“Tao Yu!” Yue Linze’s eyes narrowed sharply, his sinister expression as if ready to throw her out.
He wasn’t a fool. By now, how could he not see Tao Yu’s rejection? And her previous reasons were all lies, so after careful consideration, there was only one possibility—
Tao Yu had never liked him.
“You’ve been playing me,” Yue Linze said, his eyes almost dripping with blood.
Tao Yu saw his gloomy expression and thought something was wrong. He seemed even more aggressive than before. Remembering he had dealt with Yue Linying and Gu Yansheng, yet the world hadn’t returned to its main personality, she had a bad guess—
Was she now Yue Linze’s source of aggression?!
Thinking this through, she understood why Yue Linying and Gu Yansheng’s successive retribution hadn’t eliminated his aggression. Now it seemed it was because he had fallen for her. Her hurt in this matter caused him pain, and this aggression hadn’t been resolved. Her rejection was making him increasingly angry.
…When had she become so important in Yue Linze’s eyes?!
Tao Yu was completely shocked by her own discovery.
“So what do you want?” Yue Linze, now calm, asked her word by word. “After doing so much for me, what do you want?”
Tao Yu’s lips moved, not doubting that her next words, whether true or false, might get her thrown out. Previously, her medical professional ethics had prevented intimate relations, but now that she was his source of aggression, professional ethics seemed less important compared to healing the patient.
But it was too late now. Yue Linze wasn’t stupid. Her repeated rejections had convinced him she had deceived him. Any explanation now would be superfluous.
“Okay, I admit I lied about my period,” Tao Yu helplessly approached him, abandoning her professional smile and looking somewhat troubled. “Just listen to my explanation, please don’t be angry.”
“Explain,” Yue Linze coldly watched her hand, though his anger was growing, he didn’t push her away.
Tao Yu coughed, lowering her head and speaking softly: “But I do like you. If you ask what I want, I just want you to be happy. I want nothing else.”
Yue Linze looked at her impassively, uncertain if he believed her.
Tao Yu glanced at him, her eyes reddening: “Although I helped you, you don’t need to compromise yourself. I never expected any payback. Doing this makes me feel uncomfortable—it’s not a reward, but a kind of torture.”
She reframed the night’s rejection, as if Yue Linze’s actions were merely to repay her, and she became a devoted lover who cruelly refused to let her beloved suffer. She wondered if she could salvage the narrative.
While she spoke, Yue Linze continuously stared into her eyes.
Tao Yu smiled under his gaze, glancing at his loosely hanging towel, coughing and turning toward the wardrobe. When her back was to Yue Linze, she clearly felt him staring, like a beast eyeing its prey.
Startled by her own imagination, she blinked away those chaotic thoughts, quickly finding a sleep robe in the wardrobe and returning.
“You’re a bit cold. Put this on,” she held the robe before him.
Yue Linze looked down, standing motionless.
Tao Yu sighed, walking close to him, their height difference obvious. Standing extremely near, her head could feel his breath.
She shook out the robe, standing on tiptoe to drape it over him, her hands inadvertently pressing on his shoulders. Looking up, she met his pitch-black eyes.
Tao Yu froze, staring into his eyes, suddenly realizing all her previous words might not have been believed at all.
It seemed talking wouldn’t work. She needed to do something to prove herself. Staring blankly at Yue Linze’s face, she inexplicably kissed his thin lips.
Passive and active are different. When passive, she was only concerned with preserving her chastity, her mind in such panic that she couldn’t focus. But now, turning the tables and becoming the aggressor is different. Because the one being teased is quite compliant, and she is focused enough that when she touches his lips, all her attention is on his mouth.
Just moments ago, she hadn’t noticed that his seemingly cold lips were actually soft, warm when kissed, more temperature than his overall demeanor suggested.
Although it was just a pure lip-to-lip contact, the kiss seemed to last a bit too long, long enough that Tao Yu’s tiptoed feet were starting to ache.
She had expected him to respond immediately, but after waiting for a long time, he stood coldly in place. For a moment, Tao Yu doubted whether she had misjudged and if he was actually not interested in her at all. She awkwardly stepped back two steps, mumbling, “Sorry, sorry.”
“What are you doing?” Yue Linze finally spoke, looking at her flushed face.
Tao Yu’s face turned red, her gaze darting around. Although this was a premeditated intimate contact, when he questioned her, she still wanted to find a crack in the ground to disappear into.
She didn’t answer his question, and he didn’t ask again. They stood silent, a step apart.
Tao Yu’s gaze wandered, noticing his robe’s belt was undone. She paused for a moment.
After a while, she couldn’t help but reach toward his waist, quickly tying the belt and then glancing at him with a half-serious complaint: “Isn’t this your fault? If you hadn’t provoked me, I would never have dared to even think about this. But today, you suddenly got all touchy-feely with me, so I…”
“So what?” Seeing her trail off, Yue Linze narrowed his eyes and asked.
Tao Yu cleared her throat: “So I want to date you.”
“…”
Seeing Yue Linze suddenly go silent, Tao Yu became a bit worried she might have said something offensive. Just as she was thinking of changing the subject, she heard Yue Linze say casually, “Then let’s date.”
Tao Yu: “…Huh?”
“I said I’d give you a reward,” Yue Linze glanced at her sideways, seeing her still looking confused, he suppressed his irritation and said flatly, “Didn’t expect you to be so troublesome.”
…Boss, you’re the one who’s coveting my looks, so stop using ‘reward’ as an excuse. And which decent girl would like your first reward? Only a pervert would!
But he’s the boss, and she’s just a small shrimp working for him, so she appropriately showed some excitement, then pursed her lips: “But I don’t want to force you or make you think I’m trying to take advantage.”
“You think you could force me?” A hint of impatience flashed in Yue Linze’s eyes.
Tao Yu blinked, laughing: “Seems like not. So we’re really going to date?”
“What do you think?” Yue Linze countered.
Tao Yu’s smile grew brighter: “Of course. Don’t worry, Linze, I’ll treat you well.” Until all his hostility is gone, she would play the role of an excellent girlfriend perfectly.
Compared to the deep hatred with Gu Yansheng and others, the hostility caused by her was like an egg hitting a stone – likely to be resolved quickly.
Thinking about how her mission was turning bright, her smile became more genuine. Yue Linze glanced at her, expressionless, and lay down on the bed, then patted the space beside him.
Tao Yu: “…?”
“Come here,” Yue Linze frowned.
Tao Yu’s mouth twitched: “Sir, even dating couples rarely lie together on the first day.” Yet, she obediently walked over and lay down, because she had refused so many times before, and further refusal might truly anger him.
“This won’t happen again,” she thought. The current hostility wasn’t deeply rooted – with some sweet treatment and improving his mood, she believed she could resolve it.
Seeing her relatively obedient, Yue Linze’s furrowed brow relaxed. After she slowly lay down, he immediately turned off the light and pulled her into his embrace.
When Tao Yu was dragged over by a strong force, she almost cried out. Instinctively, she pressed her hand against his chest. Yue Linze closed his eyes and frowned, saying, “Don’t move.”
