As the little boat glided toward the center, they vanished into the lotus pond—totally swallowed up by the jungle of leaves. If anyone saw them now, they'd probably think they'd been kidnapped by lotus spirits. (Ivy: Wouldn't put it past my luck...)
From the moment Ivy Shen stepped onto the boat, Lucian Vane hadn’t let go of her hand for a second. To outsiders, it looked like the Chu Emperor’s concubine Coco was just being clingy with her favorite maid, but only Ivy knew Lucian was squeezing her like his life depended on it. (Help, my fingers are about to pop off!)
"You—mmph..." Ivy turned to Lucian, about to ask him something, but before she could get the words out, he yanked her into his arms. Strong hands cradled her head—and boom!—a deep, urgent kiss crashed down. (Ivy: K.O. by snake husband, send help!)
Lucian was strong, and his kiss was so domineering it practically screamed "I've missed you!"—but also kind of "I'm punishing you!" He kissed her fiercely, hot enough to practically suck her soul out. (Ivy: Is this a reunion or an exorcism?)
Finally, after what felt like forever, Lucian let Ivy go, leaving her gasping like she’d run a marathon. (Ivy: Oxygen, please! Is this how I die—death by harem?)
"Are you trying to murder me? Hey—" Ivy barely got the words out before Adrian Night swooped in, hugging her so tight she wondered if he was trying to fuse them into one person. (Ivy: Someone call the snake police!)
"Adrian..." (Ivy: Help, I'm getting whiplash from all this snake husband drama.)
Adrian slowly let her go, eyes full of emotion. He gently brushed her lips. "That guy went way overboard. Does it hurt?" he asked, then leaned in and kissed her softly—like he was apologizing with his lips. (Ivy: Kisses as compensation? Not bad, actually...)
Adrian’s kiss started out gentle, but before Ivy could even process, it went full wild mode. His teeth nipped her lips, and between frantic kisses he muttered, "Do you know how much I’ve missed you? How could you be so cruel?!" Then he sealed her mouth again, trailing kisses down her neck... (Ivy: Is this a love confession or a snake attack?)
"Hey..." (Ivy: Can I get a timeout? Snake husband number three incoming?)
"Enough already! Stop taking advantage!" Lucian Vane shot Adrian Night a glare, clearly annoyed. "Quit hogging her!"
Right now, Ivy Shen was already breathless from their fiery kisses, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush. She looked so cute that both men on the boat nearly forgot how to breathe. If only they could shower her with love and pour out all their pent-up longing... but they knew full well this was NOT the time or place for a full-blown harem meltdown.
"Xin'er..." Lucian and Adrian finally snapped out of it, both grabbing her hands, hearts overflowing. Did she even know how much they'd missed her these days?!
Ivy's nose stung, her eyes dry as she stared at these two idiots who'd risked their necks for her. So many feelings—where the heck was she supposed to start?
"Are you two stupid? Didn't I tell you NOT to come? Wait—was it Butterfly Rogue who didn't listen to me?" Ivy shot them a mock-annoyed look, ready to scold.
Adrian Night just smiled, squeezing her hand. "Don't blame him. We forced it out of him—he actually did listen to you, you know."
"Yeah, his lips are sealed! If we hadn't threatened, bribed, and wheedled, he'd never have spilled a word." Lucian Vane grinned.
"That guy deserves to be put in solitary!" Adrian grumbled, clearly still salty.
"Seconded!" Lucian chimed in instantly.
Ivy frowned at Lucian, unimpressed. "Didn't you say you'd never cross-dress again unless it was for me? And now look at you... Wait, did Butterfly Rogue help with your makeup or what?" She raised an eyebrow, eyeing his getup with dramatic suspicion.