Twenty

Li Yuxi continued to keep her eyes on his face, admiring the features of his face. She eyed his sharp jawline, tracing the curved line leading to his ear before shifting her gaze to his long lashes that framed the curve of his eyelids, then to his pointed nose and his parted lips that were plump and rosy.

When she felt his fingers brush her hip, a warm sensation made itself known between her legs.

"Are you done?" He whispered, snapping her out of her trance.

She blushed and sat down on the toilet seat then slipped her panty to her thighs while staring at the floor. Li Yuxi felt embarrassment flow through her body when the sound of her urine filled the bathroom. She nibbled her lip and glanced at Zhao Ling. He was facing away with his other hand covering his eyes. His posture made her giggle.

"Are you done or do you have an endless bladder?"

Li Yuxi rolled her eyes in annoyance and sat up. She wore her panty back before jumping slightly while pulling up her jeans. Once the jeans were secured around her waist, she tapped his shoulder and he hesitantly turned to look at her. She pointed at the buttons of her pants. Zhao Ling bit his lip and Li Yuxi couldn't help but find it attractive. When he came closer and tugged her close to his body, her heart skipped a beat. She reluctantly looked at him before helping him with the buttons.

Their fingers brushed as they struggled to button up the jeans. Once they did, Zhao Ling took a huge step back and Li Yuxi scoffed before zipping up.

"I do not know how we can survive this," Li Yuxi said. "I'm a woman and you're a man. I don't know how this is going to work, Zhao Ling. I—"

"Can we not talk about this?" He cut her off. "We are both mature enough to do what we want. Additionally, I have seen enough women to not care about your nakedness, no offense, little mortal."

Li Yuxi got offended and scowled at him. She was too enraged to form a response and stomped before walking past him, dragging him with her. She could hear his grunting protest and didn't care as she continued to walk toward the bed. She got to it and turned around.

"You're a ghost, right? Can you float above the bed and not sleep with me?" She asked and placed her hand on her hip then began tapping her foot on the floor.

Zhao Ling blinked and eyed her up and down incredulously. She could almost hear his judgment in his head without reading his mind. She straightened up when he drew close to her, caging her between his body and bed.

"Do you think I am an ordinary dead person, little mortal?" He whispered and when she almost fell back, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and placed her against his front.

Li Yuxi gulped at how close they were. She shuddered at the way she could feel the muscles of his chest and stomach on hers. When his fingers dug into her lower waist, she gasped and pressed her hand on his chest. At that moment, she realized that she could not feel a single heartbeat, which was a stunning discovery. It was like he was a vampire, the type she read in books and saw in movies. He was a bit pale, cold-skinned, and had no heartbeat.

"Will you go to bed now? Or are you going to stay up all night watching me?" He asked in a low voice and ran his hand up her spine to the back of her head which he cupped. "I do not sleep, little mortal and I would want to meditate without you in my head or me feeling how annoyed you are."

Li Yuxi nodded. "Okay."

"Good," he said and released her then gently pushed her onto the bed. "Sleep. We have a long day tomorrow. We need to start getting used to how to live like peas in a pod."

Li Yuxi rolled her eyes and grunted when he vanished and appeared beside her. The movement had almost had her toppling over the bed. She glared at him for a few seconds while he stared at the door in front of the bed.

"You need to stop vanishing like that, you stupid ghost! Have you forgotten that we will be tied together until death do us part?" Li Yuxi cringed and blushed from her choice of words.

Zhao Ling chuckled. "Good use of your words. At least, I can be a better husband than Lee Qiang."

Li Yuxi gasped when Zhao Ling leaned forward, coming into her breathing space. She flinched when he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her close, forcing her to land on the pillow and her leg, going between his.

"Maybe I can perform the duties of a better husband than he ever will. Besides, I made a deal with you, didn't I?" He winked at her and she blushed.

Li Yuxi smacked him on the shoulder and he laughed. The sound coming from his mouth was sweet to her ears and the way his face stretched into a smile made him appear more beautiful before her eyes.

"For a man who says he isn't attracted to me, you sure know how to woo someone into thinking you want my body," she said and his laughter stopped.

"Don't get me wrong, I am only feeling pity for you. I am also sick of sensing your arousal each time I touch your body."

"Argh! Shut up you stupid ghost! Shut up!" She was embarrassed. She lay on her pillow and covered her face. Never in her life had she faced such levels of embarrassing moments until Zhao Ling showed up. On top of it all, she could not believe she had an attraction to a ghost; a good-looking ghost with a grudge as tough as a diamond.

"Sleep, my little mortal," Zhao Ling whispered.

Li Yuxi felt like a tranquilizer was used on her after his soothing words filled her ears. A strong pull of sleep encased her mind and body and before she could fight it, she yawned and succumbed to the sleep.

‡‡‡

A cold and hard surface made Li Yuxi shudder with goosebumps rising on her skin. She groaned and rubbed her face into her pillow, hoping to feel warm, only to feel something soft yet hard, and cold. She furrowed her eyebrows through her sleep-induced state and moved her body to get more comfortable, but frowned when she felt the familiar outline of a body.

At that moment, she opened her eyes and smelt a smokey scent mixed with a hint of flowers. She pulled her head back a little and panicked when she saw Zhao Ling's neck. She gulped and raised her head to see more of his face.

"Good morning. Did you enjoy using my body to cool yourself?" Zhao Ling asked and a firm grip around her waist made her core heat up.

Li Yuxi started to realize that she was laying on top of him with her legs tangled with his and his arm around her waist. She looked at his chest and flushed from how her breasts were pressed up against his chest. She bit her lip and looked at his face. He was staring at her, eyes dark and face stoic.

"You are desperate for me to lay with you. All you have to do is tell me, so you won't feel embarrassed for coming to me like this. Remember, this will go on until the day you die," he whispered and traced her back with the pads of his fingers, under her shirt.

Li Yuxi convulsively took in a deep breath and bit her lip so she could not make any sound when his fingers continued to move against her skin.

"Also, I may not be able to feel anything other than anger… But I was once a scandalous heartbreaker before finding the one I thought I would love. So, I have been in purgatory for years and I would like to sate myself. All I need to do is cultivate or open my dead heart to feelings of sexual desires."

The temptation to accept was at the tip of her tongue.

"Just say the words, my little mortal and I am yours," he whispered and clenched her hip with his hand.

Li Yuxi moaned when the spot between her legs throbbed. She could not help but press her hips with his, desperate to feel him down below. At the same time, she knew this was wrong. The last thing she wanted was to be like her husband who cheated on her, but at the rate her body craved Zhao Ling, she could not help it. She was torn between two sides.

Li Yuxi inhaled and exhaled hard, then made eye contact with him. Could she do this and not feel guilty or focus on being a faithful wife— She was deeply conflicted.