164. Xiling: Lemuen, You Forced Me to Do This
What is liking?
Liking something is like liking someone, longing for them to be by your side, your gaze involuntarily following them, wishing to spend every minute and second with them, even developing a possessive desire… perhaps that's liking.
And what about love?
Probably… the wish for the other person to be happy. Even if that happiness isn't always given by yourself.
—That's Lemuen's attitude towards Xiling.
"Still busy? You've worked hard." Having gained permission to enter Lemuen's world, Xiling stepped into Lemuen's world and immediately saw the figure still busy hunched over her desk.
Looking at that face, Lemuen felt that even the somewhat tedious work became less tedious:
"Yeah, there's still some document to finish."
"Thank you for your hard work, our dedicated Cardinal." Xiling approached the desk while teasingly smiling at her.
Upon hearing this, Lemuen leaned back in her chair, letting out a small sigh, her tone tinged with just the right amount of pitifulness:
"Yes, work is so hard... Is there any kind hero willing to lend a helping hand?" She blinked, her voice carrying a hint of coquetry.
Seeing her like this, Xiling rolled his eyes.
"You could have just called me by my name," he said, casually walking around the table to stand behind Lemuen.
His hand gently landed on her slightly tense shoulder, applying a soothing pressure as he began to massage it lightly.
"Cardinal, is this pressure just right?"
"Hmm…" Lemuen closed her eyes comfortably, directing, "A little this way…yes, right here."
"Yes, maam."
Xiling: "By the way, you specifically called me over earlier, saying you had something to discuss? What is it?"
Lemuen slowly opened her eyes, a sly glint in them: "Oh, just some small matters."
Under Xiling's slightly questioning gaze, Lemuen stood up and turned to look at him. She reached out, with undeniable force, and pressed Xiling back into the chair she had just left.
Then, before Xiling could fully react, she turned her back to him, lightly yet with an undeniable air of authority, and sat directly into his lap—landing firmly on his thighs, her back immediately relaxing against Xiling's chest, completely embedding herself in his embrace.
"Mmm..." She let out a soft, satisfied hum, then added a hint of reproach in her nose, turning her head to the side.
"We... we're officially a couple, right?"
Before she finished speaking, she had already taken Xiling's hands, wrapping them around her waist and pressing them firmly against her lower abdomen, making sure she was held securely.
"Yes," Xiling felt the soft warmth and weight in his arms, instinctively adjusting his position to make her more comfortable, then nodded at her.
"What's wrong?"
"You have the nerve to ask me what's wrong?" Lemuen protested.
"What couple, after officially becoming a couple, is as bland as a glass of water as we are?"
"We've already talked it out, but when we're together, it feels like nothing's changed at all!" Her voice carried a genuine sense of confusion.
Hearing this, Xiling thought about it seriously... and it seemed true. But what else could he do? He humbly inquired, "So, what do you think... we should be like?"
Sometimes, Lemuen really wanted to roll her eyes at this clueless hero—he couldn't do this, he couldn't do that!
She decisively grabbed Xiling's hands, which were wrapped around her waist, again. This time, with a clear purpose, she guided them upwards, covering her soft, warm chest.
"You should do this," her voice was slightly strained, a barely perceptible blush rising on her cheeks, yet she maintained her composure, turning her head to the side, "and then... spend more time with me every day. Also, when you're holding me, don't be like a wooden post! Move!" She practically gave a command.
Xiling, being given this impromptu lesson, belatedly felt a surge of heat rise to his ears. A strange sense of shame made him subconsciously follow her instructions—the hands covering her chest began to knead very lightly, with tentative and awkward pressure.
Feeling the fresh, warm, slightly clumsy yet incredibly earnest touch against her chest, Lemuen's body trembled almost imperceptibly, her cheeks flushing deeper, like the color of the setting sun. She bit her lower lip, suppressing a soft moan that nearly escaped her throat, her voice unsteady:
"Yes...that's it..." She paused, her voice softening, "I didn't say I wanted anything from you...but you at least...have to show me a little bit of desire..."
"Otherwise...otherwise it'll seem like I'm the only one making a move, how embarrassing!" The last muttered sentence floated down her lips, tinged with embarrassment.
"So," Xiling's voice held a hint of probing, "you want me… to be more proactive?"
"Idiot… don't ask things like that…" Lemuen's voice was slightly breathless as she turned her head and pecked him on the lips.
"Yes."
Xiling felt her initiative, and his movements unconsciously intensified, eliciting a suppressed groan from the person in his arms:
"Are all girls… like this?"
Lemuen's breathing quickened with his increasingly practiced movements, her chest heaving noticeably.
