They leaped into the room through the half-open window.
The tavern had few patrons; almost everyone had gone out to play on the streets, leaving the bedroom and its surroundings in complete silence.
The air was filled with a faint scent of fruit and ale.
Su Cheng slipped out of the man's embrace, stumbled a few steps, and threw herself onto the blanket-covered mattress.
No lamps were lit in the room. The lights and moonlight from outside were veiled by the gauze curtains, casting a hazy glow into the dim space.
The black-haired young man leaned in close. The beautiful contours of his shoulders and back were outlined by the light and shadows, and his long braid slipped down from his waist.
The dancer's body looked lean, strong, and sharp; every curve of his muscles brimmed with vitality.
Su Cheng reached out and tugged at his hair, pulling his braid apart. The exquisite hair clasp clattered to the floor, and his seaweed-like curly hair floated completely loose.
She looked up at that beautiful face, feeling the rush of fragrance and the tickle of his hair brushing against her neck.
The young man propped himself up on one hand beside her. The taut muscles of his forearm formed smooth lines, brushing against her burning cheeks with a touch like cold-forged steel wrapped in silk.
Su Cheng's body temperature kept rising, while she felt the heat from his body fading, becoming cool to the touch.
She tilted her head. "...Just saying, but I practice a weird kind of battle aura."
The man seemed to chuckle. "Hmm?"
"Uh, it requires me to do certain things with someone on a regular basis."
Su Cheng tried hard to rack her nearly fried brain. "Like this, and it might also cause a small amount of your battle aura to drain away—"
She whispered, "But there are no other issues. It's just like casting a few combat skills; after the consumption, it will recover on its own after a while, you know."
"Alright," he seemed to find the matter quite amusing. "I understand. Anything else?"
Su Cheng thought for a second.
The young man lowered his head, his soft hair brushing past her earlobe. His smooth chin pressed against her collarbone as he began to gently nibble at her jaw.
"And also—"
Su Cheng tilted her head back slightly. "I have to lie down the entire time."
He seemed to want to laugh again but held it back. "...Is this also a postural requirement for your battle aura cultivation?"
"Yeah," Su Cheng lied through her teeth. "Anyway, my back just can't leave the bed."
Judging from the heat on her back, the pattern was probably glowing brightly by now. It was so dark in the room that even with clothes on, it would likely be somewhat visible.
Fortunately, her temporary partner was tactful enough not to ask too many questions and agreed immediately.
Su Cheng tore open his shirt. The chest her fingertips touched was like a frozen lake in winter, smooth and cold. The muscles were firm and supple, full of elasticity as her palm pressed over them.
Especially since she was so hot right now.
Touching it felt even more delightful.
She traced the grooves between his muscles, reaching up to the dangling necklace. The cold, sharp edges of the jade seemed to tremble slightly against her fingertips.
As the distance between them closed further, Su Cheng smelled more of the incense and alcohol on his clothes.
It wasn't a foul bitterness, but a sweet, clear fragrance of flowers and fruits.
She couldn't help but open her mouth, catching the dangling pendant of the necklace, biting the bright red jade between her teeth, rubbing and nibbling it delicately.
A coolness bloomed between her lips and teeth, carrying a hint of a mineral taste. Under the grinding of her canines, she could vaguely feel the swelling hardness of the pendant.
Her teeth scraped across the cut facets of the gemstone and the metal reliefs of the surrounding base, then repeatedly licked those complex and precise patterns.
The silver chain glistened with moisture.
The man's chest vibrated slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed gently. He seemed to let out a moan, though it also sounded like a laugh.
He kissed her collarbone, then over her heart, his cheek pressing against her ribs through her skin, his breath brushing past the trembling necklace.
"...Is this a necklace?"
He tilted his head, seemingly a bit puzzled. "It looks a bit—"
"No." Su Cheng took a breath. "It's not. It was originally a bracelet. I attached another piece of chain to it and wore it around my neck."
Her tone wavered for a moment. "I'm a mercenary, you see. Things worn on the hands are easy to lose, and even if they can be found, it's a hassle."
"I see," the man laughed softly. "I suppose it must be something very important."
Su Cheng nodded slowly.
"Mhm..."
His fingertips slid down her collarbone and, with a gentle hook, lifted the bone-like twisted chain.
