Chapter 23: The Heat of Potential

The air in the dojo was thick, heavy with the scent of ozone and arousal. The four women stood around Kai, disoriented, their bodies humming with the aftershocks of his raw Yang energy.

Instructor Han Rou was the first to break the silence, though her voice lacked its usual authority. She adjusted her glasses, which had slid down her nose, and looked at Kai with a mixture of suspicion and awe.

"Kai..." She took a shaky breath, her hand subconsciously brushing against her lower abdomen where the heat was still pooling. "What... what was that?"

She stepped closer, her eyes searching his.

"The Academy records stated your foundation was cracked. They said your energy was weak, barely enough to light a candle," Han Rou whispered. "But that... that was a torrent. It was aggressive. It was... heavy."

She shivered. She didn't say the word masculine, but it hung in the air. The energy hadn't just circulated; it had violated their meridians in the most pleasurable way possible.

Kai kept his expression calm, though his mind was racing. I can't tell them I have a System that turns lust into power. They'd burn me at the stake as a demonic cultivator.

"I don't know, Teacher," Kai lied smoothy, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Maybe the records were wrong. Or maybe..."

He took a step toward her, using his height to his advantage.

"Maybe I just needed the right motivation," he said, glancing at the three beautiful girls behind her. "My energy has always been there, sleeping. It’s wild. Untamed. That’s why I need you, Teacher Han. I have the potential, but I don't know how to control it."

Han Rou bit her lip. The logic was sound. Late bloomers existed. And if he had this much raw power...

"Potential..." she murmured.

"Exactly," Kai interrupted, turning to address the whole group. His voice hardened, losing the playful edge and replacing it with the steel of a leader. "We have three months. The whole Academy thinks Group 9 is a joke. They think we're a collection of rejects and a novice teacher."

He looked at Gu Ling, then Leng Yue, then Yun Xi.

"I promised to crush Ye Feng. I promised to take Rank 1. But I can't do it alone. We need to be the best group in the history of Azure Wind. We need to train until this 'wild energy' becomes a weapon."

The speech hit its mark. Gu Ling’s eyes flashed with competitiveness. Leng Yue nodded slowly, respecting the drive. Even Yun Xi looked up, a spark of hope behind her thick glasses.

Han Rou smiled, a genuine, flushed smile. "Right... you're right, Kai. We should... we will do this."

She clapped her hands together, trying to regain her composure, though the sound was weak.

"Okay! That's enough for the first session. The 'Spirit Link' was... very effective. More than I anticipated."

As soon as the tension of the speech broke, the physical reality of their situation crashed back in.

"Ugh," Gu Ling groaned, pulling the collar of her uniform away from her neck. "Whatever that energy was, it made me sweat like a pig. I feel gross."

She wasn't exaggerating. Her red hair was plastered to her forehead. Her white shirt was clinging to her torso, turning translucent in patches. The sweat had made the fabric stick to her skin, outlining the petite curve of her bra.

"Me too," Yun Xi squeaked. She crossed her arms over her chest, but it was futile. Her massive breasts were heaving, and a visible sheen of sweat glistened in the deep cleavage revealed by her loose collar. "I... I feel so sticky. Everywhere."

She squeezed her legs together, her face burning. The "stickiness" wasn't just sweat, and she knew it.

Leng Yue didn't speak, but she exhaled a long breath, wiping her forehead. Even the Ice Princess was melting. Her skin glowed with a rosy hue, and her clothes felt uncomfortably tight against her heated skin.

"The Academy Bathhouse," Gu Ling announced, grabbing her bag. "I need a cold soak. Immediately."

"That sounds... wonderful," Han Rou agreed, fanning herself with a scroll. "The Jade Lotus Springs are open for female students and staff right now. Let's go wash off this... exertion."

"Are you coming, Teacher?" Yun Xi asked.

"Yes," Han Rou nodded, glancing at Kai one last time. "I need to cool down too."

The four women gathered their things. They moved toward the door, a unified front of sweaty, flushed beauty. As they walked, the scent of their collective pheromones wafted back toward Kai—a heady mix of floral soap and the raw, musky scent of women in heat.

"Dismissed, Kai," Han Rou called over her shoulder. "Go... rest. We will see you tomorrow."

They left the dojo, heading toward the western wing where the bathhouse was located.

Kai stood alone in the silence. He listened to their footsteps fade away.

A slow, predatory grin spread across his face.

"Rest?" Kai chuckled darkly. "When the prey is stripping naked just a few hundred meters away?"

