Chapter 139: Beyond The Skin
Noticing the breathing of the person in his arms gradually becoming even, Lu Chengjing slowly leaned closer and gently planted a kiss on top of Shang Wan’s hair.
He stole another kiss from her.
Shang Wan opened her eyes, tilted her head up, their lips met, and parted immediately.
It was just an instant, but Lu Chengjing’s body stiffened like a block of wood, his ear root uncontrollably heating up and burning.
The light was dim, so he could only make out a vague outline of the person in his arms.
A faint fragrance lingered at his nose, and the warm, soft sensation seemed to still linger on his lips.
The hand resting on Shang Wan’s waist gradually tightened, and he called out in a low voice, “Niangzi.”
“Mm.” Shang Wan responded softly, her fingers scratching at the soft flesh under his chin, “Why sneak around if you want to kiss me?”
She’d caught him more than once already.
“I…” Lu Chengjing nervously pursed his lips, the heat spreading from his ear root to his cheeks, then to his neck, downward, all the way to his heart.
The gradually quickening heartbeat sounded especially noisy in the dark night.
When his eyes couldn’t see clearly, his sense of touch took over for his vision, becoming acute.
The fingers on his chin gradually moved downward, sliding over his neck, circling lightly on the prominent Adam’s apple.
Warm breath sprayed on his neck, the itchiness spreading, the skin on his neck almost turning pink.
Shang Wan watched with amazement, her own fox was just too easy to tease.
She planted a kiss beside the sliding Adam’s apple and asked softly, “What do you want to say?”
The pink on his skin was turning red, Lu Chengjing’s hand on Shang Wan’s lower back tightened even more, pulling all of Shang Wan into his arms.
Shang Wan relaxed her body, leaning against his chest, listening to the pounding heartbeat by her ear.
Lu Chengjing murmured lowly, “Niangzi, I will grow old.”
“Mm.”
“Besides my looks, can you like something else?”
“Like what?”
“Calligraphy and painting.”
“No interest.”
“Then poetry and songs?”
“Do I look like the type?”
Lu Chengjing fell silent, his mind racing to think of things Shang Wan might be interested in.
The more he thought, the more powerless he felt; his niangzi really seemed to only love beauty.
He sighed deeply, burying his head in Shang Wan’s shoulder socket, sulking.
Shang Wan reached out and poked him, “What are you thinking?”
“Which book has a method to stay young forever.” Lu Chengjing’s voice was muffled, tinged with self-abandonment.
Shang Wan burst out laughing, cupping his face and lifting it up, “You haven’t even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet; isn’t it a bit early to worry about this?”
“Prepare early.” Lu Chengjing leaned closer to Shang Wan on his own, his long lashes trembling lightly.
Shang Wan looked into his dark eyes, thinking the fox’s claws were about to come out.
Eager to fan the flames, she added fuel, “I heard Chu Xu say that the four young masters of the capital city are all exceptionally handsome—mmph!”
The light-colored lips were cool and soft.
As they intertwined, the heat rose, staining them a vivid color.
Mm… the tooth powder besides mint flavor seemed to have a bit of osmanthus taste too.
Fine sounds rose in the dim compartment.
“Stop.” Shang Wan pushed him back a bit, covering Lu Chengjing’s mouth as he tried to lean in again, her watery almond eyes blinking, “I think you need to cool down.”
It really wasn’t appropriate now; there were two adults and two little friends in the shed.
“Niangzi.” The low, husky voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction and grievance.
“Good boy.” Shang Wan knew she was in the wrong; teasing without satisfying wasn’t fair. She leaned over and comfortingly kissed his still-warm cheek, smoothing his fur, “Time to sleep.”
This fox was shy, but when kissing for real, he was quite fierce.
Her tongue root was numb.
Lu Chengjing lowered his head and rubbed lightly in her neck socket, his breath warm, soft lips occasionally brushing delicate skin, not quieting down for a good while.
Shang Wan reached out and poked him.
