A Gentle Torment

Welcoming in the Cold

AN: Hey, peoples! Apologies for the lack of introduction in the first chapter. Reaching out while writing has always been a bit of a challenge for me. But given the fact that the fandom isn't extinct yet, I thought I'd give it a try. I have a pretty clear idea of where I want this story to go. However, there's one small detail I haven't decided on yet. Do you think Ye Hua should still have Le Xu, Hao De, and all of the others involved in his family? Depending on the situation, there are two routes I could take regarding this and I'm curious as to what others think. 

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Not a minute passes after her Shifu ends his conversation with his brother when Bai Qian begins to finally become in-tune with her own body once again. The adrenaline and anxiety from before had briefly taken her attention away from herself - something her Shifu had once scolded her on. It was important to be in tune with ones' self.

Her chambers had always been relatively warm -- even in the winter. Today, however, her chamber was almost insufferably hot. Making her way back over to the window of her bed, she stops half-way when she realizes that, with Shifu's shield up, there would be no way for any wind to get in. Even though she doesn't know it, he couldn't risk her scent getting out.

Her skin is even warmer than the air around her and immediately she wants nothing more than to leave the room. Her insides feel as if they are on fire.

Why am I inside to begin with? 

She can't even remember entering her bedroom...

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Ye Hua paces in front of Bai Qian's room in irritation. His dragon-like instincts were bubbling under the surface. The Ghost Lord had allowed his own son and a small number of soldiers to invade the mountain. At first, he raised a complaint about having to watch over one of his brother's disciples, but that was quickly rebutted with two reminders and one piece of information he hadn't really considered possible.

1) Zhe Yan and Dong Hua were currently scouting out at the bottom of the mountain and unable to help Mo Yuan protect his precious little seventeenth. He didn't trust his disciples to be able to restrain themselves in the case she had to be moved - her pheromones had been ridiculously strong by the time they arrived in her bedroom. He caught a small whiff of it when Mo Yuan left her quarters and it almost had him careening into the room. However, as it dispersed throughout the air, the urge wained enough for him to control himself.

2) Whether he thought of it or not, he was still the Crown Prince and considered a guest on the mountain. They were close to getting into a war with the Ghost Tribe at any moment and if anyone could mediate between the Celestials and the Ghost Tribe it would be Mo Yuan; the God of War.

3) Mo Yuan was having a hard time restraining himself around her. If anyone else had told him so he would have laughed in their face. Mo Yuan's no-nonsense expression had confirmed it, though.

For the first time since Ye Hua's birth, his older twin brother is having a hard time restraining himself... and he's attracted to one of his disciples. If word gets out, not only would misunderstandings ensue, but Bai Zhi and Bai Yi would likely be coming for his head!

The idea leaves Ye Hua chuckling with mirth as he glances back at the door, only to stop at the sudden heady scent of arousal and peach blossoms hanging in the air. A pair of big, starry eyes stare back at him, filled with curiosity.

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"Qian Qian..." His voice comes out hoarse when he moves towards her, forgetting to call her by her alias (Si Yin), "You need to go back inside..."