He opened the System interface.

[Shop Accessed] [Available XP: 0] (He had spent his XP on the Strength upgrade).

"Shit," Kai muttered. "I can't buy a Stealth Scroll."

He paused, thinking. He didn't need magic. He had Agility 5 and Strength 9. He knew the Academy layout from the previous owner's memories. The Jade Lotus Springs had a ventilation shaft on the roof—a classic weakness.

"I don't need to be invisible," Kai whispered, moving toward the window. "I just need to be fast."

He wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. Four targets. All naked. All wet.

Chapter 24: The Scroll of Fate

The wait was worth it.

Thirty minutes later, the doors to the western wing opened, and Group 9 emerged. If they had looked disheveled and sticky before, they now looked like goddesses descending from the heavens.

The bath had washed away the sweat and fatigue, leaving them glowing with vitality.

Gu Ling walked out first, her red hair damp and darkened, clinging to her neck. Her skin, usually pale, was flushed a healthy, radiant pink from the heat of the springs. She wore a fresh uniform, but the top button was undone, letting the steam escape from her skin. She smelled of wild berries and expensive soap.

Leng Yue followed, looking more ethereal than ever. The "Ice Princess" seemed to have thawed slightly. Her long black hair was loose, cascading down her back like a waterfall of silk. She moved with a liquid grace, her skin possessing a translucence that made her look like a porcelain doll.

Then came Yun Xi. The shy girl was hiding behind her book again, but she couldn't hide the result of the bath. Her skin was dewy, and her massive breasts seemed even heavier now, relaxed by the hot water, swaying softly under her clean robes. She smelled of milk and honey.

Finally, Instructor Han Rou. She had regained her composure, but the bath had softened her features. She looked less like a teacher and more like a young woman in her prime. Her glasses were fogged up slightly at the corners, and she was fanning herself with her hand.

[Ding!] [Target Status Update] [Squad Morale: Refreshed.] [Appeal Level: Critical.]

Kai leaned against a pillar, his arms crossed, watching them approach. The collective scent of four freshly bathed beauties hit him like a physical wave. It was intoxicating.

"Better?" Kai asked, his eyes lingering on a drop of water sliding down Gu Ling’s neck.

"Much," Gu Ling huffed, though she didn't snap at him this time. "At least I don't feel like I'm covered in... whatever that slime was."

Before Kai could make a comment about "slime," a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

Whoosh.

A figure clad in the grey robes of an Academy Messenger landed lightly in the courtyard. He held a scroll sealed with the official Azure Wind wax seal.

"Instructor Han Rou of Group 9?" the messenger asked efficiently.

"Yes, that's me," Han Rou stepped forward, straightening her robes.

"The Weekly Directive from the Elder Council."

The messenger handed her the scroll, bowed once to the group, and vanished as quickly as he had arrived, leaping over the garden wall.

The group gathered around Han Rou. The relaxed atmosphere from the bath evaporated, replaced by tension.

"What is it?" Leng Yue asked, her voice cool and sharp.

Han Rou broke the seal. Crack. She unrolled the parchment, her eyes scanning the calligraphy.

"It's the assignment structure," Han Rou explained, her brow furrowing. She looked up at her students. "We... we don't just train blindly for three months."

She turned the scroll so they could see.

"The Academy operates on a Point System," Han Rou said, pointing to a diagram. "Every week, each group is assigned a Quest. We have exactly seven days to complete it. The difficulty varies, and so do the points."

She looked at Kai, then at the girls.

"There are over fifty groups in the new intake," she continued, her voice serious. "But only the groups with the highest point totals will qualify for the Grand Tournament. Specifically... the Top 8."

"Top 8?" Gu Ling exclaimed. "That's insane! That cuts out almost everyone!"

"Those are the rules," Han Rou sighed. "The Academy breeds elites. They don't want to waste time watching weaklings fight. If we want to stand on that stage in three months... if we want to beat Ye Feng... we have to be in the Top 8."

She tapped the bottom of the scroll where a new line of text was glowing, revealing their first mission.

"And if we fail a weekly quest," Han Rou whispered, "we lose points. If our score drops too low... the group is disbanded."

The stakes were set. It wasn't just about getting stronger. It was a race. A grind.

Kai looked at the scroll. He didn't feel fear. He felt the thrill of a gamer who had just been handed a roadmap to power. Quests meant XP. XP meant Level Ups. Level Ups meant more stats, more skills, and more ways to conquer the women standing around him.

