Wei Ying laid sprawled on the bed next to Lan Zhan, who was laying on his back, eyes closed, trying to recover from the heights of pleasure; the lovely sheets were scattered around them messily. Wei Ying was feeling chilly and was annoyed that he could not get any warmth from the sheets or from Lan Zhan.
He frowned and rubbed his sides with his arms to keep warm but it was useless. Lan Zhan lay flat and lifeless on his back and did not look as though he wanted to cuddle. He reached out to him and tightly wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling himself closer. Lan Zhan felt the goose bumps on his skin. With his eyes still shut, he moved, pulling Wei Ying on top of him, and pulling the quilt over them.
He was already feeling better and warmer. He leaned and buried his face into Lan Zhan's neck, filling himself with the scent of sandalwood. He nuzzled the sensitive skin of his neck and felt him stir. He eyed the pale lovely skin right in front of him greedily and suddenly felt drawn towards it. Before he knew it, he had pressed his lips on the soft part of the neck and began to trail kisses along the jawline.
He felt Lan Zhan's body waking up slowly under him and it drove him to kiss him with more force, more passion. His hands moved along Lan Zhan's side; a moan escaped from Lan Zhan's lips. Wei Ying returned to his neck, nibbling and sucking as the heat inside his own body mounted.
"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan whispered huskily.
Wei Ying continued his sweet assault for a little bit more and stopped. He moved slightly, staring proudly at the red mark he left.
"You look better with my marks!"
"Do I?"
Lan Zhan flipped him under him, smiling mischievously and pressed his lips against his. They kissed passionately, roughly fondling each other. Lan Zhan vigorously teased him, biting and nipping at his bottom lips, making him moan helplessly.
Wei Ying tried to move his head but Lan Zhan swiftly moved his hand under his neck and sensuously stroked the back of his neck and head with his fingers, stunning him, making him hum with pleasure and increasing the heat that was spreading from the base of his belly. He curled his toes helplessly crying out his husband's name.
Lan Zhan started moving down, trailing kisses and licking, making sure that not an inch of his skin is spared. He blushed as the images of their earlier lovemaking filled his mind.
After taking him out of the bath, Lan Zhan had licked him dry and played him like his zither until he came undone and almost fainted with pleasure. Just when he was about to rest, Lan Zhan had tied his wrists to the bed head with his forehead band. It was all new to them and they wanted to experiment. Lan Zhan had opened his 'book' at a particular page and showed it to Wei Ying. He almost choked seeing what Lan Zhan wanted. Lan Zhan read the shock in his eyes and asked if they could try. Before he could think coherently, his head moved in consent and he licked his lips voraciously. The raw hunger in Lan Zhan's eyes lit an unknown fire in him.
Lan Zhan wanted to use his mouth for his own pleasure and Wei Ying pliantly accepted. His eyes turned red as he gave in to the rough game. He felt a constriction in his throat as Lan Zhan increased the rhythm of his movement; his brained was starved of oxygen; he could hardly think; yet he never felt more alive. He closed his eyes, drinking in the sensations that were all new to him; Lan Zhan's fingers fisting his hair roughly; the pain and pleasure on his scalp as Lan Zhan's hand grazed it; the fullness in his mouth up to his throat; the heady musk of the soft hair teasing his nostrils; the knees of Lan Zhan against his own painful arousal; the throaty moans of Lan Zhan as he kept on repeating his name.
He did not realise when Lan Zhan had untied his wrists. He instinctively understood that Lan Zhan wanted to let go completely. He glanced up and saw Lan Zhan's eyes glazing. He gently guided him on his back, without letting him go and kept on moving his head, maintaining the rhythm.
His hands moved around, in search of the magic potion. He found it and dipped two digits in the jar and glided these into Lan Zhan, curling and moving.
Lan Zhan came almost instantly; Wei Ying thought he would die – it was overwhelming, scary and breath-taking. Nothing, no amount of erotica he had read had prepared him for what was to come. It took all his cultivation practice to keep him steady as Lan Zhan climaxed. He coughed and choked. Eventually he swallowed a bit and spat a bit. He lifted himself and watched the gorgeous Lan Zhan convulsing in the throes of passion, clutching the sheets. It was a mesmerising sight. He had then laid by his side, waiting for the waves shaking Lan Zhan's body to wane.
"You were very naughty to me earlier Wei Ying! It's payback time now!"
"Lan Zhan, please stop! Spare me!"
"No way! I will mark you and do you... and when I am done, you will not be able to walk for days!"
