You're Bullying Me

It wasn't harsh at all. The soft, delicate smoke left only the faintest trace of smokiness in her throat, while an elegant, natural aroma curled around her tongue and teeth. Sonia had chosen the most expensive and finest brand on the shop clerk's recommendation; anyone could enjoy the pleasant taste of such tobacco. She even felt that this level of stimulation was far too mild for a demigod soul body—if Yaxiu couldn't get used to smoking, it was probably just because he personally disliked it. Yet the red-haired girl soon forgot the flavor of the cigarette, for a far more intense sensation surged from every corner of her body into the depths of her soul, melting her consciousness in Yaxiu's warmth like ice cream. Yaxiu... wasn't behaving himself. Even as he forcefully took possession of her tongue, he boldly and wantonly fondled her soul body. What was more, his movements were rough and careless, lacking all the mutual tenderness of their dreams. Although they had shared physical intimacy in the dream, Yaxiu had cherished her like a work of art back then; now, Sonia felt like his toy, left entirely to his whims as he took his pleasure without sparing a single thought for her feelings. And yet, the dormant sensations lingering beneath her skin awoke once more under his touch. Everywhere his fingertips brushed turned scorching hot, leaving Sonia weak and limp, as if all strength had drained from her. Emotionally, she craved the pleasure of sinking entirely into this bliss, but rationally, shame made her want to flee. How could that little jerk Yaxiu treat her so shamelessly, without caring in the slightest for what she felt? He was treating her completely like his personal property... but she refused to be anyone's appendage! The Sword Princess had a strange intuition—if she didn't escape right now, her soul would be swallowed whole by this devil. She tried her best to glare at Yaxiu angrily, her ruby-red eyes flaring with murderous intent, but her tongue refused to obey her command, still lingering and tangling intimately with his. Then she felt Yaxiu grow even bolder. A hint of effortless provocation shone in his eyes, his expression smug with the certainty that he had her completely under his thumb. And effortless he truly was. Compared to that dog of a man, Sonia's kissing skills were on the level of an elementary schooler, while he... Just thinking about it infuriated Sonia. How many women had he practiced on to become this skilled?! The Sword Princess tried to push him away, but her hands lacked the strength, coming across more like she was caressing his chest. She thought about biting his tongue, yet couldn't bring herself to be that cruel. After a moment's thought, Sonia took a step back, trying to put distance between them. Yet for every step she retreated, Yaxiu advanced one. Right until Sonia was backed against the wall with nowhere left to run, their lips never parted for a single instant. Snow was still falling outside, yet the Sword Princess felt burning hot from head to toe. *Let me go...* *Let me go...* Sonia's resistance was like the flailing of a drowning person, ultimately swallowed up and lost beneath raging tides. Just when her senses were about to dissolve entirely in this forceful tenderness, Yaxiu finally released her. When their lips parted, a clear, delicate thread stretched between them. Both Sonia and Yaxiu had peach-blossom flushes on their cheeks, their ragged, warm breaths fanning across each other's faces. That dog of a man wasn't actually as completely composed as he had seemed. "How does it taste?" Yaxiu suddenly asked. "What?" "The cigarette." Sonia struggled to recall the sensation of the cigarette amid the sensory chaos she had just experienced. "...It was okay, I suppose." Yaxiu smiled. "Then between an original-flavor kiss, a sweet kiss, and a smoke-flavored kiss, which one do you pick?" "Can't I have all of them?" "Nope. You can only pick one." Sonia hesitated for a moment. "Then I'll take original flavor." "I thought you'd choose the sweet one," Yaxiu said, blinking. "The original flavor was just there to make up the numbers, or my real intention would have been too obvious." "I'd never count on a dog of a man like you to give me a sweet kiss." The red-haired girl bit her lower lip and glared at him, though the corners of her mouth couldn't stop curving upward. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of alluring charm dancing across her brow. "It's always been me bringing sweetness into your life. You've already used up all my sugar." "Huh? Am I not a wonderful and sweet part of your life?" "Bullshit!" Sonia scolded with a laugh. "You're more like my personal tribulation!" "Besides, your original flavor is already delicious enough." She lifted her chin. "It doesn't need anything extra added." Looking at Sonia's smiling face, Yaxiu's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that Sonia's game was on a vastly higher level than his own; the moment she let her guard down just a little, the Sword Princess was ready to conquer him right back. "Then..." Yaxiu leaned against her lips, murmuring softly, "don't ever let me taste smoke in your mouth again. Understood?" Though his voice was tender, his tone was unyielding. This wasn't a discussion, it was a notification; this wasn't persuasion, it was an order. Sonia had guessed long ago that Yaxiu disliked her smoking, but she never imagined he would stop her like this. He hadn't confiscated the cigarette pack, and when Sonia wanted to try it, he had accepted—only, the way she was to experience it was through his mouth. Sonia had assumed he would talk about the hazards of smoking and try to dissuade her with rational arguments, but Yaxiu hadn't planned on reasoning with her at all. He simply laid down a rigid directive: *I don't want to taste smoke when I kiss you, so you're not allowed to smoke.