The more Jian Youyou chatted with Huo Jiaoyue, the more she liked this sister who had a goddess-like aura yet was incredibly approachable and good-natured. Who doesn't love a beauty? Huo Jiaoyue's fingers were so soft that Jian Youyou, having grabbed them unintentionally, even felt like giving them a playful bite.
The female lead was truly the female lead. Although Jian Youyou was originally a stand-in, she felt not a shred of inferiority in front of the "original." The two of them hit it off splendidly over the course of the evening. Bathed in the night breeze carrying waves of Huo Jiaoyue's fragrance, Jian Youyou, utterly charmed, handed over all the best grilled skewers to her.
Unsurprisingly, Huo Jiaoyue overate.
But with Jian Youyou's bright, sparkling eyes offering her the skewers like treasures, Huo Jiaoyue found it truly hard to refuse.
She was beginning to understand why Yu Hekun, who had remained emotionally closed off for so many years, had fallen for this girl. After all, one can often resist temptations of profit, resist the allure of physical beauty, but it's much harder to refuse a sincere and open-hearted display of goodwill.
As for Yu Hekun, he was in an unexpectedly good mood. It had been a long time since he had properly spent time out with his brother. No matter how tough his words were, deep down he still yearned deeply for familial affection.
Yu Hekun was a person of extremely rich emotions, yet the family love that came most easily to others was something he had received very little of due to his family circumstances. Even his first crush, when it came down to it, was largely because he discovered the ambiguity between Yu Mingzhong and Huo Jiaoyue. He had retreated without even trying to fight for her.
On the surface, he had resented Yu Mingzhong for years over this, but his psychological inclination had long ago made the choice: he was unwilling to harm the bond between him and his brother for Huo Jiaoyue's sake.
Now, having completely let go of this matter in his heart, Yu Hekun spent the whole evening pestering Yu Mingzhong to drink with him. He ate a lot and drank a lot, glancing toward Jian Youyou's direction from time to time with a very soft look in his eyes. Tonight, he was like an oyster that had actively opened its hard shell, allowing everyone to see its tender interior.
Yu Mingzhong had initially been observing Jian Youyou and Huo Jiaoyue, but perhaps due to the alcohol taking effect, the more he looked, the more he felt these two might be long-lost sisters. Who knows, maybe Jian Youyou was some illegitimate child of Old Master Huo from his wild days outside.
The thought of the strictly disciplined, meticulous Old Master Huo—who even after a thrombosis would wear a proper suit for his walks—being the subject of such a ridiculous notion amused Yu Mingzhong. Old Master Huo had lost his wife in his thirties, never remarried, never had any lovers, dedicating himself single-mindedly to his career until his health broke down. How could he possibly have any illegitimate daughters?
Yu Mingzhong picked up his beer, clinked glasses with Yu Hekun, and looked at Huo Jiaoyue, who was getting along famously with Jian Youyou. How was it possible for these two to get along so well? Munching on a skewer, Yu Mingzhong analyzed it carefully but couldn't figure it out. Among all the girls he had seen, most were "surface sisters," with undercurrents of rivalry. Some might not notice, but having been in the business world for so long, Yu Mingzhong had seen all types of people.
He could tell that even someone as proud and aloof as Huo Jiaoyue genuinely liked Jian Youyou.
Why?
Yu Mingzhong was puzzled. This little wildcat could drive people mad, was all claws and recklessness, and wasn't even the stunningly eye-catching type. He had had two private encounters with her, and both times she had nearly given him a hypertension attack.
But no matter how puzzled he was, it was useless. He had already seen that his plan involving Huo Jiaoyue was a bust. Although her family business had cash flow problems, the project she was currently working on had great prospects. Investing wouldn't be a loss. Even without him, given Huo Jiaoyue's capabilities, she could secure funding.
He had initially taken a liking to Huo Jiaoyue because she had brains, unlike some girls born into wealthy families who only knew how to shop and throw their weight around.
Huo Jiaoyue had agreed to be his pawn, but if the target wasn't as he described, Yu Mingzhong couldn't have made her do it.
He took a big gulp of beer, suddenly feeling a profound sense of helplessness. He had never felt this way in his work. Apart from work, he basically didn't worry about personal matters. This was the first time he had felt this kind of helplessness toward a specific situation or person.
This little wildcat was unexpectedly difficult to handle.
