Zhu Liuyue had no idea how things had ended up like this.
Xiao Qitang’s cooking really was excellent.
At the very least, it had won over her stomach.
After dinner, Xiao Qitang very obligingly offered to wash the dishes.
Fine. Let him.
Zhu Liuyue idly scrolled through her phone. But the man had barely finished washing the dishes when he emerged from the kitchen with the black tank top on his upper body completely soaked.
Looking innocent, Xiao Qitang explained, “I didn’t adjust the faucet properly when I turned it on, so the water sprayed all over me.”
The drenched tank top clung tightly to his body, outlining the contours of his muscles with startling clarity.
“Liuyue, can I use your bathroom?”
Since he had already asked, how could Zhu Liuyue refuse?
“Sure. Go ahead.”
But it wasn’t long before there was another sound from the shower.
“Liuyue, there doesn’t seem to be a bath towel in here…”
“I’ll find one for you.”
Zhu Liuyue opened the cabinet and took out a brand-new gray bath towel. She was just about to pass it through the narrow gap in the bathroom door when the door suddenly opened.
Zhu Liuyue instinctively looked up.
Xiao Qitang was wearing a pair of fitted black trousers. His upper body was bare, with several droplets of water still clinging to his skin. His damp hair hung limply over his head, giving him an unusually vulnerable air.
His long, narrow eyes tilted slightly upward.
Zhu Liuyue asked in confusion, “Didn’t you say there wasn’t a towel?”
With a smile, Xiao Qitang replied, “There wasn’t, but then I noticed there was a white one hanging over there.”
Zhu Liuyue followed his gaze.
Oh no!
That was the towel Ye Yunjin had used the last time.
Xiao Qitang asked, “What’s wrong? Can’t I use this one?”
“It’s nothing.” Zhu Liuyue handed him the new gray towel and looked away. “Dry your hair too.”
“Okay.”
The corners of Xiao Qitang’s lips lifted involuntarily.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly ambiguous—
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
Zhu Liuyue’s expression changed slightly. At the same time, a new message appeared on her phone.
Ye Yunche: “Yueyue, I brought you that taro mochi cake you said you wanted to try last time. Open the door!”
Zhu Liuyue turned to look at Xiao Qitang.
“Yunche is here.”
At that moment, Xiao Qitang was wearing nothing but his trousers. His upper body and hair were still wet, and no matter how one looked at him, the sight was bound to invite misunderstanding.
What was more, the Ye brothers were absolutely hostile toward Xiao Qitang.
Zhu Liuyue grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the back of the apartment.
In an aggrieved tone, Xiao Qitang asked, “Liuyue, am I really that embarrassing to be seen with?”
Zhu Liuyue smiled sweetly. “If you’re not afraid of being beaten to death by them, then stay.”
Xiao Qitang obediently fell silent.
The doorbell continued ringing at the entrance.
A minute later, when Zhu Liuyue opened the door, she was holding a pale pink towel. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders, still damp and not yet dry.
“Why are you here? I was washing my hair and didn’t hear the doorbell,” she said with a smile.
Ye Yunche didn’t suspect a thing. Carrying a small cake, he walked inside.
Smiling brightly, he said, “I happened to be driving past that cake shop, so I thought I’d surprise you. Don’t worry—I told my brother I was coming over, and he agreed.”
Zhu Liuyue nodded, perfectly composed.
After setting the cake box down, Ye Yunche turned around with a puzzled expression.
“By the way, Yueyue, why are you staying here today?”
Without changing her expression, Zhu Liuyue replied, “I have an early shift tomorrow, so it’s more convenient to stay here. Did you just come from the old residence?”
Ye Yunche nodded, looking rather aggrieved.
“Yeah. I went all the way to the Zhu residence for nothing. Your parents said you hadn’t come back, and that’s how I found out you’d returned to this apartment.”
Zhu Liuyue raised a hand and ruffled his hair.
“You’re so silly. Next time, just message me and ask first.”
Ye Yunche muttered, “I only did it because I wanted to surprise you. Anyway, let’s eat the cake.”
With that, he eagerly headed toward the kitchen to get some plates and cake forks.
Remembering that the dishes Xiao Qitang had washed were still drying—and that there were clearly enough for two people—Zhu Liuyue acted quickly and grabbed him.
Ye Yunche looked at her in confusion. “What is it?”
Zhu Liuyue smiled. “I’m not hungry right now. We can eat it later.”
Ye Yunche smiled too. “Okay, we’ll eat it later. I can keep Yueyue company for a while longer.”
The two of them sat side by side on the sofa. Ye Yunche had sharp eyes, and he suddenly noticed a gray knit jacket lying there.
It looked like a men’s style.
He was still pondering it when Zhu Liuyue spoke.
“Your brother left it here the last time he came over. I was just about to take it to the dry cleaner.”
Ye Yunche took another look and said, “Huh? My brother was wearing a suit that day. Since when did he start liking casual clothes?”
In a calm tone, Zhu Liuyue replied, “I picked it out for him when we were shopping.”
The moment Ye Yunche heard that, all thoughts of the jacket vanished. He said sourly, “Yueyue, I want you to pick out new clothes for me too.”
“Okay.”
Taking advantage of the situation, Ye Yunche’s amber eyes lit up. He naturally took her hand and leaned closer.
“That’s not enough. I want a kiss too.”
Zhu Liuyue: “…”
Normally, she would have indulged her younger boyfriend’s little acts of affection.
The problem was that Xiao Qitang was still hiding nearby.
The doorbell had rung for so long that if she had taken any longer to answer, Ye Yunche might have messaged Ye Yunjin.
Mr. Ye was a clever man. If he found out that Xiao Qitang was here, Xiao Qitang would surely be finished!
So Zhu Liuyue had calmly shoved Xiao Qitang behind the bathroom door, then quickly used the showerhead to wet her own hair. Holding the pink towel, she pretended that she had just finished washing it.
When she didn’t respond, Ye Yunche moved closer and bit the corner of her lips in displeasure.
“Yueyue, you favor my brother. You promised to give us both the same treatment.”
Fine.
Ye Yunche was easy enough to placate.
She would just talk her way out of it for now.
Zhu Liuyue slipped her arms around his neck and kissed the tip of his nose.
“Then I’ll go shopping with you tomorrow. How about buying you two pieces?”
The corners of Ye Yunche’s lips rose uncontrollably.
Two pieces! That was one more than his brother.
His heart was already brimming with satisfaction, but he pretended to be difficult and said, “At least three.”
Zhu Liuyue smiled. “Fine, then we’ll buy—mmph…”
The rest of her words were swallowed by the kiss, and her breathing gradually grew uneven.
Ye Yunche supported the back of her head with one hand and clasped her slender waist with the other. Leaning over her, he slowly eased them both down onto the sofa.
Her long, wet black hair spilled around them.
Zhu Liuyue pushed at his chest. From behind the bathroom door, Xiao Qitang had a perfect view of everything through the narrow crack.
Wasn’t Ye Yunche deliberately trying to provoke him?
If Xiao Qitang lost control and suddenly came out—
then everything would truly descend into chaos.
Thinking this, she pushed harder.
But Ye Yunche caught both her hands, lifted them, and crossed them above her head.
His voice dropped low.
“Yueyue, I’m only kissing you.”
His kisses moved from her lips to her neck, then lower.
Zhu Liuyue’s breathing grew ragged. Her body felt as though a fire had been kindled inside it, and her mind began to drift.
Her emotions wanted to surrender.
But reason kept reminding her: No! Xiao Qitang is still watching!
Help!!!
