Twelve: Romantic Game

Fengjiu rubbed her eyes to wake up next to the sleeping god, separated by only a bolster between their fully-clothed selves. No, it was no drunken mistake unlike in the dramas. A day prior to the actual event, Dong Hua had checked them into the hotel where the event was being held. As part of the next stage of their plan, they had to be convincing that they were a live-in couple who were on the verge of marriage.

As if the kisses weren't torturous enough. Who had ever have thought that kissing the cold god would send her ablaze with every touch of his lips on hers? Furthermore, he had even turned out to be a hot-blooded creature. If only she had known... But one thing that could not escape her mind was her curiosity of how his chest would look under his nightshirt.

He had kissed her while she was asleep weeks ago, hadn't he? She would at least get some compensation back from that, by lifting up his shirt to take a peek at those well-defined abs. She knew he had to have a toned body, from all that bodybuilding in the Sky Kingdom. Every part of him was so tantalising, that she was so desirous. Especially when she had slept just next to that body in the narrow mortal bed.

How would her folks react to her lying in bed with a man?  Fortunately, he had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with her, so none of them could reveal what had happened to unconcerned parties. Not that she cared. She recalled how she had gone to the mortal realm to escape her fate of countless blind dates and unwanted suitors. Among the thousands of men she had been introduced to, none of them set her on fire like this ice block did. But it would be a blessing if he would be able to chase away all those suitors she didn't care for. Maybe they could work out some sort of trade between themselves?

Love? Still out of my league, she thought. Being tempted, was another thing. The resulting desires from the mission were so clear to her, that she hoped she could return successful and in one piece. First, the wild sensual kissing with the cold emperor to evade the demon from seeing them, and now, having to act like his wife-to-be. Hopefully, she wouldn't end up incinerated alive.

He was still sleeping, she observed as she watched him curiously. A good opportunity only strikes once, she reminded herself, and stretched her arm to his chest and lifted up that annoying piece of garment to feast her eyes on the sight beneath. While she satiated herself in the sumptuous delight before her eyes, she failed to realise that the cold god was in fact, very wide awake, and amused at the mischievous little fox peeking at his abs.

She recapped what had happened the night before. The event wouldn't happen till tonight, and somehow, she had agreed to his suggestion of staying the night at the five-star hotel in a shared room with a queen-sized bed to familiarise themselves with the location of the ballroom and the other facilities. Since they had to be as intimate as possible and behave like an about-to-be married couple, she had to make the deception as believable as possible. Sweet kisses on the cheek apparently weren't adequate. She wouldn't stand to lose anything by making the kisses appear more sensual and passionate, she realised. In fact, these lessons at love for the cold god would allow her to be at a step closer to fulfilling her goal in repaying her debt by making him capable to love. But who would be the unlucky one? she figured, and laughed.

They had spent the afternoon roaming around the gigantic building and spying around the event area with her hand in his, and he had even bought her a beautiful bouquet of roses and a vast number of gifts. They had just been like a normal mortal couple, only that they weren't in love, or mortal. She wondered how it was like to be a mortal, and what love meant to them. What would cause a mortal to die for love? She didn't fathom mortal ways when it came to love. Neither did she fathom what effect that cold god had on her, that she was willing to give it what it takes to complete their mission. Of course, her assistance came at a cost, and that was unlimited desserts and sweet treats to appease her whenever she was displeased about being bullied or teased by him. Now, she knew that the kisses had been just a game, just a way for him to tease her. Furthermore, he was known to be that cold gold He-Who-Never-Loved. Was it that fun to tease her? 

She ran her fingers along his well-toned body, and it tickled him to laugh as well, to her bewilderment. Had he not been sleeping all this while that she was ogling at him?

"Is it that funny to look at my chest?" he pointed in his usual, cold voice, and she quickly pulled his nightshirt back down to cover what she had been obsessed with looking at for the past twenty minutes. She pouted and turned back to her side.

"Like tickling, don't you?" He teased, and produced a feather from his pocket. "Two can play this.. game?" It was her turn to laugh uncontrollably, as he tormented her mercilessly. She mounted him eagerly and snatched the feather away from him, only for her eyes to meet his gaze in surprise. Those eyes.... how could they be so dazzling? she felt herself melting at his dominating gaze, as her eyes were glued to his. He really lived up to his former title Shao Yang Jun, meaning Lord Young Sun.

