit Lan Cixing’s waist. She was kicked by Rong Yushu. She paused for a moment and then continued pressing further down. The massage was less than half finished. Was it because they hadn’t had contact in so long that Rong Yushu was this uncomfortable?

She really doesn’t like me, does she? Even if Lan Cixing did something, she would probably be seen as lacking romantic grace. If Rong Yushu knew what she was thinking, she probably would have received more than just a kick.

Seeing she couldn’t stop it, Rong Yushu buried her head completely. Fine sweat broke out on her neck, mingling with the undried water droplets, faintly emitting the scent of white tea. Her breathing was erratic. Waves of numbness surged up her spine.

Lan Cixing simply assumed she was hitting the right spots and continued. After being kicked a few more times, Lan Cixing stopped, suddenly realizing. “Do you want your feet massaged too?” Saying so, she gave them a squeeze. Her voice was calm, as if she were completely unaware of the effect she was having, or the sheer intimacy of the scene.

The corner of her eye was filled with apricot-pink, a vast white landscape emitting a warm fragrance, incredibly soft. Her peripheral vision was more modest than she was, quietly hiding back in her heart.

Lan Cixing caught Rong Yushu’s mischievous foot. This time, she wasn’t kicked. Instead, Rong Yushu grabbed a pillow and hurled it at her. She threw five in a row, and still unsatisfied, she kicked at her while covering herself with the bath towel.

Lan Cixing’s eyes were covered by the pillows; she saw nothing but knew Rong Yushu was angry again. She sat there with her eyes closed. Seeing her like this, Rong Yushu got even angrier. She raised her hand to strike, her eyes welling with pinkish tears. Ultimately reluctant, the strike turned into a pinch the moment it touched Lan Cixing’s face. She made whiny, angry sounds as she pinched.

Lan Cixing was dazed. It was the first time she had seen Rong Yushu like this. Before, no matter the situation, Rong Yushu was composed, treating the world like a game—leisurely and only giving a fraction of her emotions to anything. She was such a good actress that even if she had emotional fluctuations, they wouldn’t show. Lan Cixing thought nothing in the world could make Rong Yushu lose her composure.

She wanted to confirm if Rong Yushu was truly angry from shame. She quietly opened one eye. Apricot-pink and white filled her vision.

“You still dare to look!” Rong Yushu switched from pinching to slapping. She should have just given this “stupid dog” a real slap.

“I’m sorry!” Lan Cixing hurriedly closed her eyes and even leaned her face forward a bit, as if asking to be hit.

Rong Yushu’s arm trembled slightly, and she gave her a sharp slap. Then, grabbing her towel, she fled, the sound of the bathroom door slamming being very loud.

Lan Cixing remained with her head turned from the slap, slowly opening her eyes. Rong Yushu was gone. Whether it was shame or anger, she had missed it all during those closed eyes. Sitting on the bed, she slowly exhaled, her ears turning hot belatedly.

So, Rong Yushu’s trembling wasn’t from pain… it was from arousal. And Lan Cixing didn’t “give” it to her. Ashamed and angry, she had hit Lan Cixing several times.

By the time Rong Yushu had adjusted her emotions and left the bathroom, the “stupid dog” was no longer in the room. Rong Yushu took a deep breath. Only with someone she truly loved would she have such violent emotional fluctuations, to the point of losing composure. Her eyes were still red with shame. She slapped her cheeks hard, barely suppressing the uncomfortable feeling.

“You just now…” Rong Yushu walked to the door and, as expected, saw Lan Cixing standing guard. The pinch marks she left were still on Lan Cixing’s face. One look was enough to satisfy her; discarding her shame, she raised her hand and tapped the red marks she had made. Like an artwork—not one to be cherished, but one to be broken.

“I’ve learned my lesson.” Lan Cixing’s face was now truly red, bubbling with heat. Her reaction was a beat slow, and only now did she realize what she had done.

Seeing her red face, Rong Yushu forgot how pitiful she had just been. Her nail scraped the palm print on Lan Cixing’s face, pretending to admire it. “Being hit felt pretty good, didn’t it?” She gave a light laugh, her fox tail seemingly popping out again, swaying and making one’s eyes blur and ears turn red.

“No…” Lan Cixing didn’t dare admit it.

“Come inside and sleep with me, and I’ll continue to reward you.” Rong Yushu easily reclaimed the initiative, draping her arm over Lan Cixing’s shoulder and pinching her earlobe.

Lan Cixing remained in a state of deep crimson. Hearing this, she didn’t even dare look at Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu caught her hair and led her inward. Lan Cixing actually took one step forward. Just one step. Then she hurriedly pulled back. She had already made Rong Yushu unhappy; how could she commit another offense now? Lan Cixing wanted to protect her life.

“This isn’t good. You… you dislike me so much, you won’t sleep soundly with me beside you.” Lan Cixing raised her hand to gently clasp Rong Yushu’s wrist. It was her habitual way of pleading. Combined with her lowered brows and the moisture in her eyes, she looked like a wet puppy begging to go home. If she truly wanted to go home, how could Rong Yushu not agree? But the meaning of her words was the exact opposite.

Rong Yushu scoffed. After being so embarrassed tonight, she had invited Lan Cixing into her room. That was giving her a lot of face. Some people just don’t know how to take a hint. Rong Yushu let go, causing Lan Cixing to stumble.

“Then stay outside and stand guard for me all night. All night. If I catch you slacking off, then…” Rong Yushu left it at that, patted Lan Cixing’s pitiful cheek, and turned to slam the bedroom door.

The scent of white tea was cut off. The room temperature began to drop. Lan Cixing leaned against the door and took deep breaths, not noticing that the bedroom door wasn’t even locked. She actually started standing guard for Rong Yushu. As a bodyguard paid one yuan a month, this was indeed part of her duty. Lan Cixing had no complaints.

After an unknown amount of time, Lan Cixing took out her phone to check the time. The phone accidentally unlocked. The screen was still on the chat log with An Yu. Her finger slipped.

She clicked the “Dual Cultivation” invitation and entered the game.

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