Heavenly Soul [BL] - Extra 23

The forest behind the Feng residence was peaceful this morning. Light filtered through the tree branches, speckling the ground. Animal calls and bird chirps rang. A pleasant breeze blew, stirring the leaves lazily.

A quick figure suddenly whooshed past this scene, disturbing nary a rock or leaf in its path.

His steps lighter than air, Qinghe sped through the forest, his toes barely touching the earth. He was wearing a greyish brown cloak that was the same color as the ground, letting him blend in with it. Its hood was pulled up as the rest of the fabric flared behind him. As he ran, Qinghe moved through the interconnecting chain of shadows cast by the trees so that his form wouldn’t be visible from above the tree canopies. He knew that the one hunting him might have other means of tracking him, but Qinghe refused to give up and be caught so easily.

The wind brushed his cheek, whispering a warning.

Qinghe halted and immediately pressed his back to a nearby tree. He cast a quick glance upward to make sure the foliage above him was thick enough to block him. His heart galloped in his chest with both exertion and excitement. In contrast, his surroundings were calm. Birds and insects chittered as usual. Wind gently threaded through the trees, making the shapes of light cast on the ground shift and sway.

Nothing happened.

Qinghe maintained his vigilance while keeping himself as still and unnoticeable as possible.

A hush slowly descended on this part of the forest. The animals that had been enthusiastically moving about and calling out to each other gradually grew quiet as they sensed the approach of a dangerous predator. The leaves rustled with increasing urgency, the sound loud and frantic as the tree branches were whipped about by the increasingly agitated wind. Animals huddled still and motionless in corners while loose leaves rained down from the trees.

Qinghe pressed his back more firmly into the tree trunk, trying to erase his presence. He held the ends of his cloak with a hand to prevent it from fluttering around.

Something large suddenly swept through the sky, blocking the sun. It cast the entire space in shadow as it passed over this part of the forest. The sound of huge, leathery wings beating could be heard, sending out concussions of wind. The flaps of those wings stirred up the air, sending it ripping through the trees.

Qinghe tried his best to imitate a rock, staying utterly motionless.

The large being swam through the sky overhead without pausing. The giant shadow slid over the ground, moving away. Qinghe waited until the being was far enough before he let himself breathe a sigh in relief.

But just as he was about to move away from the tree to resume his escape, the sound of the huge wings beating suddenly ceased. Qinghe paused, waiting. The wind blew back his hair and whispered again. The one hunting him had assumed human form, and he was now coming his way.

A shudder of thrill ran down Qinghe’s spine.

He turned in the opposite direction to where the large being had been headed before and ran, his feet flying over the ground. Though he was confident that he could beat his pursuer in speed alone, he knew that his endurance would be no match. Qinghe brought up the layout of the forest in his mind and rapidly went through his surroundings. Was there a place he could hide? Some place to set up an ambush? He focused on a particular cave system nearby and narrowed his eyes. If he remembered right, then it had a small pond in the middle of one of its tunnels. Maybe he could… Qinghe’s lips curled up in a smile. Yes, this would do.

He turned and sped towards the location of the cave system, his long legs eating up ground. Wind whooshed past his ears. His body was almost horizontal now.

As he ran, Qinghe suddenly felt a familiar presence at the edge of his spirit sense and almost stumbled. His pursuer was too fast! He pulled in his spiritual awareness to avoid alerting the one chasing him and quickened his pace. He contemplated leaving behind traces of his scent or some trail to make sure his pursuer wouldn’t lose him. After all, his newly-formed plan required the one after him to eventually catch up. But Qinghe quickly discarded the thought. That person didn’t need his help. He would find him on his own.

Within minutes, Qinghe arrived before the entrance to the cave system. The cave opening was situated in a rock face, gaping open like a gigantic maw. Without hesitation, Qinghe dived inside and sped forward.

The cave floor was layered with loose sand near the entrance. Yet Qinghe’s toes flew above it light and fast, leaving no marks. He knew that his pursuer would be able to sniff out his scent easily enough and use it to follow him. He didn’t need to leave any other deliberate signs.

The tunnel split into two in front of Qinghe. He unhesitatingly took the left one and kept running. The cave tunnel kept dividing, and Qinghe had to suppress an anticipatory grin as he continued choosing one of them decisively and kept going. He was almost there. Just a few more turns and he could set up his trap.

A few moments later, he arrived at a large cavern connecting two tunnels. Qinghe stopped and looked around the cavern appraisingly as he caught his breath. The walls and floor were made of hard rock. The ceiling here was just as high as the rest of the tunnel, which meant it was so far away that it couldn’t even be seen. A wide pond bisected the cavern, its edges touching the walls on either side and effectively blocking the way. Its waters were a deep black and without ripples. The only way to continue on this path would be to swim through the pond or fly over it to reach the other side.

Qinghe smiled, satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

But before he could begin implementing his plan, Qinghe heard the unhurried footsteps of his pursuer steadily growing closer, the footfalls deliberately left to echo loudly through the spacious cave system.

Qinghe’s eyes widened in surprise at how quickly the one following him had found him. In a low voice, he cursed, “Fuck!”

The person chasing him chuckled, the deep and mellow sound vibrating off the cave walls. “Oh, yes. ‘Fuck’ is definitely what I’m going to do after finding you, love.”

Qinghe had to press his hand to his mouth to stop himself from letting out a startled bark of laughter. His lover was so ridiculous! And who was he kidding? Of course he would be the one to win this round of their Hunter and Prey game!

And so, unwilling to let Wei Xiang get the upper hand this time, Qinghe determinedly set to work, putting his plan into action.

……

A few minutes later, Wei Xiang ambled into the cavern with leisurely steps. He looked around cursorily, already knowing that his beloved wouldn’t be hiding in any obvious place. To keep the game fun, both Qinghe and Wei Xiang had temporarily blocked off the ability to sense each other through their soul bond. If Wei Xiang wanted to find Qinghe, he could only use his own wits to track him. And since it was Qinghe, Wei Xiang knew that it would be no easy feat.

Suppressing a smile, Wei Xiang slowly strode forward, following his beloved’s scent.

The only thing of note in this cavern was the pond stretching from wall to wall, blocking the way. Qinghe’s scent led into the pond and seemed to stop there, so Wei Xiang walked up to its edge and peered down. The water’s dark surface showed large ripples. Wei Xiang’s eyes narrowed. There were no wind currents this deep inside the cave system, so the water should not be able to move unless stirred up by someone. But he also didn’t believe that his beloved would leave such obvious traces of his passage.

His lips pressing together, Wei Xiang tried to peer into the pond’s depths. But despite having the enhanced vision of a beast, he was unable to look far into the black waters. He wanted to discard the notion of Qinghe hiding within, passing through the pond, or flying over it to go to the other side since it was too obvious. But Wei Xiang really couldn’t discount that possibility. What if this was a bluff? What if Qinghe expected him to dismiss this and thus used it as a ploy? After all, his little lover was sneaky enough to do just that!