Her heart was thumping. Now, she was truly lost. Every single time their bodies were in proximity with each other, she felt that exact burning sensation. She knew it was not because he was a male and she a female, as she had male friends and classmates, and yet, the feeling with them had been different. Nobody had the ability to cause her heart race like he did. Yet, she couldn't stand the very sight of him, and would have loved to whack him on sight, had she not owed him her life in the past.



Apparently, her face was extremely flushed, and he had noticed it, as the next thing he did was lift her up and place her gently on the bed. And then, the magic happened.

The feeling had been heavenly, even though it had happened so many times, but this time, she knew she had wanted him to kiss her. It started slow, and gradually increased in pace, till their mouths were full of each other. He allowed her tongue to curiously explore his mouth, before returning her curious exploration with playful tongue movements of his own. His hands moved towards her hands, pinning them slowly above her head as their kisses intensified, and their bodies were heated in passion for each other. She hoped the kissing would never end, but it had been so jolting that she needed to catch her breath the moment he released her.

"I suppose you're ready for the couple event, then?" he said nonchalantly, batting an eyebrow as he got up from the bed. She jumped up and pounced on him, this time initiating a sensuous kiss as she pushed him back onto the bed. She hadn't kissed him very long when he ended the kiss, and promptly said, "I don't like to lose."  He had hated that she was trying to be dominant over him, and make him her prey. He wanted to be her predator, especially when she provoked him. Forget his bet, forget his icy heart, forget he was the cold god, forget love, he just wanted her now. 

The next thing, he had lifted her up and carried her to a corner where he pressed her on the wall, and devoured her mouth relentlessly. He was hungry and ferocious, and at the same time, he wanted to be the one dominant in his kisses. And perhaps, that was the one thing he could use in his favour, for him to retain the naughty little fox. He had just done so much to keep her at Taichen Palace, and even he didn't have the reason why. It had been close to a month that she was staying in his mansion in the mortal world, and when the mission was over, she would be gone. He didn't want that. There had to be a reason to keep her beside him, especially when she was the one who had the power to turn him on, and melt his icy heart.

The look in her eyes was screaming for him to 'lose control'. But he knew he had to contain himself and be the gentleman, since he had given her his word before to not go beyond their set boundaries. He watched her convulse with her neediness with his stinging touch on her, as his hand roamed her body deliberately under the thin material of her nighties. He stopped, and whispered sensually in her ear, "It's time for us to go to the event. I'll get changed, my dear fox." She shuddered at his erotic whisper.

And so he returned her to the bed, and gave her a tender kiss before heading to the bathroom. She panted and panted, and lay back in bed as her eyes roamed about the room, stopping to glance at the elegant evening dress lying on a chair. It was exquisite, and she felt touched by his gesture. Although it was just pretense that they were going through, pretty dresses had been her weakness, and she was delighted for the present. When he emerged from the bathroom to see her in the dress, he was wide-eyed in awe at the breathtaking sight before him. His mind could not focus on anything else other than the beauty before him. 

He finally caved in to his desires, and conceded defeat. Throughout his life, he had not fantasised about having a queen of any sort, and this fox had just walked in and claimed him for herself. She had changed everything that made him the cold god. But sadly, would she return his feelings? Since she was a future queen as well, she probably had all the suitors he could not imagine. Did she have someone else in her heart?

She linked her arm in his as they walked down the 'red carpet' to enter the event. The first round involved the man carrying the woman. She obliged, and he carried her into the hall tenderly as they took their seats among the crowd, searching for the demon among the crowd. The next few rounds required the couple to try to catch food or items between them, and luckily, they passed with flying colours. What would be the next stage?



A tanned man in a black suit made his way up to the stage. The last stage would be a blindfold game where the blindfolded women would try to find their individual partners by smelling and touching them. While it was awkward, Fengjiu felt that she was in a state of panic, unsure if she would clear the last stage and be allowed entry to the actual exhibition. The last stage didn't have a lot of winners.

"I trust you, Jiu'er." he whispered into her ear. "You can do it, sweetie."

She took a deep breath, and accepted the blindfold with shaking hands, before beckoning for Dong Hua to help her with it. The name Jiu'er, along with his image, repeated itself in her mind. She had to win this round, or their earlier efforts would be in vain.

She recalled briefly every sweet moment of 'practice' she had gone through with Dong Hua, and braced herself, thinking positively of the outcome of the game, and how they would prevail today.