Ye Yunche’s hands were everywhere, setting off sparks.
When his long, strong fingers gradually began to move lower, Zhu Liuyue warned him in a hoarse voice, “You can’t.”
Ye Yunche knew he had gone a little too far today. After all, he had only told Ye Yunjin that he was coming over to deliver a small cake to Yueyue.
Worse yet, he had forgotten to block their shared sense connection just now.
So Ye Yunjin definitely knew they had been kissing.
Ye Yunche’s movements came to an abrupt halt. He rubbed his hair in frustration and muttered, “Ah! It’s over, it’s over. My brother found out.”
Zhu Liuyue bent forward, stood up, and gave him a firm shove.
With a bright smile, she said, “All right, the cake has been delivered. Hurry up and go back.”
Ye Yunche naturally fell backward onto the sofa. His amber eyes gazed at the ceiling lamp, filled with reluctance.
It had taken so much effort to get a moment alone with Yueyue.
Most of the time, both brothers were there.
Suddenly, he tilted his head. Through the reflection on the white lampshade, he caught sight of the bathroom door standing open and what looked like a used gray towel.
Without revealing what he was thinking, Ye Yunche asked, “Yueyue, did you wash your hair? Give me the towel. I’ll dry it for you.”
Zhu Liuyue picked up the towel that had fallen onto the carpet during their earlier tussle and refused, “No need. I can do it myself.”
Ye Yunche spread his hands. “Then I’ll blow-dry your hair. It’s easy to catch a chill when your hair is wet.”
As he spoke, he rose and strode toward the bathroom.
Zhu Liuyue took a deep breath.
She quickly called out, “The hair dryer isn’t in the bathroom. I put it in the bedroom after using it last time.”
Ye Yunche changed direction and headed toward the bedroom.
Zhu Liuyue hurried after him.
As they passed the bathroom, the figure behind the door shifted slightly.
Taking advantage of the fact that Ye Yunche hadn’t noticed, Zhu Liuyue silently mouthed two words:
“Stay hidden.”
The two of them searched the bedroom, but couldn’t find the hair dryer.
Zhu Liuyue simply said, “I don’t know where I put it. Why don’t you go to the convenience store and buy a new one?”
The priority was to get Ye Yunche out of there so Xiao Qitang would have a chance to slip away.
Ye Yunche nodded with a smile. “Sure.”
However, as he passed the bathroom, he paused. His gaze fell on the gray towel by the sink.
“Yueyue, when did you get a new bath towel?”
Zhu Liuyue answered vaguely, “Um, the old one got dirty.”
Ye Yunche’s gaze shifted to the white towel hanging on the metal rack. He asked suspiciously, “This is the one we used last time. It still looks damp. Is the bathroom poorly ventilated?”
“Maybe,” Zhu Liuyue replied.
Ye Yunche stopped. As he spoke, he started to walk into the bathroom.
“I’ll open the bathroom window. That should improve the ventilation.”
“No need!” Zhu Liuyue hurriedly grabbed him. She was terrified that after opening the window, Ye Yunche would turn around and come face-to-face with Xiao Qitang behind the door.
Ye Yunche tilted his head in confusion, as if asking why.
Zhu Liuyue smiled. “The white towel probably got wet when I was washing my hair and accidentally sprayed it with the showerhead.” After a pause, she added, “It’s already dark. The wind will be too cold if you open the window, and that’s bad for your health.”
Ye Yunche thought that made sense.
He nodded.
“You’re right. Your hair is still wet, Yueyue. If you get hit by the cold wind, you’ll be even more likely to catch a chill. I’ll go to the convenience store and buy you a hair dryer.”
“Okay.” Zhu Liuyue took his hand and led him toward the living room.
Only after watching Ye Yunche put on his shoes, open the door, and wave goodbye before leaving did she finally let out a long breath.
That had been far too nerve-racking.
They had almost been discovered!
The instant the front door closed, footsteps sounded from inside the bathroom. Xiao Qitang emerged moments later.
He was still wearing only a pair of trousers, leaving his upper body bare. His fair skin seemed to glow beneath the lights.
Paired with his handsome, pale features, he looked especially striking.
If only he had a silver waist chain and chest chain to complete the look, it would have been perfect.
Xiao Qitang complained, “How could he kiss you?”
Zhu Liuyue couldn’t be bothered to deal with him. She quickly grabbed the gray sweater from the sofa and tossed it to him.
“Put your clothes on and leave.”
Instead of obediently putting on the sweater, Xiao Qitang took two or three steps toward Zhu Liuyue and said pitifully, “Liuyue, he kissed you.”
Zhu Liuyue nodded. “Mm. Ye Yunjin approved it.”
A lie.
Mr. Ye might not approve of tonight’s kiss.
Xiao Qitang stared straight at her.
“I hate Ye Yunche so much.”
Zhu Liuyue joked, “All right, at least he has an official title. Why don’t you go outside and fight him?”
It was the title granted by Ye Yunjin’s rightful wife.
Xiao Qitang lowered his head and muttered dejectedly, “I have a title too.”
“What?” Zhu Liuyue asked.
“Before I became your ex-boyfriend, I was your boyfriend. I had a title too.”
“So what?”
“When we were dating, you never let me kiss you.”
Zhu Liuyue met his pair of aggrieved, watery eyes.
“Then you…”
Before she could finish, Xiao Qitang shamelessly cut in, “Make up for it now.”
Unbelievable.
Who had ever heard of an ex-boyfriend demanding a kiss after they had already broken up?
Zhu Liuyue had no time for flirting with him. Ye Yunche had gone out to buy a hair dryer, and he might be back soon.
The priority was to get Xiao Qitang out of there.
She pushed at him and said, “Hurry up and leave. If Ye Yunche comes back, you won’t be able to get away.”
Xiao Qitang let out a huff.
He lifted his chin stubbornly.
“I’m not leaving! Let him see me here. He can beat me to death if he wants.”
“Besides, you don’t even care about me. I can’t do anything—I only know how to write songs for you and cook for you… I know I’m not good with words, and I’m nothing like the Ye brothers, who are so good at sweet-talking.”
“All I have is one sincere heart. If they really beat me half to death, Liuyue, remember to visit me in the hospital.”
“Oh, no, wait. When you call an ambulance, remember to have them take me to the hospital where you work.”
This little speech just kept going and going.
A smile tugged at the corners of Zhu Liuyue’s lips. She even had the mischievous thought that Ye Yunche’s favorability had stopped at 98%. Perhaps if she let him catch Xiao Qitang here, the added stimulation might push it all the way to full.
But after thinking it over, she decided it was still too dangerous.
She always preferred to proceed with caution.
“All right, you’ll leave after I kiss you, won’t you?”
“Yes!” Xiao Qitang nodded so quickly that his head nearly bobbed off, his face full of anticipation and bashfulness.
“Come here. Lower your head.”
Zhu Liuyue crooked a finger at him.
Xiao Qitang lowered his head reverently and leaned toward her, slowly closing his eyes.
He looked like a virtuous maiden waiting to be favored.
A sweet kiss landed at the corner of his lips and vanished at once. Zhu Liuyue had just started to pull away when Xiao Qitang slyly caught her hand and placed it against his bare chest.
In a low voice, he said, “Smell it. It smells like the floral fragrance of your body wash, and also… the scent from their towels.”
That line was practically the ultimate provocation.
It was like saying: “How could you wear Yipin’s clothes?”
