Hunting 3: Ye Hua and the Elusive Fox

Upon returning to his own bedchamber after Heavenly Father’s harsh lecture, Ye Hua found himself restless and on edge. He was unhappy with his and Mo Yuan’s agreement to stop pursuing their fox, feeling a little empty inside at the thought of letting her go. It was the wrong decision, one born out of their anger and frustration with her choice to flee from them and not from rational thought. He regretted it already and he seriously doubted his brother was any more prepared to give up on her than he was. They needed to discuss it again once they had both calmed down and could think clearly.

Ye Hua paced the length of his room several times before pausing to gaze at his neatly made bed. He would give just about anything to have his beautiful fox lying there under the blanket, her bare skin flushed with desire and waiting for him to take care of her. Her lips would be slightly parted, her breaths shallow and quick, as her dark eyes begged him to come and join her, to give her aroused body some relief.

His body stirred with need and then immediately began to harden in response to the vision. Ye Hua growled at himself softly with a frown as desire rushed through him. He was only torturing himself with such thoughts. His bed was empty and would remain empty until he and Mo Yuan found their fox. And they would find her. He was sure of it. She couldn’t hide from them forever. And once they had managed to track her down…

Ye Hua forced his eyes away from his bed and started pacing again, trying to ignore his now aching groin and douse the arousing image before it could fully inflame him. He would never get any rest this way. He finally halted in front of the door to his private chamber. He had been only partially successful in stopping his wayward imagination but he knew he needed to try and get some sleep.

Ye Hua shrugged off his formal robes with a heavy sigh and left his unbound hair free to hang loose down his back. He chose to wear only a thin pair of black silk pants to bed as he settled under the blanket. The smooth fabric was usually cool and soothing when worn but tonight it felt confining. Tight and uncomfortable, it brushed against the heated skin of his sensitive erection with every move he made. It was difficult for him to ignore.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax but his body was too tense with aroused frustration; his mind too busy running through a whirlwind of different images and thoughts for him to find sleep. How had the female fox managed to take over his mind and body so thoroughly after only one sensual night with her 300 years ago? It was a question he had yet to find an answer to.

He finally opened his eyes in defeat and stared at the ceiling for a long moment before glancing toward the simple clay jar he kept safe on a shelf near his bed. Painted the color of sapphires, it contained and preserved his half of the precious pink blossoms the beautiful fox had left behind that night for him and Mo Yuan. He remembered the familiar scent of peaches intertwined with aroused female fox he had detected earlier in the day. Her sweet fragrance had blindsided him; hers being an alluring scent that tempted him unlike any other.

Ye Hua summoned a rolled up piece of paper to his hand and slowly opened it. The exquisite face of his beautiful fox met his eyes. He had taken his time when painting this particular portrait of her, adding every seductive yet delicate detail he had noticed on her features that night, details he had not included in the other portraits of her he had plastered in every corner of the realms as he and Mo Yuan had searched for her.

Any sight of the captivating expressions that graced her features when she was lost in the throes of passion belonged to him and Mo Yuan alone. As far as he was concerned, no man other than himself and his brother was allowed to know anything about her wild and passionate side. Or woman for that matter. The sweet fox belonged to them.

His possessive thoughts soon faded, quickly replaced by his memories of that night, as he continued to gaze at the painting. He remembered the taste of her body on his tongue as he had kissed her neck and shoulders and the feel of her smooth skin and erect nipples as he had traced his fingers over her every curve. If only he had taken the chance to sample the nectar from her core with his tongue as she had climaxed, had taken the chance to learn the flavor of her essence as it poured from her body…her tightly clenching channel…

Ye Hua shifted restlessly in bed, his heart beginning to pound as his eyes slipped closed. He fisted the hand holding his portrait of the beautiful fox tightly, unknowingly crumpling the paper between his clenched fingers. His mind was flooded with the memory of sinking his erect flesh into her wet, welcoming warmth. He groaned deep in his throat, his length hardening to the point of pain as he remembered how firmly her body had clung to his as he had thrust into her over and over again. He had filled her completely and it had felt wonderful, unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

