Chapter 22

It’s unclear who first caused the kiss to change its nature.

They had been kissing for over an hour, both in a daze—one tipsy from alcohol, the other burning with fever. It was as if they had regressed into single-celled organisms, tirelessly fixated on a single act.

Lu Yi declared he had learned exceptionally well, mastering and innovating.

“Of course, the teacher taught excellently,” she added, nodding in self-approval. Without a good teacher, there wouldn’t be a good student like him.

Her lips were swollen and red, a significant sacrifice for this particular “lesson.”

Lin Jinshen murmured, “Teacher Lu.”

Their eyes met, and despite the short distance between them, the looks they exchanged were anything but innocent. It was as though, in that brief connection, they had already kissed hundreds of times.

Like magnetic poles, they were irresistibly drawn together. At the breaking point, the poles collided.

Their lips touched again, their breaths intertwined. The jacket loosely hanging off her arm slipped off, and with it, more followed.

Lin Jinshen’s tie, his suit jacket…

She felt searing heat against her front, the chill of the glass behind her. Her soul was being pulled, spiraling downward, out of control.

Just as her consciousness was about to give in, a thought struck her: Puff was still there.

One hand circled Lin Jinshen’s neck while the other pressed against his chest. She said, breathlessly, “Wait.”

Her gaze shifted to Puff, lying in its little bed, wide-eyed, curiously observing the scene.

“Puff is here!”

“?”

“We can’t set a bad example for the little one.” Lu Yi buried her face into his shoulder, her breathing utterly chaotic. Her hairpin had disappeared, and her dark hair cascaded down, partially covering her smooth shoulders.

Clinging to him like someone drowning grasping at driftwood, she trembled.

Lin Jinshen’s strong arms supported her back, his hot palms wrapped around her slender waist. Holding her seemed effortless, as if she were as light as Puff in her arms. His voice was hoarse and heavy, “Are you sure you want to stop now?”

Lu Yi didn’t want to stop.

She was on the verge of drowning in his heat. His warmth and strength made her shiver. She recognized this feeling—desire pulling her, exciting her yet scaring her at the same time.

She looked at him, her gaze shimmering like it might spill over with tears.

Lin Jinshen’s eyes darkened, his defined features appearing almost sculptural in the dim light. In the next moment, he slipped an arm under her legs, lifting her off the ground effortlessly. His steps were strong and determined as he carried her upstairs.

For someone supposedly ill, his strength was astonishing.

In the brief moment her body tilted, she instinctively clung to his neck tighter, afraid of falling.

When they reached the bedroom, she was dropped onto the soft bed. Before she could react, Lin Jinshen leaned over, bracing himself with one arm and pressing his lips to hers. A deep kiss ensued, stealing her breath and sanity.

He was relentless, an invader testing her limits and claiming everything she had.

Lu Yi was utterly disoriented. The lingering alcohol numbed her, but her mind was overtaken by excitement and anticipation. She chose honesty—to follow her instincts instead of masking her vulnerability.

Acknowledging desire wasn’t shameful.

Kneeling, Lin Jinshen unbuttoned his shirt. The white fabric, which gave off an air of restraint, became a deceptive façade once removed. His muscular form, brimming with vitality, was irresistibly alluring.

He opened a drawer, taking out a condoms, his movements impatient. The discarded packets piled up on the bed.

Without counting, she already knew that if they used all of them, she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

“We haven’t done this for a month. Excluding your week of menstruation, at three times a week, I still owe you nine times,” he said, as if settling a debt. His tone made it clear he hadn’t forgotten and wouldn’t overlook any detail.

Realizing he had kept track of her cycle and even tallied missed times made her momentarily speechless.

Lu Yi looked at the pile with growing apprehension. “All of them tonight?”

“We’ll see how far we get.”

“And if we can’t finish?”

“We’ll continue next time.”

“…”

Before she could say more, Lin Jinshen silenced her with a kiss. At that moment, words were unnecessary; kisses were far more fitting.

“Let’s see,” he said in a low voice, “if tonight is enough to settle the score.”

“Mm.”

Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, spilling as the night stretched on.

In the cool, tranquil darkness, Lin Jinshen dove into the depths, creating ripples that spread to the shore.

That night, both feverish and intoxicated, they felt as though they shared a single body. The discomfort of illness intensified, but their muddled awareness merged as they sank, submerged and breathless. At the brink of suffocation, they surfaced together, gasping for fresh air.

At one point, Lu Yi refused to be passive.

She pressed against his shoulders, flipping their positions, sitting astride him with an air of defiance—a small victory in the ongoing battle.

Lin Jinshen gazed at her, entranced by the customized torment she unleashed upon him.

He accepted it willingly, utterly captivated, surrendering himself entirely to her.

By the end of that night, they lost track of how many they used. Lu Yi only remembered seeing Lin Jinshen tear open the final packet with his teeth, a sheen of sweat covering them both as they collapsed together.

Amidst the heat, she mumbled hazily, “It’s so hot… even hotter now.”

Lin Jinshen, propped up on one arm, glanced at her. Moonlight filtered through the open curtains, casting a faint glow. With a low, hoarse voice, he murmured, “Don’t cry, Teacher Lu. You’re stunning, truly.”