"I… how would I know about others…" she stammered, her body honestly pressing back against him more tightly, "Anyway… For me… That's how it is."
"Then I'll... uh, try my best in the future."
Lemuen suddenly turned her head, a dangerous smile slowly curving her previously blushing cheeks: "The future... We'll talk about it later."
"Today... I won't let you leave so easily, Hero."
Soon—
"...Wait, isn't this... your office?"
"Yes, so what?"
"So...shouldn't we stop?"
Lemuen chuckled softly in response: "My office...of course I... am in charge."
The moment the words left her lips, a rhythmic tapping sound began to echo in the silent room.
An invisible, imperceptible yet incredibly solid will quietly enveloped the entire space, firmly imprisoning all the alluring sounds and ambiguous atmosphere within the room, preventing even a trace from leaking out.
--------
A Sankta woman, carrying a thick stack of documents, slowly walked in.
She had initially felt relieved after finishing her work, but for some reason, her steps became lighter, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned upward. An indescribable, pure joy, like a warm stream, silently permeated her senses, causing her mood index to soar.
"Hmm?" She felt the wave of pleasure transmitted through her shared feelings, making her feel both puzzled and delighted.
"It seems... Cardinal Lemuen is in an exceptionally good mood today... Did she finish her work ahead of schedule?"
With this contagious joy, she gently knocked on the Cardinal's office door.
"Cardinal Lemuen," she said respectfully, raising her voice, "I have an urgent document here that requires your review."
A few seconds passed, but there was no response from inside.
The staff member tilted her head in confusion, hesitating whether to knock again—
"Come...come in." Lemuen's voice finally came from inside, but her tone... seemed more hurried than usual, with a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Then, a crisp "click" rang out as the door unlocked.
The staff member, suppressing her doubts, didn't dwell on it and pushed open the door.
Cardinal Lemuen sat upright in her large office chair, her posture seemingly more…erect than usual? Even possessing a subtle air of height. Her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and her breathing was slightly more rapid than usual. She radiated an unusual vitality, as if she had just experienced strenuous activity.
"She must have encountered something particularly joyful, jumping around excitedly in her office," the staff member secretly guessed, attributing the intense joy she felt to this. She smiled and prepared to place the documents on the desk in front of Lemuen.
"Just…just put them on the coffee table over there," Lemuen suddenly stopped her, her voice more composed than before, but still carrying an undeniable…heaviness? Her gaze swept quickly across the pile of documents on the desk.
"This...it's not organized yet, I'm afraid I'll make a mess."
The staff member's eyes swept over the indeed somewhat messy desk, a sense of awe rising within her: Cardinal Lemuen is so dedicated! Even organizing documents is done with such focus! She immediately replied respectfully, "Yes, ma'am!"
She carefully placed the documents on the tea table not far away.
"Then I won't disturb your work any longer, Cardinal Lemuen."
"Mm," Lemuen simply responded, nodding at her.
The staff member quickly withdrew, carefully closing the door behind her.
"Phew..."
"Sigh..."
Almost the instant the door closed, two sighs of relief, yet tinged with complex emotions, echoed simultaneously in the office.
However, just as their tense nerves were about to relax—
"Squeak—"
The door was suddenly pushed open a crack again!
"!!!!" Lemuen froze instantly, while the person hiding under the desk nearly stopped in their tracks.
The Sankta woman poked her head in, a pure smile on her face:
"Cardinal Lemuen! Have a very, very pleasant day!"
Only after saying this did she finally and completely leave.
"Click."
The sound of the door locking automatically sounded like heavenly music.
The two people in the office finally breathed a sigh of relief. Lemuen looked down at the peculiar cushion beneath her buttocks—Xiling, who was sitting in the office chair, was now reclining in a supine position.
If the staff member had taken just two more steps forward, they would have seen someone hiding under the Cardinal.
"You…you're incredibly bold!" Xiling's voice was practically squeezed out between clenched teeth; for a moment, he felt his heart was about to leap out of his throat. Even though he was 100% certain he wouldn't be discovered, the feeling was still strange.
"Since you've chosen to pursue excitement," Lemuen showed no remorse whatsoever. Instead, she shifted slightly, clearly sensing the changes within her, a sly and satisfied smile playing on her lips, "then of course you have to see it through to the end..." She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, "And...it seems...it's gotten bigger again."
Xiling's cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
"I really need to discipline you!"
The moment the words left his lips—
*buzz!*
Xiling's will instantly seal off and isolate the entire office space.
A more intense, more shameful sound and whispers echoed within the office. However, enveloped by the barrier, everything...was imprisoned within this small space, becoming a secret known only to the two involved.