Mu Wan’s heart raced wildly. Her fingertips, clutching Kuang Ye’s shirt, turned pale. Embarrassment and a faint excitement intertwined in her chest. What kind of shameless words are these?

“Jie, my kissing skills are pretty good, right?” Kuang Ye murmured close to her ear, his heated lips brushing against her flushed earlobe every so often—dangerous and teasing.

Mu Wan: “!!” Who could possibly resist this?!

She looped her arms around his neck, her sparkling eyes meeting his deep, inky gaze. Bold yet shy, she leaned forward and kissed the sensual hollow of his throat.

“You’re good at it. Here’s your reward.”

Kuang Ye’s body stiffened slightly. The moment he realized what daring thing Mu Wan had done, a shiver shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Unable to hold back anymore, he pressed urgent kiss after kiss onto her lips.

“Jie, I’m not letting you go.”

What followed was too mortifying to recall. Just thinking about it later made Mu Wan’s face burn red, her mind filled with hazy and shameful memories.

In the dim light, accompanied by the background music of a movie, her slender and graceful hands were pinned above her head by interlaced fingers. Her soft, round toes curled tightly, her voice trembling with a mixture of sobs and hidden delight…

Afterward, Kuang Ye insisted on taking Mu Wan to shower. Since his hand was still wrapped in gauze, things weren’t exactly convenient. They didn’t go all the way but came pretty close. Let’s just say… both of them were satisfied.

——

“Didn’t the doctor say your hand can’t touch water, especially hot water?”

As they stepped into the bathroom, Mu Wan suddenly remembered. Anyone who had been burned before knew that even without open wounds, the injured skin would sting painfully when exposed to hot water—let alone a chemical burn like Kuang Ye’s.

Kuang Ye shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll use cold water.”

Though, ahem, Mu Wan had helped him out earlier, his restless body hadn’t entirely calmed down yet. In hindsight, he regretted teasing her so much.

He truly believed that this minor injury wouldn’t keep him off the battlefield. But Mu Wan had been so focused on his hand, terrified that his precious fingers might be permanently damaged.

Since it was their first time, Kuang Ye didn’t want Mu Wan to feel overly cautious or restrained. Still, he marveled at his own self-control.

“Cold water? Do you even know what month it is? Your hand isn’t fully healed yet, and now you want to catch a cold?” Mu Wan glared at him.

Kuang Ye looked down at her. At that moment, Mu Wan was wrapped only in a towel. Her skin was flushed, her chest and thighs marked with faint traces of kisses, and her face still glowed pink, glistening with sweat. His recently calmed heart started to stir once more.

“Then… will you help me wash, Jie?”

Mu Wan: “…”

She stared at Kuang Ye’s darkening gaze. Without another word, she quickly showered, wrapped herself in a towel, and left.

“Once you’re done, make sure to dry your hair before getting into bed,” she called back, leaving no room for negotiation. My arms are tired. I can’t help him with anything else.

Kuang Ye’s eyes revealed a hint of disappointment. But watching Mu Wan’s hurried retreat, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

So shy over a shower. Jie, how are you going to handle things in the future?

——

When Kuang Ye returned to the bedroom with his hair dried, Mu Wan had already prepared the first aid kit and was waiting for him.

“Come here, I’ll change your bandages.”

Since they’d gotten wet, the old ones were unusable, and the ointment had to be reapplied.

Kuang Ye obediently slipped under the blanket, extending his injured hand toward Mu Wan with a surprisingly docile demeanor. “Thank you, Jie~~~”

Mu Wan: “…”

And now you’re playing the cute puppy act? You weren’t like this earlier on the couch!

After finishing the bandage change, Mu Wan was about to ask him about his plans while recovering when the phone on the bedside table rang sharply.

As soon as she answered, Kuang Xingran’s anxious voice came through the receiver.

“Wan wan! I heard someone threw acid at you! Where are you right now? I’m coming over immediately!”

Hearing her friend’s voice warmed Mu Wan’s heart. She briefly recounted the events of the afternoon, comforting her.

“I’m completely fine. It’s Kuang Ye who got hurt saving me. I’m at home, but it’s late—you don’t need to come all the way here.”

Kuang Xingran heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

Because of the recent issues surrounding the Yuan family’s banquet, she hadn’t dared to contact Mu Wan. By the time she learned about this incident, a whole day had passed.

Still uneasy, she insisted, “Send me your apartment address on WeChat. I’ll come by tomorrow morning.”

It had been a long time since Mu Wan last saw Kuang Xingran, so she was about to agree. However, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kuang Ye beside her. After some thought, she said instead:

“Kuang Ye’s hand is injured, so he’s staying with me for now. If you’re uncomfortable with that, we can meet somewhere else instead.”

The relationship between Kuang Xingran and Kuang Ye had always been strained. While Mu Wan wanted to mediate between them, she also worried that any misunderstanding could deepen their conflict. With her lover on one side and her friend on the other, both were equally important to her, and she wanted to keep the peace as much as possible.

Kuang Xingran was silent for a moment before responding, “Let’s meet at the café we used to go to.”

Mu Wan smiled. “Alright!”

After setting the time and place, Mu Wan was about to hang up when Kuang Xingran spoke again, her tone serious.

“Wan wan, I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

Mu Wan thought she was referring to her relationship with Kuang Ye. Her lips curved into a smile, and she sincerely replied, “Xingran, no matter who I’m with, we’ll always be best friends.”

On the other end, Kuang Xingran’s nose stung with emotion. Unable to hold back, she started to cry but quickly hung up to avoid Mu Wan noticing.

Wiping away her tears, she took a deep breath, started her car, and headed to the Kuang family’s old estate.

This matter needed to be resolved. She had to get answers from Shuyu-ge.

——

Kuang Shuyu, who had stayed in the Kuang family estate to curry favor with the elders, hadn’t moved out like Kuang Xingran. After wrapping up a date with Yuan Weiwei, he returned home exhausted, only to find Kuang Xingran sitting on the sofa.

“Xingran? Why are you back all of a sudden?” he asked, surprised.

Kuang Xingran crossed her arms and raised her gaze coldly at the older brother she had grown up with.

“Shuyu-ge, I want to talk to you.”

A flicker of irritation flashed in Kuang Shuyu’s eyes. He had spent the entire day dealing with Yuan Weiwei, a high-maintenance heiress, and he was already drained.

“Xingran, it’s late. Let’s talk tomorrow—”

“At the Yuan family banquet, I was asleep in the adjacent dressing room. I heard everything about your argument with Wan wan.”

Kuang Shuyu’s pupils constricted sharply as he turned to look at Kuang Xingran. His face paled visibly.