"You bastard, what's going on between you and Fu'er?" Huang Rong's voice held a trace of restrained reproach, yet was filled with helplessness. She knew this young man had long since wrapped her around his little finger.
Lin Xuan chuckled softly. His laughter sounded beside her ear, laced with a hint of playful mischief. "This disciple wouldn't dare. I just think Senior Sister is so innocent and carefree that she needs someone to look after her properly. I should take on more of that responsibility."
His hand began to wander. It moved slowly up from her smooth, supple belly, gliding over her graceful curves until it came to rest, gentle yet unmistakably firm, on her full, ample, proudly lifted breasts.
"Mmm..." A satisfied moan escaped Huang Rong's lips, and her body instantly went limp. She turned around and raised her misty, beautiful eyes to look directly into Lin Xuan's.
"Tell me honestly: what exactly are your intentions toward Fu'er?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Lin Xuan gazed at her, his deep eyes now filled with sincere, fervent affection. He did not answer her question. Instead, he bent down and silenced her with a domineering yet passionate kiss.
The kiss was so heated, so lingering, and so irresistibly possessive. His tongue roughly pried open her teeth and surged inside, instantly devouring every last bit of Huang Rong's reason and every question she had meant to ask.
Under his kiss, Huang Rong quickly melted, her body turning soft and feverish. She wrapped both arms around Lin Xuan's neck and eagerly returned his kiss, turning all her jealousy and unease into the most primal desire.
He roughly tore open her silk nightclothes, revealing her flawless body, gleaming with an ivory sheen in the candlelight.
Their two feverish bodies intertwined tightly as they fell onto the soft bed.
The temperature in the bedchamber rose rapidly, and the air itself seemed intoxicating.
Lin Xuan's kisses fell over Huang Rong's every inch like a raging storm, from her dazzling lips to her delicate collarbone, then to her high, firm breasts, pale and full as white jade.
He took one rosy bud into his mouth, gently rubbing and sucking it with his tongue and teeth. Huang Rong completely lost herself, letting out broken, bewitching gasps. Her sounds were the sweetest music, played for Lin Xuan alone.
Her body blossomed before him like a ripe fruit, holding nothing back as she let him pluck and possess her.
He parted her long, supple legs and aimed his already iron-hard, scorching desire at that slick, mysterious garden.
Without the slightest hesitation, he thrust his hips and drove himself fully into the deepest part of her tight, warm body.
"Ah!"
Huang Rong let out a satisfied, tearful cry. It was the utmost pleasure of body and soul reaching their peak together, and she was completely lost in it, unable to pull herself free.
She clung tightly to Lin Xuan, her long legs winding around his waist like vines as she eagerly met every powerful thrust.
The room filled with the sound of bodies colliding, along with her uncontrollable moans, mingling pain and pleasure. Beneath him, her body was like a small boat on a raging sea, tossed again and again to the crest of the waves.
"Xuan'er..." she pleaded softly in his ear, her voice hoarse and alluring.
Just as they were entwined in the throes of passion, on the verge of reaching the clouds—
Guo Fu's innocent, carefree face appeared in Huang Rong's mind once more, the way she had depended on Lin Xuan that day.
A sharp, indescribable ache and resentment surged up in her heart again.
She abruptly opened her eyes. A glimmer of clarity flashed through her dazed gaze. Panting, she summoned all her strength and spoke into Lin Xuan's ear in a tone that was almost commanding, yet full of pleading:
"Xuan'er... you... you have to promise me... You have to take good care of Fu'er... Don't bully her..."
Uttering those words seemed to drain all her strength. This was her last, most humble request as a mother. She tried to balance her guilt this way, to prove to herself that even as she surrendered to passion, she still cared about her daughter.
At her words, Lin Xuan's movements suddenly paused. Then an even wilder force burst from his waist as he exerted all his strength and drove himself into her again, deep and hard.
"Ah—!"
