Their Eyes Had Already Been Intimate

Xie Li's brain completely crashed; all those chaotic thoughts in her head were swept clean by this one kiss. Her entire focus was consumed by that cool, soft sensation on her lips. Jin Zhaoye's lips seemed to carry an electric current. Just from the press of lips, Xie Li felt her entire body go numb—from her lips to her scalp, an invisible current rampaging through her body, her legs so weak she couldn't stand. She stumbled and knelt on the mattress.

"Come up here a bit," Jin Zhaoye murmured against her lips.

Xie Li obediently shifted up, her knees sinking into the soft mattress. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Jin Zhaoye's waist, her palm pressing against her lower back, feeling the taut waistline through that dry quick-dry shirt. Using a little more force, she pulled Jin Zhaoye toward herself, and pushed herself into Jin Zhaoye's embrace. The distance between them was shortened until their hearts pressed together, two equally rapid heartbeats colliding through fabric.

Xie Li lowered her head, responding to the kiss clumsily yet fervently. Her kiss had no technique to speak of—lips against lips, grinding and suckling, with a tentative quality. Jin Zhaoye voluntarily parted her teeth, like a silent invitation; Xie Li's tongue slipped in and tangled with her soft tongue. She tasted the mouthwash—cool, slightly astringent—the same flavor as in her own mouth. Their breaths mingled between lips and teeth; that coolness spread across their lips, then gradually faded in the tight entanglement, growing warm.

Jin Zhaoye's hand had been resting on the back of Xie Li's neck, her fingertips idly teasing her gland; the scent of lime and mint seeped out uncontrollably from the gland. They kissed for so long that Xie Li felt she could barely hold on. Her gland burned hot, and there wasn't a trace of oxygen left in her chest; if she didn't breathe, she'd become the first cannon fodder in history to die from being kissed breathless.

Xie Li pulled back slightly; when their pressed lips separated, a faint wet sound seemed to ring out. She straddled Jin Zhaoye's lap, her eyes bright as stars, the corners tinted with a thin layer of red, gazing at Jin Zhaoye with a wet, pitiful look.

"Jin Zhaoye, you kissed me again."

"Mm." Jin Zhaoye nodded, her voice a little hoarse.

"Last time at the farmer's market, you were the one who kissed me first too."

"Mm."

"You know what it means to kiss someone first, right?"

"Mm."

"It can't always be you making the first move." Xie Li sat up straight, looking down at Jin Zhaoye. "I'm an absolute top-tier Alpha, you know. Next time, I'll kiss you first, and you can't refuse."

Jin Zhaoye looked at her—this earnest little declaration of ownership—and finally couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. She raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing the wet traces at the corner of Xie Li's eye.

"Absolute top-tier Alpha? You cry from a single kiss?"

"That's none of your business!" Xie Li's face flushed red instantly; embarrassed and angry, she pounced forward and captured Jin Zhaoye's lips. "A crying top is still a top!"

Jin Zhaoye leaned back against the headboard, responding tenderly. She reached out to wrap her arm around Xie Li's waist, her palm slipping under the hem of her clothes, gently caressing. A young person's skin was delicate, smooth, and taut—it felt wonderful to the touch. Xie Li went soft halfway down her body from the touch, weakly nestling into Jin Zhaoye's embrace.

Jin Zhaoye's palm slowly moved upward, feeling the skin beneath grow hot, bit by bit, because of her. Xie Li lay on top of her, letting Jin Zhaoye do as she pleased. She kissed with absolute seriousness, holding the determination to make the other person cry from the kiss. After kissing for a while, perhaps finding the position uncomfortable, she adjusted again. She wedged one leg in, pressing Jin Zhaoye lower; her lips left Jin Zhaoye's lips, slowly trailing along the corner of her mouth to her cheek, landing a kiss there. She kissed upward to the tip of her nose, like a puppy marking its territory—every inch of Jin Zhaoye's skin must bear her scent.

Jin Zhaoye was tickled by her kisses; her lashes trembled, and the corner of her mouth curved up.

"Absolute top-tier Alpha, are you a woodpecker?"

Jin Zhaoye's voice was tinged with a hint of desire, every syllable seeming to carry a little hook, making one's ear tips itch and legs go weak.

"Mind your own business, I have my own rhythm," Xie Li mumbled, her lips brushing from the tip of her nose to her brow—truly kissing inch by inch. Brow, brow bone, corner of the eye—not a single inch of skin did she spare; in truth, her heart was a little panicked. How did things suddenly develop to this point? How exactly did she do it last time? How could she replicate it to make Jin Zhaoye feel good?

Jin Zhaoye noticed her distraction and mischievously tapped the gland on the back of Xie Li's neck.

