Chapter 54: Fifty-Four

Li Yuanxi took several deep breaths in the cave, her face red and body hot. For a long time, she couldn’t cool down. She kept fanning herself, muttering, “Am I having another fever?”

Wei Shu had calmed down outside, completely chilled by the cold wind. She wiped the corner of her mouth, held her head high, and walked in.

Her face was placid, pretending nothing happened, repeating in her mind: If I’m not embarrassed, then the embarrassed one is someone else.

Sure enough, Li Yuanxi’s earlobes reddened first. Her eyes darted, not daring to meet hers. She asked weakly, “Eat?”

“Heh, let me drink some water first. You go ahead.” Wei Shu cleared her throat, found her cup, and sipped the warm water slowly, occasionally meeting Li Yuanxi’s eyes, then quickly looking away.

The awkwardness in the air made both nervous, afraid the other would overthink, or that someone would continue asking. Li Yuanxi kept stealing glances at Wei Shu.

Seeing her expression of wanting to speak but hesitating, Wei Shu decisively turned around, put down the cup, and started eating breakfast slowly, stubbornly refusing to meet Li Yuanxi’s eyes to avoid another blush.

Seeing her eat, Li Yuanxi dejectedly withdrew her gaze. She sprinkled water on the plant ash from last night to settle the dust, ready to take it out later.

“You…” Wei Shu wanted to ask if Li Yuanxi’s head was still hot. But the moment she spoke, she saw Li Yuanxi’s sparkling eyes looking at her expectantly, and she couldn’t finish. Mentioning it, she’d remember that ridiculous exchange.

“Heh, never mind. Just wanted to know if you still have a fever.” Wei Shu cleared her throat, reached out calmly to feel Li Yuanxi’s forehead. “Mm, temperature’s back to normal. Keep drinking ginger soup for the next couple of days.”

Li Yuanxi nodded, then proactively hugged Wei Shu, burying her head in her neck, inhaling deeply. All she could smell was Wei Shu’s fragrance, a light, elegant scent that made her head spin.

Wei Shu’s face flushed, her jet-black eyes full of laughter. She hugged back.

“What do you want to do at home today?” Wei Shu asked, leaning on Li Yuanxi’s shoulder.

“Hmm, I want to hear you sing.” Li Yuanxi made a request that left Wei Shu speechless. She rarely sang. Fewer than five people had heard her sing, and Li Yuanxi was one.

“You know I rarely sing. That’s tough.” Wei Shu bit Li Yuanxi’s earlobe, grinding her teeth. Li Yuanxi held her breath, involuntarily swallowing.

Her fingers slid up and down Wei Shu’s waist. Her body tensed, stiff, as she nervously held Wei Shu.

When Wei Shu was done, she released the abused earlobe, now nearly bleeding and hot. Seeing the light in Li Yuanxi’s eyes, she was satisfied and patted her shoulder to let go.

Li Yuanxi looked at Wei Shu’s smiling, playful face. She smiled back, then leaned in and kissed Wei Shu’s red lips.

They were stuck together again. This time, Li Yuanxi forgot about her cold. She gently held Wei Shu’s slender, soft waist, their breaths mingling slowly.

A waltz of tongues, a back-and-forth pull. Li Yuanxi’s breath grew rapid. She caught Wei Shu’s fingers and pressed them over her heart, letting her feel the intense pounding.

Wei Shu slowly pulled away, opened her eyes, and looked into those moving tea-brown irises. Beneath her palm, a heart beat for her, gradually calming from its frenzy.

“Shu Shu, I really like you. I don’t know when I started liking you. You’re like the wind on my fingertips. I always want to hold you, but I’m afraid you don’t like it.” Li Yuanxi’s gaze was focused, speaking from her heart.

“Unless I let you catch me, you’ll never manage.” Wei Shu bit her chin, her queenly, proud gaze making Li Yuanxi’s heart flutter again. She loved this side of Shu Shu.

“But next time, say something sweeter. That was a bit cliché.” Wei Shu pinched Li Yuanxi’s earlobe, kneading it. She paused; the starlight in Li Yuanxi’s eyes could drown a person.

The past few days of Wei Shu’s meticulous care had made Li Yuanxi love her even more. There was one word to describe how she felt now, but she couldn’t say it lightly.

“Alright, I’m going to finish eating. Sit here and keep me company.” Wei Shu kissed her lips, like soothing a big wolf-dog. She ruffled Li Yuanxi’s hair.

