Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

The band of light moved slowly, from the back of Bai Yu's hand to his arm, from his arm to his shoulder, and finally stopped on his cheek.

In the darkness, those tactile sensations became even clearer.

Someone was kissing his forehead; their lips were soft and warm.

Bai Yu didn't know who these kisses came from.

Outside, the night wind had stopped.

The bamboo no longer swayed, and its shadow froze on the sand, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

The water in the pond calmed down, reflecting the round, bright moon in the sky, like a jade disc left behind in the water.

Occasionally, a petal would drift down from somewhere, land on the water's surface, create a tiny ripple, and then slowly swirl before sinking to the bottom.

The night grew deeper, and the moonlight grew brighter.

Someone turned over, and someone let out a very soft sigh. The sound disappeared into the night, as if it had never existed.

He didn't know whose fingers were intertwined with his, but they tightened slightly for a moment and then slowly loosened.

Those sensations, those temperatures, those scents, all began to become distant and hazy, like the waves at low tide, receding one after another, leaving behind a damp and soft beach.

The morning light seeped in through the gaps in the paper screen.

It wasn't the intense, glaring morning light, but a gentle, cool light, like honey diluted with water, thinly coated on every inch of the surface.

Bai Yu opened his eyes.

No, to be precise, he regained his hearing first.

He heard birds chirping.

It wasn't the kind of noisy, incessant bird calls, but rather an occasional, crisp, and short sound, as if someone was testing the sound, and after trying it out, they weren't satisfied and stopped singing.

Then he heard the wind. The wind blew through the bamboo grove in the courtyard, the bamboo leaves rubbing against each other, making a soft, gentle sound, like an ancient scroll of silk being slowly unfurled.

Then he heard breathing.

more than one.

Chapter 190 Morning Exercise

Bai Yu only felt the sound of breathing beside his ear, even and long, with a relaxed feeling unique to sleep.

Each exhale gently brushed against his earlobe, warm and moist, like a feather warmed by the sun.

There was a breathing sound coming from the crook of his neck, deeper and slower than the one near his ear, like a whale sleeping in the deep sea, only surfacing to breathe every long interval.

There was a breathing sound on his chest, the faintest one, as light as a cat's breath, almost imperceptible, making him hold his breath, afraid of disturbing something.

Then he regained his sense of touch.

This is the most difficult part.

Because of his body, his entire body felt as if it were being pressed down by something.

It wasn't the suffocating, heavy kind of oppression, but rather a soft, warm embrace that made you not want to move at all.

His left arm was being used as a pillow, and his entire arm, from his shoulder to his fingertips, was being pressed down.

The person resting their head on Bai Yu's arm was curled up to his left, their knees against his thighs, their forehead against his shoulder, their breath falling directly on his collarbone. Her hair was scattered on his chest, the strands soft and cool, like the texture of morning dew.

His right arm was also being held.

It wasn't a pillow, it was an embrace; she wrapped her arms around his forearms and held his hands to her chest.

He could feel her heartbeat transmitted through his palm, slow and strong, one beat at a time.

His legs were bound.

Someone's calf was resting on his calf.

A hand touched his abdomen. The hand was very light, as light as a falling leaf, but the palm was warm. The warmth penetrated his skin and made his internal organs feel warm.

He tried moving his fingers.

My left hand was pressed too hard, and I could only barely bend my fingertips.

As he bent his fingertips, he touched a soft patch of skin—the cheek of the person who had been resting on his arm.

His right hand was also being held, and he couldn't move.

But Bai Yu could feel the person holding his arm tightening their fingers in their sleep, as if to confirm that he was still there.

He took a deep breath.

Then he regained his sight.

He slowly opened his eyes—he had actually been keeping them closed the whole time, but only realized it now—and the ceiling came into view.

The light filtering through the gaps in the paper screen drew golden stripes on the ceiling, which moved slowly as the sun rose higher, like a giant sundial.

Bai Yu slowly turned his neck, but the range of motion was very small because both sides were completely occupied, but he could still see.

