Lilia looked at her flustered and frightened appearance, and the smile in her eyes grew even deeper: “Then let me change for Yiyi. I’ve already touched you anyway, haven’t I?”
Yiyi’s face turned so red it seemed blood could drip from it.
She reached out and grabbed Lilia’s collar, her voice urgent and soft: “Who wants you to change me! I can do it myself!”
But just as she tried to struggle down, her legs trembled and gave way; the moment her feet touched the ground, she wobbled and was swiftly scooped back up by Lilia.
“Change yourself?”
Lilia chuckled, carrying her over to the soft couch, her fingertips gently grazing Yiyi’s flushed shoulder.
“You can’t even stand steadily—how will you change by yourself? Or… does my little Yibao want to fall down so I’ll have to carry you again?”
Yiyi’s grip on Lilia’s collar loosened a little, her heart filled with both frustration and grievance.
Back in the day, when she led the Holy Spirit Corps to quell rampaging fiends, she was decisive and unflinching.
Yet now, in front of Lilia, she couldn’t even stand on her own and was so thoroughly overwhelmed she didn’t even have the courage to protest.
“What are you thinking about? Your cheeks are all puffed up like a little bun.”
Lilia placed her on the soft couch, poking her flushed cheek gently, eyes full of amusement.
Yiyi turned her face away and mumbled softly, “I’m not…”
But thinking of her status as the Captain of the Holy Spirit Corps, she felt stifled, her voice dropping to a whisper: “It’s just… just embarrassing, that’s all.”
“Embarrassing?”
Lilia sat beside her and pulled her gently into her arms, scarlet eyes full of indulgence.
“In front of me, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Besides, I’m only touching what’s mine. What’s so embarrassing about that?”
Yiyi’s cheeks grew even hotter at these words, but she didn’t push her away again.
She just gripped the edge of Lilia’s clothes and muttered: “Who says I’m yours…”
“You are, of course. Isn’t Yiyi mine?”
Lilia seized Yiyi’s left hand, holding it up, then stuck out her tongue and licked Yiyi’s neck.
The warm, wet tip of her tongue brushed against her skin, and Yiyi jolted as if struck by lightning.
Her hand tightened around Lilia’s clothes, and she even missed a breath.
She frantically tried to turn her head away, but Lilia pressed a hand to the back of her neck, firmly locking her in her embrace.
All Yiyi could do was let that soft, wet sensation slide slowly over the pale red marks previously left on her skin, making her entire body tingle.
“Don’t… don’t lick! It’s ticklish…”
Yiyi’s voice trembled, soft as a whisper, her eyes brimming with tears, but she was too weak to push the other away, forced to beg in a small voice.
“I give up, okay? Please… stop messing around.”
“I’m done, I’m done. I’ll help you change now, Yibao.”
Lilia said, picking up the pale pink dress folded at the side and gently touching the back of Yiyi’s red hand with her fingertips.
“Raise your arms—let’s take off the camisole first. This fabric is thin; don’t let it rub against the marks on your shoulder.”
Yiyi hesitated but slowly raised her arms, her gaze fixed on the fox-fur cloak on the couch, not daring to watch Lilia’s movements.
When the cool fabric brushed over her skin, she shrank back instinctively, but Lilia held her by the waist, coaxing softly: “Don’t move. It’ll be done soon.”
…
The breeze under the corridor carried the scent of silver osmanthus, lightly fluttering past their sleeves.
Yiyi was led along by Lilia, her fingertips still tinged with the warmth from Lilia’s palm.
She quietly inched away, trying to widen the distance, but Lilia only gripped her hand tighter, making her cheeks burn even more.
“Where are you trying to run?”
Lilia looked down at her, eyes filled with laughter.
“When I was changing your clothes just now, you weren’t running anywhere.”
“I did not! The way you were holding me, I couldn’t have moved even if I wanted to…”
Lilia laughed softly, pinching Yiyi’s flushed earlobe between her fingers, deliberately slowing her steps to tease her: “Couldn’t move even if you wanted to? But just now, when I tucked your hair behind your ear, you lifted your chin so obediently, not even your eyelashes fluttered.”
