Lin Ting’s hands were pale, and they looked even whiter in the water, gripping the unsightly object like a water snake.
Though it was a light pink, it still didn’t look particularly appealing.
At least in Duan Ling’s eyes, it was unattractive, even ugly.
It resembled an ugly pet, incongruous in Lin Ting’s hands, its head occasionally twitching uncontrollably, eager to kiss her hand, begging for her affection and caress.
The moment Lin Ting touched it, she almost let go, as if afraid it might bite her.
But she didn’t.
Duan Ling had been in the Moonlight Pavilion for so long without calling for help to deal with it, even reopening old wounds, indicating his determination to handle it himself without involving others from the pavilion.
Under normal circumstances, Lin Ting wouldn’t have bothered.
It wasn’t her concern, and she would’ve stayed out of it.
But today was different.
If it wasn’t soothed, it could endanger its owner’s life.
If Duan Ling died, she likely wouldn’t survive either.
Who was Duan Ling?
He was a young master from a prestigious family, a trusted Imperial Guard Commander, and a likely candidate for promotion to the highest position in the Imperial Guards.
His actions had far-reaching consequences, let alone his life and death.
Even if Duan Ling miraculously survived but suffered severe physical damage, he might seek revenge on her.
Lin Ting had two reasons for helping Duan Ling resolve this: first, fear of death; second, she had poured the tea, and though she hadn’t known beforehand, she took responsibility for her actions and wouldn’t drag others into it.
Moreover, this matter was life-threatening.
If someone died because of her, even if she wasn’t punished, her conscience wouldn’t let her rest.
Still, Lin Ting prioritized his wishes.
If he didn’t want her to touch it, she would stop.
But Duan Ling didn’t.
He simply lowered his gaze, watching her hand probe the water and grasp the unsightly object, observing her as she awkwardly stroked its head like someone new to handling a pet.
Lin Ting’s technique was indeed clumsy; she had never touched such a thing in real life before.
She was so nervous her eyes darted around.
And it was excited, moving around in her palm, constantly nuzzling her skin, leaving a faint trace of what seemed like saliva, much like a dog licking its favorite person.
Lin Ting involuntarily glanced at its owner.
Duan Ling’s features were striking, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, his handsome face like a flower in full bloom.
He was silent, but his slightly raised neck exuded an inexplicable vulnerability.
She didn’t continue looking at him, focusing instead on rectifying her mistake, treating it like an experiment.
Duan Ling could see Lin Ting’s face with a single glance.
Her hands continuously stroked the unsightly object in the water, her expression visibly uncomfortable, with sweat beading on her forehead and the tip of her nose a sign of her extreme tension.
A drop of sweat fell from Lin Ting’s chin into the water, splashing onto Duan Ling, subtly stirring his emotions.
Lin Ting was willing to soothe this uncontrollable thing for him.
Duan Ling felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his beating heart.
His emotions were indescribable.
“Lin Ting…” Duan Ling unconsciously moved his lips, silently mouthing her name, his hand clenched at his side, nails digging into his wound.
Yet he felt no pain, his gaze fixed solely on her.
The unsightly object looked even uglier against Lin Ting’s beautiful hands.
Duan Ling wanted to tell her to stop touching it, to leave it alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
Not only that, his eyes followed her movements.
Lin Ting slowly explored the base of the object, her fingers brushing over the small sacs on either side, but her control wasn’t perfect.
She pressed too hard, causing it to jerk violently.
She instinctively dropped it, always feeling like it might bite her, even though it couldn’t.
Lin Ting, afraid she might damage Duan Ling’s possession and incur his wrath, took a step back, raising her hands:
“Commander Duan, I swear, I didn’t mean to.”
Duan Ling tilted his head back, as if suppressing something, reaching for her hand but stopping halfway, his fingers pale:
“I know you didn’t mean to.”
She hesitated, then continued to touch it.
Unexpectedly, this demon-like object twitched a few times and ejaculated, a thick fluid intermittently spraying onto Lin Ting’s hand, emitting the scent of hawthorn flowers.
Lin Ting was stunned, then wondered if she had succeeded.
Just as she thought her task was done, it rose again, its head bumping against her palm, much like a pet craving more affection, begging for her touch.
Still not done?
Why was this thing so difficult to handle?
Was it truly stronger than a demon?
Lin Ting braced herself and touched it again, but Duan Ling called out to her in a low voice:
“Miss Lin Qi…” His voice was different from before, carrying something unspoken.
Perhaps he was reminding her not to harm it.
Lin Ting could no longer treat this as an experiment; her emotions were in turmoil.
It was alive, becoming more active with her proximity.
Lin Ting could feel its warmth and pulsation.
She had never imagined experiencing something like this, observing a part of life so closely.
Duan Ling watched Lin Ting’s ever-changing expressions, observing her for a long time.
He had never allowed anyone else to touch the unsightly object.
When Lin Ting first grabbed it, he had wanted to stop her, but he realized it enjoyed her touch, uncontrollably thrusting against her hand, ecstatic to the point of ejaculation.