Li Yuanxi nodded, sat on the stool, and ate breakfast with her. The cave’s temperature was well-maintained. The fire burned continuously, keeping the warmth.

Li Yuanxi couldn’t go hunting for a while, not even today’s high tide. She had only managed to toss the bones and head into the reef area before. High tide would bring plenty of seafood there.

She felt a pang of regret, but the deer bones, head, and some organs might attract more seafood over time.

Wei Shu picked up a piece of swan meat with her chopsticks and fed it to Li Yuanxi. Lost in thought, Li Yuanxi saw the meat at her lips, naturally opened her mouth, and bit down. She looked at Wei Shu, still eating, and felt the swan meat was especially sweet.

After breakfast, Wei Shu told Li Yuanxi to stay in the cave while she went out to hang the dried meat. Outside, the air was damp and cold, the sea breeze cutting like a knife.

In the biting wind, Wei Shu struggled to hang strip after strip of venison on the wooden rack. Her fingers quickly became numb. After hanging a batch, she blew on them.

Watching from the cave, Li Yuanxi’s heart ached. She had brewed a pot of ginger soup, now ready. She downed a big bowl, warming her whole body, then put on two coats and walked out.

As Wei Shu reached for the remaining meat in the basket, a warm hand closed over her fingers. “Go inside. I’ll finish in a few minutes.”

Li Yuanxi’s warm fingers brought instant warmth. Stunned, Wei Shu watched Li Yuanxi quickly hang the strips one by one on the smoke-blackened rack.

Li Yuanxi coughed occasionally, bending and straightening, working fast, leaving gaps between each piece for the wind to dry.

Wei Shu stood at the cave entrance, feeling warmth from inside and the cold outside. Her eyes followed Li Yuanxi until she finished and picked up the basket to return.

Back inside, Li Yuanxi poured hot water and mixed it with cold to wash their hands.

Wei Shu squeezed a bit of shower gel onto her palm, lathered it, took Li Yuanxi’s hands, and slowly spread the foam over them.

Li Yuanxi’s gaze softened. She looked at the woman who had entered her heart, melting into warmth, wanting to hold this person in her heart to satisfy the sudden flutter.

She felt the sliding fingertips in her palm—tickling, that kind of tickle deep inside, with an indescribable flutter. Her tea-brown gaze deepened.

Wei Shu, head down, didn’t notice the change. Patiently, she rubbed their hands together in the hot water, washing off blood and fishy smell.

Li Yuanxi watched the pale, slender fingers move in her palm, then couldn’t resist reversing the roles. She caught Wei Shu’s fingers, played with them, and lightly scratched her palm.

Wei Shu’s brow twitched. She closed her hand, trapping the mischievous fingers, and shot Li Yuanxi a glare that asked, “What are you doing?”

Li Yuanxi tried to pull her fingers free, but Wei Shu held tight. She scratched the back of her hand. Wei Shu’s breath hitched. She looked up to ask what she was doing, but Li Yuanxi suddenly leaned in and kissed her.

A fierce yet gentle kiss that started like a drizzle and turned into a storm. She closed her eyes, blending with Wei Shu, their hands intertwined.

Wei Shu leaned entirely into Li Yuanxi’s arms, her body slowly softening, the heat making her want to stop and drink cold water. But Li Yuanxi didn’t give her a chance, pressing on as if to devour her.

Their tangled breathing was urgent and fiery. Neither wanted to give up the sweetness of each other’s tongues, chasing and fleeing, thinning the oxygen.

Finally, Wei Shu couldn’t stay standing. Her wet hands had dried somehow. Face flushed, eyes languid, she leaned against Li Yuanxi’s chest to catch her breath, then pressed a finger to Li Yuanxi’s lips, which wanted more. “Enough~”

Li Yuanxi let out a soft whimper. She didn’t want to stop. Kissing really was addictive. She rested her forehead against Wei Shu’s, slowly moving downward.

Her lips trailed from Wei Shu’s forehead down, not with lust, but with pure love, until they locked eyes, both seeing only each other.

Wei Shu wrapped her arms around Li Yuanxi’s neck. Li Yuanxi loosely encircled her waist. Voice low and husky, matching her deepening gaze, “You’re so beautiful.”

“Mm-hmm, I know.” Wei Shu slid her finger from Li Yuanxi’s rosy lips, pressing slightly. Li Yuanxi unconsciously licked her lips, grazing Wei Shu’s fingertip.

