"K-Kage... I feel weird. Stop acting this way, please..." Lìngxi mumbled shakily. The words felt clumsy on his tongue, and a prickle of embarrassment crawled up his neck; he sounded like a flustered teenager, a far cry from the composed cultivator he once was.
"It is merely a little heat which ice feels when the fire draws close," Kage Ou murmured. His voice was a faint, predatory purr vibrating against the shell of Lìngxi's ear. "Just... tell me if it hurts."
Lìngxi's breath hitched, his gaze snapping toward the other man. The implication sent a jolt through his core. What did he even mean? His mind raced through a dozen scandalous possibilities, each more dizzying than the last.
"You—what did you—?" Lìngxi struggled to find his voice. The atmosphere was thick, overwhelming, and possessed a hidden sweetness he was loath to admit even to himself. It left him drowning in a sea of mixed feelings, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
Kage Ou watched the play of emotions across Lìngxi's face, fighting the urge to let out a triumphant chuckle. He knew he was being misinterpreted in the most delicious way possible.
Leaning in further, he decided to tug on the thread of Lìngxi's panic. "Yes... tell me if it hurts. I'll massage it," he whispered, biting his lower lip to stifle a laugh at the sheer absurdity of the misunderstanding.
Lìngxi took a sharp breath that seemed to lodge in his chest. His eyes widened, nearly bulging with shock. As a man who had once been a husband, he understood the gravity of such words, even if they were being spoken by a man. The weight of it was too much.
"I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION! NEVER!" Lìngxi's voice cracked, sounding far more flushed and panicked than truly angry.
Kage Ou moved instantly, pressing a firm hand over Lìngxi's mouth. A flash of genuine annoyance crossed his features—Lìngxi had a habit of shattering the mood just as it reached its peak.
"Hush, Lìng. Be quiet," he hissed, though his eyes softened. "I meant if your forehead gem hurts again, I would massage the pressure point. Happy now? Keep still... I am not..." He turned his gaze away toward the dark fabric of the blankets, his voice dropping an octave. "I am not that shameless. At least not with you."
Lìngxi blinked, the silence in the room suddenly deafening.
'Oh... he meant the gem? And I... I thought... He let out a long, internal sigh, his soul wilting with mortification. Oh, Heavens...'
But he wasn't about to admit his mind had wandered into the gutter. He couldn't let his guard down now. Squaring his shoulders, he tried to reclaim his mantle of icy indifference, though his cheeks remained stained a deep crimson.
"You could have... mentioned that specifically," he mumbled. Then, his gaze hardened as a new thought surfaced. "So... do you do 'those things' with others?"
Kage Ou blinked, looking uncharacteristically caught off guard. He cleared his throat, shifting his weight. "As a demonic cultivator, I am—"
"That doesn't mean you have to indulge in such things!" Lìngxi interrupted, his voice rising in an argumentative trill. "I have told you not to sink back into those habits. It is not good for your path."
Kage Ou's jaw tightened imperceptibly. He looked at Lìngxi, really looked at him, before a slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. "Fine. I'll abstain... on one condition."
Lìngxi felt a cold shiver of dread. He knew that look; it usually preceded a disaster for his dignity. "No. No more conditions. I am not available for your games."
He scrambled to disentangle himself from the blankets, his heart thumping like a trapped bird. He needed air. He needed distance.
"Fine, fine!" Kage Ou caught his arm, gently but firmly anchored him in place. He wasn't finished. With a sweet, cocky tilt of his head, he pointed a finger first at Lìngxi's lips and then to his own cheek.
The silent request hung in the air: A kiss.
Lìngxi's face bloomed into a fresh, vivid red. Improper. A sin. Impossible. How had their dynamic shifted so violently? They had been perfectly fine—stable, even—until this night.
"No," Lìngxi said again, but the word lacked the frost he intended. The rejection felt hollow, and he cursed himself for the lack of conviction in his own voice. "I am going back to my clan. Lord knows what you are planning next... where is Lànhuā?"
He pushed past, finally managing to wrench the door open and step out into the hallway. But the moment his feet hit the floor, his gem throbbed with a dull, agonizing heat. The world tilted on its axis, and his knees buckled.
Kage Ou was there in a heartbeat, catching him before he could collide with the doorframe. He hoisted Lìngxi into his arms with effortless grace.
"Don't be so upset," Kage Ou murmured, carrying him back into the room. "It's like seeing you collapse after the desperate retual dance. "
Lìngxi didn't struggle this time. He was too tired, too dizzy. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Kage Ou's neck for stability, though he continued to grumble stubbornly. "Put me down. I don't like how you always carry me on your back like a child."
"And I don't like how you always run away from me," Kage Ou countered. "You think you're escaping, but you're just circling the truth."
Instead of returning to the bed, Kage Ou stepped out onto the private balcony. The moon hung bloated and silver in a cloudless sky, casting a ghostly light over the world. He sat Lìngxi down on the wooden railing, keeping a protective, steadying arm around his waist so he wouldn't slip.
Their gazes locked. The cool night air began to soothe the fever in Lìngxi's skin.
"You are making me question everything," Lìngxi whispered, his voice soft and stripped of its usual defenses.
"Then ask," Kage Ou replied, his intensity matching the stillness of the night. "I will provide every answer I have. I have no reason to deny you anything."
Lìngxi leaned back slightly, his head resting near Kage Ou's shoulder. Their hair—one shock of white, one of ink—mingled and danced in the gentle breeze.
"A lot of questions," Lìngxi sighed.
"A lot of answers are waiting," Kage Ou promised.
Lìngxi looked back into those dark, demonic eyes, his expression turning solemn and piercing. "Then... first. The ritual incident... from a few hours ago. Tell me the truth."
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Hello, everyone ♡
Thank you for 150k+ views! Long time no see. You already know why.
You all seem more patient than I am ♡
Two more months of this torture. My days are: study, sleep, tutor—who gets annoyed even if you're late answering his questions—then study again, then sleep. I'm struggling to write V2 because I'm always overwhelmed.
But somehow, I managed to write this chapter. And you all deserved it ♡
Thank you for the stable 98 collections. I'm hoping we'll reach 100 soon. That would be a great accomplishment for us.
Pray for your little clumsy author, YYX, so she can come back alive here again. Life is getting too tough on her. Luck is like Xie Lian with no Hua Cheng, honestly.
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I also wanted to ask: when do you want me to drop the complete version? After it's totally finished? Or after at least 2 volumes?
The new version will feel much tighter and more alive—you'll see it has a different look with each volume! Special edition for my old, loving tearstones who followed this version from the start.
Don't forget to comment (when the new book drops—in the comment section) telling me which "th" collector you are, with your date and even your Insta ID if you want to actually have a "tearstone chat" with me ♡ If it crosses more than 50 people, I'll make a group!
Also, this time I'm aiming for a contract. So if any experienced Webnovel author is here and wants the tearstones to shine far more than this, feel free to give me some tips! Your author will be even happier if you open up your hearts now, finally ♡