"Ah?!..."
Xiulote’s shoulder hurt, and he finally stopped his mischief. Samurai instincts kicked in instantly, and he subconsciously wanted to pull back and protect his side, but fearing he might hurt the delicate person in his arms, he obediently let Alisa bite him.
The pain, like a cat’s nibble, ca in waves from his shoulder, but it was nothing serious for a samurai. With no other choice, Xiulote reached out to stroke the girl’s smooth hair and then flicked her little head.
"Alisa, get up, you’ve bitten through..."
"Mmm..."
Alisa lifted her head, licked her lips, her cheeks still flushed with an unabating blush. She saw the deep tooth mark on Xiulote’s shoulder, so skin broken, and even a little blood. The girl suddenly felt a twinge of heartache, but then, for so reason, she smiled happily.
"Bad brother, that’s for being naughty!... Hmph! Leaving my mark on you!"
"Ah!"
Hearing the girl’s words, Xiulote felt that familiar itch in his heart again. He leaned close to Alisa’s face, sniffing her scent, his expression ponderous.
"Eh! Alisa, there seems to be a special fragrance on you..."
"Ah? The maids have said so too, but I can’t sll it myself."
Alisa blinked curiously.
"Xiulote, what does it sll like?"
"Hmm, it’s a bit like a faint floral scent, mixed with the lingering aroma of agarwood, and the freshness of herbs."
Xiulote gave it so thought, his face showing a trace of confusion.
"No good, I can’t tell! Alisa, let have another taste, a taste of your flavor..."
With that, Xiulote lowered his head again towards the girl’s delicate collarbone.
"Ah! Bad brother!"
Alisa was stunned for a mont before she reacted. She stomped on Xiulote’s foot, her face as red as a ripe apple.
Then, her eyes shrewdly turning, a plan ford in her mind. She took the upper hand, biting Xiulote’s ear gently with her teeth, then whispered into his ear with a breath as fragrant as an orchid.
"Bad brother! Do you have other spirits in your heart?"
"Ah? No..."
Xiulote endured the ticklish sensation in his ear, his heart jolted. He stamred in reply.
"Alisa, by the Chief Divine, I only have you as a spirit..."
"Shh! Let listen to your heart."
Alisa placed her finger on Xiulote’s lips. Then, blinking her eyes, she tilted her head and pressed it against Xiulote’s left chest.
"Bad brother, I ask you again, do you have other spirits?"
"No... none..."
"Oh? Really?"
"Uh... Really."
Xiulote felt vaguely guilty. He bit his lip and swore with all sincerity.
"Alisa, by our ancestors, I have only you now, and I love you with all my heart and soul!"
"Oh!"
Alisa’s eyes glead, seemingly hiding springs in their vivid depths. She spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile.
"Hmm, Xiulote, I believe you! From now on, you must love with all your heart!"
"Yes!"
Xiulote nodded firmly. He hugged the softness in his arms tightly, his eyes seemingly ablaze with flas. There was still a faint pain on his shoulder, but his heart was filled with a yearning itch. He felt the girl in his embrace, their temples rubbing against each other, his hand once again wandering deeper...
As mutual affections grew, self-control beca difficult. While Xiulote was lost in emotion, the girl suddenly spoke up. The first half of her sentence was soft and tender, but the latter half turned into a deep inquiry.
"Hmm, hmph!... Xiulote, the number one beauty of the southern Kingdom, how does she compare to in beauty?"
"..."
Hearing the girl’s question, Xiulote’s actions ca to an abrupt standstill. His limbs stiffened instantly, and cold sweat broke out along his spine.
"Alisa, I... I... I haven’t..."
"Hmph! You have it, you’re deceiving !"
Seeing Xiulote’s expression, a mist seed to form in Alisa’s eyes. She turned her head away again, biting down hard on Xiulote’s neck.
"..."
This ti it hurt much more. The girl was like a little leopardess, clenching his neck firmly with her teeth. As she bit down, she sobbed softly and reached out to twist her lover’s waist forcefully.
