Lin Xue's lips trembled.
"Wei—"
The first syllable slipped out like a drop of poison, and Wei Chen felt it in his bones. His black sun brand pulsed under Lin Xue's palm—hot, hungry—like the door inside him heard the sound and leaned closer to opening.
Wei Chen's eyes went wide. "No," he said, voice sharp. He grabbed Lin Xue's face with both hands, thumbs pressing her cheeks, forcing her to look only at him. "Lin Xue. Stay real."
Cold tightened around Lin Xue's jaw again. The Frost-Eater's shadow grip was not a hand this time. It was a rule. It pushed her mouth into the shape of the name.
Lin Xue's breath broke. Her eyes shone with anger and fear. She tried to shake her head, but the cold forced her lips open anyway.
"Wei…"
Wei Chen moved fast. He pressed his mouth to hers.
A deep kiss.
Not gentle. Not soft.
A kiss like a door slammed shut.
Lin Xue gasped into him, then kissed back because she understood what he was doing. Her hands grabbed his robe, holding him there. Their heat and frost hit each other and hummed hard, and the bond rope inside her mind flared bright even though it was wounded.
Wei Chen pulled back just enough to breathe, then asked, low and clear, "Do you want me to stop?"
Lin Xue shook her head fast. "Don't stop," she whispered, voice shaking. "Don't let me say it."
Wei Chen's roguish grin flickered for half a heartbeat—shameless even now. "Bossy," he murmured, and his mouth went back to hers before she could argue.
The Frost-Eater hissed from the crack, amused. The gold-black eye blinked slow, like it enjoyed watching them fight with kisses.
Behind Wei Chen, Su Mei's black-eyed body stepped closer again. Calm. Quiet. Wrong. Her fingers reached for Wei Chen's chest, trying to slide under Lin Xue's sealing palm and pry the black sun brand open.
Lin Xue felt it through Wei Chen's body. She broke the kiss, panting, and slammed her palm harder on his chest. Frost burst out like a lock snapping shut.
Wei Chen turned his head and barked, "Su Mei. Stop."
Su Mei did not stop.
Her black eyes didn't even blink.
Wei Chen cursed under his breath and flicked his fan up. He struck Su Mei's wrist aside, but she grabbed the fan blade again like pain meant nothing. Her grip was steady, like a puppet's.
Lin Xue's throat tightened. "She's not hearing you," she whispered.
Wei Chen's jaw clenched. "Then I'm not talking to her," he growled. "I'm talking to the thing wearing her."
The Frost-Eater's shadow pressure tightened on Lin Xue's jaw again, and her lips parted against her will.
"Wei—"
Wei Chen caught the sound before it could form. He pressed two fingers gently to her lips, then leaned close, mouth brushing her ear. "Bite it," he whispered. "Bite the word."
Lin Xue's eyes squeezed shut. She clenched her teeth lightly on her own lower lip, fighting the forced sound. Pain stung. It helped. The syllable broke apart inside her mouth.
Wei Chen exhaled hard, relief and heat mixing in him. He slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her close, chest to chest, holding her like a shield and an anchor at the same time. "Good," he murmured.
Lin Xue's cheeks flushed, angry at the timing. "Idiot," she whispered.
Wei Chen's eyes dipped to her lips, then back to her eyes. "Do you want me to stop holding you like this?" he asked, clear.
Lin Xue swallowed. "Don't stop," she whispered. "Hold me. My curse is shaking."
Wei Chen's grip tightened. His heat wrapped around her cold, and her frost wrapped around his fire. Their marks warmed and burned together, like two seals trying to become one.
The Frost-Eater slid forward another inch. Shoulders fully in the tunnel. Shadow chest forming. Its eye stayed locked on Lin Xue's mouth.
It whispered, soft and pleased, "Finish it."
Lin Xue's stomach turned. The cold pushed again.
"Wei…"
Wei Chen saw her losing ground. He made a fast choice.
He pushed Lin Xue back against the tunnel wall, pinning her there with his body—not rough, but firm, blocking the monster's line to her mouth. His hand went to her wrist mark, and he pressed a warm kiss right on the sore crack there, slow and sealing.
Lin Xue shuddered, breath catching. The heat eased her curse for one precious beat.
Wei Chen lifted his head and asked, low and clear, "Is this okay?"
Lin Xue's eyes shook, but she nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "I choose."
Wei Chen's grin flashed, wicked and tender. "Good," he murmured, then kissed her again—deep and steady—keeping her mouth busy, keeping the name trapped behind her teeth.
Su Mei's black-eyed body lunged in again, reaching for Wei Chen's chest-brand.
Lin Xue gasped into the kiss as the black sun brand pulsed under her palm. Hot. Hungry. The crack inside it widened a hair.
Wei Chen felt it. His eyes went hard. He broke the kiss and snapped, "Lin Xue—seal me."
Lin Xue pressed frost harder onto his chest with one shaking hand. "Black sun—stop," she commanded.
The brand trembled, but it didn't fully obey.
The copy of Lin Xue watched from down the tunnel, smiling sweetly. "He can't keep two doors shut," it purred. "His chest wants to open. Your mouth wants to open. Pick one."
Wei Chen leaned close to Lin Xue's face, voice rough. "Listen," he whispered. "If it makes you finish my true name, it owns my mouth. So we change the target."
Lin Xue's eyes widened. "How?"
Wei Chen's breath brushed her lips. "You say my safe name," he whispered. "Loud. Again and again. Make it drown."
Lin Xue's throat shook. "Chen Wei," she whispered.
Wei Chen nodded. "Again."
"Chen Wei," Lin Xue said louder.
The bond rope flared warm.
The Frost-Eater hissed like it hated that sound.
Wei Chen pressed his forehead to hers. "Again," he demanded, and his tone made Lin Xue's cheeks burn in the middle of fear.
"Chen Wei," Lin Xue said, voice shaking but strong.
The monster's cold grip tightened on her jaw, furious now. It forced her lips open wider, trying to shove the true order out through her.
Lin Xue felt the word rising again, unstoppable.
"Wei—"
Wei Chen slammed his mouth over hers once more, stealing the sound before it could live. The kiss turned hot and trembling, and for one heartbeat Lin Xue forgot the tunnel and only felt his heat, his breath, his grip at her waist, the way his body shook like he was fighting a war inside his chest.
Then the black sun brand pulsed hard.
A sharp crack of heat split under Lin Xue's palm.
And from inside Wei Chen's chest, a cold breath leaked out—just a whisper—wearing his voice like a mask.
"Go," it said.
Lin Xue froze.
Because she did not say it.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
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