His free hand drifted under the covers and continued down to the edge of his waistband before Ye Hua even realized what he was doing. His eyes snapped open when he found himself hastily untying the drawstring of his pants and sliding his fingers under the fabric to free himself from the discomfort of the silk restricting his now very large erection. He applied some much needed stimulation to the sensitive flared tip for an uncontrolled moment but stopped himself just short of fully wrapping his fingers around his thick taut length.

What was he doing?! Ye Hua hadn’t resorted to stroking himself with his fist to give himself an orgasm since he was a teenager and he wasn’t going to start again now! He usually had much better control over himself than this. He forced himself to pull his fingers away from his erection and straightened his waistband, leaving the string untied and loose to try and lessen some of the uncomfortable pressure on his throbbing length. He didn’t dare remove the clothing, worried he would give into his strong urge to take himself in hand and start pumping.

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, and relaxed his fingers one by one from their firm grasp around the crumpled portrait of the woman haunting his every thought. He carefully smoothed all the creases out of the paper with his cultivation until it looked like new again. He then only allowed himself one last brief look at her face before the portrait disappeared from his hand, going back to where he kept it safely tucked away in a drawer of his desk.

Ye Hua turned to his side to stare at the wall, stubbornly pretending he couldn’t feel the taunting caress of silk moving against his aroused length as he shifted position. He remained absolutely still and began reciting the long list of conditions decided upon for the last trade agreement he had negotiated for his father, first out loud and then silently, to chase away the erotic thoughts of his sweet female fox. After three renditions of the dull treaty, he eventually managed to drift off into a fitful sleep…

Their lips and tongues thrust against each other feverishly as they dueled back and forth for dominance over the frantic kiss.

Ye Hua felt the exciting scrape of her nails running down his bare back, wincing at the slight sting of her teeth biting his bottom lip as she hugged him closer to her. The sweet scent of peaches interlaced with the intoxicating scent of their mutual arousal filled his senses completely. He growled deep in his throat when she nipped his lip again, reaching up to grasp a handful of her hair as he forced his tongue into her mouth, swiftly taking all control away from her.

Ye Hua deepened the kiss even further, grasping the back of her head with his hand to hold her in place and nudging her legs apart with one silk-clad knee. He had every intention of eliminating all space between them for at least several hours but first, he realized, he needed to see her beautiful face again. It had been too long since he had last seen her in person and he needed to reassure himself she was truly there.

He pulled his mouth away from hers slowly, taking a moment to tease and suck her lower lip between his before fully breaking contact between them. She whimpered softly in protest at the loss and a shiver of hunger coursed through Ye Hua when he heard the sound. He remembered her noises of passion well, remembered very well how they became higher in pitch and irregular as she neared her climax.

Their eyes locked for one charged moment when Ye Hua placed a small amount of distance between them. He could see the desire in her dark eyes along with something else he couldn’t quite decipher. Then his gaze moved to take in all of her. She was a stunning image illuminated by the pale moonlight, dressed in a seductively translucent robe of shimmering silver while standing against a shadowed backdrop of bamboo stalks interspersed with flowering peach trees.

Finally, his sweet fox was with him again after all the years he and Mo Yuan had spent looking for her. It really was her. He savored the sight of her, devouring her beauty with a predatory gaze.

She wore nothing underneath the sensuous robe.

Ye Hua could see every tantalizing inch of her through the delicate fabric, could see every place her slender curves were flushed with desire. His eyes lingered on her rosy erect nipples where they pushed firmly against their thin cover before dropping to look for the folds he knew were waiting for him between her thighs. He could see the wisps of dark curls covering her mound, imagined he could see traces of fluid trickling from her slit, beginning to cling to those soft curls, dampening them as she became more aroused.

