Chapter 100 – Station 23: Private Territory

Chapter 100 - Station 23: Private Territory

Surprisingly, the kiss ended quickly.

It was brief, like a fleeting touch of a crescent moon in a pool of water by chance.

Only their close breathing remained scorching hot.

Yet, the entire act… was not something one would expect Ming Yiyang to do with such elegance.

Even Ming Yiyang attempting to bite his lips felt more normal to Yan Qiling than this sudden withdrawal.

"Surprised?"

The young man easily caught the flash of astonishment on the other's face and let out a hoarse chuckle,

"There's no need, am I a pervert?"

Yan Qiling didn't know how to respond to such a question. He had never liked making others uncomfortable, even if it was Ming Yiyang.

The young man also kept an eye on the commotion outside and whispered,

"Do you think they've left?"

This was something Yan Qiling could respond to, so he tried to even out his tone and skillfully concealed the previous unexpected incident with an emotionless voice:

"Probably..."

However...

His slightly parted lips were once again covered by that scorching heat, this time with an irresistible intensity that danced wildly between them!

Yan Qiling's first instinct was to grab the other person's neck and pull him away from his face with great force, as if the man had suddenly fallen ill!

Silver threads clung between them as they struggled, and with his amethyst eyes shimmering like diamonds, the young man grinned rebelliously. Gasping for breath, he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"I am."

"What?"

The smile that spread across Ming Yiyang's handsome face was almost wicked as he whispered like a devil flapping its wings:

"I'm a pervert."

His fingers delved deeply into the black hair, styled with hairspray, of the man before him. With a sudden jerk, he pulled the man close, ignoring the tightening pressure on his neck as he once again pressed his lips against the other's soft, crimson ones.

"It's just a French kiss, I can do it."

The overwhelming love in his heart, almost suffocating, pressed down on his chest, mirroring the constriction of his breath.

This pressure brought him a painful yearning, a scorching burn like molten lava, and an utter indulgence in anything this person before him might do, tinged with a death-defying tenderness.

He would be content for Yan Qiling to end his life at this very moment.

Because he had never experienced such a complex, yet utterly joyful sensation.

If he could die in this moment, he would be happy.

At least when he died, he wouldn't be an empty shell.

But more like a person.

Living with flesh and blood, just like a human.

And then, dying.

Perfect—there was no better opportunity for death.

Ming Yiyang grew even more audacious. With his neck choked, he kissed as if savoring the last bit of sweetness in his palm, sticky and clingy.

Suddenly, the pressure around his neck lessened, replaced by countless crimson threads that entangled him!

His limbs were abruptly bound tightly by these heavyweights. The red threads yanked him apart, mercilessly throwing him against the stone wall of the artificial mountain!

A sudden pain surged through his back, soon turning into sharp stabs, especially where the stones had struck him.

For a few seconds, Ming Yiyang felt his body stiffen, but he quickly regained composure. He straightened his back in the empty grotto and let out a low laugh.

Violet-hued eyes kindled with a brilliant flame.

He was certain.

He desired Yan Qiling.

Everything about this person, he wanted it all.

Kissing was but the slightest fraction of it; he craved much more.

With crimson threads swirling around him, Qiling remained as stoic as a stone sculpture:

"This is a one-time exception, never to be repeated."

His tone carried an icy chill, an unusually stern demeanor rarely seen.

In his heterochromatic eyes, a cold critique lurked, seemingly reprimanding his unseemly actions and overly audacious gaze.

"And if I were to say no?"

Ming Yiyang gazed at the faint moisture on the other's slightly open lips, curving the corners of his mouth:

"How much more do you want to do? What will you do about it?"

The space within the artificial mountain was too confined.

It allowed him to take just a few steps to stand before Yan Qiling, using his height advantage to envelop the person entirely in the shadow he cast.

"Are you going to kill me?"

He asked with a smile, taking the other's hand and shaping it into a choking gesture, placing it around his own neck:

"Go ahead."

Supporting himself with his arm on the artificial mountain behind the other, he arched his back and leaned forward, with the resolve of a moth drawn to a flame, once again covering those crimson lips.

His sharp teeth pierced the lower lip, but Ming Yiyang remained indifferent.

Amidst the kiss, infused with a pungent scent of blood, he even sensed a distorted kind of concern.

He reveled in the barely concealed fury and impatience, carefully preserving these rare emotions that the other rarely displayed to outsiders, sealing them with a kiss.

Then, he was met with a solid punch square in the face, the force of it making his teeth rattle.

Yan Qiling calmly pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, turning his head to wipe the blood from his lips.

His indifferent, abstinent demeanor only fanned the flames of desire, igniting a longing to conquer in anyone who laid eyes upon him.

Using his thumb to wipe away the blood from the corner of his mouth, Ming Yiyang had to admit that he was indeed a wicked soul.

Seeing this seemingly pure and untainted coldness,

His thoughts didn't turn to protection or cherishment, but rather, complete possession.

It was hard to tell if Yan Qiling had held back with that punch; his teeth remained intact, but his tongue had been inadvertently grazed, leaving a metallic tang quickly spreading in his mouth.

