The alpha’s scent irresistibly enveloped her. Jiang Hanguang’s mind went blank, and before she could mount any semblance of resistance, her defenses had completely crumbled.
Her lips were parted, and a warm, soft, slick hunter stormed in, complacently surveying its territory.
A trace of sweetness emerged from their lingering, entwined lips and tongues. The tingling sensation of her palate being grazed shot straight to her head, while the alpha’s lightly calloused fingers gently caressed the raised gland on the back of her neck.
A hot wetness clouded her eyes, blurring her vision. It felt as if the kiss had stolen all the bones from Jiang Hanguang’s body. Her back was pressed against the rough tree trunk, but she felt no sense of solidity, her entire body sliding down uncontrollably.
In a daze, she thought she saw Cheng Ying’s blurry face smile. The next second, a firm hand caught her by the waist.
The alpha effortlessly lifted her, their bodies pressing together. The alpha’s firm abs brushed against her through the thin summer fabric, and Jiang Hanguang shuddered, finally managing to break free from the excessively long kiss.
She leaned her head back slightly to dodge Cheng Ying’s pursuing lips, her trembling hands clutching the somewhat coarse fabric of Cheng Ying’s work jacket. With what little strength she had, she pushed against the alpha who was still trying to move closer.
“Don’t… I can’t breathe…” Jiang Hanguang felt as if she’d been plunged into a vat of strong liquor. Her limbs were weak, and her breath was so hot it seemed to scorch her throat. The only clear thought in her mind was that she couldn’t let Cheng Ying kiss her again, or she would surely be unable to walk back by herself.
Cheng Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she looked at Jiang Hanguang, held loosely in her arms. The woman’s already crimson lips were even more vivid after being ravaged by her. After her faint, kitten-like refusal, her lips were now slightly parted, emitting short, sharp breaths. Her once-fair face was flushed a steaming red, and her eyes welled with tears that threatened to fall at any moment.
She looked for all the world like she had been terribly bullied.
Well… although she had indeed gotten carried away and kissed her a bit longer because it felt so good, Miss Jiang, as a thirty-year-old adult, was proving to be rather frail.
Her thick skin now restored, Cheng Ying shamelessly shifted half the blame to Jiang Hanguang, chuckling softly as she soothed the panicked omega.
“No more kissing, no more kissing. Don’t be afraid.” One hand continued to support Jiang Hanguang’s unsteady body, while the other moved from the omega’s sensitive gland to rub her back, helping her catch her breath.
At the same time, however, she still couldn’t control herself, gently nuzzling Jiang Hanguang’s soft hair and inhaling the rich scent of roses.
It was Cheng Ying’s first time kissing someone, so she wasn’t sure if all kisses in the world were like this.
So soft, so sweet, like eating a large liqueur-filled chocolate that, once melted, made one’s entire body flush with heat and one’s heart pound furiously.
If Jiang Hanguang hadn’t been unable to take it, Cheng Ying felt she could have gone on kissing for much longer.
Even if all kisses in this world were sweet, Jiang Hanguang’s had to be the sweetest.
She thought, both smug and anxious.
Right now, she was like a vagrant who had been starving for half a lifetime and had just tasted the world’s most exquisite delicacy. She was happy to have tasted it, but also worried that the delicacy didn’t like her and that she might never taste it again.
Jiang Hanguang panted for a moment before managing to stand up straight. Her soul, which had been knocked out of her by the kiss, finally returned to its proper place.
She blinked, and two more tears fell. Cheng Ying wiped them away, the pad of her finger brushing against her cheek and sending a sudden, tingling sensation through her.
Jiang Hanguang hastily turned her face away.
She had never felt so strange before, trembling all over and nearly collapsing again just from a touch to her cheek.
Was kissing such a terrifying thing?
The omega’s active retreat brought the abrupt kiss to a halt.
The smile on Cheng Ying’s face vanished, and she forced herself to release Jiang Hanguang.
