“Is that so, Evil Consort Master? You really want to kiss me?”
“If it means gaining my freedom, what’s the harm? As This Palace said before, those who accomplish great things don’t sweat the small stuff. Just think of it as getting nipped by a dog…”
Hearing her say that again, Yan Zhen immediately drew upon his spiritual power and condensed a lifelike husky puppy. He held it up in front of the Evil Consort.
“Want to kiss this one instead?”
The husky puppy lolled out its tongue and let out a playful woof, its eyes gleaming with uncanny intelligence.
The Evil Consort’s face darkened. Glaring at him in embarrassment and annoyance, she snapped, “Flame Emperor!”
“Mm-hmm~” Yan Zhen dispersed the husky puppy and used his spiritual power to form a cartoonish blue long-trunked little elephant. “How about this one, then?”
The long-trunked little elephant swung its trunk eagerly, lunging toward the Evil Consort’s face. She jerked her head away in alarm.
“Get that away from me!”
Yan Zhen casually tossed the little elephant aside and spread his hands with a shrug.
“So that just proves I’m still the best choice, right?”
The Evil Consort itched to sock the damned Flame Emperor right then and there, to knock some of that smug arrogance out of him.
“Kiss me if you want. I don’t care!”
“I was just joking. Don’t get mad, Evil Consort Master.”
“I told you not to call This Palace that!”
“Then what should I call you? Little Feifei? Feifei Princess?”
“…”
The Evil Consort decided to ignore him. Truth be told, those cute nicknames made her heart flutter with a hint of secret delight—how utterly mortifying!
“Alright, we’re used to these names by now. No need to change. You can just call me Yan’er, Evil Consort Master.” Yan Zhen chuckled.
The Evil Consort responded with a cold harrumph.
“Since you have no objections, let’s get to the kissing.”
Yan Zhen straightened up, leaning his face closer to hers, waiting for her to take the initiative.
She had been the one making the first move lately, but that had been for “Yan’er,” not the “Flame Emperor.” The distinction mattered.
On second thought, that wasn’t quite right. He wasn’t the Flame Emperor anymore, so all her pent-up resentment toward him was completely unnecessary.
Watching Yan Zhen purse his lips expectantly at her, his eyes full of anticipation, the Evil Consort felt her heart stir. Coolly, she said, “Close your eyes.”
Yan Zhen obediently shut his eyelids.
The Evil Consort stared at him for a long moment, confirming the Flame Emperor wasn’t peeking, before she leaned in and gently nipped at his lip.
Their lips met, and both of them trembled faintly.
This was no wild plunder like before. Instead, it was a tentative brushing, intertwining with exquisite care—like a spark of electricity that sent them parting, only to draw back together like the opposite poles of magnets. They repeated the dance until they melted inseparably, clinging like sticky glutinous rice.
Romance had always been a cycle of parting and reunion, until one realized they could never truly leave the other and bound themselves together as husband and wife.
Yet the Evil Consort craved more than mere adhesion. Her soft tongue probed deeper, inch by inch, seeking to claim more of the Flame Emperor’s territory, uncover his secrets, and draw out even more of his affection.
A cup of tea’s time passed, and they showed no sign of separating—or rather, the Evil Consort had no intention of letting go of Yan Zhen. She had grown addicted to the taste of him.
Only after a full quarter-hour did the vicious “Black Widow” finally release the hapless “Handsome Young Man.” Her tongue lingered in a savoring lick around her lips, now glossy and darkly flushed. A trace of seductive allure colored her expression, her eyes dewy as if on the verge of spilling over. She was clearly aroused.
Yan Zhen wasn’t much better off. His tongue tip tingled with numbness, his lips swollen and sore, his mind in a pleasant daze.
He’d wounded the enemy at a cost of a thousand to himself eight hundred.
For all her status as a Mystic Saint, even with her mystic power sealed, the Evil Consort’s foundation remained. She recovered swiftly and pressed her demand.
“The kiss is done. Release This Palace at once!”
Yan Zhen shook his head to clear it and licked his lips, gradually coming back to himself. Hearing her words, he grinned.
“That’s only the first condition fulfilled. There’s still a second one.”
The Evil Consort’s face fell instantly.
“You’re toying with This Palace? You clearly said that as long as This Palace kissed you for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.”
Yan Zhen blinked innocently.
“Right, I said you had to ‘satisfy one condition first.’ Where there’s a first, there’s a second. So you need to fulfill the next one too.”
“Flame Emperor! You scoundrel! Do you really think This Palace is that easy to bully?”
“Don’t be mad, Evil Consort Master. You’ve already completed the first condition. Why not just finish the second? Otherwise, that first one was all for nothing.”
“You—”
The Evil Consort was so furious she wanted to bite someone. Her loosened collar could barely contain her ample bosom, but in the end, she held herself back. Gritting her teeth, she demanded, “What is this second condition?”
Yan Zhen’s gaze flicked downward. The Evil Consort reacted as if her tail had been stepped on.
“Don’t you dare!”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.” Yan Zhen put on his most innocent expression. “What I meant was, the second condition is that I get to kiss the Evil Consort Master. How’s that?”
Her heart skipped a beat, but she replied coolly, “Not happening.”
“Then what does the Evil Consort Master want? Feel free to make suggestions for me to consider.”
“…”
The Evil Consort felt utterly led around by Yan Zhen’s nose, yet powerless to resist. At last, she tossed out, “Figure it out yourself.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Sure enough, Yan Zhen pushed his luck.
“So whatever I say, the Evil Consort Master will go along with it?”
“Of course not!” Her expression chilled, but even as a captive, her bearing remained regal. “It depends on what you propose. This Palace will consider it accordingly.”
“You’re the one I let out, Evil Consort Master. You should be the one listening to me.”
“This Palace won’t!”
“Then I won’t let the Evil Consort Master out. This works fine for me—I’ll just drop by to visit often~”
“Flame Emperor! Going back on your word?”
“Of course not. As long as the Evil Consort Master lets me steal a few kisses, I’ll release you.”
“Fine, kiss then. Think of it as being bit by a dog—” The Evil Consort caught herself, recalling how Yan Zhen had actually conjured a dog to tease her. She coughed and changed tack. “Ahem, anyway, This Palace doesn’t mind. Do as you please. For the sake of regaining my freedom, what does a little ‘humiliation’ like this matter?!”
Yan Zhen took offense at that.
“You’re calling my kisses a ‘humiliation’? Fine, no kissing.”
The Evil Consort lost her patience.
“Why so much fuss? If you want to kiss, then kiss already. The mighty Flame Emperor, dithering like an old woman—truly shameless!”
“Alright then. Since the Evil Consort Master insists on me kissing her, I’ll reluctantly give you a couple.”
Yan Zhen sighed dramatically, as if forcing himself. The Evil Consort fixed him with a glare from her dark eyes, gaining a fresh appreciation for just how utterly shameless he could be.
Before she could unleash a tirade, Yan Zhen puckered up and leaned in.
The Evil Consort hurriedly closed her eyes, but felt no contact on her lips. Puzzled, she suddenly sensed a soft tingle at her chest, nearly drawing an improper moan from her throat.
She opened her eyes to find half of Yan Zhen’s face buried in her cleavage. Sensing her gaze, he even winked at her.
“What are you doing?”
After a good, indulgent nuzzle, Yan Zhen finally replied, “Kissing doesn’t have to be on the mouth. It can be other places too. Didn’t I say?”
The Evil Consort was utterly dumbfounded.
