"Still waiting?"
Liu Erlong's phoenix eyes narrowed instantly. "No! You have to say it now!"
Dai Chengfeng arched a brow. "What's the rush? Such a rare opportunity—I should take my time thinking it over."
"If you don't say it now," she shot back, arms crossed beneath the water—sending ripples across the surface—"you might demand something outrageous later! I'd be at a loss!"
"Say it right now, or the bet's void."
Dai Chengfeng laughed. "It can be voided?"
"You never said it couldn't be!"
Liu Erlong declared with righteous confidence, a flicker of mischief dancing in her eyes.
Dai Chengfeng shook his head, amused. He looked at this woman—already a mature lady, yet still carrying the willful charm of a young girl—and felt no annoyance. Quite the opposite. Her playful defiance was proof she was growing more comfortable with him.
If there were still distance between them, she'd remain the elegant, dignified—but hot-tempered—woman she once was.
Thinking this, he leaned forward slightly and said slowly, voice laced with meaning:
"Remember… you chose this."
???
For some reason, Liu Erlong suddenly felt a chill of foreboding. But her words were already out—she couldn't take them back. Steeling herself, she demanded:
"Stop playing games! Just tell me what it is!"
Dai Chengfeng smiled faintly, stood, and walked to the edge of the pool. He leaned down, lips brushing her ear as he whispered a few low words.
Liu Erlong's eyes flew wide open. Her ears flushed crimson before the color spread down her neck like spilled ink.
"M-Mouth?!"
She nearly shrieked, then shook her head violently. "No way!"
"Dai Chengfeng! That's… that's too much!"
But Dai Chengfeng only watched her, eyes twinkling with teasing delight.
"A bet's a bet, Erlong. You said so yourself."
Liu Erlong bit her lip, emotions warring on her face.
She'd never imagined he'd ask for this. Shame and anger flared—but she couldn't deny she'd lost fair and square.
In the misty steam, she studied his smiling face—and suddenly remembered how focused he'd been while drawing her, how thoughtful he'd always been in countless small ways. Strangely, her resistance softened.
"You…"
She took a deep breath, forcing her voice steady. "Get in first. Wash… wash yourself clean."
Dai Chengfeng's smile deepened. "Alright."
He stripped off his clothes with efficient grace and stepped into the pool. Warm water enveloped him instantly.
Liu Erlong instinctively turned away—but couldn't help sneaking a glance. She had to admit: the man's physique was flawless. Lean, defined muscle—powerful without being bulky, perfectly balanced.
Just as Dai Chengfeng settled into the water with a contented sigh, Liu Erlong suddenly remembered something. She pointed to the sketch on the low table.
"That drawing—destroy it. Now."
Dai Chengfeng followed her gaze. The charcoal portrait still lay there, quiet and vivid.
Though it only showed her upper body—everything below the water implied through clever shadows and reflections—the rendering of her shoulders, collarbone, and the subtle curves beneath the surface was far too lifelike.
Yes, it absolutely needed to vanish. If anyone else saw it, she'd be ruined.
"Alright."
Dai Chengfeng nodded without hesitation.
A gentle pulse of soul power flowed from his palm, wrapping the paper in a soft aura.
A faint hiss-hiss sounded—and the drawing disintegrated into fine fragments, then powdered dust, drifting into the incense burner to mingle with the ash.
Liu Erlong watched, feeling an odd pang of loss—but mostly relief.
That sketch had been too real. Too intimate. As if a private moment of hers had been frozen in time. Better gone.
"Satisfied now?"
Dai Chengfeng's voice came close.
She snapped back to the present—and found him right before her, only half an arm's length away.
Warm water lapped gently against her skin as he moved closer.
"W-Who said I wasn't?"
She retorted stubbornly, though her cheeks burned anew.
Dai Chengfeng didn't press her. He just smiled, eyes bright.
"So… shall we continue?"
His voice dropped, thick with quiet temptation.
Liu Erlong bit her lip—then suddenly scooped up a handful of water and splashed it straight at his face. "In a hurry, are you?"
He took the full hit, unfazed. Laughing, he wiped his face. "You dare splash me?"
"What's stopping me?" Liu Erlong shrugged her pale shoulders, grinning with defiant challenge.
"Your boldness grows by the day," Dai Chengfeng murmured, voice lower now, damp with the humid air—rough, magnetic. "Seems I've been too lenient with you."
"Who asked you to be lenient?"
She shot back—but her body betrayed her, leaning backward until her spine met the cool jade wall.
"You were the one who made that absurd request first!"
"Absurd?"
Dai Chengfeng's brow lifted. In one smooth motion, he braced an arm against the pool wall, caging her in.
Trapped in this warm, intimate space—surrounded by his scent—Liu Erlong turned her face away. The blush on her ears sank beneath the waterline.
"Th-That doesn't mean you can just…"
Before she could finish, she flicked another quick, precise splash of water at his face!
"Oh, it's on!"
In an instant, the bath chamber erupted in laughter and flying droplets. They splashed like children, carefree and wild.
Liu Erlong's earlier embarrassment melted away in the playfulness. Her laughter rang clear and bright.
She hadn't felt this light-hearted in years—not since parting with Yu Xiaogang. She'd locked her heart away… until she met this man.
Watching her radiant joy amid the water spray, Dai Chengfeng's heart stirred. Suddenly, he caught her wrist and pulled her close.
Caught off guard, Liu Erlong tumbled into his arms—skin meeting skin, both of them jolted by the contact.
"Had enough fun?"
Dai Chengfeng looked down at her, voice deeper now.
She felt the change in him instantly. Heat flooded her cheeks again.
She tried to pull away—but her limbs felt boneless. Instead, she turned her face aside, feigning composure. "Who was playing with you?"
"Then…"
He leaned close, breath hot against her sensitive ear, "shall we honor our wager?"
Liu Erlong froze. She knew there was no escape.
After a long pause, she gave a tiny, resigned nod.
Satisfaction glinted in Dai Chengfeng's eyes. He released her wrist and leaned back against the pool wall, watching her with patient anticipation.
Liu Erlong bit her lip, steeling herself with silent resolve. Then, slowly, she drifted toward him.
The milky-white medicinal water rippled around her, hiding everything below the surface—yet making the hidden all the more tantalizing.
She lifted her gaze to meet his. His eyes held expectation, encouragement… and a tenderness that defied words.
Fine. A bet's a bet.
Liu Erlong took a deep breath…
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