Chapter 143: Cultivating (Part 1) - TW: Slight M

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Cultivating (Part 1) - TW: Slight M

After listening to Yizhou’s string of persuasive arguments, Sui Sui was already beginning to waver.

However, what finally tipped the scales was Yizhou’s offer to let him make up for the two months’ worth of blood-feeding sessions he had missed. Now, that was an offer he simply couldn’t afford to refuse!

Think about it. One kiss in exchange for two months’ worth of blood? Where else could he find such a good deal? He would have to be a fool to turn it down!

And so, after much deliberation, Sui Sui finally agreed to the proposal. At most, he would just treat it like CPR. He could pretend he was drowning and Yizhou was merely trying to save his life. Yes, exactly! It wasn’t a kiss; it was a life-saving procedure!

Besides, if you think about it carefully, it wasn’t even a real kiss. It was simply a method of exchanging spiritual energy. The two of them were men with perfectly pure intentions, so what was there to be embarrassed about? It would only be inappropriate if one of them were a woman, right?

In his past life, Sui Sui vaguely remembered hearing that even close male friends sometimes kissed each other as a joke. This shouldn’t be all that different, should it? And, most importantly, they were doing it for the sake of cultivation! It wasn’t as though they were doing anything improper. They were simply pursuing the Great Dao through an alternative method. Very respectable. Very proper.

Plus, this was only going to happen once. Just once! Surely, one little kiss wouldn’t hurt anyone.

The more Sui Sui thought about it, the more reasonable the whole arrangement seemed. By the time he finished reassuring himself, he had almost forgotten that he had been vehemently opposed to the idea just moments ago.

Cultivation is Dao, the Dao follows the natural law, and the natural law is pure. Therefore, what they were about to do was pure, too!

Having successfully brainwashed himself with this impeccable logic, Sui Sui finally felt ready to proceed.

And so, the scene that followed was Sui Sui and Yizhou sitting face-to-face on the bed. Well, technically speaking, Yizhou was the one sitting on the bed, while Sui Sui was perched right on his lap, facing him.

Sui Sui glanced at Yizhou, then lowered his gaze to their current position. He was sitting right on the other man’s lap, close enough that there was barely any space between them. The longer he looked at it, the more he felt that something was wrong. Was this really necessary for cultivation? Why did he feel as though he had walked straight into a trap?

"Uhhh... are we really supposed to do this like this?"

Yizhou shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. He looked perfectly at ease, as if having his junior brother sit in his lap were the most natural thing in the world. "Why not? Dual cultivation requires close physical contact anyway."

Sui Sui raised his head and studied Yizhou’s face. That smile was as handsome as ever, but for some reason, it struck him as rather questionable.

"But why do I still feel like your smile is evil?"

Yizhou’s smile widened. "Be good. This is my most sincere smile."

Sui Sui stared at him. Somehow, that answer had done nothing to reassure him.

"Believe me, this really is the most suitable position for the technique," Yizhou added smoothly. "And besides doesn’t your back still hurt? With this, I’ll be support you so you don’t have to strain yourself. Come on, put your hands on my shoulders."

Sui Sui gave Yizhou one last suspicious look before reluctantly following his instructions, placing both hands on his shoulders.

Looking at Sui Sui’s obedient appearance, Yizhou couldn’t help but find him rather adorable. He honestly hadn’t expected his junior brother to agree so readily. After all, he had even given Sui Sui the option to back out. But now that the opportunity had presented itself, there was no reason not to make the most of it, was there?

With that thought, Yizhou placed one hand on Sui Sui’s waist and gently cupped his face with the other. Truthfully, this was his first time doing something like this, so he could only rely on what he had seen others do and improvise from there.

Feeling Yizhou’s hand against his cheek, Sui Sui’s heart skipped a beat. He lifted his eyes to meet Yizhou’s gaze, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

"Ready?"

Sui Sui took a deep breath before giving a small nod. "Ready."

As soon as Sui Sui finished speaking, Yizhou leaned forward. Sui Sui instinctively closed his eyes, and a moment later, their lips met.

The kiss was so light that it felt as though their lips had merely brushed against each other by accident. Sui Sui barely had time to register what had happened when he felt a familiar warmth spreading from the point where they touched. It was spiritual energy!

Realizing this, Sui Sui quickly remembered his original purpose and gathered his thoughts and responded by releasing his own spiritual energy, allowing it to flow toward Yizhou’s.

Oh? This actually wasn’t so bad.

