Lucian's expression turned serious: "Rover, as hosts, we must be magnanimous."
"Moving into a new home is a joyous occasion! Such a happy event should be shared with friends and family."
Rover smirked, her face full of cold amusement: "Sharing the joy of a new home? You'd better mean just that and not be fishing for trouble."
Lucian sighed: "Rover, where's the trust between people?"
"Back then, we defeated Threnodians together, saved Jinzhou, and now we've repaired the Tethys System together."
"Does the trust we've built along the way mean so little?"
Lucian shook his head, turning away with eyes full of disappointment, looking utterly dejected.
Shorekeeper's heart tightened, and she tugged at Lucian's sleeve, visibly worried: "Lucian…"
Lucian, still facing away, said in a hoarse voice: "Shorekeeper, you don't need to comfort me."
"My mind is made up. After everything we've been through, my passionate heart will no longer beat for anyone!"
Shorekeeper fell silent. Rover, behind him, snapped: "What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Shorekeeper looked puzzled: "If your heart stops beating, wouldn't you die…?"
Lucian: "…"
Rover: "…"
Shorekeeper continued: "But I understand what you mean now."
"Lucian, rest assured, even if the whole world doesn't trust you, I'll stand firmly by your side."
Lucian was full of question marks. What did I do to make the whole world distrust me?
Rover's heart sank, and she quickly said: "Shorekeeper, don't be fooled by his act!"
Shorekeeper furrowed her delicate brows, confused: "But Lucian looks so sad…"
"I think, even for me, if my companions who traveled with me didn't trust me, I'd be very sad too…"
Rover said expressionlessly: "Shorekeeper, you haven't caught up to who Lucian is now. He's not the serious Lucian from before!"
Shorekeeper shook her head, retorting: "But humans are different from me. I know people grow, don't they?"
"But I believe, no matter how Lucian changes, his true heart remains the same as it was at the start."
Rover, exasperated, said coldly: "Fine, I'll show you what Lucian is like now!"
Under Shorekeeper's puzzled gaze, Rover walked up to Lucian, grabbed his chin, and said: "Speak, how can we make your heart, which no longer beats, beat again?"
Lucian closed his eyes, hands behind his back: "My heart is colder than the blade I used to slay Tacet Discords."
"If possible, I hope a pair of thirty-seven-degree lips could warm this cold heart of mine…"
Before he could finish, Rover grabbed his cheeks and kissed him.
Shorekeeper: "?"
With a pop, their lips parted.
Rover looked at Shorekeeper triumphantly: "See? I told you."
"He clearly just wanted an excuse to kiss me. He's not that serious Lucian anymore."
Shorekeeper nibbled her finger, looking slightly dazed: "Your distrust in Lucian caused his disappointment, and your kiss revived him…"
"So it's not about whether Lucian wanted to be affectionate with you. He just knew 'the one who tied the bell must untie it.'"
Rover's vision darkened, nearly fainting from Shorekeeper's logic.
Rover couldn't help but wonder: Has Shorekeeper truly understood emotions or not?
Based on the suggestive words Shorekeeper said when Lucian rescued her, she should have fully grasped emotions.
So, it must be Shorekeeper's unconditional trust in Lucian that led to this situation.
She had to make Shorekeeper see that Lucian was a flirtatious rogue, or another innocent girl would fall victim to him.
Wait… they've already kissed!
There was another possibility: Shorekeeper might know what Lucian is like and still not care.
That was the scariest scenario!
As the saying goes, 'companionship is the longest confession of love.' If Shorekeeper kept following Lucian without caring…
Rover stopped her thoughts. Speaking of companionship, who could outdo her?
Lucian still had to follow her to uncover clues about her identity…
With this in mind, Rover's lips curved slightly, and she confidently puffed out her full chest, exuding control.
Seeing Rover's shifting expressions, Lucian shook his head and said: "Alright, can we go into the Sonoro Sphere now?"
With that, Lucian gripped the crystal, but Rover's pale hand stopped him.
"Hold on!"
Lucian: "?"
Rover tilted her head slightly: "We two should go in first."
Lucian asked, confused: "Why? I wanted to invite everyone to visit."
Rover cleared her throat: "Inviting others is fine, but we need to set things up first."
Though puzzled, Lucian agreed.
Rover had a point. If they were inviting guests, they should tidy up the place first.
Since the Sonoro Sphere could be shaped according to Lucian's thoughts, it should be quick to arrange.
Rover smiled: "Shorekeeper, would you mind waiting here for a bit?"
Shorekeeper nodded slightly: "I'm fine. Once you've set things up, you can invite me in."
Lucian nodded, and he and Rover vanished into the flower room.
