Ye Ran’s hands landed directly on Lu Li’s chest. The sensation against her palms startled her, and she immediately pulled her hands back, trying to put distance between them.
But the ropes that had bound Lu Li’s limbs now slithered toward her, tightly lashing the two of them together.
Caught off guard, Ye Ran lurched forward, and her teeth grazed against Lu Li’s chin.
A low moan immediately sounded in her ear, tinged with a hint of pleasure. The heartbeat beneath her palm suddenly quickened, making her own heart tremble in response.
She frantically tried to move her hand away, but the moment it shifted even slightly, a cold hand grasped hers and pressed her palm back down.
“What is Junior Sister afraid of? Isn’t this how you intended to use the red rope you gave me the other day?”
As he spoke, the red rope tightened further, pressing Ye Ran’s body even closer to Lu Li’s.
The chaotic sound of heartbeats echoed clearly in her ears—she could no longer tell whether it was hers or Lu Li’s.
Flustered, Ye Ran broke free from Lu Li’s grip and pushed against him.
“Senior Brother, let’s talk this out calmly. Release me first.”
“Alright.”
To Ye Ran’s surprise, Lu Li actually let her go. The ropes binding them together also loosened.
The moment the restraint vanished, Ye Ran froze for a beat, then looked at Lu Li in disbelief.
Lu Li, meanwhile, calmly straightened his clothes. “Now then, let’s talk about why Junior Sister called me ‘the big villain’—shall we?”
“!!!”
Ye Ran’s face drained of color. She never imagined Lu Li would notice such a casual remark, let alone correctly guess that the “big villain” referred to him.
“What is Senior Brother talking about? I don’t understand.”
Fortunately, Ye Ran reacted quickly. She composed her expression and pretended not to know anything.
But Lu Li wasn’t so easily fooled.
If earlier he had only guessed that the “big villain” in Ye Ran’s mouth was him, now, seeing her reaction, he could confirm it completely.
“Since Junior Sister doesn’t understand, let’s change the subject.”
Lu Li seemed to be in a talkative mood. Ye Ran’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.
“Why don’t you tell me—why does your cat, which hasn’t opened its spiritual intelligence, know how to speak? And why is it called a ‘system’?”
Each question was sharper than the last, making Ye Ran increasingly uneasy. Her body, which had just relaxed, instantly went rigid again.
She might have been able to fake ignorance for the first question, but claiming not to know the answer to this one would obviously be suspicious and would definitely make Lu Li doubt her.
For a moment, Ye Ran grew nervous and instinctively lowered her head, not daring to look at Lu Li.
Lu Li, however, was patient. He sat down at the table on his own accord and poured himself a cup of tea, as if he would wait for her answer no matter how long it took.
When Ye Ran finally looked up again, Lu Li’s tea was already at his lips. But just as her gaze fell on him, his movements paused.
“Is Junior Sister ready to answer?”
His casual question made Ye Ran’s heart tighten once more.
Her eyes swept over Lu Li’s thin lips and the teacup in his hand. Making up her mind, she stepped forward, snatched the cup, downed its contents in one gulp, and then lowered her head to kiss Lu Li on the lips.
The sudden move caught Lu Li by surprise.
Truth be told, he had never intended to force an answer from Ye Ran. He was only teasing her.
After all, he had sensed no malice from that fat cat, so he had no intention of prying into the secret between Ye Ran and it.
But he certainly hadn’t expected Ye Ran to stop his questioning this way.
The cool mint tea, accompanied by a familiar fragrance, slid down his throat, making LuLi crave more.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the tea. In the end, he couldn’t resist—he captured Ye Ran’s lips and began to take the lead.
Even after all the tea had been passed over, it still wasn’t enough. He pried open her lips and teeth, delving into her mouth, searching for every trace of that coolness, leaving no corner unexplored.
Perhaps because the two had been kissing quite frequently lately, Lu Li’s skill had noticeably improved. Though still dominant, he was no longer as reckless as he had been at the start.
