“It’s time to return, Your Highnesses.”
Duanglas’s gentle voice was like a basin of warm water, softly dousing the ambiguous tension between the two.
He glanced at the sky outside, now completely dark, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of his warm teacup, a knowing smile in his eyes.
The excitement on Lilia’s face instantly faded a little.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on Yiyi’s hand, her tone turning soft and coy: “Alright…”
But as soon as she finished, her eyes brightened again.
She leaned close to Yiyi’s ear, whispering so only the two of them could hear: “Yibao, how about we sleep together tonight? The blankets in my room are so soft and warm—cuddling with you would be so comfy~”
Yiyi’s cheeks, still faintly flushed, instantly turned as red as a ripe cherry at those words.
She instinctively shrank back, her fingers clutching at her skirt turning pale, the heart-shaped tip of her tail hidden beneath her hem nervously curling into a tight loop.
“You, you want to…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, her mind involuntarily recalling the pain and panic in that little room before.
Her heart skipped out of rhythm.
“I just want to cuddle with Yibao while we sleep!”
Lilia immediately raised her other hand in promise.
“This time, I really will only sleep—no funny business, and I won’t bite you, alright?”
She gently shook Yiyi’s hand, her voice as soft as cotton.
“I get scared of the dark when I sleep alone…”
That struck right at Yiyi’s weak spot.
She looked into Lilia’s eyes, full of hope, and remembered how tightly Lilia had hugged her in the little room earlier, the warmth still lingering.
Her defenses began to crumble, bit by bit.
Actually, she didn’t really dislike it, it was just… as the leader of the Holy Spirits Order, her reason always reminded her not to indulge in this kind of closeness.
“Th-then… just sleeping…”
Yiyi squeezed out in a tiny voice, as faint as a mosquito.
“No, no doing anything else…”
“Yay!”
Lilia beamed instantly, hugging Yiyi’s arm and shaking it with joy.
“Yibao, you’re the best!”
Duanglas, watching from the side, shook his head helplessly and cleared his throat in reminder: “Your Highnesses, if you don’t go now, His Majesty will send someone to fetch you.”
Only then did Lilia pull Yiyi along, walking ahead with a bounce in her step, as if treading on clouds.
From time to time she would turn her head to murmur to Yiyi, “I’ll hug you even tighter tonight.”
This left Yiyi’s cheeks burning hot, the heart-shaped tip of her tail swaying restlessly beneath her skirt.
Both nervous, yet with a hint of anticipation neither fully realized.
…
In the nighttime room, candlelight flickered, casting everything in a warm, golden glow.
Lilia’s room was far larger than Yiyi had imagined, decorated like a pink dream.
Soft carpets covered the entire floor, a massive princess bed draped with layers upon layers of lace curtains.
A faint floral fragrance drifted through the air, mixed with the uniquely sweet scent clinging to Lilia.
“Yibao, look—my bed’s so big and soft!”
Lilia pulled Yiyi to the bedside, patting the velvet-covered mattress in excitement.
“We can roll around together!”
Yiyi’s cheeks were still burning.
She stood awkwardly by the bed, her gaze darting away, unable to meet Lilia’s eager eyes.
“We… we should just go to sleep early,” she whispered.
“Okay!”
Lilia nodded right away, then skipped off for her night routine.
Watching her cheerful figure, Yiyi’s nerves quietly crept up again.
She took a deep breath and followed.
After washing up, both changed into soft pajamas.
Lilia wore a pink lace nightgown, her hair flowing over her shoulders, looking just like a delicate porcelain doll.
Yiyi, in a simple white sleepwear, seemed even paler and more luminous by contrast.
“Yibao, hurry up!”
Lilia was already snuggled under the covers, only her head sticking out as she waved Yiyi over.
Yiyi hesitated, but eventually walked over, lifting a corner of the blanket and slipping in.
It was soft and warm beneath, carrying a gentle, sweet scent.
“I want to get close to Yibao before bed, and I want to bite you just once more.”
Lilia’s voice was tinged with a lazy hoarseness, with a note of spoiled insistence.
She sprawled atop Yiyi like a kitten who had found a cozy nest, rubbing her cheek against the hollow of Yiyi’s neck.
Warm breath brushed against Yiyi’s sensitive skin, sending tingles and shivers through her.
Yiyi’s body instantly tensed, acutely aware of Lilia’s soft body pressed completely atop her, the even heartbeat coming through their thin pajamas, gradually synchronizing with her own.
So close, they could feel each other’s warmth, inhale each other’s scent.
Yiyi’s cheeks burned so hot she thought they might catch fire, her heart pounding so wildly it nearly leapt from her throat.
“L-Lilia! Get off!”
Yiyi’s voice was flustered as she tried to push Lilia away, only to realize her wrist was gently pinned by Lilia.
She was no match for Lilia’s bloodborn strength.
Lilia didn’t get up—if anything, she pressed closer.
Her lips brushed lightly against the side of Yiyi’s neck, sending a ticklish tingle through her.
“No~” Lilia’s voice was soft and nasally, the very picture of a spoiled child.
“I just want to hug Yibao like this, want to be close to you.”
She nuzzled under Yiyi’s chin with her nose, affectionate and natural.
Yiyi’s heart was a mess, like a fawn trapped in her chest.
She knew she ought to refuse, but when Lilia spoke in that pleading tone.
When she felt Lilia’s warmth, and the dependence in her touch, Yiyi’s defenses crumbled bit by bit.
Her reason screamed “no,” but her body—and her heart—secretly yearned for that warmth and intimacy.
“You… you promised… just to sleep…” Yiyi’s voice was as quiet as a mosquito, tinged with a hint of aggrieved compromise.
“I’m not not sleeping,” Lilia replied, full of innocence.
“I just want to be close to you before bed. That way, I’ll sleep even better.”
Her excuse was flawless, leaving Yiyi with no retort.
Seeing Yiyi stop struggling, Lilia’s lips curled up in a satisfied, triumphant smile.
She stuck out her tongue and gently licked the side of Yiyi’s neck.
“Ah!”
Yiyi gasped, her body trembling uncontrollably.
In that instant, tingles and shivers spread through her whole body, leaving her almost unable to breathe.