The scene before them was barren, but the space was vast, stretching beyond sight.
Lucian felt he could recreate the entire Port City of Guixu in this Sonoro Sphere.
Though he could alter it freely, larger changes were more mentally taxing.
Recreating the entire Port City of Guixu instantly might exhaust him to the point of collapse.
As the saying goes, fine work takes time, meals are eaten bite by bite, and houses are built step by step.
So, Lucian first constructed a villa on the empty plain, then worked with Rover to furnish it.
After a while, Lucian surveyed the ultra-modern furniture and nodded with satisfaction.
"Alright, now we can invite…"
Before he could finish, Rover pushed him onto the sofa.
Lucian: "?"
Lucian instinctively wrapped his arms around Rover's waist, seeing a mischievous smile on her face.
She gave his lips a light kiss and laughed: "If we don't leave a mark, how will others know this is our love nest?"
With that, Rover pressed her body against his.
Lucian: "???"
Rover's fingers traced the line of his jaw, her breath warm against his skin as she leaned in closer, her curves molding perfectly to his frame.
The air in the newly formed villa hummed with unspoken intent, the faint scent of fresh linens and polished wood mingling with the heat rising between them.
"You've been teasing all day," she murmured, her voice low and laced with challenge, "acting like your heart's frozen. Let me thaw it out properly."
Lucian's hands tightened on her hips, pulling her flush against him as their lips crashed together again.
She tasted like victory and mischief, her tongue sliding against his with deliberate strokes that made his pulse race. Rover broke the kiss just enough to nip at his lower lip, her eyes gleaming. "Strip for me," she whispered, her hands already tugging at the hem of his shirt, yanking it over his head to reveal the taut muscles beneath.
He complied, his gaze locked on hers, dark with desire. "Bossy today, aren't we?" he said, but his fingers were quick to work the buttons of her top, peeling it away to expose the smooth expanse of her skin. She arched into his touch as he cupped her breasts, thumbs circling her hardening nipples until she let out a soft, breathy moan.
"God, yes… right there," Rover gasped, grinding her hips down onto the growing bulge in his pants. The friction sent sparks through them both, her moans growing louder as she rocked against him. "I want you inside me, Lucian. Now. Make this place ours, fuck me like you mean it."
He flipped them with a swift motion, pinning her beneath him on the plush sofa, his mouth trailing hot kisses down her neck, sucking marks into her collarbone. "You're so wet already," he groaned, sliding a hand between her thighs to feel the damp heat soaking through her panties. She bucked against his fingers as he pushed the fabric aside, stroking her slick folds before plunging two fingers deep inside.
"Ah! fuck, deeper," she moaned, her nails digging into his shoulders, legs spreading wider to take him. Her body clenched around his digits, hips rolling in rhythm with his thrusts. "Don't stop… I need your cock, Lucian. Fill me up."
He shed the rest of their clothes in a frenzy, his erection springing free, throbbing as she wrapped her hand around it, stroking firmly. "Like this?" he teased, positioning himself at her entrance, the tip nudging against her wetness.
"Yes please," she begged, voice breaking into a moan as he thrust in slowly, inch by inch, stretching her deliciously. They both groaned at the sensation, her walls gripping him tight. He set a relentless pace, hips snapping forward, the sofa creaking under them.
"Harder… oh god, you feel so good," Rover panted, her moans echoing in the empty villa, each one spurring him on. Sweat slicked their skin, bodies slapping together in a primal rhythm. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, her breasts bouncing with every powerful stroke.
"You're mine," he rasped, one hand tangling in her hair as he claimed her mouth again, swallowing her cries. The tension coiled tighter, her moans turning desperate.
"I'm close… don't you dare stop". Until she shattered around him, her release crashing over her in waves, body trembling with a long, throaty moan as she clenched and pulsed.
He followed moments later, burying himself deep with a guttural groan, spilling inside her as pleasure ripped through him.
Her final release came with a loud moan, her body shaking as she collapsed onto him, both of them drenched and breathless.
Her final release came with a loud moan, her body shaking as she collapsed onto him, both of them drenched and breathless.
Lucian lay there, utterly drained, his chest heaving as Rover curled against him, her lips brushing his ear. "Think Shorekeeper's still waiting?" she teased, her voice hoarse.
Lucian: "… I can barely think. How long's it been?"
Rover: "Long enough to make this place ours. She'll be fine. Probably still pondering your 'cold heart' nonsense."
Lucian: "You're gonna kill me one day, Rover."
Rover: "Maybe. But you'll die happy."
They laughed softly, their bodies tangled together, the villa silent except for their ragged breaths.
---
Sometimes I forgot to mark * on chapters like this lol.