“Yibao’s not behaving, hmm~”
Lilia caught both of Yiyi’s hands, pressing her up against the wall.
With the other hand, she tilted up Yiyi’s chin and, closing her eyes, kissed her.
The instant their lips met, it was as if all the blood in Yiyi’s body rushed to her cheeks—she even forgot to breathe.
Lilia’s lips were cool, yet beneath that chill was a hint of heat.
As her lips grazed Yiyi’s, she deliberately traced the line with her tongue, making Yiyi jolt as if burned.
Her fingers clenched white, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She wanted to turn her head away, but her hands were pinned to the wall and her chin was gently held up.
She could only endure this sudden kiss, her whimpers caught in her throat, as soft and helpless as a kitten’s mewl.
The fragrance of silver osmanthus drifted along the corridor on the wind, mingling with Lilia’s faint scent, making Yiyi’s mind go blank—her strength to resist slowly slipping away.
Five minutes later, Lilia finally let go, pressing her forehead against Yiyi’s, gently wiping the moisture from the corner of her lips.
Her voice was husky and laced with laughter: “Are you still fussing? Who was the one just now so weak you couldn’t even stand?”
Yiyi’s cheeks were burning, and she struggled slightly in Lilia’s arms, but she couldn’t push her away.
She turned her face aside, puffing up angrily, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz: “Who… who was weak… It’s because you were too rough.”
“Still not admitting defeat?”
Lilia chuckled, wrapping her arm around Yiyi’s waist and leading her back inside, her fingertips gently pinching Yiyi’s flushed cheek.
“Then I’ll just have to make you ‘surrender’ properly this time—though I’ll say it now, I won’t be as ‘gentle’ as before.”
“Ugh… no, don’t—You, I haven’t even eaten yet, let me eat first…”
At the mention of “haven’t eaten,” Lilia paused, the teasing in her eyes melting instantly.
She reached out to ruffle Yiyi’s hair, her tone full of indulgence: “Alright, as Yibao wishes, let’s go have some sweet cakes first.”
She stopped teasing her, simply holding her securely and quickening her steps toward the dining hall.
When they reached the crystal table, Xiamir pushed the largest piece of sweet cake over with a grin, teasing: “Oh, finally remembered the sweet cake? I thought you two would keep cuddling in the corridor until dark.”
Yiyi, face flushed, took the cake.
The moment she bit down, the rich, sweet rose fragrance filled her mouth, slowly calming her previous fluster.
“Here’s your dragon milk, Yibao.”
Yiyi took the warm dragon milk from Xiamir, her fingertips tingling at the heat of the porcelain cup, her cheeks reddening further.
She lowered her head and took a small sip.
The creamy fragrance, mixed with a hint of sweetness, perfectly offset the richness of the cake, letting her nerves gradually relax.
Just as Yiyi was drinking her milk, Xiamir reached out and scooped her up, placing her on her lap.
Yiyi, startled by the sudden movement, almost spilled her dragon milk.
Instinctively, she gripped the cup tight, her cheeks growing redder as she stiffly leaned into Xiamir’s arms, her voice flustered: “Xiamir… w-what are you doing?”
Xiamir patted her back with a laugh, her fingertips brushing lightly over Yiyi’s sleeve as she teased: “You were drinking so fast, I was worried you’d choke.”
“I-I don’t need you to worry about me!”
Yiyi’s voice trembled with embarrassment, and she fumbled to get off Xiamir’s lap.
But the moment she moved, Xiamir gently pressed a hand to her waist to hold her in place.
Xiamir chuckled, her fingertip brushing over Yiyi’s flushed earlobe, her tone full of playful teasing: “Why are you getting so worked up? If I don’t take care of you and you choke on your milk, someone else will be distressed.”
As soon as she finished, Lilia joined in, her eyes falling on the tense line of Yiyi’s back, her gaze brimming with amusement: “Aunt Xiamir’s right. Be good, Yibao, don’t wriggle around.”
As she spoke, she picked up a napkin and gently wiped the milk from the corner of Yiyi’s mouth, her movements impossibly gentle.