Sweet Embarrassment

Catching sight of the silver thread, Moxi swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing crimson as she swiftly snapped the delicate strand.

She produced a handkerchief from her spatial storage, first dabbing her own hand, then gently wiping Feiluo’s lips.

Moxi then circulated her spiritual energy, forcefully suppressing the blush that stained her cheeks, striving to appear as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.

Glancing at the two maids standing impassively a short distance away, a sigh of relief escaped her. Fortunately, their previous small interaction hadn’t caused any significant commotion, or else the maids might have easily noticed.

Just then, the two other maids, who had gone to prepare tea and refreshments, returned.

One carried a tray bearing three cups of black tea, from which swirls of steam and the delicate aroma of the brew rose invitingly. The other presented a tray with three exquisite strawberry cakes, each generously swathed in pale pink cream and crowned with a single, glistening strawberry.

“Please enjoy,” they chimed in unison.

After carefully setting the tea and pastries on the low table, both maids curtsied gracefully before moving to stand alongside their two stationary companions.

Moxi cast a glance at Feiluo, who still appeared somewhat disoriented, the recent intimate moment replaying vividly in her mind. Though a lingering trace of that peculiar sensation persisted within her, her expression remained perfectly composed.

Moxi picked up a plate of fragrant strawberry cake, deftly cut a piece with her fork, and then held it tantalizingly close to Feiluo’s exquisite nose, gently swaying it to allow the sweet scent to waft more deeply into her nostrils.

As the sweet strawberry aroma reached her, Feiluo’s nose twitched, and her small mouth parted, eager to devour the cake Moxi held. However, with a swift, practiced movement, Moxi pulled the fork away.

Consequently, Feiluo’s attempt met only with empty air.

Perhaps it was the subconscious expectation of the cake entering her mouth, only for it to vanish, that slowly brought Feiluo back to her senses, her reason and awareness flooding back.

She first gazed around her surroundings with a bewildered expression, as if unsure how she had suddenly found herself there. Feiluo then turned her gaze towards Moxi, her cheeks flushing crimson, her expression shy.

Quickly realizing her reaction had been too meek, she shot Moxi a ‘fierce’ glare, much like a kitten playfully tormented by its owner all day.

‘It seems my dear disciple doesn’t recall what just transpired.’

Observing the shift in Feiluo’s expression, Moxi felt a complex mix of relief that Feiluo remembered nothing and a touch of wistful regret. Yet, she betrayed no hint of these thoughts, her face beaming as she addressed Feiluo.

“Come now, my sweet disciple, open wide. Ah~”

“Ah~”

Upon hearing Moxi’s words, Feiluo instinctively parted her lips. In the very next moment, a foreign object slipped into her mouth.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Feiluo’s small tongue stirred, unconsciously coiling around the tines of the fork. Instantly, a rich sweetness of cream and strawberry burst upon her taste buds, followed by the delightful sensation of the soft cake melting languidly on her tongue.

Feiluo’s eyes narrowed in pure enjoyment. Before long, however, she realized that Moxi had apparently fed her once more.

‘Huh, why did I say “again”?’

Feiluo shook her head, dismissing the minor detail. Snatching the fork from Moxi’s grasp, she adopted what she believed to be a fierce expression and declared, “I am not a child anymore! You are forbidden to feed me like that!”

“Oh my, is that truly the case?”

At her words, Moxi feigned surprise, covering her mouth with a delicate hand, then adopted a look of confusion. “But this morning, while having breakfast, didn’t my sweet disciple quite happily accept the soup dumplings I offered?”

The mere mention of this morning’s breakfast brought an involuntary flush to Feiluo’s cheeks as she recalled the embarrassing scene. Even now, the memory of it still made her feel a pang of shyness.

That morning, her mind had been entirely consumed by the thought of her indirect kiss with Moxi; how could she possibly have remembered to forbid Moxi from feeding her?

While that was indeed the truth, she certainly couldn’t voice it to Moxi.

‘After all, admitting it would make her seem overly concerned about her indirect kiss with Moxi!’

‘What a joke! I don’t care about such things at all!’

‘Truly, not at all!’

‘No lies!’

“That morning was because… because… I was far too hungry, in a rush to eat, and simply forgot to call you out on it!”

Feiluo stammered, her mind racing, scrambling to concoct an excuse that was anything but reasonable.

“But I recall, my dear disciple, didn’t you feast on an entire table of dragon delicacies last night? And this morning, when I asked if you wanted breakfast, you even claimed you weren’t particularly hungry. In fact, it was only when I suggested you try sweet tofu pudding that you finally agreed to eat anything at all.”

Moxi tilted her head playfully as she spoke.

“Is it a crime to have a fast metabolism?!” Feiluo retorted, her gaze fixed on Moxi with a mixture of shame and indignation. “In any case, you are absolutely forbidden to feed me like this ever again! I am not a child!”

“But this is a way to express intimacy, you know~ My sweet disciple, are you truly certain you don’t want me to do this again?” Moxi adopted a crestfallen expression, her voice tinged with a hint of regret.

“…Who wants to express intimacy with you?!”

Feiluo had initially intended to refuse outright. However, seeing Moxi’s disappointed expression, and feeling an inexplicable stir within her own heart, she hesitated.

After a moment of hesitation, she leaned in close to Moxi’s ear and whispered, “At least… at least do it again when no one else is around.”

Even as she spoke, Feiluo felt her own cheeks burn with embarrassment.

‘What on earth did I just say?!’

‘What does “at least do it again when no one else is around” even mean?’

‘This is utterly mortifying!’

‘Perhaps it’s better to just forget about it.’

Just as she was about to tell Moxi, ‘Let’s just forget it,’ Moxi, mirroring Feiluo’s earlier action, leaned in close to her ear and, with a breath like orchids, whispered, “I understand, my sweet disciple~”

The warm exhalation brushed against Feiluo’s ear, sending a shiver through her entire body and painting her delicate earlobe with a charming pink blush. Feiluo clapped a hand over her ear, hastily retreating and shifting her position to the side.

She glared at the smiling Moxi, her cheeks puffing out like an indignant pufferfish.

‘Damn it, why did I retreat?!’

‘Moxi showed no reaction at all, yet I reacted so strongly.’

‘Guh, I lost!’

‘To feel defeated in such a bizarre situation!’

Feiluo picked up a plate of strawberry cake, indignantly dug out a large chunk with her fork, then glared at Moxi and, with a ferocious ‘wah-woo,’ devoured it. Observing her ‘vicious’ demeanor, an unknowing bystander might well have thought she was attempting to bite Moxi herself!

Moxi watched Feiluo’s huffy display, unable to suppress a smile behind her hand.

“Oh, it seems Feiluo has finally come to her senses.”

Feiluo set down her fork, her gaze drawn towards the source of the voice. There, descending the staircase, was An Yaozhen, resplendent in a pure white dress with a ruffled hem, followed by the head maid.

“I’d half expected you to be too shy to regain your composure until evening,” An Yaozhen remarked, “but you’ve surprised me by bouncing back much quicker than I anticipated!”

An Yaozhen settled onto the sofa, and her very first words were precisely the kind that made Feiluo yearn to tear that mouth right off her face.