Then he stroked the polygonal pyramid in the center of the bracelet, tapping the crystalline shell with the tip of his nail. The flame inside seemed to swell as a result.
His movements were very slow. His smooth fingertips rubbed it repeatedly, occasionally scratching and pressing with his nails, as if trying to pry open the gaps in the chain.
Su Cheng couldn't help but tug hard at his hair. A tingling, numbing sensation spread through her, her heart pounding with pleasure.
"Oh god, darling—"
The man helplessly held her hand. "If you want them, you can just say so. I can even give you some, no need to be so rough."
Su Cheng: "..."
The bed curtains were knocked down, completely blocking out the dim light from outside. The darkness amplified all senses, making her hearing seem sharper as well.
She heard the faint singing and flute music drifting from the street, along with the laughter of young people, weaving into a sticky net in the damp air.
And then locking them within this tiny space.
Her nails dug into his lower back. The skin she touched was cool and smooth. Sliding back around his sides, her fingers traced his solid contours and landed on a leather belt.
Su Cheng tried to unfasten it, but couldn't figure out how it was tied. She could only tug at it blindly, eventually just snapping it by force.
A muffled chuckle sounded by her ear.
The force of the man biting her earlobe was very gentle, almost like a tender kiss. "...You are so cute. Perhaps we should have met earlier."
Su Cheng hummed and kissed him back. "It's not too late now. Speaking of which, I still don't know—"
His strong hand brushed aside her loose hair, wrapped around her lower back, and lifted her entire body upwards.
Su Cheng: "!"
Su Cheng: "I can't—"
"Isn't it your back?" he smiled. "I still remember."
Then he continued to exert force, leaving her waist and hips suspended in the air, her ankles resting on his shoulders.
Su Cheng felt her ankles rubbing against his hair, the silky, water-like curls pressing against her skin. "Uh, is this position really okay?"
"Relax."
He touched her knee, turning his head to kiss the girl's calf, simultaneously undoing the buckles and watching the soft fabric slide off to reveal her pale skin.
"I won't let you get hurt, darling."
"You'd better not, because I really haven't tried this kind of—"
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
The discarded belt hit the sofa, its cold metal buckle crashing into the cushion, squeezing into the narrow, tight gap.
The coffee table shook, and the ale sloshed and spilled over, soaking the soft cushion and leaving a dark stain.
The back of her head pressed deep into the fluffy pillow.
The damp air seemed to ripple from the vibrations, spreading outward pulse by pulse.
Su Cheng heard her own frantic heartbeat pounding wildly. The shallow and deep rhythms were unpredictable, and every variation made her tremble.
She clawed at the bedsheets, her foot even striking the bedpost. The slick sound of their bodies meeting was exceptionally distinct in the quiet room.
"Oh god—"
Su Cheng raised a hand to cover her forehead. Sweat trickled down, completely soaking the hair by her ears.
She felt as if she were suspended by spider silk, half her body hanging in the air, her posture unstable and utterly lacking a sense of security.
Yet, that intense stimulation was incredibly pleasurable.
The man turned his head in the darkness, a cool kiss landing on her ankle bone before he gently sucked the protruding line of her ankle. "How is it?"
Su Cheng: "...Honestly, it feels amazing, but I suddenly thought of something. Don't you have to go back to dancing? Does this count as skipping work?"
The man laughed. "No, I believe someone will take over my job. Right now, I only need to serve you, my dear."
"Wow," Su Cheng said, her feelings complicated. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was love at first sight."
"Perhaps a little?" The man paused. "I do like you quite a bit, from the very first moment I laid eyes on you."
As he spoke, he pressed heavily against the mattress, his fingers sinking completely into the soft down. The wooden bed let out a dying groan under the impact, its four legs tottering dangerously.
Su Cheng couldn't help but cry out.
She leaned back, her head even bumping against the headboard, causing fine wall dust to rustle down.
This slight sensation didn't even register as pain; she remained immersed in the upward-rushing waves of pleasure.
The man sighed softly, raising a hand to wipe the girl's sweat-dampened forehead and brushing away the dust clinging to the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry. For everything."
"...I actually believe that," she said breathlessly. "You were staring at me while you were dancing, but I thought, I thought—"
Su Cheng grabbed his sinewy wrist, her fingers brushing against a string of silver rings that remained silently still in the dark.