Glancing sideways at the look in his brother's eyes as he watched the little wildcat, Yu Mingzhong felt that if he didn't rein things in now, once Jian Youyou's true nature was revealed later, his brother would suffer a tremendous blow.
Yu Mingzhong just didn't want his brother to get hurt. When it came to emotions, he was somewhat too naive. The family had already hurt him enough.
As he drank, Yu Mingzhong pondered when to find this little wildcat again for a frank, serious talk.
The four of them, chatting and eating skewers in the night breeze, aside from the occasional small insect finding its way through the netting of their little enclosure to cause trouble, seemed remarkably harmonious.
After they called it a night, Huo Jiaoyue, having eaten a bit too much—she usually had a professional nutritionist managing her figure and hadn't indulged like this in a long time—returned to her room, took a shower, and still felt very full. Touching her slightly protruding belly, she laughed helplessly. Unable to sleep peacefully, she got up and worked up a sweat exercising.
As for Jian Youyou, she tidied things up just enough so they weren't a complete mess and left it at that. After all, this was a hotel; someone would come to clean tomorrow.
She just seized the opportunity to get Yu Hekun into her treehouse, saying she had something to discuss. She absolutely had to find a way back tonight; she couldn't delay any longer.
So she coaxed the somewhat drunk Yu Hekun, "Stay here with me, please, good Hekun-ge. I want to sleep with you. The treehouse is so scary; I'm really afraid."
Yu Hekun's eyes were slightly red from drinking. He looked at her with a smile but just shook his head, tapping her nose with his finger and saying word by word, "Shameless."
"What do I need face for?" Jian Youyou kissed his cheek. "I just want you."
This urgency and enthusiasm left Yu Hekun somewhat unable to cope. The alcohol made his brain bubble like boiling water. He pulled Jian Youyou into his arms, hugging her tightly, yet he stubbornly refused to agree.
It was still too fast, Yu Hekun thought. He had just begun to sort out his own feelings and hadn't had the chance for a final farewell to the past. He felt he needed to talk with Huo Jiaoyue once, and then...
Yu Hekun wanted to be more careful.
But Jian Youyou couldn't wait. Tomorrow night was the absolute latest limit. But in the real world, it was already daytime. Her mom might be up by now. Sometimes when her mom was too busy, she would call her to help. If her mom happened to call her and she woke up, she would suddenly disappear from this world, which would be way too stimulating.
Tonight, it must be done!
With this thought, Jian Youyou used every trick in the book to coax Yu Hekun. But somehow, Yu Hekun's heart had turned to iron; he was like Liu Xiahui reincarnated. Even though Jian Youyou could feel his physical reaction, he still, with reddened eyes, clenched his teeth and refused to give in.
Damn it, it's just sleeping together, is it really that big a deal?
She wasn't really planning to do anything; it genuinely wasn't a case of "just rubbing, not going in." She was truly just following the plot. But this jerk just wouldn't cooperate.
Jian Youyou simply stopped talking. Anyway, he was sleeping in a tent tonight, and she had seen which one he picked during the day. She decided to just go straight in and slip into his tent. He was drunk and would surely sleep like a log. If she didn't wake him and just lay down beside him, that should count as successfully climbing into his bed, right?
Having made up her mind, Jian Youyou switched to persuading Yu Hekun to go to sleep. Yu Hekun was actually forcing himself to hold back, somewhat reluctant to part. It wasn't very late yet, and he wanted to stay close to Jian Youyou a little longer.
Jian Youyou had no choice but to pretend to pull him towards the bed, and only then did he finally go back.
She waited for about an hour. When it was completely quiet outside, Jian Youyou glanced at the wall clock—a little past twelve-thirty. She estimated Yu Hekun must be asleep by now.
Jian Youyou opened the treehouse door and stepped out quietly. The area around them was lit by spotlights, not dark at all. She stealthily skirted past Yu Mingzhong's tent and approached Yu Hekun's. The tent was quite large, not a single-person type but more like a small tent-house, even equipped with a bathroom.
Apart from the door, there was no other entrance. Jian Youyou felt a bit troubled. Yu Hekun even locked his bedroom door at home; tonight might be tough. She might have to return empty-handed this time.
Thinking this, she tried pushing the small door lightly. Unexpectedly, it gave way silently, opening a crack.
Yu Hekun had drunk too much. He had gotten up earlier to use the toilet and, upon returning, had forgotten to latch the door.