Gradually, Ye Ran began to enjoy it, melting limply into Lu Li’s arms, responding every now and then.
But just as she was getting into it, Lu Li stopped abruptly.
The moment their lips parted, Ye Ran, dissatisfied, leaned forward to press against him again. But Lu Li gently pushed her back.
“Junior Sister said the other day that we were even. Isn’t this behavior a bit inappropriate?”
That sentence made Ye Ran freeze mid-motion.
It also reminded her that she had long since decided to draw a clear line between herself and Lu Li.
Embarrassed, Ye Ran looked at Lu Li. To her surprise, a faint sense of loss welled up inside her.
Still, seeing that Lu Li showed no intention of continuing their earlier topic, she breathed a sigh of relief. She promptly rose from his arms and retreated to a small couch nearby.
“That was my overstep, Senior Brother. Please don’t take offense. It’s getting late. Let’s rest—I’ll sleep here. You take the bed.”
With that, Ye Ran lay down on the small couch, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.
Lu Li, however, was amused and exasperated by her fluid movements.
He had deliberately held back while kissing her, just to entice Ye Ran into responding actively. Stopping when she was aroused and asking that question was meant to lure her into taking back her words from the other day.
But it turned out he had overestimated not only his looks but also Ye Ran’s courage.
She was just like a mimosa—the moment he touched her, she immediately closed up, guarded and defensive.
Lu Li fastened his purposely loosened robe, stood up, and walked step by step to the small couch. Leaning down, he pinched Ye Ran’s chin.
The cold touch made Ye Ran shiver. Unable to pretend sleep any longer, she opened her eyes and looked at Lu Li in alarm.
And her guarded expression only irritated Lu Li further.
“Ye Ran, you really are something.”
The gritted-teeth tone made Ye Ran even more uneasy. She immediately sat up, hugging the blanket in her arms as she retreated.
“Senior Brother…”
Before she could finish, Lu Li withdrew his hand and turned away without a word, walking toward the bed. He lay down with his back facing Ye Ran.
Then the room’s lights went out. The bed area plunged into darkness, completely blocking Ye Ran’s view.
Instinct told Ye Ran that now was the time to go comfort him.
But given the current state of their relationship, going to comfort him didn’t feel quite right.
So after some hesitation, Ye Ran chose to lie back down and sleep.
Yet soon, she opened her eyes again.
She couldn’t sleep.
Though Lu Li made no sound from the other side—his breathing so faint it was almost inaudible—Ye Ran still felt his presence intensely.
It stirred a restless heat inside her.
Unconsciously, she began to reminisce about the kiss they’d just shared.
Only when the unbearable sensation grew stronger did Ye Ran suddenly realize—her furnace physique was likely acting up again.
Fortunately, the heat inside her this time wasn’t as fierce as during a full-blown episode. She could still suppress it.
So Ye Ran closed her eyes, forcing herself to clear her mind, trying to calm down quickly.
This method had worked somewhat in the past, but now that Ye Ran had tasted the antidote, even a mild restlessness proved impossible to suppress.
After several attempts, the distracting thoughts in her mind not only refused to leave but grew even more turbulent.
Scenes of her kissing Lu Li moments ago kept surfacing in her mind.
A voice seemed to whisper in her ear, urging her to go over, take Lu Li’s lips, taste them slowly—only that would soothe the heat.
A fierce battle raged within Ye Ran.
In the end, instinct defeated reason. She sat up, gazing toward the bed, her eyes growing feverish.
So… a sneaky kiss surely won’t be noticed, right?
The moment this thought surfaced, Ye Ran had already crept off the small couch and was quietly approaching the bed.
All the while, she nervously watched the bed. If Lu Li made the slightest sound, or showed even a momentary shift in his breathing, she would retreat immediately.
This time, however, it seemed luck was on her side. By the time she reached the bedside, Lu Li still showed no sign of waking.