Was her core wet and clenching, ready for him to enter? Was she already yearning for him to thrust inside of her, to fill every part of her completely? If not, she soon would be.

Satisfaction filled Ye Hua as he gazed upon her exquisite beauty along with an undeniable urge to show her she belonged to him, to show her she was his to care for and protect. And that she was his to make love to. He had never felt such a strong possessive urge before and his body was more than prepared to claim her. Ye Hua’s erection was thick and long, the distended flesh throbbing in time with every beat of his heart, aching within its confines of black silk. Ye Hua knew its unmistakable presence proclaimed his intentions to the female fox very clearly despite still being covered from her view.

It was time. He could wait no longer.

Ye Hua reached for her to bring her close to him but she stepped back.

He frowned at her retreat, frustration sparking within him along with a new flood of possessive need. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he reached for her again. Again she retreated from him, evading his grasp and stepping even further back. The increasing distance between them infuriated Ye Hua as much as it drove his determination to have her higher.

“Don’t,” he ordered, his voice deep and hoarse from arousal mixed with frustration.

“I have to go now.” Her soft voice was quiet and sad, her eyes suddenly filled with regret.

Ye Hua watched in anger and disbelief as his sweet fox dropped her eyes and turned her back to him. Something primal and very powerful took hold deep inside him as she started walking away, heading toward the strange forest surrounding them. He would not let her leave this time. A low, menacing growl rumbled up from his chest and he closed the distance between them in less than a second.

She jumped when he wrapped his arms around her from behind, yanking her back against his body roughly. The gesture was not a plea, but a demand she stay with him. Ye Hua’s grip around her was unbreakable even while he took care not to bruise or injure her in any way. The low, angry growl sounded in his chest again, the vibrations rumbling against her shoulders as he shoved his erection into her lower back.

He felt her tremble in response to his possessive touch, the evidence of her aroused reaction to his presence calmed his anger.

“Sweet fox,” he whispered gruffly, shifting his hips forward to press his taut length against her even more forcefully.

She responded by rubbing her body back against his. Heat shot through Ye Hua as her pace increased and she moved back and forth against his engorged flesh in a teasing rhythm which mimicked that of lovemaking. He closed his eyes and relaxed his grip, sliding one hand down her side before moving it toward the mound between her thighs. He needed to see if she was ready for him. His breathing quickened as she continued to rub her back against his length with stimulating motions.

Ye Hua groaned and opened his eyes with renewed frustration when her fingers wrapped around his wrist, halting his hand just before he could slip it in between her legs. She stopped all of her movements against him and tried to pull away. He did not allow her to break contact with him; he desperately needed her body pressing up against his.

“I have to go now,” she repeated softly.

“No,” he growled back in a low voice. “I will never let you go, sweet fox. Da Ge and I will never let you go again.” Ye Hua breathed in deeply as she shivered in response to his possessive words, savoring her alluring fragrance as a new wave of her aroused scent suddenly permeated the air around them. “Not when we can scent your need for us so clearly. It calls to both of us and is impossible to ignore.”

Ye Hua started moving his hand again. She did not release her grip on his wrist but she did not try to stop him either as he finally slid his fingers in between her thighs. The tips of his fingers found fabric soaked through with her desire and he rubbed his fingers against her folds through the robe. She sucked in an unsteady breath and shifted her hips toward his fingers as they stroked her.

“Da Ge and I can’t let you go,” he whispered in her ear hoarsely, his fingers moving back and forth against her. “Not when we can feel how wet you become from the slightest touch of our fingers.” He paused to rub her more firmly. “You belong to us, sweet fox.”

Ye Hua’s fingers searched for the opening of her robe and then slipped inside the fabric. Damp curls welcomed his touch and he explored between her folds, finding her nub swollen and coated with her essence. He easily slid one long finger inside her slick passage, testing her, before pulling it back out again to cup her mound firmly with his palm. She moaned softly and he softly kissed the side of her neck. “You’re ready for me, sweet fox.”

