The words she had not yet had the chance to say were all swallowed back down.
For the first few seconds, Ye Yunche was completely stunned. He even forgot to breathe.
Then he quickly came to his senses. His broad palm slipped around her waist, and through the fabric of her coat, his hand pressed against her side, drawing her into his embrace.
He bent down and kissed her even more forcefully.
It was completely different from Ye Yunjin’s gentle, careful kiss—one filled with hesitation and restraint.
This kiss carried a heated, intense, fiercely possessive force.
Like a wildfire burning through the mountains, it left her no room to retreat.
He nipped and devoured her lips, greedy and stubborn, as though he refused to let her go.
Half an hour later, Zhu Liuyue could no longer catch her breath.
She shoved hard against his chest and turned her head aside, gulping in air.
Her lips were swollen from his kisses, still tingling faintly with the warmth of his lips and teeth.
After she pushed him away, Ye Yunche came leaning back toward her like a satisfied yet greedy puppy, nuzzling against her.
The tip of his nose drew close to her cheek, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
His amber eyes settled on her swollen lips. There was still a trace of unsatisfied longing in his gaze, along with eager anticipation.
“Shall we continue?” he asked with complete sincerity.
Zhu Liuyue raised the back of her hand and wiped the corner of her lips.
She gave a slight shake of her head.
Her voice was cool and distant. “I’m sorry. Forget what just happened.”
The delight in Ye Yunche’s eyes vanished in an instant.
The light gradually faded from his amber pupils.
He stood rooted to the spot, his back stiffening. “W-What do you mean...?”
His voice trembled with uncertainty.
It was as though he had understood her perfectly, yet still needed to ask again—to give himself a little more time to cling to his fantasy.
Zhu Liuyue stepped back two paces.
In the manipulative, heartless tone of a woman who had just broken someone’s heart, she said, “It felt really good just now. For a moment, I mistook you for Yunjin, so I couldn’t help myself...”
She lowered her eyelids slightly, as though genuinely reflecting on her impulsiveness.
“You know how these things are. Sometimes emotions simply get the better of you.”
After saying this, she drew a deep breath and looked up at him solemnly.
“But after thinking it over, this isn’t right. We were doing this behind Yunjin’s back... It’s wrong.”
If the past half hour had been heaven for Ye Yunche—
then now, he had fallen straight into hell.
His heart felt as though someone had seized it in a tight grip, only to release it again.
He hurried after her half a step and reached out to catch the edge of her clothing. His voice carried the aggrieved tone of an abandoned puppy.
“What’s wrong with it? Ever since we were little, my brother and I have liked the same things.”
“Falling in love with you is only natural.”
His gaze remained locked firmly on her.
Zhu Liuyue nodded, her expression restrained and calm.
“You’re right. But morally speaking, our current relationship has crossed a line. That isn’t right.”
Ye Yunche moved a little closer, his warm body nearly touching hers.
His voice held a stubborn, reckless determination, as though he had decided to throw caution to the wind.
“It doesn’t matter. I have no sense of morality.”
Zhu Liuyue did not respond. She merely lifted her foot and tried to leave.
“Forget everything that happened tonight, Yunche. Just treat it as a mistake.”
Ye Yunche reached out and caught her. His palm closed around her wrist, his grip tighter than before.
His fingertips pressed into her delicate skin, refusing to let go.
His gaze was stubborn, and although his voice sounded harsh, it trembled with an aggrieved emotion on the verge of breaking into tears.
“Zhu Liuyue, you heartless flirt! You touched me, you kissed me, and now you’re actually planning not to take responsibility for me?”
Zhu Liuyue hesitated. “How am I supposed to take responsibility? Yunjin and I...”
Her voice softened.
“I’m sorry. I’m choosing Yunjin.”
Ye Yunche looked like a child who had just lost his favorite piece of candy. His mouth immediately twisted into a pout.
His eyes reddened, but he stubbornly refused to shed a single tear.
He merely tilted his head back and said hoarsely, “Liuyue, how am I inferior to Ye Yunjin? I was the one who accompanied you on the day of the engagement ceremony, too.”
Zhu Liuyue let out a quiet sigh.
“You’re wonderful, and so is Yunjin. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to hurt either of you. But...”
Ye Yunche cut her off. “You don’t have to choose. You can have us both!”
Zhu Liuyue seemed startled by his words, her body going rigid for a moment.
She stared at him in disbelief, as though she wasn’t sure she had heard correctly.
At that moment, Ye Yunche’s thoughts suddenly became clear.
That was right. Why was he so determined to fight over which of them she liked more? After all, he and his brother looked exactly alike.
He had thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to reveal the truth he had hidden in his heart for years.
“My brother and I are twins. But we’re different from ordinary twins—we have the ability to share each other’s sensations.”
He paused, his gaze lowering slightly.
“Any intimate relationship would become a problem for us once we started families of our own. I stopped associating with women a long time ago precisely to avoid situations like this.”
“And as the heir to the family, my brother has to continue the family line. I had already resigned myself to spending my entire life alone.”
He raised his head and looked at her again.
“But then I met you, Liuyue. I’m certain I fell for you before my brother did. On the day of the engagement banquet, I only pretended to be indifferent. The truth is, I didn’t dislike you. I liked you.”
“No. Actually, I was already wavering the night at the racetrack—the moment you appeared in front of me. So you don’t have to choose. You can have us both. As for the other problems, I’ll deal with my brother.”
Zhu Liuyue seemed shaken by his confession.
She thought it over carefully before hesitantly saying, “But...”
Ye Yunche’s tone was forceful and domineering, leaving no room for argument.
“There’s no ‘but.’ If you like him, then you must like me too.”
His eyes remained fixed intently on her face.
Then the corners of his lips curved faintly, and his voice softened.
“Still... you have to promise me that from now on, you won’t give me any less of your love than you give my brother.”
The system’s voice sounded in her ear.
“Congratulations, host. The favorability of your target, Ye Yunche, has reached 90%!”
...
A month passed quickly.
After handing over her duties to the new volunteer doctor, Zhu Liuyue prepared to leave with Ye Yunche.
Before they departed, Bai Shurou also came to see them off.
Their eyes met, and Bai Shurou looked a little awkward. Even so, she smiled and said, “Bon voyage.”
Zhu Liuyue asked, “Have you decided how long you’ll stay here?”
Bai Shurou thought for a moment before answering seriously, “I’m not sure. But I really like my life here. Away from all the gossip in those circles, I’m just Bai Shurou here.”
“Mm. Take care.”
Zhu Liuyue waved goodbye.
The heroine of this original world had never shown her any hostility, and Zhu Liuyue had always treated her with calm indifference.
She hoped Bai Shurou would have a happy ending too.
“Take care.”
Bai Shurou waved back.
As she watched Zhu Liuyue and Ye Yunche walk away, Bai Shurou suddenly felt the sharp, aching pain in her heart disappear without a trace.
She really doesn’t seem to like Ye Yunche anymore.
Bai Shurou’s storyline is over, and she won’t be appearing again.
Let the first love break free from the plot as well and truly make her own choices.
Next up is the brothers’ face-off—a full-blown battlefield of emotions.
Should we bring Xiao Qitang into the mix? Raise your hands so I can take a look.
