“Of course.”
Seeing that Lu Li had already drunk the wine, Ye Ran was overjoyed. She didn’t notice that there was a bit more mint tea in her cup. She picked it up and downed it in one go.
When a burning sensation hit her throat, she didn’t immediately realize what was happening. She just stared at the cup in confusion, trying to figure out why the mint tea she had made had become so harsh.
It wasn’t until the rich aroma of wine spread across her lips and tongue that Ye Ran realized something was wrong.
She hadn’t been drinking mint tea—it was wine!
Ye Ran’s head snapped up toward Lu Li.
“Senior Brother, you switched my tea!”
Under Ye Ran’s gaze, Lu Li looked down at the teacup he was idly turning in his hand.
“This mint tea does have a pleasant flavor.”
Though he didn’t answer directly, his words were as good as an admission that he had swapped their cups.
Ye Ran stared at Lu Li in shock, unable to believe he would play a trick on her like that.
But from the moment she realized she had drunk alcohol, the effects began rushing through her more and more intensely. Within moments, her cheeks grew warm and flushed crimson.
Then the Confusion Herb started taking effect. Ye Ran felt dizzy, her head fuzzy, unable to think clearly. The Lu Li in front of her multiplied from one into two.
“Senior Brother, why are there two of you?”
Ye Ran shook her head, her eyes growing hazy.
Lu Li stopped toying with the cup. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a hint of coldness.
He rose and stepped closer to Ye Ran, looking down at her. “What did you add to the wine?”
“I added… Confusion Herb…”
Ye Ran had completely lost her senses. Whatever Lu Li asked, she answered instinctively.
The moment the words “Confusion Herb” left her mouth, Lu Li’s lips curled into a smile—but the coldness in his eyes only deepened.
He bent down slightly, taking Ye Ran’s chin between his fingers and forcing her to meet his gaze.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
Lu Li’s voice was colder than ever before.
Even the surrounding temperature seemed to plummet. The oppressive atmosphere roused the system slightly from its drunken stupor, but the moment it stirred, Lu Li’s gaze swept over it.
One look was enough to make the system’s fur stand on end. It immediately buried its head, not daring to look again.
Just then, Ye Ran stirred slightly. As Lu Li withdrew his gaze, he met her eyes—dazed, yet with a hint of seriousness in them.
“No.”
This answer took Lu Li by surprise, and the pressure of his fingers loosened slightly.
In that moment of distraction, the fragrance lingering around his nose suddenly grew richer, laced with the scent of wine. Inhaling it stirred a faint sense of drunkenness.
Lu Li’s eyes turned cold again. He stared at Ye Ran for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
“Then have another cup.”
As soon as he spoke, the wine pot on the table automatically filled a cup to the brim. The cup then floated into Lu Li’s hand.
Lu Li tightened his grip on Ye Ran’s chin slightly, forcing her mouth open, and poured the wine straight down her throat.
He poured so hastily that a fair amount of wine spilled from the corners of Ye Ran’s lips, trickling down his long, well-defined fingers and disappearing into his sleeve.
In an instant, the rich fragrance of wine mingled with an enticing sweetness, spreading through the air.
That fierce, overwhelming impulse stirred faintly within him again, as if it might break free at any moment.
But not a trace of wavering showed on Lu Li’s face. His eyes remained locked on Ye Ran’s face. When her drunken state grew even more pronounced, he asked the same question again:
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“No. Killing is against the law.”
This time, Ye Ran answered even faster than before.
Her response caught Lu Li off guard, leaving him momentarily dazed. But soon, his gaze sharpened as it swept over Ye Ran’s face, as if searching for something.
After a long pause, he finally looked away and released her chin.
The suffocating tension eased, the temperature around them gradually returning to normal. The system, still hiding to the side, twitched its tail and dared to peek out with one eye.
Nearby, Lu Li had produced a handkerchief and was unhurriedly wiping the wine from his fingers.
“If you don’t want to kill me, then why give me wine laced with Confusion Herb?”
Though Lu Li’s voice had softened somewhat, the faint, lingering murderous intent in the air had not dissipated.
Ye Ran was far too drunk to sense any danger. She tilted her head up to look at Lu Li, apparently struggling to process his question.
After a moment, she answered blankly, “Because you keep harassing me…”
“Harassing you?”
Lu Li paused briefly, his hand stopping mid-wipe.
Before Ye Ran spoke, he had considered many possible reasons, but her answer still caught him off guard.
He had only met her a few times. If anything, she was the one who had behaved strangely on every occasion. Now she was turning it around on him.
If he hadn’t already tested Ye Ran’s cultivation level that day on the sword—confirming that she wasn’t hiding her strength and couldn’t resist the Confusion Herb—he might have thought she was faking it.
“That’s right.” Ye Ran nodded, then continued, “And you want me to reward you.”
This statement surprised Lu Li even more. He tucked away his handkerchief unhurriedly, a flicker of interest appearing on his face.
“Go on, then. How would you reward me?”
“I would…”
Ye Ran’s voice suddenly dropped, becoming almost inaudible.
