Chapter 587 - 358: Under The Moonlight(Extra Chap)

Haoran and Ye Hongyan walked hand in hand in the woods, and although they are silent, the atmosphere was not awkward at all.

Their fingers stayed linked, warm skin resting against warm skin, moving together along a winding dirt path covered in soft pine needles.

The heavy smell of smoke, blood, and burning stone that had choked the grand pavilions of the clan estate was entirely absent here.

Out among the tall cedar trunks and tangled bamboo groves, the air tasted clean and sweet, washed by the mountain frost and carrying the crisp perfume of damp earth and crushed mint.

Neither of them spoke.

For hours, both of them had been surrounded by shouting sentries, clashing steel, severed heads, and the crushing weight of ancient grievances finally torn open to the bone.

To walk beside one another without needing to issue a single command, without having to calculate a scheme or guard against an assassin’s blade, was a rare and precious refuge.

Their boots brushed through the low fern fronds in a steady, synchronized rhythm, the quiet between them woven not of distance, but of profound, unspoken understanding.

Little motes of soft, pale green light drifted lazily through the dark branches, rising from the mossy roots like tiny floating embers that refused to burn.

High above, the gentle night breeze stirred the dense canopy, rustling the broad emerald foliage in a soft, whispering song that seemed to carry away the lingering heat of the day’s slaughter.

In the hollows beneath the ancient roots, crickets chirped their steady, peaceful chorus, filling the quiet woods with life.

The three celestial moons hung full and luminous in the clear vault, casting broad sheets of silver silk through the openings in the boughs, illuminating the path with a clear, cool radiance that made every dewdrop on the leaves glisten like a fallen pearl.

Before long, the trees parted abruptly, giving way to a wide, natural terrace of smooth granite jutting out over the vast southern expanse of the province.

Down below, the dark, rolling valleys stretched out toward distant horizons, blanketed under a sea of rolling, silver tinted fog that lapped against the mountain base like quiet ocean waves.

Above them, the heavens opened in all their breathtaking, boundless splendor.

The firmament was a vast tapestry of deep indigo and pure obsidian, so clear that the cosmic dust of distant nebulae drifted across the dark like clouds of powdered amethyst and crushed gold.

Countless stars burned with brilliant, steady fires, blinking like jewels scattered across velvet.

The great moon held court in the sky, shining with a calm, milky luminescence that washed the world in white jade, weaving delicate rings of color into the passing wisps of high cloud.

A river of starlight, vast and silent, arched from one edge of the horizon to the other, making the vastness of the universe feel close enough to touch, serene and untouched by the petty wars of the mortal earth below.

Haoran sank back against the soft, cool turf near the cliff’s edge, his black and gold robes spreading out loosely over the green blades.

Then, with a gentle, unhurried tug of their joined hands, he drew her down with him.

Ye Hongyan let out a soft, surprised breath as she fell back against his chest, her robes tumbling over his thighs like spilled wine.

Before she could adjust her posture, his arms slid smoothly around her slender waist, drawing her close until her back rested flush against his broad chest.

His chin settled comfortably against the soft curve of her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against the nape of her neck, banishing the chill of the mountain draft.

A faint blush touched the high curve of her cheeks, but she did not pull away.

Instead, she leaned into his embrace, her tense shoulders loosening completely as she let her head rest back against his collarbone, her fingers coming up to rest over his hands clasped against her midriff.

"Are you trying to make me soft, Haoran?" she murmured, her voice carrying a low, teasing cadence, though her pink eyes were soft as they reflected the sea of stars above. "If the disciples back at the Imperial Academy saw me like this, tucked away in someone’s arms like a maiden in love, my reputation would crumble before breakfast."

Haoran chuckled, a low vibration that rumbled pleasantly against her back. "Let it be, then. What use is a terrifying reputation on a quiet cliff under the stars? Besides, you spent the entire time cutting down traitors and rebuilding a fallen city. You’ve earned the right to put down your guard and disregard your image for a few while."

"Hmm. Maybe you’re right." Ye Hongyan hummed as she closed her eyes, letting out a long, quiet sigh.

She turned her head slightly, her cheek brushing against his jaw, feeling the steady, unyielding warmth of his skin.

"It feels strange," she whispered, her gaze drifting back to the three glowing moons. "For a thousand years, every time I looked at the sky above this city, all I could see were cages. I saw my father’s sneer as he broke me and that man apart. I hated this ground. I hated the wind that blew from these hills."

She paused, her thumb lightly rubbing the back of his knuckles.

"Yet tonight, sitting here with you... that feeling is gone. The past is still scarred and ugly, but it doesn’t hurt when I breathe anymore. It’s as if you walked into my storm and simply smoothed the waves with your bare hands."

Haoran tightened his embrace around her waist, his cheek resting gently against her temple.

"You broke that cage yourself, Hongyan," he said softly, his voice devoid of its usual mocking arrogance, filled only with an honest, grounding warmth. "I merely handed you the iron to strike it with. You survived their schemes, you climbed to the clouds on your own feet, and you held on to who you were. And as long as you walk beside me, you will never have to face a storm alone again."