He started stroking his fingers up and down her slit slowly once again, rubbing her swollen nub firmly where it peeked out from between her folds. She gasped and started rocking her hips in time with the movements of his fingers. Ye Hua groaned as the rocking motion of her hips started rubbing her body against his stiff length all over again.

He yanked his hand away from her clit and spun her around, grabbing her rump with both hands, lifting her up and pulling her mound up against his sensitive erection very hard, grinding himself against her as his mouth lowered to capture hers. He felt her fingers entwine themselves in his unbound hair as she kissed him back, her tongue meeting his without hesitation. He pulled her against him with more force. She arched her pelvis into his as he continued to thrust himself against her.

Ye Hua abruptly broke off the kiss and released his grip, lowering her feet to the ground. He reached for the sash holding her robe closed, intending to strip her and bury his engorged length within her tight welcoming heat, but she stepped away from him and his fingers grabbed only air instead.

“I should go, Ye Hua,” she told him quietly, turning to walk away.

Ye Hua saw red when she turned away from him this time. He would not let her go. She needed him as much as he needed her; the way her body responded to his presence alone told him it was true. She belonged with him and Mo Yuan and he was going to prove it to her. The urge to do so was overwhelming and his instinctive need to possess her could not be denied.

Jumping to her side and his fingers wrapped around her slender wrist firmly, bringing her retreat into the forest to an abrupt halt. He spun her around, reveling in the flare of lust and desire he saw spark in her eyes as her gaze met his head on. He grabbed her other wrist, forcing her to face him directly.

“No,” he growled harshly.

He pushed his sweet fox backwards up against a large peach tree, creating a barrier of his cultivation to protect her delicate skin from the rough bark. He pinned her to the tree with his body, pressing her wrists against the trunk on either side of her face and shoving his knee in between her thighs. Peach blossoms rained down around them; the only noise in the night was that of their harsh breathing as they stared each other down.

Ye Hua could feel the brush of her tight nipples against his bare chest every time she inhaled. He watched, enthralled, as the desire in her eyes darkened and she inched her body lower until her mound was resting against his thigh and she straddled him. And still he stared her down, knowing he had won when she rocked her hips, rubbing herself against his leg. He could feel the silk fabric of his pants growing damp with her desire.

“Please, Ye Hua.” Her voice was a breathless plea.

“No more running, sweet fox.” His was a hoarse order.

She nodded soundlessly and Ye Hua placed a soft kiss to her lips. “Don’t move your hands.” She nodded again in response to the harsh tone of his whispered words.

Ye Hua released his hold on her wrists, pleased when she kept her hands in place where he still had her pinned. He reached between them, hastily untying the sash of her robe. Yanking the clothing off of her, he ignored the sound of ripping cloth. She continued slowly rocking herself against his thigh, her rhythm faltering when two long strips of red silk appeared in his hands.

“No more chances, sweet fox.” He ran the soft silk through his fingers, pleased when her eyes followed the motions of his hands. Ye Hua wanted her to get a good look at both strips of crimson silk, one embroidered with an image of his black dragon, the other embroidered with an image of Mo Yuan’s golden dragon. He felt immense satisfaction when she realized what she was seeing and her eyes widened in surprise, lifting to meet his once again.

Ye Hua’s face was very serious when he intently wrapped one strip of silk around her wrist, tying a magical knot only he could release. He then repeated the action with the other red strip.

“Tighter,” she murmured breathlessly, excitement kindling in her eyes. She started rocking against his leg again, this time moving more rapidly. A deep growl rumbled up from his chest as he scented more of her arousal perfuming the already blossom-scented air around them.