"Hiss—!"

Xie Li sucked in a cold breath; an electric pleasure shot up from her gland. Her entire body went numb from head to toe; in that instant, fireworks seemed to explode in her mind. After a long pause, Xie Li finally came back to herself.

As if receiving a hint, she tightened her arms around Jin Zhaoye's waist and pulled her down onto the bed. Jin Zhaoye's long hair spread like ink across the pillow, a few strands falling onto her collarbones—snow-white skin and black hair, the height of seduction.

Xie Li lowered her head, her kiss landing on the pale neck. Her lips carried the heat from their earlier kissing; the moment they touched, they brought a spark-fire kindling tendency. Her lips traveled up along the side of Jin Zhaoye's neck, kissing the thin skin behind her ear. Jin Zhaoye's breathing followed her chaotic rhythm, becoming chaotic and broken.

Xie Li's hand slowly moved up, brushing aside the hair falling on Jin Zhaoye's neck, revealing the skin already reddened by pheromones. The suppressant patch was still on, but it could barely hold back anymore; the scent of white tea and cedar seeped out from its edges. Like the scent of fresh winter snow falling on pine branches, warmed and sweetened by the heat of arousal, seeping out thread by thread, coaxing the Alpha's instincts to surface.

Xie Li's lips stopped beside Jin Zhaoye's gland; she asked, muffled: "Jin Zhaoye, can I bite?"

Jin Zhaoye tilted her head back; from this angle, her neck looked even longer and more elegant, like a swan stretching its neck. A low sigh escaped her throat.

No answer meant tacit consent. Xie Li lowered her head, bit the suppressant patch, and gently tore it off; the thin plastic film fell away. Spitting out the patch, Xie Li rolled her to the side and bit down on the sweet-scented gland. The instant her teeth pierced the skin, Jin Zhaoye's body tensed; her fingers gripped the sheets beneath her, her waist arching slightly, pushing herself into Xie Li's embrace.

Xie Li's palm passed beneath her suspended lower back, holding her closer against herself. The two clung tightly together; the Alpha's pheromones surged out wildly, pouring from Xie Li's teeth into the Omega's gland, mingling with the Omega's pheromones.

Jin Zhaoye's legs unconsciously parted a little, her knees slightly bent, her toes curling into the sheets. Her movements were small, almost imperceptible. But Xie Li's leg was wedged in the gap between her thighs, so every tiny change in Jin Zhaoye was detected by her.

Xie Li, with the gland held in her mouth, quietly shifted her knee and pressed upward.

"Mm..."

Jin Zhaoye's waist tensed sharply, trembling once again. Xie Li secretly praised herself in her heart: not bad.

Her palm slowly moved up along Jin Zhaoye's slender waist, her fingertips rubbing up through the quick-dry fabric. The skin beneath her palm was growing hot, the muscles alternating between tensing and relaxing. Jin Zhaoye's breathing rhythm was entirely in her grasp; when her hand reached the highest point, Jin Zhaoye's breath paused for a moment.

Through the fabric, one could see Xie Li's palm slowly moving across Jin Zhaoye's front, her fingertips drawing circles, her palm pressing gently, the pace quickening and slowing. Jin Zhaoye placed one hand on her forehead, her fingers slightly curled, her knuckles covering her eyes. The exposed lower half of her face was tinted pink by the lime and mint scent. Her red lips were slightly parted; her breath spilled out from between them, growing more urgent, more scalding.

"Don't cover your eyes."

Xie Li's voice carried a rare dominance; she reached out and grasped the hand Jin Zhaoye had placed on her forehead. Holding her wrist, she pressed it down onto the pillow.

"Jin Zhaoye, look at me..."

Jin Zhaoye opened her eyes; moisture shimmered in them, dewy, the corners tinted with a thin red, as if someone had lightly brushed rouge across her face. She raised her gaze and met Xie Li's eyes. Their gazes tangled together, like two invisible threads winding tighter and tighter in this sudden gust of wind.

Their bodies were also entangled. Xie Li's knee pressed between Jin Zhaoye's thighs, her palm gripping her wrist. Jin Zhaoye's other hand rested on Xie Li's waist, her fingertips teasing idly. Before anything had truly begun, their eyes had already made love.

Xie Li's breathing grew heavier; the hand hidden beneath Jin Zhaoye's clothes moved, gripping her, and she asked hoarsely: "Jin Zhaoye, have you thought it through?"

She gave the other person a chance to back out, to call a stop. The first time they had sex could be called an accident, forced by circumstances; but this time was different—this time they were fully awake. Fully aware of what they were doing; once they crossed this line, there was no going back. If they did it while fully conscious, Xie Li would never allow Jin Zhaoye to take it back. This person had to be hers.