Meanwhile, Qinghe silently watched his beloved’s pondering expression with amusement.

Wei Xiang showed a wry smile as he kept trying to guess Qinghe’s mind. He turned to survey the rest of the cavern. His gaze roved over the craggy walls with thin cracks here and there, the relatively smooth floor that seemed to have been worn with time, and the ceiling covered in black shadows. Wei Xiang’s eyes turned golden, the slitted pupils expanding to take in as much light as possible. With this, he was finally able to see the cave ceiling situated far above, but he still didn’t spot traces of his little lover anywhere. Blinking to return his irises to normal, Wei Xiang frowned.

Logic said that he should first dive into the pond to check it before swimming to the other side to continue looking. But his intuition tingled, insisting that his beloved was nearby. Wei Xiang could almost feel his little lover’s mischievous gaze trained on him, watching him with an impish smile. But no matter how much he surveyed the cavern with his senses on full alert, Wei Xiang couldn’t find Qinghe. If they hadn’t already agreed to not borrow the aid of external resources like weapons, talismans, artifacts, and the like, Wei Xiang would have almost suspected his beloved of using an invisibility talisman.

Just where was Qinghe hiding?

Wei Xiang looked into the pond again, his mind racing.

Just then, the waiting Qinghe finally used this chance to pounce on Wei Xiang from behind―

―and right at that moment, under the guidance of his instincts, Wei Xiang suddenly turned around.

Their eyes widened as their gazes met each other’s. But Qinghe was already hurtling towards his lover, unable to stop his momentum. Wei Xiang automatically opened his arms and wrapped it around Qinghe while Qinghe simultaneously did the same. They ‘captured’ each other at the exact same time.

The game thus ended in a draw.

Qinghe and Wei Xiang stayed stunned in their embrace for a moment. Then Qinghe leaned back with a scowl. “I almost won!”

With his palms resting on his little lover’s waist, Wei Xiang tried his best to hide his smug smile. “Too bad that you couldn’t evade my instincts, love.”

Qinghe looked away with a huff. This was so unfair! He was just about to win but his Xiang stole his victory at the very last moment! Tch, luck should be outlawed in their games!

Wei Xiang chuckled and kneaded Qinghe’s waist placatingly. “It’s alright. You’ll always have another chance.”

With glinting eyes, Qinghe nodded determinedly. “Yes. And I won’t go easy next time!”

Raising an eyebrow, Wei Xiang asked, “Love, are you saying you went easy on me this time?”

His sullen expression turning playful, Qinghe grinned. “In a way, yes. I did leave you a scent trail to follow, didn’t I?”

Wei Xiang shook his head helplessly. “Alright, I’ll admit it.” Then pulling Qinghe closer, he smiled and asked, “I’m curious about something. Just where did you hide?”

Qinghe smirked and turned to tilt his chin towards the cave wall. Wei Xiang turned as well. In the formerly smooth cave wall, a large gouge big enough to fit an adult human was now revealed. Just beside it, a slab of rock rested against the wall. It seemed to be what Qinghe had used to cover himself with while hiding in the gouge.

Wei Xiang’s eyebrows shot up. “You…hid inside the cave wall?”

Qinghe cheerfully nodded and began explaining, “I used my wind to first slice off a thin slab from the wall, then scooped out a deeper section to hide myself in. After I fit myself inside the hiding space, I placed the thin slab I sliced off in the beginning over the opening to serve as a lid. As for the scoop of the wall I removed later and whose space I was occupying, I used my wind to lift and throw it into the water to hide its existence. It also served to confuse you about whether I jumped into the pond or swam through it.

“Since the section of the wall I hid in already had several thin cracks, the edges of my hiding place blended in. I also used the cracks to peek outside and see what you were doing. Meanwhile, after deliberately leaving a scent trail leading to the pond, I hid my scent and prevented any sounds I made from reaching you by making the air around me remain utterly still. This way, neither the scent-stained air nor the vibrations of sound would carry over to you. All I had to do after that was wait for my chance, then silently jump onto you to capture you, but…” Qinghe sighed. “You turned towards me right at that time, so we ended up in a draw. I suppose I was too hasty in my excitement.”

Wei Xiang chuckled and praised, “Nevertheless, you were still very clever and sneaky. You almost got me.”

Shedding his melancholy, Qinghe beamed happily. He dived forward and hugged Wei Xiang again, rubbing his cheek against his beloved’s shoulder. “Yes. And I’ll definitely be even sneakier next time.”

Wrapping his arms around his little lover’s waist again, Wei Xiang rested his cheek on top of Qinghe’s head and smiled. “I already tremble with fear and anticipation at the thought of seeing how formidable you’ll be.”

Hearing those exaggerated words said in such a calm tone, Qinghe’s body shook with silent laughter, making Wei Xiang smile wider. As they remained embracing, the warmth of their bodies soaked into each other. Wei Xiang held his little lover tighter, the curve of his lips turning sultry with heat as he felt the distinct shape of his beloved’s body pressing into him. He could feel Qinghe’s heart beating in his chest, feeling just as fast as his own. The thrill remaining from chasing his little lover and seeing his mind in action sent thrums of excitement through Wei Xiang. His eyes gleamed with slowly awakening need, then flashed as he suddenly thought of something. A hint of wickedness sparkled in his gaze before being hidden away.

Just then, Qinghe lifted his head from Wei Xiang’s shoulder and spoke, “Now that our game ended in a draw, how should we judge it? Did we both win or did we both lose?”

Wei Xiang’s hands gently glided up and down Qinghe’s back, making him let out a sigh in pleasure. “Why don’t we take it as both of us winning? This way, we can each ask a favor of the other and satisfy both of our wishes.”

Qinghe tilted his head thoughtfully and nodded. “Alright, then. We both won. I already know what I want to ask. Xiang, what about you? What do you want from me?”

Wei Xiang’s smile widened. He leaned down and whispered in a deep voice, “Oh? Are you that eager to fulfill my wish?”

Qinghe felt a shiver of eagerness shoot up his spine. What did his lover have planned? Was it something fun?

“Xiang, what do you want to ask me to do?” Qinghe questioned again, his eyes already shining.

Wei Xiang chuckled. Bending further, he traced the shell of Qinghe’s ear with his teeth before following it with his tongue. His strong hands kneaded his beloved’s hips while his thumbs drew circles on the sides of his stomach. Qinghe almost moaned at how good it felt. Wei Xiang’s breath was warm as it brushed his ear. “I want to see how close I can bring you to the very brink of release without our skins touching. Do you want to try it?”

Qinghe let out a shuddering breath. His skin felt too warm and tight as a wave of desire washed over him. He gave a shaky nod. “Yes, let’s try it.”

