Chapter 27: The Morning After

“Didn’t you care the most about the safety of the empire before? Are you really indifferent now?”
Bai Xingluo’s eyes darkened.
“I’m not indifferent. When the empire truly needs me, I will still choose to stand up,” he paused slightly, his tone mixed with a hint of gentleness. “Deputy Xie, I will send over the operational plan later.”
After hanging up the communication, Bai Xingluo turned around and saw the beautiful lord standing there, drying his hair.
The hot water had flushed his cheeks and lips, making them appear redder and plumper than usual.
His fair fingers gently wandered through his damp hair, which was almost dry and looked fluffy and soft, resembling a fluffball cat.
If one were to touch him, he might obediently squint his eyes and let out a purring sound.
Tong Sui asked, “Has something happened?”
Bai Xingluo shook his head, “No, just some trivial matters. You don’t need to worry.”
“Uh-huh.” Tong Sui finished drying his hair and put away the dryer. “You should take a shower and get some rest.”
Bai Xingluo entered the bathroom.
In the completely enclosed space, there lingered the scent of body wash, and if one were to smell closely, there was a very faint sweetness.
He remembered clearly that was the scent that belonged to the male lord.
He took a deep breath, his eyes dimming with a complex mix of feelings, like aged strong liquor.
Perhaps it was the entirely private space that gave rise to ambiguous thoughts.
He could not suppress the strong agitation in his spiritual energy any longer, lightly releasing a thread of it; the powerful aura immediately captured the faint scent in the air.
At the moment of contact, it felt as if strands of silk were tightly intertwined.
The tremor sent his legs shaking, and he had to brace himself against the sink to avoid collapsing.
She gasped, lifting his damp eyelashes to look at himself in the mirror.
Her porcelain-like cheeks were already covered with delicate marks, spiralling from his sharp jawline all the way to the inside of his shirt.
This was an unprecedented sensation.
Originally chaotic and tangled spiritual energy began to unwind slightly under the soothing effect of that subtle fragrance, sending tingling sensations throughout her body.
Fine beads of sweat dripped from his chin.
“Lord.”
What swept over him was an uncontrollable void and desire.
Her voice was incredibly hoarse; knowing full well that Tong Sui could not hear him, she still called out again and again, as if trapped in some irrational fantasy.
On the other side of the wall, Tong Sui was unaware of any odd occurrences.
He lay on the expensive bed, originally planning to wait for Bai Xingluo to emerge, but as drowsiness washed over him, he fell asleep quickly.
Time passed unmeasured, and Bai Xingluo finally came out of the bathroom.
Her damp long hair clung to his body, and her pure white shirt was soaked, faintly revealing the still faint marks on his skin.
Meanwhile, the lord was completely defenceless, deep in slumber.
Bai Xingluo’s jade-like feet left damp footprints on the marble floor.
She approached silently like a drenched lion, his heavy gaze fixated on his prey, unwilling to look away from Tong Sui.
She moved with such lightness that hardly any sound was made.
Reaching the bedside, he slowly crouched down, almost in a half-kneeling, reverent posture; his original light blue eyes were now darkened like the night sea.
Lord…
He inched forward cautiously, drawn to the familiar scent.
Tong Sui slept soundly, his lashes like raven feathers, soft and obedient; apart from his steady breathing, he made hardly any other sound.
Next to him was a generously empty space, wide enough for two.
The fading marks on Bai Xingluo’s body had a tendency to resurface, and the lingering scent from the bathroom felt like a dam had burst open, yet it was still not enough.
He yearned for more of the lord’s scent.
Time passed uncounted as Bai Xingluo’s eyes flickered dimly, reason wrestling with boundless desire; finally, he gritted his teeth and retreated slightly, clenching his fists tightly.
Tong Sui slept comfortably, going to bed early and rising earlier than usual.
In a dazed rollover, he suddenly remembered there was someone sleeping next to him; he opened his eyes but found the space beside him empty.
The pillow didn’t even seem to have been used.
Huh?
Did Bai Xingluo wake up so early?
He lifted the blanket, about to get out of bed when he almost kicked something white; focusing his gaze, he recognized a familiar figure curled up on the cold floor.
He was nestled up like a big cat, with the outline of his shoulder blades faintly showing through his back, resembling a fragile and beautiful butterfly.
Wait.
Now is not the time to marvel at this.
How could Bai Xingluo be sleeping on the floor?!
Tong Sui felt darkness encroach on his vision.
Did he seriously sleep in this position on the floor all night?
His movements awakened Bai Xingluo, who opened his eyes, revealing an unusual dazed expression. After a couple of seconds, he responded, sitting up.
“Good morning, Lord.”
“Why didn’t you sleep up here? You’d rather sleep on the floor than with me?”
Tong Sui questioned, a hint of annoyance in his tone. “If you don’t want to, I’ll sleep on the floor too.”
“It’s not that, I…”
Bai Xingluo lowered his eyelashes, afraid to voice the chaotic thoughts swirling within him in front of the striking young lord.
He felt as if he wanted to sink into his own shadow.
Until soft hands grabbed his wrist, pulling him up from the floor; his legs, numbed from sleep, gave way as he collapsed onto the bed.
Wrapped in warmth and the lingering scent, the blanket cocooned him tightly.
A pair of arms encircled his waist.
Tong Sui held him close, “No sneaking off again; I will truly get angry.”