CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 165: TEASING

Yue Ning was in the shower, the warm water cascading down her body, her reflection staring back at her in the mirror.

Steam coiled in lazy swirls causing the mirror to become foggy. Her hands instinctively traveled to her ribs, moving over the smooth skin. There were bandages, no marks, no evidence of a tragic accident—a miracle she owed to the system, and to her own resilience.

’You have me,’ the system whispered smugly in her mind.

She rolled her eyes, letting the water move over her hair and shoulders, but the thought lingered. If she hadn’t survived, she wouldn’t be here.

She wouldn’t be able to protect Huo Feng. That thought made her shiver, even as her pulse quickened.

The bathroom door creaked softly.

"Yue Ning..." Huo Feng’s low voice sounded.

She instantly froze, the sound of him so close sending a shiver down her spine. The water pooled at her feet, the mist curling around her like a veil.

He stepped inside, casual but impossibly commanding, as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

Steam enveloped him, making him look close and untouchable. His dark eyes roamed her body slowly, tracing the curve of her shoulders, the soft slope of her collarbone, and the way water slid down her pale skin.

"You’re... making a mess," he murmured, calmly but his voice carried a trace of teasing which was laced with amusement. "Water everywhere... but somehow, you still look... perfect."

Yue Ning felt her cheeks heat up, and her breath caught in her throat. "Oh really? I didn’t realize you cared about my shower habits."

He smirked, stepping a fraction closer, letting his eyes roam freely without touching, without crossing any line... yet. "I care about a lot of things," he whispered. "Mostly about you."

Her pulse jumped, a heat forming in her chest. She was aware of how slow and deliberate he was. "Huo Feng..." she whispered, voice trembling. She even seemed to forget that she was standing naked in front of him.

He tilted his head, eyes lingering over her arms, the gentle curve of her waist, the way water clung to her skin. "Shh," he murmured, stepping closer still, the heat of his body brushing against hers. "Don’t talk. Just... stay still. Let me take a look."

Her breath hitched as his gaze roamed, claiming her silently. She felt her pulse in her throat, her heart hammering as his eyes traveled from her face, down to her shoulders, back to her lips. Each glance was a silent claim, a tease and a promise.

"You smell... incredible," he murmured with his voice brushing her ear. His eyes darkened, lingered and was filled with a raw hunger that was tempered only by restraint. "And you have no idea what you do to me."

Yue Ning swallowed. Her pulse raced but didn’t back away.

She let him watch, let him savor, knowing that each lingering glance, each teasing word, was a promise yet unfulfilled.

He finally leaned just slightly closer, and his lips the shell of her ear. "You’re impossible to resist," he whispered with a low husky voice.

His eyes assessed her one last time, memorizing every detail, every curve, every nuance, every sigh and shiver he drew from her.

Heat pooled in her stomach. Her knees threatened to buckle, yet she remained, caught in the tension, the closeness, and the subtle threat of what might come.

He circled her slowly, carefully tracing the outline of her back without touching. "You know..." he murmured, voice soft but teasing. "You have a way of making me forget everything else. The world disappears."

Her lips parted, a small gasp slipping through. "Huo Feng..."

He chuckled softly, brushing a wet strand of hair from her shoulder, letting his fingers linger near, almost brushing her skin. "You’re enjoying this too, aren’t you?"

"I..." she hesitated, shivering as his gaze met hers in the mirror’s fog. "I... maybe a little."

"Maybe?" he teased, dark eyes glittering with amusement. "I think I see it clearly."

Her breath caught again as he leaned closer, so close that the heat of him enveloped her. He let his lips hover near her temple, brushing against her ear lightly.

"You’re exquisite," he murmured, his voice soft but laden with something darker, more intimate. "Every inch of you is perfect."

Yue Ning felt her knees weaken, the warmth pooling deeper, yet she didn’t pull away. She let him savor her presence, let him linger. The steam, the soft drip of water, the way his dark gaze claimed her was intoxicating.

Huo Feng finally let his hand brush against the small of her back. Not to touch, not to cross any line, but to anchor her. "I can’t..." he murmured, voice low, restrained. "You make it impossible to think clearly."

Her fingers twitched at his restraint, the deliberate delay, the teasing that made her pulse race faster. "Impossible... for what?" she breathed.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he let his gaze roam again, slow, methodical.

His eyes drank in every curve, every line, every subtle shiver that betrayed her reactions. "To resist you," he finally said, voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of raw emotion and desire.

Yue Ning’s chest tightened. She caught a breath, swallowing against the heat rising in her body. "Huo Feng..."

He leaned closer, letting his lips brush the shell of her ear once more. "Stay still. Don’t move. Let me... remember this. Every inch of you."

The water dripped from her hair onto his shoulder, making the tension between them all the more unbearable.

Each drop a reminder of their proximity, each shiver, each heartbeat synchronizing in the space they shared.

He circled her slowly, deliberately, and finally stopped behind her. His breath brushed against her neck, filled with teasing, warmth and intimacy. "I want to memorize you," he murmured, voice husky. "Not just your face, not just your body... but the way you make me feel."

Her pulse raced. Heat pooled, her skin tingling where his fingers hovered near. "Huo Feng..." she whispered, voice trembling.

He smiled softly, the rare gentleness cutting through the intensity. "You’re mine," he said softly. "Even when I’m teasing, even when I’m holding back... you’re mine."

She shivered against him, heat coursing through her, breath catching as he lingered close but restrained. Every glance, every murmur, every slow, deliberate movement was a promise.

The steam swirled around them, enclosing them in their own world. For a long moment, the outside world ceased to exist. No past. No danger. No future. Just the heat, the gaze, and the unspoken promises that lingered in the air.

Finally, he stepped back slightly, allowing her to catch her breath, his eyes still dark, still teasing, still claiming. "Get out before I lose control," he murmured, voice low, almost a growl.

Yue Ning laughed softly, a nervous, fluttering sound. "You tease too much," she whispered.

He smirked, eyes still lingering, dark and unreadable. "Only because it’s you," he replied, letting his gaze roam one last time, memorizing her, savoring her. "Only because it’s always been you."

And with that, he stepped back fully, giving her space, yet the tension between them lingered. The room was filled with steam, warmth, and unspoken promises, the kind that only grew when left unfulfilled.

Yue Ning finished her shower slowly, savoring the echo of his presence, the warmth of his gaze, the soft teasing that had set her pulse racing. She knew the game was far from over, that Huo Feng would be both torment and comfort, restraint and temptation.

But for now, the moment belonged to them both—the quiet, the teasing, the slow, sensual pull of hearts and desire.

And somewhere deep inside, Yue Ning knew: when the time came, neither of them would be able to hold back.