A Bath of Lingering Desire and a Heart’s Ache

Plop—

The warm water instantly enveloped Zhang Xiaocha’s pale body, creating small ripples in the tub. The swirling water quickly soaked her pale yellow undergarment, leaving a large wet patch.

Silver moonlight, struggling through a crack in the stone, pierced the misty air and fell upon their forms.

The thin fabric clung tightly to her skin, outlining her graceful figure. Her exquisite curves appeared and vanished in the interplay of moonlight and water, while her waterfall-like hair spread loosely, floating on the surface.

Leaning against the edge of the tub, she slept soundly. The ethereal steam, like a delicate veil, gently brushed her face, enhancing the flush of her cheeks until they resembled the vibrant, captivating peach blossoms of early spring.

Luo Bingning’s breathing suddenly quickened, her shimmering eyes now alight with desire, and her throat worked subtly.

She leaned in, pressing a deep kiss onto those soft, rosy lips. “Mmm~”

As Zhang Xiaocha murmured in her sleep, Luo Bingning’s mind replayed Zhang Xiaocha’s recent mischievous antics, causing her to instinctively clench her delicate fists.

As if to vent her lingering anger, Luo Bingning’s pearly teeth repeatedly nipped at the corner of Zhang Xiaocha’s lips. Only when a coppery taste spread in her mouth did she finally release them.

Her breath hitched, and as her gaze fell upon those lips, now even rosier with a hint of blood, the desire in her eyes intensified.

She lowered her head again, caressing them with a greedy intensity…

Her touch drifted lower.

‘This is your punishment!’

After a long while, by the bathing tub…

Bathed in the misty reflections, her white, wide-sleeved immortal gown appeared to swirl like clouds. The silver embroidery along its hem shimmered softly in the faint light.

Luo Bingning slowly raised a hand, her fingertips finding the frog closures at the collar. With the utmost gentleness, she unfastened them, allowing her wide-sleeved immortal gown to slide down, revealing shoulders as delicate as snow.

Slowly, she eased the gown further down. The white silk flowed along her curves, pooling at her feet like a drift of melted snow.

She glanced at her own fair body, then momentarily at Zhang Xiaocha, who lay sleeping in the tub, her skin marked with ambiguous traces. As if scalded, Luo Bingning abruptly lowered her head.

‘I wonder if Xiaocha likes me…’

Her mind couldn’t help but recall how Xiaocha had once clamored to conceive a child with her.

A smile involuntarily curved her lips.

‘She must like me, right?’

She stood before the tub, clad in a pale pink bustier and moon-white underpants. The steam, mingled with silver light, seemed to dance around her, making her skin appear even more tender.

Luo Bingning moved with graceful steps, her right hand gently lifting. Her slender fingers brushed lightly against the storage ring on her left hand. In an instant, a soft glow flashed, and a full handful of vibrant crimson rose petals materialized in her palm.

She leaned forward slightly, her waterfall-like hair cascading down her back and spreading across the water’s surface. With a graceful flick of her wrist, Luo Bingning let the petals flutter from her fingertips onto the water, a few scattering wantonly over Zhang Xiaocha’s body.

She lowered her gaze, eyeing the petals scattered across Zhang Xiaocha’s chest. She couldn’t help but nod, a blush rising to her cheeks.

‘Xiaocha…’

‘You like this too, don’t you?’

She lifted her exquisite foot, gently stepping into the tub. The hot water instantly enveloped her body, causing ripples to spread across the surface and the petals to sway softly.

Untying the sash of her underpants, the cicada-wing-thin fabric slowly slipped away. Once soaked, it silently sank to the bottom. Her hair spread out like seaweed in the water, and her fair skin, moistened by the steam, glowed with a faint pink hue, while a few damp strands clung to her cheeks.

The tub’s space was just enough for two. Their exquisite curves pressed tightly together, soft and yielding.

A tingling sensation surged through her heart, causing her delicate body to tremble. As their bodies gently brushed against each other, her face flushed, and her vermilion lips parted slightly. “Mmhmm~”

Her body instantly softened, leaning forward to rest weakly against Zhang Xiaocha’s neck. Her chest rose and fell dramatically, her breaths short and shallow.

Her gaze fell upon Zhang Xiaocha’s docile sleeping face. She gently raised her fair wrist, her fingertips lightly caressing her cheek.

‘If only you were this well-behaved when you’re awake, Xiaocha…’

“Xiaocha~” she murmured softly, burying her pretty face in Zhang Xiaocha’s neck. Her warm breath brushed against Zhang Xiaocha’s chest, stirring a ripple of emotion within her.

After a moment, she slowly rose.

Instantly, water splashed everywhere. Crystalline droplets ran down her skin, making a clear, tinkling sound, much like a mountain spring. When her gaze caught the soaked petals on Zhang Xiaocha’s chest, she instinctively turned her head away, as if burned.

