The incoming message indicator on Zixun lit up.

Ziye’s hand happened to be firmly held by An Junlie, exposed just outside the covers. The moment the Zixun indicator glowed, both of them saw it.

An Junlie nearly spat a mouthful of blood onto the quilt. Damn it, to even think about charming Ziye, you first have to deal with Hongfa! How is chasing a girl this difficult?

An Junlie nursed his internal injuries.

Ziye kicked An Junlie away and opened Zixun.

It wasn’t Hongfa calling, but Stas, the one she had just been thinking of contacting.

Stas’s tone was languid, not at all like someone preparing for sleep. “Looking for me, darling?”

(⊙o⊙)…

Was that really Stas’s tone?

Ziye shuddered slightly, then casually and cheerfully voiced the question troubling her mind. “Yeah, I was wondering why you suddenly left the Kelaite Hotel.”

For someone as perceptive as Stas, trying to play mind games was pointless. Rather than appearing contrived, it was better to be straightforward and direct. Even if she hit a nerve, Stas probably wouldn’t kill her to silence her.

Stas’s smile was unreadable. “Are you suspecting I sealed off the Kelaite Hotel?”

Ziye glanced at An Junlie. He was leaning against the headboard, his face etched with internal suffering as he watched her. Seeing her gaze shift to him, he reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer to him.

Ziye dared not cry out loud, glaring at him with all her might. “You’d be the one to do something like that; it brings you no benefit whatsoever. I just wanted to ask if you caught wind of anything?”

Stas let out a long, slow sigh. “As expected of a clever girl. A pity you can’t be the child bride of that stone-faced man.”

Ziye: “…I don’t understand what you’re saying?”

Stas offered no explanation. “For this matter, go ask that stone-faced man. If he’s willing to tell you.” With that, he gave her a cryptic smile. “Good night, stone-faced man’s child bride.”

An Junlie was right here!

Ziye desperately wanted to explain, but Stas gave her no opportunity, hanging up Zixun directly.

Ziye stared at the dimmed Zixun screen, nearly crying. Who had she offended?

Stas doing this was clearly trying to frame her!

She turned to An Junlie with a distressed face. As expected, his face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Ziye rushed to explain, “Listen to me, it wasn’t—”

Before she could finish, the world spun violently. She cried out in surprise, and when she regained her senses, she found herself pinned beneath An Junlie.

This time, An Junlie was far from gentle.

His hands clamped down on her body like iron shackles, and he bit her lips like an enraged beast.

Her lips were sweet and soft. Pressed against her, he could smell the unique freshness of her hair and feel the curves of her body, yet none of it eased his anger.

In that moment, he had only one objective: to make her completely and utterly his.

Only then could he feel at ease.

In matters of affection, An Junlie was usually very accommodating.

As long as it was someone he liked, everything was negotiable.

Whatever he possessed, he would give; if he lacked something, he would find a way to get it. He never restricted her freedom, nor did he interfere with her actions.

In this regard, he trusted her one hundred percent.

Or perhaps, she was the absolute boundary of his emotional life.

His only requirement was her absolute devotion to him.

But listen to what that wicked man Stas had just said—calling her a child bride!

This was the first time An Junlie felt true rage.

He was so enraged that he couldn’t suppress his impulse. Only by completely claiming the woman beneath him could he find peace.

An Junlie roughly tore open her top.

She was only wearing her pajamas, no undergarments...

Ziye gasped in shock, covering her chest with both hands, crying out, “Don’t do anything reckless!”

An Junlie paid her no mind. He seized both her arms, pulling them apart forcefully, lifting her up from the bed, pressing her tightly against his chest without leaving any gap. The fire in his eyes seemed ready to erupt and burn.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

An Junlie ignored her resistance. His rough palm slid from her back to her front, eliciting a full-body shiver from Ziye. Ziye couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

Whoom—

A fierce fire ignited in his lower abdomen. That sound completely stoked An Junlie’s primal instincts as a man.

An Junlie’s hand swept down to her lower abdomen, touching the waistband of her pajama bottoms. He grabbed it and yanked backward. Ziye had clamped her legs shut tightly, and the pants wouldn't budge. An Junlie used one leg to forcibly wedge between her legs, forcing them apart, and finally pulled the trousers down.

“An Junlie!”

Ziye roared in fury, breaking free of his grip. She grabbed his shoulders and sank her teeth into his broad shoulder.

She bit with all her might!

However, An Junlie’s skin was thick and tough; he barely registered the minor pain. He lifted her, sat her on the pillows, pinning her upper body with his own, pressing down on her legs to deny her any chance of movement. He lifted her hips with one hand and pushed them toward himself, whispering softly, “Be good, help me take off my clothes.”

Ziye glared at him, fiercely.

Her current situation was precarious.

The position was extremely suggestive, her legs spread and held down, leaving her feeling terribly insecure.

This version of An Junlie was too aggressively invasive!

She suddenly felt a deep fear of this feeling.

But she couldn't resist An Junlie.

His strength was simply too overwhelming!

Seeing her face flushed scarlet with anger, An Junlie suddenly smiled. “I like you looking like this.” He added as an afterthought, “Be good, help me undress.”

Ziye still refused.

An Junlie leaned down, nuzzling her nose. “Be good, take them off.”

Ziye snorted, turning her face away, her expression filled with stubbornness.

A flicker of defeat crossed An Junlie’s mind. He didn’t press her to help again, nor did he remove his own clothes. Instead, he cupped her face with both hands, turning it back towards him, and kissed her again.

The sweetness between their lips brought him pleasure. He kissed deeper and deeper, prying open her teeth to draw out the nectar in her mouth. Ziye, who had initially resisted, involuntarily reciprocated after he made this move.

Kissing was one of the best ways to reconcile differences in the world.

When kissing, those who share feelings inevitably invest one hundred percent of themselves, and any great anger or dissatisfaction slowly dissipates once they feel each other’s sincerity.

It was unclear how long this kiss lasted. An Junlie cherished the feeling, holding her tight, lightly kissing her while caressing her soft, delicate, smooth body.

Ziye had no experience in these matters. By the time she regained her senses, she realized she was back under An Junlie’s weight, and this time, she was completely unclothed!

She shamefully realized that the first time An Junlie pinned her down, she had desperately wanted to fling him away—a man that heavy pressing down should break her ribs!

The second time An Junlie pinned her, she felt the invasiveness of the position was too strong. She strongly disliked being passive; by rights, she should be the one pinning him down, right!

-RS