Chapter 82: A Drunken Kiss and a Drained Protector

“You… you… what are you doing?”

Su Mian’s mind completely crashed at that moment.

She was unable to think, unable to analyze, relying only on her most primal instincts.

Her body stiffened as she watched Xiao Moyuan’s flawless, handsome face expand steadily in her vision.

‘He… what does he want to do?’

Xiao Moyuan’s head tilted slightly, his target clear as he drew closer to her delicate neck.

This action was strikingly similar to when that “pervert” had approached her in the darkness of the haunted house!

Yet, the sensation was entirely different.

Back then, the cold touch and inhuman aura had filled her with nothing but dread and revulsion.

But now, as Xiao Moyuan’s warm breath, a faint wisp at a time, brushed against the most sensitive skin of her neck…

“Ugh—”

Su Mian felt as though all the blood in her body had instantly ignited, rushing wildly to her head. Her entire face, along with her ears and neck, flushed crimson, becoming frighteningly hot.

The breath carried his unique, crisp, clean scent of cedarwood, like countless tiny electric currents darting through her nerve endings.

A strange, tingling itch spread rapidly from the skin touched by his breath, through her limbs and bones, leaving her utterly weak.

Due to her heightened sensitivity, she couldn’t even suppress a faint, trembling whimper that escaped from deep within her throat, much like the unconscious cry of a small animal.

What made her feel even more ashamed and flustered was the audacious and absurd thought that uncontrollably surfaced in her heart—

‘She wanted to get closer, to burrow into that embrace emanating a comforting yet thrilling scent, to be held tightly by him, to be gently caressed… even to rub her cheek against his firm chest…’

This thought sent her heart racing, yet it carried an irresistible allure.

Just as her consciousness blurred, almost succumbing to this strange and dangerous atmosphere, Xiao Moyuan’s deep voice resonated from an incredibly close distance:

“It seems your necklace has a problem. I’ll take it off now and fix it for you when I have a moment.”

However, just as Xiao Moyuan removed the necklace and was about to straighten up and pull away—

A fair, slender hand, trembling slightly, instinctively reached out and gently clutched a corner of his sleeve, which was about to leave.

“Hm?”

Xiao Moyuan paused, looking down with a hint of surprise.

Su Mian, before him, was clearly not in a normal state.

Her eyes, usually holding a hint of stubbornness or guilt, were now clouded with a hazy moisture, her gaze unfocused and scattered, having lost its clarity.

Her entire face was impossibly red, as if blood could drip from it.

Her body also squirmed restlessly, seemingly trying to endure something, or perhaps unconsciously seeking something.

This state… this appearance, as if dominated by primal desires…

Soon, Xiao Moyuan’s conjecture was confirmed.

“Um… could… could you hug me…?”

A whisper, as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, almost imperceptible, escaped from Su Mian’s slightly parted lips.

Her voice carried a sticky, coaxing plea, completely unlike her usual tone.

Before Xiao Moyuan could react, Su Mian, seemingly unable to restrain the surging, unfamiliar impulse within her, plunged her entire soft body into his embrace!

Her head urgently rubbed against his firm chest, her nostrils flaring as she greedily inhaled his comforting cedarwood scent.

She emitted satisfied yet restless, intermittent hums.

Within mere seconds, Xiao Moyuan felt a fuzzy, ticklish sensation on his chin.

He focused his gaze and understood.

Unbeknownst to him, Su Mian’s fluffy fox ears, tipped with a hint of silver, and her voluminous, snow-white fox tail had uncontrollably manifested, swaying gently within the confined space of the car.

“Su Mian?”

Xiao Moyuan tentatively called out her name, wanting to confirm her current state of consciousness.

However, the ‘little fox’ in his arms showed no reaction, still immersed in her own world, rubbing against him and emitting indistinct hums. Her tail even unconsciously wrapped around his arm.

‘Is she in an unconscious demonic state again?’ Xiao Moyuan immediately concluded.

It seemed this little one’s bloodline was restless once more, instinctively craving the nourishment of spiritual energy.

And he had once again become her prey.

Xiao Moyuan shook his head with a hint of helplessness, though a trace of indulgence, even he hadn’t noticed, flickered in his eyes.

‘There’s no helping it. I can’t let the little one I decided to “keep” go hungry.’

He skillfully gathered the pure spiritual energy within him, slowly concentrating it at his fingertip. The next moment, Su Mian’s hazy gaze was immediately drawn to that point of spiritual light.

She lifted her head, unhesitatingly leaned in, opened her mouth, and took the finger, brimming with pure spiritual energy, into her mouth, sucking vigorously.

Xiao Moyuan distinctly felt the warm, soft sensation of Su Mian’s mouth on his fingertip, and the restless, small movements of her tongue attempting to draw in more power…

“No biting!”

Xiao Moyuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out his other hand and gently patted her furry head, warning her in a low voice.

‘This little fox, just absorb spiritual energy; why are you trying to bite now?’

The little fox in his arms seemed to understand the warning, letting out a wronged “woo-woo” sound from her throat.

But she obediently retracted her mischievous little fangs, only enclosing his fingertip with her soft lips and tongue, continuing to greedily absorb the spiritual energy.

Time passed by, second by second. Xiao Moyuan keenly noticed that his spiritual energy was draining much faster than before. He couldn’t help but frown slightly, a growing sense of shock welling up within him.

‘This little one’s “appetite” seems to be growing larger and larger.’

Initially, he only needed to expend one or two tenths of his spiritual energy to make her fall into satisfied slumber.

But now, nearly three tenths of his spiritual energy had been consumed, yet Su Mian showed no signs of stopping. Instead, having tasted the sweetness, she sucked even more vigorously.