Huang Rong let out a piercing scream, filled with the most extreme pain and pleasure. Her body went taut like a fully drawn bow, then trembled violently before collapsing completely.
Lin Xuan bent down, his feverish lips against her ear. In a low, hoarse voice filled with absolute possessiveness, he spoke each word clearly:
"Master... don't worry..."
Every pause was accompanied by a deeper, harder thrust, making Huang Rong's body rock helplessly like a small boat battered by a storm.
"You and your daughter..."
He thrust hard.
"I..."
Another blow plunged deep into her soul.
"Will... take... good... care... of... both... of... you..."
As the last word fell, he let out a low growl and poured the scorching essence he had held back into the deepest part of her body.
Flirting with His Wife Right in Front of Yue Buqun
Guo Mansion study.
Lin Xuan sat behind the desk, reading an old Daoist text.
A maid announced softly, "Young Master Lin, Sect Leader Yue and Heroine Ning of the Mount Hua Sect have come to bid you farewell."
Lin Xuan set down the book and slowly rose, a smile appearing on his face. "Please, show them in."
A moment later, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze entered side by side.
Yue Buqun still wore a scholarly blue robe. His lean face was framed by a long beard, his steps steady, and his expression carried the flawless, amiable smile of a gentleman.
Ning Zhongze had changed into a well-fitted, pale purple dress. Its understated color made her skin seem even fairer and her bearing more graceful and dignified.
Her figure was full and shapely. As she walked, she carried the quiet, refined charm unique to a mature woman. Her waist was slender, her curves graceful, and her hips rounded. Her steps were light and springy. Though she no longer had the youthful, bright charm of her girlhood, she was like fine wine carefully aged over the years, growing richer and more intoxicating with every taste. Her lovely, gentle face still bore the pallor of someone recovering from a serious illness. That delicate, sickly beauty only made her more captivating and inspired an instinctive tenderness.
"Sect Leader Yue, Heroine Ning." Lin Xuan cupped his hands, his manner modest and his gaze clear. "Your injuries haven't healed yet. Why not rest for a few more days? You're leaving in such a hurry; I'm afraid I haven't been a very good host."
Yue Buqun laughed heartily and waved a hand. "Young Master Lin, you're too kind. My wife and I have already imposed on you for many days, and we feel ashamed of it. Now that Xiangyang has won a great victory and the Wolf Riders have been slain, our Mount Hua Sect still has many affairs to handle. We dare not stay any longer. We've come today especially to thank you for saving my wife's life!"
As he spoke, he gave Lin Xuan a deep, solemn bow.
Ning Zhongze also gathered her sleeves and bowed. She raised her clear, limpid eyes to meet Lin Xuan's, her gaze full of sincere gratitude and a complicated emotion she could hardly name.
"Young Master Lin, you showed great virtue. Had you not come to my aid in my hour of danger, Zhongze would have become a lingering spirit in Yan Hui Valley. The Mount Hua Sect will never forget this great kindness." Her voice was gentle and melodious, like a clear mountain stream. It carried the weakness of someone recovering from illness, which only made her more endearing.
Lin Xuan quickly stepped forward and raised his hands to stop them from bowing so deeply. "Sect Leader Yue, Heroine Ning, please, you mustn't! With our land in peril, people of the same path should help one another. Heroine Ning was injured fighting the Mongol Yuan forces. Saving her was only my duty. There's no need to speak of a debt."
His words were modest and perfectly measured. Yue Buqun secretly nodded, rating the young man even more highly for his calm and composure.
Ning Zhongze's gaze, however, lingered for a moment on Lin Xuan's deep eyes. Seeing their clarity and candor, she felt some of the shame born from their naked closeness in the cave begin to fade. Yet in its place, a more secret, more turbulent tide of emotion rose within her.
Once again, the scene from that day came unbidden to her mind.
She had lain naked and defenseless in his arms, letting his large, scorching hands roam and knead every inch of her skin. It had been more than treatment for her injuries; it had been a forceful kind of possession. He had explored and measured every intimate part of her in the most direct way, from her ample breasts to her long legs, leaving nothing untouched. The contradiction of pain and overwhelming pleasure, etched into her very bones, was something she had never experienced before.
