After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

It's not that it "will become," but that it "is."

It wasn't an obstacle that needed to be removed, but rather his own willing indulgence in decadence.

Jiang Dusheng felt a surge of heat rush from his heart to his cheeks, and his ears were burning hot.

She suddenly realized that her thick or thin skin seemed to be increasingly useless in front of Xie Jinchen.

With just a few simple words from him, she could feel her heart racing and her cheeks burning.

Jiang Dusheng was slightly stunned by these unexpected words. He unconsciously pursed his lips, then opened them slightly because he didn't know how to respond.

It was like a silent invitation, yet also seemed somewhat hesitant.

This subtle movement, when seen by Xie Jinchen, was like a spark that ignited the last spark of his reason.

He looked at her slightly parted lips, a natural pale pink that shimmered with a lustrous sheen in the sunlight filtering into the room.

Xie Jinchen's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, and his eyes darkened instantly.

What surged within was a tide of emotions that had been suppressed for too long, a desire that finally broke free after confirming each other's feelings, and a crazy thought of wanting to possess her completely.

Xie Jinchen raised his other hand and covered Jiang Dusheng's eyes.

The moment his vision was blocked, Jiang Dusheng's body stiffened slightly.

Before she could react, she heard his slightly suppressed, hoarse voice, mimicking her previous tone:

"Jiang Dusheng, I'm sorry..." His voice was very close, his breath hot, "I'm sorry to offend you."

As soon as he finished speaking, that warm, soft touch gently pressed against her lips.

At first, it was just a simple touch, with a tentative coolness and a slight, barely perceptible tremor.

Like the first drop of rain in early spring, falling on a budding flower, so gentle it's almost reverent.

Jiang Dusheng froze, his mind went blank, and all that remained was the unfamiliar yet clear touch on his lips and his slightly rapid breathing.

However, this brief touch seemed to have opened a forbidden gate.

The moment Xie Jinchen's lips touched his, it was as if he was seized by some irresistible magic, and his feigned restraint quickly crumbled.

He was no longer satisfied with a simple touch, but tentatively took her lower lip into his mouth and traced its soft outline with the tip of his tongue.

The movements were somewhat awkward, even a bit clumsy and eager.

Jiang Dusheng instinctively tried to back away, but was firmly held in place by the arm around his waist.

The other hand covering her eyes never moved away, as if to concentrate all her senses on that small space between her lips and teeth.

His kiss deepened, the initial awkwardness replaced by an instinctive, untrained understanding.

Xie Jinchen pried open her teeth, no longer a simple plunder, but a delicate savoring, with a burning heat, slowly drawing in her breath, entangling her responses.

The air seemed to thicken and heat up, leaving only the mingling of breaths, growing more rapid and scalding hotter.

Jiang Dusheng's initial stiffness gradually melted away under his patient guidance.

She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes brushing against his palm.

The hand covering his eyes could block out the light, but it couldn't block the intrusion of his breath or the straightforward emotions conveyed through his lips and tongue.

She awkwardly tried to respond, and his gentle touch only elicited a more fervent demand from him and a suppressed groan from her throat.

He tightened his grip on her, as if trying to meld her into his very bones.

Xie Jinchen only reluctantly withdrew from the kiss when both of them were breathless from the excessively long kiss.

He slowly removed his hand from her eyes.

Jiang Dusheng slowly opened his eyes, his pupils veiled with a thin layer of moisture, the corners of his eyes glowing with an alluring red, his cheeks flushed, and his breathing still somewhat rapid.

She looked at him, and his usually calm and composed eyes now seemed like crystal that had been washed clean, clearly reflecting his equally moved expression.

Xie Jinchen's fingertips gently traced her slightly swollen and moist lips, his gaze intense, his voice low and hoarse beyond belief:

"I've wanted to do that since the day you entered my heart."