Wei Xiang let go and pulled back with a chuckle. Qinghe looked up to meet his lover’s keen gaze that seemed heated with anticipation and felt his face flushing. Wei Xiang lifted a hand to brush his beloved’s pink cheek. “Then you should remove your clothes while I prepare a place for you to lie down.”

Qinghe blinked to regain his bearing and nodded. As he began undressing with quick and efficient motions, Wei Xiang looked around the cavern’s floor. He chose the flattest place he could find, which happened to be situated right by the cave wall, and spread a large and thick quilt on it before beginning to undo his own clothes. But seeing that Qinghe was already fully naked and was preparing to lie down, Wei Xiang’s hands paused on the last few layers of his robes, his attention focusing on his little lover.

Qinghe lay down on the quilt on his back, his arms by his sides and his legs lifted up and parted slightly. He peered up at Wei Xiang uncertainly and asked, “Xiang, is this okay?”

Wei Xiang’s eyes darkened. He leaned back into the wall and faced Qinghe with a smile. “Yes, this is fine. Love, I want you to raise your hands over your head and put your wrists together.”

Qinghe unhesitatingly did so. Lifting his head after positioning his hands above him on the quilt, he gave Wei Xiang a puzzled look. “Xiang, what are you planning to do?”

Wei Xiang didn’t answer. However, seeing the golden strings that had begun extending from his beloved’s arms, Qinghe’s eyes widened in understanding of what was going to happen. His belly clenched with anticipation.

The two golden strings, one from each of Wei Xiang’s arms, split into four, then eight, and then to even more strings. Some stayed thin while others gained mass to form thicker, finger-length ropes. Some of these ropes also flattened to form metallic ribbons, and all of it headed directly for Qinghe’s prone form. Seeing them all extending towards him purposefully, Qinghe had to suppress a shiver of apprehension and excitement, forcing himself to lie still.

As they reached him, Qinghe felt one of the strings wrapping around his wrists to hold them in place above his head while another pair of strings slid up his legs, winding around them until they finished wrapping up his limbs from ankle to mid-thigh. Qinghe let out a sound of surprise as the strings lifted his legs up into the air and pulled them apart to expose the view between his thighs to Wei Xiang’s hungry gaze. Qinghe bit his lip and shifted on the quilt. He could feel the cold of the rock floor seeping up through the fabric, but the liquid arousal spreading through his body seemed enough to keep him warm.

Now that he had been bound, the flat golden ribbons settled on Qinghe’s skin. They felt smooth and warm to him, just like the strings. They slowly began moving, their metallic surfaces dragging firmly on Qinghe’s heated flesh. They caressed and slid over his body the same way Wei Xiang’s fingers usually did, touching and stimulating the sensitive places that his lover knew would arouse him the most.

Qinghe let out a gasp, his body turning taut. His eyes began glazing over with lust. He tried to lift his head to see Wei Xiang. He spotted his beloved leaning on the cave wall, watching him with hooded eyes turned deep and dark with need. Wei Xiang’s cheeks were flushed while his arms were folded as if to restrain himself from reaching out and touching him. As Qinghe felt the ribbons sliding over his body with more force, his head fell back down to the quilt and he groaned. Though what caressed him were not his beloved’s fingers, he knew that it was still a part of his Xiang.

Seeing his little lover taking such pleasure from his strings, Wei Xiang’s own desire increased. He unfolded a hand and retrieved a bottle of oil. Upon his direction, several of the strings and thick ropes came to dip themselves into it, coating their lengths and making them glisten even brighter. One of the strings went over to Qinghe’s member and cinched the base of his shaft.

“Ah!” Qinghe jerked and let out a sound in surprise, but the strings holding his limbs down didn’t allow him much movement. More golden strings slickened with oil affectionately wrapped around Qinghe’s erect member and squeezed before starting to pump up and down along the rigid, pulsing length. Qinghe trembled, the sheen of sweat beginning to coat his straining body. He panted and moaned thickly at the vivid sensation rolling through him due to the steady and spirited ministrations on his sensitive organ. All the while, the ribbons continued to explore his body, rubbing and drawing themselves over his slick skin.

Another thin string glistening with oil slowly extended towards the head of Qinghe’s shaft. Lowering, it teased around the little slit at the very tip, tracing its edges before carefully slipping inside the tiny opening. Qinghe gasped and froze. As he felt the thin string gradually inching into his member, Qinghe shuddered and pleaded flusteredly, “X-Xiang, please, no, stop…i-it feels too strange… I d-don’t want it…”

Wei Xiang immediately withdrew the string and comforted in a husky voice, “It’s alright, love. See? I removed it. If you don’t want to, then we won’t do it.”

Qinghe’s stiff body relaxed back into the quilt, reassured. As if to soothe him further, a pair of strings slid over to Qinghe’s heaving chest, firmly winding around the top of the two perky points situated there. Qinghe’s chest rose up on its own as he let slip a soft groan. The strings pulled up the little nubs by their tips, stretching them to their limits and drawing them taut. Another pair of strings took this opportunity to securely wrap around the stretched lengths of the dusky pink buds, enfolding them tightly from base to tip. Now that they had the delicate little points in their firm grasp, the four strings constricted and released the small buds in a steady rhythm as if massaging them.

Qinghe cried out in a low voice, his body trying to twist and writhe helplessly despite being held down. The strings working around his member and the ribbons gliding over his skin were already driving him mad with need, and this extra stimulation only served to push him further towards the edge.

The warm metallic texture of the golden strings was everywhere, ratcheting Qinghe’s need higher and higher. They swept over his skin, some moving up to trace his jaw lovingly while others rubbed over his chest, sides, and belly. He felt the smooth surfaces of the flat ribbons dragging over the sensitive insides of his thighs and over their backs. Another one stroked along his collarbones, sliding down the middle of his heaving chest and continuing over his rippling abdominal muscles before slipping into his navel. As it decisively pushed into that small indentation, Qinghe felt its press echoing somewhere deep in his gut and whimpered. His belly trembled at this strange and new sensation, his body arching up. The golden strings continued to relentlessly caress, squeeze, knead, push, and pull at his sensitive areas, making sparks and waves of pleasure shoot throughout him in an endless flow.

But though all this was already enough to overwhelm Qinghe, Wei Xiang was far from done yet.

Another two metallic ribbons curved around Qinghe’s buttocks, rubbing and massaging them firmly before slipping in between. Qinghe let out a soft sound, but didn’t resist. Seeing that he was willing, the pair of flat ribbons gently pried open the soft mounds of flesh to expose the little bud hidden in the middle. Three slickened finger-sized ropes came together to hover over the revealed opening seemingly in anticipation. One of the ropes moved forward to carefully nudge the trembling little entrance with its rounded tip, then slowly pushed inside.

