The scent of dragon's-blood incense drifted through the room, and the cool jade-like mat lay spread out.
A man and a woman met beneath a blue gauze canopy embroidered with lotus flowers.
The man in black pinned the woman between himself and the bed, restraining her right arm.
"Is this jade-like arm of yours pillow to thousands of men, Miss Nong?" he asked, sparing no effort to mock her.
"I'm fourteen this year."
The man seemed not to understand. For once, he was taken aback.
"I haven't had my first period yet, so I can't sleep with you," the girl said earnestly.
The man still couldn't understand why she had brought up something so irrelevant.
"Wait until I've grown up," the girl continued, just as earnestly.
The man gazed at the girl's youthful face, and, as if possessed, softly replied,
"All right."
