Chapter 36 - Compassion

That night, when I came to the hut I had been staying at, I found Ling already waiting for me. She was silent and standoffish, making me think about the shadow I had seen from the bonfire earlier on.

Apparently, I had been ‘caught’ with another woman… even if she came on to me and wasn’t even human.

I sighed and stared at Ling, who refused to look me in the eye “You saw us.” I declared. I wasn’t asking.

Ling tensed but didn’t dare look me in the eye.

I nodded. “To say that I wasn’t attracted to her would be a lie. But nothing will come off it.”

“I’m sure my Master will find a way to make it work.”

Ok… maybe declaring that I had been attracted to her wasn’t a good idea. Let’s try another tactic.

“She’s not human.” This made Ling stop and look at me like I was crazy.

“Is that even an excuse?” for a servant to glare at her master like she was doing now, would mean instant death in the palace... and probably the same in my parent’s house. But I swallowed that fact and continued addressing the issue.

“It is not an excuse. It is the reality. Her, and maybe the healer too, are beings from the spiritual realm.” I shrugged “Even the trees surrounding us have powerful spirits within. Old spirits.”

Ling scoffed and her glare intensified “And somehow you think that kissing a spirit will make everything all right?”

“I did not kiss her. Quite frankly, I was so surprised she came onto me that I barely reacted at all.”

“Not that you didn’t want to!”

Why did it feel like I was digging my own grave?

“For heaven’s sake, Ling!” I stared at her intently. “What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry an unknown woman surprised me with a kiss? It’s not like I can control others’ actions, can I?” I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn’t want to fight, not with her. “You know what? Believe me or don’t. It’s your decision. I will be here for whatever you decide.”

I laid on the bed and closed my eyes, even as I heard her leave the room in a huff.

I stayed in silence for a moment, until another voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Troubles in paradise?”

“All thanks to you.” I glared at the woman in the doorway

“Me? What did I do?” I knew the woman was Guanyin, even if her face looked somewhat different. It seemed she had taken another guise to visit me.

“You kissed me, and Ling saw us.”

“Oh dear.”

“You know, you would be more convincing if I couldn’t hear the laughter in your voice.”

She laughed out loud this time.

I shook my head and sat on the bed “You are the goddess of compassion; shouldn’t you be helping me instead of giving me more trouble?”

“I have compassion for you” She closed in and sat beside me. I watched her warily “that is why I am doing this:” she leaned to me and I leaned back. Her smile was intoxicating, but it also felt wrong for a spirit to show affection toward me.

Especially when I didn’t believe in spirits until I was reborn here!

“What?” she blinked innocently “you disliked our previous kiss?”

I refused to answer, knowing that no matter what I said, I would only dig my grave deeper. Worse, if Ling came back and found us doing anything more than talking, there would be no bridge to mend.

Guanyin bit her lip and my eyes were immediately drawn to them. All rosy and warm…. And inviting.

I shook my head and took a deep breath.

“Why are you doing this?”

She tilted her head to the side and stared at me seriously. “Wouldn’t this be a more compassionate way of helping? Making Ling herself end your nightly interactions instead of the ideas running through your head? Or have you found a way to not hurt her and still honor your family’s hopes for your match?”

She got me there.

I didn’t have an answer.

If I took Ling as my wife, I would dishonor my family and the emperor’s favor. If I took her as a consort and married a princess, as were my family’s and the emperor’s wishes, my wife would certainly make Ling’s life hell when I wasn’t looking… and I would be unable to be there all the time.

Mine wasn’t a romance novel. A prince and a servant was a match that would never work.

Or I could accept the Goddess’ help and make Ling break up our relationship.

Ling would hate me, for sure. But she would be safe from the scorn and intrigue of the inner palace I would most certainly find myself involved in. Much like our current adventure.

I was so lost in my own musings, that I didn’t notice just how close the woman was until her hand fell on my thigh.

I looked up in surprise only to get kissed on the lips all over again.

Apparently, Gods, like Kings, were used to getting things their way no matter what others thought.

‘Only 27 more tribulations and I might be strong enough to be left alone’ I sighed.

Instead of fighting her off like I wanted, I let the kiss go on for a moment more, before deciding that the Goddess didn’t really know how to kiss.

I moved away from her and watched her as she slowly opened her beautiful black eyes. “What?” she asked when she saw my expression.

“Have you kissed before?”

My tone made her blush and look down “I kissed you before, didn’t I?”

I shook my head. Both times she had only pressed her lips on mine.

If not for the WOW effect, I wouldn’t have felt much.

“I see” clearly, she was inexperienced. Fortunately, that was something I knew how to do. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

Feeling a bit like a heretic, I took hold of her chin with two fingers and closed the distance, moving as if I was going to kiss her, and instead approached her ear to whisper “Kisses should be an experience, they should fuel the desire, not just… be.” I made my voice husky and grave, the way I knew my girlfriend from 2020 liked it. My lips caressed her heating cheeks “they must convey your feelings…” I stopped over her lips and saw, to my delight, that her eyes were only half-lidded “your desire.”

I gave her a slow, sensual kiss, which I ended early by gently biting on her lower lip. “Do you want me to show you more?” I went back to whispering in her ear and was delighted to see the skin on her neck get goosebumps.

The goddess swallowed heavily and nodded.

I went back to her lips and kissed her gently, slowly, turning up the heat at each passing moment until I found myself being pushed under her body while our lips fought a fiery battle.

‘Damn! The strength of this woman is surreal!’

To free myself, I placed a hand on top of her chest, and I felt her moan into my mouth, while her legs gripped my sides painfully. Fortunately, this too made her stop kissing me… the way she was looking at me was affecting the little guy inside my pants.

“It seems someone likes my lessons” I couldn’t help but smirk at her on top of me.

“You…” she panted “what did you do to me?”

I raised an eyebrow, perplexed because her tone held surprise and reproach.

“Me? Who’s the one on top, I wonder?”

Finally aware of her position, she practically jumped off my lap as if burned.

I took the opportunity to rise from the bed and approach her as she retreated until her back hit the wall.

“You were so aggressive a moment ago, yet now…”

Her chest was heaving and her face was as red as a tomato while she stared wide-eyed at me.

She looked, for all intent and purposes, like a scared doe in front of a car. The panic in her eyes was so real that it made me stop in my tracks.

“… Are you ok?” she looked on the verge of a panic attack.

“Wh-what are you?!” She stared at me as if I were the devil himself.

“What do you mean Guanyin?”

The goddess seemed bewildered by my own surprise. Suddenly, she turned serious and began talking to herself “I must tell the emperor. This- whatever this is, it isn’t normal.”

“Guanyin?” I called her name, but she was in her own little world talking about a court and something about champions that I didn’t quite get. I grew exasperated after a while of being ignored and approached, putting my hand on her shoulder.

The woman flinched as if I had struck her.

“I- I’m sorry!” The voice coming out of the girl’s mouth was different from before, and when her eyes met mine, I could see that her irises were light brown. “Please don’t hit me!”

She begged with fervor.

‘What the hell?’ It seemed to me that the Goddess Guanyin had borrowed this girl’s body to visit me, and at some point between the last minute, she had abandoned it. Leaving her host in a confused state as to why she was in my room at all.

After asking some pointed questions, I discovered the girl couldn’t remember anything from the moment I had scolded her for trying to feed me… almost half an hour ago.

“Fret not. You simply came to apologize, and I already told you it is fine. I overreacted.” I gave her a smile and she bowed bashfully.

“G-good night, sir. I hope you rest well.”

“Good night, my lady.”

She blushed and left.

Leaving me with far more questions than answers.