He tightened each knot around her wrists before using his cultivation to wrap the strips of silk around her body and the tree. They wound around her body, crossing across her shoulders before snaking around her ribs. Ye Hua grabbed both ends of the silk and weaved his cultivation within the fibers to reinforce the binding. He then tied the ends into a tight knot under her breasts.

The crimson silk bound her in place to the tree, her hands still in position by her face and she could no longer move her shoulders or upper torso. Ye Hua knew the silk was cinching down on her body every time she inhaled, but he could see how the discomfort enhanced her pleasure. Her hips had started rocking against his leg more erratically and she was now panting, her eyes glazed with passion and pleading with him to take care of her need.

Ye Hua stepped back from her and she moaned her disappointment. But her moan morphed into an excited whimper when his mouth latched onto one of her breasts, his tongue flicking against her taut nipple before sucking it forcefully. He reached up and started kneading her other breast with his palm. He could feel her trying to arch her chest toward him but her movements were restricted by his bindings. The knowledge she was helplessly unable to do anything other than submit to his hands and mouth drove them both higher.

Ye Hua switched breasts abruptly, moving his mouth to suck on her other nipple, giving it the same hard caresses with his tongue while his hands traveled down her sides to grasp her hips. He waited until her whimpers started to become more breathless before skimming his mouth down her flat stomach and kneeling in front of her. He pressed open mouthed kisses against her hip bones and her lower abdomen, tasting her distinct flavor with small brushes of his tongue against her skin.

Finally, he could ignore the lure of her enticing scent no longer and his head lowered further until he was caressing the skin of her inner thighs with his tongue and lips. She moaned long and deep, hips squirming in his hands at the feel of his warm tongue brushing against her. He pulled back, watching in aroused fascination as a trickle of her nectar slid down her inner thigh right in front of him. His tongue caught the drop of her essence as it reached her knee and he licked her skin clean, following the moist path it had taken down her leg.

Ye Hua paused when his nose brushed against the damp curls covering her mound. He moved closer, instinctively breathing in the fragrance of her arousal where it was strongest. She gasped at the feel of his face pushing against her slit and he groaned as her scent intensified even further, beginning to pant as his lungs were filled with the smell of her essence.

Ye Hua’s inflamed length started to throb more forcefully as it tightened even further in reaction to her scent. The silk confining it grew more uncomfortable. He reached down and adjusted the position of his erection, seeking a small measure of relief from the pressure he felt. Soon, he told himself. Soon he would be free from the cloth but he was determined to get his taste of her when she climaxed before he did anything else.

He breathed her in deeply one more time before running his tongue up and down the swollen folds of her slit. He reached up and parted her folds, exposing her taut, pulsing clit to his view. His lips latched onto it and he began to nibble, flicking his tongue as he did. Her hips bucked against his face and she rocked her mound against his mouth as she started whimpering over and over again.

Ye Hua pushed a long finger inside her dripping channel and then another, pleased when he felt her muscles clenching around them. Her whimpers became higher in pitch as he ruthlessly pumped his fingers in and out of her and sucked her swollen nub forcefully, rolling his tongue against it as he did. He pushed her closer and closer to her climax before abruptly scraping his teeth against the engorged flesh nestled between his lips gently. Her body clamped down on his fingers and she screamed his name as her body was consumed by a powerful orgasm.

The honey of her release flowed from her body when he removed his fingers from deep inside her. He made sure his tongue was right there to catch it all. Her sweet flavor coated his tongue and lips as he drank all of her in. She tasted as wonderful as her scent hinted she would.

Ye Hua stood when he felt the spasms of pleasure trembling through her body begin to diminish. She was still panting heavily when he leaned in and kissed her again, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, letting her taste herself on his tongue and lips. Her tongue met his eagerly, her mouth trying to hang onto his when he pulled away. He knew if she were not still bound tightly to the tree she would be clinging to him but, restrained as she was, she could do nothing to stop him from breaking off the kiss.

