Chapter 154: I Can't? Have You Tried?

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For all the precautions one might take, nothing can guard against betrayal from within one’s own home.

Cheng Xingye had never imagined that, after successfully emerging unscathed from so many rounds of maneuvering with the old foxes within the group, he would suffer such a spectacular defeat at the hands of the little devil in his own home.

He released his hold on her, narrowing his eyes slightly as he stared at her in disbelief.

“You’re actually serious?”

As if she could possibly be joking!

Lu Qingyue always kept her word. Once Cheng Xingye had given her his assurance, she obediently went to change into the dress and even put on the cat-ear headband.

The first time was always the hardest. When she had worn such a tiny dress before, Lu Qingyue had been so embarrassed that she had wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor. This time, she barely needed any mental preparation at all. With a swift pull, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

The curtains in the master bedroom were tightly drawn, and only the two bedside lamps were lit.

Cheng Xingye sat on the edge of the bed, half bathed in light and half cloaked in shadow. A soft, muted glow rested over him.

His eyelashes were long. When he lifted his eyes to look at her, a faint shadow fell across his lids.

From a distance of two or three meters, his gaze swept over her neckline and lingered there for several seconds. His pupils contracted slightly.

This time, Lu Qingyue walked over of her own accord before he even had to say anything.

Her delicate body was wrapped in a thin layer of semi-transparent fabric, through which the pale, luminous skin beneath could be seen indistinctly.

Before she could reach him, Cheng Xingye extended a hand, caught hers, and pulled her in front of him.

Her body collided abruptly with his chest. Lu Qingyue’s heart gave a sudden leap, as though all the blood in her body had rushed toward it in that instant.

The heat surging through her made every muscle in her body tense.

She could not help curling her toes. Before she had decided what to do next, Cheng Xingye tilted his head up and, without giving her a chance to protest, claimed her lips.

One arm tightened around her waist while he kissed her with heated intensity.

Overwhelming warmth churned through the air. Their breathing grew hurried and damp, tangling together so completely that it was almost impossible to tell whose was heavier.

When she felt a warm hand settle against the small of her back, Lu Qingyue abruptly came to her senses at the edge of surrender.

“Oh no.”

She pushed against Cheng Xingye’s broad, level shoulder and hurriedly called a halt.

Caught off guard, Cheng Xingye let out an irritated hiss. He drew back a few inches and looked at her with restrained displeasure.

“What is it? You can’t go through with it again?”

Today was the twenty-fifth. He had already calculated the timing. Her period was still three to five days away. Surely this little devil was not trying to retreat at the last moment, using that clumsy excuse to fob him off?

Wrongly accused, Lu Qingyue immediately opened her mouth to deny it.

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“You’re the one who can’t.”

Cheng Xingye: “...?”

Those words were clearly asking for trouble.

Cheng Xingye narrowed his eyes dangerously and gave her lower back a firm squeeze.

“I can’t? Have you tried me?”

She had not, but was that not exactly what they were about to do?

Afraid he would make her pay dearly later, Lu Qingyue quickly explained, “It’s not that you can’t. I forgot to buy protection.”

As she spoke, an idea struck her. She leaned over to get her phone, intending to order some through delivery.

But before her hand could touch the phone on the bedside table, a large, strongly jointed hand reached around from behind and pressed down over hers.

Then he caught the drawer pull and opened it unhurriedly, revealing two brightly colored little boxes inside.

By the dim glow of the bedside lamp, Lu Qingyue saw what they were and immediately widened her eyes.

“When did you buy those?”

Cheng Xingye naturally had no intention of telling her. He had bought them on the very first day she moved in.

Without a word, he took the boxes from the drawer and, with quiet efficiency, pulled out a single packet.

He pushed the rest aside, then slipped an arm around her slender body and drew her onto the bed.

He had her hold it between her teeth, then slowly straightened and seized the hem of his shirt, pulling it off and tossing it aside.

The clean, fluid lines of his muscles were suddenly exposed. His shoulders and back were taut and powerful, their contours winding sharply downward.

Lu Qingyue’s mouth went dry at the sight. She could not resist lightly licking the corner of her lips.

The next second, suppressing the strange flutter in her heart, she braced one hand against his shoulder, swung one long leg over, and sat directly on top of him.

Cheng Xingye: “...?”

Speechless, he narrowed his eyes, then lazily spread his legs and asked once more in warning, “You really intend to be on top?”

At the thought of what was about to happen, Lu Qingyue’s heart began pounding wildly in her chest. Her scalp tingled with nervousness, yet she still nodded with deliberately practiced composure.

Cheng Xingye realized that this woman truly enjoyed courting danger.

Even if she ended up sacrificing herself in the process, she probably would not admit defeat.

After all, she was the little devil he himself had provoked. Aside from indulging and spoiling her, he seemed to have no other choice.

He sighed in resignation and leaned back lazily, resting his back against the headboard as he freed one hand to support her.

“Fine. Just be careful. Don’t throw out your back.”

Who was he looking down on?

Lu Qingyue glared at him indignantly and lowered herself, not forgetting to shoot him a provocative look.

Cheng Xingye could not overcome the reckless little novice. With helpless amusement, he tilted up his chin and let her struggle through it on her own.

Unfortunately, no matter how loudly some people boasted, at heart they were still weaklings who were hopelessly inexperienced despite being full of enthusiasm.

Lu Qingyue might have been bold, but when it came to this, she was ultimately still inexperienced.

Yet now that she had climbed on top of him, doing nothing would make it seem as though she had lost her nerve and retreated at the last moment.

So Lu Qingyue tried to wrap her arms around his neck while desperately searching her memory for scenes she had once watched in short videos.

She imitated what she had seen. First, she cupped his face and covered it with a fine, close succession of kisses.

From the tip of his nose, to his lips, to his stubbled chin, and finally to the sharply defined ridge of his throat.

Her movements were inexperienced and uncertain. Her heart trembled tensely as she drifted into desire, even while a fierce longing for more surged within her.

A young woman’s lips were warm and soft. Every kiss was a honey-coated blade, silently tormenting his skin—sweet, yet dangerous.

Cheng Xingye closed his eyes briefly, tilted his head back, and swallowed. When he opened them again, they were filled with a moist tide of passion.

...

In the clear winter night, snow began to fall outside.

The glittering flakes drifted down from the heavens like feathers, light and weightless, as though placing a gentle filter over the entire world.

Cheng Xingye carried the exhausted, speechless girl to the bathroom and washed her clean. After settling her back beneath the covers, he returned to finish washing himself.

Water murmured softly in the bathroom.

Wrapped in the fluffy blankets, Lu Qingyue listened hazily. The brightness that usually filled her eyes was gone, replaced by the weary serenity of someone who had seen through the vanity of the world.

This was truly exhausting.

Far more exhausting than she had imagined.

Only afterward did Lu Qingyue realize that provoking a man over something like this could end only with her bringing disaster upon herself.

Just before sleep claimed her, she vaguely remembered some experiences people online had shared.

She had not believed them at the time, but now she did—

It really was possible for someone to be carried in someone’s arms all the way until the end.

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