"Xiao Qing, can't you be gentler?" Xiang Ri withdrew his hand from the apprentice's shapely hips, a wry smile playing on his lips.
It was the first class of the afternoon, and naturally, Xiang Ri wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip by. Any advantage to be gained, he would seize with fervor.
However, he had overlooked one critical detail: the apprentice before him was no longer the gentle and demure girl she once was. Her mastery of the "Nine Yin Bone Claw" technique was no less formidable than a certain feisty young woman's—perhaps even surpassing it! A single strike from her left the lecherous teacher wincing in pain, his teeth bared in a grimace.
"Teacher," Shi Qing murmured in a mixture of embarrassment and irritation, her hand on his waist applying a touch more pressure. "Can't you just focus on the lesson?"
"Slipped—my hand slipped," Xiang Ri replied sheepishly, forcing a look of pain onto his face. "Xiao Qing, could you kindly move your hand away? Situations like this are easily misinterpreted by others!" His expression shifted, taking on a lascivious smirk as he delivered the final line.
Shi Qing let out a soft gasp, suddenly realizing the compromising nature of their position. Her entire body was practically nestled against him, and her hand, concealed beneath the desk, moved in a way that could easily lead to... misunderstandings.
Fortunately, Xiang Ri had chosen an inconspicuous corner to take advantage of his apprentice, one far from prying eyes. Being class time, no one would likely notice what was happening in the back row.
Even so, Shi Qing's face flushed a deep crimson. She hurriedly tried to withdraw her hand, but the beastly teacher caught it firmly in his grasp.
"Exquisite!" Xiang Ri exclaimed in genuine admiration, pulling the delicate, jade-like hand closer to inspect it.
He had never noticed before that his martial artist apprentice's hands, despite her training, bore no calluses. Instead, they were smoother and softer than most, their translucent skin revealing faint traces of blood vessels beneath. Her ten slender, alabaster fingers resembled spring onions—so perfect, they seemed less like hands and more like works of art.
But Xiang Ri, consumed by less noble thoughts, was far from appreciating them as mere art. What he envisioned was that slender, flawless hand wrapped around a certain part of him, throbbing with life. What kind of pleasure might that bring? At this thought, a surge of heat coursed through him, pooling in one singular, increasingly taut place.
"Teacher, what are you doing?" Shi Qing's face turned crimson with embarrassment. She couldn't fathom why the beastly teacher refused to release her hand, all the while staring at it with drool trickling from the corner of his mouth. Was it possible that being deprived of his proper lunch had made him associate her hand with some kind of delicacy?
"Oh, it's nothing!" Xiang Ri discreetly wiped away the telltale moisture from his lips, adopting a serious expression. "I was simply marveling at how beautiful your hands are, Xiao Qing."
"R-Really?" Shi Qing stammered, caught off guard. Her initial embarrassment gave way to a shy delight. Who would have thought her hands could enchant the beastly teacher to such an extent? She silently vowed to take better care of them in the future.
"Of course! Do you not realize just how captivating your hands are? They've nearly bewitched me to death!" Noticing the flicker of joy in her expression, Xiang Ri seized the opportunity to lavish her with further flattery. Then, to Shi Qing's utter shock, he leaned forward and took her delicate, jade-like fingers into his mouth.
"Ah!" she gasped softly, startled by the sudden warmth enveloping her fingers. Her instinctive attempt to pull her hand back was thwarted, as the man's grip held her firmly in place, leaving her no chance to struggle.
Having achieved his wicked goal, Xiang Ri savored her fingers one by one, his tongue tracing over them as if they were icy treats. Only after thoroughly indulging in each of the five slender digits did he reluctantly let go, his expression brimming with satisfaction. "This," he declared smugly, "is your punishment for pinching my waist earlier."
"How could you do this?" Shi Qing's voice quivered with indignation, her wide eyes fixed on her five glistening fingers, now coated with a sheen of his saliva. In that moment, she resembled a wronged young bride, staring in helpless disbelief at the audacity of her tormentor.
Xiang Ri seemed utterly oblivious to the grievance etched on his apprentice's face. Instead, with an expression steeped in suggestive mischief, he murmured, "Xiao Qing, do you know? What I truly wish to 'taste' isn't your fingers, but rather your..." His voice trailed off deliberately, his gaze drifting provocatively toward the two prominent curves on her chest.
Shi Qing, initially still a bit bewildered, immediately understood what her beastly teacher truly wanted to "taste" the moment she caught his lecherous gaze. Flustered and exasperated, she exclaimed, "Teacher, if you keep this up, I won't talk to you anymore!"
Xiang Ri said nothing, merely chuckling slyly.
Shi Qing felt an urge to pinch him again, but the "punishment" he had inflicted earlier was still fresh in her memory. Moreover, the old professor at the lectern had already noticed the commotion in their corner, making her wary of causing further disturbance. For now, she could only endure as her beastly teacher's brazen eyes roamed over her without restraint.
However, Xiang Ri seemed far from done with his teasing. He pressed on with deliberate provocation: "Xiao Qing, I recall you're terribly afraid of the dark. How about I keep you company tonight?" It was a playful "revenge" for the time she had borrowed Chu Xiaoniu for the night, leaving him tossing and turning in sleepless misery. Now that the opportunity presented itself, he couldn't resist a bit of payback.
"No—!" Shi Qing hastily refused, panic flaring in her voice. Deep down, she truly feared that her beastly teacher might launch a nocturnal "raid" on her. She wasn't remotely prepared for that possibility.
"Don't want to?" Xiang Ri's smile grew more wicked. "Then how about you come keep me company instead? Truth be told, I'm quite afraid of the dark myself."
Shi Qing, flustered and indignant, retorted, "You—you have Chu Chu to keep you company!"
"Chu Chu?" Xiang Ri's grin turned even more devilish. "Tell me honestly, Xiao Qing, have you been eavesdropping on us every night?"
Though she wasn't entirely sure what "eavesdropping" entailed, Shi Qing could guess well enough. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she stammered a vehement denial, "N-no, I haven't..."
"Really?" Xiang Ri found himself increasingly delighted by the act of teasing his apprentice. Watching her now, desperate enough to want to dig herself a hole to hide in, filled him with a thrilling sense of satisfaction.
Her fragile composure was utterly endearing. He couldn't help but wonder: when the day came that they faced each other with nothing to hide, what kind of irresistibly shy expression would she wear?