Chapter 120 - 120 - Silhouette

Long Ki's face went red. "You.... why are you changing when I'm in the room,"

"When else do you expect me to change? I have not taken a bath for days and my clothes are dirty." Yukiya shouted. 'Huff, this guy. Why is he asking so many questions? I'm behind the screen anyway,' she thought.

"Go change... somewhere... else....," he said as he saw her removing her clothes. He turned back swiftly, placing his heated face on the cold walls.

The sound of her clothes rustling came from the other side of the screen. Long Ki subtly gazed up. Her shadowy silhouette was removing her shirt on the screen. He could feel a strange heat travelling down his body, settling between his legs.

Clenching his fists, he whispered, "I will be out,"

But just as he stepped out, his ring started tightening around his fingers. "Not this again," he sighed. His fingers instantly tuned red and swollen.

He walked back into the room and closed the door. He sat down next to the doorway with his eyes firmly closed.

"I thought you were going to wait out," she shouted and peeked from behind.

Long Ki gazed up at her with his red face. "My restriction does not allow it," he whispered.

"Oh, does your hand hurt?" she said.

But the red dragon did not answer her. He quietly burrowed his face in-between his knees.

Yukiya was really worried now. Last time the stupid dragon's arm was almost amputated. 'I hope it's not that bad,' she thought, biting her lips.

"No.... it's not an issue," he murmured.

Changing her clothes swiftly, she walked out. Adjusting her sleeves, she took a look at the hanging screen to find the light from the lamp reflecting on it. 'No way,' she put her head behind it. A clear shadow of her hand was cast on it.

'Did he see everything?' her head snapped towards him. He was sitting next to the wall with his eyes closed.

"You.... did you see anyth.... forget it," she whispered and walked up to him.

Long ki got up from the floor. The woman was wearing a golden orange dress. Her skirt flowing down her legs. But her hair was still windswept. She was wearing a small woollen shawl on her shoulder.

"What are you looking at?" she said, pulling her shawl closer.

Remembering her silhouette, he couldn't help but blush. "Next time, check everything before you change," he said and walked out of the room.

Yukiya gripped his hand and stopped him. "How is your hand?"

He hid his hands behind his back. "I told you, it's not your business,"

She glared at him. This stupid man claimed that this was not her business. But they were somehow tied together during this journey. And dragging around a sick person is the worst.

"Show me." she demanded.

"No," he rejected firmly.

"Show me!" she stepped closer to him.

"NO!" he said with his eyes wide open.

Yukiya looked up at him through her narrowed eyes. 'Hell, his hands are probably swollen,' she thought. 'I guess I should help him out a bit,'

She pulled him down by his collar and gazed deeply into his wide eyes.

"What.... what are you doing?" he stuttered.

Yukiya kissed the stunned red dragon.

Long Ki couldn't control himself anymore. He cupped her small face and pulled her closer. This kiss was not as innocent as the last one. This time it was like fire met ice.

He ravished her stunningly red lips.

"Mnn," she moaned softly.

Long ki gripped her waist and lifted her completely off the ground. He softly nibbled onto her plump bottom lip.

Just at that moment, someone softly knocked on the door. "Lady, dinner is prepared," the old lady's voice came from outside.

Yukiya pushed him away, panting. "Change quickly and come out," she said and dashed out, leaving the stunned red dragon behind.

The old lady had set up a humble meal for them there was steamed fish and very watery porridge. For a small village, this was considered a luxury.

She tanked the lady and started eating. But the red dragon hesitantly looked at her. His face was still a little red. 'This guy is surprisingly innocent' she thought with a chuckle.

The food was bland. Ladling the watery porridge, Long Ki gazed up at that woman. She was quietly eating the food without any complaint. 'How brave of her she kissed me without any permission.' He thought with his eyes narrowed.

She peered back at him as he was chomping on a piece of fish. 'Hmm, I can't believe I kissed him. Was it too impulsive? That was my second kiss. And I gave him my first kiss as well.' She internally cried. She bit her lips and peered up at him.

The red dragon chewed on the unsalted fish loudly. He still did not understand why the woman in front of him was glaring at him.

He gave her a sneaky smirk. "Is my little wife you were being so forward before?" he said, licking the oil off of his lips.

Yukiya kicked him under the table. "Who is your little wife ah? Stop calling me that," she whispered. But she did not respond to his other comment.

"Wify you didn't have to be shy," He loudly said.

The old lady next to them gave a soft chuckle. "Yes lady, between husband and wife its natural to show some love,"

"Love? No, never," both of them exclaimed with their eyes wide open.

The atmosphere went awkward after that. Both of them silently ate their bland meal. While they were finishing two small children ran into the hall. Both of them were wearing very loose clothes. Their small heads peeped from behind the old lady.

The children had brought in a bag of raw rice in their hands. The old lady took it from them and kept it in a wide bamboo mat.

"Kids, don't disturb the guests.. Go to your rooms," the old lady chided.

"No..it's okay." Yukiya stopped her from sending the kids away.

She was always fond of kids. Little kids always remind her of little Xia. He was super cute when he first transformed.

"Here, take it," she handed a piece of candy to them. The kids walked over to her hesitantly and took it from her. Their skinny hands were revealed. 'They look too skinny,' she thought.

The old lady hugged them and kissed their cheeks. "Kids say thank you," she said.

"Thank you, young lady," the children said in unison.

Yukiya smirked at this. "You grandchildren are very cute," she said. She shuffled in her sleeve and brought out a gold coin. "For them," she handed it to the lady.

But the old lady rejected.

But Yukiya insistently stuffed it in her hands.

"Take it, buy something for them. It's the least I can do for your generous help," she said with a cheerful smile.

The old lady shook her head and gave the gold coin back. "Young lady, actually we have no use for gold. Silver....gold. Nothing is worth here.. Only food is,"

"What do you mean? Gold and silver are not valuable than?" Long Ki whispered.

The old lady sat down next to them and started picking out stones from the raw rice. "Young man, this gold is worth less than a piece of potato here. It's because this village.... is cursed," she said with a sigh.

"Cursed?" Long Ki whispered.

The old lady nodded without looking up. "Hmm, you should have seen the condition our village was right?"

"Yeah, I felt it was weird too. This is generally a large village but why is it so poverty stricken? And why are there so many empty houses," he said.

"Once upon a time this village, flourished with travellers and bazaars and markets, but now... all of it has changed." The old lady paused with a sigh. Anguish was written all over her face. "One day, suddenly, the land completely dried up."

Long ki placed his chopsticks down with a frown. "But don't you have a river nearby; you could have done irrigation by cutting pathways,"

The old lady shook her head. "The farmers had to travel to the river to bring water. Even that didn't help. The land kept sucking water so much that it ended up looking like a desert,"

Long Ki was stunned. this was the first time he had heard about such a weird phenomenon. Even in Heaven's realm, this peculiar thing was not common. 'Maybe if I was able to take a look at the archives, I would have been able to find a solution,' he thought.

Meanwhile Yukiya Nodded and listened to the kind old lady. "Do you perhaps know when it started?"

"It was just five months ago. It was right after those strangers visited here," the old lady said with a frown.

"Strangers? Why is this related to them?" Yukiya whispered with a confused look.

The old lady threw away all the rocks found in the rice and whispered, "They cursed our land,"

"Hmm, I see," Yukiya mumbled and took the gold back. This explains why they were getting weird stares when they entered this village.

After eating the meal, both of them left for their room.. A new pair of futon and pillow was placed on the bed.