Even a fish choosing its master was no different.
It had betrayed Duan Ling, turning to Lin Ting, becoming her pet.
Duan Ling had completely lost control of it, forced to watch it move in her hands, splashing murky water onto her, staining her.
The first time was like this, and the second time was the same.
It succumbed to the warmth she provided.
Thus, it repeatedly descended and rose, until Lin Ting’s hands grew tired, yet it remained full of vigor.
Eventually, it could no longer ejaculate, lying limply in her palm.
Duan Ling had always known it was difficult to control, but such a loss of control was unprecedented, chaotically rubbing against Lin Ting’s hand, clinging tightly to her as if afraid she might abandon it.
Its slightly raised head kept kissing Lin Ting’s fingertips.
It truly resembled a pet trying to please her.
Though Duan Ling didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t deny the truth.
He concluded that it liked her, liked her very much, so much so that it didn’t want to leave her, wanting to stay in her hands at all times.
No matter what methods Duan Ling used, it remained uncontrollable in his hands.
Today, after just a few touches from Lin Ting, it had submitted.
He looked at Lin Ting’s face again.
Lin Ting, smelling the strong scent of hawthorn flowers in the air, felt dizzy.
She wondered what the Moonlight Pavilion had used to make it so powerful, going wild six times in a row.
A couple of times, Lin Ting even doubted if she could hold it down.
Fortunately, it stopped moving before she collapsed from exhaustion.
Lin Ting immediately straightened up, let go of it, and pulled her hand out of the water, deliberately avoiding Duan Ling’s gaze, giving him time to clean it:
“I’ll leave first and return in half an hour.”
Half an hour passed quickly, and Lin Ting returned to find Duan Ling no longer behind the screen but seated on the couch, fully dressed, his eyebrows carrying a hint of allure.
She stood a few steps away, unsure what to say:
“Commander Duan, you…”
Duan Ling looked up at her, his gaze seemingly changed, yet not:
“Thank you, Miss Lin Qi, for today. Though no one else knows, you did indeed help me with this.”
He paused for a moment:
“What are your plans now?” He asked, staring directly into her eyes.
Lin Ting pondered.
Was Duan Ling testing if she would “use her favor to demand repayment,” perhaps even marriage?
She had once kissed him forcefully, so it was understandable if he thought she had ulterior motives.
After all, this misunderstanding wasn’t something that could be resolved overnight.
Duan Ling didn’t like her.
When he had kissed her by the pond earlier, it was to alleviate the pain from his illness.
Today, in the Moonlight Pavilion, his compliance was due to the effects of the medicine.
She… didn’t like him either.
Her previous kisses had been for a mission, and today’s assistance was to rectify her “mistake.”
They wouldn’t marry, nor could they.
If she tried to “use her favor to demand repayment” today, he might find a way to retaliate.
Naturally, Lin Ting had no such intention.
Her decision to help him was mostly driven by fear for her own life.
Lin Ting immediately replied:
“Commander Duan, today’s incident was my responsibility, and it was my duty to resolve it. You don’t need to adhere to societal formalities or overthink it. Just treat it as a dream.”
Their conversation felt familiar, as if she had said something similar before.
Lin Ting forced herself to remain calm.
Duan Ling glanced at her reddened hands, his eyes flickering with an unknown darkness:
“Treat it as a dream?”
Lin Ting nodded vigorously:
“You know I’m tight-lipped. I’ve never revealed a word about what happened before. This time is no different. If I speak of it, lightning may strike me.”
He stared at Lin Ting, as if assessing the sincerity of her words.
Lin Ting felt uneasy under his gaze, as if being watched by a venomous snake.
She had no idea what he was thinking.
Though she had handed him the medicinal tea, it had been an unintentional mistake.
She had ultimately helped him resolve it.
Surely, he wouldn’t harbor thoughts of killing her, would he?
Lin Ting cleared her throat:
“Commander Duan, it’s getting late. I should leave.”
Duan Ling turned his head, his gaze falling on the murky water, his emotions unreadable, but his tone was calm:
“Leave if you wish.”
Lin Ting dashed out, running so fast that a golden hairpin fell to the floor.
She didn’t notice, already gone.
Duan Ling looked at the hairpin on the floor for a long time, then picked it up, gradually tightening his grip, letting the delicate pearls and gems dig into the wound on his palm.
Blood stained the gold and pearls, sticking to the hairpin, covering it in a layer of crimson.
Lin Ting didn’t return to the Lin residence but went to the bookstore, seeking a place to calm down.
Pushing open the door, the first person she saw was Jin Anzai.
He was feeding a dog and didn’t look up at the sound of the wind chimes; he could identify visitors by their footsteps.
Lin Ting found a chair to sit in, watching Jin Anzai feed the dog, trying to compose herself.
The dog wasn’t particularly friendly to Jin Anzai either, aloof and indifferent, though it behaved better while eating, quietly licking the food in its bowl.
Jin Anzai waited for the dog to finish eating before looking at Lin Ting:
“Why are you here again today?”