After saying this, Ye Yunjin didn’t urge Zhu Liuyue for an answer. He simply watched her in silence, quietly waiting.
Zhu Liuyue smiled.
She turned toward him openly and took his hand of her own accord. Their knuckles brushed, passing along a warm sensation—and a hint of intimacy.
“Now? Do you feel even more drawn to me?” she asked, leaning forward slightly. She even tilted her head to look at him.
There was a touch of mischief in her smile.
Ye Yunjin’s face instantly flushed crimson. He looked flustered and utterly at a loss.
His heart pounded violently.
Even harder than before.
At that moment, he had even forgotten to block their empathic connection.
Zhu Liuyue was already rising onto her toes, her other hand resting on his shoulder.
“At a time like this, what you should do is put both hands at my sides, Mr. Ye.”
It was the same form of address as always.
But when those two words came from her lips, “Mr. Ye” carried a special flavor.
Like a tiny hook.
It left him tingling all over.
Ye Yunjin’s mind went blank for an instant, yet his body instinctively did as she instructed.
Right after that, she placed her other hand on his shoulder as well, rose slightly onto her toes, and leaned closer.
Ye Yunjin’s pupils contracted sharply.
He could only feel the distance between them growing smaller and smaller.
Zhu Liuyue’s voice was lazy and languid. “Is your first kiss still yours?”
Ye Yunjin nodded stiffly.
Zhu Liuyue gave a soft laugh. “Then I’ll take it.”
They were only three simple words, yet they were filled with an unmistakable sense of control.
The next second, Ye Yunjin felt a warm touch brush against the edge of his lips.
Thump, thump.
His heart seemed ready to give out.
His long eyelashes trembled a few times before he obediently closed his eyes.
……
Ye Yunche came jogging out of the cafeteria and began searching for his brother and Zhu Liuyue.
After asking several teachers and a few children passing by, he finally confirmed that they had gone toward the hill behind the school.
He sprinted in that direction, but halfway there, he suddenly stopped.
Because he could feel a soft sensation coming from his left hand.
Then both hands.
A chest.
A cheek.
……
Lips.
Ye Yunche stared blankly as he touched the corner of his mouth. At first, he found the sensation rather unusual, and even savored it carefully.
Then came fury and shock.
Ignoring the empathic sensations coursing through his body, he broke into a run and charged toward the top of the hill.
By the time he arrived, he saw two figures sitting with their backs to him on a large rock, sitting very close together.
“Ye Yunjin!” he shouted.
He rushed over to them.
Ye Yunjin said nothing, but the faint flush had not yet faded from his handsome face, and the rims of his ears were bright red.
Ye Yunche glared angrily at his brother’s lips, trying to find some trace of what had happened.
Zhu Liuyue, on the other hand, rose lightly to her feet and brushed off nonexistent dust from her clothes. In a relaxed tone, she said, “You two brothers talk. I’ll head down first.”
Ye Yunche really wanted to call her back, but at that moment, he wanted even more to demand an explanation from Ye Yunjin.
Only after staring fixedly until Zhu Liuyue’s back disappeared from view did he turn around and look at Ye Yunjin with open hostility.
His voice was sharp. “What did you two just do?”
Ye Yunjin looked at his furious younger brother and drew a deep breath, trying to calm him down.
“Yunche, you seem to have forgotten one thing. She is my fiancée.”
“So whatever we do is perfectly normal.”
Ye Yunche was too worked up to listen.
Like an enraged little lion, he roared, “Huh? What? Your fiancée? Big Brother, are you kidding me? The person at the engagement ceremony was me!”
“I was the one who put the engagement ring on her finger! I was the one who made the vows onstage!”
“Even the person in the engagement photos that were published was me!”
Ye Yunjin lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting shadows beneath them.
His amber pupils were filled with calm composure.
His fingertips seemed to still remember the sensation of holding her hand, and the corners of his lips curved slightly upward.
“Yes, but everyone thought that person was me.”
“Yunche, I’m grateful that you stood in for me at the time and completed the engagement ceremony. Otherwise, I might have missed out on Liuyue. Thank you.”
“But that ends here. From now on, she’s your sister-in-law. Give up those feelings you shouldn’t have.”
Ye Yunjin spoke with great calm.
He looked like a winner who already had everything under control.
Calm.
Composed.
Ye Yunche, however, was furious. “Why? Why? Why should I?”
Ye Yunjin tried to settle him down.
“Yunche, when we were children, our interests and hobbies were always the same. But in the end, I came first in every competition.”
That only made Ye Yunche angrier.
“What are you bragging about? Do you really think you won because of your own ability?”
Ye Yunjin looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
A mocking glint flashed through Ye Yunche’s amber eyes.
“I deliberately lost to you. Ye Yunjin, this time, I won’t concede.”
Looking at his enraged, rampaging younger brother, Ye Yunjin frowned. This was the worst possible outcome—the one he had never wanted to see.
He quickly stepped forward and grabbed him.
“Yunche, Liuyue and I are doing well. I forgot to block the empathic connection just now, so you know very well that she and I like each other.”
“Don’t let anger and jealousy cloud your judgment.”
“No matter what you do, think it through first.”
Ye Yunche let out two mocking laughs.
“Since you’re so confident that you and Zhu Liuyue like each other, why are you afraid?”
Ye Yunjin fell silent.
Of course, it was because long ago, Liuyue had personally told him that the person she liked was Yunche.
……
On the tenth day at Xingyun Elementary School, Zhu Liuyue and Ye Yunjin were just like the most ordinary young couple—walking together, holding hands, gazing at each other, smiling, and kissing.
That day, beneath the sunset on the hill, Zhu Liuyue took the initiative to kiss Ye Yunjin.
He didn’t move. He simply accepted it obediently.
Because he had no idea how to kiss.
After being kissed until his head spun, his whole body went limp, and his cheeks burned, President Ye reflected on himself. Once he returned, he had his assistant compile a guide titled “Tips for Improving Your Kissing Skills.”
He might have no experience, but he could certainly study and take the initiative.
After summarizing everything, he came up with the following points:
When kissing, touch lightly, explore slowly, and pause from time to time to leave your partner wanting more.
Keep your lips moisturized and fresh. Always carry breath mints in your pocket. Lemon and peach flavors are both fine. (Liuyue likes peaches.)
When kissing, gently stroke your partner’s cheek, tilt up their chin, or put an arm around their waist. These touches can double the depth of a kiss.
Learn to breathe through your nose. Don’t hold your breath and kiss until you’re gasping for air. Occasionally let out a soft breath, and when you draw close, exchange breaths in a teasing, almost distant way.
Most importantly, always pay attention to Liuyue’s reactions.
After President Ye’s diligent practice, his kissing technique finally improved from kindergarten level to elementary-school level.
Zhu Liuyue’s eyes were tinged red as she pushed him away, still breathing slightly unevenly.
Across from her, Ye Yunjin wore an expression of eager anticipation.
“Was I better than last time?”
He looked as though he was waiting expectantly for praise.
With a mischievous smile, Zhu Liuyue pinched his burning earlobe.
“Why do your ears always turn bright red whenever we kiss?”
As soon as she said this, Ye Yunjin’s face flushed as well.
There was no way for him to maintain his aloof image anymore.