He reached down to the drawstring of his pants, watching her face with hooded eyes as he slowly untied the silk string. Her eyes darkened with renewed desire as he freed himself from the silk fabric, his thick erection springing out eagerly under her gaze. Ye Hua’s small moment of relief from the pressure in his groin was short lived as her moist lips parted at the sight of him. His distended length grew even thicker and his heavy sack tightened, a drop of milky fluid appearing on the flared head of his arousal, as she ran her tongue over her lips.

Ye Hua didn’t have enough control remaining to give her what her eyes were really begging him for. He would lose it quickly if she took him in her mouth but he could give her a small taste. He wrapped his fingers around his erection, the taut flesh pulsing against his palm as he started slowly pumping himself. Some of the fluid from her climax still coated his fingers and allowed his fist to move back and forth easily as he smeared it over his rigid length with every stroke. He circled his thumb firmly around the sensitive flared head every time his fist moved toward the tip.

It took precious little stimulation before more milky fluid started steadily dribbling from his erection and Ye Hua quickly stopped before he lost all control. His breathing was harsh and unsteady as he struggled not to spill himself completely. He carefully brushed his thumb over the tip of his length, coating it with his salty fluid. Then he reached up and smeared his precum all over her lips.

He groaned as her tongue licked it up eagerly. Before he could move his thumb away she had sucked it into her mouth forcefully, giving him a preview of what awaited him should he decide to take her mouth instead. Her eyes begged him to allow her to suck him off.

“Next time, sweet fox,” he answered her with a deep growl in his hoarse voice. He pulled his thumb away from her mouth. The implication of his words hung suspended in the air around them as he gripped her hips and stepped between her legs. He brushed the head of his erection up between her folds for one charged moment before plunging himself deep inside of her moist heat.

Her tight body welcomed his with clenching muscles as Ye Hua started moving his throbbing length in and out of her channel with a controlled rhythm he knew he could only maintain for so long. He should not have worried about giving her time for her pleasure to build again because she immediately started whimpering at the feel of his large erection stretching her as he rammed himself inside her over and over again.

“Please untie me,” she begged breathlessly, voice hitching as his thrusts increased in speed. “…touch you…”

“Next time,” he growled at her.

Ye Hua’s hold on her thighs shifted and he forced her legs wider until she wrapped them around his hips completely, opening herself to him and pushing his erection even further inside of her. Her legs tightened around him as she rocked her pelvis against his, matching his every thrust with one of her own. Their change in position provided him the crucial angle he needed to brush his entire length against her swollen clit every time. She moaned deeply in response.

He lost all control when her body immediately gripped his more tightly. He could feel every tiny pulse of her muscles clinging to him and it forced him closer to the finish. He started thrusting inside her frantically as he neared his peak. His erection grew thicker and longer inside her as he prepared to fill her with his seed.

She screamed his name into the night once again and her body clamped down on his tightly…

Ye Hua was violently ripped from his dream by the sound of a candle holder clattering loudly as it hit the wooden floor. He was alone in bed, his erection angry and exposed as he grinded it forcefully against his mattress over and over with powerful thrusts of his hips. The entire bed shook every time he moved and he found himself helplessly unable to slow down long enough to even sit up and take himself in hand to finish.

He snarled his frustration when he realized it was too late to stop what was about to happen. There wasn’t even time for him to put a privacy barrier in place to mask the aroused growling sounds escaping from his chest. He was too close to the edge to concentrate on anything other than reaching his climax. His testicles were pulled up tight against his body, aching with intense pressure as they prepared for his release. He could feel his seed beginning to flow from his throbbing length. He was almost there and he gave up trying to hold it off.

All he could concentrate on was the memory of ramming himself into his sweet fox as her body had clenched around his. That memory was all he needed.

Ye Hua gripped his pillow tighter and desperately buried his face in it as his orgasm took over. He thrust his hips up and down frantically, rubbing his erection hard against the fabric of his mattress several more times before his climax gripped him and his entire body seized with pleasure. He roared loudly into his pillow, the sound muffled as his hips jerked violently several times. Large amounts of warm semen spurted from him again and again. He could feel the viscous fluid smearing under him as his movements finally slowed.

