Volume Four: Longing Beneath the Mountain Banner — Chapter 119

On the journey back to the city, Jinli was exhausted and spent her days cradled in Geng Yuan’s arms, waking only briefly to eat before being carried on his back once more. Throughout the trip, Geng Yuan held the girl, precious as a pearl, with the utmost care, slowing the speed of their cloud-skiff for fear of disturbing her slumber.

"A-Yuan."

The girl’s drowsy, nasal-toned murmur of his name sent a sharp tremor through his heart, a stirring sensation that left him breathless. He smiled, his eyes brimming with tenderness. "Are you awake?"

Jinli buried her head into his chest. He held his breath, not daring to make the slightest move, feeling the warmth of her breath against every pore of his skin. The cloud-skiff swayed precariously.

As Jinli’s furry head shifted, the youth’s breathing grew heavy. "A-Jin, please, stay still."

The girl looked up, observing his flushed face, and mistakenly assumed he was ill. "What is wrong? Why is your face so red?"

The youth could not meet her gaze, looking away repeatedly. "I... I am fine."

Jinli reached out to touch his forehead. "Are you sick?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying the faint scent of lotus. Her palm was warm, and as it pressed against his skin, he felt a scorching heat. Was she doing this on purpose? Purposely teasing him?

The youth swallowed hard, his eyes fixing on the girl with an unmasked, hungry intensity, his gaze laced with both desire and a flicker of ferocity.

"A-Jin, I am a man."

The simple sentence sounded like a warning. His eyes grew deep and pitch-black, yet his tone remained filled with infinite tenderness. Jinli did not quite understand, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at him with innocent, clear-eyed confusion.

The youth felt his throat tighten, his gaze lingering on her like a predator on his prey. Deep down, he thought to himself that one day, he would be with A-Jin forever, completely and truly. No one would ever be able to tear them apart.

He quickly replaced his expression with a gentle smile. "It is nothing. We are almost there; would you like to rest a while longer?"

The girl rose from his arms and stretched. He watched as her waist, slender enough to be encircled by a single hand, appeared supple and boneless. Her jet-black, silken hair cascaded past her waist. She lifted her hand—her fingers long, slender, and smooth as white jade—to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her ears were delicate and charming. In the moonlight, she looked like a statue of a white jade deity, glowing with a soft, ethereal radiance.

The youth gazed at her, spellbound, his love no longer contained.

The girl turned back, observing his dazed expression, and laughed. "What is it?"

The youth’s face burned, his expression tender and his words sincere. "A-Jin, you are breathtaking."

Jinli was slightly surprised. In this day