Chapter 44
Even with her martial arts training, Li Xinjun was no match for Song Ling’s passionate embrace. It was her first time, and she slept soundly until evening. When dinnertime arrived, Song Ling tried to wake her, but Li Xinjun remained unresponsive, simply rolling over and continuing to sleep.
Seeing Li Xinjun’s exhaustion, Song Ling didn’t have the heart to wake her and left her to rest. She went down to the dining hall to have dinner with Mark and General Henry. Noticing Li Xinjun’s absence, Henry inquired,
“Where is Miss Li?”
“Um… she’s exhausted and still sleeping. I didn’t want to wake her.”
Henry, hearing Song Ling’s flustered explanation, didn’t think much of it. They had a pleasant dinner, during which Song Ling, who had forgotten about Mark’s strange aura, once again detected the faint demonic scent emanating from him. She couldn’t understand why he carried this familiar aura.
She observed him throughout the meal, her attention diverted from the delicious food. Mark, oblivious to her scrutiny, chatted with General Henry. After dinner, they retired to their respective rooms.
Song Ling returned to her room and found Li Xinjun still asleep. She sat down beside her, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. She couldn’t resist reaching out and caressing Li Xinjun’s face. How many times had she sat here, fantasizing about sharing intimate moments with Li Xinjun? Now, her fantasy had become reality.
Li Xinjun slept soundly throughout the night, finally waking up the next morning. Song Ling had held her close all night, relishing the feeling of being reunited with her beloved. She couldn’t remember the last time they had slept together like this. She felt a profound sense of happiness and wished this moment could last forever.
Before dawn, Li Xinjun finally stirred. She looked at Song Ling, who was still asleep, and then tried to get out of bed to wash up. She blushed, realizing that she was naked, her body covered in marks from Song Ling’s passionate embrace. She saw the bloodstains on the sheets and felt a surge of emotion.
She carefully got out of bed and put on her clothes, but no matter how she adjusted them, she couldn’t conceal the hickeys on her neck. She rummaged through Song Ling’s wardrobe, looking for a scarf to cover them. She found one and wrapped it around her neck, ensuring that the marks were hidden before going to wash up.
When she returned to the room, she found Song Ling stirring. She climbed onto the bed and straddled Song Ling, pinning her down playfully, waiting for her to wake up. Song Ling opened her eyes to find Li Xinjun grinning down at her. She smiled back, her heart filled with love.
“You’re awake, my love? Good morning.”
“You’re going to pay for what you did to me last night!”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” Song Ling reached up and kissed Li Xinjun’s lips.
“No! I want to do the same to you!”
“Hahaha, no way! You’re my wife now, my woman. You have to obey me.”
“Oh? Is that how it works? Then I have to take charge!”
Li Xinjun, without hesitation, leaned down and began to shower Song Ling with kisses, mimicking her actions from the previous night. Song Ling, surprised by Li Xinjun’s boldness, didn’t resist, though she was taken aback by her sudden assertiveness. She was helpless against Li Xinjun’s advances.
However, Li Xinjun wasn’t done. She was young and full of energy. The previous night, she had been exhausted from the long journey, which was why she had passed out.
Today, well-rested and energized, she was a different person, especially since she was now the one in control. She relentlessly teased and pleasured Song Ling, leaving her weak and breathless. She then, mimicking Song Ling’s actions, marked every inch of Song Ling’s body with her own kisses, though she was more considerate, avoiding her neck, sparing Song Ling from having to wear a scarf.
Song Ling, although young and energetic herself, was overwhelmed by Li Xinjun’s passionate assault. She realized that her beloved was vengeful and wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate tenfold. She vowed to never offend Li Xinjun again. The saying “once bitten, twice shy” perfectly described her current state of mind.
After hours of relentless teasing, Li Xinjun finally stopped around noon, leaving Song Ling exhausted and ready to collapse. Li Xinjun, satisfied, left the room to find something to eat. She encountered General Henry and Mark having lunch. Henry, noticing that Li Xinjun was alone and wearing a scarf, understood why the two women had been taking turns disappearing for the past two days.
