#guoshang

"——It was my first time, you know."

The admission caught Guo Jia off guard. Already standing, buttoning his shirt back up, he turned to look at the princess. Sitting up in bed, her gaze was averted, looking lost in thought as if the statement was more towards herself. One hand supported her weight, keeping herself upright, and the other was clutched to her chest, holding the silken sheet that covered her body. The silk excellently outlined her curves, an outline that even he found pleasantly surprising the first time his hands caressed her.

Truly, the daughter of the Sun family, Shangxiang, was a fine work of craftsmanship.

Guo Jia pushed aside his ogling for a moment, taking in her words once again. He never questioned her experience in intimacy, let alone assume she had a history. Knowing her reputation as a headstrong woman that demonstrated greater strength than other men on the battlefield—a sight he had witnessed once or twice himself—it was naturally assumed that her chastity was preserved.

Now that she brought it up, however, it was a wonder why she wanted to make that change with him. He had a reputation too, one of a womanizer. No doubt she would be repulsed by any pervert, especially that of his lord's court. Yet, here they were—together.

"I could have guessed," Jia replied, sitting on the edge of the bed as he gave up on the remaining buttons. That was not one of his smoother lines, but the topic admittedly caught him off guard. Slightly leaning his knees towards her side as he turned, he absentmindedly tugged on the edge of the sheet, in a small gesture to make her comfortable.

"Geez, that obvious, huh?" Shangxiang mumbled, a frustrated sigh meaning to be an awkward laugh leaving her lungs. She was not angry by any means, Guo Jia could tell that much, but her reaction was still defensive. Despite sitting down to listen to her, he found himself distracted by her beauty once again. Her lashes, ever full and delicate, covered her jade eyes, which remained downcast. Her lustrous lips, as sweet of color as peaches, complemented her features, which truly benefited the beauty of the boisterous woman. Between these attributes, her cheeks were flushed, much as they were when they spent the night together. Yet even in the cool, humid morning, he could feel the heat emanating from her face even a yard away.

The clouds clearing from his mind, it finally clicked for him—she was embarrassed. Of course! The afterglow was no excuse for his lack of attention. It was her first time, so of course she was nervous about doing well.

And he all but confirmed her worries with his absentminded comment.

Completely turning around, Guo Jia gently placed his hand on her knee as he focused on her—on only her. He was well aware his way with words was one of his greatest assets, and he was going to make this right.

"Did you like it?" he asked, his thumb lightly caressing the small area of her leg. The question was sincere, and he wanted her to know that.

"W-well, yeah! I, uh..." The inquiry caught the brunette off guard. Either embarrassed by the direct question, her abrupt outburst, or both, she quickly sat up straight, still maintaining her decency by covering herself. As the words caught in her throat, she took a deep breath, taking a moment to calm down. Finally meeting his gaze, Shangxiang continued, "Yes, it was incredible."

Despite being bashful with the topic, her answer was earnest, and Guo Jia couldn't help but subtly smile. Taking his hand off her leg, he instead cupped her cheek, leaning in close enough to the point their bangs barely entwined.

"My sentiment exactly." His answer was just as earnest, and he wanted her to know that. Admiring feminine beauty was a hobby, so to speak, and his attention to detail caught the eye of a consort or two. In this case, it was entirely different. Sure, she was the sister of the eastern lord, but it had nothing to do with class. With her, he felt something genuine.

He wished it was unrequited, though; it would not be fair to her when he inevitably left this world.

Hand adjusting once more, Guo Jia gently brushed his thumb over her soft skin, admiring her beauty once more as his lips lightly grazed hers. Even now, he was still selfish enough to divulge in what they had now while it lasted. Without revealing the meaning behind such motivation, he shared his devotion by adding:

"I'll make our times together feel like the first from now on."

Shangxiang relaxed in his hold. Otherwise proud and wayward, she was gentle in his company. Truly a sight to behold, this side of her belonged to him, even if for a short while.

With another peck on the tip of her nose, Guo Jia stood up once again and resumed getting dressed, remarking, "You can stay here as long as you like. No one comes here when I'm not, so feel free to make yourself at home."

"Bold of you to assume I'd stay," Shangxiang mocked. As Guo Jia straightened, just finishing his wardrobe by putting footwear on, he looked back to see her eagerly grinning. This gesture made him smirk in turn.