The man’s sudden action startled Lu Xia, and she forgot to pull away. When she came to her senses, she felt his scalding tongue curl around the pad of her finger, licking it gently.

Lu Xia’s fair cheeks instantly flushed red.

"You... don’t do that." Lu Xia pulled her finger back, her face red. She felt the tense atmosphere suddenly become scorching hot.

The light in Graces’s eyes dimmed, and he knelt. "Please don’t hate me."

His voice was unusually hoarse, laced with a humble plea, as if he might shatter at any moment.

Lu Xia knew he would do this. "Get up. When did I ever say I hated you? What is all this nonsense you’re thinking about?!"

Graces didn’t move. He kept his head bowed and asked in a low voice, "Don’t you think I’m hideous? It’s alright if you detest me or find me disgusting. Just please... don’t send me away. I can..."

"You can what? Hide so I can’t see you? Live in the shadows around me and spy on me all day?" Lu Xia was so exasperated she almost laughed. "Lift your head!"

At her words, Graces slowly raised his head. Both of his eyes now looked different.

Lu Xia looked down to meet his gaze. There was still no trace of disgust in her eyes, only unconcealable awe.

His appearance didn’t frighten her in the slightest. On the contrary, she thought he looked beautiful, and incredibly cool!

She didn’t hide her admiration, stating bluntly, "Have you ever seen disgust in my eyes? Or revulsion? Or hate?"

Graces gazed at her, as if confirming something. Finally, he responded in a low voice, "Never."

Lu Xia chuckled. "Then what are you doing here, letting your imagination run wild? This form of yours isn’t ugly—on the contrary, it’s quite beautiful. At least, I like it. Get up. Now, tell me what’s going on."

Graces remained kneeling, as if he hadn’t yet processed her words.

Lu Xia, who had sat back down on the edge of the bed, raised an eyebrow at his behavior. "Do you enjoy kneeling that much?"

"N-no, that’s not it." Graces seemed to snap back to his senses. He looked at Lu Xia and slowly rose to his feet. As he moved, his scales rubbed together with a soft, rustling sound.

Lu Xia’s gaze shifted to his transformed right hand. The hand that had become a sharp claw looked both cool and vicious.

"Come here."

Graces walked over as she instructed. Lu Xia then took his right hand, cradling it in her own. Her fair, slender hands created a stark contrast. Graces’s breath hitched. "You... don’t. It’s dangerous."

Despite his words, he didn’t move. It was as if he was afraid that pulling his hand away would cause the sharp scales to cut Lu Xia’s fingers again, so he could only try to stop her with his voice.

But Lu Xia didn’t let him pull away. She continued to hold his large, clawed hand, examining it with curiosity. The black scales looked hard and cold, but they were actually quite warm. They felt very smooth, not at all unpleasant to the touch, and had the texture of a gemstone.

She rather liked the sensation.

As she touched him, the man’s breathing unconsciously grew heavier. Lu Xia noticed the change and paused. She then saw his flushed face, and a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes as she slowly put two and two together. "What does it feel like," she asked, "when I touch you like this?"

The unscaled half of Graces’s face was a mask of restraint. "Itchy!"

Lu Xia looked at him, knowing full well he wasn’t telling the truth. ’It’s probably not as simple as just being itchy.’

After all, they had been intimate many times. It wasn’t just that the man was familiar with her body; by the same token, she was perfectly familiar with Graces’s expression when he was aroused.

This was clearly how he looked when he was aroused. In other words, the scales were highly sensitive.

As if she’d discovered something, a look of wonder filled Lu Xia’s eyes. She pulled the man down, cupped Graces’s face, and brushed her fingers over his scales before tracing the horns on his head. The hand he had braced on the bed for balance clenched unconsciously, and he pressed his thin lips together, trying desperately to suppress something.

When Lu Xia saw sweat beading on his forehead, she became even more certain of her theory.

A smile touched her eyes, but her hands didn’t stop. She was curious to see just how long this man could endure it.

Because of their posture, Graces had to tilt his head back, his gaze fixed on Lu Xia.

The smile he saw in her eyes made his heart race and his blood boil.

He could feel it with perfect clarity: Lu Xia really didn’t hate him like this.

This realization gave him not only an immense sense of security, but also courage.

He gently buried his head in Lu Xia’s chest. The unscaled side of his face was flushed, and his voice held a note of pleading beneath its restraint. "Don’t tease me anymore. I’m begging you."

Lu Xia chuckled. Instead of pushing him away, she gently stroked his short hair. "Graces, you believe me now, don’t you? That I don’t hate you like this?"

Graces wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her carefully, like a great dragon that had finally found its priceless treasure and was guarding it tightly.

"Mm. I know I was wrong."

Lu Xia let him hold her, her hand stroking his head from time to time. "So, can you tell me what happened now?"

Graces calmed the surge of heat in his body, then let go of Lu Xia. He recounted what had happened after he drank the water, but he omitted any mention of how the bathroom ended up in such a state of disarray.

But Lu Xia could guess the reason. ’He was probably afraid I would be displeased, so he tried to destroy the scales through self-harm, just to get back to his original appearance.’

Realizing this, Lu Xia couldn’t help but sigh. She didn’t mention it, asking instead, "Can these scales be retracted?"

Graces shook his head. "I can’t."

It was precisely because he couldn’t that he had tried to destroy them through self-harm, to stay by Lu Xia’s side at any cost.

Lu Xia thought, ’Just because he can’t do it now doesn’t mean he’ll never be able to.’

"Don’t worry, it will be okay. But from now on, if there’s anything making you uncomfortable, you have to tell me. Don’t hide things anymore. If you do, Graces, I’ll get truly angry, and I will punish you severely!" As she spoke, Lu Xia once again cupped the man’s face, meeting his gaze so he could see the seriousness in her eyes.

Graces met her gaze and nodded gently. "I understand, Female Master."

"Call me by my name, Graces."

"Lu... Xia." Graces tested the name out, then couldn’t help but say it again. "Lu Xia."

"Good. Call me that from now on. Got it?"

"I have." Graces gazed at her, his dark eyes shining with anticipation as he asked tentatively, "Can you kiss me, Lu Xia?"