“I can hold Yibao, and even steadier than you.”
“Sigh~”
Luoli let out a helpless sigh and walked steadily toward the sleeping quarters, the two in her arms—one obediently resting against her shoulder, the other still sulking softly—like two clingy little beasts.
After a short while, when Luoli pushed open the bedroom doors, the charcoal in the brazier was crackling warmly, sending just the right amount of heat into the icy floor.
She gently placed the two onto the soft couch covered with snowy white fox fur, then turned to the corridor to fetch the tray of gilded dragon’s milk.
The jade cup was still steaming, its milky white liquid carrying a faint, sweet scent.
“Yibao drinks first.” Luoli had just brought the cup to Yiyi’s lips when Lilia reached out and snatched it away, her fingers toying with the rim as she teased: “I’ll help Yibao taste if it’s too hot first.”
Yiyi puffed out her cheeks and tried to snatch it back, her little feet wrapped in white silk kicking twice on the couch.
“I can taste it myself! Don’t take mine!”
But Lilia refused to give it back, lowering her head for a gentle sip before handing the cup back, her eyes sparkling mischievously: “It’s not hot, Yibao, hurry and drink.”
But because the bloodkin are especially sensitive to sweets—just a hint makes them nauseous—as soon as Lilia swallowed that sip of warm dragon’s milk, her expression changed slightly.
She gripped the rim of the cup, suppressing the discomfort in her throat, but couldn’t help but frown, the crimson in her eyes dimming a shade.
“Your Highness, bloodkin can’t eat things like this.”
Luoli spoke just as she took out a gleaming white blood vial from the tray below.
The bottle gleamed with a cold luster, inside was specially refined blood essence for the bloodkin.
She strode quickly to the couch, offering the vial to Lilia with worried eyes: “Your Highness, please drink this to suppress it. The sweetness of dragon’s milk is too much for you.”
“This doesn’t taste good. If I’m going to drink anything, it should be… Yibao’s, shouldn’t it? Hehe~”
The moment Lilia said this, the air in the bedroom stilled.
Yiyi’s hands holding the cup froze, her cheeks flushing scarlet in an instant, the tips of her ears turning feverish pink.
Puffing up, she glared back, her voice soft and anxious: “Lilia, what nonsense are you saying!”
But Lilia only smiled even more slyly, the light dancing in her crimson eyes as she leaned closer, her nose almost touching Yiyi’s blushing cheek: “I’m not talking nonsense at all. Yibao’s blood tastes so much better than this.”
As she spoke, she even licked the corner of her lips on purpose, making Yiyi shrink back at once, her feet wrapped in white silk kicking on the couch again, nearly spilling her cup of dragon’s milk.
Luoli, standing at the side, also felt her ears quietly redden, and hurriedly cleared her throat to break the tension: “Your Highness, please drink the blood vial to settle your stomach, or it’ll get worse soon.”
She pushed the blood vial toward Lilia again.
But Lilia didn’t take it.
Instead, she reached out and gently held Yiyi’s wrist, her fingers brushing against Yiyi’s warm skin as she spoke softly: “Then feed me, Yibao, and I’ll drink it.”
“I’m not doing that! You drink it yourself.”
“Then I’ll just have to… bite~ you~ instead~!”
Lilia drawled out her words, her tone wrapped in sly laughter as she purposely leaned toward Yiyi’s neck.
Warm breath brushed her skin, making Yiyi shrink her neck immediately.
The dragon’s milk wobbled, spilling a tiny pearl of milk onto the snowy fox fur—a little bead of white.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
Yiyi shrank away, her little feet in white silk kicking again on the couch, cheeks red enough to bleed.
“Luoli is still here!”
Luoli, standing nearby, her ears still tinged pink, sensibly coughed twice: “This subordinate… this subordinate will wait outside for now. Once Your Highnesses are finished, I… I’ll come back in.”
With that, she retreated, quietly closing the doors behind her and sealing all the sweetness inside.
As the doors clicked shut, the smile in Lilia’s eyes deepened.
She pulled Yiyi closer into her embrace, her long silvery hair falling and brushing softly against Yiyi’s neck, making her shiver all over.
“There’s no one here now. If Yibao keeps hiding, I really will bite you.”
She deliberately drew out her words, her fingertip brushing Yiyi’s reddened ear, her tone soft and full of mischief.
Lilia’s fingers landed lightly on Yiyi’s legs wrapped in white silk, the touch smooth and delicate.
She intentionally scratched gently with her fingertip, making Yiyi immediately draw her legs up, her face burning even hotter, reaching out to push Lilia’s hand away: “Don’t touch! It tickles too much!”
“I won’t touch anymore… because~ now I want to bite~ you~—little~ Yibao.”
Outside, Luoli’s hand paused on the door handle, her ears still pink.
She could faintly hear Yiyi’s trembling, soft voice from within.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around her robe as she stepped quietly back, about to leave, when a voice sounded behind her: “Luoli? What are you doing here? Where are Yibao and the others?”
At the sound of Xiami’er’s voice, Luoli’s body tensed instinctively.
She quickly turned, bowed in greeting, her lingering blush obvious in the morning light: “Your Majesty, this subordinate greets you.”
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around her clothes, her eyes darting cautiously to the bedroom doors, her tone a little wary.
“Her Highness the Princess and Her Highness Lilia are inside. They’re… still resting.”
Xiami’er followed her gaze to the doors, understanding dawning in her eyes as she smiled knowingly and waved a hand: “Hehe, I see. You may leave for now.”
“Yes.”
Luoli bowed and turned to leave.