Chapter Sixteen: Once You Become Carefree, You Lose Your Humanity

Baby-faced and endowed with an ample bosom—this was perhaps the most fitting description for Princess Peach… Yet even these words fell short, for she also possessed a sweet, childish voice. In addition, the girl was, in truth, a bona fide princess! However, she was an exceedingly naïve one, having grown up within palace walls. Orphaned at a young age, she had known no human companionship but for the company of toadstool folk—creatures with oversized, spotted heads.

In the original Super Mario Bros., it was Mario’s rescue of Peach that sparked the princess’s affection for him… Consider it for a moment: Mario, a short, stout, middle-aged plumber, with a large nose and a thick mustache—by the joy he found in collecting copper coins, it was clear his life was not destitute (after all, he owned a two-story villa), but he was certainly no millionaire. What’s more, the man already had a girlfriend! For a beautiful princess to become the mistress of a humble plumber—such a thing could never transpire in the real world. Only within the simple, childish logic of a game could such a pure-hearted princess exist.

From this, one could deduce that Princess Peach was, in fact, easily wooed… Of course, such circumstances were just barely understandable; after all, her world was populated almost exclusively by toadstool folk, with scarce a true human in sight. Imagine her terror when Bowser kidnapped her and imprisoned her in a hidden stone chamber. Then, in her hour of despair, a human man appeared and set her free—how could she not be moved, her heart overflowing with gratitude and happiness?

Often, this is how love first blooms.

Yet Wang Ling’s mind was far from such musings. His gaze was fixed upon the girl, her fair cheeks tinged with the gentlest flush of pink, her alluring form stirring turmoil in his heart. The Dream Badge on his left arm—the entwined angel and demon—seemed to spring to life, fluttering by his ear with whispered urgings.

A fierce battle raged within his mind:

“Holding her just now… that was such a wonderful feeling… I want to hold her again…”

“No, Princess Peach was frightened, she collapsed onto you in tears, and yet you would take advantage of her? Are you a man or a scoundrel?”

“But… look at her gentle, helpless expression. Even if you embraced her, she wouldn’t resist…”

“No, this cannot be. You’ve only just met—how could you embrace her again? I’m not that kind of opportunist!”

“A little hugging and cuddling, what’s the harm? I want to kiss her, too! If I let myself go, I’m no man…”

At last, the fire surging within him consumed the final vestige of his conscience. In Wang Ling’s eyes a flame seemed to ignite; in a flash he darted forward, scooping the princess up in his arms in a classic bridal carry! One hand encircled her back, the other supported her shapely bottom, and, puckering his lips, he bent down to press them upon her irresistibly red mouth!

A soft cry escaped Princess Peach’s throat; she seemed to want to speak, but her lips were sealed. Her wide eyes brimmed with panic, her arms stretched out as if to push Wang Ling away, but she was too weak to resist.

“Mmm…”

Peach felt her face burning. She did not quite understand what this handsome, youthful human boy—so different from anyone she’d ever met—was doing with his lips pressed to hers. But instinctively, she did not reject the sensation. Her lips parted slightly, and her delicate pink tongue shyly emerged, responding awkwardly.

Wang Ling, savoring the softness in his embrace and the tender pressure of her lips, felt the damp warmth of Peach’s tongue, timid and kitten-like, lapping at his own. The fever in his blood began to cool as clarity returned.

“Ah, ah, what am I doing…? I’m not some degenerate like Makoto from that anime. Why am I doing this to Princess Peach the very first time we’ve met? Well, yes, she’s adorable… but that’s no excuse!”

He summoned his courage again and again, trying to lift his lips from hers and release her from his arms, but every attempt failed. With a bitter sigh of resignation, he let his own tongue entwine with Peach’s, the two exchanging their breath and taste. Wang Ling discovered that her saliva carried a faint, intoxicating sweetness—so subtle, yet so alluring.

They kissed and lingered for ten minutes, until breathless, they were forced to part. As they did, a shining thread of saliva connected them, stretching and glistening until it finally snapped.

