Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 159: Mortal Customs

Bai Shuangying’s skin was cool, and his pale eyes were utterly pure. Even now, Fang Xiu couldn’t feel a heartbeat in Bai Shuangying’s chest.

Every detail confirmed he wasn’t human. Just thinking of the true form of the Corner of Heaven’s Will that spanned entire mountain ranges made Fang Xiu’s instincts scream. His back tensed and a chill spread through him.

But his mind told him otherwise. He liked this kind of thrill.

He had long grown numb to the constant presence of death. The real danger now was the unpredictable unknown, and that was exactly what felt exciting and new.

His carefully constructed plan had derailed into another direction. For the first time, he felt anticipation for what came after the ending. Why not give it a try?

Fang Xiu gently brushed aside the white robe on Bai Shuangying’s body, knowing that it was only a part of him. The fabric flowed silkily through his fingers, fluttering with no wind, and felt incredible to the touch.

Bai Shuangying looked down at him from above. His long hair blocked out nearly all the light. In that shadow, his pale eyes glimmered faintly.

“Are you sure?” he asked politely.

“You just said you didn’t want me to die. What is there to be unsure about?” Fang Xiu replied, calmly twirling the ends of Bai Shuangying’s hair.

Bai Shuangying placed a hand on Fang Xiu’s chest. “But you’re very nervous.”

Fang Xiu’s words were smooth and confident, but his heartbeat was loud enough to shake the bed.

Fang Xiu: “……”

Okay, he had seen many romantic movies, but never any adult ones. His understanding of all this came mostly from books and medical literature. This was his first time in a relationship, and he had zero experience.

…So what?!

His ghost might be clueless in some aspects, but he had lived for centuries. Surely he knew far more than Fang Xiu did. Fang Xiu didn’t know what to do, but he could lie down and let it happen.

Fang Xiu grabbed a handful of the soft white robe and said seriously, “I’ve brought the food to the table. Do I have to feed it to you too?”

Bai Shuangying hesitated. “But this isn’t just about eating.”

Fang Xiu paused.

“I don’t want you to think of me as a fox spirit or a seductive ghost,” Bai Shuangying said. “Now that I’ve started absorbing yin energy from the Tower, I can recover. Besides…”

He caressed Fang Xiu’s warm, soft face and fell into thought again.

“I said before, I wasn’t willing to die for you, nor did I want to bear children with you. That’s why I thought I didn’t like you. But you said I shouldn’t judge by human standards.”

“You’re still human in the end. You’d care about these things, even just a little. So—”

Fang Xiu held his breath. “So?”

Bai Shuangying spoke slowly and clearly. “Is it really okay to skip the formalities, skip the procession and banquet, and go straight to the wedding night?”

Fang Xiu: “…”

Fang Xiu: “…………”

He grabbed Bai Shuangying by the neck and pulled his ghost into his arms, bursting out laughing.

He’d thought he already understood Bai Shuangying well enough, but his ghost could always dig up the most absurd and unexpected concerns. Fang Xiu laughed until his sides hurt, nearly shedding tears.

Half a minute later, groaning and massaging his ribs, he pulled off the hair-thread ring Bai Shuangying had given him.

Then, after thinking for a few seconds, he pulled a strand of red thread from the edge of his red T-shirt. “Hold out your hand.”

Bai Shuangying obediently complied.

Fang Xiu sat upright against the headboard and wrapped the thread around Bai Shuangying’s ring finger. The red thread wasn’t too loose or tight, and he tied a small butterfly knot at the front.

“We’re inside the Tower, so all of this is made from my soul. Keep it safe.”

He patted the simple ring. “Once this is over, we’ll prepare something better together. The rings, the ceremony—everything.”

Bai Shuangying studied the thread curiously. “What’s this?”

“A modern version of a wedding night.” Fang Xiu pushed the hair-ring back to Bai Shuangying. “Just repeat it and it’s official.”

Bai Shuangying hummed in acknowledgment. He lifted Fang Xiu’s hand and carefully slid the ring onto his finger. There was no elegance in his motion. He looked so meticulous doing the task that it was like he was performing a dangerous experiment.

After placing the ring on Fang Xiu’s finger, Bai Shuangying even rotated it slightly to find the best-looking angle.

He stared at it for a few seconds but didn’t let go of Fang Xiu’s hand. “Since it’s such an important token, should I embed it into your soul? That way you’d never be able to take it off.”

Fang Xiu: “…That won’t be necessary, for now.”

Good. His ghost still occasionally said very ghostly things, which was oddly reassuring.

Bai Shuangying frowned slightly, confused.

Fang Xiu: “Later, we can buy matching ones and take turns wearing them.”

Bai Shuangying’s frown immediately vanished, and he nodded in realization.

Fang Xiu wanted to laugh again, but this time he turned that amusement into action and gave his ghost a kiss.

“Let’s go,” Fang Xiu said. “We’ve completed the mortal customs.”

……

Fang Xiu suspected he might have made a harmless rookie mistake.

His reasoning had been sound. The Corner of Heaven’s Will had interacted with humans for centuries and was deeply familiar with all living things in the mountains. Bai Shuangying clearly understood bedroom matters, or rather, it was natural instincts.

But Fang Xiu had forgotten something important. He forgot to remind Bai Shuangying to stay in human form.

Once he confirmed there was nothing wrong with “mortal customs”, Bai Shuangying promptly discarded any mortal restraint and gave Fang Xiu another kind of “possession”.

