"Miss, Young Master Bai Yu is waiting for you on the terrace," Ye Ziling encountered several fairy maids waiting for her outside the wine cellar as soon as she emerged.
Ye Ziling nodded and walked directly to the terrace.
However, as soon as she arrived, she saw that the wine jars that had been neatly placed on the table were all smashed onto the ground, splashing wine everywhere.
A gust of wind blew past, bringing with it a rich aroma of wine.
She glanced at the traces of sword energy on the pillar beside her and the mess around, confirming that a fierce fight had just taken place here.
Ye Ziling recalled that they had discreetly exchanged blows in the wine cellar earlier, and surmised that they had started fighting again while she was away.
Her brow furrowed, and she felt a vague sense of unease. Fortunately, there were no bloodstains on the ground, suggesting neither of them was injured.
She couldn't help but wonder if Ling Xi had become so enraged simply because Bai Yu had set up a few illusion formations.
She needed to find a way to ease their relationship.
A gentle breeze gusted from behind her, making her skirt flutter. Ye Ziling turned around and saw a figure leaning casually against a pavilion pillar, gazing at her silently.
The night light was dim, making it difficult for her to discern his expression, but she sensed a hint of ferocity in his gaze.
Ling Xi's cheeks were slightly flushed, with a hint of hazy intoxication. His brows seemed to carry a stubborn resentment, his eyes held a trace of unwillingness, mingled with an undetectable grievance.
"Ling Xi, where is Bai Yu?"
Seeing him leaning motionlessly against the pillar, Ye Ziling asked him.
What was a perfectly ordinary tone, calling someone's name, was perceived by him as an interrogation.
The man's sword-like eyebrows knitted. He raised a hand to press his temples, then looked up at her, a strange depth in his eyes.
Bai Yu again.
Ling Xi opened his eyes, a murderous aura emanating from them.
His breathing was slightly rapid, his lips a shade redder, and a cold glint flickered in his eyes, making him appear more alluring than usual.
He suddenly strode towards her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her collarbone.
"It's always Bai Yu, don't you ask about me?" Perhaps due to the alcohol, his eyes were somewhat hazy. As his lips touched her collarbone, there was a soft coolness, carrying a strong scent of wine, which sprayed onto her neck.
His voice was somewhat husky as he spoke. Although his tone was forceful, a careful listener could detect a note of resentment and grievance.
Ye Ziling felt a stir within her, as if a fire was about to consume her. She could only close her eyes and recite a calming mantra.
"The people aren't all here yet, and you've started drinking by yourself?" Ye Ziling didn't push him away, standing still, letting him hold her.
"So what?" His chin rested on her shoulder, his nose close to her fair neck, repeatedly sniffing the scent of balloon flowers on her.
He found the scent very comforting.
As he sniffed, it felt as if she belonged to him.
A sudden, inexplicable impulse surged through him, along with the grievances of the past two days, and the emotions in his eyes overflowed to the extreme.
"Ling Xi..."
Sensing his hands roaming restlessly at her waist, Ye Ziling quickly pushed him away, only to be embraced by him again.
"Ye Ziling, do I need to take out my heart for you to see before you understand my feelings?"
After impulsively kissing her in the desert, he thought she would understand his feelings, but it seemed nothing had changed.
Coupled with the system's recent favoritism towards Bai Yu and her own attitude towards him, his heart was in turmoil.
Why did she never trust him, preferring to tell Bai Yu things instead of him?
After going through several life-and-death situations together, why did she still not trust him?
After a long wait, the person in his arms merely uttered a faint sentence, "Ling Xi, you are drunk."
His hand, clasped around her waist, tightened its grip, "Whether I'm drunk or not, I'm telling the truth."
Ye Ziling took a deep breath, her fingertips tightening their grip on her skirt.
The evening breeze carried a chill, rustling their clothes. The night was hazy, and the surroundings were quiet, so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
"It's getting late, let's go back to the room. We can discuss anything tomorrow," Ye Ziling found an excuse and pushed his chest away with both hands.