‘A half-demon, not yet fully awakened, each unconscious demand consumes nearly half the spiritual energy of a Grade A demon exorcist…’

Xiao Moyuan mused inwardly.

‘If it were an ordinary demon, it would have long since burst its meridians from such a vast amount of spiritual energy. This little one’s potential and the peculiarity of her bloodline are likely far greater than I imagined.’

Though surprised, Xiao Moyuan did not stop her. Instead, he completely released the restrictions on his own spiritual energy, allowing Su Mian to take as much as she desired.

A man, especially in front of his “chosen” little pet, must never admit he can’t do it.

Spiritual energy? It must be more than enough!

When his internal spiritual energy was nearly forty percent depleted, Su Mian in his arms finally gradually relaxed her absorption of spiritual energy. And he, too, finally released her embrace, then his finger, letting out a lazy sigh of contentment.

“Full now?”

Xiao Moyuan looked at her small face, even more dazed and languid after her feast, and asked with a soft chuckle.

He knew, of course, that Su Mian, in her unconscious state, couldn’t possibly answer him; it was more like talking to himself.

However, the next moment, Su Mian “responded” to him in an unexpected way.

Her hazy eyes blinked, her gaze seemingly focusing on his face for a brief moment. Then, that face, flushed with an alluring rosy hue, swiftly approached without warning!

Immediately after, a clumsy kiss landed precisely on his lips!

Xiao Moyuan froze slightly, truly not expecting this little fox to make such a “bold” move after being “fed.”

However, on second thought, given her fox demon bloodline, which naturally carries an instinct for charm and closeness, it seemed… reasonable, perhaps, for her to have some extra “needs” when her spiritual energy was abundant and her mind and body were relaxed?

Of course, Su Mian’s kiss was utterly devoid of skill, appearing incredibly clumsy and inexperienced, driven purely by instinct.

After his initial surprise, Xiao Moyuan quickly took the lead, guiding the awkward kiss to gradually deepen…

Gradually, what Su Mian absorbed seemed to subtly shift from pure spiritual energy to his vital essence.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about this; a slight loss of vital essence posed no significant harm to him.

Rather, he took this opportunity to re-verify a phenomenon he had vaguely sensed before—

When he had intimate contact with Su Mian, the curse within him would become exceptionally “docile” and “quiet,” as if soothed by a gentle force.

Moreover, the deeper and more intimate the contact, the more pronounced this soothing effect became.

An absurd yet bold thought gradually solidified in his mind:

‘Could it be… that the method to alleviate this curse isn’t solely limited to drinking demon blood? Perhaps a deeper “exchange” with Su Mian could achieve the same effect, or even… a better one?’

This discovery deeply shook him.

Su Mian’s identity might be more than just that of an ordinary little fox demon.

However, just as his thoughts churned, all of Su Mian’s movements in his arms abruptly ceased. She went limp, collapsing into his embrace, her breathing becoming even and prolonged.

She had simply… fallen asleep.

Xiao Moyuan felt the body in his arms instantly become quiet and soft, and for a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Falling asleep while kissing—that could probably only happen to Su Mian.

***

When Su Mian regained consciousness, she felt refreshed and warm all over, as if she had experienced the best sleep of her life.

Drowsily, she opened her eyes, only to find herself not in her familiar bed, but still in the passenger seat of Xiao Moyuan’s car.

“I… how did I fall asleep?”

She rubbed her eyes, sitting up blankly, with no memory of what had happened before she fell asleep. Her memory stopped at the moment Xiao Moyuan had approached her neck, saying he would fix her necklace.

She instinctively turned to look at the driver’s seat, only to see Xiao Moyuan leaning back against the seat, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.

A trace of weariness, hard to conceal, etched his handsome face, and the faint dark circles under his eyes made him appear somewhat listless, as if he had been thoroughly “drained” of his vitality.

Su Mian was startled, her sleepiness vanishing instantly.

“You… what happened to you?”

She asked in astonishment, full of questions.

She had only accidentally fallen asleep for a bit, so why did Xiao Moyuan look as if he hadn’t rested in days?

Xiao Moyuan glanced at her, stubbing out the cigarette. His tone carried a hint of subtle helplessness and indulgence:

“It’s nothing. Since you’re awake, you can go up now.”

“How did I fall asleep? How long did I sleep?” Su Mian was still a bit muddled.

“How you fell asleep, I wouldn’t know.”

Xiao Moyuan’s tone was calm, devoid of emotion.

“But it’s true that you slept for an hour.”

“Ah? Then… you waited for me in the car for an hour?”

Su Mian immediately felt very embarrassed, her cheeks warming slightly.

“Otherwise?”

Xiao Moyuan turned his head to look at her, his gaze deep.

“I don’t know your house’s door code, so I couldn’t just leave you by the roadside, could I?”

“Actually… you could have woken me up…” Su Mian suggested softly.

“You always sleep so soundly; calling you wouldn’t have worked.”

Xiao Moyuan calmly stated the facts. Then, as if remembering something, he took out the now dull necklace from his pocket.

“The clasp on this necklace around your neck seems to be broken. I happen to know someone who can repair these kinds of things. I’ll take it to get it fixed for you.”

“Thank you!” Su Mian instinctively thanked him, her heart warming slightly at his thoughtfulness.

After thanking him, she suddenly recalled Xiao Moyuan’s sudden close movement before she “fell asleep.”

‘So… at that time, he really was just helping her take off her necklace!’

She secretly raised her eyes, carefully observing Xiao Moyuan’s expression.

Seeing that he looked normal, without any hint of suspicion or inquiry, and spoke of the necklace quite naturally, she finally let out a long sigh of relief, her tense nerves completely relaxing.

‘Xiao Moyuan actually didn’t suspect the origin of this necklace? He’s really quite slow-witted!’