412: 8.12 Your Name

8.12 Your Name

Cw: not so explicit description so I won't put the warning on the title :)2

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The room was dark, bereft of the flame of candles and the murky sky didn't help in adding the necessary light either. Yet there was no mistaking the looming darkness that was thicker and denser which stood to the full height in the corner of the room. It was the shadow of a person.

Albeit as soon as the door opened to usher in the dim light from the hallway, the shadow immediately dispersed as if it was scared away by the flash. 

'Mommy?!' Ozzie meowed out loud. For the first time, she jumped down from Lu Yizhou's shoulder to circle around the room, sniffing every crook and corner. 'Mommy suddenly disappears meow!"

Lu Yizhou swallowed thickly and slowly closed the door behind him, cutting off any source of light. He did not wait for his eyes to adjust and strolled forward until he stood in the middle of the room. Compared to the two rooms he had caught a glimpse earlier, this room was certainly more extravagant and spacious. Instead of twin beds, there was only one king size double bed in the middle, draped over by the silky fabric of pure white canopy. Adding on with the antique chandelier and the lavish decorations, it did not look like a room reserved for guests.

Lu Yizhou eyed the corner where he had seen the dark shadow earlier. 'You really can't sense your Mommy anymore?'

'I–I am not sure!' Ozzie cried out in confusion. 'I definitely sensed her earlier but now, it has grown so weak. But she still lingers here meow!'

Exactly what was his lover's identity in this world? The eyes he had felt on him both outside the manor and in the dining room, this opulent room, the fact that Madam and Miss both had golden eyes… 

Lu Yizhou took a gamble. "Is it you, milady?" He softened his voice, letting it flow out smoothly to weave into the air to caress his invisible lover. "Are you the one who has been watching me? I'm sorry, did I scare you earlier when I slammed open the door? I… have been wanting to meet you for so long. Can you grace me with your presence, even for a second…?" 

After that, he waited with bated breath.

Bathump-bathump… the sound of his heartbeats echoed amid the strained silence. Lu Yizhou firmly kept his gaze forward even as he vividly felt the temperature around him steadily lowering. A faint breeze caressed his hair, sending ripples of shudders down his body. The window in front of him was tightly shut and he was sure that the airflow in this room was closed, so the breeze could only be…

Lu Yizhou acutely sensed a presence looming behind him, followed by a puff of cold air behind his ear. His breath hitched on his throat. A voice, soft and melodious yet slightly raspy as if the owner hadn't spoken for a long time, whispered sultrily, "Beautiful…" It was, unmistakably, the voice of a woman.

Amidst Lu Yizhou's surprise, the presence started to draw away. 

Lu Yizhou's pupils dilated. No, he couldn't let his lover go! In this place where he did not know anything about her nor how to find her or get close to her, the last thing Lu Yizhou would do was to let her get away. Who knew when they would be able to meet again next time? Who knew what kind of thing would happen in the future? The uncertainty and impatience was almost driving him insane.

"Wait…!" His body moved without him realizing as his hand shot out to catch onto the dark shadow… only to grab onto thin air. Lu Yizhou stared at the formless dark shadow in front of him, trying to make out a face — or anything. "Don't go…" he pleaded softly. Think, Lu Yizhou! What could he say to make her stay? "Can we… talk?"

The shadow shook and although there was no sound, Lu Yizhou had a strong hunch that she was laughing right now. In the next second, the voice sounded again, this time from behind him, tinged with a hint of mirth. "Talk…? About what?"

Lu Yizhou spun on his heels, the dress swirling around him in waves. Nothing was there, he was too late. This time, the voice spoke right into his left ear, followed by another cold caress on his jaw and chin. "Do you not fear me? After all, it will be so easy to kill you right here and now…"

Lu Yizhou swallowed. He felt the coldness travel down to his neck, firmly pressing on throat and blocking his airflow. This time, he did not act rashly anymore. Even though he clearly saw the dark shadow materialized beside him, he firmly kept his body in place. Only his tightly clenched fists betrayed how alert he was. "I want to know about you…" he enunciated slowly, the thrum of his vocal cord traveling to his lover's cold fingers. "Everything about you. We can talk about everything or nothing at all. Just… stay with me, will you?"

The shadow stilled and did not move for a few seconds. This ought to be a perfect opportunity. His lover was taken aback, he could seize this chance to grab the fingers around his throat, to make sure that she wouldn't be able to run anymore. But somehow… he had a faint inkling that his lover seemed reluctant to show herself? Hence, Lu Yizhou staunchly held himself back and waited.

He did not have to wait for long. The pressure of those fingers lightened, albeit they did not leave him. Instead, they glided down to trace the line of his throat, to dip along his collarbones to the swell of his breasts… the sensation was similar to having ice cubes on his bare skin. Goosebumps flared along his arms and his breathing quickened in pace. Don't move, he clenched his jaws tensely, don't move and scare her away, Lu Yizhou.

"You want me to stay?" The voice turned even more sultry, soft and bewitching. It caressed the shell of Lu Yizhou's ears and caused his scalp to go numb. "Do you even know who I am?"

