Chapter 62: Eden’s Grand Plan

Today, Aldoran had apparently ventured to the library, leaving Eden free to indulge his whims by dressing Qing Yu in their room.

“Eden, is this really okay?” Qing Yu nervously crossed his hands. With Eden’s help, Qing Yu had changed into a somewhat revealing outfit: a top that exposed his midriff and a tiny skirt barely covering his upper thighs.

His slightly undulating abdomen appeared smooth and fair, so exquisitely delicate it seemed water might seep from it with the slightest pinch. His long, slender legs, bathed in the soft, intimate glow of the lamps, resembled warm, finely polished white jade.

Gazing at his reflection, Qing Yu’s face flushed a deep crimson.

“No problem at all, no problem! You’ll see once you try it,” Eden chirped, rummaging through a bag beside them. He had purchased a plethora of items—candles, tails, and more—and as he pulled them out, his loose clothing rustled around him while he spoke to Qing Yu.

“Lovers occasionally need a little spark, don’t they?”

“After all, to maintain a relationship, everyday communication and intimacy are both crucial!”

Qing Yu felt this was no mere spark; it was an inferno.

He held absolutely no interest in such matters, and from his interactions with Aldoran, he suspected she shared his disinterest.

Eden, however, grinned broadly, his laughter bright and uninhibited.

These were the sweet intimacies of his life with his Bragi. Every day, Bragi would compose a poem and paint a picture for Eden, and in return, Eden would devise countless ways to make Bragi happy. Eden yearned for Aldoran and Qing Yu to share such a bond.

If one couldn’t aid Aldoran in battle, then perhaps they could contribute to her life in other ways.

One couldn’t simply take from Aldoran without giving anything in return.

“Eden, I don’t think Aldoran has any interest in this sort of thing.”

“Just think of it as a playful diversion in life,” Eden murmured, embracing Qing Yu from behind and rubbing his back, utterly unconcerned by their shared gender.

Eden was quite uninhibited; he had once used such props on Bragi, and Bragi had used them on him. Both found candles and whips perfectly acceptable.

Unlike Qing Yu and Aldoran, who remained innocent of such experiences, the era Eden had lived through made him cherish every second spent with Bragi. Anything he found amusing, he would immediately share with her.

Back then, people lived by counting the days, for in that age, the concepts of weeks, years, and months held no meaning. Each day that passed was an occasion for a feast, for joyful song and dance, a celebration of having survived yet another day.

Amidst the ceaseless fear and uncertainty, Eden refused to be separated from Bragi for even a single second.

Thus, whenever he saw lovers, Eden felt a pang of envy, hoping they would live together forever.

“Alright, alright, this looks perfect! Make sure you put on a good show, okay?”

Only after scrutinizing Qing Yu from head to toe did Eden finally release him with a satisfied sigh.

“Well then, I’ll be off. I’ve already sent someone to fetch Aldoran; she should be back very soon. Remember everything I taught you!”

“Trust me, Aldoran will be utterly captivated by you.”

“Hey, hey! Eden, this is really too strange!”

Just as Qing Yu reached out to grab Eden, he slipped away like a gust of wind, leaving Qing Yu no time to react before the crisp ‘click’ of the closing door echoed through the room.

Qing Yu initially intended to chase after him, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to appear before others in such an outfit. After a moment of deliberation, he resigned himself to staying put.

‘I should really change out of these clothes at once,’ he thought.

No matter how he considered it, this appearance was simply too mortifying.

Yet, plans often fail to account for the unexpected, and just as Qing Yu entertained the thought of changing, Aldoran opened the door.

“Qing Yu, were you looking for me?”

Aldoran stepped into the room, finding Qing Yu, clad in his revealing attire, with his head plunged deep into a wardrobe, rummaging for something.

Unfortunately, the wardrobe Qing Yu was searching through did not contain his clothes; instead, it held Aldoran’s intimate apparel.

Thus, in Aldoran’s eyes, Qing Yu was wearing a scandalous outfit, practically burrowing into her undergarments, with numerous ‘toys’ scattered nearby, looking utterly flustered and seemingly engaged in some inexplicable activity.

“Aldoran? Why are you back so soon?”

Startled, Qing Yu hastily straightened up, slamming the wardrobe door shut, and leaned against it, facing Aldoran.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you send for me to come back?”

Aldoran approached the wardrobe, and Qing Yu instinctively shifted his body aside.

“Is there something in the wardrobe?”

Pulling open the wardrobe door, Aldoran peered inside, scanned its contents, and then withdrew her head, her gaze resting on Qing Yu.

“And your outfit—”

It appeared Aldoran held little interest in Qing Yu’s attire.

For some reason, Qing Yu felt a distinct pang of disappointment.

‘Is my charm not enough?’ he wondered.

“Aldoran, what do you think of my outfit?”

As if possessed by some impish spirit, Qing Yu blurted out the question.

Aldoran paused, seemingly taken aback by Qing Yu’s sudden query. Nevertheless, she proceeded to scrutinize him from head to toe, her gaze betraying not a hint of emotion.

Finally, Aldoran met Qing Yu’s eyes and spoke.

“Not bad.”

‘Not bad.’ Qing Yu couldn’t shake the feeling that this assessment was rather understated.

“Then, then Aldoran, do you, do you feel anything… special?” Qing Yu asked, his face flushed, as he edged closer to Aldoran.

Truth be told, Qing Yu was rather confident in his physique, so Aldoran’s mere “not bad” assessment struck him as a slight blow.

If only Aldoran would praise him, that would be truly perfect.

“Special feelings?”

“You know, the kind where your heart races, your body feels hot, and you can’t quite control yourself.”