He sat up with a groan when he was done, his breathing still erratic as he looked around him. His blanket had been shoved to the foot of the bed and he noticed he had ripped the black fabric of his favorite silk pants when he found them bunched in a pile on the floor. He glanced down at the bed, his eyes landing on the large wet spot now staining the fabric, glaring evidence of his loss of control.

Ye Hua’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he stared at it, hoping nobody had been able to hear his roar of pleasure when they knew he had been sleeping alone in bed. It seemed unlikely given there were always servants hovering around his palace. He waved his hand over the telling spot with a long sigh, removing all traces of his semen from the fabric before burying his head in his hands.

Even now, the images from his vivid dream continued to play out in his mind. Annoyed and frustrated, he could feel his length already stirring again with arousal as he remembered the heady pleasure he had felt when binding his sweet fox to the tree. It had felt more real than any other dream he had experienced before but, in the end, had ultimately left him feeling empty and unfulfilled. He needed to find her again. His body still desperately wanted more than what the dream had provided, still desperately wanted to make love to her in reality.

He needed to talk to Mo Yuan now. He didn’t care that it was still early in the morning.

Ye Hua stood from the bed and straightened his chamber with a wave of his hand. He cleaned the dried sweat and semen from his body before dressing himself in a fresh black robe. He left his room with a stern expression on his face, daring anyone he passed to so much as look at him after what had happened in his room. Nobody glanced his way.

He strode to his study, intending to send a message to his twin but found Mo Yuan was already there, waiting to speak with him. To most observers, Mo Yuan appeared to be his normal composed and stoic self. He was sitting at Ye Hua’s desk while Jia Yun poured him a cup of steaming green tea. Ye Hua knew the calm expression on his brother’s face was a facade only, could easily see the lines of fatigue and tension on Mo Yuan’s face.

Ye Hua knew his brother was here about their sweet fox, knew the moment their eyes met and a silent conversation took place between them. Ye Hua also immediately understood Mo Yuan appeared tired and on edge for the same reasons he felt that way himself.

Jia Yun bowed a polite greeting to Ye Hua before summoning a cup and pouring tea into it. He set it down on Ye Hua’s side of the desk before turning to leave the brothers to their conversation.

“Jia Yun.” Ye Hua halted his most trusted aide before the man left the room. Ye Hua could depend on Jia Yun to remain discreet about anything he asked of him. “I need two strips of crimson silk. They need to be long and cut from the finest quality silk available, very strong but soft and gentle against the skin. I want them both embroidered with the detailed image of a dragon, a black dragon on one strip and a golden one on the other.”

“Yes, Prince Ye Hua.” Jia Yun bowed his agreement. “I will see they are made and that they are kept a secret.” The man didn’t so much as blink at the strange order, also instinctively understanding Ye Hua didn’t want anyone outside of his brother knowing about the request.

“Thank you, Jia Yun.” He acknowledged his servant’s respectful bow with a grateful nod of his head as Jia Yun slipped quietly out of the room.

Ye Hua turned back to Mo Yuan, who was watching him with questioning eyes. He felt Mo Yuan’s cultivation envelop the room as he erected a privacy barrier around them.

“Two strips of crimson silk bearing the images of our dragons?”

“For our sweet female fox,” Ye Hua answered simply, taking a sip of tea. “I’ll explain in detail later.”

Mo Yuan nodded, the understanding in his eyes telling Ye Hua there was no need to explain any further.

“We have to find her, Da Ge, and I think I know how.” Ye Hua drained his cup and poured himself another. “We can’t stop looking for her but we need to make it look like we have. I think it will lure her to us.”

“I was going to suggest a similar plan,” Mo Yuan responded with a pleased grin.