Lu Chengjing called lowly, “Niangzi.”
“Mm.” Shang Wan pinched his earlobe, “I just thought about it carefully; having wrinkles doesn’t seem so bad.”
Hearing this, Lu Chengjing slowly blinked, his long lashes brushing his skin, somewhat itchy.
Easing the itch was a cool, warm kiss.
Still just a clingy fox.
Shang Wan chuckled lightly, “Can you sleep now?”
Recalling their earlier intimate grinding, Lu Chengjing’s ears heated up again.
He lifted his head, adjusting his shoulder position so Shang Wan could lean more comfortably.
The two quietly embraced, sleepiness gradually coming over them.
In her daze, Shang Wan heard the person beside her murmur lowly, “Only fox, no kitten or puppy.”
Shang Wan didn’t know if she responded or not, but anyway, she slept very soundly this time.
The golden crow rose, the morning mist gradually dispersing.
Dewdrops condensed on the grass leaves, sparkling crystal clear under the sunlight, like glass.
Yuan Yuan clasped her two small hands together, sitting obediently in front of Xiao Huan, listening to her Aunt Xiao Huan nag.
Xiao Huan: “You can’t run out to play in the middle of the night.”
Yuan Yuan nodded her little head.
Xiao Huan: “You have to tell family wherever you go.”
Yuan Yuan nodded her little head again.
Xiao Huan: “There are many bad guys outside; what if you run into one and they grab you?”
This time Yuan Yuan didn’t nod, waving her small hand, her soft childish voice firmly spitting out one word, “Beat!”
Xiao Huan: “…What if you can’t beat them?”
Yuan Yuan shouted at the top of her lungs: “Mom!”
Xiao Huan: “…”
Shang Wan came over carrying a small bucket of goat milk, reached out to touch Yuan Yuan’s little head, and asked on Xiao Huan’s behalf, “What if Mom can’t beat them either?”
Yuan Yuan blinked her big eyes, seemingly not having thought there’d be bad guys even her mother couldn’t beat.
Her little face scrunched up, tilting her little head in thought for a while, then her small mouth spat out one word, “Run.”
If you can’t beat them, run; Uncle Shi Tou taught her that.
“Being able to run away is good too.” Shang Wan said, “As long as the green hills are there, you’re not afraid of running out of firewood.”
Yuan Yuan didn’t understand this saying, but she felt her mother was praising her, so she grinned, revealing a sweet smile.
Xiao Huan shook her head repeatedly; her sister raising kids was all about staying alive, nothing else mattered.
After breakfast, everyone went about their own business, only Chu Xu lay there unable to move, sighing there, bored to the point of picking at his fingers.
Couldn’t practice martial arts, no toys, no snacks, no one to tell him jokes; recovering from injury like this was so boring.
At Chu Xu’s fiftieth sigh, Lu Chengjing decided to find something for him to do.
Chu Xu examined the small plum blossom dart, puzzled, “Why are you giving me this?”
Lu Chengjing pointed at the bat pattern on the plum blossom dart, “Have you ever seen a mark like this?”
“Looks like a bird.” Chu Xu tilted his head to look closely, his tone disdainful, “This bird is so ugly.”
Lu Chengjing reminded him: “It’s a bat.”
“No wonder it’s so ugly.” Chu Xu pursed his small mouth, “Ugly like mine.”
He’d always been quite dissatisfied with his family’s clan emblem; bats were so ugly, why not pick a prettier bird? Like a peacock, that would be great.
Lu Chengjing didn’t know how to respond to that, only asking, “Have you ever seen it?”
“No.” Chu Xu shook his head firmly, “My family’s clan emblem is two bats, symbolizing good things come in pairs, double fortune and luck; they wouldn’t split it up.”
He asked curiously: “Where did this plum blossom dart come from?”
Ordinary families wouldn’t have things like plum blossom darts, right?
Lu Chengjing said: “Assassin.”
Chu Xu was startled, his cat-like eyes instantly widening, “An assassin came to the door last night?”