Jin Zhaoye's hand slipped beneath the hem of Xie Li's quick-dry shirt, her fingertips slowly moving up along her skin, emerging from the back collar and landing on the burning-hot gland. She pressed lightly.

Xie Li was like someone whose bones had been pulled out; her body went limp, her arms lost strength, and she collapsed onto Jin Zhaoye, her forehead pressing into the crook of her shoulder, a low moan escaping her throat. Her pheromones spilled out uncontrollably; the scent of lime and mint filled the entire room, crisp and sharp, somewhat out of control.

This woman really knew what she was doing. Xie Li's mind was buzzing; any little move from Jin Zhaoye could ignite her, make her lose control.

Jin Zhaoye's fingertips rubbed her gland; the corner of her mouth curved up, and she called: "Xie Li..."

She only said two words, and Xie Li, as if she'd lost her mind, raised her head and kissed her. She kissed urgently and fiercely, her tongue prying open Jin Zhaoye's lips and teeth, plunging straight in, carrying the crispness of lime and mint, and the scalding possessiveness of a young Alpha who had been ignited.

Jin Zhaoye was kissed into the pillow, a satisfied sigh escaping her throat. Her palm gripped the back of Xie Li's neck, her fingertips rubbing the skin already damp with gland secretions, slowly trailing upward. Her fingertips brushed past the hairline, through the strands, gently rubbing there for a moment, then slid down along the back of her head, returning to that burning gland. Like encouragement, like a reward.

It was a mature woman using her body, her movements, to tell the young, clumsy Alpha on top of her—jiejie likes you like this.

Xie Li understood the signal. The kiss left Jin Zhaoye's lips, slowly trailing down along the corner of her mouth, winding all the way to her slender neck. Every inch of Jin Zhaoye's skin was carefully measured by her lips; with each kiss, a faint blush would rise on that pale skin, like red plum petals falling one by one in a snowstorm.

Xie Li looked at those red marks, licked her itching tooth roots, and lowered her head to bite Jin Zhaoye's collarbone. She applied a little force, her teeth sinking into the thin skin, her tongue slowly sweeping across, her lips closing to gently suck.

Jin Zhaoye pressed down on her head and let out a long sigh.

"Xie Li... bite lighter..."

Xie Li obediently loosened her bite, using only her lips against that skin, licking, kissing, gently sucking. The fine, ticklish sensation on her neck was somewhat torturous. Jin Zhaoye's body trembled slightly; her palm slid down from the back of Xie Li's head, gripping the sheets beneath her, the heel of her palm pressing against the bed as she slightly raised her upper body.

Xie Li took the opportunity to grab the hem of her quick-dry shirt and pull it up; the fabric slid from her waist past her armpits and over her head, tossed carelessly at the foot of the bed. Jin Zhaoye was left in only a fitted black undergarment; the pure black fabric clung tightly to her pale skin, pushing up two full mounds of snow-white peaks, the scenery at the summits hidden by the fabric, unseen by outsiders.

Xie Li looked at the beautiful sight before her, as if seeing two freshly baked soufflé cakes. Snow-white, dense, fluffy enough to collapse at the slightest touch. Xie Li leaned closer, the tip of her nose brushing the edge of that snow-white cake, catching a faint sweet scent. It was the scent of Jin Zhaoye's skin, mingled with the white tea and cedar pheromones, threading into her nostrils.

She wanted so badly to take a bite, to taste, to see if it really was sweet. Xie Li swallowed her dry throat and, starting from the very center of the two valleys, slowly savored this sweet-smelling soufflé cake like a seasoned diner. When her lips pressed against it, the snow-white cake trembled slightly. Xie Li kissed with great care—from the center to the left, circling around, then back to the right, leaving a patch of moist sheen on the cake's surface.

The black fabric fell away at some point, no one knew who had unfastened it, but it no longer mattered. The soufflé cake finally revealed itself in full. Xie Li discovered that what she'd been eating wasn't the original flavor after all. It was the spring-limited cherry cake.

Two cherries adorned the top of the soufflé cake, their color a fresh shade between pink and red, dewy and tempting, as if just plucked from the tree. They trembled lightly on the cake, rising and falling with Jin Zhaoye's rapid breathing, as if inviting Xie Li to taste.

Xie Li bit down on a cherry, her lips closing, her tongue curling around the fruit, taking pit and flesh into her mouth. Her lips held it, her tongue swept across, as if savoring a delicacy; the fruit was firm, sweeter than the cake by far, exquisite in texture, springy enough to seem to dance on her tongue.

Jin Zhaoye let out a long sigh; the arm around Xie Li's neck unconsciously tightened, her fingertips sinking into the skin. A muffled sound, somewhere between urging and pleading, escaped her throat.