"So," Kai said, a confident smirk returning to his lips. "We just have to grind our way to the top. Simple."

He looked at Han Rou.

"Read it, Teacher. What is our first mission?"

Chapter 25: The Weeping Walls and the Waiting Game

Han Rou unrolled the scroll further, her eyes scanning the crimson ink that detailed their first trial. The festive atmosphere of the post-bath courtyard vanished, replaced by a chill that had nothing to do with the wind.

"Quest 001," Han Rou read aloud, her voice trembling slightly. "The Phantom Weeping of the West Dormitory."

"The West Dorm?" Gu Ling frowned, crossing her arms. "That old ruin on the edge of the campus? I thought it was condemned years ago."

"It was," Han Rou nodded gravely. "But recently, students passing by at night have reported... disturbances. Strange lights. An overpowering scent of perfume."

She swallowed hard, her face turning pink.

"And... sounds. Loud, rhythmic moaning that keeps the nearby male students awake."

"Moaning?" Kai raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Sounds like someone is having a good time, not a haunting."

"It is classified as a Spiritual Disturbance," Han Rou corrected quickly, avoiding his gaze. "The Academy believes it is a resentment spirit. Our objective is to enter the dormitory, spend one night inside to investigate the source, and exorcise it if possible."

Yun Xi let out a terrified squeak, clutching her book so tightly against her massive chest that it looked like it might burst. "G-Ghosts? I... I can't do ghosts! I'm scared of the dark!"

"Pathetic," Leng Yue muttered, though her hand tightened on her sword hilt. "Spirits are just energy. Cut the energy, kill the spirit."

"It’s a Rank D mission," Han Rou continued. "Reward: 50 Points. It’s high for a starter quest, which means the danger is real. If we fail... or if we run away... we get zero."

She looked at her squad. They were talented, but disjointed. And after the "Spirit Link" session, their internal energies were chaotic.

"We are not ready to go tonight," Han Rou decided firmly. "We need preparation. We need exorcism talismans, calming incense, and... frankly, we need to stabilize our own conditions."

She glanced at Kai, then quickly looked away.

"We will start the quest in three days," Han Rou announced. "Use this time to prepare your minds and bodies. Gather resources. Train your individual techniques. On the third night, we meet at the gates of the West Dormitory."

"Three days?" Gu Ling huffed. "Fine. I need to buy some Fire Talismans anyway. I’m not letting a ghost touch me."

"I... I will go to the library," Yun Xi whispered. "I'll read about... exorcisms."

"Dismissed," Han Rou said.

The group disbanded. The girls headed toward the main campus to prepare, leaving Kai alone in the courtyard.

He watched them go, his mind already calculating.

"Three days," Kai mused, rubbing his chin.

To a normal student, three days was time to study scriptures or mediate. To Kai, three days was an eternity of opportunity. He had a Level 3 body, Strength 9, and a Charisma that could melt resolve. He had a neighbor who was now his obedient pet, and a step-mother who was teetering on the edge of forbidden fruit.

And he still had a bet with Li Hua.

"A ghost that makes people moan," Kai chuckled darkly, looking toward the distant, crumbling silhouette of the West Dormitory. "I have a feeling that quest is going to be exactly my kind of problem. But until then..."

He stretched his arms, feeling the power ripple through his shoulders.

"I have three days to farm XP. I need to be Level 4 before we enter that house."

He turned and walked toward the exit of the Academy. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the city.

Chapter 26: The Sweetest Trap

The wooden door creaked shut, sealing away the cool night air. Kai stepped into the warmth of the small house, the scent of stewed vegetables and roasted spices welcoming him.

"I'm back, Mom," Kai called out, his voice low and smooth.

Ye Rou was in the kitchen corner, standing by the stove. She was stirring a pot, her back to him. The motion caused her hips to sway gently beneath her faded dress, a hypnotic rhythm that Kai had come to memorize.

He didn't announce his approach. He moved silently, stepping up right behind her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

"Kai!" she gasped, startled, but she didn't pull away.

"Missed me, Mom?" Kai whispered into her ear.

He pressed his hips forward. The hard ridge of his cock, still half-aroused from his thoughts during the walk home, rubbed deliberately against the crack of her ass. He ground it slowly, letting the friction tease him through the layers of cloth.

Ye Rou softened in his arms, leaning back slightly into his embrace, completely misinterpreting the physical contact. To her, it was the affection of a son who had grown up too fast.