By the faint moonlight, Ye Ran finally made out Lu Li’s features—and those thin lips that looked so kissable.
Just one kiss. One kiss to satisfy the craving, then I’ll leave immediately.
As she leaned in, she kept telling herself that. But the moment her lips actually touched his, all her restraint went out the window.
Not only did she not want to leave, she wanted to suck, to linger, even to part his lips and demand more.
The moment the thought arose, her body acted on it honestly—a simple touch turning into sucking and nibbling.
By the time the restlessness inside her subsided and reason returned, her tongue had somehow slipped into Lu Li’s mouth.
Even more terrifying—when she looked up, she met Lu Li’s calm, steady gaze.
She had no idea when he had opened his eyes, nor how long he had been watching.
But there was no surprise in those eyes, as if he had fully expected Ye Ran to kiss him.
So… Lu Li hadn’t been asleep at all. From the moment she approached the bed, he had been aware of her every move?
The thought terrified Ye Ran.
Before Lu Li could react, she quickly withdrew from his mouth. But the next moment, a hand seized her waist. The world spun, and their positions were reversed.
“I never knew Junior Sister was such a hypocrite.”
Compared to the gritted-teeth tone before bed, Lu Li’s voice now carried a hint of amusement.
Ye Ran, on the other hand, felt her face burning with embarrassment.
But after a moment’s thought, she quickly came up with a way out.
The guilt and awkwardness on her face vanished, replaced by confusion. Her gaze toward Lu Li turned puzzled.
“Senior Brother? What happened? Wasn’t I sleeping on the couch? How did I end up here?”
Ye Ran decided to pretend she had been sleepwalking.
It was the only excuse she could use right now.
Though she acted convincingly, Lu Li’s perception was far sharper than most. And since he hadn’t slept at all—fully aware of Ye Ran’s every move—how could he not see through her act?
Still, he didn’t call her out. Instead, he curved his lips and looked at her.
“So Junior Sister was sleepwalking?”
“Exactly. I’ve always had a habit of sleepwalking. If I disturbed Senior Brother, please don’t take it to heart.”
Seeing that Lu Li was offering her an escape route, Ye Ran quickly nodded.
But just as she was feeling relieved, the smile at the corner of Lu Li’s mouth deepened.
“No problem. Let me help Junior Sister remember.”
With that, Lu Li claimed her lips directly, following the same steps she had used on him—first licking her lips, then slowly slipping through the seam into her mouth.
Perhaps because her earlier taste had been too brief to satisfy her, Lu Li’s slow, gradual kiss now made Ye Ran unconsciously want to surrender. She even found herself actively touching the tip of his tongue as it entered.
It wasn’t until a cold trail crept up from her waist that she snapped back to her senses and grabbed Lu Li’s icy hand.
But the next moment, Lu Li reversed the grip, pinning her entire body down so she couldn’t move.
At the same time, his kiss turned from gentle to aggressive, overwhelming Ye Ran.
She pressed against his tongue, trying to push him out, but his tongue simply entwined with hers, kissing even deeper.
Like a complete rogue.
Fortunately, just as Ye Ran’s breath was about to be completely stolen, Lu Li finally ended the kiss.
But before she could sigh in relief, Lu Li lowered his head to bury it in her neck.
A blazing kiss pressed against her skin, making Ye Ran’s body tremble.
She struggled harder and finally broke free from Lu Li’s grip.
“Senior Brother…”
She pushed him back slightly, only to meet the burning intensity of Lu Li’s gaze.
Her heart felt seared by that look. The hand pressing against Lu Li’s chest softened. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Li leaned down to kiss her again.
Just as his lips were about to land on hers, Ye Ran, desperate, raised her hand and touched her own forehead.
A flash of white light passed, and Ye Ran’s body shrank instantly.
In the next moment, a small orange cat appeared before Lu Li’s eyes.
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