In the boundless sea, a dark shadow larger than the ancient castle itself swam through the dim depths.
The bell on Yuxing's ankle gave a crisp chime. The sound pierced through the curtain of rain, plunged into the waters, and reached its former master.
The dark shadow gradually surfaced from the abyss-like water. First came the head, and soon, the surging tentacles were replaced by slender legs.
Yuxing faintly made out a tall figure stepping onto the shore.
Before she could draw closer,
Ornada turned his back to her.
Upon closer inspection,
Ornada was stripped to the waist.
With a sturdy, gorgeous back and a strong, lean waist.
Whether looking at his face or his body, he possessed immense charm.
He was nothing short of exquisite.
Yuxing swallowed her praise, walked up to him, and adopted a sweet, coquettish tone: "Master~"
Not wanting his terrifying wounds to frighten his pet, Ornado kept his back turned and accelerated the absorption of power from the seawater.
Gradually, the severe burns on his chest healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, returning to normal just a second before the pet approached.
Yuxing offered blind flattery: "Swimming in a heavy rain must be quite a unique experience."
Ornada glanced sideways.
The stray hairs on his pet's forehead were drenched in rain, and the damp fabric clung tightly to her skin, outlining curves of graceful proportion.
Perhaps due to the heavy force of the rain pelting her body.
Those dark pupils were veiled with a misty, plaintive moisture, and her porcelain-white face was tinged with a pale pink.
She looked like a tender fruit hanging from a branch, blending freshness with a hint of sweetness.
Irresistibly tempting to pluck.
Yuxing lost her footing for a moment and almost slipped.
Ornada reached out, grabbed her backward-tilting waist, and pulled her into his embrace, scooping the pet right back up.
The instant a certain part of her collided with his hard chest, Yuxing felt so mortified she wanted to jump into the sea.
Yet Ornado was oblivious to the problem. Fearing the pet might slip again, the arm resting around her waist gradually tightened.
Yuxing pressed tightly against Ornado. Through their clothes, she could still feel his scorching chest and the smooth lines of his muscles.
Ornada's gaze slipped downward on a whim, where that softness pressed heavily against him, boasting a proud, protruding arc.
He had found last night's "pillow."
The corners of Ornado's mouth curled upward: "What are you running from?"
Yuxing brushed away her embarrassment and transformed into a little master of sweet talk: "No choice, the moment I thought about coming to see you, I ran all the way!"
Ornada's eyes trembled slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Something suddenly seared his heart.
Was this a lingering side effect of being burned by hellfire?
Amidst her confusion.
Ornada noticed the slender hand resting on his wrist, somewhat cold and trembling imperceptibly.
Was she cold?
Yuxing wanted to speak again.
A faint smile lingered in Ornado's deep voice: "We'll talk back inside."
Yuxing shared the sentiment. Cradled in Ornado's arms, she couldn't help sighing to herself that if she kept getting carried around like this, she really would get used to it.
Back in the familiar washroom.
Yuxing crossed her arms: "What are you doing?"
Ornada answered matter-of-factly: "Taking a bath."
His frame occupied the majority of the space.
Leaving the air feeling thin.
He was like a mobile heat source.
The heat radiating endlessly from that tall physique baked the tips of Yuxing's ears until they turned bright red.
Those two words implied an absolute laying-bare of bodies.
Yuxing's mind went blank for a second. Once it registered, the surging shame washed over her like an electric current, creeping up inch by inch from her toes.
Her skin felt as though millions of ants were crawling over it, leaving her utterly at a loss, wishing she could simply vanish on the spot.
Ornada reached out.
Resisting with all her might, Yuxing wouldn't let Ornado touch the zipper of her clothes, fiercely defending her innocence: "I'll wash myself."
This time, Ornado did not yield.
The pet's exasperated tone brushed softly against his ear, her soft, sweet voice stubbornly drilling its way into his head.
What was she so angry about?
He didn't understand.
Nor did he want to listen.
Seeing that Ornado remained unmoved, Yuxing intensified her tone, enunciating every word: "I will wash myself!"
Ornada's gaze fell upon that flushed face, and he coaxed her gently: "Still shy? You'll have to get used to it eventually."
Yuxing viciously gnashed her teeth.
She wouldn't get used to it, not even a little!
Yuxing pushed against him to head outside, but she couldn't budge him at all.
He was like a towering mountain, completely unmoving.
When she looked up, this mountain was gazing down at her, its cold eyes tinged with a trace of irritation.
For some reason, Yuxing felt a little intimidated, quietly pulling back her hands and maintaining a safe distance from the heat source.
Ornada had no idea what was wrong with him again.
The circulating warm air in the room blew straight onto his face.
The blood within him burned silently. He only felt feverish and restless all over, his hidden, obscure emotions growing vivid, churning repeatedly inside his body.
Seeing that he was about to lose control again.
Ornada's eyelid twitched, and he took the initiative to leave.
Quick-handed and sharp-eyed, Yuxing slammed the door shut.
With a sharp "click."
Ornada was locked out by his pet for the second time.
He lowered his eyes and pinched his empty knuckles.
They rebuked him:
Could a mere door lock possibly stop you?
Why not just follow your desires?
Useless!
Incompetent!
Their tirade lingered around him.
He thrust his will into his spiritual sea, wielding reason like a whip to lash fiercely at his tentacles, forcing them to lie dormant and recede.
Once calm had been restored.
Ornada's expression grew complex.
How many times was that he had nearly lost control?
It seemed he really needed to schedule a follow-up checkup with the doctor.
Who knew how much time passed.
Yuxing walked out. Just as she began to worry that the morning's events might repeat themselves, a sweep of her eyes showed that Ornado was already fully and properly dressed, looking entirely normal.
The overhead lighting beat down.
Falling upon his figure and outlining a mountain-like, majestic silhouette, the startling oppressive force was much less than it had been on the terrace.
While Yuxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, she felt a slight pang of regret that she wouldn't be able to continue taking advantage of him or touching the "double-opening doors."
Brushing away her regret, Yuxing trotted over happily.
Ornada lifted his gaze languidly, and upon touching his pet, his look grew obscure and unfathomable.
The pet's skin still retained a trace of residual warmth, her entire body exuding an alluring pull like a fruit hanging heavily from a branch.
Once that fresh fragrance faded away, all that remained was ripeness.
Plump red fruit flesh saturated the skin, tempting the one looking up from beneath the tree to pluck this sweetness and swallow it whole.
They egged him on.
Reach out.
Crush the fruit.
A bizarre thirst and hunger surged into his heart.
For a moment.
He couldn't tell whether it was himself or his tentacles acting up.
Yuxing waved a hand in front of Ornado's eyes.
Strange.
The feeder could actually zone out.
Ornada's pupils remained unmoving, imprinting every second of his pet's movements into his mind.
His black shirt hung loosely over the pet, the baggy clothes vaguely outlining her slender waist.
Her slightly curly hair draped over her shoulders, covering half of her collarbone and the infinite scenery around the second jeweled button.
During the wait,
he had been wondering.
What would the pet look like drenched in his scent?
What would she look like wearing his clothes?
So this was how mouth-watering she looked, making someone want to bully her and watch those star-like eyes shed tears.
How should he bully her, exactly?