"Of course, son," she sighed, a warm, motherly love softening her voice. She patted his hands resting on her stomach. "I missed you so much. The house is too quiet when you are at the Academy."

She turned in his arms, gently breaking the contact with his groin, and smiled up at him.

"Go sit down," she urged, smoothing his collar. "I'll set the food. You must be starving."

Kai smirked, releasing her. "Starving," he agreed, his eyes lingering on her chest for a second before he turned to the table.

Ye Rou bustled about, setting down bowls of steaming stew and rice. As they began to eat, she reached into a small basket and pulled out a wrapped pastry.

"Oh, look," she smiled, placing it on his side of the table. "Mrs. Lin came by earlier. She brought this sweet bean cake. She said she made it specifically for you, Kai."

Kai picked up the cake. It was soft and sweet. He knew exactly why Mrs. Lin had sent it. It wasn't a gift; it was a tribute. A subtle signal that she was thinking about him.

"That was kind of her," Kai said, taking a bite. It tastes like submission, he thought darkly.

"You are such a good boy," Ye Rou beamed, watching him eat. "Always helping everyone. Even Mrs. Lin can't stop talking about how helpful you were with her... household tasks. I am so proud of you, my son."

Kai suppressed a chuckle. "I just do what I can, Mom."

Between bites, Kai mentioned the scroll. "We got our first quest in the Academy today."

Ye Rou’s eyes lit up. She clapped her hands together, delighted. "A mission? Already? Oh, Kai! My son is finally becoming a real cultivator!"

Overcome with emotion, she reached across the table and pinched his cheeks, her eyes crinkling with joy. "Eat more! You need strength for your mission!"

She heaped more rice into his bowl. But as she sat back down, Kai noticed it. A small wince. Her movement was stiff, and she rubbed her lower back with a grimace she tried to hide.

Kai stopped eating. "Mom?" he asked, his voice dropping. "You look stiff. What happened?"

Ye Rou tried to wave it off. "It's nothing, honey. Just... body pain. There is so much work to do around the house... washing, scrubbing, carrying water. I suppose I'm just getting old and tired."

She laughed weakly, but the pain in her eyes was real.

Kai put down his chopsticks. He reached out and took her hand.

"You don't have to take so much stress," Kai said, activating his Charisma. His eyes bored into hers, filled with intense, manufactured concern. "You know how much I love you, Mom. I can't see you in pain. It hurts me."

Ye Rou’s breath hitched. Tears welled up in her eyes at his devotion. "Oh, my dear son... thank you. You don't know how happy you make me by saying that."

"What can I do, Mom?" Kai insisted. "Tell me."

Ye Rou hesitated. She looked down at her lap, then back at him, biting her lip nervously.

"Well... if you don't have a problem..." she started, her voice quiet. "Could you... give me a body massage tonight, son?"

Kai’s eyebrows rose slightly. "A body massage?"

"Yes," she rushed to explain, flushing slightly. "I know it's a bit weird to ask... but my back and shoulders are locked up tight. It’s paining me so much. But if you don't want to, it's okay! I can just sleep it off—"

"Mom," Kai interrupted gently. "I'll do it. Of course I'll do it."

Ye Rou let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Kai."

Suddenly, time seemed to freeze. A neon blue screen erupted in Kai’s vision, hovering right next to his step-mother’s grateful face.

[Ding!]

[New Quest Generated: The Dutiful Son's Touch] [Description: Your step-mother is in pain and vulnerable. Her defenses are lowered by fatigue and gratitude. This is a golden opportunity to map the territory you intend to conquer.] [Objective: Massage Ye Rou. Explore her body with your hands.] [Reward: +100 XP] [Bonus: Unlock "Sensual Massage" Skill if she moans.]

[Will you accept this quest?]

[YES] / [NO]

Chapter 27: Oil, Skin, and the Thin White Line

[Will you accept this quest?]

Kai stared at the floating blue screen, his heart hammering a heavy rhythm against his ribs. The prompt was a glowing invitation to cross a line that could never be uncrossed.

"Yes," Kai whispered, his voice barely audible over the crackle of the hearth fire.

He reached out and tapped [YES].

[Quest Accepted: The Dutiful Son's Touch] [Time Limit: 1 Hour]

"Mom, don't worry," Kai said aloud, masking the sudden spike of adrenaline in his voice with a warm, confident smile. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I've learned a lot about the human body at the Academy. I'll show you how good I am. By the time I'm done, you won't feel a single knot."

Ye Rou laughed, a soft, melodic sound that warmed the room. "Oh, son, that is so sweet of you. I know you are strong—after all, you are my son. I trust you."