The deep kissing never stopped. This time Bai Shuangying wasn’t forceful; instead, he lingered softly at the tip of Fang Xiu’s tongue, gently pressing and passing air between them.

Fang Xiu’s hands were pinned to the mattress by cool liquid, his body partially sunken. As for his legs—after such overwhelming stimulation, he almost couldn’t feel them anymore.

All he knew was that he once again felt that fullness of Bai Shuangying moving through his body. Just like the previous possession, something in his chest and stomach twisted rapidly. The only difference was, this time, he hadn’t consumed Bai Shuangying orally, but rather…

“This is… cough… a bit too direct…”

Fang Xiu pushed at the fluid with his tongue, gasping as he spoke.

What fox spirits, what seductive ghosts? They had nothing on the Corner of Heaven’s Will. Bai Shuangying understood human physiology far too well.

That beautiful illusion wrapped around his entire body. The sensations were far more intense than anything he had imagined. For the first time, Fang Xiu understood that too much pleasure could produce a near-death experience.

He was burning up, his body drenched in sweat. The excess of stimulation made him tremble nonstop. His brain couldn’t process anything.

But he had one complaint—

“Like this… I can’t see your face… Ngh…”

He murmured, arms tightening around the trembling mass of fluid. The cold touch pressed against his sweaty skin, sending shivers down his spine. Fang Xiu couldn’t help but moan again.

Unfortunately, Bai Shuangying didn’t seem to hear him.

It was no wonder… he was completely overwhelmed by the taste.

With a single mouthful of essence, Bai Shuangying’s thoughts shut down completely.

The impact was on a different level than any kiss they had shared. In comparison, even the Tower’s high-quality yin energy tasted like dishwater. Even the kiss that had once seemed so delicious now felt bland and empty.

If not for the fact that this was his human, Bai Shuangying might have followed instinct and devoured Fang Xiu’s soul entirely.

How could such a delicious human exist? It defied reason…

If he didn’t already know he wasn’t human, Bai Shuangying might have thought he was dreaming. The flavor was too unreal.

Like a child tasting candy for the first time, Bai Shuangying wrapped Fang Xiu in his true form and sampled him with meticulous care, trying everything he could while being careful not to swallow.

The warm candy rolled from the root of his tongue to the tip, then back again, soaked in sweetness. Thought evaporated, replaced by endless waves of satisfaction. His mind was blank for a long while, until the “candy” kicked violently, bringing him back to his senses.

“I mean… the way you’re doing this… I can’t even hug you properly…”

Fang Xiu was soaking wet and flushed like a shrimp fresh from the pot. His voice was weak, but he still smiled helplessly.

“It’s the middle of the night… I just want to hold you…”

Bai Shuangying: “!”

In the next second, Bai Shuangying snapped back into human form. He opened his arms and hugged Fang Xiu tightly, making him yelp.

Only then did he realize his human had completely melted. He felt as soft as jelly, with barely enough strength to return the hug.

Fang Xiu buried his face in Bai Shuangying’s chest and took several deep breaths.

Then, using the last of his strength, he pulled Bai Shuangying’s neck down and gave him a mortal-style deep kiss.

“Ha…”

After the searing kiss, Fang Xiu let out a long breath. “So… cough… how was my technique?”

As he spoke, he shamelessly rubbed Bai Shuangying’s face.

“Unmatched, unrivaled, peerless. Perhaps because our feelings are mutual, there will never be another taste like it,” Bai Shuangying said truthfully. He poked Fang Xiu’s lips with a finger. “…Only, the more I eat, the hungrier I get. I can’t stop.”

“Mmm.”

Fang Xiu grunted, lazily collapsing back onto the pillow. His bangs were soaked with sweat, revealing unusually bright eyes.

After a moment, he reached out and wrapped an arm around Bai Shuangying’s waist. “I remember you said when you stay in human form, your five senses are just like a person’s.”

“Mm.”

Fang Xiu smiled, his eyes curving. “Eating too much at a buffet can make you sick. When that happens, it’s time to change the menu.”

“It’s time for dessert. Then we’re closed for the night.”

A very reasonable suggestion, typical of his human.

Bai Shuangying’s fingers traced along Fang Xiu’s ear, then slid down to his neck. Finally, he leaned down and gently bit where his fingers had stopped.

That’s great. The night wasn’t over yet.

…

Morning

Fang Xiu opened his eyes silently—Bai Shuangying was pretending to sleep with his eyes closed. His white robe had wrapped around Fang Xiu like a swaddle. He had been smothered awake.

As for when he actually fell asleep, Fang Xiu had no idea. He didn’t know whether he passed out from exhaustion or drifted off normally.

So this was the legendary wedding night. It was more intense than he’d ever imagined.

From returning to the Tower until now, barely a day had passed. Technically, he had only slept for an hour or two. Yet strangely, Fang Xiu felt no discomfort at all—there was no suspicious soreness, his energy was full, and even the bedsheets were spotless.

Probably Bai Shuangying’s doing.

Fang Xiu stretched with a huge yawn.

Then he rolled over onto Bai Shuangying, tugging at his ghost’s cheek. Bai Shuangying opened his eyes immediately and looked at him intently.

“Good morning.”

Fang Xiu gave him a quick good-morning kiss.

“Let’s go. It’s time to talk business.”

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The author has something to say:

It’s here!!!!

Happy Lantern Festival, everyone— (with that kind of tone)

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Kinky Thoughts:

This is… pretty explicit for Nian Zhong. Damn. Can she go back and rewrite all the “sex” scenes for her previous novels?

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