"Lan Zhan..."
"How dare you use your magical fingers on me?" Lan Zhan grazed at his sides while kissing and nibbling his navel.
"Please, please, please, Lan Zhan!"
His hands stroke his thighs and Wei Ying groans.
"You wanted to play? Ok, two can play this game."
Lan Zhan went on teasing him, languorously, with his hands, his fingers, his lips, his teeth and his tongue.
"Stop, please!"
"No! You are such a naughty bunny!"
"Love, please stop! I want you so much!" he wantonly screamed.
"What do you want bunny?"
"Lan Zhan, please, I want you inside! I beg..." Wei Ying felt a hand on his mouth. Lan Zhan knelt between his legs, gazing at him. He spoke in a serious tone.
"A-Ying, you never have to beg! Just tell me what you want... I will never deny you!"
"I want you inside now..." Wei Ying said softly, almost in tears.
Lan Zhan bent over him; Wei Ying reached out, snaking his arms around his neck, welcoming his kiss. It was slow and deep; unlike the kisses they shared earlier. There was a bittersweet flavour to it that neither of the two could understand. Their bodies moved on their own accord; Lan Zhan supported Wei Ying's back with his arms as he wrapped his legs around his hips and started to grind against him. Lan Zhan moved a hand to search for his entrance. He sheathed himself into Wei Ying, raw.
Tears flowed from Wei Ying eyes and then he started to moved, the heat and the rhythm mounting until they both came undone, totally lost in the moment, in absolute silence except for their rugged breaths. Lan Zhan crashed on Wei Ying chest; he could not understand why tears flowed incessantly from his eyes.
Wei Ying wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan in a tight embrace. None of them were in a hurry to break away and they remained joined. Lan Zhan listened to the thumping of Wei Ying's heart and somehow it soothed him. It was not long before sleep got the better of them.
...
Lan Xichen watched as Nie MingJue and Nie Huaisang sipped their tea. His own cup remained untouched. He was walking along the decks when he met the two Nie brothers. The younger Nie wanted to have some pies and the elder invited Lan Xichen to join them to a trip in town.
Lan Xichen wondered how to inform Nie MingJue about Nie MeiLi and JingYi. They did not get a private moment since they arrived at Yunmeng. Nie Huaisang clung to his elder brother and somehow, Nie MingJue did not push him away; which was why Meng Yao was forced to spend most of his time at his mother's place at Yunping City.
He watched with amusement as the younger Nie told them about his adventures at the Cloud Recesses and how it was different this time because of Wei Ying.
"A-Sang, I am really proud of your progress!"
"Da Ge, I am really thankful for the help I received from Brother Wei... He is really a special person!" Nie Huaisang spoke, munching a piece of delicious pie from Auntie Su.
"Xichen, I am really happy to see the growth in A-Sang... My little DiDi has also made lifelong friends."
Lan Xichen smiled gently at him, in a reassuring manner and saw his ears turn pink. He would not be telling Nie MingJue about how many times he caught the boy making out with the girls, his amazing collection of cheap erotica that he managed to smuggle at the Cloud Recesses, his notorious success with the flower girls in Caiyi Town and the beast he turned into when wine coursed his veins.
"Indeed! He has made a lot of progress! He is no longer the shy little boy you sent to Cloud Recesses! He has grown a lot!"
Lan Xichen winked at Nie Huaisang who heaved a sigh of relief and smiled back at him.
"I never studied so hard before! Nor had so much fun at the same time! Brother Wei always says we need to find the right balance in how we spend our time and energy!"
"Hmm! A-Sang, don't forget it. This is an important lesson."
"Yes Da-Ge. I will keep on studying, real hard!" He raised his cup to hide his cheeky smile and lowered his gaze to conceal the mischievous glimmer in his eyes from his brother. Lan Xichen caught him and grinned, causing him to blush fiercely. Nie Huaisang saw some disciples waving at him from another table.
"Da Ge, can I join my friends?"
"Sure! Have a nice time! But don't forget - You will be returning to Gusu in the evening!"
He nodded and happily ran to meet his friends, leaving the two alone.
They sat without saying word and quietly sipping their tea.
"Di... Why are you holding back? Say whatever you have to say..."
Lan Xichen did not realise that he was grasping his empty cup and holding his breath. He put down the cup and looked at Nie MingJue.
"Da Ge, Jie is not more...!"
Nie MingJue stood up, knocking the table. "What? Xichen, how can you say that? You, of all the people..."