It had left its mark not only on her body but on her soul.
Late at night, when all was quiet, she could almost feel that domineering yet warm Pure Yang True Qi still lingering inside her, flowing slowly through her meridians. Even as it made her feel full of strength, it constantly reminded her of that disorienting "treatment."
She knew it was wrong. She was a married woman and the revered Huashan Jade Maiden. Yet whenever she saw Lin Xuan or heard his voice, her body instinctively remembered the sensation of being utterly conquered and completely controlled by him. A strange, tingling ripple would rise in her heart.
"In any case, I can hardly repay the kindness of saving my life," Yue Buqun said solemnly. He took an exquisite jade bottle from his robes and held it out. "This is our Mount Hua Sect's secret Purple Cloud Pill. Though it cannot bring the dead back to life or regrow flesh and bone, it is quite effective at strengthening Internal Energy and restoring the spirit. It's only a small token of our gratitude. I hope you won't refuse it."
Lin Xuan knew this was a gesture of goodwill, so he accepted without further protest. "Since it's a gift from Sect Leader Yue, I'll accept it."
The three of them exchanged a few more pleasantries. Yue Buqun spoke of the state of the martial world with many sighs, displaying the "gentleman's" concern for the country and its people.
Lin Xuan listened with a smile, occasionally agreeing with a word or two. His gaze, however, kept meeting Ning Zhongze's by chance.
Each time their eyes met, Ning Zhongze lowered hers in a fluster, like a startled fawn. Two intoxicating blushes rose on her cheeks, and even her ears turned translucent. The unrestrained shyness added a touch of youthful charm to her dignified, gentle bearing.
Lin Xuan smiled to himself. He knew this ripe fruit already bore his mark. All he needed was the right moment to pluck her from Yue Buqun's crooked tree for good.
As it grew late, Yue Buqun rose to take his leave.
Ning Zhongze, however, suddenly spoke, her voice gentle but carrying a hint of determination that would not be refused. "Young Master Lin, before we part, would you allow me to... personally pour you a cup of tea, to express at least a little of my gratitude?"
The request was perfectly reasonable, yet it carried a hint of something unusual.
Given her position, personally serving tea to a junior was a great honor.
Yue Buqun was slightly taken aback, but then stroked his beard and smiled. "My junior sister means well. Very well indeed. Young Master Lin is a hero among the younger generation and deserves such respect." He gave it no further thought, taking it as his wife's way of showing gratitude.
A knowing smile flickered in Lin Xuan's eyes. He nodded. "Since it's Heroine Ning's wish, how could I refuse?"
He led them to a small tea room connected to the study, quieter and more elegant than the main room.
The tea room was simply furnished: a low table, a few meditation cushions, and swaying bamboo shadows outside the window, giving the place a hint of Zen.
Ning Zhongze had shed the awkwardness she'd shown earlier. Kneeling before the low table, she held herself with elegant fullness. Her posture made her rounded hips look even more shapely and lifted, radiating the unique charm of a mature woman.
She took out a fine set of purple clay teaware and began brewing tea for Lin Xuan.
Her movements were graceful and practiced, flowing like water and pleasing to the eye.
Warming the cups, adding the leaves, pouring the water, smelling the fragrance... Every step revealed the fine upbringing of a noblewoman and a serene, far-reaching state of mind.
The tea's delicate fragrance soon filled the little room.
Yue Buqun watched from the side with a satisfied smile, as though showing off his virtuous, well-mannered wife. He began speaking at length about the art of tea, from where the leaves were grown to the choice of water and the control of the heat, citing texts and demonstrating his supposed "expertise."
Lin Xuan simply watched Ning Zhongze, his gaze focused and warm.
He admired her beauty in that moment.
It was a beauty stripped of all artifice, simple and true. Her eyes were lowered, long lashes casting faint shadows on her cheeks. Her expression was focused and devout.