He discreetly avoided mentioning the matter and simply invited Li Xinjun to join them for lunch. Mark informed Li Xinjun that he would be leaving after the meal. Li Xinjun, reluctant to see him go, asked for his contact information and address. Mark, despite the memories of his torment on the ship, couldn’t deny his fondness for this mischievous girl and gave her his address.
Li Xinjun carefully wrote down his address and then, after finishing their meal, joined Henry in seeing Mark off. Mark boarded the carriage, waved goodbye, and left the castle.
After Mark’s departure, Li Xinjun had a maid prepare a simple lunch for her to take to her room. She placed the tray on the table, climbed onto the bed, and lay down beside Song Ling. She tickled Song Ling’s nose with a strand of her hair. Song Ling, annoyed, swatted her hand away.
Seeing that Song Ling was still asleep, Li Xinjun continued to tease her with her hair. Finally, Song Ling woke up, glared at her, and bit her arm, causing Li Xinjun to yelp in pain.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Hmph! That’s what you get for disturbing my sleep!”
“Don’t be angry! I just brought you lunch. I was afraid you’d be hungry.”
“I’m tired. I don’t want to get up. Can you feed me?”
“Of course! Here you go.”
Song Ling rarely acted so spoiled, and Li Xinjun, enjoying it immensely, jumped out of bed and retrieved a plate of bread and a glass of warm milk from the table. She offered the bread to Song Ling, who, too tired to sit up, took it and nibbled on a piece.
Li Xinjun then offered her the milk, but Song Ling refused to sit up. Li Xinjun, exasperated, took a sip of milk, held it in her mouth, and then transferred it to Song Ling’s mouth with a kiss.
Song Ling, enjoying Li Xinjun’s tender gesture, took another bite of bread and then, after swallowing, opened her mouth expectantly, signaling that she wanted more milk. Li Xinjun repeated the process, feeding her milk with kisses until the bread and milk were finished.
Li Xinjun cleared the dishes and then lay down beside Song Ling, who snuggled into her arms. Li Xinjun, unable to resist, kissed her forehead, her heart overflowing with love for this woman. They both felt like the luckiest women in the world. Li Xinjun pulled back slightly, cupped Song Ling’s face in her hand, and looked into her eyes, her voice soft and tender.
“Sister Ling, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They kissed again, their passion reignited. Li Xinjun then got out of bed and retrieved a clean set of clothes for Song Ling. Song Ling, exhausted, lay there, allowing Li Xinjun to dress her. Li Xinjun, indulging her, helped her put on her clothes and then carried her out of bed, encouraging her to go for a walk in the garden.
Hand in hand, they strolled through the garden. Although the scenery was unfamiliar, they felt safe and free to express their affection without fear of judgment.
“Sister Ling, do you regret coming to Britain with me?”
“No. I think it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. What about you, Jun’er? Do you regret leaving China for me?”
“No, I think it’s the best decision I’ve ever made too. At least here, we don’t have to deal with all those troublesome things. We can live a peaceful life together.”
“Jun’er, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. You spent a lot of time with Mark during the voyage. Did you notice anything strange about him?”
“Mark? Why do you ask?”
“Just answer my question.”
“He… He was a bit strange. He often disappeared for no reason. But other than that, he was a good person. He helped me a lot and even taught me English. I can speak it fluently now, thanks to him.”
“… Besides that, did you notice anything else strange? Like an unusual fondness for blood?”
“You suspect he’s a jiangshi?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve sensed a faint demonic aura from him several times, but it’s very weak. That’s why I’m asking.”
“But I never saw him drink blood during the entire voyage. If he’s a jiangshi, how can he survive without blood?”
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty much. Unless he was drinking blood in secret, but I doubt it. I was with him almost all the time, except when he was using the latrine or sleeping.”
“That’s strange. I initially thought he might have been in contact with the jiangshi king, which is why he carried that aura. But you two were alone on the ship for three months. Why does he still have the jiangshi king’s aura? Don’t you find that odd?”
“Are you sure it’s the jiangshi king’s aura?”
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s just weaker.”
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