This normally wouldn't be a big deal, but tonight he was quite drunk, feeling a bit hot-blooded. Added to that was seeing Huo Jiaoyue, which hadn't rekindled any old flames. Instead, it made his liking for Jian Youyou clearer, because Yu Hekun had come to understand something rather embarrassing yet very real.
He had liked Huo Jiaoyue for so many years, yet he had never imagined doing anything more intimate with her beyond kissing. Huo Jiaoyue was like a phantom he had conjured up over the years, too pure, even failing to stir his desire.
But he found Jian Youyou was different. She could easily arouse his feelings. Her straightforward advances and declarations of love made Yu Hekun's heart surge every time he heard them, especially tonight under the influence of alcohol.
So, as Jian Youyou quietly pushed open the small door, her feet landing as silently as cat's paws, she crept into the room full of secret delight, closed the door, and felt her way towards the bed.
Then, having found the spot and just about to climb up, she heard a low, muffled groan from under the quilt, accompanied by faint rustling sounds that didn't seem like someone turning over.
Jian Youyou's eyes adjusted to the dim light. Seeing Yu Hekun's head was also buried under the covers, and the quilt was trembling slightly, she didn't think much of it, wondering if he was having a nightmare from drinking too much.
She slowly climbed onto the bed, but suddenly the quilt beside her stopped moving. Jian Youyou's scalp prickled. Instantly, she thought, Damn, is he not asleep yet?
She turned to look and saw Yu Hekun lift the quilt from his head with one hand. When their eyes met in the darkness, Jian Youyou cursed inwardly.
Yu Hekun's eyes slowly widened, and he opened his mouth as if to yell. Jian Youyou's scalp tingled with alarm, and she instinctively reached out and clamped her hand over his mouth.
The sound was stifled in Yu Hekun's throat. She leaned over, pulling the quilt to cover his head again, preparing to make a run for it. Yu Mingzhong was in the next tent not far away; the two tents were close together.
But who would have thought, the thin summer quilt was simply too small, and Yu Hekun had only been covering the edge of himself. As she pulled, she finally realized what Yu Hekun had been doing.
He had been feeling a persistent, unrelieved restlessness tonight, thinking constantly of Jian Youyou—a bit like a long-time virgin with the floodgates opening. He had tossed and turned for an hour without falling asleep. After his trip to the bathroom, he had been secretly relieving himself under the covers.
Although it was dark inside the tent and hard to see anything clearly, Jian Youyou still caught sight of Yu Hekun quickly letting go of himself and swiftly grabbing the quilt to cover up.
The situation was extremely awkward for a moment. Yu Hekun was stiff, and Jian Youyou wasn't much better off, as facing something like this directly was a first for her too.
So the two of them seemed frozen in place, neither moving for a long while. After that, increasingly rapid breaths intertwined in the confined space, unclear whose was whose.
Finally, it was Jian Youyou, who was somewhat better at keeping her composure, who spoke. "Sorry, didn't know you were... busy. I'll go now."
With that, she got up, released Yu Hekun, and started backing off the bed.
Yu Hekun let out a breath. In the darkness, his face was flushed nearly purple with embarrassment. But just as Jian Youyou was bending down, feeling around for her shoes, Yu Hekun gritted his teeth, suddenly sat up, stretched out his arm, and in one motion from the not-too-large bedside, hooked Jian Youyou's waist and forcefully dragged her back onto the bed.
The light summer quilt enveloped both of them, and in moments, it sealed off this little dark space, making it stiflingly hot.
Jian Youyou let out a short, sharp gasp, which was muffled by Yu Hekun's hand over her mouth. He was actually quite heavy, and the alcohol had worn off. The two could barely see each other. Yu Hekun found Jian Youyou's forehead and kissed his way down, whispering, "I didn't want it to be this fast..."
Jian Youyou felt his lips on her eye; her other eye blinked. She sensed things were developing differently from how she had imagined. She struggled slightly, and the hand that had grabbed Yu Hekun's shoulder was caught by him and guided downward.
"After all this, you still think you're leaving?" After saying this, Yu Hekun finally found Jian Youyou's lips and pressed his own against them.
What followed was somewhat untimely yet seemed to follow naturally. Jian Youyou hadn't had this intention, but in such a stifling, confined space, and being no young girl herself, after being rather clumsily teased by Yu Hekun for a while, she naturally began to feel her thoughts wandering.
Jian Youyou had dated so many school heartthrobs and top students. She didn't know if fate was playing a trick on her, but the one she actually ended up with was this fake one, from a dream.
Was this implying that if she wanted a man, she could only get one in her dreams?