Xiulote gritted his teeth and didn’t make a sound. He silently endured the pain, his heart aching for the girl.
After a while, Alisa released her silver teeth. She looked sadly at the bite marks she had made and reached out to gently touch them.
"Does it hurt?"
"...No, it doesn’t."
Xiulote smiled. He took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the girl’s eyes and then her drool from the corners of her mouth.
"Alisa, I was foolish at that ti... I didn’t do anything..."
"I know... Xiulote, I know, soone told everything. But I always believed in you..."
Alisa pressed her head against Xiulote’s chest, becoming as docile as a kitten again. She murmured her confession with tears lingering at the corners of her eyes.
"Xiulote, I can hear your heart. You must not have others... You are my dear brother, belonging only to !..."
"Do you know how scared I was when I heard you had been assassinated? I feared you would leave, leave this world like our deceased mother... Back then I was young, knew nothing, and yet I managed to pull through. But now, you have stolen my heart. Without you, how could I pull through?..."
Alisa murmured lowly, and Xiulote listened in silence. He didn’t know what to say in the face of the girl’s attachnt; he just held her tighter.
"Xiulote, if you did sothing bad, no matter how sad and hurt I would be, I would still forgive you... But you must never, ever put yourself in danger!... When I learned you were tempted and almost assassinated, I felt sad and angry, scared and anxious... I was so angry I didn’t write to you for two months, but I couldn’t stop missing you..."
Alisa looked at Xiulote with tearful eyes. Without speaking, her gaze conveyed her longing directly into Xiulote’s heart.
"Alisa, I missed you too. I thought of you every day, dread of being by your side, accompanying you, and sharing all I’d been through... I especially wanted to take good care of you, to make your days happy and joyful... I swear! For the rest of my life, to love and cherish you, till death do us part!..."
Emotions surged in Xiulote, his soul trembling. He stared deeply at Alisa, the flas in his eyes seeming to lt everything.
Their gazes locked, they drew closer unconsciously. Then, they kissed passionately, like tightly clinging magnets, unable to part even when breathless.
After a long ti, Alisa’s tears turned to laughter, dispelling her long-held sorrows. She seed to lighten instantly; with a swift turn, she broke free from Xiulote’s embrace, while still holding his hand.
"Xiulote, look at the garden before us."
Xiulote gripped the girl’s soft hand tightly and looked toward the brilliant garden under the sunset. Countless blossoms decked the garden, stretching hundreds of ters. Hummingbirds and butterflies danced around, the pleasant scent of flowers filled the air. These different flowers had different blooming periods, all planted together, the most nurous being roses of various colors.
At this mont, so flowers were buds waiting to bloom, so were in full splendor, so were silently wilting, and so were just grass.
"Alisa, there are so many flowers, so beautiful. They’re as beautiful as you are, as delicate as you are."
"Hmm, Xiulote, I don’t want to be a delicate flower."
Alisa shook her head. She stretched out her palm, revealing calluses.
"Hehe, I’m a patient gardener."
Xiulote touched the calluses on the girl’s hand. They were in places like those of an experienced farr, left by long-term gripping of a hoe.
"Alisa, you..."
"Xiulote, whenever I miss you, I plant a plant in the garden. So are flowers, so are herbs, and so are trees."
Alisa looked at the thriving garden, feeling both the pride of a creator and a special gentleness.
"Xiulote, you’ve been gone from for one thousand five hundred days. Whenever I miss you, I plant a plant, waiting for you to co and see. Now, there are two thousand three hundred plants in this garden... Hmm, do you know why there are two thousand three hundred plants?"
"Ah! Alisa, my sprite."
Xiulote tightened his grip on her hand. He was moved by the girl’s thoughtfulness and also felt a bit of heartache.
"Why are there two thousand three hundred plants?"
"Because, half of the days, I have to visit father, accompany my brother, and greet my elders. And the other half of the days, I’m thinking of you twice as much!"
Alisa smiled sweetly, her big eyes speaking volus.
"Xiulote, when I miss you twice as much, I plant two plants. I really miss you a lot..."
"Alisa!"
Xiulote turned abruptly.
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