Qinghe gasped and shifted restlessly as he felt the smooth object entering him. The rope extending into him was warm and flexible, its slickened surface sliding into his body smoothly. But it was unable to provide the same friction as his Xiang’s finger, and it also didn’t possess the familiar girth and weight of his beloved’s member. Nevertheless, just the thought that a part of his beloved was currently held inside him gave Qinghe the pleasure he sought.

Once the slick rope had pressed deep enough into Qinghe’s passage, it began wriggling and rotating in an attempt to loosen the tight inner walls in the way Wei Xiang’s fingers often did. Feeling the sudden, stimulating movements within him, Qinghe’s mouth opened wide to let out a startled gasp.

Taking this chance, a pair of thick and metallic ropes pushed past his parted lips and dived into his soft and wet mouth from either side, not letting him close it. Qinghe let out a choked cry, but showed his acceptance to the invasion by opening his lips wider. Triumphant, the blunt ends of the ropes uninhibitedly rubbed over the delicate tissue inside, carefully exploring Qinghe’s mouth before nudging his tongue experimentally. Qinghe shuddered, letting out a whimper. Sensing that he liked it, the metallic ropes pulled and twisted the slick tongue between their blunted ends, playing with it like gleeful children with a new toy. Qinghe moaned heatedly, clear liquid dripping down from the corners of his mouth.

But his attention was soon diverted as he felt another finger-sized rope pushing its rounded tip into his entrance, joining the first one. The two slickened ropes were soon settled alongside each other. The pair of flexible ropes then entwined with one another before twisting and wriggling inside the tightly closed passage. They pushed and rubbed against the elastic walls, sliding along the sensitive flesh. Qinghe let out stifled moans through the metallic ropes in his mouth. The intense stimulation in his passage piled up on top of the already unbearable pleasure suffusing the rest of his body.

Once the two finger-sized ropes inside Qinghe had made sure that his passage had loosened enough, yet another slickened rope entered him. It joined the other two and they twisted together into one thick bundle. Slowly, the large and slick bundle of ropes began pushing into the stubbornly tight channel while rotating to force their way through. Qinghe writhed helplessly as he felt the three ropes drilling further into his body than Wei Xiang’s fingers or member ever could. He could feel them dive in deep into his belly, deeper than he thought anything could enter him. Held aloft in the air, his legs trembled with strain while his toes curled and uncurled agitatedly.

Just as Qinghe began worrying that they’d go on forever, the three entwined ropes gradually came to a stop within him. They slowly unwound from around each other, separating completely before pushing apart his inner walls in three opposite directions to expand them. Qinghe gave out a strangled scream around the ropes in his mouth as he felt his innermost depths being ruthlessly stretched apart like this. His member strained and twitched as a thin stream of whitish fluid dripped down languorously. The slender string wrapped around the base of his shaft clenched tighter, refusing to let any more of the liquid through.

Qinghe’s dazed eyes listlessly stayed fixed on the dark cave ceiling, his pupils dilated. His muscles bunched and flexed under his sweaty skin as he felt the entirety of his passage being expanded to its limits. The metallic ribbons and thin strings were still busily working on him, sliding over his skin, massaging the buds on his chest, and dragging up and down his painfully hard member.

After a few minutes, the three ropes inside Qinghe had finally finished stretching him out, so they slowly withdrew from inside him, sliding over his slickened passage again. But rather than fully drawing out, the three ropes stopped just inside the boundary of Qinghe’s dusky opening. The trio of blunt-ended ropes pulled the edges of the entrance wide open in opposing directions to expose the reddish flesh twitching within. The excess oil left over from the preparations just now slowly trickled down from the gaping hole, painting a shining line down the valley of Qinghe’s buttocks.

Feeling his inner walls suddenly being exposed to the air, Qinghe tried to close his legs instinctively. But the strings that were hoisting his legs up pulled them open even wider. Qinghe twisted desperately, feeling strange and vulnerable as his body was mercilessly opened and displayed to his lover’s scrutiny in such a way. Qinghe let out a soft whimper through the ropes still playing in his mouth, sounding pitiful and uncertain. He felt the sudden, all-consuming need to hide himself from Wei Xiang’s eyes.

Sensing his beloved’s hesitation, Wei Xiang pushed away from the cave wall he was leaning against and stepped towards his little lover lying splayed in front of him. Kneeling between Qinghe’s legs, Wei Xiang lifted a hand to hold the ankle wrapped with the golden band that he had given to Qinghe long ago to confirm his status as his mate. He could feel the armband Qinghe gave him in return currently encircling his upper arm, feeling pleasantly cool where it rested against his skin. Wei Xiang’s thumb lightly brushed over the smooth anklet on Qinghe’s leg. Turning his head, he placed a small kiss to the side of Qinghe’s foot.

In an affectionate and kind voice, Wei Xiang finally spoke, “Qinghe, no matter which angle I see you from, you look so beautiful and wonderful to me. Do you know that? I feel very lucky to have you as my mate. I feel honored that you choose to let me see you even in your most unguarded moments.”

Qinghe suppressed a sob and clamped his lips tightly over the ropes in his mouth to prevent any sound leaving him. He blinked his eyes to clear the layer of wetness covering them. Hearing his Xiang say such things made his uncertainty and stirrings of shame about being in such a helpless position slowly subside. A shy warmth slowly bloomed in his chest, filling him up.

Qinghe felt Wei Xiang leaning closer, his lover’s hot gaze focused on his entrance that was currently stretched wide open. In a voice filled with wonder, Wei Xiang softly stated, “Even your insides are so beautiful. Love, won’t you show more of them to me?”

Qinghe felt the strings holding his legs apart lose their strength. He knew that his Xiang was giving him the choice to close his legs and hide himself away. Qinghe hesitated. His flushed cheeks suddenly grew redder as he came to a decision. Feeling embarrassed and self-conscious, he shakily pulled his knees up as much as he could so that Wei Xiang could see inside him better. Though Qinghe felt exceedingly bashful, he was also pleased that his Xiang unexpectedly liked even this aspect of him.

Sensing that his little lover was receptive now, Wei Xiang massaged one of his Qinghe’s buttocks comfortingly while using two fingers to carefully touch the exposed flesh inside his beloved. He gently rubbed his fingertips over Qinghe’s glistening and quivering insides, marveling at how soft and warm it felt. These inner muscles were what clamped around his member so lovingly, trying to suck him deeper into his beloved’s body every time they had sex. They were what massaged and wrung his shaft strongly, giving him immense pleasure and extracting his release.

Feeling his Xiang’s loving touch, Qinghe squeezed his eyes closed.