“…”

Later, completely spent, she clung to him, too tired to move.

Fleeting memories surfaced—a blurry figure in the steamy bathroom, his jawline tight, looking elegant yet raw.

At some point, back in the bedroom, her gaze landed on the trash can overflowing with crumpled packets.

Her last conscious thought before sleep was of his long, dark lashes.

…

Lu Yi dreamed of heat—a suffocating, burning intensity. She clung to Lin Jinshen’s shoulders, feeling his muscles tense and release beneath her touch. She was parched, her voice rasping from dryness.

Lin Jinshen kissed her repeatedly, brushing over her cracked lips, soothing and igniting her at once.

She felt like she was dying, consumed by the fire, leaving nothing but ashes.

…

Morning arrived, sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains, filling the room with brightness and summer heat.

Lu Yi’s eyes shot open.

She blinked slowly, her mind sluggish and her eyes sore.

As she rubbed them, her hand froze mid-motion.

The events of last night came rushing back.

Because Lin Jinshen had said he wouldn’t come home yesterday, Lu Yi invited some friends over for dinner. She lost badly at a game, drank too much, and then, in a sudden shift of events, she saw Lin Jinshen. His expression was cold, his gaze calm as he scanned the people in the room.

And then…

She ended up saying a lot of truths.

She asked him why he came back.

Suggested her friends come over again only when he wasn’t home.

Admitted that the message she sent was merely to confirm he wouldn’t return.

…

Lu Yi swallowed hard, but the action brought a sharp pain to her throat. More fragmented memories flooded her mind.

She remembered kissing him first.

Them kissing by the floor-to-ceiling window as she remarked how soft his lips were.

Her tugging at his tie, kissing the Adam’s apple on his neck.

His pale, almost cold-toned skin flushed red, not just his face but everywhere—because of his fever.

…

The reality of her body hit her. She felt sore all over, like her limbs had been disassembled and pieced back together, stiff and uncomfortable. Under the covers, she was completely unclothed.

Instinctively, she clutched the blanket tightly.

They had slept together last night—more than once.

And not only that, she recalled the things she said during the act, bold to the point of making anyone blush. She was so shocked it felt like those memories belonged to someone else.

Closing her eyes, biting her lip, she wanted to disappear.

At that moment, the arm beneath her neck moved slightly, and Lu Yi became acutely aware of the other person’s presence. She had slept all night with Lin Jinshen’s arm as her pillow.

There was a faint stir beside her.

She silently hoped he would get up like he usually did—go to the bathroom, wash up, get dressed, and head to work.

That way, they wouldn’t have to face each other. No awkward confrontation. She could just treat it as a drunken mistake.

But Lin Jinshen didn’t follow her script. His small movements quickly ceased, and he lay completely still again, as if he’d fallen back to sleep.

“…”

It made sense. After all, he was already over twenty-five, and his physical stamina—while probably better than most of his peers—must have its limits. When they had finally collapsed into bed, the sky outside had already been turning gray, somewhere around five or six in the morning.

She didn’t know the current time. Judging by the bright sunlight streaming in, it wasn’t early. She didn’t dare to move much.

Ten minutes passed, feeling like an eternity.

Lu Yi couldn’t endure anymore. Gritting her teeth, she decided to be the first to leave.

Mustering her courage, she sat up, clutching the blanket tightly around her.

However, as she moved, Lin Jinshen sat up at the same time.

Side by side, their movements were eerily synchronized.

The two were forced to face each other. Awkwardness and silence were written all over their expressions. The wildness of the previous night replayed in vivid detail—things their sober selves would never have done.

“Morning,” Lin Jinshen broke the silence first, his voice stiff as his gaze briefly landed on the kiss marks scattered along her collarbone. His lips pressed shut again.

“…Morning,” Lu Yi replied.

She wanted to vanish on the spot.

Between them, there was an unspoken tension. Despite waking up in the same bed, seeing each other’s faces felt almost foreign, like they were strangers. Both were naked under their respective blankets, yet they exchanged polite good mornings.

The awkwardness was unbearable.

Lin Jinshen cleared his throat, his gaze scanning the floor. Their clothes were strewn everywhere, scattered in disarray and far from a complete set. Lu Yi noticed this too. Her bra was hanging off the nightstand, but her underwear was nowhere in sight.

There was no way she could walk to the closet like this to grab a new pair.

More fragmented memories surfaced. Lu Yi shut her eyes, trying to block them out. Her voice came out barely above a whisper: “My underwear…”

Lin Jinshen frowned, clearly puzzled. He didn’t understand why she was asking him—he didn’t even know where his own clothes were.

But then, as fleeting images flashed through his mind, realization dawned. Turning his back to her, he tugged the blanket tighter around himself. His bare back was streaked with red scratch marks—someone’s handiwork.

From beneath the pillow, he pulled out a small, lace-edged pair of white underwear.

Little by little, he revealed it. One side was stretched out of shape, even torn in places.

He was the one who had taken it off.

And the one who had stuffed it under the pillow.

“…”