Aldoran shook her head.

“Aldoran, don’t you think I’m quite charming?” Qing Yu persisted, undeterred, leaning even closer until he was practically pressing against her.

It wasn’t that Aldoran felt nothing towards Qing Yu’s getup; rather, she was simply too adept at articulating her feelings with words.

Moreover, Qing Yu’s sudden, revealing attire left Aldoran feeling somewhat unaccustomed.

“Hmm, you are very charming.”

After a few seconds of silence, Aldoran spoke slowly.

“Aldoran, you have no emotion!” Qing Yu suddenly exerted force, tackling Aldoran to the ground and pinning her wrists.

Their gazes locked, pupils meeting, and Qing Yu swallowed hard.

‘This, this position…’ he thought.

Having already found themselves in such a compromising position, it would be a true waste not to do something.

Qing Yu then mimicked Aldoran’s previous actions, lowering his head gently, burying his mouth in her neck, and extending his tongue to give a soft, tentative lick.

“Qing Yu.”

Aldoran gazed into Qing Yu’s clear, spring-like eyes and was suddenly overcome with the urge to tease him.

Thus, Aldoran deliberately struggled a few times, feigning helplessness.

“Heh heh, Aldoran, I’m quite amazing, aren’t I?”

Watching Aldoran’s struggles, Qing Yu flashed a triumphant smile. He was so utterly carried away that he completely forgot Aldoran could lift him with a single hand.

“Aldoran, give up! I’m incredibly powerful.”

Observing Aldoran’s struggles, Qing Yu once again leaned down, still imitating Aldoran’s past actions, and bit her ear.

However, Qing Yu lacked finesse in controlling his strength. When Aldoran had bitten his earlobe, she had precisely gauged her power, enough to ignite his desire without causing him harm. As a novice, Qing Yu simply bit down.

‘Like a little puppy,’ Aldoran mused, an unbidden thought.

Without rhyme or reason, Aldoran thought this. She ceased her struggles, curious to see what other tricks Qing Yu might conjure.

“Aldoran, have you finally given up struggling?” Qing Yu recalled the lines Eden had taught him, and as he fumbled through them in his mind, he stammered them out.

“Yes, I give up.”

Aldoran replied, adopting a posture of utter surrender.

“Heh heh, what kind of Deity is this, having to meekly beg for mercy from me? Truly a pathetic sight!”

‘Everything Eden taught me is so mortifying!’ he thought.

Aldoran watched the deeply flushed Qing Yu with an impassive expression, certain he had been reading some rather peculiar material.

“A-Aldoran, be a… be a good girl and call me ‘Master,’ and I’ll let, let you go.”

“…”

Aldoran decided that enough was enough.

“Heh heh, Aldoran, if you’re not obedient, I might just have to punish you.”

Qing Yu exhaled a breath against Aldoran’s ear, and her body shifted almost imperceptibly.

“That’s a good girl.”

Just as Qing Yu believed Aldoran’s desires had been piqued and she was about to speak, Aldoran suddenly exerted her strength, effortlessly breaking free from his grasp. Before Qing Yu could even react, Aldoran swiftly reversed their positions, pinning him to the floor.

Only then did Qing Yu remember that Aldoran’s strength was far beyond his ability to control.

Qing Yu attempted to struggle, but Aldoran immediately pinned both his wrists with one hand, while her other hand lightly tapped his lips before delving into his mouth and swirling her finger around.

“So, how exactly will you punish me?”

Aldoran’s voice remained utterly devoid of inflection. She withdrew her finger from Qing Yu’s mouth and began tracing light circles on his neck.

“Aldoran, you were doing that on purpose, weren’t you?!”

Qing Yu finally understood: he had been completely played by Aldoran!

“How will you punish me?”

Qing Yu instinctively sensed a dangerous aura emanating from her; Aldoran, it seemed, was in a playful mood.

“No punishment! No punishment!”

Qing Yu struggled, desperate to break free from Aldoran’s hold.

“It’s fine, just tell me.”

“If you don’t tell me, then it will be my turn to punish you.”

“No punishment! Aldoran! I was wrong, I was wrong!”

“Aldoran, I was wrong! I truly was! Please let me go, Aldoran!”

****

“Aldoran, I was wrong! Spare me, please!”

“Help! Someone, save me!”

“Aldoran, I’ll never dare again! Please spare me! Waaah!”

“Thrud, what are Qing Yu and Aldoran doing?” Liliya asked, lying on her bed with her hands clasped behind her head, listening to Qing Yu’s piteous wails.

“They’re doing things only adults do,” Thrud whispered, pressing her ear to the wall and making a ‘shush’ gesture at Liliya.

“Isn’t Aldoran just beating Qing Yu up?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then why is Qing Yu begging for mercy?”

Thrud offered no reply.

****

“Qing Yu?”

The next morning, when Qing Yu appeared before everyone, sporting dark circles under his eyes and clutching his lower back, Thrud and Eden exchanged knowing, stifled smiles, while Liliya remained utterly bewildered.

“Did you and Aldoran have a fight last night? Thrud and I kept hearing you shout ‘I was wrong’ as we passed by your room.”

“Even when Thrud and I were asleep, you were still yelling something about ‘not being able to take it anymore.’”

“No, Liliya, Aldoran and Qing Yu weren’t fighting; they were merely playing,” Thrud corrected, her smile radiant.

“Playing?” Liliya asked, looking utterly confused. “Does playing make sounds like that?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older, Liliya,” Eden said, his gaze fixed on Qing Yu, as he handed him a golden apple with a mischievous grin.

“Right, my dear Qing Yu?”