Chapter 9 — Daytime Succubus

Shen Zhu staggered slightly, his hands instinctively catching my waist as his throat bobbed, swallowing hard.

I asked you.

I lowered my voice, leaning in close to whisper right beside his ear.

Back then, when you were being bullied by me, were you actually feeling a secret thrill deep down inside?

His breathing immediately turned shallow and hurried. Shen Zhu's entire face flushed crimson, the heat spreading rapidly from the tips of his ears all the way down his neck, glowing red enough to bleed. Looking at his thoroughly exposed yet desperately defensive expression, the answer was already glaringly obvious. But that alone was not enough. I wanted to hear him confess it with his own lips. So, I pushed the game even further. With a cold expression, I forced him down into a chair, looking down at him from above. On purpose, I used a commanding tone right against his ear, strictly ordering him not to move an inch. Shen Zhu's long eyelashes fluttered violently, his breaths growing more labored by the second, yet he still gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. Lacking patience as I always was, I simply leaned down and bit fiercely onto his chin. Shen Zhu let out a soft groan, his arms tightening around me as he pulled my whole body flush against his chest. His scorching breath brushed my ear, and the voice he had been trying so hard to restrain shattered completely.

My wife, I want more...

The next morning, I dragged my aching back and sore waist out of bed, forced to cling to the bedpost and rest for a long while. Shen Zhu was still fast asleep. The gentle morning light filtered through the lattice window, casting a soft, hazy glow across his face. His features were peerlessly exquisite, breathtakingly gorgeous enough to stir the soul. I sat down at the desk in the outer chamber, smoothed out a sheet of letter paper, dipped my brush in ink, and began to write: Sister, reading this letter is like seeing me in person. The Empress is by no means a person with malicious intent. The specific reasons are inconvenient to write down in a letter, but I beg you to believe that the feelings the Empress holds for you are completely different from what you imagine. There is also one more matter I wish to impress upon you. Hereafter, when you are in the company of the Empress, you must be yielding toward her. Do not bully her, and do not ever speak harshly to her. The exact reasons, I shall explain clearly when we meet again. I laid down the brush, folded the letter, and sealed it securely. Then I called for Qing La and instructed her to have someone deliver the missive directly into the palace. No sooner had I finished tidying up than a soft rustling sound drifted from the inner room. Shen Zhu must have just awakened. Casually draping a black outer robe over his shoulders, he walked out with slow, unhurried steps, his eyes still lingering with the languid drowsiness of sleep.

What were you writing just now?

He smiled as he looked down at me.

What else could I possibly write?

I met his gaze, my voice carrying a mix of helplessness and teasing amusement.

Just advising my elder sister to treat your elder sister well in the future and to indulge her a bit more.

Pausing for a moment, I let out a heartfelt sigh of genuine lament:

After all, the two of you siblings... are quite a handful to manage.

Teased thus by me, Shen Zhu's cheeks instantly bloomed with a faint blush, his delicate eyebrows drooping slightly. Looking at his expression of mingled embarrassment and bashfulness, a stray thought crossed my mind: It is over for me. In this lifetime, I suppose I have truly fallen completely into the hands of this captivating little demon!