On his left, resting her head on his arm, is Violet.

She lay on her side, facing him, her long hair cascading over the pillow and his chest, like a waterfall of wisteria blossoms illuminated by the morning light.

Her sleeping face was peaceful, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she were having a beautiful dream.

Her hand rested on his abdomen, her fingers slightly curled, the tips gently touching his ribs.

Her breathtaking beauty, completely naked, made Xiao Baiyu restless.

On his right, holding his arm, is Artoria.

She lay on her back, but her body was slightly turned towards him, her hands wrapped around his forearms to her chest. Her golden hair was scattered on the pillow, shimmering softly in the morning light, like ears of wheat warmed by the sun.

Artoria's lips were slightly parted, her breathing even and steady, occasionally letting out a very soft, dreamlike sound.

The most unruly one was Matsumoto Rangiku, who was practically lying sideways, her upper body on top of him while her lower body remained in her own place.

His legs were occupied by Robin and Retsu Unohana respectively.

Robin curled up next to his left leg, his knee against the back of his knee, one hand on his calf and the other under his head.

Robin's sleeping posture was elegant; even in his deep sleep, he maintained a composed demeanor, like a cat curled up in rest.

Bai Yu withdrew his gaze and looked back at the ceiling.

The morning light moved another inch across the ceiling.

The birdsong was more frequent than before. Several birds seemed to be arguing, chattering incessantly, then suddenly fell silent at the same time, as if startled by something, and then started again in another direction.

The wind picked up, and the rustling of the bamboo leaves turned into a rustling sound. Occasionally, a bamboo stalk would collide with another, making a hollow, crisp sound, like an ancient percussion instrument.

Bai Yu tried to move his body.

He failed.

It wasn't because he didn't want to move, but because of his body; his entire body felt as if all his strength had been drained.

It wasn't the weakness of being sick, nor the helplessness of exhaustion, but rather a kind of... He thought for a long time before finding the right word—

They were completely drained.

Yes, that's the feeling. Like a fruit that has been over-squeezed, all the juice has been gently, thoroughly, and without a single drop left, leaving only shriveled flesh and a thin peel.

His muscles were still there, his bones were still there, but something inside his body had been hollowed out—not painfully, not harmfully, but rather a kind of emptiness that followed being completely given.

That feeling of emptiness wasn't unpleasant.

In fact, in a sense, it is satisfying.

It's like finishing a painting, writing a poem, or walking a very long road, and then standing at the end looking back—exhausted yet fulfilled, exhausted yet at peace.

Bai Yu closed her eyes, then opened them again.

The morning light moved another inch across the ceiling.

His thoughts immediately drifted away.

He remembered the moonlight from last night.

I recalled the crisp sound of wine cups clinking together.

I was reminded of the patterns on the flower cards.

I remembered the sensation of those hands and lips roaming over his body.

I remembered those kisses, landing on my brow, fingertips, earlobes, collarbone, my brother…

At this moment, the morning light is gentle, the birdsong is crisp, and the bamboo leaves whisper in the wind.

At this moment, his body was hollowed out, but his heart was full.

It was so full it was almost overflowing.

He closed his eyes again.

This time, it wasn't about falling asleep, but about reminiscing.

Reliving the joy and passion of last night.

The wind stopped, the bamboo leaves fell silent, and the entire courtyard seemed to be waiting for something.

Then, Shiraha felt Matsumoto Rangiku move slightly.

Her fingers gently scratched at his waist, as if to confirm what she had touched.

Then her breathing became less even, changing from deep sleep to shallow, rapid breathing while half-awake.

Then her lips moved, and she mumbled something indistinctly.

Bai Yu didn't hear clearly.

But he sensed that the corners of her mouth were turned up.

He's laughing.

Matsumoto Rangiku moved again.

This time it wasn't her fingers, but her entire upper body. Like an animal just awakened from hibernation, she stretched against Bai Yu, her arm sliding from his waist to his chest, her fingertips brushing his collarbone before settling in the hollow of his shoulder.

Her eyelashes trembled.