A Somber Return

At night, Jiu Hui lay in bed, quietly awaiting the gray world that might never arrive. What emotions did she harbor towards that otherworldly realm? Was it anticipation, affection, apprehension, or fear? Or perhaps, a simple sense of novelty?

Jiu Hui wasn’t entirely sure herself. Yet, for the “Loading…” cursor that might or might not appear soon, a faint sense of anticipation stirred within her.

‘Wait,’ she thought. ‘If I return now, wouldn’t it be to the exact moment I left last time, judging by my previous experience?’

‘And what was happening when I left?’

As the thought took hold, Jiu Hui instinctively clamped her thighs together. A blush crept up her cheeks, and a surge of panic seized her heart.

‘What do I do? What do I do? Time is almost up; I need to think of something fast.’

‘But what can I do? When I left, it had already… already…’

Recalling the fleeting sensation she’d felt just as she departed, Jiu Hui’s face flushed so violently it seemed as if blood might drip from it.

‘That perverted woman, really!’

‘Ah!!’

‘What am I going to do!!’

Watching the clock’s hands spin rapidly, Jiu Hui’s anxiety mounted, yet a faint, unsettling anticipation seemed to linger.

‘How could that be!!’

Jiu Hui vigorously shook her head, dispelling the unsettling thought from her mind. Her brain began to race.

‘Based on my last experience, my clothes won’t transfer with me when I go back, but I wonder what will happen to my actions?’

‘Or will it be like those games, where my entry is a seamless continuation from the moment I exited, with no break in time?’

‘Regardless, my physical state won’t change. That means I won’t experience that debilitating weakness I felt when I left last time.’

‘That, at least, is a small comfort.’

‘But given my body’s sensitivity, combined with that… that intense sensation from when I left, I’ll likely collapse instantly.’

‘Why is my body so sensitive after becoming a girl?!’

At this moment, Jiu Hui felt like crying, yet no tears would come.

****

Time flowed onward, swiftly reaching the precise moment Jiu Hui had returned previously. The instant the second hand struck twelve, the world around her faded to gray.

[“Loading…”]

As she gazed at the cursor before her, Jiu Hui’s heart leaped into her throat. Then, everything went black.

****

When she regained her senses, the first thing she saw was Lisa Kael’s face, etched with a suggestive expression. Immediately afterward, a finger gently pressed against her nether regions. Instantly, a wave of tingling numbness surged from that spot, engulfing her entire body.

Feeling her body go limp in Lisa Kael’s embrace, Jiu Hui was again on the verge of tears. ‘Sure enough,’ she thought, ‘a body as sensitive as mine can’t last even a second in her hands.’

Lisa Kael’s arm encircled Jiu Hui’s slender waist, drawing her closer as Jiu Hui leaned against the table. Feeling Jiu Hui’s fervent, delicate body pressed against her own, Lisa Kael’s breathing grew heavy, her eyes brimming with alluring charm.

As Jiu Hui felt that finger gently caress her nether regions, soft, tingling hums involuntarily escaped from her nose.

Just then,

“Thump, thump, thump,”

a knocking sounded at the door.

“Your Majesty, urgent report!”

Hearing the voice from beyond the door, Jiu Hui felt Lisa Kael’s movements cease, and a sigh of relief escaped her. As she watched the gem-red brilliance in Lisa Kael’s eyes gradually rekindle, Jiu Hui gently stood, her hand resting on Lisa Kael’s smooth shoulder. Then, for some inexplicable reason, she uttered four words.

“Business is pressing.”

Having spoken, Jiu Hui froze, and Lisa Kael, too, paused for a moment. Then, a subtle smirk played on Lisa Kael’s lips as she gazed at the stunned Jiu Hui, her eyes gleaming with an unreadable light.

“So, once business is concluded, we can resume?”

As she spoke, she extended the finger that had been caressing Jiu Hui’s nether regions and licked away the lingering moisture with her tongue.

Watching Lisa Kael’s provocative gesture, Jiu Hui’s face turned so crimson it seemed ready to bleed.

“Get dressed!”

Casting an exasperated glare at Lisa Kael, Jiu Hui retrieved her clothes from the floor and quickly put them on.

Lisa Kael chuckled softly, observing Jiu Hui’s reaction, then licked her own lips.

“The taste was quite delightful.”

Without another word, ignoring Jiu Hui’s visibly fuming face, Lisa Kael began to dress herself.

Soon, both were fully dressed. Lisa Kael settled into a chair while Jiu Hui stood beside her. Lisa Kael’s expression was utterly natural, yet a lingering flush still graced Jiu Hui’s cheeks.

“Enter.”

*Creak*,

the door swung open, and a woman clad in armor stepped inside, her expression solemn.

“Your Majesty.”

She bowed deeply, her gaze fixed solely on Lisa Kael, never once straying towards Jiu Hui.

Jiu Hui, observing the woman, felt a slight tremor of surprise. She could sense a formidable aura emanating from the armored figure.

“What is it? Speak!”

Lisa Kael addressed the woman calmly, yet her voice carried an undeniable air of authority. This was the same kind of gravitas Jiu Hui had last felt within the Palace walls. However, unlike the slightly languid majesty of before, this authority was absolute, imbued with a palpable scent of blood.

The woman raised her head slightly, meeting Lisa Kael’s gaze, and declared, “The Dragon Race has made its move!”

Instantly, Jiu Hui felt the temperature in the room plummet, the chill emanating entirely from Lisa Kael.

Lisa Kael’s face had turned grim, and a tyrannical aura seemed to be fiercely suppressed within her.

Her lips barely moving, Lisa Kael uttered, “Casualties, how many?”

At her words, the woman’s expression shifted. Her gaze lowered slightly, and her voice, heavy with suppression, emerged from her lips.

“Ten.”

Upon hearing this, a flicker of pain crossed Lisa Kael’s face. She bit down hard on her lip, drawing a faint trickle of blood.

“Ten more have departed, then.”

The woman said nothing, standing in quiet stillness, yet a subtle tremor in her body betrayed her emotions.

Lisa Kael spoke softly, her head bowed slightly, and waved her hand towards the woman. “I understand. You may return.”

Seeing this, the woman bowed her head slightly.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

With a crisp affirmation, the woman turned and exited. Before leaving, however, she cast a meaningful glance towards Jiu Hui, who stood to the side, then closed the door.

Jiu Hui was momentarily bewildered by the woman’s sudden glance, but then her gaze followed the direction of that look, landing on Lisa Kael. Upon seeing Lisa Kael, Jiu Hui understood the woman’s unspoken message.

Observing Lisa Kael, who sat there with her hand pressed to her forehead, her lips bitten so hard they bled, and her body trembling faintly, a wave of pity rose in Jiu Hui’s eyes.

Moving gently, Jiu Hui approached, encircling Lisa Kael’s trembling form. She turned Lisa Kael’s body, letting her head rest against her own chest, and softly stroked the back of her head.

At that moment, Lisa Kael’s body trembled even more violently.