Lu Li leaned in closer, bending down with a slight smile. “You would what?”
The next moment, Ye Ran raised her hand and smacked him on the rear.
“Like this.”
A crisp sound rang out. The smile on Lu Li’s lips froze instantly.
The atmosphere, which had just begun to ease, turned rigid once again. The system, watching from the sidelines, was so terrified it forgot to breathe.
But Ye Ran, completely oblivious, not only kept her hand where it was but even gave a squeeze.
“So firm.”
“Let go!”
Lu Li’s face darkened instantly, his breathing growing uneven.
Though Ye Ran couldn’t read his expression in her drunken state, at least she followed orders. She immediately and obediently withdrew her hand.
But then, swaying unsteadily, she rose to her feet, staggered closer to Lu Li, and peered intently at his face.
“Huh? Are you angry?”
Among all his junior disciples, Lu Li was renowned for his good temper—as if he never got angry at all. Even though Ye Ran knew this was just an act, she had never actually seen Lu Li lose his temper.
Drunk as she was, she forgot just how terrifying he could be. Not only did she stare at his face, but she even reached out and poked it.
Lu Li’s expression grew darker and darker. The chill radiating from his body was nearly cold enough to freeze someone solid.
The system’s fur stood on end. It let out a piercing shriek inside Ye Ran’s mind, trying to stop her from doing something so suicidal.
But the next moment, Ye Ran simply slapped Lu Li across the face.
“Shut up.”
The system fell utterly silent, wishing it were dead.
The noisy sound finally stopped. Ye Ran smiled with satisfaction and gently patted Lu Li’s cheek.
“Good boy.”
Lu Li had been teetering on the edge of anger. Had it been anyone else, they would have dropped dead before their hand even made contact with his face.
But when Ye Ran’s palm struck his cheek, all he sensed was a faint, pleasant fragrance—followed by a rush of satisfaction as the restlessness inside him was soothed.
A flash of irritation crossed Lu Li’s face. But before he could act on it, Ye Ran’s hand landed on him again.
The scent lingering around his nose grew even sweeter. The turmoil within him quieted once more, and the anger on Lu Li’s face gradually softened into something dazed.
He even felt the urge to press his face against her palm of his own accord.
In the moment before his body could react, Lu Li snapped back to clarity.
He seized Ye Ran’s wrist, his expression darkening again.
A sudden chill wrapped around her wrist, making Ye Ran shiver. She lost her balance and stumbled straight into Lu Li’s arms.
The rich fragrance washed over him, and Lu Li’s breathing grew heavier.
He was about to push her away when his gaze, lowering, happened to fall on Ye Ran’s lips.
Perhaps because of the wine she had drunk, her lips were redder than usual. Tiny droplets of liquid clung to them, making them look even more alluring—like a silent invitation, beckoning to be tasted.
Sensing Lu Li’s gaze, Ye Ran instinctively licked her lips.
Lu Li’s eyes darkened instantly.
The restlessness inside him surged again, stronger than ever before, threatening to break free.
He had no choice but to close his eyes. His free hand tightened at his side, fingers clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.
It was a long while before Lu Li’s breathing finally steadied.
He opened his eyes again, his gaze calm once more. The earlier anger had been washed away by other emotions, leaving not a trace behind.
But then, the next moment, Ye Ran suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, closed her eyes, and rested her head against his chest.
“Senior Brother’s done sleeping. Now it’s my turn to sleep.”
Feeling the stirrings rising again, Lu Li grabbed the back of Ye Ran’s collar and half-dragged her toward her quarters.
This sudden movement startled the system, who had been watching from the sidelines.
In its eyes, Lu Li was about to drag Ye Ran inside and silence her for good.
Without a moment’s hesitation, the system leaped off the stool. Its chubby body shot toward Lu Li like an arrow, latching onto the hem of his robe with its teeth and letting out a threatening growl.
“Meow! Meow!” Let go of my host! Don’t you dare kill her!
Feeling the tug, Lu Li stopped and turned around—only to find a fat cat furiously biting his robe, its bulky body trembling uncontrollably. Clearly, it was terrified.
“Quite loyal to its master.”
With that, a wave of spiritual energy flicked the system away. By the time it scrambled back to its feet, Lu Li had already taken Ye Ran inside.
The system’s heart tightened. It rushed into the room.
But when it entered, it saw no bloody scene—only Lu Li tossing Ye Ran onto the bed.
The system finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But just as it relaxed, it felt an intense gaze upon it. Looking up, it met Lu Li’s eyes, silently watching it.
The system arched its back, fur bristling, teeth bared in wary defiance.
But this tactic clearly had no effect on Lu Li. He began walking toward the system, step by step.
The system backed away in terror, soon finding itself trapped in a corner with nowhere to run. As Lu Li crouched down and reached out a hand, the system could only wait in despair for the pain to come.
But that hand simply landed on its head, gave a light pat, and quickly withdrew.
The system’s fierce glare suddenly went wide and innocent.
By the time it snapped back to its senses, Lu Li had already vanished from the room.
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