Chapter 121

"Will she wake up? What kind of reaction will she have when she does? Will she hate me?"

"Should I stop?"

The effect of her heat cycle on her was far too intense. If it had been in the past, when she had never been marked, her repeated endurance had turned her into a crazed lunatic who believed pain was the main theme of life.

But after being marked, for the first time, Xie Shiqing tasted the sweetness of comfort. When her body was tormented, a pair of hands had held her, picked her up, pulled her out of the ocean—sudden joy had embraced her.

It made her unable to bear everything she had endured before.

Moreover, the attraction brought by a one-hundred-percent compatibility was far stronger than an ordinary AO mark.

Which pair didn’t want to cling to each other every day, entangled together, like they were made for one another?

And yet, Zhong Ning actually refused to touch her—for this long!

Back when she was injured, there had at least been some small tenderness, but as her condition gradually improved, even the kisses on the forehead disappeared.

Aggrieved and resentful feelings stirred within Xie Shiqing. Her reason was beginning to slip away; she was about to become a slave to her body, driven entirely by instinct.

Should she continue? Did she want to? How would Zhong Ning look at her when she woke up?

She had secretly searched for answers online before, reading those tutorials on how to comfort a girlfriend. A large portion of them said: just do it once, and everything would be fine.

Would it really be fine?

It should be… After all, they were soulmates, destined to be together—it had to be fine…

Xie Shiqing couldn't come up with an answer.

Her sharp mind felt like a mess of glue at that moment, as if she were walking a tightrope without protection, her adrenaline surging.

The path leading to thoughts of consequences was blocked. A tense euphoria giggled in her ears, whispering devilish temptations, like that snake from the Garden of Eden, hissing with laughter, luring her to go on.

Perhaps the room wasn’t that dark. Perhaps some moonlight had slipped in, lighting up the scene on the bed, illuminating her tossing and turning, her hesitation and inner struggle.

It caught the sweat on her forehead and her messy black hair.

Xie Shiqing thought of their first time.

It had also been during her heat cycle. Zhong Ning, inexperienced in such matters, had clumsily carried her back to the room in a panic, not knowing what to do—awkward and unskilled, just like some primitive beast, biting here and there, not knowing how to be gentle.

Looking back now, Xie Shiqing almost wanted to laugh, but back then, all she had felt was impatience, only wanting the marking to be done quickly.

At the time, she had still thought Zhong Ning was the original one, and all she felt was loathing. When she forced herself to request the mark, there was only waves of nausea.

In order to achieve her goal, even her body had become a tool she could discard at any time.

Just think of it as being bitten by a dog.

That was how she saw it.

Although Zhong Ning really did resemble a puppy—it was the good kind.

She might have lacked skill as a beginner, but her eager enthusiasm made up for it perfectly. Tireless and uninhibited, she had been like a playful little dog, burrowing under the covers, chasing after her own toy.

But she was also very obedient.

Even the way she obeyed resembled a little dog. No matter how reluctant she was to stop what she was doing, if told to do something else, she would still let go, whimpering as she followed instructions.

By their second time, Zhong Ning had studied carefully. No one knew where she learned it from, but her skills had advanced by leaps and bounds—so fast it was like she had taken a rocket, shooting from the ground to the sky in an instant.

The only problem was—she talked too much. Way too much.

She asked about everything. Was this spot comfortable? Could she do that over there… Why so many questions? Xie Shiqing almost wanted to sew her mouth shut.

Zhong Ning really was the best student. Her learning speed was terrifying—after just a few times, she had already become a seasoned expert. She deserved an award ceremony, a medal of commendation.

Her hands, her voice, her warmth...

The recollection and the imagery left Xie Shiqing parched, her mouth dry and tongue numb. She gave a faint shiver, biting down hard on her own lips, suppressing the sound rising in her throat, letting it dissolve into a breath that slipped through her clenched teeth.

She lay on her side, clutching Zhong Ning's hand. The sweat on their palms made their skin stick together, as if they had been born as one. The blanket had slipped down and bunched around their legs like a small hill, an untouched forest grove.

This wasn't a barren desert, but a land of rich harvest, with ripe, fragrant peaches hanging from every branch, exuding a sweetness that begged to be picked.

A dizzying euphoria circled above her head.

She forgot where she was, sinking deeper into the moment, lost in the cradle of fantasy. Suddenly, that hand moved—slipping free of her grip, acting of its own accord.

"...Shiqing?" Zhong Ning’s voice was still laced with drowsiness, but filled with surprise. "You, mm…!"

Xie Shiqing suddenly flipped over and pressed down on her, sealing her lips with her own to muffle any sound she might make.

Zhong Ning had been dreaming.

It was one of those warm, comforting dreams—she was surrounded by cats and dogs, playing and chasing each other across a grassy field. But for some reason, the sky suddenly darkened, water began to rise, submerging her chest. From within the water, a mermaid identical to Xie Shiqing swam up and began demanding kisses, pressing her down onto the sand, about to do something indescribable.

Startled, she jolted awake from the dream, inhaling a deep breath of the strong absinthe pheromone. Her body temperature began to rise steadily.

Her fingers were buried in sand that felt as scorching hot as if it had been baked in the sun.

Zhong Ning's pupils shrank sharply. The person pressing down on her showed no restraint, kissing her with wild passion, as if wanting to steal not only her tongue but all the air in her lungs.

She used force to push her away. Her tongue scraped against a sharp canine tooth—Zhong Ning tasted blood.

"Shiqing!" Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you doing? Did… did your heat cycle start?"

The air was thick with the scent of absinthe. The power of a one-hundred-percent match fully revealed itself in that moment—Zhong Ning was instantly set ablaze, like dry kindling touched by a spark.

"Don’t go, Ning Ning, don’t go." Xie Shiqing clung to her again. Her rationality was still intact, but she pretended to be overtaken by desire, murmuring incoherently, "Mark me."

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