Hua Ying lifted her gaze.
A shimmering watery light rippled within her crystal-clear eyes as she leaned forward, her long hair smooth as satin wafting in the breeze. A single strand brushed against Yan Zhao’s cheek, bringing a faint itch.
“Senior Sister, why are you being so silly?” She blinked slowly, giving a half-drunk, dreamy smile. “Of course, it’s… teaching by example.”
Hua Ying moved closer, her breath falling upon Yan Zhao’s face. She clung to the beautiful Senior Sister’s shoulders, her white robes slightly disheveled, looking like a gardenia blossom tempting someone to pluck it.
In the shifting light of her eyes, there seemed to be a bottomless abyss of attraction, beckoning one to sink within. Hua Ying tilted her head up and, with her eyes closed, pressed her lips against the corner of Yan Zhao’s mouth.
The scent of wine mingled with her breath, blossoming against the contact of skin on skin.
Yan Zhao froze, seemingly unable to react. Everything that had just happened replayed bit by bit in her mind. Her cultivation was much higher than Hua Ying’s; she could have easily stopped this drunken cat’s movements.
But she didn’t. In the end, she didn’t move.
Yan Zhao’s body temperature was perpetually low, and her lips were cool, like ice on a lake’s surface that had not yet fully melted in early spring.
The dazed Hua Ying seemed somewhat dissatisfied, frowning slightly as she worked hard to let her Senior Sister catch her own warmth. She poked out the tip of her tongue and very lightly licked the other woman’s lips.
Yan Zhao’s entire body went stiff, her long lashes trembling violently. A scorching heat quickly rushed to her fair face; it was hard to tell if it was from the delayed effects of the wine or from this intensely ambiguous kiss.
The rich fragrance of wine emanating from the little half-demon occupied all the air around her. In her daze, Yan Zhao felt as though she, too, had become intoxicated.
But it wasn’t over.
The girl took her lips into her mouth, licking them with gentle movements. It didn’t hurt; it brought a tingle of numbness, like a cat’s paw lightly scratching at the tip of one’s heart.
As the soft tip of the tongue pressed against Yan Zhao’s teeth, she heard Hua Ying’s blurred murmur: “Senior Sister, did I… teach well…”
Yan Zhao’s eyelashes flickered, and she instinctively moved her lips.
Into the cool lake water, an exceptionally nimble fish had suddenly darted. The fish’s tail swept through the tangled weeds at the bottom, sending ripples dancing across the surface.
The little half-demon’s kiss was not as submissive as her appearance suggested. While Yan Zhao was in a trance, Hua Ying aggressively plundered every scrap of air. The utterly foreign sensation caused Yan Zhao’s breathing to grow heavy despite herself.
At some point, the candlelight in the room had gone out.
In the boundless night, Yan Zhao panted softly, steadying her long-lost, violent heartbeat. Under the slanting shadows of the moon, the woman squinted her eyes, her cold, elegant features flushed with a trace of heat. Her already rosy, thin lips bore a faint glistening sheen, adding a touch of unintended seductiveness.
Meanwhile, the young girl who had wantonly stirred the waters of spring in her arms had already closed her eyes and fallen into a deep sleep.
In stark contrast to her surprisingly aggressive kissing style, the sleeping Hua Ying gripped Yan Zhao’s lapel with her fingers. Tucked into the hollow of Yan Zhao’s shoulder, her long, soft cat tail was curled into a tiny, obedient ball.
She was incredibly well-behaved.
Yan Zhao remained lost in thought for a long time.
She sat there, gazing at the bright moon outside the window. It seemed she thought of many things, yet also of nothing at all. How things had evolved to this point seemed impossible to trace.
Yan Zhao had never experienced matters of the heart, though she had seen plenty within the sect. Many years ago, when she was just old enough to remember, her Master also had a Dao companion. Then one day, that companion left the Liuyun Sect.
On that day, the Sect Leader who was usually indolent and seemed not to care about anything bought a vast amount of mortal wine. Yan Zhao had a good memory; she remembered encountering her drunken Master in the back mountains that night.
Her Master had patted her head, looked up at the moon, and smiled, saying: “Zhao’er, love is too bitter. When you grow up, you must never taste it.”
The Yan Zhao of that time didn’t understand, but the Yan Zhao of now felt she finally did, somewhat. Unknowingly, she had grown used to the little half-demon quietly invading her life.
And she didn’t hate it.
Is this what love is?
Yan Zhao looked at the soundly sleeping Hua Ying beside her. Borrowing the moonlight leaking through the window, she reached out and brushed her fingers against the girl’s slightly reddened lips.
But Master… I think it feels a bit sweet.
Perhaps because the quality of the top-tier spiritual wine was too good, the quality of Hua Ying’s sleep was multiplied. She opened her eyes, feeling refreshed and energetic.
Ah, another day full of vitality!
The System spoke gloomily: Honey, do you still remember what happened last night?
“What?” Hua Ying blinked in confusion.
Last night… oh right, her Senior Sister won the Sect Competition. She had specifically prepared top-tier spiritual wine and chosen the perfect time and place to create a little romance. And then…
The System added disdainfully: And then you tried to get her drunk but ended up passing out first.
Hua Ying’s face turned red with embarrassment.
“That… the process isn’t important,” she waved her hand, acting bold despite her lack of confidence. “We focus on the results!”
Finally remembering that kiss scented with wine, Hua Ying’s eyes sparkled: “Look, didn’t we end up ‘boppo-ing’ in the end anyway!”
Uuuu, we kissed! Rounded up, that means Senior Sister and I have already formed a Dao Companion Covenant. Thank you!
System: [?]