Without saying a word, Kuro pulled back slightly before gently turning Yang Guifei around so that her back faced him.
The brief distance between them allowed a few lingering traces of warmth to slip away like dew, falling onto the wooden floor rather than the soil of a garden.
"Master... you—!?"
Before Yang Guifei could finish her protest, a familiar sensation returned, tracing a path toward the small cup hidden deep within her metaphorical garden.
The movement was slow and steady, Yet it was more than enough to throw her breathing into disarray once again.
At the same time, Kuro leaned closer until his lips were near her ear.
"If I told you I wasn't satisfied yet," he murmured, "would Consort Yuhuan indulge me?"
Yang Guifei let out a soft laugh, though it blended with an uneven breath.
"If it is the Emperor's wish that Yuhuan serves, then I would gladly offer myself to Your Majesty." Her voice softened further. "And for some reason... whenever your flow reaches me, I can feel something inside me growing."
Kuro chuckled quietly as he loosely held both of her arms from behind.
"Should I take that as a sign that you're satisfied, Yuyu?"
"I'm more..."
The words never fully left her lips.
Before she could finish, Kuro resumed the same familiar, almost monotonous rhythm. It was nothing new, yet somehow it steadily wore away at her focus, scattering her thoughts before she could gather them.
Unfortunately, the words became trapped between uneven breaths and drifting thoughts, emerging only as fragmented sounds that lacked any clear meaning.
Kuro merely chuckled. For some reason, watching her struggle to complete such a simple sentence was unexpectedly adorable.
Not long afterward, Yang Guifei's body reacted more sharply than before, as though something she could no longer contain had finally overflowed, leaving the wooden floor beneath her touched by lingering traces of warmth.
"H-hngh..."
The sound that escaped her lips broke apart, almost as though the air had been drawn from her lungs.
Kuro remained silent, allowing the flow to gradually subside before continuing once more, drawing Yang Guifei deeper into that drifting haze where thoughts became increasingly difficult to hold onto.
A moment later, he adjusted his position slightly. His left arm slipped around Yang Guifei's waist while his right hand gently lifted her chin, guiding her to look back at him.
The thin boundary between them disappeared.
Yang Guifei's eyes widened briefly as another serpent seemed to glide through the narrow trench between them, searching for its partner.
And when the two finally met, they resumed their familiar dance, accompanied only by the rhythm of unsteady breaths that served as its music.
"Hmmm... mmmh... nnh..."
The surprise in her eyes gradually faded.
Her eyelids lowered halfway.
Her body softened, as though strength was slowly abandoning her limbs.
At the same time, the lingering warmth from before returned once more, spreading through her like the aftertaste of sweet venom that refused to fade.
Eventually, they parted again, leaving behind only a delicate thread between them.
"It seems you've completely melted," Kuro said with a faint smile. "Kind of adorable, actually."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a slight furrow appeared between his brows.
Another overwhelming wave of warmth surged forward, like venom finally escaping a serpent's fangs, pouring once more into the small cup hidden within Yang Guifei's garden in far greater abundance than before.
"Ah... h-hngg...!"
Yang Guifei's body trembled faintly, her voice breaking apart along with her uneven breathing.
Kuro remained silent and motionless, allowing the lingering warmth to settle at its own pace.
Some of it slipped away like dew escaping from between flower petals after a heavy rain, falling onto the wooden floor below, while the rest remained hidden within the depths of the garden that had endured the storm.
"You..." she whispered between heavy breaths. "You're truly cruel... Master..."
Despite the complaint, there was little resentment in her voice. Only exhaustion, and a sweetness she could no longer quite conceal.
Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly before relaxing again, as though she had finally surrendered to the lingering warmth still drifting through her like the fading trace of a serpent's venom.
The pavilion gradually fell quiet once more.
Only the sound of breathing remained, blending softly with the distant murmur of the night beyond.
***
Some time had passed, and their positions had long since changed.
Kuro now lay comfortably upon the wooden floor, while Yang Guifei remained close beside him, leaning forward as something like a serpent continued its gentle journey.
Its movements were smooth and unhurried, rising from below toward higher ground, much like a serpent that had discovered its favorite branch and chosen to linger there.
Kuro simply watched, allowing Yang Guifei to take control of the situation for once.
"I seem to recall you calling me cruel a few minutes ago," he said with an amused smile. "And perhaps even excessive. Yet look at you now. Which one of us is truly the enthusiastic one?"
Yang Guifei paused for a moment and lifted her gaze toward him.
"Master," she replied softly, "I merely wished to repay your kindness. Besides..." A faint smile touched her lips. "If I am always the one receiving attention, wouldn't that be unfair?"
With that, she resumed her gentle movements.
Kuro couldn't help but chuckle at her reasoning.
Meanwhile, Yang Guifei's confidence seemed to grow.
Having noticed the subtle reactions she was drawing from him, she advanced a little further, like a serpent steadily climbing toward the highest branch before finally claiming the prize it had been pursuing all along.
Kuro flinched slightly before raising a hand and resting it atop Yang Guifei's head.
A sign that was becoming impossible to suppress. He immediately pulled Yang Guifei closer. And in the very next second, Yang Guifei felt a sudden warmth that left her body tensing instinctively.
"Mmh—!"
A muffled sound escaped her throat. Her fingers tightened around his sleeve.
Yet she did not pull away. She simply remained there, accepting everything with trembling breaths and eyes that were slowly growing vacant from a warmth far too overwhelming to contain at once.
"Kh...!"
Her shoulders shook faintly.
"Mmn... ngh..."
The sounds that escaped her were broken and uneven, more breath than words.
Until at last, a small portion of that warmth slipped past the space between their lips, dripping slowly like night dew falling from leaves after a long rain.
"Cough—!"
Yang Guifei finally managed to draw a shaky breath.
"Hah..."
Her lashes trembled.
"...too much..."
The words came out barely above a whisper before another unsteady breath stole the rest away.
Kuro let out a slow breath, looking noticeably more relaxed than before.
Seeing that reaction, Yang Guifei smiled.
"It seems you're feeling much better now," she said softly. "Was it really that comforting?"
Kuro turned his gaze toward her and returned the smile.
"That's a fairly normal reaction," he replied. "And... you're surprisingly good at reading people. I have to admit, I'm impressed."
"Fufufu~" A gentle laugh escaped her lips. "Of course Yuyu is good at it," she said with quiet confidence. "Understanding the person I serve is only natural. Just like playing music to entertain the Emperor."
After saying that, Yang Guifei continued caring for him in her own way, as though she genuinely wished to ease the burdens he had been carrying.
Kuro, meanwhile, withdrew his hand from her head and allowed her to take the lead.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The pavilion settled into a comfortable silence, accompanied only by the distant sounds of the night and the lingering warmth that remained between them.