They lay tangled beneath the blankets, the afterglow still humming through their limbs. Han Jie's head rested against Shi Yang's chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart as her hand moved slow and sure beneath the cover, fingers tracing idle, intimate circles along his side. The quiet between them was full and warm—an intimacy earned and not to be spoken of lightly.
"I'm the only one who can make you feel like this," she murmured, voice soft and another kind of fierce. Her palm tightened, then relaxed. "You don't need anything but me. I'll never grow tired. I'll never complain. I'll never leave." Her words fell like a vow as she stroked him gently, eyes half-closed. "All I ask is that you tell that nephew of—"
The door slammed open before she could finish.
Xiu Mei stood in the doorway, face flushed with outrage and accusation. "I knew it, you dirty vixen! How dare you try to slander me in front of Uncle Shi. I'd have cut you down long ago if I weren't such a—" Her words trailed off into a hot, theatrical sneer.
Han Jie laughed, detached and amused, yanking the blanket up to protect her chest. "Please. Even if you weren't a pessimist, you'd be dead the instant you tried anything." Her voice was cool, lethal with the confidence of someone who knew how to kill without hesitation.
Shi Yang rolled onto his side, palms raised in a placating gesture as the two women bristled on either side of him. "Enough," he said, voice steady. "We're all adults here. No need for theatrics." He let his tone soften. "There's room for compromise—everyone can get what they want without ripping one another's throats out."
Xiu Mei's glare didn't fully soften, but the edge of her fury dulled into a grudging smirk. Han Jie's posture relaxed minutely, though she kept one eye on Xiu Mei like a blade at rest.
Shi Yang let out a short, weary laugh as he rose from the bed. How do I plan to start a harem if dealing with just these two is already this troublesome? He exhaled, then spoke aloud.
"I want us to act like a large family," he said, gesturing for Xiu Mei to come closer. When she reluctantly did, he slid an arm around both women, drawing them in against him. The warmth of the room, the press of their bodies, and the stillness of the night seemed to fold them all together. Words were cheap, and yet in this moment, the fragile truce they shared was worth more than any promise. For now, it would have to be enough.
"…Fine," Xiu Mei muttered, her voice tight. "But I won't pretend to like Han Jie."
"The same goes for you," Han Jie replied coolly. Her gaze drifted to the moonlight spilling faintly into the chamber, then returned to Shi Yang. "I'll only tolerate your presence—for the sake of my daoist partner's happiness."
Xiu Mei's eyebrow twitched, fury flashing in her eyes. She was about to retort, but Shi Yang raised a hand to stop her.
"Good. Now that we're on the same page, let's prepare for the morning," he said firmly, guiding them apart before tension could boil over again.
Once he had his robe loosely draped over his shoulders, he gently coaxed Xiu Mei out of the room with him. Leaning down, he brushed a kiss against her cheek and murmured with a teasing smile, "I'll make it up to you later—in any way you can imagine~"
Xiu Mei's defiance melted for a moment. She nuzzled into him, her arms slipping around his waist. "Why wait until later?" she whispered, voice low and daring. "Let's do something together now—before the sun rises."
Her eyes gleamed as she tugged him back toward his chamber, pulling him into the shadows once more.
Shi Yang let his hands wander across her curves, tracing the heat of her body beneath the folds of her robe. Xiu Mei matched his boldness with her own, her fingers brushing over him with deliberate, playful pressure that made his breath catch.
They tumbled back onto the bed together, laughter and tension mixing with desire. She pushed him upright, her eyes gleaming mischievously in the dim light as her touch grew firmer, more daring. His control slipped, and the suddenness of his release startled even her.
Xiu Mei blinked in surprise, then gave a low laugh, brushing her hair back with one hand. "Already? Hmph… I didn't expect that." Her voice dripped with teasing mockery, but there was a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes as she drew her fingers slowly across her lips, tasting what lingered with a shameless smile.
Her laughter was cut short when Shi Yang pulled her down into his arms, his lips claiming her neck. Whatever surprise she had felt earlier vanished as he pressed her beneath him. The night deepened, filled with the sound of her breathless gasps, the muffled cry of his name again and again, until her voice grew hoarse.
By the time silence finally settled, half the night had already slipped away, leaving only the lingering warmth of their tangled bodies and the soft rise and fall of her chest against his.