Those jade-white hands, once wielded to fight enemies with a sword, now moved deftly among the tea utensils, fingers delicate as orchids, wrists fair as snow.
She seemed not merely to be making tea, but performing a sacred ritual.
At last, the first cup of amber-colored tea was poured into a pale blue tasting cup.
Ning Zhongze lifted the cup with both hands, stood, and walked slowly over to Lin Xuan. She bent her knees slightly and held the cup at eyebrow height.
"Young Master Lin, please have some tea."
Her voice was as soft as a dream. Seen through the rising steam, her clear eyes seemed even more moist and misty.
Lin Xuan did not immediately take the cup.
He simply watched her, his unfathomable eyes seeming to swirl like a vortex, ready to draw in her very soul.
Yue Buqun was absorbed in the atmosphere of a "master of tea" he had created. With his eyes half-closed, he savored the fragrance filling the room and did not notice anything amiss.
Lin Xuan seized that brief opening.
He leaned slightly forward toward Ning Zhongze, who stood before him with dignified composure. Lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear, he spoke slowly, each word carrying a warm, resonant quality:
"Heroine Ning, when I treated your injuries in the cave that day, I discovered an old ailment in your body. Though I cleared it along with the cold poison, your vital energy has still been weakened. The journey ahead is long; please take good care of yourself."
His words flowed like a warm current into Ning Zhongze's heart. Touched, she was about to thank him when his tone suddenly changed, turning more intimate and direct.
"If..." Lin Xuan's gaze grew heated and intent, as if he could see straight into her soul. "I mean, if you feel unwell or have something troubling you that you can't resolve, you can always send me a private letter."
He paused. Each word was like a stone tossed into the lake of her heart, sending out ripples. Finally, in a tone almost like a sigh, he uttered the four most devastating words:
"Lin Xuan... will always think of you."
Ning Zhongze's mind went blank, as if struck by a thunderbolt.
"Always think of you..."
The words were like a spell, echoing over and over in her ears. They left her dizzy, a peculiar tingling sensation rushing through her entire body.
That was far beyond the concern a man who had saved someone's life should show a patient!
This was... this was...
She dared not think further. Her cheeks felt so hot they might catch fire.
She abruptly raised her head and met Lin Xuan's unfathomable eyes. There wasn't the slightest hint of frivolity in them, only unwavering earnestness, concern, and a profound affection she dared not examine too closely.
Was he concerned about her health—and also... her heart?
"Something troubling you that you can't resolve..."
Had he seen through her? Had he seen that the respect between her and her senior brother had long since become an empty shell? Had he seen the loneliness and sorrow deep inside her, things no one else could understand?
While her thoughts were in turmoil, Lin Xuan reached out and took the teacup from her hands in what seemed a natural motion.
Yet as he took the cup, he deliberately and gently brushed a fingertip across the back of her trembling hand.
The touch was as soft as a feather, yet burned with a heat that could set the world ablaze.
Ning Zhongze's delicate body shuddered, as if struck by a silent bolt of lightning. The teacup nearly slipped from her hands, but Lin Xuan caught it steadily.
"Excellent tea. Thank you, Heroine Ning." Lin Xuan's voice returned to its normal volume, as though the private words and improper touch had never happened. Holding the cup, he gave Yue Buqun, who had just opened his eyes, a slight nod. His expression was composed and gentlemanly.
"Junior Sister, what's wrong? Why are your hands shaking so much?" Yue Buqun asked in surprise. He turned and cupped his hands to Lin Xuan. "Please forgive her, Young Master Lin."
Ning Zhongze jolted, rousing herself from her overwhelming shame and racing heartbeat. She didn't dare look at Lin Xuan or contradict her husband. She simply lowered her head in a fluster, her lovely face so red it seemed ready to drip blood.
She fled back to her seat, but her heart pounded like a drum being struck wildly, as though it might leap right out of her chest.
Before you continue