Xie Li, with the cherry in her mouth, her palm gripping Jin Zhaoye's waist, rolled them over. Their positions instantly switched; Jin Zhaoye's legs spread, straddling her lower abdomen, her body slightly arched, the snow-white cherry cake pressed against Xie Li's cheek. In this position, it was even more convenient for Xie Li to taste the cherry cake.

She tilted her head up slightly, her lips just reaching those two tempting fruits. Her free hand wasn't idle either; she grabbed the other cherry cake, her fingertips closing in, feeling the fullness that seemed ready to overflow.

Xie Li greedily tried to stuff both cherries into her mouth at once, her lips parting, trying left and right. But Jin Zhaoye, that merchant, was too generous. The cake was given in abundance, the cherries fresh, each fruit so plump it seemed ready to burst with juice; Xie Li's mouth was only so big, no matter how she tried, she couldn't fit both fruits in at once.

This greedy idea ultimately couldn't be realized; Xie Li had to settle for the next best thing, taking a bite from the left, then the right, tasting again and again, busy and delighted.

Jin Zhaoye's elbows pressed on either side of Xie Li's head, her arms so weak they were nearly without strength. Her body trembled; every cell cried out for soft weakness. She lowered her head, looking at Xie Li's fuzzy little head, and urged with difficulty: "Xie Li..."

Xie Li pulled free from the snow-white and raised her head to glance at her. Sunlight filtered through the blinds into the rest room, just catching her face. Her lips were glistening, sparkling—clearly having just stolen a taste of something good.

"Don't just focus on the cherries..." Jin Zhaoye frowned in reminder.

Xie Li grinned, showing an extremely pleased smile. "Okay, right away."

She slid down like a swimming fish, sparing the cherry cake already glistening with moisture, and kissed over Jin Zhaoye's tight ab lines. Jin Zhaoye only felt her waistband loosen, then the faint rustle of fabric being pulled aside; then her leg was grabbed and lifted, the fabric passing over her calf and sliding down. Someone kissed her through a layer of soft, damp fabric.

Jin Zhaoye's breathing rhythm was completely disrupted. She tilted her head back, like a swan stretching its neck; what spilled from between her lips was the most beautiful music between lovers. Jin Zhaoye's arms lost their strength; her elbows could no longer hold her up, her body sank down a little, her cheek burying into the soft pillow.

She lay half-prone on the bed, her body slightly arched, like a cat waiting for its owner to smooth its fur. Xie Li lay beneath her, carefully pushing aside the gossamer fabric with her hand. Her fingertips were about to touch down, but she seemed to think of something and pulled back. With a thought, an unopened box of small items appeared in her palm. The plastic seal on the box hadn't been broken; she used her teeth to tear it open, took out two, and put them on her hands.

Once they were on, Xie Li boldly pressed close. Her fingertips gently brushed across those soft petals, once, then again—like a musician before taking the stage, always wanting to test the sound first, find the feel, locate the right pressure, the perfect angle, the point that would resonate most.

Jin Zhaoye's spine arched as if stimulated; her snow-white back curved into a captivating arc, her shoulder blades like two spreading wings, fluttering, ready to take flight. Her knees instinctively tried to close, wanting to block out the one causing mischief, but Xie Li's head was in the way; no matter how she tried, she couldn't close them, and they could only remain weakly open.

Xie Li, with one hand supporting the bend of her leg, raised her head and kissed her lips. Jin Zhaoye's lips were parted; moisture welled up from those half-open red lips, dripping onto Xie Li's cheek, carrying the scent of white tea and cedar.

Xie Li's tongue slipped in, tasting pine forest and an entire winter's snow. Her fingers took the opportunity to slip into Jin Zhaoye's mouth. Her fingertips pressed against the soft inner wall of her mouth, slowly sliding. Xie Li could feel Jin Zhaoye's response; she would contract her mouth, nibbling at her knuckles like a small animal. It didn't hurt; it tickled.

Xie Li mischievously increased the force, stirring inside Jin Zhaoye's mouth; in and out, her saliva flowed out unceasingly. The breathing in the room grew urgent, rising and falling, intertwined, impossible to tell whose gasps were more hurried. Sometimes Xie Li's voice drowned out Jin Zhaoye's, sometimes Jin Zhaoye's drowned out Xie Li's; more often, the two were gasping at the same time, their sounds layered together, rising and falling.

Sunlight cast warm streaks across the sheets, falling on their overlapping bodies, on their tightly clasped hands. The scents of lime-mint and white tea-cedar in the air had completely merged, crispness carrying warmth, like winter and summer meeting in the same season.