Xiao Qitang’s kiss was domineering and possessive, utterly unreasonable.
Zhu Liuyue fell into it for a second—just as the doorbell rang.
“Ding-dong—”
Zhu Liuyue gasped, “Stop. Yunche is back.”
Xiao Qitang reluctantly let go, only to be shoved behind the bathroom door for the second time.
He should have left while he had the chance. Now he could only keep hiding.
The door opened.
Zhu Liuyue smiled. “Yunche, you’re back so soon…” Her voice abruptly cut off.
Because she saw the man standing beside Yunche, dressed in a sharp black suit.
Ye Yunjin was far harder to fool than his younger brother.
“Yunjin, why are you here too?”
Ye Yunjin curved his lips into a faint smile. “I came to find Yunche. I ran into him at the convenience store downstairs.”
With that, the brothers naturally changed into slippers.
Ye Yunche was carrying a new hair dryer. He hurried toward the bathroom and said, “Yueyue, hurry and try this new hair dryer. See if it works well.”
Zhu Liuyue quickly blocked his path.
Pointing at the silver hair dryer she had already found on the sofa, she said, “I found the old one just now. I’ll use this one instead.”
Ye Yunche stopped and turned to glance at his older brother, Ye Yunjin.
It seemed to be a silent signal.
Ye Yunjin’s eyes darkened. In a gentle voice, he said, “The new one has a higher wattage, so it’ll dry your hair faster. Why don’t you try it?”
“No need. It’s late. You two should go home.” Zhu Liuyue smiled sweetly as she blocked the narrow passage leading to the bathroom.
Her attempt to block them only made her look even more suspicious.
Ye Yunjin smiled. “Yunche and I will stay and keep you company tonight.”
They had made similar arrangements before.
Zhu Liuyue shook her head. “Really, there’s no need. I’m a little tired today.”
A mischievous grin revealed Ye Yunche’s little canine tooth. “You don’t get a choice. My brother and I are staying.”
Ye Yunjin’s dark eyes were deep and unreadable. “Yes. I worked up a sweat just now. I’m going to take a shower in the bathroom.”
Zhu Liuyue hurried forward and wrapped both arms around Ye Yunjin’s waist. Pretending to sniff him, she said, “Where’s the sweat? Let me smell. You don’t smell at all.”
Ye Yunjin looked down at her coquettish expression, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
Maybe he should just pretend he hadn’t noticed.
She was only a girl who was easily swayed. What had she done wrong? It was all that overly seductive man’s fault.
Just as the standoff reached its peak, the bathroom door swayed slightly.
Then Xiao Qitang walked straight out.
He was still wearing black trousers, but fortunately, he had put on a gray sweater. The black tank top underneath was still wet, and the sweater’s loose knit left patches of skin faintly visible through the holes.
It was even more seductive than going shirtless.
Zhu Liuyue’s gaze fell on him and became impossible to tear away.
If Xiao Qitang had been dressed like this earlier, she might not have had the heart to make him leave!
She was still staring when a broad hand suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, blocking her view.
Ye Yunche looked jealous as he said, “You’re not allowed to look. He’s nothing but a chicken breast. Yueyue, I’ve been working on my abs. When they’re ready, you can tell me what you want me to wear over them.”
Then he lowered his voice and whispered, “I don’t have to wear anything, either.”
Ye Yunjin stood where he was, his gaze toward Xiao Qitang as sharp and venomous as if he wanted to cut him into a thousand pieces.
His voice turned cold. “Xiao Qitang, are you looking to die?”
Xiao Qitang shrugged.
Tilting his head, he replied with blatant provocation, “I just like Liuyue. Even if you kill me, my answer won’t change. Even after you two get married, I’ll still interfere.”
Before Ye Yunjin could say anything, Ye Yunche had already clenched his fists.
Xiao Qitang remained completely unafraid. He smiled and said, “Go ahead and hit me. If you injure me, Liuyue will definitely feel even sorrier for me, right?”
With that, he gave Zhu Liuyue a flirtatious wink, like a seductive fox spirit. His narrow eyes shimmered with alluring emotion.
His skin was fair, his features handsome, and his voice carried both aristocratic refinement and a hint of roguish charm.
Especially with the way he openly provoked the Ye brothers—he did not look intimidated in the slightest.
Ye Yunjin gave him a long, deep look.
“I’m not going to hit you. Now get out.”
“I’m not leaving.” Xiao Qitang shamelessly passed by Zhu Liuyue. As he did, he discreetly squeezed her palm with his fingers before plopping down on the sofa.
In a relaxed tone, he said, “Let’s talk.”
Ye Yunche flew into a rage. “Talk about my ass!”
All he had ever wanted was to have Yueyue to himself. Sharing her with Ye Yunjin was already something he had accepted reluctantly, if only because they were twin brothers.
And because they shared a strange empathic connection.
As for Xiao Qitang—where had this weed from the roadside even come from? How dare he dream of joining them?!
Ye Yunjin took Zhu Liuyue’s hand and sat down on the single-seat sofa opposite them.
The seat was cramped for two people.
Ye Yunjin naturally slipped an arm around her waist. With a gentle lift, he effortlessly settled her onto his lap.
Xiao Qitang ground his teeth when he saw this.
But what could he do? Ye Yunjin was the one with the most legitimate claim.
Damn it!
All he could do was repeat himself.
“I’m not here to break you two up. I sincerely want to join you.”
Ye Yunche remained standing beside the single-seat sofa, his gaze toward Xiao Qitang openly hostile.
“Why should we let you?”
Xiao Qitang replied, “Because Liuyue likes me too.”
The Ye twins’ gazes simultaneously landed on Zhu Liuyue.
“Yueyue, is that true?”
Zhu Liuyue gave them an awkward yet polite smile.
The fish in the pond were fighting. There was nothing she could do except step in and mediate.
“I like Yunche. He’s passionate, lively, and sincere.”
The corners of Ye Yunche’s lips lifted slightly as he shot Xiao Qitang a triumphant look.
Zhu Liuyue continued, “I like Yunjin too. I feel safe when I’m with him.”
Ye Yunjin smiled faintly, while the curve of Ye Yunche’s lips became impossible to suppress.
Yueyue had said that she liked him first, before mentioning his brother’s name.
That meant he was still a little more important, right?
“Congratulations, Host. The favorability of target Ye Yunche has reached 99%!”
Joy surged through his heart. He no longer had the energy to be angry with Xiao Qitang.
He was nothing but a thing of the past.
What was there to fear?
But in the next second, Zhu Liuyue turned her gaze toward Xiao Qitang, her expression uncertain.
“As for… Qitang, I honestly don’t know what I feel. But whenever I see you, I’m still happy.”
Xiao Qitang immediately seized on her words.
“That’s what liking someone feels like, Liuyue. You don’t hate me, do you? If Ye Yunjin and Ye Yunche hadn’t shown up, tonight would have been a wonderful date.”
Zhu Liuyue shook her head, looking confused and innocent.
It was as if she were questioning herself.
“But… can I really like three people at the same time?”
Xiao Qitang sprang up from the sofa.
His eyes fixed intently on her. “Of course you can. It’s perfectly normal, Liuyue. As long as I can stay by your side, I don’t need anything else—not even a title.”
Ye Yunjin appeared calm, but a flicker of panic passed through his eyes.
Ye Yunche was much more direct. He snatched up a cushion from the sofa and hurled it at Xiao Qitang.
“You shameless fox! How dare you flirt with Yueyue right in front of me?”
