Be Gentle, Immortal Master

"You might also start seeing stronger effects from Twin Stars in other forms," Bai Ye said as he made room on the shelf for the new items. "Physically, for example. Its power suits your body well. Over time, it will help you look more radiant and energetic."

No wonder I saw those changes last time when he sat us down at the mirror. "Is that a benefit you had planned for?" I chuckled. "You waited long enough to tell me."

"Because you don't need it." He put the bait stone down next to the bunny lantern from Mid Autumn. "Neither do you need these—" he pointed at the blush I had picked that same night, "—though you might find it fun just to try a different look."

"I haven't tried it yet. Nor the cream we bought with it." I tilted my head. "Speaking of which … Do you know what its use is? I didn't understand what the woman selling it was trying to imply."

His motion paused, and he glanced at me, as if to confirm I had meant what I said. "Shall we find out?" He picked up the jar.

I looked at him suspiciously. From his reaction that night, I could tell that he knew exactly what the content of that container was, but why wouldn't he just tell me? I watched him as he sat back down next to me and opened the lid. That faint, soothing smell filled the air between us immediately.

"I recognized it from the pattern on the carving," he explained, scooping a small morsel of the cream with his forefinger and dabbing it lightly on the side of my neck. "It's a symbol from one of the tribes in the south that are known for their rare herbal tributes to the Emperor."

The cream felt cool and rich, and I took a deep breath of that sweet, unique aroma. "This is an offering fit for an Emperor?" I asked, impressed that a street peddler in town could get her hands on it. "Should I assume that it boosts longevity?"

He chuckled while he spread the cream over my skin. "The imperial family knows their way around life. Longevity isn't the only thing they want. There are other pleasures worth dying for."

He leaned in with those words and dropped a light kiss on my neck.

It shouldn't be possible, but the moment his lips touched me, a moan leaped straight out of my throat uncontrollably. This was far from the first time he had kissed me this way, but the sensation had never been this strong before …

"How do you like it?" he whispered. The waft of his breath that used to be merely a soft tickle suddenly felt like a dancing fire, and as his lips trailed down, the cool touch of the cream vanished, replaced by impossible heat and sharp tingles.

"That cream …" I finally realized. "It's … an aphrodisiac?"

He dipped his finger into the jar again, while his other hand started working the ribbons on my robe. "Strictly speaking, I suppose it isn't, because it's not the smell or the taste that causes the effect. It only works on the skin." He loosened my clothes enough to spread more of it on my collarbone. "And I heard if you keep using it … it'll also make your skin smoother and softer."

His lips brushed over the newly worked area, eliciting more moans from me. I suddenly wanted him to take my clothes off faster, as the rising heat was soon becoming too much for me to bear. He seemed to have understood what I wanted, because the next moment, he lifted me and carried me into my bed, freeing me of my upper layers in one swift motion.

"Bai Ye …" I breathed, slightly nervous of how much stronger effects I was yet to feel, but indecently excited at the same time. He smiled at my expectant look and leaned down to kiss me. His hand landed on my stomach, drawing a slow circle with the lotion on his fingertip.

I whimpered into his mouth. The soft caress was a burning wave of sensations, every touch from him a kindling flame rousing tiny yet sharp tingles all over me. I already knew how fast and powerful the effect would come, but I still didn't expect that it could be to this extent. Every part of me became too hot, too sensitive. It felt as if his palm was suddenly everywhere, stirring every inch of me to life, and tiny trembles soon started to crawl all over me. My breaths grew shallow. The heat sizzled me as his hand grazed down my lower abdomen, glided to the side of my waist, and traveled up …

He paused. Releasing me, he dipped his forefinger into the jar again and scooped out another big morsel. With a naughty smirk, he met my round-eyed stare and licked his finger, then buried his face into my chest.

"Ah!" I shuddered with a hard moan when he took both of my breasts at the same time with his lips and fingers. A maddening shock spiraled throughout my whole body, so sharp that all my muscles tensed. The moment he started working the cream onto me with his licks and twiddles, I couldn't stop whimpering and writhing beneath him, and I dug my fingernails into his shoulder. The surge of pleasure was so much wilder than he had ever given me with his touch …

He changed the pattern of his motion meticulously, not missing any side or any corner. But he didn't need to. The heat was already rising to such unbelievable heights that my back arched off the bed, and my body didn't feel like mine anymore. This sensation was too different, too impossible … in an utterly unfamiliar yet also extremely familiar way. I thought I must be imagining it, but I was burning so much that it felt as if … as if …

"Bai Ye … I … I … Ah!!" With a hard spasm, I trembled beneath him, my moans turning into disarrayed pants.

He didn't even … How was this possible?

He looked up at me.. Something glinted in his eyes as his hand trailed down my still quivering body, moving towards my thighs.