Wei Xiang caressed and stimulated Qinghe’s inner walls with his fingers until Qinghe was shuddering with the effort of bearing the sensual torment. Feeling that his own need was growing uncontrollable, Wei Xiang regretfully withdrew his fingers and stood up again. As he stepped back to lean against the cave wall once more, he asked in a low voice, “Love, I see that you’re still not quite near release yet. Do you want me to push you further? Knowing how much you like taking me deep into you, would you like me to send a thick string into your body to test how deep you can take it?”

Qinghe let out a muffled groan and nodded. He felt the strings around his legs taking ahold of them before raising them up again and relaxed his muscles. His body was filled with heat and flushed with pleasure. Yes, he wanted more, he wanted his Xiang to fill up the very depths of his body.

While the three ropes continued to hold Qinghe’s entrance open, another three finger-sized ropes fused together to form a larger, thicker rope. Its surface glistened slickly as it slowly extended towards the trembling opening and pushed inside. Due to the edges of the entrance being stretched wide open, Qinghe felt its smooth and blunt tip bypassing it and directly squeezing in between the twitching walls of his passage. He squirmed and cried out in a quavering voice. The thick end dug in deeper and deeper, filling the tight confines of his intestines as it kept pressing in further. Qinghe began to feel a vague ache in the depths of his body that slowly grew stronger.

Suddenly, Qinghe stiffened and let out a pained cry.

The heavy rope stuffing his insides immediately stopped and began withdrawing. Qinghe’s tensed body loosened again.

Now knowing the limits to which it could enter the tight passage while avoiding hurting Qinghe, the thick rope began pushing in and out of Qinghe’s body again and again in slow and measured strokes, its slick and smooth surface dragging to and fro over Qinghe’s delicate walls in a languorous rhythm. Qinghe shifted and writhed, his chest heaving. His cheeks were suffused with red while his eyes were dazed. His lips were still being kept open as the thick strings continued to fondle and caress the inside of his mouth, causing saliva to drip out in clear streams. The flat ribbons and thin strings kept stimulating his flushed body, caressing and dancing over his skin sensually. Qinghe was slowly being pushed higher and higher, to the very brink of climax, before he finally toppledover the edge.

Qinghe shuddered and arched back as pleasure twisted inside him. A soundless scream stretched his lips wide open. Unbearable ecstasy exploded and washed over his nerve endings in blisteringly hot waves. But due to the string still squeezing the base of his member, his release was unable to erupt, only a thin trickle spilling out. Held above his head, Qinghe’s fingers clenched tightly while his body trembled under the continuing dry orgasm. Qinghe sobbed and moaned helplessly, his body thrashing uncontrollably. With tears trickling out from the corners of his eyes in an unending stream, he struggled to lift his head up, looking at Wei Xiang with a desperate, pleading expression.

After watching his beloved being relentlessly teased and played with by his strings till now, Wei Xiang had also reached his limit. Except for the thin string wrapping around the base of Qinghe’s shaft, Wei Xiang slowly withdrew everything and began shedding the robes still hanging from his shoulders. His member felt painfully hard, but Wei Xiang’s movements remained unhurried.

Meanwhile, freed of all his restraints, Qinghe’s body slumped down powerlessly into the quilt. Ragged pants wheezed out of his freed mouth, his body still shuddering as the waves of his orgasm began to recede under the lack of stimulation. As he sensed Wei Xiang nearing him, Qinghe turned towards him with effort and uninhibitedly begged, “X-Xiang, please, hurry… I…I want to feel you inside me…”

Reaching Qinghe, Wei Xiang crouched between his legs and pulled them up to wrap around his waist. Bending over Qinghe and pressing a kiss to his flushed cheek, Wei Xiang said softly, “Patience, love. How do you feel? Do you need any extra preparations?”

Qinghe shook his head and whimpered, “I’m fine. This is enough. Xiang, please, enter me, quickly…”

Wei Xiang chuckled. Sensing his beloved’s urgency, he decided to not delay any longer and held his shaft with a hand to guide it forward. He carefully pushed into Qinghe’s entrance and plunged in. The familiar warmth and tightness greedily swallowed his member, eliciting a deep groan out of him.

Qinghe felt his lover’s hard length filling him up and sinking in to the hilt before starting to move. As the thick shaft dragged over his inner walls, the ensuing pleasurable friction sent out waves of heat. Qinghe moaned and tightened his legs around Wei Xiang. Lifting his hips up, he moved in concert with his beloved’s movements, his body swaying with each thrust. His hands clenched on Wei Xiang’s shoulders, his head falling back with a groan.

Wei Xiang’s arms and thighs bulged with strain, sweat shining on his forehead. His dark eyes glinted, fixated on Qinghe’s expression twisted with pleasure. Knowing the location of his little lover’s sensitive sweet spot, Wei Xiang angled his hips and hit it head-on with the blunt tip of his member, then ruthlessly drew it over that pleasure point repeatedly.

As the deluge of sensations drowned him suddenly, Qinghe let out a short sound of startlement. His body began to thrash and writhe as the waves of his extended climax from before battered him over and over again. His member twitched and strained, yet produced no release, unable to ejaculate due to the golden string still clenching its base. Qinghe clutched Wei Xiang tightly, wrapping his arms and legs around him as his body buckled. His voice sounded hoarse and broken, unable to even scream.

Wei Xiang pumped in and out of his beloved’s slick channel in a frenzy, his tempo increasing with every thrust. Feeling a shuddering Qinghe wrapping his entire body around him, Wei Xiang let out a growl of satisfaction. He used an arm to hold his little lover closer and bent his head to bite one of the smooth and round shoulders. Qinghe jerked and gasped, his orgasm gaining more strength.

Feeling his own release nearing, Wei Xiang finally unwound his string from the base of Qinghe’s member. Qinghe let out a strangled scream, his back suddenly arching. Jets of hot fluid rushed out of Qinghe’s straining length in a rapid torrent, spraying over their bodies. Feeling his beloved’s passage clenching tightly and pulsing strongly around his shaft, Wei Xiang pressed his forehead to Qinghe’s curved shoulder and let his orgasm rip out of him as well. His taut body trembled as he shot a stream of thick liquid into his lover’s spasming passage. Qinghe gave a soft cry and let out a shiver of pleasure. The pair of lovers clutched each other and rode the waves of ecstasy together until their climaxes slowly subsided.

Qinghe lost all strength in his limbs and lay back down limply on the quilt. His body was slicked with sweat and flushed with exertion. His chest heaved with deep breaths.

After taking a few moments to regain his composure, Wei Xiang stretched out on the quilt beside his beloved and held him close. Feeling his little lover’s warm body against him calmed Wei Xiang further.

In the wake of the pleasant afterglow, the mood around them settled into one of contentment and languidness.

Opening his lips with difficulty, Qinghe reminded, “Xiang, soul bond.” His voice sounded husky and lazy.

Wei Xiang kissed his beloved’s forehead, “Yes. We should stop blocking it now that we’re done playing.”