Ye Hongyan’s heart skipped a beat, a sweet, fluttering warmth spreading through her chest that rivaled the heat of any spirit flame.

She shifted in his lap, turning her body within his arms until she was facing him.

Her robes swirled around their knees, her pink eyes searching his handsome face, finding only absolute certainty and deep, quiet devotion in those radiant golden pools.

"You really have a way with words, don’t you?" she breathed, her lips curving into a soft, tender smile. "No wonder those girls looks like they can’t live without you."

"Hmm. I only say these to those who really matter to me." Haoran replied, his voice barely a murmur.

He reached up with one hand, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of pink hair behind her ear, his thumb lightly caressing the delicate line of her jawline.

Ye Hongyan’s breath hitched as she leaned into his touch, her eyelashes fluttering, her gaze dropping to his lips before rising back to meet his eyes.

Slowly, without a hint of haste, Haoran leaned forward.

Ye Hongyan tilted her chin up to meet him, her hands coming to rest gently upon his chest, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat beneath the silk.

Their lips met in the quiet starlight.

The kiss began soft and gentle, a tender, lingering brush of warmth that melted away the last lingering traces of exhaustion, blood, and bitter memories.

It tasted of clean mountain air and sweet, quiet surrender.

Gradually, the touch deepened, Haoran’s arm pulling her firmly against his chest while Ye Hongyan’s fingers curled into the black and gold fabric of his collar, losing herself in the safe, unyielding haven of his arms as the fireflies danced around them and the silent stars watched from above.

The night air was cool, but the tension between them was scorching.

Under the vast, star-studded canopy of the midnight sky, Haoran gripped Ye Hongyan with a possessive strength, his black and gold robes billowing slightly in the wind.

He crushed her body against his, his hands locking behind her head to tilt her face upward, forcing her to accept the full weight of his desire.

Their lips crashed together in a bruising, hungry collision.

Haoran didn’t just kiss her; he conquered her.

He forced his tongue past her teeth, wrestling with hers in a dominant dance of heat and saliva.

"Hmmm~!" Ye Hongyan let out a muffled moan, her glasses sliding slightly down her nose as she clung to his shoulders, her body trembling under his overwhelming presence.

He tasted of power and obsession, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, claiming every inch of her interior.

As the kiss deepened, Haoran’s hands began to wander, leaving her head to explore the curves of her body.

He slid his palms down her sides, gripping her waist before sliding them lower.

His fingers dug into the soft flesh of her thighs, kneading the skin through the fabric of her robes.

He felt her shiver, her breath hitching in her throat as he squeezed her thighs firmly, pulling her hips flush against his hardening cock.

He broke the kiss, but only to trail a path of biting, sucking kisses down her jawline to her neck.

He nipped at the sensitive skin of her throat, leaving dark marks of ownership.

Ye Hongyan arched her back, her head falling back as she whimpered, completely surrendered to his will.

With a sudden, dominant movement, Haoran pushed her backward.

Ye Hongyan gasped as she hit the grassy ground of the cliffside, her robes sprawling around her as Haoran loomed over her, his golden eyes burning with lust.

He didn’t waste a second, his hands moving to the fastenings of her robes.

He peeled the fabric away slowly, deliberately, savoring the sight of her skin emerging from the shadows.

He pushed the robes off her shoulders and chest, sliding the silk down to her waist.

As the fabric fell away, her large, heavy white breasts spilled out into the moonlight.

They were pale and luminous against the dark earth, the weight of them swaying slightly as she breathed heavily.

Haoran stared at them, his gaze fixed on her perky pink nipples, which were already hard and erect from the cold air and the intensity of his touch.

He reached out, his thumb brushing over one pink peak, watching as she gasped and writhed beneath him, fully exposed and waiting for his next command.

He circled the tight bud slowly, deliberately, feeling it stiffen further under the pad of his thumb.

A soft, helpless sound escaped her throat as he pinched lightly, rolling the sensitive flesh between thumb and forefinger until her back arched off the ground.

"Look at you," he murmured, voice low and rough. "So responsive. Guess it really has been awhile."

His other hand slid up to cup the heavy curve of her left breast, kneading it, testing its weight.

He squeezed it slow and firm, watching the soft flesh yield and spill between his fingers.

The moonlight caught the faint sheen of sweat along her collarbone as he lowered his head and dragged the flat of his tongue across the stiffened nipple, tasting the cool night air on her skin before sealing his mouth around it.

"Aah~!" She cried out as he sucked hard, teeth grazing just enough to make her hips jerk.

His free hand kept working the other breast, thumb flicking the peak in steady rhythm while his mouth pulled and teased.

Every breath she took pushed her fuller against him.

He switched sides without warning, giving the neglected nipple the same thorough attention until both were flushed a deeper pink and glistening.

Only when she was trembling did he ease back, lips wet, eyes dark.

"Hands above your head," he said quietly. "Keep them there."

She obeyed at once, wrists crossing above her, her body open and offered.

Haoran sat back on his heels for a moment, simply looking—her pale breasts rising and falling rapidly, nipples tight and aching for more—before he leaned down again, ready to take what he wanted.