The atmosphere during dinner was somewhat heavy.
Ning Rongrong seemed to have realized that her actions earlier in the day might have caused trouble. She kept her head down, eating small bites and avoiding conversation.
Grand Priest focused intently on her meal, appearing completely detached from the situation.
Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena ate sparingly and soon rose one after another, each returning to their own tents.
As the night deepened, the campsite grew quiet, with only the soft crackling of the burning bonfire breaking the silence.
Suddenly, Dai Chengfeng opened his tent.
He carefully sensed his surroundings, confirming that Grand Priest and Ning Rongrong were likely resting and that there was no movement from Zhu Zhuqing's tent. He then crouched low, silently slipping over to Hu Liena's tent.
He gently tapped on the tent frame, lowering his voice,
"Nana, are you asleep?"
After a brief silence, "Dai Chengfeng? What do you want? I'm about to rest. Go back," Hu Liena's voice came through, tinged with caution.
"I need to talk to you about what happened earlier today."
As he spoke, Dai Chengfeng had already lifted the edge of the tent flap with his hand.
"Don't come in!"
Hu Liena's voice carried a hint of urgency, clearly not expecting Dai Chengfeng to be so bold.
But Dai Chengfeng moved faster; his figure slipped inside, and he quickly closed the tent flap behind him.
The space inside the tent was cramped. Hu Liena sat there wrapped in a thin blanket, her face full of surprise and slight anger. In the dim light, her fox-like eyes appeared particularly bright.
"Dai Chengfeng! You… get out!"
Hu Liena whispered sharply, fearing to wake others.
Dai Chengfeng paid no heed, stepping closer and looking into her eyes: "Nana, listen to me. There's really nothing between Ning Rongrong and me."
"That kiss… I was surprised too."
Hu Liena turned her head away. "Hmph, what does it matter to me whether you have something with her or not?"
"Shouldn't you be explaining this to your fiancée, Zhu Zhuqing?"
"What am I to you? Just an outsider. Why bother explaining anything to me?"
"Jealous?" Dai Chengfeng looked at her sulking profile and suddenly chuckled softly.
Hu Liena reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She whipped her head back around, her beautiful eyes wide with a touch of indignation, "Who's jealous?! Dai Chengfeng, I don't care how close you get to any woman!"
Seeing her hypocritical demeanor, Dai Chengfeng felt reassured instead.
Suddenly, he reached out and pulled Hu Liena into his arms.
"Ahh!"
Hu Liena gasped, her body instantly stiffening.
Those fox-like eyes, always brimming with allure, were now wide open, reflecting the faint starlight filtering through gaps in the tent, filled with disbelief.
"Dai Chengfeng, how dare you!"
Her low voice trembled slightly, imperceptibly. Her hands pushed against his firm chest, trying to resist but feeling as powerless as an ant shaking a tree.
Dai Chengfeng's body heat and crisp scent made her heart race.
In response to Hu Liena's 'rebuke,' Dai Chengfeng didn't loosen his grip. Instead, he tightened his arms, pressing her warm, fragrant body even closer to himself.
He lowered his head, his hot breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe, feeling her instant shiver. The frustration he felt from her hypocrisy dissipated somewhat.
Instead, a stronger sense of possessiveness took its place.
"Being daring?"
Dai Chengfeng chuckled lowly, "Nana, haven't I been daring with you before?"
"…And this is just the beginning."
"You…" Hu Liena was both furious and flustered, more so by her inability to control the situation.
She had never been in such intimate, improper contact with a man before. Even when she first joined the Spirit Hall years ago, because of Bibi Dong's favoritism, no one dared to treat her disrespectfully.
"What do you want? Let me go!"
"Let go?" Dai Chengfeng interrupted, his gaze fiery as he stared into her eyes. "Nana, do you really not care about what happens between Ning Rongrong and me?"
Upon hearing this, Hu Liena bit her lower lip tightly, stubbornly turning her head away.
"I said it has nothing to do with me."
"Liar."
Dai Chengfeng freed one hand, his fingers, slightly calloused, gently caressed her cheek, the texture delicate and cool.
Hu Liena trembled all over, wanting to swat his hand away, but he seized her wrist instead.
"If you really didn't care, would you be angry?"
Dai Chengfeng's voice dropped even lower, almost whispering in her ear, "Your reaction tells me you care a lot."
"I don't!"
Hu Liena abruptly turned her head back, her eyes misty with indignation, adding to her captivating allure. "Dai Chengfeng, don't flatter yourself! How could I, Hu Liena, ever…"
However, before Hu Liena finished speaking, all sound ceased abruptly.
Hu Liena's eyes widened in astonishment, her mind blank.
Dai Chengfeng had kissed her.
So this is what a kiss feels like?
At first, Hu Liena struggled fiercely, pounding her fists against his back, but her strength was negligible under Dai Chengfeng's restraint.
The unfamiliar yet soft sensation on her lips sent an electric current coursing through her body, making her limbs weak and her head dizzy.
Her resistance gradually weakened until finally, she closed her eyes, awkwardly and passively enduring this unexpected kiss. A strange, tingling sensation arose within her.
After an unknown amount of time, Dai Chengfeng suddenly hissed and drew in a sharp breath, releasing Hu Liena while spitting out a mouthful of blood.
He looked at Hu Liena, who was flushed like a peach blossom but with a hint of retaliatory satisfaction in her eyes, half-amused and half-exasperated:
"Are you part fox or part puppy? Why do you bite?"
Inwardly, Dai Chengfeng sighed:
"Truly a lineage of the Spirit Hall, huh?"
"First Qian Ren Xue, then Bibi Dong, and now Hu Liena…"
"One after another, none of them don't bite during intimacy!"
"What kind of tradition is this?"
Hu Liena angrily shoved him away, pulling a blanket over half her face, leaving only her watery eyes glaring at him. Her muffled voice came through:
"Serves you right! Who told you… to force a kiss on me! Get out!"
Dai Chengfeng licked the corner of his bitten lip, tasting a hint of blood, yet he laughed:
"Not mad anymore, are you?"
"Get out!" Hu Liena snapped irritably.
"Alright, alright, I'll leave and not disturb your rest."
Dai Chengfeng knew better than to push further, recognizing her softened attitude meant his purpose was achieved. Without further ado, he swiftly got up and left the tent as quietly as he had entered.
Watching Dai Chengfeng's retreating figure, Hu Liena slowly lowered the blanket, her fingers lightly touching her slightly swollen lips, still retaining his scent and warmth.
She remained dazed, her heartbeat still racing, a complex swirl of emotions spreading through her chest.
Instinctively, she pressed her lips together, a flicker of confusion and shyness flashing across her face.
With Hu Liena settled, Dai Chengfeng breathed a slight sigh of relief, though a greater "challenge" awaited.
He employed the same tactic, quietly creeping over to Zhu Zhuqing's tent.
This time, he didn't even knock, directly lifting the tent flap and slipping inside.
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