Qinghe nodded and released his tight hold on the bond. Wei Xiang did the same. As they felt each other’s presence flood back into them, the couple groaned and held the person in their arms tighter. Relief flooded them as they regained their ability to sense their lover through the bond.

For a few moments, they basked in each other’s presence in blissful peace and silence.

Suddenly realizing that he could smell blood, Wei Xiang leaned back and worriedly studied Qinghe. Spotting a small prickle of red on his little lover’s shoulder, Wei Xiang pressed his lips together in consternation. He brushed the wound with his fingertips and said, “It seems I used too much force. Love, I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Qinghe turned to look at his shoulder to see what great injury Wei Xiang was talking about. Seeing the speck of red, he tilted his head, confused. “Xiang, it’s nothing. It already healed. Besides, it felt good when you bit me, so I didn’t even notice.”

Wei Xiang hesitated, then nodded. But his brows were still furrowed in worry. His beast instincts seemed to be getting stronger recently despite his attempts to keep it in check. And maybe playing the Hunter and Prey game had ended up exciting his beast further this time, letting it temporarily slip his control while he was overcome.

Seeing Wei Xiang’s expression, the light in Qinghe’s eyes deepened. But before he could prod about whatever was bothering his lover, Wei Xiang suddenly got up into a sitting position. He retrieved a basin of warm water and a cloth before gesturing at Qinghe to get up too. “Come, love. We need to clean you up.”

Qinghe cooperatively got up on his knees and showed his backside to his beloved. Looking at the still waters stretching nearby, he asked, “Can’t we do this in the pond? It’s right here.”

Wei Xiang set about carefully cleaning out Qinghe’s passage while answering, “Since we don’t know how clean the waters are or what all lives in there, it’s better not to wash your insides with it.”

“Hmm,” Qinghe murmured contemplatively. “Then let’s use it to take a bath afterward instead.”

Wei Xiang smiled amusedly, but nodded. “Very well.” The water smelled clean enough to him, so it should be okay. He just didn’t want to risk anything by letting it get into his little lover.

And so, after Qinghe was cleaned up, the pair swam and played in the pond for a while before bathing themselves. They came out only after half an hour of fun, then quickly dried off before donning a single loose robe and lying back down on the quilt to cuddle.

Peaceful silence descended on them.

Qinghe nuzzled the side of Wei Xiang’s face and softly inquired, “Xiang, I want to ask you something. Why do you seem to be touching me increasingly less these days?”

Wei Xiang raised a brow languidly. “Oh? I haven’t noticed any decrease in the frequency we have sex in.”

Qinghe sighed. “That isn’t what I mean. You seem to be developing more of a hands-off approach recently. For example… that time in your office. You played with my body while keeping your touches to the minimum. And even if you did touch me, it felt as if you were trying to see how much you could hold yourself back. Is there a reason you’re testing your endurance like this?”

Wei Xiang smiled wryly at how astute his beloved was. But outwardly, he brushed it off, “It’s nothing you need to worry about love. I’m just trying to explore certain new ideas. And I’m only holding back so that I don’t release too early. After all, you’re too alluring for me to control myself for long. I dare not indulge myself by touching you too much.”

Qinghe blushed even as he tried to glare at his lover. His Xiang was too good at sweet-talk! But though he was still unconvinced, Qinghe didn’t push Wei Xiang. He just silently resolved to himself that he would be there whenever his beloved needed him.

Not knowing this, Wei Xiang tried to come up with a different topic to quickly distract his little lover. With that clever mind of his, who knew what all his Qinghe would find out? Suddenly thinking of something that had been bothering him for a while, Wei Xiang asked, “Love, I’ve always wondered about this, but what sort of person did you imagine yourself with before we got together?”

Qinghe blinked, startled. Then shifting to settle himself against Wei Xiang more comfortably, he grew thoughtful. “I never really fantasized about romance much, especially after my teenage years. But if I had to choose…my ideal partner at that time was someone younger that I could pamper and protect. I would sometimes imagine how it would be if I had a lover who would wait for me at home and help me wrap my injuries if I had any, then cutely kiss it to make me feel better. Maybe they would also be a healer or an alchemist, since it would certainly be more convenient. But because I already had the twins to accompany me and help me tend my wounds at that time, I didn’t really give much thought to it.”

Though Qinghe’s tone was casual, Wei Xiang took it all in very seriously. He suddenly felt the urge to ask what was so good about a healer or alchemist. He could heal with his tongue too, and in much more interesting ways than just slathering on medicine or wrapping bandages. But realizing how childish and competitive it would sound, Wei Xiang didn’t voice it out. He instead redirected his thoughts and settled on another question, “Did you have preferences for any particular gender?”

Qinghe waved a hand indolently. “I was fine with any gender. I wouldn’t have differentiated between human, a spiritual beast in human form, or a humanoid being for that matter.”

Wei Xiang wrapped an arm around his beloved. “I see. Then if you had hypothetically been with a male, what position would you have preferred in bed?”

Casting his lover an amused glance, Qinghe replied without hesitation, “If it were according to my preferences before, I would’ve definitely been a top. The thought of taking care of a younger man in bed, patiently teaching and guiding him, then praising him when he was able to accept me completely into his body, had all felt very satisfying to my past self.”

Hearing this made Wei Xiang feel undeniably jealous, but he was also smug that in the end, this imaginary male wasn’t the one who ended up with Qinghe. It was him that Qinghe chose. But he had to admit that his beloved indeed was very suitable to have a younger lover to pamper.

Frowning, Wei Xiang tried to see how Qinghe would look from the perspective of, say, a young disciple.

To list a few of his lover’s obvious qualities from his own observations, Qinghe was kind, mature, dependable, upright, intelligent, elegant, refined, confident, experienced, and also in-control of himself. It was easy to see that he would be very considerate and gentle while guiding a younger partner in bed. He was powerful and strong both ability-wise and psychologically, and he had made quite a name for himself in the cultivation world, meaning that he was popular. But he wasn’t arrogant, instead giving serious importance and consideration to others’ words and treating even the youngest disciple like an equal while conversing.

For some, Qinghe’s occasional coldness and aloofness would only make the thought of attaining his affections more exciting. But despite his apparent iciness now and then, he was also very good at empathizing and was very courteous and helpful to everyone. Not to mention that he was also exceptionally good-looking, graceful, and had an excellent temperament.

No matter how one looked, he was the ideal lover that little boys and girls dreamt of being bedded by during their adolescent years when they were beginning to explore their sexuality and wished for someone to lean on. It was no wonder that so many disciples, especially juniors, had stars in their eyes when they looked at Qinghe…

Wei Xiang broke off that line of thought with a huff. Refocusing his gaze on Qinghe and hugging him even closer, Wei Xiang stated, “I’m glad I got to you first before you decided to take some pipsqueak as your lover.”