He turned his head to spit out the blood, his gaze on the other fluctuating like a purplish fog over the coastline at night.

Folding the handkerchief, Yan Qiling pressed it gently to his lips, feeling his tongue grow numb from the suction.

He made a conscious effort to avoid dwelling on what had just transpired.

Equally, he tried not to ponder why he hadn't immediately killed Ming Yiyang but instead chose to push him away with restraint.

If he were to scrutinize every detail of those few minutes that had passed, Yan Qiling knew it would significantly disrupt their plan.

To have the chance to return to the human world was already a great fortune.

To crave for emotions on top of that would only be greed, leading to self-destruction.

Putting those matters aside, he flawlessly maintained an equilibrium in his emotional fluctuations.

He said, "It's time to find Si Shuhao. She is the reason we came here in the first place. Fulfill your duty, Ming Yiyang."

The young man had experienced both sweetness and pain, realizing that persistence would only yield counterproductive results.

He pretended to be obedient, deliberately adopting a subservient demeanor:

"Very well, we'll go see her right away."

-

Navigating was always Ming Yiyang's forte, but locating someone required the use of the matching bracelets.

Both of them possessed their own stealth techniques, allowing them to walk through the deserted courtyard without attracting any attention.

The matching bracelets led them to that secluded little courtyard.

However, the scene they encountered was not quite what they had anticipated.

Si Shuhao, bound and gagged, and Liao Xinya, stripped of her coat, knelt on the ground. The butler, Xi Yi, turned around amidst the flickering torches, lifting the silver vine-patterned bracelet, skillfully placing it over his insincere smiling mask:

"…Mr. Yan."

The man illuminated by the firelight stepped out from the shadows. His beautiful, contrasting eyes gazed at Si Shuhao.

Si Shuhao wore an awkward smile. "I'm sorry, we lost."

"Lost? Because of him?"

The voice that replied was like the tinkling of golden jade, clearly belonging to Yan Qiling.

Yet, he hadn't uttered a single word throughout.

The servants raised their torches mechanically, illuminating another figure standing amidst the crowd—Yan Qiling.

They stood facing each other.

One donned a long, narrow-sleeved robe, its black silk smooth as water, adorned with gray bamboo motifs that subtly emerged under the light, exuding extraordinary demeanor.

The other wore a traditional Chinese round-necked robe, rich in dark red with a long hem, accompanied by jingling accessories and a flowing hair ribbon, exuding charm and elegance.

The most apparent distinction lay in the hue of their eyes.

Left crimson, right sapphire.

Both irises a serene cerulean.

Xi Yi seemed genuinely intrigued, glancing around in wonder. However, before he could utter a word, Yan Qiling, attired in traditional Chinese garb, casually severed his means of communication:

"I've been waiting for ages. Why did you take so long? The person I was looking for has been spared. Not a single one of these fools could hinder me."

It was evident that this remark was directed at Yan Qiling himself.

With those words, a tiny golden orb emerged from his mouth.

Etched on its surface were weathered ancient patterns, intricate scrolls of clouds densely covering the orb. Faint red glimmers intermingled amidst the golden radiance.

In the blink of an eye, the Tang-costumed Yan Qiling and the golden orb vanished from everyone's sight like a grand magic trick!

Those who had never witnessed such a scene were clueless about what had transpired, but Si Shuhao and Ming Yiyang perceived it differently.

They had once seen that golden orb.

But the master it had acknowledged was long ago devoured by greedy monsters, leaving not even skin and bones behind...

Ming Yiyang gazed at the man with an expression as calm as still waters.

A peculiar, inconceivable thought faintly stirred in his heart.

The upheaval had left Xi Yi deeply frustrated. His fake smile almost cracked, but Yan Qiling nonchalantly reminded him:

" Butler Xi Yi, mind your demeanor."

Only then did he manage to maintain that expression, gritting his teeth as he announced:

"Madame invites everyone to the Shou'an Hall for a response!"

Yan Qiling didn't seem like a prisoner being escorted but rather a distinguished guest visiting the household's master. He spoke calmly:

"Kindly show us the way."

Xi Yi's stern expression suggested he intended to teach them a lesson, but the shackles he brought were instantly shattered into pieces under Yan Qiling's grip, rendered useless.

Xi Yi had no choice but to abandon his intimidating plan.

Although he maintained an air of solemnity on the surface, the suppressed frustration around him was noticeable to anyone with a keen sense of observation.

"Ming Yiyang, where's Lin Yongjian?"

During the journey, Ming Yiyang inquired, having noticed that Lin Yongjian was missing.

Yan Qiling didn't hide the truth:

"He'll return during the day to avoid being killed."

"So what was your original plan? I have a feeling that the number of people Xi Yi intended to kill doesn't add up."

"You're right."

The man stepped through the moon gate with a composed tone:

"Our original plan was for the Wen family to send four representatives, while we would keep five here. That way, the rules would target us, making their journey to the Wen family safer. Apparently, someone has returned, adding another person to our side."

Ming Yiyang raised an eyebrow slightly:

"Was it Lin Yongjian?"

Yan Qiling shook his head, his eyes as cool as a tranquil pond:

"It was Yu Kui."