Be Gentle, Immortal Master

Bai Ye scooped me up and wrapped me in his arms, leaning my back against his chest as I tried to catch my breaths. "Doesn't this feel more comfortable than a rough bathing cloth?" He dropped a kiss on the side of my neck.

I chuckled. He never missed a chance to turn my words back onto me. "But I'm probably sweatier now than before we started bathing," I said, draping my limp body over him. The heat of his skin felt particularly scorching, and I wasn't sure if it was because of my mixed-up senses after just coming out of the cold pool of spring water, or because he was still burning as well.

He fished out my dress from the creek bed. "And that's why it's better to bathe you now instead," he said and wrung it slightly, then ran the damp cloth over my chest.

I tensed at the anticipation of his touch. But when he worked his way down, he didn't tease me or linger over any spot. He really was bathing me, carefully and thoroughly washing away the remnants of the day from my skin, rinsing off the garment once in a while. There was no temptation at all in his soft massage..

The gesture confused me. Leaning closely against him, I could feel his hardness already prodding me again, and I could feel the heat rising from his body and his palm. So why did he not …

When he dipped my clothes back into the creek for the third time, I wiggled a little anxiously in his arms, rubbing slightly over him.

He let out a sound that was almost a hiss. "Qing-er … Don't do that." He gripped my waist and stopped me.

I turned my head to look at him. His gaze was dark, as if he was trying to suppress something. "Why?" I asked in puzzlement.

He sighed and kissed me lightly on my forehead. "You can't make your medicine here. Don't risk it."

The medicine to … avoid accidents? That was what he was concerned about? "But … as long as you …"

He gave me an amused smile. "You think I can control myself when I'm inside you, Qing-er?" His hot breath burned my cheek. "I told you, you underestimate your power over me."

I felt my blood boil at his words. He rarely talked like this, so bluntly, so … seductively. It almost didn't fit him, but I loved every sound of it, and the thought that I was able to affect him to such an extent surprised and thrilled me.

He turned me towards him, resting my face against his shoulder and continued to wash my back, pausing every now and then to massage me. I sighed at the sensation of his touch. Even though I knew he probably didn't want me to, I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my cheek into his shoulder.

Remembering my earlier thought about making this trip last longer, I silently cursed myself. Now I wished for nothing other than finding those herbs immediately so that we could return to Mount Hua sooner, and I wasn't even ashamed of the thought. "Have you ever seen a thousand-year-old tuber fleece flower on your previous trips here?" I asked. "How hard is it to find one?"

It took him only a moment to understand my sudden change of topic. He laughed at my eagerness. "I've seen only a handful out of over two hundred trips. But that wasn't what I was specifically looking for, so we might have better odds this time."

He lifted me gently as he spoke, running the bathing cloth behind me and down my thighs. I gasped. Even though I felt no desire from his movement, it was too sensual of a touch, and I couldn't take it any longer. "Bai Ye," I straightened and looked into his eyes. "You are repaying me for what I did to you earlier, aren't you?"

"I am not—"

I ignored how innocent his response sounded and sealed the rest of his sentence in his mouth.

I knew his concern was valid, and I knew I shouldn't tempt him further and test his resolve. But alone with him in this quiet, wild nature, with my skin bare against his and hearing him tell me how much he could lose himself for me … burned me like no other. It was just a kiss, I thought—I wasn't going to do anything else—but before I knew it, I had spread my legs to wrap around him, hoisting myself closer and pressing tight into him. As our kiss deepened—

A rustle sounded from the woods behind us. Almost too light to hear at first, but then it grew louder and louder, as if someone was walking towards us through the grass. I jolted, my eyes snapping open, and I pulled away from him as fast as I could. How could there be someone else on this mountain?

"Qing-er," I heard him say, but I was too busy snatching my clothes and hastily trying to cover myself. This was bad, I thought as my heart pounded against my chest, and my eyes searched madly over the rustling bushes. Did our luck really run out this time?

"Qing-er," he called again. I darted him a glance, and I was shocked to see a smile on his face. "It's a deer," he said.

I blinked. Turning back towards the woods, I finally noticed the tips of a pair of antlers showing above the short shrubs. The rustles moved closer, and the head of a stag emerged from the web of trigs and leaves.

I heaved a big sigh of relief, and I didn't realize until then that in my panic, I was gripping Bai Ye's wrist so hard that when I released him, I had dug a deep red ring into his skin. I looked back at him and gave him a sheepish smile.

He chuckled. "At least you'll learn not to keep seducing me now, little devil." He gathered me back into his embrace and started dabbing me dry.

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