From Hungry Wolf to a Palace Maiden in Seconds

"Isn't it perfect? Do you like the taste of my blood, Lord Emodao?"

A flirty voice came to his ears as soon as his eyes opened. His ears were ringing while his body swayed even though he was seated. He moved as if he was losing his balance and his center of gravity. Within his blurry eyeshot, he could see a figure of a woman who seemed to be in her bare skin. Blood had also trailed from her shoulder and her arms.

She was holding what looked like a cup as she sat at the opposite end of the room. Her lips were popping red from cosmetics or blood, the color contrasting so much from her snow-white skin. The woman was leisurely enjoying her drink while watching the demon king be in a state of dizziness.

"I told you... you'd fall the moment you taste my blood." She drank a sip from her cup. "In minutes, the first battalion would arrive, and I'm pretty sure General Xu would reward me generously for contributing immensely to your downfall." She then reached for a cloth and began washing the blood on her body. "I wasn't planning to show my body to anyone else until I secure marriage with General Xu. It's not that bad since you're just going to die anyway.

"Tell me, Lord Emodao..."

The woman got up from her seat, and he felt like someone just knocked him to the side. His head collided with the matted flooring with a loud thud. The demon king tried to lift his head, but the woman came and stepped on his face, keeping him against the matted floor. She reached out and picked a robe from the small table. Wearing it loosely, she continued to drill her soft foot against his face.

"How does it feel like to die helplessly? Isn't it befitting for me—the future grand lady of the Imperial Army—to be the one taking you down?" She began laughing, squirming as if she was shying from something. "Oh, General Xu would be so happy. He gets to kill the most prolific demon king of all, he receives rewards by the goddess, and he marries a real imperial princess. Snowplume would be so envious of me."

"You might be... half as noisy... as General Xu, but..."—Emodao's voice tried to squeeze a snarky comment. His hand then grabbed the woman's body with his huge hand and pulled her closer to his face—"you're not even an inch as beautiful as he is. Why would that rattling can marry someone like you? You really think you're pretty?"

"Let me go! Help! General Xu!"

The woman started screaming, but Emodao only threw her away and through the roof. As she got through, Emodao spied from the hole she made how someone grabbed her hair and sent her back to the room with the owner of the hand. A toothy grin came from Emodao as he saw Xu Rouguang holding onto the woman that he dumped to the side. That was the first time General Xu only stared at him for a few seconds, saying or doing nothing.

What a weird dream to vaguely remember.

Lai Mingjie opened his eyes and recognized his ceiling right away. He tried to get up from bed, but he found Xu Rouguang mounting half his body on him, with the general's head on his chest. He took a deep breath before reaching out using his unpinned hand to wake up the freeloader.

"Hey, are you scared my heart would stop all of a sudden?" Lai Mingjie began playing with the other's hair. He enjoyed twirling the strands around his fingers. "Hey, wake up, Rouguang."

"Can I kiss you, Jie?" Xu Rouguang didn't manage to talk right away as he was happy Lai Mingjie was already awake in less than twelve hours. He lifted his face to smile at the demon king while reaching out to rub Lai Mingjie's cheek.

"Nah, you haven't even brushed your teeth yet." Lai Mingjie patted his head and tried to sit up again. This time, he was allowed to do so since Xu Rouguang moved. However, he then used a hand to beckon the general. "Rou, come closer."

Xu Rouguang sat up properly and scooted closer as instructed. Lai Mingjie's hand moved again, and so he leaned closer as if he knew Lai Mingjie was going to whisper something. However, he was caught off-guard when the demon king grinned mischievously at him upon grasping his chin. A light kiss was placed on his lips, and Xu Rouguang could only flicker his eyes.

Before he could whine about not being ready, Lai Mingjie plastered his hand on Xu Rouguang's face. He felt so wronged, and yet his heart continued to flutter.

"It's a Saturday, yeah?" Lai Mingjie left the bed and went to check himself. He remembered feeling torn apart, and so he wanted to check if it left visible marks. He also unbuttoned his pajama top and saw his spotless torso. It looked like Xu Rouguang made sure no traces would be left.

Then, it hit him.

"Did you change my clothes?" He turned to Xu Rouguang who was still sitting cross-legged on the bed. His glare deepened the more the general kept his silence.

"They grew filthy. I couldn't let you sleep in those." Xu Rouguang only smiled as if he was only doing what was right. However, a rather lustful glint was on his eyes. If his eyes were mirrors, each would reflect a very clear image of Lai Mingjie's bare chest.

"I'm beginning to think you have ulterior motives for undressing me." Lai Mingjie flipped the pajama top somehow closed as he turned away. His eyes then shifted to his hips and stared how his boxer's band was visible with his pajama bottom riding a little lower than normal. He couldn't remember if the color was right. "How much did you change, though?"

"Like I said, they grew filthy." Xu Rouguang got off of the bed fast before racing to Lai Mingjie's side to hold him from behind. His fingers then spread as soon as he felt Emodao bare skin on his fingertips. His hands were on the other's abdomen while his chin was perched on the other's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm not really trying to be a pervert, Jie.

"I know you'd hate it if I touch you while you're sleeping." One of his hands began slipping down Lai Mingjie's navel while his face retreated to kiss Lai Mingjie's nape.

"I think what you really need to learn is 'I'd hate it if you touch me without consent'." Lai Mingjie sighed, reaching out his hand behind Xu Rouguang's head while the other was on the one invading the nether regions. "Knock it off, Rou. I feel dirty from what happened. At least let me take a shower."

Xu Rouguang's eyes glinted stronger. His hands retreated from his hold on Lai Mingjie, and he chose to step back to give Lai Mingjie some space. However, this gesture was nothing more than a deception. The demon king only laughed out as he caught a glimpse of Xu Rouguang's hungry gaze through the mirror.

He slowly walked towards the private bathroom door as he stretched and yawned. Lai Mingjie then ruffled his bed hair before opening the door. He then turned to Xu Rouguang, "I'm not inviting you in, of course. Use the other bathroom and get ready. We're going out."

"Like a date, Jie?" The expression on Xu Rouguang's face changed.

"Yeah, like a date. Go and be decent." He then closed the door behind him, listening to the shuffling footsteps that Xu Rouguang made after. The demon king then walked to the sink and continued clearing his bed hair with his hands. "Can't believe that guy could go from hungry wolf to palace maiden in seconds..."