Xuan Ling's body instinctively stiffened. This was his first time having such intimate contact with a female since coming of age.
He could clearly feel the warmth and softness of Ruan Fu's body. The faint, alluring fragrance emanating from her rushed into his nose, tugging at his rationality.
"Xuan Ling, I know I'm not as good as my sister. Even though I am a Holy Female, I lack fertility... But... but I truly like you too..."
As she spoke, her hand slowly slid downward. With no fabric in the way, she could touch his skin directly and feel his noticeably firm muscles. Just as she was about to touch that intimate area, Xuan Ling grabbed her wrist and broke free from her embrace.
The dull pain from her wrist made Ruan Fu involuntarily furrow her brows. She lowered her eyes to look at that large hand, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
"It hurts..."
Xuan Ling scoffed coldly, his gaze indifferent and calm. The chilling aura radiating from his cyan eyes as he looked at her was so oppressive she could barely breathe.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Ruan Fu looked at him, a dense layer of moisture welling up in her eyes. She was clearly afraid.
Yet, amidst the swaying tree shadows, she suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips against his—so close, yet seemingly out of reach. The moment she felt Xuan Ling's body stiffen, she pried his teeth apart.
Though it only lasted for a second, Ruan Fu clearly felt his rapidly rising body temperature and accelerating heartbeat.
Then, Xuan Ling shoved her heavily to the ground.
Ruan Fu looked up at him. A trace of lust surged in Xuan Ling's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
She licked her lips, climbed up from the ground, and walked over to the campfire. "I'm going to change my clothes. Do you want to watch, Xuan Ling?"
She spoke frankly, as if nothing had happened, and casually untied her outer robe.
Xuan Ling immediately turned around, but that glimpse of snow-white skin was already etched into his mind.
He couldn't help but lick his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing. An unfamiliar sensation continuously stimulated his nerves, causing him to clench his fists. He couldn't deny it; his heart had fluttered. But whether it was out of affection or mere lust, he had no way of knowing.
Xuan Ling let out a long breath and closed his eyes, trying hard to regulate his breathing. When he calmed down and opened them again, the first thing that greeted his sight was Ruan Fu's small, exquisite face.
Her innocent, child-like expression carried a fatal temptation. She reached out and placed her hand on Xuan Ling's chest.
"Your heart is beating so fast."
She giggled, turned to pick up the wooden canteen that had been thrown aside earlier, and walked away.
Her high ponytail swayed slightly with her brisk steps, teasingly tickling one's heart. Xuan Ling released his clenched fists, his gaze dark and unreadable, his knuckles cold and pale.
The campfire licked the crispy scales of the silver-scaled fish, the dancing flames casting eerie shadows in Mo Ran's pink eyes. He turned the yew branch skewering the grilled fish, then handed it to Ruan Ning beside him, who was already famished.
"You eat first," he chuckled playfully. "We can't let our Holy Female starve."
Ruan Ning took it without any coyness and began taking large bites, her pupils uncontrollably shifting into beast-like vertical slits.
As she was eating, she suddenly heard Mo Ran murmur beside her, "Why hasn't the other little female returned yet?"
Hearing this, Ruan Ning's movements paused. Logically, Ruan Fu should have returned quickly from fetching water, but there was still no sign of her. Could she have actually gone to find Xuan Ling?
The moment this thought popped into her mind, the food in her hands suddenly lost its appeal. Her face turned cold, but she still had to feign amiability and make an excuse for her. "She might have lost her way."
In her heart, however, she had already plotted a thousand ways to teach her a lesson once they returned.
The sound of crushing dead leaves came from afar. Looking up, she saw Ruan Fu walking over holding the wooden canteen, her cheeks slightly flushed as if she had rushed back.
"I got lost just now, so I was delayed a bit."
Saying this, Ruan Fu handed the wooden canteen to Ruan Ning, then sat down beside Mo Ran, sighing with a bright smile, "It smells so good. Just the scent makes me hungry."
Her expression was completely natural; one couldn't pick out the slightest hint that anything was wrong. Ruan Ning's earlier suspicions faded a little, and she lowered her head to resume eating.
Noticing the scrutinizing gaze shift away, Ruan Fu let out a long sigh of relief, but when she looked up, she met Mo Ran's half-smiling pink eyes.
He stared closely at her. His gaze swept over the scratch on her ankle that she had accidentally exposed, and his lips instantly curled into a knowing smile.
"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret."
He lowered his voice and leaned in, his hot breath brushing against her neck.
She couldn't figure Mo Ran out, much less understand what he was plotting, but one thing was clear: he wouldn't blow her cover.
Ruan Fu blinked lightly and tilted her head, acting as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
Seeing this, Mo Ran chuckled. Completely defying Ruan Fu's expectations, he bit down on her shoulder.
He didn't use any force; his teeth merely grazed her skin lightly, soon replaced by a soft, warm tongue.
With just that one touch, Ruan Fu couldn't suppress a shudder. She clenched her hands tightly and bit down hard on her lip to prevent any sound from escaping.
Only one thought filled her mind: Mo Ran must be crazy.
Ruan Fu glared angrily at the culprit, only to see him lick his lips as if in provocation before shoving the grilled fish into her hands.
"Why aren't you eating, Ruan Fu? Is it not to your taste?"
He deliberately raised his voice, and sure enough, Ruan Ning's gaze fell on her once again.
She suppressed all her welling emotions and lowered her head to take a bite, acting as if nothing had happened.
The moment Ruan Ning tossed the fish bones into the campfire, sparks scattered like falling stars. She gazed into the pitch-black jungle, her nails digging deeply into her palms. "Xuan Ling hasn't returned yet. Could something have happened to him?"
"Relax, ordinary beasts are no match for him," Mo Ran said nonchalantly. He wrinkled his nose. "See, isn't that him coming back now?"
From the opposite direction of where Ruan Fu had returned, Xuan Ling walked over briskly, holding four or five silver-scaled fish. A few strands of dark green aquatic weeds were tangled in his silver hair, and the imposing aura of the Dragon Clan hadn't completely dissipated—those once lively silver-scaled fish had clearly been knocked out cold by sheer force.
Mo Ran tapped the gills of one of the fish with the tip of his foot, a playful glint flashing through his pink eyes. "Using a Dragon Roar to catch fish? How extravagant."
Xuan Ling didn't speak, but his gaze unconsciously landed on Ruan Fu, who was still sitting on the ground. She was using her tongue to lick away the fish grease from her lips, making his throat inexplicably tighten.
In the next second, Ruan Ning pressed herself tightly against him. She rubbed her body lightly against his arm, her tone clingy and coquettish. "Why were you gone so long? I thought something happened to you!"
Xuan Ling furrowed his brows slightly and smoothly withdrew his arm without leaving a trace. "I was worried you guys wouldn't have enough to eat, so I caught a few more."
Ruan Ning giggled flirtatiously and suddenly stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his cheek. "I knew you were the best."
Xuan Ling's body stiffened, and he instinctively looked toward Ruan Fu, only to see her paying absolutely no attention.
His expression involuntarily darkened, and he pressed his thin lips tightly together.