Wang Ling stared in a daze at the girl still cradled in his arms. Peach’s cheeks, once the soft pink of a ripening peach, had now deepened into a vivid, blushing red—her very ears flushed. Overwhelmed by shame, she covered her face with her slender, fair fingers.

Yet even as she hid, her fingers parted ever so slightly, and she peeked through the cracks, secretly observing Wang Ling.

This childlike gesture stirred a warmth in Wang Ling’s heart, but that feeling was soon replaced by another—his gaze drawn to the rise and fall of Peach’s chest, heaving with nervousness.

Even faced upward as she was, her round chest was prominent and enticing, sending another wave of longing through Wang Ling’s heart.

For a young man who, in reality, had never held a girl’s hand and whose knowledge of women was confined to the world of anime, such alluring curves were irresistible! He could not help but imagine what it would be like to touch them.

“No! Wang Ling, she is a pure princess! You’ve already held her, kissed her lips, even exchanged saliva—and now you would defile her further? If you do that, you’ll be the worst kind of scoundrel!”

Conscience prevailed, and Wang Ling did not reach out to touch the princess’s chest—for both his hands were occupied, holding her in his arms, one at her back, the other beneath her hips. Instead, he lowered his head, nuzzling his cheek against her proud, swelling bosom.

Even through the filmy pink gown and the corset beneath, Wang Ling could feel the softness pressed against his face—so yielding, so wonderful! A blissful, satisfied smile spread across his features, though in his heart he sensed he was tumbling ever deeper into a nameless abyss.

Holding—kissing—caressing, even if only with his face… According to the logic of psychological progression, having crossed these lines, a new yearning now welled up within Wang Ling…

“No, this is absolutely out of the question! That’s right, I can’t afford to dawdle here—Bowser could return at any moment, and if he does, I’ll surely die right here!”

At last he found a sufficiently convincing reason to break away. Steeling himself as if marching to his doom, Wang Ling lifted his head from Peach’s chest, put her down, and nearly saw her collapse in a swoon… It seemed that, never having experienced such intimacy, the innocent princess was left weak and trembling from his kisses and caresses.

Wang Ling had no choice but to gather her up in his arms once more. Seeing that Peach still hid her face with both hands in an ostrich-like attempt to vanish, he could only shake his head helplessly. Guilt and embarrassment kept him from speaking, so he simply held her close, racking his brains for a way out.

In the original Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom, once Mario had triggered the switch by the stone bridge, dropping Bowser into the lava, he would proceed into the stone chamber to meet the princess. After her thanks, the game would end. Given that the series continued, it was clear that Mario had successfully rescued Princess Peach—so there must be a way out. Otherwise, with the bridge destroyed, they would be trapped inside Bowser’s castle for good.

“But how did they leave?”

Wang Ling knew this stone chamber was the deepest part of the corridor, so he examined it carefully. It was a spacious room, over a hundred square meters, its walls seamless stone. Aside from a wooden bed and a broad table, the room was nearly empty. Earlier, Peach had blocked the door with the table, and it seemed she had sat atop it too—otherwise, even in his weakened state, Wang Ling would have been able to push the door open.

Neither the bed nor the table held any surprises, so Wang Ling turned his attention to the stone walls. Soon he noticed a stone of a different color. Releasing one hand, he pressed it, and with a series of clicks, a large section of the wall swung open, revealing a hidden passage.

Overjoyed, Wang Ling carried Princess Peach into the secret corridor. After walking two to three hundred meters, they reached the end, where a white pipe rose before them.

He tested it first, confirming that no piranha plant lurked within. Peering inside, he saw water pooled halfway up the pipe—blue water, just like in the previous area.

“There’s nothing else unusual. This must be the way out.”

Turning to the princess, who still played ostrich, Wang Ling said, “I’m going to take you through the pipe. There’s water inside, so we may have to swim for a bit. Hold on tight and don’t let go, and whatever you do—hold your breath!”

He repeated his instructions twice before Princess Peach timidly responded, at last lowering her hands from her face. Though her cheeks still glowed, the tear tracks had dried, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. She risked a glance at Wang Ling, only to meet his gaze and quickly look away, her long lashes trembling. This shy, delicate expression sent another wave of longing through Wang Ling’s heart.