Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Massage
Ming Lingyi was a little resistant at first, but when Li Yun’s hands actually landed on her shoulders, she was like a sunbathing cat getting its belly rubbed—so comfortable she wanted to hum out loud.
It felt incredible.
Li Yun’s hands were strong, yet he knew just the right amount of pressure to use so as not to cause discomfort. Ming Lingyi was still a little wary at first, but as he worked, she couldn’t help but lean against the rim of the tub as she had before, closing her eyes.
Every now and then, however, Ming Lingyi would still let out an involuntary response.
When Li Yun heard these "responses," he wasn’t sure if they were a good thing or a bad thing.
Initially, when Li Yun heard Ming Lingyi say she was tired, he had genuinely wanted to help ease her fatigue.
When had Ming Lingyi ever done this much manual labor? Now, running this small restaurant, she surely wasn’t accustomed to it, even with plenty of staff.
It was also true that he’d specifically learned this massage technique from the Imperial Hospital; he wasn’t just saying it to deceive her.
However, Li Yun had still overestimated himself.
When he saw Ming Lingyi resting in the tub, completely bare... when he placed his hands on her exquisitely smooth shoulders... when the pads of his fingers felt the softness of her body with no barrier between them... Li Yun found he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering, couldn’t stop himself from wanting more.
Especially when her unique, soft hums occasionally reached his ears. It was like a kitten’s paw, gently scraping across his heart—not painful, but leaving behind a lingering, maddening itch.
Li Yun’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.
And yet, Ming Lingyi remained completely oblivious, her back turned to him in a posture of utter trust.
For once, Li Yun found himself reflecting on his own actions.
’His Yuan Niang already trusts him so much. If I were to act on my predatory instincts, wouldn’t that be a terrible betrayal of her trust?’
Little did Li Yun know that Ming Lingyi was so freely exposing her back to him simply because the massage felt incredible, leaving her on the verge of sleep. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the "trust" he was imagining.
A thin layer of warm, misty steam filled the room. Li Yun’s hands had slid from Ming Lingyi’s sharp shoulder blades down to her slender waist.
His large hands stirred the water, creating a soft splashing sound that didn’t wake the soundly sleeping Ming Lingyi.
This time, Li Yun had truly become the one waiting on Ming Lingyi.
Hearing her even breaths, he noticed the bathwater had started to cool. He picked up a nearby bucket of hot water and poured it in. After rolling his sleeves back up, he resumed kneading and pressing her lower back with a steady, deliberate rhythm.
As he watched her snow-white skin gradually flush a pale crimson beneath his palms, Li Yun’s breathing quickened.
Inside the closed, humid room, Li Yun didn’t feel comfortable at all. On the contrary, his mouth felt dry and his throat was parched.
After he had massaged Ming Lingyi’s entire back, Li Yun checked the hour. It was getting late. Soaking any longer wouldn’t be good for her.
He took a clean undergarment from the nearby wooden rack, preparing to lift the sleeping Ming Lingyi out of the bathtub.
But the moment he lifted her from the tub into his arms, the tips of Li Yun’s ears burned hot.
’Being a gentleman is incredibly difficult.’
After gently placing her on the bed, Li Yun reached out and nudged her shoulder.
"Sit up. I’ll help you dry your hair," Li Yun said.
When Ming Lingyi awoke, she felt much more relaxed all over.
She had been skeptical of Li Yun’s "massage" before, but after experiencing it, she found it was surprisingly good. It was no different from when Nurse Xuan used to come to Kunning Palace to give her massages. In fact, because Li Yun’s hands were stronger, it felt even better.
Leaning against Li Yun, Ming Lingyi let him towel-dry her soft, glossy black hair. She let out a contented sigh.
"Feels good?" Li Yun asked, his fingers brushing against her ear.
The touch made Ming Lingyi flinch and try to pull away.
The ears are a sensitive spot, and Li Yun’s hand was warm with a faint roughness to it. How could Ming Lingyi not react?
Her reaction made Li Yun chuckle.
"It feels good," Ming Lingyi answered slowly.
After saying this, she was like a greedy cat emboldened by its owner’s affection. She extended a short, blunt claw and, with more mischief than skill, drew a red line across the man holding her. "You should come back often."
This was a bold thing for Ming Lingyi to say.
Hearing this, Li Yun stopped what he was doing and lowered his gaze to look at her.
His pupils were a deep, dark color. Ordinarily, no one dared to meet his gaze. Anyone who accidentally met the Emperor’s eyes would surely sense the layers of cold indifference welling up from within those dark depths.
Now, Li Yun’s pupils were still just as deep and cold. But within that boundless, black sea, there seemed to be something else—something indefinable that only made him seem all the more dangerous.
"No one has ever taken anything from me without paying a price." The hand that had been toying with Ming Lingyi’s ear had, at some point, moved to her jaw. He gripped it with a certain force, compelling her to meet his gaze. "So, Yuan Niang, what do you intend to offer me in exchange?"
As he spoke, his gaze roamed wantonly over her body, as if he were surveying his own territory.
When he had carried her over, he had only draped her in the undergarment she had left hanging on the wooden rack.
Ever since business at Ming’s Restaurant had started to pick up, the daily profits had increased considerably. With more money on hand, Ming Lingyi naturally wouldn’t skimp on her own food and clothing anymore.
This particular undergarment was light, flimsy, and quite sheer.
Especially now, just after her bath, the moisture clinging to her skin had faintly dampened the fabric.
Her already lovely figure seemed, in that instant, to be laid completely bare beneath his gaze.
Ming Lingyi couldn’t stop her toes from curling.
No matter how close she and Li Yun became, whenever she felt that powerful, irresistible possessiveness and dominance radiating from him, she always felt a flicker of fear.
And yet, despite the fear, there was also a secret, undeniable thrill deep inside her.
Ming Lingyi felt as though Li Yun’s stare would see right through to the little secrets in her heart. Meanwhile, the pressure on her jaw pushed her lips into an alluring pout.
A reckless courage born of desperation surged through Ming Lingyi. Unwilling to let him uncover her secret thoughts, she bit down hard on the fleshy part of his hand between his thumb and forefinger. As if to make a point, she even gnawed on the piece of flesh she had captured.
