When Jin Lu woke up, she was confused and disoriented, the events of the past day scattered in her head. She sat up, turning her head to stare at the empty space her hand had landed on. It was still warm from Long Yin's body. Not seeing him in the room, she gave in to her urge and buried her face in his pillow. A wave of relief swept through her, she breathed in the remains of Long Yin's scent.
The door swung open and Jin Lu popped up, a look of false innocence on her face. Long Yin stopped in the doorway, his foot still raised as he took in the scene. The pillow he had used had a large indent in the middle and the cover was wrinkled oddly. Something between lust and amusement flashed across Long Yin's eyes.
"I would much rather you used me instead of my pillow." Long Yin couldn't help but tease Jin Lu. The guilty blush across his cheeks and the glint of rebelliousness in his eyes made Long Yin's heart flutter every time.
"The pillow is safer," Jin Lu snapped back, raising her chin in defiance. Long Yin chuckled and shook his head, unable to deny the fact. He walked forward and laid a stack of folded clothing on the bed.
"I brought you a change of clothes. Get dressed and meet me downstairs for breakfast." Jin Lu watched Long Yin until he closed the door behind him, not sure how to react. So much had happened yesterday, but Long Yin wasn't acting any different from usual.
Just let it be, Jinny. Things will work out as they're supposed to.
Jin Lu pulled the top garment towards herself, a gasp of admiration coming from her at the feel of the soft, silky feeling of the light blue fabric. Velvet fur dyed a deep navy blue lined the collar and the end of the sleeves. The underclothes were the same blue as the fur, yet light as air, the long split skirt covering her all the way to her ankles. Jin Lu could feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes at Long Yin's thoughtfulness. She felt like a woman again.
Long Yin was sitting at a table in the dining area of the inn, frowning at his glass of wine as he watched the stairs. For the first time, he worried that he may have gone too far. Just because Jin Lu said he was a woman and his spiritual image was that of a woman, didn't mean that he wanted to dress like one.
Long Yin tapped his finger on the table in agitation, not used to questioning himself. He had reached the limit of his patience, deciding to march back into the room, when the noise of the dining area cut off, every head looking towards the stairs. Long Yin froze halfway between standing and sitting, his jaw going slack at the vision coming towards him.
Jin Lu's violet eyes and pale white face glowed against the dark blue of the fur collar. His long black hair was no longer hidden underneath his clothing, instead, it hung like a glorious waterfall down his back. Long Yin cursed himself for not thinking to include a hair ornament, even as the thought of Jin Lu's hair spread over his bed made his lust skyrocket.
Jin Lu blushed at the attention, ducking her head down as she hurried to Long Yin's side.
"Am I that ugly?" Jin Lu whispered to the table top. Long Yin finally sat down, snapping his jaw shut and getting his thoughts back under control. Hearing the sadness in Jin Lu's voice almost broke the heart he hadn't been sure he had.
"You are beautiful." Long Yin had to swallow hard at the wistful smile Jin Lu gave him, the doubt in his eyes too much for Long Yin. Reaching his hand out, he grasped Jin Lu's chin between his fingers and leaned forward.
The kiss was quick, but tender. Jin Lu was too surprised to say anything, wetting her lips in shock. Long Yin groaned at the sight, lowering his head to the table.
"You are trying to kill me, aren't you?" Jin Lu didn't miss the playful note in Long Yin's voice and giggled at his dramatics.
"Serves you right," Jin Lu said haughtily, enjoying the flirtatious byplay.
Gods, I missed being a woman!
Having dispelled Jin Lu's depressed mood, Long Yin waved the waiter over, glaring at those who were still staring at Jin Lu. They visibly jolted to their senses, their voices obviously louder than they had been before Jin Lu had appeared.
Jin Lu was unaware of how captivating she was, paying close attention to her menu as she ordered enough meat for three meals. Long Yin breathed a sigh of relief, his spirit settling back to normality at Jin Lu's familiarity. Seeing Jin Lu as a woman had shaken Long Yin to the core of his being.
"Where would you like to go today?" Long Yin asked as they waited for Jin Lu's food. Jin Lu tilted her head in thought.
"I'd like to look around the city, maybe stop at a bookstore?" Jin Lu still had over twenty books in her bag from the house she had robbed, but none of them looked like they would have the information she needed.
"As you wish, my Yang," Long Yin said with a smile.
"Why do you call me that?"
"Call you what?"
"My Yang."
Long Yin swirled the wine in his glass as he thought of what to say. He didn't want to scare Jin Lu away with too much information, but he didn't want to brush him off either.
"It is a pet name my family uses for those who are not related, but we still consider them family." Long Yin pretended indifference, watching Jin Lu's reaction closely.
"Oh," Jin Lu whispered softly, looking anywhere but at Long Yin. His answer had surprised and pleased her, making her feel flustered. She smiled gratefully at the waiter as he brought her food over, giving her something else to concentrate on.
Long Yin smiled into his wine, pleased with himself. He hadn't lied, exactly…