Her heart was also in disarray.
The hands on her waist gradually loosened, and soon released her.
Late?
Although Ling Xi was drunk, he wasn't so muddled as to mistake the time. It was only the hour of xu (7-9 PM), hardly late.
Was she trying to avoid the topic again?
Ye Ziling gently pushed him away. Just as she was about to turn, she was called back.
She paused, not looking back.
"Ye Ziling, look back."
Ling Xi leaned on the pillar with one hand, his eyes cast down, silently gazing at her. A firework was gently flickering in his hazy, dark eyes.
She turned back and saw him intently locking his gaze with hers, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Behind them, the paper lanterns, lit with candles, slowly rose into the night sky, illuminating the darkness behind them.
The candlelight reflected on his handsome face. He looked down at her, his dark, deep eyes focused and earnest.
"Ten thousand lights are burning for you alone." His voice rang out again, and his hazy eyes became exceptionally clear at this moment.
He could no longer restrain the impulse in his heart. With a few strides, he moved towards her and pulled her into his embrace.
He lowered his head, whispering in her ear, his lips lightly touching her earlobe, his hot breath falling on the skin behind her ear, making her body tremble.
"Or, what are you afraid of?" The low male voice seemed to pour directly into her ear, gradually becoming distinct.
Ye Ziling wanted to speak but hesitated. The bright lights behind her cast a hazy glow on her face, and the originally serene and beautiful countenance unknowingly showed emotion.
She felt as if she had been branded, and quickly pushed him away.
"Ling Xi..."
As soon as she pushed him away, her hands were pinned by him again, pressed against the pillar.
His heart was pounding. He gazed into her eyes, his gaze filled with tenderness, his fingertips caressing the cinnabar mole on her wrist. His voice was clear and gentle, with a hint of magnetism, "The red mole on your hand is hurting my eyes."
Seeing that Ye Ziling remained silent, Ling Xi, like a wild beast out of control, focused all his resentment on that red spot. He bit her cinnabar mole on her wrist until a sweet yet bloody taste spread in his mouth.
She grunted in pain but did not resist.
"Ye Ziling, I love you."
Bloodstains appeared at the corner of the man's lips. When he met her gaze, his eyes were filled with deep affection, causing her to pause for a moment.
She hadn't believed his confessions so many times before, but this time it seemed to be true.
He gently bit her lips, his mouth tracing and sucking along her beautiful lips. The bloodstains at the corners of his mouth adorned her red lips like lip gloss.
She could no longer control her own will, tipping her toes to kiss his Adam's apple.
-
Meanwhile, Bai Yu was trapped in the Hundred Beasts Formation outside the city. Due to the sheer number of demonic beasts, he was already panting heavily after cutting down the ninety-something beast.
Large beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He gasped for breath, leaning on his sword and staggering forward.
A strange voice echoed in his mind.
【System: Master Bai Yu! Don't resist me, Lord Ling doesn't want me anymore, I'm yours from now on!】
Bai Yu frowned, a fierce glint erupting in his eyes. As if losing his mind, he unleashed his swordsmanship chaotically, gritting his teeth and panting lightly, "What kind of demon are you? Get out of my mind immediately!"
【System: I'm not a demon, I'm here to help you, Master Bai Yu, don't resist me...】
"Ling Xi! Come out!" Bai Yu roared as if he had lost his mind.
Damn it, he shouldn't have provoked him on purpose.
Bai Yu gazed at the hundreds of strange beasts before him, his eyes growing cold.
He was truly impressed by the skill of taming beasts.
Due to Bai Yu's intense resistance, the system could not merge with him and was forced to be trapped in the White Beast Formation with him.
The system felt like crying without tears.
Ling Xi had deliberately lured Bai Yu to the outskirts, trapped him with the Hundred Beasts Formation, and incidentally, threw the system into the formation as well.
It seemed Lord Ling truly no longer wanted it.
【System: Wuwuwu, Lord Ling... I was wrong!】