"You…" Lu Yizhou once again took a gamble. The voice definitely belonged to a young woman and the only young woman in this house was... "You're the Miss of this family, aren't you?"

This time, his lover's laughter rang out loud and clear, as melodious as how he had imagined it to be. What the answer to that question was, Lu Yizhou never got it in the end. 

All of the thoughts running through his mind instantly dissipated faster than smoke when those cold fingers continued their endeavour. They followed the curve of his cleavage and ever so slightly brushed against his nipple. 

Lu Yizhou gasped as shock jolted through him like electricity, almost causing him to double over. W—What was that? He had been through seven worlds but never before had he felt such a vivid surge of warmth gushing down his lower belly. His knees trembled. The emptiness between his thighs became even more prominent at a time like this… but so did something else. Something that he shouldn't have had in his male form.

Knowing his lover's temperament, Lu Yizhou was a hundred percent certain that she was up to no good again! 

Lu Yizhou gritted his teeth as sweat beaded on his hairline. Keep yourself together, Lu Yizhou! He told himself but in fact, he couldn't focus on anything else other than the sensation of his own body. Seriously, nothing good had ever happened to him ever since he entered this world! And why the fuck was he so sensitive that soft caresses like these could make him dripping wet down below?!

His lover laughed again, mirthful, apparently sensing Lu Yizhou's internal turmoil. And then as if she was an entity who fed on other's misery, she grew bolder and bolder. The caresses of those fingers could no longer be considered innocent. They massaged his slender waist, feeling out the quivering skin on his abdomen and circling his belly button, then they slid lower and lower…

Lu Yizhou gasped and subconsciously took a step backward to escape from that excruciatingly tortuous sensation. He would have tripped on his own feet and stumbled to the ground had it not for the wall behind him that supported his entire weight.

…No, Lu Yizhou's eyes widened in realization. He had always been standing in the middle of the room, so where would there be a wall?! Then if it wasn't a wall, then—

"Sssh… don't look back." The voice sounded above his head, a body that was definitely taller and broader than his current form. Cold breath fanned Lu Yizhou's nape, making his hair stand on its end. The body behind him was solid and cold. His lover's voice sounded different now, deeper and huskier, Lu Yizhou could no longer ascertain whether it belonged to a man or woman. "Heavens… look at you." Her hands snuck beneath Lu Yizhou's skirt and felt along the line of his quivering thighs. "You're trembling so hard, beautiful," she rasped hoarsely. "Is this how you want us to talk, hmm?"

Lu Yizhou threw his head back to her shoulder, gasping. He clenched his legs in a subconscious movement to keep those hands from advancing further. Why…? What's wrong with him? So hot… his whole body was scorching as if every patch of skin his lover touched had burst into flames. And more than that, he felt weak down to his knees as if someone had just sucked his vitals away. His lips trembled with the desire to speak his lover's name… but he did not even know that.

"Your name…" Lu Yizhou choked out. Goodness, was that his voice? On top of being feminine, he sounded like he was… whimpering, mewling. How mortifying! His chest heaved with the effort he took to regain his bearings. The next time he spoke, his voice was firmer albeit one could still detect the slightest tremble in it. "Tell me your name…"

"Hmm… why should I tell you?" She teased.

Lu Yizhou caught his lower lip between his teeth and screwed his eyes shut. "...Please."

She laughed softly, rich and deep, and Lu Yizhou felt the vibration with every fiber of his body. But aside from that… no heartbeat. His eyes flew wide in shock, breath stuttering. That's right, he couldn't sense any heartbeat from the chest he was leaning against now! "You are—"

A sudden knock on the door almost made him jump if not for the arms around him. 

"Miss Irene?" Ji Yan's voice was tinged with urgency. "Miss Irene, are you inside?"

Behind him, his lover clicked her tongue in annoyance and she started to pull her hands away from Lu Yizhou's body. "Wait—" Lu Yizhou caught her wrist. "Don't go."

"Sssh, it's okay, my lady." Soft lips landed on the side of his head. "I have taken a very great liking to you. Do not worry, I will come again. As for my name…" Chuckle rumbled out of her chest. "Why don't you find out about it yourself?"

After that, she swiftly disappeared, so did the support that had kept Lu Yizhou standing. Lu Yizhou caught the bed frame in time before he could fall, his chest still heaving with exertion. It took him a while to realize that his whole body was drenched in sweat and oh God… the dampness between his legs was… he groaned in mortification when he recalled exactly what had caused it to happen.

"Miss Irene? Are you okay?! Can you answer me if you're inside?" Another knocks, Ji Yan might as well be pounding on his door right now.

Before he could give an answer, a sharp sting zapped through Lu Yizhou's wrist and he sucked in a surprised breath. Upon closer inspection, there was a circular line around his wrist akin to being tied with a thin red rope. Lu Yizhou was stunned when he realized that…

…It was the exact same position where Ji Yan had grabbed his wrist earlier.

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Mini theater

Ozzie has something to say: I see nothing, hear nothing, speak nothing. 

ML also has something to say: If my lady can switch forms to either man or woman, why can't I?

pqdm.com