King Jin could see the hesitation in her eyes. He could feel that somehow, Yi Ling liked him. What was keeping her from admitting it, he wondered.
"Listen to your heart... Ling'er," he said her name softly in her ear.
Her heart couldn't handle it anymore. The way he mentioned her name was beyond anything she felt before. There was love, care, and trust. But there was a thought in her mind that she couldn't erase. She shook her head. She knew if she said something, he'd probably be suspicious of her. She gulped, now nervous. Those dark purple eyes seemed to know all of her secrets.
"...I... I'm not sure." She replied, looking down, unable to face him.
King Jin's brows furrowed. Something was stopping her, what could it be? He needed to consult with Yu Ran. He didn't know anything about a woman's feelings. Poor Yu Ran, he had no clue either. Isn't that why he was single?
He lifted her chin back up; he didn't like her seemingly bowing to him. He didn't want his woman to bow to him at all; she would be his equal, he thought.
Staring into her brown eyes, something was pulling his head down. Yi Ling knew what was going to happen next. Even though Mu Xin teased her most of the time, they had never kissed on the lips. She pursed her red lips together. She didn't even know how to kiss. She was nervous but didn't stop him.
Since she wasn't trying to stop him, he took a risk and kissed her. When their lips touched, he felt that somehow time had stopped. He closed his eyes as he tasted her sweet mouth.
Yi Ling turned as red as a tomato; his lips were so sweet. She closed her eyes, knowing she was going to get addicted to this. Their lips moved on their own. His hands wrapped around her body tightly, afraid that she'd disappear. Feeling the moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck. It seemed like a long time, but really it wasn't.
Yu Ran walked into the scene. He didn't know they were having a moment. When he heard that Yi Ling woke up, he informed the King. The King was faster than him, so he arrived first. Yu Ran just caught up. His eyes went wide and his face turned red. Afraid that he would be noticed, he instantly turned around. He didn't notice that a servant was walking behind him, and they collided.
"I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't see you there," said the male servant, bowing. Afraid to offend Yu Ran.
Hearing that someone was there, Yi Ling broke away from the kiss. Her face was awfully red. King Jin's brows were crossed, but his eyes glimmered with joy. He looked back at the cause of the interruption and saw Yu Ran. Yu Ran gulped. He is dead, he thought. King Jin lifted his brows at him, seemingly saying, What are you still standing there for? Yu Ran got the hint and bowed. He pulled the servant away together with him and left.
King Jin looked back to Yi Ling and found she was nowhere in sight. He smiled; she ran away again. He touched his sore lips. That was his first kiss. He blushed.
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Yi Ling ran back to her chamber. Her heart was beating too fast. That kiss brought her closer to heaven, she thought. She sat on the bed, unable to stop thinking about the kiss. King Jin didn't seem experienced at all; did that mean it was his first too? She blushed.
All of a sudden, she felt a slight tug on her heart. Something was happening. She should have been able to make her soul stable in the body. She made countless concoctions for her soul to stabilize. What was going on? The pain gradually got stronger until she couldn't help but scream.
"Ahhhhh!"
Hearing that scream, King Jin woke up from his daydreaming. He ran to her chambers as fast as he could. Yi Ling was clenching her chest, pain evident on her face.
"Ling'er!" King Jin went to her side and touched her pulse. His eyes went wide; her soul was acting up again. He was afraid this would happen, so he studied a bunch of books about souls. He made some pills just for her. He got the pills out and made her drink them.
Yi Ling didn't stop him; she was in deep pain. She swallowed it. She could feel it slightly working as she fainted in his arms.
King Jin hugged her, not knowing what to do. He was helpless at the moment. If only he was at his peak, she wouldn't be in this situation, he thought.
After a while, he laid her back on the bed. He checked her pulse; her heartbeat was now calming down. He didn't know what made her soul react again. Was she overly exhausted from cultivating? he thought.
He kissed her forehead and left. She needed some rest. He went back to his study and called for Yu Ran.
"Any news of the thing this King asked you to search?" he asked directly as Yu Ran came in.
"Not yet, your highness. Is something wrong? The servants in Yi Ling's courtyard informed me that she screamed?"
"This King already took care of it. Her soul is acting up again. This King needs that herb to help her soul stabilize. She needs to make her soul stay in that body." King Jin figured everything out after a year of studying. That Yi Ling was a soul and that body wasn't hers. He studied it partly because he wanted to understand what the Omen was and partly because he wanted to get to know her.
He rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to lose her now that she started opening up to him.
Yu Ran didn't know what to say. He knew her circumstances and the sacrifices the King made for her. The pills he made; he hunted the herbs himself from faraway places.
He himself was helpless, like the King. He sighed.