Qinghe burst out laughing. His Xiang had been the one to ask all these question in the first place, yet now he ended up being jealous because of it! Gasping for breath, Qinghe got out, “Xiang…you’re so…adorable!”

His dissatisfaction dissolving, Wei Xiang’s lips softened into an affectionate smile. Getting up halfway and supporting himself on an arm, he pinched one of Qinghe’s cheeks. “Having fun at my expense, now are we, love?”

Qinghe giggled and pried open his lover’s fingers to release his poor cheek. Wei Xiang chuckled and moved to lay his face over Qinghe’s stomach, the rest of his body lying on the quilt. Using his fingers to open up the lapels of his beloved’s robe, Wei Xiang happily buried his cheek in the soft skin of Qinghe’s stomach. Qinghe smiled contentedly and threaded the fingers of a hand through his lover’s hair.

In a quiet voice, Wei Xiang said, “Qinghe, if you wanted to top me one day, I want you to know that I will agree.”

Qinghe’s eyes opened wide, his body stiffening in surprise. Then he slowly closed his eyes, his heart growing warm. In a calm voice, he replied, “Then I’ll hold you to it if I feel like it one day.”

Wei Xiang nodded.

Qinghe opened his eyes, a helpless smile in them. His tone growing light and playful, he teased, “But Xiang, without experience, will you even be good at receiving me?”

Chuckling at his little lover’s cheekiness, Wei Xiang turned his head and kissed Qinghe’s navel. Qinghe felt hot breath brush his skin and suppressed a shiver. He heard Wei Xiang say huskily, “If such a time came, then I would willingly submit myself to be trained by you.”

Qinghe’s face burned a bright red. He could feel blood rush downwards, quickly rejuvenating his slumbering member. His beloved’s mouth was becoming more and more unrestrained!

Seeing a bulge suddenly growing before his eyes, Wei Xiang laughed quietly with satisfaction. Reaching out, he brushed his fingers over the hardened arousal. “Oh my, what do we have here? Does a certain little imp want my help?”

Qinghe coughed in embarrassment. “N-No, I… Just leave it and it’ll go away. I feel too lazy to move right now.”

Wei Xiang got up and held himself over the bulge, his elbows on either side of Qinghe’s hips. Lowering his head until his breath brushed the stiffness, he asked smilingly, “Are you sure? I can satisfy it without you having to move at all.”

Qinghe wavered, then gave in. “Well, if you insist…” His palm lifted to rest on the back of Wei Xiang’s head. Wei Xiang smirked and reached out to fully undo Qinghe’s robe and quickly got to work.

And as usual, their recreational activities didn’t end there.

……

For his share of the reward for their game ending in a draw, Qinghe wanted Wei Xiang to let him fly atop his wyvern form. And so, the pair of lovers cleaned everything up and headed outside the cave system. They stopped in the clearing just outside the cave mouth and Wei Xiang assumed his true form for Qinghe to marvel upon.

Qinghe walked circles around Wei Xiang, inspecting every scale, talon, horn, and body part with wonder and inquisitiveness. He touched and rubbed everything he could, eagerly learning this new shape of his beloved. He even got Wei Xiang to open his mouth and stuck his upper body and arms inside, fearlessly feeling up his lover’s long and sharp fangs along with his forked tongue and soft tissue. Qinghe then yelled out Wei Xiang’s name into the wyvern’s huge mouth, seeing if his shout would echo like it would in a cave or tunnel. Wei Xiang could barely suppress his laughter at his beloved’s obvious disappointment when it didn’t. But not letting his failed experiment keep his mood down, Qinghe went on to explore his Xiang’s long tail next. Wei Xiang felt both pleased and helpless in the face of his little lover’s limitless enthusiasm in studying his body.

Seeing that Qinghe had no intention of stopping even after an hour, Wei Xiang asked amusedly, “Are you still not done molesting me, love?”

Qinghe blinked. Even though Wei Xiang looked completely different now, his voice remained the same for the most part, just seeming deeper with a vibrating, rumbling undertone. And when Wei Xiang spoke, his words and intonation also sounded very distinctly like himself. Qinghe wondered if maybe he just felt that because he’d had such a long time to get used to his lover’s speech patterns. All in all, for Qinghe, his Xiang was still very obviously his Xiang, even in this form.

Walking over to stand in front of Wei Xiang’s long snout again, Qinghe peered up into his beloved’s slitted golden eyes and complained in response, “But Xiang! There are so many new things for me to study about you. How can it be over in just a few minutes?”

Wei Xiang chuffed. “Then does that mean you don’t want to go flying today?”

Qinghe paused and showed a conflicted expression before conceding, “I’ll have to postpone examining you for later then.”

Wei Xiang let out a rumbling chuckle.

“Then Xiang, will you take me to fly now?” Qinghe asked expectantly.

Wei Xiang nodded his huge golden head. “Yes. The sooner we can set off, the more time we can spend together in the air. I’d like to ask you to be careful since it will be your first time riding me, but…” Wei Xiang smirked, flashing his pearly fangs. “You’ve already ridden me plenty of times before, haven’t you, love?”

Qinghe looked confused for a moment before the meaning sank in. His face flushed a bright pink as he lightly swatted his mischievous lover. “You’re growing more and more shameless!”

Wei Xiang laughed and flicked out his long and thin tongue, brushing Qinghe’s bared leg through the slit in his robe. Qinghe gasped in surprise. Rather than leaving it at that, Wei Xiang extended his tongue further to tease his beloved, gradually winding it upwards. Since his little lover thought he was shameless, he might as well live up to his opinion and prove him right.

Meanwhile, as he felt the flexible, warm, and sneaky tongue sliding up his leg and caressing his inner thigh, Qinghe shuddered and called out huskily, “Xiang! E-Enough… We…we have to fly…”

Already scenting the revival of Qinghe’s desire, Wei Xiang drew back his tongue in satisfaction. His expression grew even more pleased at the sight of his little lover’s flushed, disoriented, and aroused state.

Qinghe quickly forced himself to think about several non-exciting things to calm down his ardor, like the paperwork he had left to do, the training regimens he had to draft for the juniors, that time he caught his parents having sex using complex instruments… Yes, that last one definitely did it. Taking several deep breaths, Qinghe carefully straightened his robe while trying to compose himself. His roaring pulse slowly calmed. Once he was done, Qinghe let out a breath in relief that his erection had completely gone down.

Noticing it, Wei Xiang observed playfully, “Oh? You’ve got yourself under control already? A pity.”

“Xiang!” Qinghe shot a glare at his smug lover. But since his clear eyes still looked dewy with remnants of lust, his cheeks retaining a hint of pink, it only made him look alluring and tickled Wei Xiang’s heart.

