The GPS tracker showed Lin Shu's location—just outside the door, separated by a single wall.
Su Qianqian's eyes flickered with clarity as she deftly turned her head during a breathless pause, evading his pursuing lips.
Gu Chengyu's kiss landed on the delicate curve of her neck instead, and he lingered there, savoring the softness of her skin.
"Master Gu," she murmured, her voice laced with a husky sweetness, tinged with a hint of grievance and unease. "I’ve heard the rumors outside..."
"Hmm?" His lips still traced her neck, his response absentminded as his large hand caressed the gentle slope of her waist.
"They say you adored Lin Shu before, treasuring her like the white moonlight in your heart..."
"And now you claim to like me. Do you say this to all your girlfriends?"
She tilted her head slightly, lifting her glistening eyes to meet his with stubborn insistence, as if demanding an answer.
Gu Chengyu, still intoxicated by the fragrance of her skin, finally lifted his head. His phoenix eyes locked onto her pouty gaze, his brows furrowing with irritation—both at the interruption and the audacity of her doubt.
He pinched her porcelain chin, applying just enough pressure to turn her face fully toward him. His tone dripped with the arrogance of a man used to command: "Nonsense. Lin Shu? She’s unworthy of even being mentioned."
His gaze bore into hers, unwavering. "She was just a pastime, a distraction."
"You’re the one I care about—the only one on my mind. Understand?"
"But—" Su Qianqian tried to speak again, her lips barely parting with a soft protest.
Gu Chengyu had already lost patience. His grip tightened as he leaned in, intent on reclaiming those rosy lips. "Enough about her. You’re ruining the mood. Be good—turn back and let me kiss you properly..."
Yet she stubbornly averted her face again, her plush lips pursed in a mix of defiance and wounded pride.
The young master’s lips met empty air.
Frustrated, he settled for nibbling at her earlobe instead.
She let out a soft whimper under his ministrations. "Hmph..."
"Master Gu’s silver tongue is too practiced at sweet talk."
"Did you whisper the same things to Lin Shu?"
"Men are all the same—swapping ‘darling’ and ‘treasure’ between old flames and new playthings..."
Her voice wavered, laced with a heartbreaking tremor as she accused, "What if one day you return to her... or find someone newer, fresher?"
"Will you hold them and call me the ‘distraction’ then?"
"Damn it!" Gu Chengyu cursed under his breath.
He cupped her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Who? Who’s been filling your head with this poison?"
Su Qianqian flinched at his intensity. Tears pooled in her eyes, clinging to her lashes as her nose pinkened. Her lips trembled like a kitten’s—frightened yet stubborn.
The sight wrenched his heart.
Who dared upset her with mentions of Lin Shu? Ruining the vibrancy he’d painstakingly nurtured in her?
Memories of their first meeting flashed—her timid, distant demeanor—and urgency colored his voice. "They’re all lies!"
"Lin Shu meant nothing. Just a few casual encounters. Not even worth the title of ‘distraction.’"
He leaned closer, his nose brushing hers, his voice a low, firm vow: "Right now, it’s you. Only you. No looking back, no ‘newer’ distractions."
Turning his face into her neck, he inhaled deeply, her unique sweetness flooding his senses. His throat tightened. "Besides," he murmured against her skin, "none of them compare to your scent."
His palm squeezed the supple curve of her waist. "Or your softness... your tenderness."
Finally, his gaze dropped to her still-pouting lips, his voice rough: "Or how you melt for me... how you tempt me."
With every word, his body pressed nearer. The hard planes of his abdomen met the yielding warmth of her waist, making her blush as memories of last night weakened her knees.
"Su Qianqian," he growled, "mark my words: I don’t lie. You’re the only one here."
Her lingering doubt only fueled his hunger.
This little thing—her pout, her tears—itched under his skin, demanding he worship her harder.
"And as for sweet talk..." Gu Chengyu’s voice turned uncharacteristically awkward before hardening with possessiveness. "I’ve never bothered with others. Only you—"
He tweaked her nose. "My jealous little kitten. My spoiled princess. The one I’ll pamper and cherish."
Her lips remained temptingly parted. Patience fraying, he decided: kisses first, reassurances later.
"Just one? One kiss to ease those worries?"
Dizzy from his proximity and the heat of his stare, Su Qianqian let her lashes flutter shut. A soft "Mm" escaped—permission granted.
Gu Chengyu didn’t hesitate. He captured her mouth, savoring every sigh, every tremble.
Kissing had never been his habit—only drunken indulgences, and even then, he’d preferred other pleasures. Sober, the taste of lipstick repelled him.
But her...
"Mmm..." Su Qianqian’s legs buckled under his relentless yet tender assault. Her slender arms draped weakly over his shoulders.
Between shared breaths, her whimpers spilled forth—a blend of surrender and seduction.