The blush on her face deepened.

She exhaled deeply, then slowly sat down. The hot water in the tub rose above her shoulders, and the few luscious rose petals floating on the surface created a striking contrast with her snow-like skin.

Leaning slightly forward, her vermilion lips parted. She slowly took one of the damp rose petals from Zhang Xiaocha’s chest, bringing it to her own lips. Her hair, floating on the water behind her, shifted with the movement, creating gentle ripples.

Her warm breath brushed Zhang Xiaocha’s chest, then echoed back to her own neck, eliciting a soft hum. “Mmm~”

Gazing at Zhang Xiaocha’s docile sleeping face, her breathing grew more rapid, and a smile involuntarily curved her lips.

‘Xiaocha… do you like this?’

Slowly, she moved upwards, her delicate hands gently rising to embrace the soft, yielding body before her.

It was soft and delicate; wherever her fingers touched, it yielded slightly, exuding a subtle, alluring fragrance that captivated the heart.

As if sensing discomfort, the sleeping Zhang Xiaocha unconsciously furrowed her brows, letting out a soft murmur.

The faint sound shattered the cave’s silence. Luo Bingning’s delicate body trembled uncontrollably, as if struck by lightning. Her body froze in place, and a wave of panic surged through her.

‘No…’

‘Xiaocha absolutely cannot wake up now…’

‘Otherwise, Xiaocha will surely leave me because of her Disgust Value towards me…’

Her heart clenched violently, her eyes reflecting a hint of panic. A surge of spiritual energy swiftly gathered in her palm, poised to strike Zhang Xiaocha’s neck. Yet, Zhang Xiaocha merely let out a soft hum before falling silent once more.

Luo Bingning’s legs gave way, and she slumped back into the tub. Her gaze was fixed intently on the sleeping Zhang Xiaocha. After a long moment, her taut nerves gradually relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness…”

The moonlight struggled through the mist, casting its faint glow upon their fair, delicate bodies.

Zhang Xiaocha was cradled horizontally by Luo Bingning within the tub, her long legs partially submerged and partially exposed, her toes gently drooping. Crystalline droplets traced the lines of her abdomen and thighs, slowly rolling down to drip onto the water, creating concentric ripples.

Luo Bingning’s breathing grew more frantic, her fingertips greedily caressing Zhang Xiaocha’s lower abdomen.

A few damp strands of hair clung to Luo Bingning’s flawless, pretty face. Her hands passed under Zhang Xiaocha’s armpits, encircling her slender waist, steadying her against the rim of the tub.

Gazing at Zhang Xiaocha’s body, now adorned with suggestive marks, Luo Bingning’s eyes involuntarily drifted upwards. She saw Zhang Xiaocha’s face flushed with a rosy hue, her breathing quick and shallow.

Luo Bingning’s lips curved into a slight smile. ‘Xiaocha… I’ll help you~’

Slowly, she parted Zhang Xiaocha’s closed legs, her immaculate feet creating ripples on the water’s surface. Luo Bingning knelt in the tub, her eyes hazy, her breath catching. She leaned slightly forward, bending down to gently caress…

“Mmhmm~”

Jade Maiden Sect, Misty Peak.

Inside the Lanzhi Residence, candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows upon the walls.

Mu Xi sat alone on the bed, unconsciously toying with a jade hairpin. It was a gift Luo Bingning had personally given her long ago.

Her gaze was vacant as she stared ahead, her mind consumed by the image of Luo Bingning pushing her away just recently. Her eyes were slightly red, her pearly teeth gently bit her lower lip, and her heart swelled with grievance and unwillingness. “Why…”

“Why did you suddenly stop wanting me?”

She murmured, her voice thick with a choked sob. Tears silently streamed down her face, dropping soundlessly onto the jade hairpin in her hand.

Past memories replayed like a kaleidoscope in her mind. The warmth of bygone days now pierced her heart like needles. “Bingning…”

Her fingers unconsciously curled, digging into her palm and leaving crescent-shaped marks.

Mu Xi tilted her head back slightly. Her heart felt as if it were gripped by an invisible, immense hand, each beat accompanied by agonizing pain.

Her body sagged weakly backward, tears rolling uncontrollably down her cheeks. They dripped onto the bedsheet, soaking into a dark stain. “Bingning…”

She cried out unconsciously, her voice choked with sobs.

Just then, a tremor subtly stirred within her heart. She abruptly stood up, wiping away her tears. “It’s happening again…”

“The last time this happened, Bingning pushed me away after she returned!” She sobbed silently, lost in thought. A slight tremor ran through her body as if something clicked. ‘Is it the lingering effects of Bingning’s Exquisite Body giving me this sensation?’

Her hand instinctively clenched. ‘No! I can’t stay here any longer. I must find Bingning!’

With that, she abruptly rose and swiftly walked out.