Sui Sui had to admit that the sensation was rather pleasant. The warm energy flowed between them, and the exchange felt surprisingly smooth. Perhaps Yizhou hadn’t been lying about this method after all.

Not that he was enjoying the kiss, of course!

It was the spiritual energy exchange that felt good. Yes, that was it! Sui Sui nodded inwardly, thoroughly satisfied with this explanation.

However soon Sui Sui’s thoughts began to wander

Wow. He was actually kissing the male lead right now!

Even now, Sui Sui still found it hard to believe. He wondered, if the future members of Yizhou’s harem ever found out about this, who knew how many of them would be heartbroken? After all, their beloved male lead’s first kiss had been taken by another man!

Good grief. This was definitely something that had to remain a secret!

With his thoughts running wild, Sui Sui kept his eyes firmly shut, not daring to open them even a crack. As long as he couldn’t see Yizhou’s face, he could pretend nothing unusual was happening. In fact, he could even imagine that he was kissing the back of his own hand. There! That wasn’t so embarrassing, was it?

Satisfied with this ingenious solution, Sui Sui finally managed to settle his wandering thoughts and focus on circulating his spiritual energy, carefully observing the changes in his cultivation.

However, after a while, he couldn’t help feeling a little puzzled.

Strange. Why did he fell as if it this method didn’t feel as effective as he had expected?

The results were certainly better than those of ordinary dual cultivation, but the improvement didn’t seem all that significant compared with their usual method of combining it with blood-feeding. Hadn’t Yizhou said this method was supposed to be more effective?

Sui Sui continued circulating his spiritual energy, quietly pondering the problem. Perhaps there was some trick to it that he hadn’t figured out yet?

Could they be doing it wrong?

Just as Sui Sui was pondering about this, he suddenly felt the lips pressed against his move slightly. Before he could figure out what Yizhou was doing, something warm and wet brushed against the corner of his mouth.

Sui Sui’s mind went blank.

Caught completely off guard, he instinctively parted his lips with a startled little sound. Ah?

Yizhou immediately took advantage of that split second, tilting his head and deepening the kiss. One hand remained at Sui Sui’s waist to support his body, while the other gently cupped his cheek, his thumb brushing against the soft skin there. He pressed their lips together again, moving slowly at first, as though giving Sui Sui time to adjust before coaxing his lips apart.

When Sui Sui’s lips parted, Yizhou slipped his tongue inside, turning the previously simple kiss into something far more intimate. Their lips moved against each other, sometimes parting for a fleeting moment before meeting again, while Yizhou patiently explored the unfamiliar territory. He was not particularly experienced in such matters, but he seemed to have a natural talent for this.

Sui Sui’s fingers tightened around Yizhou’s shoulders. The sudden change had caught him completely off guard, however, since he was inexperienced, he could only follow the other’s lead as his mind struggled to keep up with what was happening.

Yizhou’s eyes lit up at this subtle sign of agreement. He had half expected his timid junior brother to shrink away from him, yet Sui Sui was still sitting obediently in his lap, his hands gripping Yizhou’s shoulders as though they were the only things keeping him steady.

One hand remained at the younger man’s waist to support him, while the other continued to cup his cheek. His thumb brushed idly against Sui Sui’s cheek, finding the exposed skin there unexpectedly smooth beneath his touch, Yizhou’s fingers lingered for a moment before moving around to the back of Sui Sui’s neck. He gave the nape a light pinch, curious to see how the younger man would react.

Sure enough, Sui Sui’s body tensed at the touch.

Yizhou’s lips curved in quiet amusement. His junior brother was certainly full of surprises. He had always thought Sui Sui was rather adorable, but holding him this close was an entirely different experience. Beneath Yizhou’s hands, Sui Sui was so soft and delicate that even the finest silk seemed rough by comparison. His skin was smooth as polished jade, while his entire body felt more tender than the petals of a freshly opened flower.

Yizhou had touched countless treasures in his life, but none had ever made him pay such attention to something as simple as the feel of another person’s skin.

Every little touch seemed to reveal something new, leaving him increasingly reluctant to let go.

Then suddenly, he heard a soft and almost inaudible moan escaped from the person in his arms, brushing against his ear.

Instantly, Yizhou’s heart gave an unexpected tremor.

For a brief moment, Yizhou forgot what he had been doing. That small, unintentional sound seemed to slip past his usual composure and strike somewhere deep in his chest, making his heart tremble in a way he couldn’t quite explain.