Her silk nightdress slipped off as they tugged at it.
Qin Chuxia's mind went blank, and her breathing quickened instantly.
She was no sheltered little girl. In Magic City's world of money and status, what hadn't she seen?
Yet before Chen Lin, the composure and confidence she prided herself on crumbled completely.
"Brother Chen..." Her voice trembled.
"What did you call me?" Chen Lin lowered his head, his lips brushing her ear. His warm breath sent shivers through Qin Chuxia.
"You..." Qin Chuxia was so embarrassed she wanted to bury her face in the covers, but the fiery streak in her nature made her stubbornly meet him halfway. She wound both arms around his neck. "Chen Lin... you bastard..."
"This bastard can be even worse."
Chen Lin wasted no more words. In that moment, all restraint and tenderness gave way to direct action.
Spiritual power flowed through their meridians, without the restraint of their usual cultivation. Instead, it surged in a rough entanglement that shattered Qin Chuxia's last defenses.
Tears streamed down Qin Chuxia's face.
Not from pain, but because the emotions bottled up for so long had finally found an outlet.
From Chen Lin saving her from death's clutches, through all the complications afterward, to tonight's all-or-nothing bid to throw herself into his arms.
She didn't want that distant, unattainable immortal adviser. She wanted the man before her-real, commanding, and tender.
"Chuxia."
Chen Lin's voice grew hoarse.
That night, the spiritual energy outside the formation seemed to sense the intense fluctuations within the room. It surged wildly toward the Main Courtyard, forming an enormous vortex above the courtyard house that lingered for a long time.
Morning.
Sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, scattering patches of light across the bed.
Qin Chuxia curled up in Chen Lin's