She hadn’t forgotten that she had essentially just forced a kiss on Jiang Hanguang.
Although she believed Jiang Hanguang liked her, she couldn’t rule out the possibility that she was mistaken.
Now it was time to face her judgment. Whatever Jiang Hanguang’s response, she would accept it.
Even being slapped, called a hooligan, and thrown in jail would be infinitely better than the previous, inescapable torment that had clawed at her heart.
She said calmly, “This is why I was unhappy.”
Jiang Hanguang’s brow furrowed slightly, and she answered hesitantly, “Mm.”
Her mind was a tangled mess of shock, confusion, and a little bit of fear.
This fear didn’t stem from Cheng Ying, but from impressions built up over the years.
It seemed that every alpha who believed they could “control” her eventually felt entitled to do something to her.
Jiang Hanguang loathed and feared that sense of entitlement, because in those situations, she felt less like a person and more like an object to be taken at will.
She had thought Cheng Ying was different. At the very least, Cheng Ying wasn’t interested in her, which made her safe.
But now, Cheng Ying had kissed her.
Through years of accumulated revulsion, Jiang Hanguang had come to automatically categorize such boundary-crossing actions as part of what she detested.
Her body had reveled in it, but her spirit was terrified.
Fearing a possibility she knew deep down didn’t exist.
That Cheng Ying was actually no different from the others; she was just better at hiding it.
The mere thought of this possibility sent an uncontrollable chill through Jiang Hanguang.
She could endure disdain, offense, and even harm from unimportant people, because she never had any expectations of them.
But Cheng Ying…
Just the thought of it was excruciating.
Cheng Ying waited patiently for Jiang Hanguang to speak. A leaf fluttered down, landing in Jiang Hanguang’s hair, but she seemed completely unaware. Cheng Ying couldn’t help but reach out to remove it.
But as soon as her hand drew near, the woman flinched away like a startled rabbit.
A pang of hurt shot through Cheng Ying. Her hand froze in midair as she gave a bitter smile. “Are you that afraid of me?”
It was what she deserved, she supposed. The one who had shattered Jiang Hanguang’s trust was none other than her own unrestrained self.
The profound disappointment in the alpha’s voice pricked Jiang Hanguang’s heart like a fine needle, and she looked up.
She saw Cheng Ying pull her hand back and stand obediently in place, looking like someone who had done wrong and was awaiting punishment, yet with a stubbornness that suggested she wouldn’t back down.
The alpha’s face was a mask of feigned fearlessness, but her eyes revealed a hint of apprehension and fear.
Like a small animal that had bitten someone, waiting for a slap but terrified you might actually abandon it.
Jiang Hanguang’s heart melted instantly. If she weren’t afraid her legs would turn to jelly, she would have gone over and stroked the alpha’s head.
She was still afraid, but she didn’t want that fear to hurt Cheng Ying.
The hand hanging by her side was gently taken. Cheng Ying’s head snapped up, her eyes meeting Jiang Hanguang’s.
She was still hesitant, but her gaze was gentle.
The blush that had just begun to fade from the woman’s face flared up again. She gathered her thoughts and said haltingly, “I’m a little scared of the feeling of kissing, it’s too intense. But I’m not afraid of you. You’re wonderful, I still think so. I’m very happy that you like me, but… I don’t know if I can be with you. I’ve never tried… and I’m also a little afraid of alphas, so…”
Cheng Ying processed Jiang Hanguang’s words, a smile spreading across her face. “So? I can’t kiss you, but we can try being together to see how it goes?”
Teased like this, Jiang Hanguang felt like a tease who was deliberately stringing her along. She hesitated and took a step back. “It’s not that you can’t, but… just not so suddenly like this time…”
“Hahahahahaha.” Cheng Ying finally burst out laughing.
She leaned down and gave Jiang Hanguang a light hug—a simple, restrained embrace.
“I get it, baby. Next time, before I kiss you, I’ll file a report with you first, how about that?”
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