Volume 1, Chapter 6: Lingering

Ye Zhaoying was already limp and delirious. Unable to stand, she could only cling tightly to Lu Jingchen’s clothes. Her face was flushed, and fine beads of sweat covered her fair forehead, dampening her bangs. The breath she exhaled was burning hot, carrying a faint scent of lemon.

“Save me... please, save me...”

Ye Zhaoying repeated the words, interspersed with gasps that seemed capable of rattling one’s very bones. Lu Jingchen’s handsome brows were tightly furrowed, his breathing growing heavy. A flicker of something unusual crossed his dark eyes as he struggled to suppress his impulses. He was already intoxicated and barely conscious, and seeing Ye Zhaoying appear before him only made his self-control slip further. Grabbing the fabric of her sleeves, his chest heaving violently, he summoned every ounce of his remaining reason to pull her away from his embrace.

“Ye Zhaoying, pull yourself together!”

Lu Jingchen’s voice was low and hoarse, like the roar of a beast on the verge of collapse. But at this moment, Ye Zhaoying could no longer hear what he was saying. Her eyes were glazed and alluring, like lakes reflecting the stars at night, looking at him with a dazed confusion. The drug Fu Mingchi had given her was too potent; the struggle had exhausted her final bit of sanity. Now, as the drug took full effect, her entire being was controlled by desire.

“It’s so hot...”

Ye Zhaoying squinted, her lips slightly parted. Like a woodland sprite in the night, she was seductive without even knowing it.

“I want...”

Lu Jingchen stared fixedly at her face, his eyes bloodshot, stretched thin like a string pulled to its absolute limit. Finally, the moment she pressed her lips to his, his last shred of reason vanished without a trace. Lu Jingchen pulled her into a tight embrace, wanting to knead her into his own body, to fuse their flesh and blood together.

One searing kiss after another landed on her lips, her cheeks, and her neck. Though he barely used any force, Ye Zhaoying whined like a little sprite, complaining of pain. Lu Jingchen’s usual composed reserve shattered completely. Consumed by desire, he leaned in and nipped lightly at her reddened earlobe.

“Ah... it hurts...”

Lu Jingchen’s handsome face was buried in shadow, his voice cruel and predatory.

“Ye Zhaoying, you were the one who seduced me three years ago. This time, don’t expect me to let you go!”

At this point, Ye Zhaoying was far too delirious to understand his words. Only one thought remained in her mind: heat. It was too hot. She felt like a popsicle, melting away from the intensity.

She desperately sought a source of cold, like a fish in a dried-up riverbed gasping for water.

“Hot...”

Another soft moan escaped her. Lu Jingchen could no longer restrain himself. He lifted her firmly, strode into the room, and tossed her onto the bed. The mattress was bouncy, causing her to jolt, which only added to her dizziness. Before she could recover, Lu Jingchen pressed down on her, his relentless, scorching kisses leaving her unable to resist.

“Rip...”

Lu Jingchen grabbed her collar and pulled, the buttons flying off. The air in the room grew heavy, the atmosphere thick with desire as their breaths and kisses intertwined.

The room was filled with intimacy.

The next day, when Ye Zhaoying woke up, her head felt like it was splitting open, as if someone had pried it apart. Sunlight spilled in from outside the window. She opened her eyes, only to squeeze them shut again in discomfort. It took several seconds before she could adjust.

When she opened her eyes again, her vision gradually cleared. The first thing she saw was a patch of cold, fair skin—a collarbone. And there were two hickey marks on it!

Ye Zhaoying was shocked. Where was she?!

As she moved, she winced in pain. Her limbs were sore and weak, aching everywhere, especially...

An arm was draped across her waist, pulling her close with a sense of intense possessiveness. Ye Zhaoying snapped her head up and met a stern, familiar face.

It was Lu Jingchen!

Ye Zhaoying went blank. Her mind was already struggling to function, and seeing him only sent her into a state of total chaos. She could feel that she was completely unclothed, as was he!

So, last night... everything was ruined. Everything had fallen apart!

Ye Zhaoying struggled violently, and the man beside her finally stirred. As he opened his eyes, those deep, dark pupils stared straight into her soul. Lu Jingchen usually kept a cold expression that made people afraid to look at him, but now, as he had just woken up, his eyes seemed veiled in a soft mist, making him appear less formidable. However, nothing could shield Ye Zhaoying from the shock in her heart. She scrambled backward, her voice stuttering.

“H-how did we...”

Compared to her shock, Lu Jingchen’s expression was remarkably calm. He stared at her steadily, his face unreadable, and stated a fact with quiet indifference: “We slept together.”

Even while lying in the same bed, hearing those words made Ye Zhaoying feel deeply humiliated. “I know! But how did we...”

Lu Jingchen continued, his face expressionless. “You initiated it.”

Ye Zhaoying froze, as if turned to ice. “I initiated it?!”

Lu Jingchen explained, “I booked this room. When I was closing the door last night, you rushed in, threw yourself into my arms, and told me...”

“Stop!”

Ye Zhaoying was mortified and could not bear to hear any more. She couldn’t believe she would ever do such a thing. As if to shatter her doubts, Lu Jingchen continued, “There is surveillance in the corridor and the entryway. I can have someone pull it up for you to see.”

While she was still hesitating, Lu Jingchen had already had the clip sent over, as if he had been prepared all along. Ye Zhaoying watched the footage: she ran out of another room, charged directly into Lu Jingchen’s suite, threw herself into his arms, wrapped around him like an octopus, and even kissed him first...

It seemed there was even more intense footage to follow, so she immediately hit the pause button, her face turning crimson with shame.

“That’s enough!”

By now, Ye Zhaoying was completely sober. Recalling the events, she realized Fu Mingchi had drugged her, and in her flight, she had accidentally run into Lu Jingchen’s room. How could such a coincidental, clichéd thing happen to her? She had guarded her innocence for over twenty years, only for it to be lost in a single accident.

Ye Zhaoying frowned deeply. “Lu Jingchen, even though this was an accident, we can never...”

She wanted to escape; she couldn't face him. Sensing her intentions, Lu Jingchen, leaning against the headboard, wore a faint, mocking smile, though the gloom in his eyes was chilling.

He turned the tables on her, his voice calm yet sinister. “Are you trying to run away from me?”

Lu Jingchen had seen right through her, and Ye Zhaoying looked up in stunned silence.