"I'm tired. Can I go?" Ye Ziling looked at the darkening night outside the window, feeling inexplicably agitated.
Luo Yao stopped her, refusing, "No, you have to win at least three rounds before you can leave. Did Miss Ye forget?"
After speaking, the young girl yawned uncontrollably, rubbing her sore eyelids.
"I'm going to sleep first. Sweet dreams!" Luo Yao got up and walked out the door under their watchful eyes.
"It's getting late. I'm going to sleep too." Ye Ziling put down the cards in her hand and also stood up.
Ling Xi's brows furrowed slightly. He held the cards in his hand, still unwilling to let her go.
"You haven't won three rounds against me yet."
He said indifferently, his eyes fixed on her without blinking, as if he was sure she would lose.
Ye Ziling stopped in her tracks, turned back in annoyance, and sat back down opposite Ling Xi, pouring herself a cup of tea to stay alert.
She considered herself unlucky.
When she picked up the cards, she felt like the words had split into multiple bodies. Her eyelashes fluttered continuously, and she couldn't see the words clearly no matter how she looked.
Ling Xi looked at Ye Ziling's listless state and couldn't help but curve his lips, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.
"If you win three rounds against me, I'll let you go."
Ye Ziling pressed her brow, and the cards in front of her gradually became clearer.
Damn it, she felt like she was having the worst luck today, getting worse with each round.
"And if I lose?"
She had to go back to sleep, right?
Ye Ziling raised her eyes, a faint blush of intoxication appearing on her cheeks, a light flush spreading from her forehead to the roots of her ears, exuding an inexplicable allure.
Ling Xi's gaze sharpened, his eyes burning. He stared at her face, lost in thought for a moment before coming back to his senses.
"Spend the night with me."
As soon as the words fell, Ye Ziling almost threw her cards in his face.
Spend the night with him? Did she think of it that way?
Ling Xi looked at her eyes, which were gradually gathering a storm, a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes, the curve of his lips deepened, and his voice drew out, "Play cards with me all night, until dawn."
Ye Ziling secretly breathed a sigh of relief and tidied the cards on the table again.
Unconsciously, it was already midnight.
Incense curled, and the room was filled with the aroma of wine, mixed with an indistinct scent.
Ye Ziling leaned back against the chair, her eyes narrowed, as if asleep, yet not asleep.
Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and the air around her seemed to be constantly warming.
"What incense did you light?" Ye Ziling sniffed carefully, realizing that the room had been changed to a different incense at some point. Coupled with the intoxication, her mind was muddled.
"To calm the nerves." Ling Xi glanced at her, his gaze wandering over her face, his heart counting the time.
The cards and wine glasses on the table suddenly scattered on the floor, and she slumped onto the table, remaining silent for a long time.
Ling Xi looked at her face, his gaze deep. He stood up, walked to her side, looked down at her, and smiled, adding, "And, aphrodisiac."
The two supported each other, staggering into the room.
"It's fine to bring me this far... you can go." Ye Ziling felt a strange irritation, and her head grew heavier and heavier.
She pushed Ling Xi away, stumbling a few steps, almost falling to the ground.
Ling Xi, quick-handed, reached out and supported her.
Ye Ziling's body was weak, and she hung on him entirely. Ling Xi felt a fire burning fiercely in his chest.
"No wonder I lost every time. So you guys are in on it together..."
"Mu Heng... Mu Heng." Ye Ziling wanted to call Mu Heng to serve her, but after calling out several times, the room was quiet, and no one answered.
Ling Xi listened to the panting and calling in his ears, his eyes deep, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He lowered his eyes, looking at the person in his arms, who was drunk as a puddle. He seized the opportunity to speak, "Luo Yao and I have nothing."
"I ask you, are you still angry with me these past few days?"
"Or because of the cliff fall, you are still hesitant to accept me?"
Ye Ziling was truly scared.
If you hit a south-facing wall, you have to turn back. She always learned her lesson only once, and she couldn't afford to gamble a second time.
"Either don't ask... or ask a different question." Ye Ziling reached out and rubbed her forehead, feeling extremely sleepy.
Her head ached.
Ling Xi pursed his lips, placed his hands on her shoulders, and straightened her.
He looked at her, his eyes as deep as ink, and his thin lips parted, saying affectionately, "Do you like me?"
The night wind pushed open the window, messing up his dark, lustrous hair, reflecting rippling colors under the candlelight.
Ye Ziling struggled to open her blurry eyes. Seeing his handsome face so close, her heart skipped a beat.
She stared at him blankly, unsure how to respond.
"...So what if I do?"
As soon as she said this, an echo sounded in her mind. She felt like she had said this before.
Ling Xi looked at her face, a surge of joy rising in his heart. He swept her up in his arms, walked with great strides, and headed towards the bed.
"...What are you doing? Put me down." Ye Ziling struggled, her arms flailing wildly, hitting his shoulders.
"I'm afraid you'll go back on your word." Ling Xi carried her through layers of gauze curtains to the bedside.
"...What word?"
What debt did she have, other than her body, that she owed him?
He placed her on the bed, leaned over her, and pinned her beneath him, his voice hoarse, "A debt of love."
"No matter what's in heaven or on earth, we'll settle it clearly tonight."
At this moment, her clothes were half off, revealing a section of her fair, round shoulders. Her dark, lustrous hair cascaded down, contrasting with her skin as white as jade, making her breathtakingly beautiful.
Ling Xi leaned down and bit her neck gently.
The dust has settled, let's see how she escapes.
The next day, the sky began to break.
The morning sun shone into the room, illuminating the lingering, romantic scene. Ye Ziling rolled over and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
A ray of sunlight slanted into her eyes. She reached out to block it, her eyelids heavy, unable to open them.
A ticklish sensation reached her ears. Ye Ziling turned her head and saw Ling Xi propped beside her, playing with a strand of her black hair, his eyes smiling, his demeanor relaxed.
Ye Ziling's gaze shifted to his bare shoulders, her pupils contracting, and a vague sense of foreboding filled her heart.
Clothes were scattered all over the floor. A mere glance, and the scenes in her mind resurfaced.
And her body was completely bare. The red marks on her skin stung her eyes.
It's over, her chastity is lost.
Ye Ziling shuddered and suddenly pushed Ling Xi away, pulling the sheet higher to cover herself.
"Ling Xi, you..." Ye Ziling's fingertips trembled, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Where was her sword?
Ye Ziling looked around, trying to search for her long sword among the scattered clothes. However, as her emotions stirred, her head felt even dizzier.
She could only hold her forehead and take a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Ling Xi had anticipated her reaction. He hooked the corners of his lips and smiled meaningfully.
He sat up, his expression lazy and relaxed, propping his head with his hands. He said earnestly, "I have defiled Miss Ye's purity, and I apologize."
"Miss Ye has longed for my life for a long time and has been reluctant to accept it. Why not take a different approach and ask for a person?"
As soon as Ling Xi spoke, Ye Ziling's face instantly turned ashen, her teeth clenched in anger.