Lan Xichen steadied the table and continued in hushed tones, after raising a privacy barrier.
"Da Ge, she visited me last night..."
"What? You saw her?"
"She was in spirit form, Da Ge. But I could see her and hold her..."
"Are you sure it was her?"
"Do you doubt me?"
Nie MingJue clenched his fist, "Why didn't Jie come to me?"
"Da Ge, last night's blessings were for lovers only..."
Nie MingJue felt a painful constriction in his chest. It was as if his lungs had been punctured. If Lan Xichen saw Nie MeiLi last night, it really meant that she was gone. Yet, his heart was unable to accept the fact.
"How was she?"
"Perfect..."
"Xichen, you know what I mean..."
Lan Xichen straightened himself and poured another cup of tea for both of them.
"She wore her battle scars proudly!"
"What did that monster do to my sister?"
Lan Xichen deliberately ignored his question. If you knew, Lanling and Qishan would become blood pools! The Wen and Jin Sect would be wiped out mercilessly.
"Ge, Jie was at Yunping city and she died last year. The paper cutter belonged to her. It was sold in the market, along with some of her belongings... It was Meng Yao who rescued the discarded members of the Jin GuangShan's harem and brought them to Yunping city... His mother, Meng Shi, runs the most famous brothel of Yunping city. Jie and the others were brought there..."
Lan Xichen could not bring himself to tell him anything about JingYi. His instincts were totally against it. He decided to be as brief as possible and limit himself on the details he could share.
Nie MingJue sat still, his eyes closed.
"Jie did not live at the brothel. She shared a house in town with a fellow sister from the harem. They had a small business which was doing quite well, until Jie died."
"Why did she not get in touch with us earlier?"
"I asked – she said she could not; she did not reveal why... She spoke a lot about the war that may break and she asked for a vow from us... no revenge, no bloodbath in her name!"
"Xichen..."
"Da Ge, I vowed on behalf of both of us... That was Jie's wish... How can I refuse her? Can you?"
"No..."
"She asked another promise as well... Should there be a war, we should fight for justice, for all the cultivation world, not for petty Sect interest. Her dream is to see a better world for the all the children. She wants us to achieve that... for her! She deeply regrets leaving A-Sang all alone..."
Nie MingJue felt numb. He could not even cry his heart out, even though he desperately wanted to. The unshed tears ran down inside his throat, almost choking him.
"She gave me a lot of intelligence on the Jins..."
Lan Xichen took a deep breath and continued,
"Although Meng Yao saved Jie from death, she specifically warned me against him... She said he had a split personality disorder and that most of the girls he saved were later tortured to death... She asked me to investigate this matter..."
"A-Yao?" Nie MingJue asked in a trembling voice. "How is it possible?"
"Da Ge, I always felt very uneasy in his presence. When he is here, it feels like two persons are watching me. It gives me creeps!"
"That could explain why A-Sang is not comfortable around him. The boy is very intuitive."
"Da Ge, I told Jie about you and him... There is a risk if you remain associated with him..."
"I understand the danger, Xichen! But at the same time, I believe that you should keep your enemies closer to you..."
"Da Ge, he must not know about the existence of Jie! It would endanger the life of another person who was very close to Jie."
"Who?"
"Jie's companion... She shared Jie's burden since the harem days and I don't want her to be hurt by Meng Yao." And JingYi, Jie's son, and now my son. I am sorry Da Ge, I can't reveal this to you yet.
"What are you planning to do for her?"
"Nothing! It may attract unnecessary attention on her if we do anything now and I don't want that... My main concern is Meng Yao..."
"How about we use him as we planned initially?"
"Do you think he can be trusted for this mission?"
"I think so."
"How about your relationship with him?"
"Well, for me, it was never something serious. He was the one who clung to me. I thought that his attachment was genuine and allowed him to get close... I now wonder if he had an ulterior motive..."
"Only time will tell... We need to be on our guards. It is important to remove him from QingHe the soonest possible..." because in spite of what you have just said Ge, I feel that you are the one who is deeply attached to A-Yao. I can see it in the way your eyes shine when you look at him. And he is the only one who has ever been allowed to stay in your private apartments.
"How?" Nie MingJue asked.
"I will think of something and talk to him..."
"OK Di..." Nie MingJue saw his younger brother coming their way. "A-Sang is coming our way. You can pull down the barrier!"
"Hmm"
Nie Huaisang came with a bowl of snack and chattered about what his friends had said, oblivious to the glances that were exchanged by his elder brother and Lan Xichen while they drank their tea.
...