"Let's finish the food fast," Kai urged, picking up his bowl and shoveling the last of the rice into his mouth. "The sooner we start, the sooner you can relax."

"Of course," she smiled, touched by his eagerness to help her.

They finished the meal in record time. While Ye Rou usually insisted on washing the dishes immediately, Kai insisted she leave them. "Go," he commanded gently. "Prepare the room. I'll be right there."

Ye Rou nodded and disappeared into her bedroom.

Kai took a moment to compose himself. He looked down at his hands—Strength 9. They were lethal weapons capable of shattering wood, but tonight, they needed to be instruments of pleasure. He needed to control his power perfectly.

He walked to the door of her room. It was slightly ajar.

Inside, the room was dimly lit by a single oil lamp, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls. The air smelled of old wood and the faint, sweet scent of the dried lavender she kept in a sachet by the window.

Ye Rou was smoothing the sheets of the large, wooden bed. She looked up as he entered.

"I'm ready," she said, rubbing her shoulder again.

"I want to use oil," Kai said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. The click of the latch sounded incredibly loud in the quiet room. "Dry massage can irritate the skin. Oil will help my hands glide... it will help me reach the deeper muscles."

Ye Rou paused, then nodded. "You're right. I think I have a small bottle of sesame oil in the cabinet."

She retrieved a small clay phial and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed. Her skin was warm, feverish with fatigue.

"Okay," she sighed.

She moved to the bed. She didn't undress. She simply kicked off her shoes and crawled onto the mattress, lying face down on her stomach.

Even fully clothed, the sight was breathtaking.

Ye Rou was a woman of generous proportions. Lying prone, her body settled into the mattress with a heaviness that spoke of soft, mature flesh. Her faded dress pulled tight across her hips, outlining the massive, heart-shaped expanse of her ass. It rose from the bed like a mountain, wide and inviting.

Kai swallowed hard, uncorking the oil. Not yet, he told himself. Patience.

He sat on the edge of the bed, right beside her hip. The mattress dipped under his weight.

"Close your eyes, Mom," Kai whispered. "Just breathe."

He poured a pool of amber oil into his palm. He rubbed his hands together, the friction warming the liquid until his palms were slick and hot.

He reached out.

He placed his hands on her upper back, right over the fabric of her dress.

"Mmm..." Ye Rou let out a long, shuddering exhale as the heat of his hands penetrated the cloth.

Kai began to work. He started at her shoulders, his thumbs digging into the trapezius muscles. With Strength 9, he didn't need to strain. He could feel the knots under her skin, hard little lumps of stress. He crushed them effortlessly, kneading the tension out of her.

"Are you feeling good?" Kai asked, his voice low.

"Mmm... yes..." Ye Rou mumbled into the pillow, her voice thick with relief. "It feels... so good, Kai. Your hands are... magic."

He moved lower. He slid his hands down her spine, pressing firmly. He worked his way to her waist.

This was where the problem started.

As he kneaded her lower back, the fabric of her dress began to bunch up. It twisted under his hands, creating friction. He couldn't feel the muscles properly. He couldn't feel the heat of her skin. It was like trying to paint with gloves on.

And more importantly, the System quest demanded he explore her body. Touching cloth wouldn't count.

Kai stopped his hands.

"What's wrong?" Ye Rou asked sleepily, lifting her head slightly.

"It's the dress," Kai said, putting a note of professional frustration into his voice. "The cloth... it's bunching up under my hands. It's slipping against your skin."

He sighed, wiping a bit of oil from his thumb.

"I can't find the acupoints properly, Mom. And if I press the wrong spot because the fabric slips, I could hurt you instead of helping you. I need proper control."

He let the silence hang for a second before dropping the suggestion.

"You should remove it."

Ye Rou stiffened. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, her eyes wide.

"Remove it?" she stammered. "Is... is that right? I mean... we don't need to do that, do we? It's... intimate."

"It's alright, Mom," Kai said, his voice as soothing as the oil. He used his Charisma, projecting an aura of pure, innocent logic. "Remember when I was a kid? You used to massage me when I had growing pains. You used to bathe me. There was no shame then."

He smiled, a gentle, disarming expression.

"Now it's my turn to take care of you. We are family. There is no shame between a mother and her son, is there?"

Ye Rou searched his face. She saw only concern and love. The exhaustion in her body was screaming for relief, and his hands had felt so good...