And the quality of this man wasn't even that high. Jian Youyou tried very hard to cooperate, but he really wasn't up to the task.
Everything happened too suddenly and ended too suddenly. After it was over, the two novices were still trembling, not yet recovered. Yu Hekun held Jian Youyou tightly, so tight it was almost suffocating.
Jian Youyou, feeling utterly smothered, poked her head out from under the quilt, took several deep breaths, and said, "You can let go now, I'm not running away." It was already done.
How absurd.
After the wave of intense pleasure passed, Yu Hekun began to feel embarrassed belatedly. The more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he became. His face and body felt like they were on fire, thoroughly cooked.
"I..."
"You should sleep," Jian Youyou interrupted him. "I'm going back to my own room."
This whole thing had happened too abruptly. Blame her for not holding back. Yu Hekun's body was too smooth and pleasant to touch, his panting and soft sounds in her ear were too enticing, and he looked even more perfect than real-world celebrities. Who could resist that?
She had just wanted to sleep. Actually going through with the male lead had her a bit flustered. She needed to quickly find a place to check the book. Did this bed-hopping attempt count as a success? Would sleeping with the male lead affect the main plot?
So, while Yu Hekun—a virgin who had just opened the floodgates for the first time in over twenty years—was still lingering and savoring the afterglow, Jian Youyou pulled up her pants and left.
Left.
Just left.
Yu Hekun couldn't even grab her; getting dressed now was a hassle, and he was currently commando, his underwear nowhere to be found.
He watched helplessly as Jian Youyou pushed open the small tent flap and slipped out. To encounter this after his first-ever taste of intimacy made Yu Hekun even feel like he'd been rejected.
Holding the small blanket, he sat in the tent in a daze, wondering what he had done wrong just now.
Was his technique too poor?
Could three minutes even involve technical issues?
Biting the corner of the blanket in sorrow, Yu Hekun got up, turned on the light, cleaned himself up, and prepared to have a good talk with Jian Youyou. After all, now that things had gone this far, certain things definitely needed to be discussed properly.
In stark contrast to Yu Hekun, who was bent over tidying the bedding, Jian Youyou, having pulled up her pants, emerged and quickly scurried towards her own room, hunched over. Even though there was no one else in the mountains besides their group, her guilt kept her from daring to glance in the direction of Huo Jiaoyue's room.
Sleeping with someone else's future husband, how could this be okay?
She really hadn't been able to hold back in the moment. If she had insisted on not doing it, that flustered little amateur Yu Hekun, who was as jumpy as stepping on a live wire, wouldn't have been able to pull it off.
Jian Youyou was filled with regret, deep regret. Her regret had nothing to do with concepts like chastity or women losing out by being with men. She regretted her impulsiveness. If this messed with the plot and she couldn't get the breakup fee, then for Yu Hekun's three minutes, it would be a massive loss.
That was fifty million! Fifty million for three minutes? Even if Yu Hekun's dick were gold-plated, it wouldn't be worth that.
Thinking this, Jian Youyou quickened her pace, planning to hurry into her room and summon the book to check.
But as she passed by Yu Mingzhong's tent, a figure suddenly darted out from the darkness and grabbed her arm.
Already guilt-ridden to the core, Jian Youyou gave a violent start, sucking in a sharp breath before a hand clamped over her mouth.
She was dragged near Yu Mingzhong's tent. Only when she got close and looked carefully did she realize it was Yu Mingzhong who had caught her.
"How did you come out of Xiao Kun's room?" Yu Mingzhong's voice was very low. Jian Youyou could still feel stuff wantonly trickling down her inner thighs; her loose pants couldn't contain much. It was a hard-to-describe, utterly crappy feeling.
But having just slept with Yu Hekun, she couldn't help feeling awkward facing his brother. So, she adopted a meek and submissive tone, "Brother, you're still awake? I just went to check if Brother Kun was asleep. You know he kicks off the covers in his sleep; I was afraid he might catch a chill."
Yu Mingzhong had already washed up. The smell of alcohol on him was faint but still present, mixed with the scent of shower gel, wafting straight into Jian Youyou's nostrils. They were standing too close. Jian Youyou squirmed uncomfortably, wanting to break free, but Yu Mingzhong didn't let go.
"Let's talk, Jian You." After this evening, Yu Mingzhong had completely given up hope regarding Huo Jiaoyue. Now, he just wanted to have a proper talk with Jian You. If she wanted money, he could give it. Yu Mingzhong only hoped his little brother wouldn't get hurt.