Wei Xiang chuckled affectionately and teased Qinghe further, “Now, now, love. No need to get testy. I only thought it would be nice to feel your arousal rubbing against me when you mount me. And if you hump against my neck, my scales’ edges will provide enough friction for you to gain pleasure. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could make you release one more time while in my wyvern form?”

“X-Xiang!” Qinghe admonished again. He felt both his face and body flushing in shame! Yes, it was definitely shame and not something else, he assured himself.

Wei Xiang grinned, showing off the two rows of his sharp fangs while saying, “Alright, I won’t tease you again. Come and climb up. We can start flying soon.”

Qinghe huffed to show he was still miffed and took a step forward towards Wei Xiang, then froze as he remembered something. A sly smile suddenly spread over his lips. Looking up with twinkling eyes, he spoke, “I almost forgot. Xiang, didn’t I once tell you that I want to hug your member while you are in your wyvern form?” His gaze drifting over to his beloved’s hindquarters, Qinghe continued contemplatively, “So why don’t you spread your legs a bit for me and I can―”

Wei Xiang gave a hurried cough to interrupt him before quickly winding his tail around Qinghe’s waist. Qinghe gave a startled shout as Wei Xiang lifted and deposited him onto his back. In a serious voice, Wei Xiang stated, “Let’s begin flying now that you are seated.”

But Qinghe was not so easily distracted. He shifted to settle himself more comfortably on Wei Xiang’s back, then drawled smugly, “Heh? So you can tease me, but the second I reciprocate, you try to change the subject? Xiang, that’s not fair~”

Qinghe suddenly felt Wei Xiang’s tail swat his backside and let out a bark of laughter while protesting, “Xiang!” His thighs tightening on the base of Wei Xiang’s spine, he leaned forward and cajoled, “Just once is fine, so won’t you let me play with your twin little dragons while you’re in this form?”

Wei Xiang chuckled and admonished playfully, “Quiet, imp. How shameless of you to ask to see my exposed family jewels before marriage! Do you want to compromise my purity?”

Qinghe doubled over laughing on Wei Xiang’s back. Not waiting for him to recover, Wei Xiang flapped his wings and began lifting off. Qinghe hurriedly wrapped his arms around Wei Xiang’s long neck, holding on tightly. The golden scales were smooth and warm beneath him, just like how Wei Xiang’s strings had felt. He could sense powerful muscles pulling and straining under him to work the large wings on either side of Wei Xiang’s body. The resulting wind whipped around his hair and robe, making Qinghe shiver and grin excitedly.

Wei Xiang’s large body floated up and steadily climbed in altitude, rising higher and higher. The ground under them grew farther, the trees appearing to slowly shrink until it was impossible to make them out individually.

Qinghe felt thrill shoot through him as his perspective changed. He and his Xiang seemed to hang suspended between the skies and the earth. A field of smooth blue spread above endlessly while the verdant lands of the heavenly realm splayed below on all sides. The horizon was an unfathomably distant line forming a circle around them. Flying high up here, they seemed to be hovering at the center of the world as it stretched around them, grand and majestic in its vastness.

Qinghe tilted his head up and laughed. This was really great! He’d felt this sensation while flying using his wind or the spell of flight before. But it felt especially wonderful when riding on the back of his lover and letting Wei Xiang set the course for their flight while he just drank in this experience. All Qinghe had to do was sit here and hold on tight while feeling the wind threading through his hair and over his face, flowing into his robe and gliding over his body. This sensation of soaring high above the world with the sky seeming almost within reach was wonderful and freeing. Qinghe leaned up from Wei Xiang’s neck and laughed again, the sound full of exuberance.

Wei Xiang wanted to smile. “Are you having fun, love?”

Qinghe felt the scale-covered body under him vibrate with his beloved’s deep voice and shivered at the pleasant sensation. To make himself heard over the whooshing of the wind, he shouted, “Yes, I am! Xiang, can you go faster?”

Wei Xiang chuckled. “How fast?”

Qinghe’s grin stretched wide. “So fast that I fear falling off your back!”

Letting out a cheerful laugh, Wei Xiang warned, “Then hold on tight!”

Qinghe barely had the time to tighten his arms and legs on Wei Xiang’s neck when Wei Xiang’s body suddenly tilted to point up. Qinghe felt the direction of gravity change to behind him and clutched his lover tighter, his delighted laughter ringing out unrestrainedly. Wei Xiang shot up into the sky vertically, his large wings working faster to accelerate them upward. His sleek body shot up and broke through the cloud cover, scattering a section of the fluffy white clouds. Qinghe shivered at the sensation of speeding through the layer of cold water, his body completely soaked. But his wide smile showed no sign of reducing.

Wei Xiang hovered over the cloud cover. The view of the land below was magnificent, showing large patches of dense greenery, flat stretches of greyish-brown land, and dark gathering of rocky structures thrusting up, all covered in a tattered layer of white clouds. The sun hung before them, a round and glowing ball lighting up the sky.

Qinghe took it all in with wonder and joy. “That was fun!” he commented.

Chuckling, Wei Xiang said, “But we’ve not reached the best part yet, love.”

“Eh? What do you mean,” Qinghe asked with surprise.

In answer, he saw Wei Xiang suddenly still his wings and felt their bodies dropping down.

“Xiang!” Qinghe let out a sharp shout in startlement as they plummeted down, his limbs holding on tightly for dear life. The cloud cover once again whipped past, drenching Qinghe anew. The sharp bite of chilly winds rushed over him as they fell at high speed, the cold seeming to cut into his skin. The ground quickly came into view, the vast lands sprawling under them seeming to widen and race up towards them at frightening speed.

Adrenaline shot through Qinghe at the sight, making his skin buzz with electric currents of terror and titillation. He already knew that his Xiang wouldn’t let them fall, and the instinctive thrill that shot through him at the sight of the earth quickly approaching them made him laugh out loud with pure, unadulterated exhilaration.

Just a few seconds before they hit the ground, Wei Xiang flared out his wings fully, catching wind in them. Rather than using it to slow their descent, Wei Xiang utilized it to manipulate the momentum of their fall and abruptly changed directions. He glided parallel to the ground for a moment before tilting up and beating his wings swiftly, climbing towards the sky once again.

Qinghe felt his heartbeat in his throat at the sudden change in altitude. As he felt the wind whoosh over him while Wei Xiang raced upward once more, Qinghe’s lips stretched even wider, his grin undiminished and filled with insuppressible eagerness. He laughed with wild happiness and shouted, “Xiang, do it again!”

Wei Xiang felt his own heart hammer with excitement and silently sped up. The sleek body of the golden wyvern shot upward, carrying his beloved through the clouds and piercing the sky.

And so, the two lovers spent their day together while streaking across the great blue skies, their time spent indulging in aerial acrobatics, adrenaline rushes, and joyful laughter.

crimson_carnation