"It was because I looked a little prettier than the people around me..."
This was actually a humble and tactful way of putting it.
She knew very well that normally, it wasn't just a matter of "a little."
"It wasn't because of that," he said softly. "I don't pay much attention to people's appearances."
Su Cheng: "...Really?"
She didn't really believe that kind of talk.
Although nothing is absolute and perhaps such people really exist in the world, she figured they must be quite rare.
"So you just happened to pick out, um, someone in the crowd... cough, I don't want to brag, but finishing this sentence would definitely be bragging."
She said, her head spinning, "You know what I mean, right? You just happened to pick someone who is prettier than everyone else?"
The man started laughing again. "Mm, alright..."
Amidst her sharp intake of breath, the man leaned in close, stretching out his arm to pull up the flat pillow and prop it vertically against the headboard.
"Sometimes our destinies are made up of countless coincidences," he murmured. "I didn't believe it before, because probability is a force that can be manipulated—"
Su Cheng froze for a moment.
Why had he suddenly turned into a philosophical riddler?
"But what happened later made me feel that there are some things in this world..."
She could hear him less and less clearly.
Su Cheng was just about to speak when she bit down on the bedsheet to suppress a whimper.
She thought of a blacksmith striking a red-hot anvil, bringing heat and force, striking out echoes on the platform time and time again.
A silent torrent exploded down her spine, like a thawing glacial river merging in spring. Thousands of floating ice blocks shattered with a boom, scattering fine powder that drifted like snow and sleet.
Her senses stretched out into countless threads, driven by the force of the anvil's strikes, tangling, tightening, and then snapping amidst the ultimate vibration.
Various magical images flashed before Su Cheng's eyes.
It was as if thousands upon thousands of blurred faces were staring at her from the void.
They possessed different features and bone structures, acting out different emotions in this moment: joy, sorrow, anger, grief—
She suspected this was an illusion born from staring into the darkness for too long, and then she quickly heard a sound again.
...It must be the elemental spirits.
Su Cheng thought to herself. Elemental mages would sometimes enter a sudden state of profound focus, able to feel them even without deliberately trying to capture them.
"My god," she raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "This is truly—"
The man took her other hand in the dark.
With her eyes closed, Su Cheng didn't see that the brand of the scales and gavel on her right hand was flashing. Reflected in those bewitching purple eyes, it looked like shattered golden ripples.
She felt him kiss her palm.
Then the bed curtains were pulled open, and the black-haired man straightened up, gracefully stepping backward off the bed.
His clothes had been torn into a mess. That lean, formidable body was exposed in the moonlight, every inch of his skin gleaming with the gentle luster of pearls and jade.
Those demonic and seductive purple eyes gazed at her tenderly, as if trying to suck her into an endless vortex.
He turned lightly, bending to stand on the window frame. Stepping on the shattered, cold moonlight, the black hair behind his waist flowed like a waterfall.
Even though his clothes were disheveled and red marks still lingered on his chest and abdomen, his beauty was entirely unmarred. He looked like an illusion stepping out of a dream.
Su Cheng sat up. "...What is your name?"
The man smiled at her. "I have many names."
Su Cheng hesitated before speaking. "Then at least give me one."
Now that she was clear-headed, she began to feel that his voice was familiar again.
But it wasn't the kind of familiarity from hearing it often. Rather, it was as if she might have heard it only once or twice, and it had left an impression purely because his tone was pleasant and distinctive.
The man tilted his head slightly. "...Perhaps next time."
"Wait," Su Cheng couldn't help but call out to him. "Is it you, Your Highness? Did you come specifically to find me?"
The man gazed at her with a gentle expression. "My dear, you can call me by whatever name you prefer, and I did indeed come to find you."
He paused for a moment. "I will be watching you always. I hope you enjoy this game."
With that, he leaped out the window.
Su Cheng froze for a second, then ran over as well.
She thought she had moved fast, but by the time she reached the window, there wasn't a single soul on the street outside—only the distant light of a burning bonfire.
Su Cheng stared at the empty street, then looked at the surrounding rooftops, but still saw no one.
Until a tall silhouette suddenly appeared below.
The man tilted his head up to look at the third floor of the tavern, locking eyes with the naked girl standing by the window.
Su Cheng: "...Commander?"