Both stilled. Obsidian pupils sparkled with starlight; tea-brown irises held a surging ocean.

Neither knew who moved first. Their breaths joined again. A faint agarwood scent, for the first time, actively drifted from Li Yuanxi’s nape, full of love and tenderness.

Wei Shu sensed it and released her own pheromones, shifting from elegant sweet osmanthus to a dominant musk, tightly enveloping the alpha she had temporarily marked.

This was the power of a high-level omega—they also had their own possessiveness.

It was the first time Li Yuanxi had willingly released her pheromones while conscious. She felt Wei Shu’s, her whole body thrilling with joy.

Like a little cat showing its belly to its owner, saying “I’m so nice to pet,” using its beauty to lure the “owner = prey” closer, before grabbing it in one swift move.

Wei Shu was that prey. She was indeed drawn in by Li Yuanxi’s feigned weakness, her senses clouded. The subtle agarwood turned into a bewitching incense, filled with their love.

Li Yuanxi held Wei Shu, kissing her inch by inch. Wei Shu clung tightly to her neck. The temperature in the cave kept rising; both broke out in a light sweat.

Their rapid breathing calmed again. Li Yuanxi stopped her own unruly hands. They slowly separated. Wei Shu’s eyes were misty, confused as to why they’d stopped.

“Heh, um, how about some water?” Li Yuanxi’s eyes darted, her legs closed, face burning. She changed the subject, grabbing a cup of now-cool water and bringing it to Wei Shu’s lips.

As Wei Shu shifted, she felt Li Yuanxi’s physical reaction. Embarrassed, she also shifted her legs, the sensation even more obvious. She let go, took the cup, and gave Li Yuanxi time to cool down.

Li Yuanxi immediately turned, sipping her own water. She felt lightheaded from standing. After finishing, she sneaked a look at Wei Shu. Aside from the blush and languid beauty, Wei Shu wore only that satisfied expression of lovers.

“What are you looking at?” Wei Shu was curious. Why did Li Chuyi always secretly watch her?

“Nothing… nothing.” Li Yuanxi’s tongue tripped, guilty. Her eyes started wandering.

“Oh no, you have to tell me. You’re always watching me. What have you observed?” Wei Shu’s tone turned serious. She really wanted to know what was going on in that little head.

Li Yuanxi’s lashes fluttered rapidly as she tried to think of an answer that wouldn’t show she was making it up.

Wei Shu lifted her chin, making her meet her eyes. “You know you rub your pants when you lie. Tell the truth.”

“I…” Li Yuanxi looked into Wei Shu’s earnest eyes. She didn’t know what to say. If she said it, she’d look so foolish. Why hadn’t she realized?

If Shu Shu didn’t like her, she’d never let her get close. Shu Shu wouldn’t compromise herself just to survive. She was proud—too proud to let anyone break that pride, even if they clipped her wings.

Li Yuanxi looked into those obsidian eyes and spoke the words she’d kept buried. She had always worried Shu Shu was with her against her own heart.

“Do you think I’m that kind of person?” Wei Shu’s voice was calm as water, no accusation, no anger. She just asked quietly.

Li Yuanxi shook her head, looking at Wei Shu with a trace of embarrassment and shame, and a little inferiority.

“Come with me now.” Wei Shu grabbed Li Yuanxi’s collar and pulled her toward the bed. “Why can’t you face your own body correctly?” One sentence pierced Li Yuanxi’s mask.

Her face went pale, pupils constricted, then dilated. Wei Shu pushed her hard onto the bed, undid her own hair tie, and straddled her.

Looking down at the woman on the bed, her expression calm and cool, her eyes unwavering. “I’ll see what you’re afraid of.”

She reached down and unbuttoned Li Yuanxi’s clothes, releasing her pheromones to hold Li Yuanxi down. Li Yuanxi lay dazed as Wei Shu bit her earlobe fiercely.

Li Yuanxi whimpered, whispering without confidence, “Bite softly. I only have two ears.”

The sun hung high. In the cave, the two lay tangled together for a nap, neither wanting to move. It was a good day for sleeping.

Wei Shu curled up in Li Yuanxi’s arms, only her head exposed from the blanket, one arm draped over her jade-like waist.

Li Yuanxi wasn’t asleep. Her eyes sparkled, her spirits excellent—good enough to go hunt a few more deer. This time, Wei Shu had physically and mentally helped her face her body correctly and shed her inferiority.