Han Li was somewhat surprised to hear such straightforward words from the beauty before him.
But he was no ordinary person. A flicker of astonishment passed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by his usual composure as he nodded.
"The Yin Underworld is brimming with danger at every turn, and unexpected incidents crop up constantly. Naturally, recovering my magical power as soon as possible and retrieving a few treasures would be the best outcome. Otherwise, if something truly happens, I'll be caught completely off guard."
Mei Ning nodded at Han Li's words without any surprise, but seemed to think of something. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, and she said in a low voice, "This method of transferring transcendent spiritual qi — if my magical power were still accessible, I could easily channel the spiritual energy into you through simple palm contact, Brother Han. But now that all my power is sealed within my body, the only way to pass the qi to you would be… through mouth-to-mouth contact." When Mei Ning reached the words "mouth-to-mouth," her elegant head bowed down, her voice dropping to barely a whisper, and she began to stammer.
Han Li was first taken aback, but seeing this woman's delicate, blush-covered shyness, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Being able to restore his magical power while also receiving a kiss from this beautiful woman was naturally something Han Li could only dream of. A peculiar feeling stirred within him, and the atmosphere in the room instantly turned charged with ambiguity.
Watching Mei Ning bow her head in silence, Han Li had precious little experience with matters of the heart, but even he knew that expecting her to take the initiative was almost impossible. Especially since the two of them had never shared any particularly intimate relationship before.
Having considered this, Han Li stood up without another word. His figure flickered, and in an instant he was at the stone bed, sitting right beside her.
Mei Ning nearly rose instinctively to shift away, but a strong arm wrapped around her slender waist and pulled her close.
Her heart pounded wildly. She lifted her head and met Han Li's half-smiling gaze. Blushing even deeper, she tried to look away again.
But Han Li raised one hand and cupped her delicate face, leaving her with no way to escape.
Mei Ning felt her mind go blank, light as a wisp, unable to recall a single thing.
Han Li drew in a deep breath of the faint, elegant fragrance on the woman, and then, drawn by the shyness and charm flowing from her bright eyes, his gaze turned scorching hot. Unable to hold back any longer, he lowered his head and pressed his lips firmly against hers.
A soft, helpless look of distraction appeared in Mei Ning's beautiful eyes, but after a moment she snapped back to her senses. Her slender hand reached out, trying to push Han Li away.
Although she had long prepared herself mentally for this, when the moment actually arrived, her sense of shame surged all the more, and instinctively she tried to resist.
After all, despite having countless suitors, this woman had never truly been intimate with any man. Her heart was in utter turmoil.
But for Han Li, this kiss seemed to have awakened something exquisite, and his desire was suddenly kindled.
Mei Ning's strength was far inferior to Han Li's. Held down so firmly by his forceful embrace, she completely lost the power to resist. Though she struggled feebly for a short while, before long she gave up the fight as if resigned to her fate.
Enveloped by the thick, masculine scent surrounding her, the woman kept her bright eyes shut tight, her cheeks flushed crimson, her long lashes trembling faintly — her heart was clearly in utter disarray.
For a brief moment, she completely forgot about the matter of transferring spiritual qi.
Yet Han Li's willpower was, after all, far beyond that of an ordinary person. After a moment, the scorching madness in his eyes gradually faded, and his clear, composed expression returned.
Han Li's lips parted from hers for the time being. He tilted his head, aimed it at her exquisitely sculpted little ear, and said with a soft chuckle, "Miss Mei, the taste between a man and a woman is indeed wonderfully exquisite — but I trust you haven't forgotten about the spiritual qi transfer."
At Han Li's words, Mei Ning's body trembled, and her jade-like face flushed even redder.
Han Li dared not delay. He quickly climbed off her and sat cross-legged to one side, beginning to circulate and refine that thread of spiritual qi.
Afterward, Mei Ning also sat up and hurriedly straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes, but the blush on her cheeks still refused to fade for some time.
She hesitated for a moment, then stole a quick glance at Han Li. Seeing that his eyes were closed, she quietly let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Then she slid off the bed, took a few steps over, and sat in the chair Han Li had occupied earlier. She simply stared fixedly at his calm, meditating face, a complicated expression of hope and worry flickering across her features.
After an unknowable stretch of time, Han Li finally opened his eyes — and found himself looking straight into her gaze, which was filled with unspoken thoughts.
Mei Ning flinched and quickly turned her face away, not daring to meet his eyes for even a second.