The words "hand-in-hand" and "more deeply" were heavily emphasized, their suggestive meaning thick and unmistakable.
Liu Erlong's face instantly turned bright red, spreading from her cheeks all the way to her neck, even her delicate collarbone was tinged with a faint pink.
"Dai! Cheng! Feng!"
She ground out his name through clenched teeth, trying to mask her panic with anger.
"Stay away from me! Tianheng is still… uh…"
She instinctively looked towards where Yu Tianheng had been, only to find the spot empty.
At some point, Yu Tianheng had quietly left the training ground and even "thoughtfully" closed the gate behind him.
The vast training ground now held only the two of them.
The morning breeze swept through the empty space, creating a faint whistling sound that accentuated the silence.
The sunlight stretched their shadows, nearly overlapping on the ground.
"He's gone."
Dai Chengfeng chuckled softly, his gaze locking onto her evasive eyes, "Quite perceptive, isn't he?"
Liu Erlong panicked, instinctively trying to retreat. Suddenly, her waist tightened—Dai Chengfeng's arm had somehow wrapped around her slender yet elastic waist, pulling her towards him with just a slight effort.
"You!"
Liu Erlong gasped, her hands pressing against his solid chest. Through the layer of fabric, she could feel the taut muscles and scorching heat beneath.
That temperature scorched her palms, making her want to push him away, but her arms felt weak.
"What about me?"
Dai Chengfeng lowered his head, his forehead almost touching hers.
Their noses were less than an inch apart, their breaths mingling, entwining.
He could clearly see her long, curled lashes trembling slightly from nervousness, see her clear eyes reflecting his image, and the fleeting panic deep within...
And a hint of a flutter she herself hadn't noticed.
"Erlong," his voice dropped lower, rich like aged wine, carrying a mesmerizing charm, "Your heart is racing so fast."
Liu Erlong faltered, feeling her cheeks burn even more fiercely.
"That's... that's because I was tense watching your battle just now!"
She stubbornly replied, turning her head to avoid his overly heated gaze, exposing her graceful neck and reddened earlobes completely to him.
Dai Chengfeng's eyes darkened, tightening the arm around her waist, bringing her soft body closer to him.
His other hand rose, fingertips gently brushing over her flushed cheek, the action unusually gentle, starkly contrasting with his previous teasing tone.
"Just nervous?"
He whispered lowly, fingertips slowly caressing her delicate skin, causing shivers.
"But I feel like every time you see me, your heartbeat quickens?"
His fingertip lightly grazed her earlobe.
Liu Erlong trembled, her fingers unconsciously curling up, grabbing the fabric of his shirt at his chest.
"Don't be so presumptuous..."
Her rebuttal lacked conviction due to the quiver in her voice.
Deep inside her, a strange, scorching sensation that made her both anxious and secretly expectant was quietly awakening, flowing through her veins to every limb.
"Am I being presumptuous," Dai Chengfeng slowly lowered his head, his warm lips almost touching her earlobe, his voice as low as a lover's whisper.
"You know best."
Liu Erlong closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling violently.
Reason told her to push him away immediately... but her body seemed drained of strength, limply leaning into his embrace.
"Dai Chengfeng..."
She murmured his name softly, her voice carrying a tenderness and confusion she herself didn't notice.
"Mm."
Dai Chengfeng responded, finally placing his lips lightly on her burning earlobe, not heavy, but scorching hot.
Liu Erlong felt as if struck by lightning, her eyes snapping open to meet his deep, close-set eyes.
"You..."
She opened her mouth but couldn't form complete words.
Dai Chengfeng watched the shimmering light in her eyes, watched her slightly parted red lips from bewilderment, his gaze darkening abruptly.
The hand at her back pressed harder, pulling her tighter against himself, while he lowered his head, aiming directly for those tempting lips.
Dai Chengfeng's lips descended.
At first, it was just a gentle touch, unbelievably tender.
A buzzing sound filled Liu Erlong's mind; the force against his chest vanished instantly, her fingertips curling, leaving only the soft touch of his fabric.
But this tenderness didn't last long.
Sensing her powerless resistance, Dai Chengfeng's arm around her waist suddenly tightened, almost melding her into his body.
The force of the kiss also intensified, becoming deep and undeniably aggressive.
Liu Erlong felt dizzy, and just as she was about to suffocate and lose all thought, Dai Chengfeng finally pulled back slightly.
Liu Erlong's eyes were moist and hazy, panting heavily...
Only to see Dai Chengfeng chuckle softly, producing a small object no bigger than a palm from somewhere, presenting it before her eyes.
"Cough... what is this?"
Liu Erlong focused her sight, seeing the object was peculiarly shaped, neither gold nor jade, entirely a soothing pale purple with cloud-like patterns, one end rounded, the other embedded with a smaller, seemingly rotatable white bead.
Her curiosity temporarily overshadowed her embarrassment, and she couldn't help but examine it closely, even extending her delicate fingers to curiously touch the white bead.
The bead rotated slightly, emitting a faint, almost inaudible hum.
Dai Chengfeng's eyes swirled with hidden currents as he leaned in close to her burning ear, explaining in a low whisper.
The hot air mixed with his hoarse voice entered her ear canal. At first, she listened in confusion, but when she understood the explicit and specific "uses" and "ways to play" in his words, the color on her face instantly drained, then flared red again, almost bleeding!
"Dai! Cheng! Feng——!!!"
She almost screamed, pushing him away with all her might, stumbling back several steps, hugging herself tightly, her entire skin flushing pink from extreme shame and panic.
"You... how can... how can you bring out such a... thing! And, and..."
She was furious and flustered, speaking incoherently, her trembling finger pointing at the pale purple object in his hand as if it were some monstrous beast.
"Throw it away! No, destroy it!"
Seeing her such intense reaction, like a cat with its fur standing on end, Dai Chengfeng raised an eyebrow, a flicker of regret crossing his eyes.
He hadn't expected her to be so repelled by it, thinking... at least she would be somewhat curious.
"Alright, alright, don't be angry."
He quickly complied, putting the "little toy" away so swiftly that Liu Erlong didn't even see where he hid it, as if the shocking thing had never appeared.
He raised both hands in a calming gesture, taking a step closer to her.
"Don't come near me!"
Liu Erlong immediately retreated another step, her blush not yet faded, glaring at him with a mix of shame and anger.
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