One eternity later...
Ziek gawked at the breathtaking vision before him, "Everyone is going to eyefūck you!"
Emerging from the bathroom, Bing Shi met his gaze head-on, "There's going to be a terrifying man by my side. They won't even dare to look at my boobs!"
Ziek's gaze traveled from her lips to her petite chest and then down to her shapely legs. "Damn it!" Overwhelmed, he walked to the couch and dropped his pants.
He got so used to jerking off before her that he did it without any remorse, "See what you're doing to me?!" He gestured at his arousal, frustration in his voice. "When are you going to take responsibility?"
He would do anything for one tiny hug! One little touch!
Bing Shi sat beside him. Putting up a thin barrier on her hand, she grasped him. "Now?" She gave him a few strokes.
"Fūck!" Ziek moaned out.
Quickly, Bing Shi lifted her hand, now covered in his release. "Well, that was quick."
"Argh! I hate you!" Ziek leaned against her, his head on her shoulder. He whispered, "But I love you," and quickly pecked her lips before making some distance again.
Bing Shi stood up abruptly.
Seeing her disoriented look, regret filled Ziek's face, his eyes reflecting the fear within, "No. Bing Shi. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He hid his head in between his knees, apologizing desperately, waiting for the moment when HQ would take him away, "Please don't leave. I'm begging you. Please," his plea echoed with heart-wrenching desperation, his very being laid bare, "Please don't abandon me. Please... I'm sorry... Please..."
"No, it's my fault," Bing Shi covered her mouth, the scathing tang from her guts was pushing up her throat, leaving behind an acidic taste in her mouth, "I shouldn't...Ugh..."
Sickened, Bing Shi rushed to the bathroom to rinse her mouth and hands. The simple act of another's lips meeting hers felt foreign, wrong.
'What's my problem?'
It's been three months since Bing Shi finished her main mission.
She understood. This was not a long-distance relationship. It was hard to control himself when she was constantly near his presence. Especially after all the lewd things he'd been doing before her eyes, giving him the impression that they were quite close.
She knew that no matter how good an actor one was, the mask couldn't be worn forever. She had told Ziek explicitly not to take sudden actions without her consent, but the uncomfortable reality was that she had initiated the touch.
'Why am I reacting like this?'
How could she make him succumb to Xuan Mu without taking any action herself? She finally decided to try and touch him, help him find some release. Yet, when it came down to it, everything felt horribly wrong.
'I'm an adult! Get a hold of myself!'
Slapping her cheeks to quickly compose herself, Bing Shi walked outside the bathroom to find Ziek sitting on the floor, visibly shaken.
Ziek hurriedly dressed, his hands fumbling with his clothes, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"Do not apologize, it was my fault," Bing Shi said softly, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Ziek caught a black hoodie that flew toward him and pulled it on over his tank top, "Let's go for a walk."
Bing Shi nodded and grabbed her red heart-shaped backpack, "Yeah, some fresh air would do us both good."
Ziek took his bag and opened the door for her. "After you," he said, a sad acknowledgment in his eyes.
"Thank you," Bing Shi said quietly as she passed him. She waited for him to close the door, then gave it a quick check herself.
Ziek raised his wrist to see the time on his watch. "You've been checking that door for a minute already."
"Ehm," Bing Shi finally released the door handle, her fingers lingering for a moment before letting go. "I always count for at least one minute before letting go."
Ziek looked at her as if she was serious, "..." Why couldn't she just accept that she had OCD?
Both of them walked down the stairs and exited the hotel, stepping into the bustling city that was a fusion of the ordinary and the extraordinary. Hundreds of people were flying high above the ground like birds on invisible strings.
The number of survivors in The Central City could be counted in millions. There was no shortage of nice homes to move into as long as one removed the undead. Cell towers, plumping, water, and electricity functioned like previously. All of this was possible due to everyone's combined effort.
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"Smells good ♪♫," Bing Shi said, pausing in front of a female street vendor selling freshly baked bread. "One garlic, please." She took a coin adorned with Kuro's image from her pouch and handed it over, receiving her bread in return. "Thank you ♪♫."
In a world of scarce resources and unique powers, the traditional currency had made a comeback, albeit with a twist. Each coin and banknote now featured an insignia made out of nuclei powder. The faces on a few new currencies were of the key contributors to the new society—Bing Shi and Kuro were among the few who received this honor.
Breaking the bread in half, Bing Shi offered one half to Ziek, "Here."
"Can I have an indirect kiss?" Ziek asked with a playful glint in his eyes.
"Really?" Bing Shi chuckled, took a bite from the bread, and then handed it over. "Is this what you had in mind?"
Ziek took a hearty bite, savoring not just the bread but the moment. "I wouldn't mind a garlic bread kiss as my first kiss either, you know."
"I wouldn't mind either," Bing Shi said, tearing another piece of her half and popping it into her mouth, "But not with you." She offered her bread for another bite, hand extended.
Ziek leaned in to take another bite, too elated by their subtle intimacy to take offense.
They continued to explore the city until dusk gave way to night, wandering past various street artists who added their own unique flavors to the urban tapestry.
Stopping in front of a young male violinist, Bing Shi was captivated by the melody that flowed from his strings. The high octaves were hauntingly beautiful, sending shivers down her spine and pulling her into a trance-like state.
So immersed was she in the music that she almost forgot about Ziek standing beside her, who observed her with a touch of frustration, knowing that he was, for that moment, the secondary character in her story.