Jian Youyou gave a stiff laugh and clenched her legs together. "Brother, can I go back to my room first?"
"No." Yu Mingzhong had drunk quite a bit with Yu Hekun tonight. His alcohol tolerance was high; even after all that, he was only slightly tipsy.
"I took my eyes off you for a second, and you slipped into my brother's tent. Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do." Yu Mingzhong wasn't wearing his glasses. His peach-blossom eyes were slightly reddened and very attractive, but the way they narrowed was also dangerous.
You know nothing, Jian Youyou thought. What I wanted to do and didn't want to do is already done. Your brother is currently bare-assed looking for his underwear, which I hung on a tree branch outside. Surprise!
But in reality, she didn't dare say any of that. Scared stiff, she just wanted to escape as soon as possible. "Brother, I really need to go back to my room. It's so cold here, and it's dark. I'm scared. If you keep this up, I'm going to scream."
Yu Mingzhong snorted. A moment later, a jacket was draped over Jian Youyou's shoulders. "What's there to be scared of in the dark? I'll keep you company," Yu Mingzhong said flatly, without any inflection.
Jian Youyou was speechless. The scent of an unfamiliar man enveloped her, making her extremely uncomfortable. Unlike Yu Hekun's freshness, Yu Mingzhong carried a hint of men's cologne mixed with other unidentifiable scents—it felt very invasive.
Jian Youyou was just about to open her mouth and yell "pervert!" when Yu Mingzhong swiftly covered her mouth again. Even though his palm got bitten, he didn't let go. "We're not finishing this conversation today? Don't even think about running. I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with you." He was returning abroad in a few days.
He had to settle this matter before then.
But Jian Youyou wasn't cooperating. She was even more impatient and busier than Yu Mingzhong. She still wanted to return to reality tonight and check the plot developments in the book!
Seeing this really wasn't a good place to talk—too close to Yu Hekun's tent, and besides, this couldn't be explained in just a few sentences—and since Yu Hekun and Jian Youyou were attached at the hip all day with no chance to speak, tonight, catching her here was a perfect opportunity.
So, after a moment's thought, he pulled Jian Youyou towards the woods. "I promise, if you behave, I just want to talk."
Jian Youyou struggled, but she wasn't actually afraid of Yu Mingzhong. She wasn't afraid of anyone in this world except Yu Hekun. If pushed to the brink, a sudden disappearance on the spot would scare the piss out of anyone.
But she was afraid of Yu Hekun. Afraid he'd misunderstand, afraid he'd break up with her, afraid it would ruin her money-making plans.
So, while struggling, she whispered, "Brother, do you know what you're doing? Are you drunk?"
"You're dragging your brother's woman into the woods. Do you know what that means?" Jian Youyou asked sharply.
Yu Mingzhong had long known this wildcat was too cunning, so he just snorted coldly, not loosening his grip in the slightest. "Brother's woman? You really know how to flatter yourself. You'll never be my sister-in-law in this lifetime, and I'm not your brother either. Stop calling me 'brother' so affectionately."
Seeing Yu Mingzhong was serious, Jian Youyou immediately used her relatively strong arm strength to hug a small tree beside her. "If you keep this up, I really will scream. You're snatching your brother's woman, dragging me away with ill intentions. Your brother isn't asleep yet! If he sees this, your brotherly bond will be ruined!"
Yu Mingzhong indeed stopped upon hearing this. He couldn't ignore that. So, he rummaged in his pocket, pulled out a small checkbook, and waved it in front of Jian Youyou. "See this? What is this? If you talk with me, I'll let you fill in the amount."
Yes, Yu Mingzhong still believed money could solve things, and it was best to use it if possible.
Jian Youyou saw it clearly and was wildly tempted. Unfortunately, since it wasn't from Yu Hekun, it was utterly useless to her—just worthless paper.
So she sneered and hugged the tree even tighter, spitting out, "Take back your filthy money. Don't think you can buy my true love with cash."
"True love?" Yu Mingzhong simply let go of her and said, "My brother's crystal cufflinks are your true love."
Jian Youyou gave a violent start. She snapped her head around to look at Yu Mingzhong so sharply she nearly twisted it clean off. Everyone, please remember to bookmark the website or keep the website address in mind. The website is free, has no anti-theft measures, and no anti-theft errors. For chapter requests, book searches, and chatting about books with fellow readers...