* In truth, the moment Yaxiu had snuffed out her cigarette in his bare palm, Sonia had already abandoned the idea of smoking for stress relief. Anxious as she was to escape the pressure, and frustrated as she felt inside, she wasn't about to throw a tantrum at Yaxiu over something so trivial. As long as Yaxiu gave her an easy way out, she would have stepped down gracefully and made her stance clear. Yet Yaxiu hadn't done that at all! What did he mean by this? She wasn't his subordinate or his property; she was his lover, his equal! What right did he have to order her around?! And asking 'Understood?', as if he were dead certain she would obey, acting like being good at kissing made him superior! Sonia was fuming so hard her stomach burned. In all her life, what she hated most was people disregarding her thoughts and meddling in her private life, and Yaxiu had just stepped on both landmines at once! What business was it of his if she smoked? She'd smoke if she felt like it, and whatever complaints that little jerk had, he'd better keep them to himself—and he certainly wasn't allowed to turn his nose up at her kisses! What irked her most was Yaxiu's attitude of treating her like personal property. She refused to become anyone's appendage, not even Yaxiu's! Pouting with indignation, she glared at Yaxiu as if ready to bite him. Yaxiu wasn't intimidated in the least. He gave her a light kiss, threaded the fingers of his left hand through hers until their hands were tightly interlaced, and asked again, "Understood?" "...Understood," Sonia answered meekly, lowering her head in humiliation. "I'll listen to you this time... only this once, okay?" So sly. First, he made her head spin with dizziness, and then, right when she had to make a decision, he turned gentle. How was she supposed to lose her temper like this? Sonia truly didn't like being anyone's private property, yet when it came to Yaxiu, she found herself incapable of hating it. In fact, deep down, she even felt a strange trace of... smug satisfaction. Because she was the only one who had ever seen this possessive, desiring side of Yaxiu; no one else had, just as the others could only watch helplessly as they went out on dates. She knew she shouldn't rejoice over Yaxiu's favoritism, yet she couldn't help a secret thrill that her own charm had been affirmed. She was, after all, a vain girl. Especially when compared against the likes of the Yisu Empress, the World-Ending Silver Lantern, and the Spectre Prophet—the most extraordinary female sorcerers of their generation—the faint, lingering trace of inferiority in this village girl's heart had just been quietly, seamlessly satisfied. And so Sonia felt both angry and pleased. Mulling it over, she decided to yield just this once, if only in recognition of how much thought he had put into their date. But next time, she wouldn't be so accommodating— Suddenly, her body shuddered as an electric jolt raced through her entire being. Yaxiu had dropped into a half-crouch, kissing the Sword Princess's soul body through her clothes. His movements were gentle yet brimming with passion, as reverent and attentive as if he were handling a precious work of art—an intimacy Sonia found impossible to resist. Moreover, from the places he kissed, Sonia knew he definitely retained many details from the dream. Every single spot was one of her most sensitive areas, and Yaxiu's hands weren't idle either, claiming territory along breathtaking curves, serving her with utter devotion. The Sword Princess had to cover her mouth to keep from letting out humiliating sounds. Brushing past her neck and cheek, Yaxiu kissed Sonia's earlobe, nibbling gently with his teeth. By the time he finished ministering to her, Sonia's gaze had grown hazy, and she was lightly biting her bottom lip. Though dressed in plain, simple pajamas, the Sword Princess looked more enchanting and intoxicated than ever before. She reached out, wrapped her arms around Yaxiu's neck, and leaned in with closed eyes to kiss him, only to have two fingers press against her lips. "You still smell a little of smoke right now," Yaxiu teased with a soft chuckle. "So you can't." Even as he said it, Yaxiu didn't halt his attentive ministrations. Seeing his refusal at first, the Sword Princess had been a little annoyed and inclined to ignore him, but her soul body gradually grew restless and aching with need. Her thighs rubbed lightly together, and in the end she couldn't resist wrapping her arms around Yaxiu again—only to be held off by him once, twice, three times. Finally, Sonia realized that Yaxiu simply wanted to see her in this desperate, impatient state. Realizing how thoroughly humiliating she had been, Sonia curled her toes in an agony of shame intense enough to dig out a second Shattered Lake Prison. What was even more humiliating was that even though she was furious with Yaxiu, she still couldn't resist his caresses. Finally, when Yaxiu moved to block her once more, Sonia forcefully slapped his hand away, locked her arms around him, and kissed him fiercely. Her kissing technique was indeed lackluster; without Yaxiu leading the way, the experience was thoroughly mediocre. Sonia was like a child who had finally obtained a beloved toy, only to find she had no idea how to play with it. Without warning, an overwhelming wave of grievance washed over Sonia, leaving her feeling more wronged than ever before. She wept even as she kissed him, until tears flowed between their lips, turning the taste of their kiss bitter and salty. "Why do you have to bully me like this...?" She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her voice choked with sobs. "Can't you tell how embarrassed I am? Didn't you notice I've been holding back all this time? Fine, I'm just a woman you can take whatever you want from! I can't escape your grasp anymore—are you happy now?!" By the final word, her voice cracked. "I know," Yaxiu said, brushing the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb. "But I also told you, I'm going to bully you for the rest of your life. So..." "At least in front of me, you never have to hold back." Sonia pouted, gazing through her blurred tears at the little jerk before her. The anxiety and unease of recent days, the sense of crisis brought on by the Witch and the others, and Yaxiu's repeated provocations just now... All those pent-up grievances and bitter resentment reached their breaking point at Yaxiu's words, bursting forth like a vast glacier collapsing. "You're bullying me!" Sonia wailed at the top of her lungs, hammering continuously against Yaxiu's chest. The red-haired girl abandoned all concern for her appearance, sobbing into a messy, tear-streaked face as she poured out all her grievances onto Yaxiu, fiercely accusing this dog of a man who wouldn't let her be the perfect lover: "You just love bullying me!"