She laughed softly, a nervous release of tension. "Yes... I remember. You were so cute back then. You still are... and you will always be my cute son."

She shook her head, chiding herself for her hesitation.

"You are right. It is not shame from my son. I am being silly."

She pushed herself up to a kneeling position.

Kai sat back, his breath catching in his throat.

Ye Rou reached for the buttons of her dress. Her fingers were nimble. Pop. Pop. Pop. The front opened.

She shrugged the dress off her shoulders. It pooled around her waist, and then she pushed it down.

Kai watched, his eyes hungry but his face impassive.

Her skin was pale and milky, glowing in the lamplight. Her back was broad and smooth, with a deep, elegant spine that dipped down into the curve of her waist. But as she moved, he saw her front.

She wasn't wearing a bra.

As the dress fell, her heavy, massive breasts swung free. They were soft, pendulous, and incredibly erotic. The nipples were large and dark, hardening slightly in the cool air of the room. She didn't fully expose them to him, keeping her arms somewhat crossed, but the side-profile view of those heavy mounds was enough to make Kai’s cock twitch violently against his zipper.

She shimmied the dress down over her hips and kicked it away.

She was naked. Almost.

She was still wearing panties.

They were simple, white cotton panties. High-waisted and modest, but they did little to hide the sheer volume of what lay beneath. The elastic band dug slightly into the soft flesh of her hips, emphasizing the flare of her curves. Through the thin, white cotton, Kai could see the dark shadow of her pubic hair and the deep cleft of her ass cheeks.

"There," Ye Rou said, her face flushed pink, looking away from him. "Is that better?"

"Much better," Kai said, his voice dropping an octave.

She lay back down on her stomach.

The view was magnificent. Her bare back was a canvas waiting for him. Her ass, clad in the tight white panties, looked even bigger now that her waist was exposed. The panties cut across the fullest part of her buttocks, leaving the bottom curves exposed.

[Quest Update: 50% Complete] [Target Exposed. Skin Contact Required.]

Kai poured more oil. A lot more.

"Here we go," he whispered.

He placed his hands on her bare shoulders.

Squelch.

The sound of oil meeting skin was wet and intimate.

"Oh!" Ye Rou gasped, burying her face in the pillow.

The sensation was electric. His hands, hot and slick, slid down her back without resistance. He ran his thumbs down either side of her spine, pressing deep. He felt her muscles ripple under his touch.

He massaged her shoulder blades, his fingers digging under the bone, releasing years of tension. Ye Rou began to moan softly.

"Mmm... Kai... that's... oh god..."

He moved lower. His hands were large, covering almost the entire width of her back. He oiled her ribs, his fingers grazing the side of her breasts as they pressed against the mattress. He saw the flesh spill out from under her.

He reached her lower back—the dimples of Venus right above her ass.

This was the danger zone.

He kneaded her waist, his thumbs pressing into the soft fat above her hips. She was so soft. So yielding.

"You carry so much tension here," Kai murmured.

He let his hands slide lower. His palms brushed the top of the white panties. The cotton was damp with oil now.

"Kai..." Ye Rou breathed, her body relaxing completely, melting into the mattress. She was in a trance of pleasure.

Kai stared at the panties. They were the last line of defense. The quest required him to explore her body, and the most important part was hidden behind that thin strip of white cloth.

He couldn't just rip them off. That would break the spell. He needed her to want them off. Or he needed a reason why they had to come off.

His hands slid down over her oiled back, approaching the curve of her buttocks again. He let his pinky finger slip under the elastic waistband, just for a second, touching the forbidden skin of her upper ass cheek.

Ye Rou flinched, a small jolt going through her, but she didn't tell him to stop.

She's ready, Kai thought, looking at the way her hips moved slightly against the bed, grinding subconsciously. She just needs one more push.

"Mom," Kai whispered, leaning down close to her ear, his hands resting heavily on her lower back, just millimetres from the waistband. "The oil... it's going to ruin your underwear. And the biggest knot... it's right here."

He pressed his thumb firmly into the top of her glute, right through the fabric.

"Right here on your hip. I can't massage it through the cotton."

He waited. The silence in the room was heavy, filled only by her ragged breathing and the throb of his own pulse.

"Should I stop?" he asked, withdrawing his hands slightly, threatening to take away the pleasure.

Ye Rou let out a whimper at the loss of contact. Her mind was hazy, drunk on the relief and the strange, heavy heat building in her belly.

"No..." she whispered into the pillow. "Don't stop."

She lifted her hips slightly.

"Take them off."