Ye Huohuo’s face flushed red as she shuffled to the edge of the bed, her fingertips still trembling. Though it wasn't the first time, she still felt incredibly shy undressing in front of him. She slowly unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, revealing her slender neck and collarbone that rose and fell with each breath. "Y-you, be gentle. I-I have injuries, they just scabbed over. Don't… don't make me bleed again!"
The more she spoke, the redder her face became, her voice growing softer until the last few words were barely audible.
Li Mohan raised his eyebrows, looking at Ye Huohuo with initial confusion. However, as he watched her slow process of undressing, he found it rather amusing. It was only when she uttered her last sentence that he finally understood, his brow relaxing. A hint of a smile played in his deep voice, "What are you thinking about!"
As he spoke, he nudged Ye Huohuo's forehead and, as if by habit, pulled her partially open collar closed. "I meant the red thread you broke needs to be reconnected. Where did your mind go? Am I that impatient?"
Even as Li Mohan said this, his eyes involuntarily drifted down into Ye Huohuo's open neckline. The tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage made his breath catch.
He quickly averted his gaze, daring not to look further, afraid he might lose control and do something. The memory of last night's disarray suddenly left him feeling dry-mouthed.
Ye Huohuo froze upon hearing his words, feeling incredibly mortified. Her already flushed face turned a deep crimson, a mix of shame and anger, so hot she felt she could boil water with her cheeks. "I-I didn't, I actually meant…" She felt her mind turn into a muddle, stammering for a long time without forming a coherent sentence.
Li Mohan watched Ye Huohuo's flustered state with amusement. He cupped her small cheeks in his hands, finding the skin smooth and delicate. He unconsciously tightened his grip, puckering her lips. "You're embarrassed? Hmm?…" he murmured, leaning closer, his voice drawing out the last syllable as he whispered it almost into Ye Huohuo's ear.
The sound seemed to reverberate against Ye Huohuo's eardrum and, more importantly, her heart. It stole her ability to think, leaving her with only one sensation: heat.
A dry, burning heat.
Her throat constricted, and her eyes grew hazy. "I…" Ye Huohuo could only manage a single word from her throat before falling silent again.
"What?" Li Mohan gently bit Ye Huohuo's tender earlobe with his front teeth. Seeing the fine goosebumps appear on the exposed skin of her neckline, the smile in his eyes deepened.
Ye Huohuo felt Li Mohan's unique presence enveloping her, his voice, almost like a siren's call, echoing in her ears. Something within her heart stirred, becoming increasingly difficult to suppress.
She tilted her head slightly, her breathing ragged and hot. Her gaze shifted to Li Mohan, becoming more and more dazed. "I… I… I'm hot…"
A single tear trickled down her cheek. Her rational mind screamed at her to push him away, but her body, honest in its desires, yearned to draw closer, just a little closer…
When Ye Huohuo’s consciousness began to clear, she found herself kissing Li Mohan’s lips, her arms wrapped around his neck, her entire body almost clinging to him.
She sought him with a fierce intensity, while Li Mohan, the instigator of this moment, merely responded with a calm indifference.
A wave of humiliation washed over her. Ye Huohuo shoved Li Mohan away, recoiling violently. Her movement agitated her wounds, causing her to gasp in pain.
She lost her balance and nearly fell. A strong hand firmly clasped her waist, narrowly saving her from a fall. Had she landed on the ground, the wound on her buttocks would undoubtedly have burst open.
Ye Huohuo steadied herself before pushing Li Mohan away again, her gaze lowered, no longer meeting his eyes. "Earlier, I… lost my composure. I apologize. As for the marriage red thread, there's no need to…"
"I told you before, you sought me out, you decided to start this. The end must be decided by me. What do you mean by cutting the red thread yourself?" Li Mohan interrupted her, his voice laced with anger, his expression dangerously sharp.
"It means nothing, I just don't want to play this game anymore. I'm bored! Is that not allowed?" Ye Huohuo gave a light laugh and pushed him away, though her laughter carried a hint of bitterness.
Li Mohan's eyes flashed with a cold light at her words. "Are you a child? Is this a child's game of make-believe? You start when you want, and you end when you want? I'm telling you, Ye Huohuo, since you've come to me, you can't leave. If I haven't let you go, you're not leaving!"
He gripped Ye Huohuo's chin, his tone becoming more dangerous and intimate. "Besides, I don't think you want to leave. Weren't you quite forward just now? Don't tell me you don't like sleeping with me!"
Ye Huohuo's previously flushed face turned deathly pale, all color draining away. She stared into his eyes. "You did that on purpose? To embarrass me?"
Seeing her face suddenly turn so pale, Li Mohan's heart tightened. He pursed his lips, but his mouth involuntarily uttered, "Does it matter if I did it on purpose? Weren't you the one who threw yourself at me?"
"Li Mohan! What do you want? I admit I like you. I told you that before. You rejected me. I know you have someone you like in your heart. I just want to leave you now and stop bothering you, and you…" Ye Huohuo finally had her pent-up words forced out of her. Tears welled in her eyes, her lips trembling slightly from emotion.
The rest of her words choked in her throat, unable to be spoken. She bit her lip tightly until she tasted the metallic tang of blood, managing to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
Ye Huohuo's words caused Li Mohan to take a half-step back, his eyes turbulent with emotion. Yes, what did he want? He had almost forgotten, forgotten Mei Yingxue, forgotten that he had found traces of her the day before yesterday. She was likely not dead, still alive. Still waiting for him to find her somewhere!
He couldn't give Ye Huohuo a future. His true love should be Yingxue. Why was he entangled with Ye Huohuo? What was he doing?
"I…" Li Mohan took another step back, a look of unprecedented panic in his eyes. His fists clenched and unclenched by his sides. He wanted to loosen them but tightened them again. "You… we have a one-year agreement. The agreed time hasn't arrived, so we are still husband and wife. During this year, you cannot behave improperly."
As Li Mohan spoke, he retreated towards the door. As he opened it, he added, "Especially, you cannot be involved with other men…"
He slammed the door shut in a fit of pique and left. However, the usually composed Mr. Li appeared quite disheveled this time, like a soldier fleeing, a hasty and panicked retreat.
Ye Huohuo remained silent. She heard Li Mohan's words but also didn't. She felt as if she were hallucinating, as if she had sensed the powerful head of the Li family… being jealous?!
She let out a cold laugh. "Can he be jealous of himself? Besides, he doesn't have a sweetheart, so what is he jealous of?!"
She decided not to think about it anymore. She was too tired and just wanted to sleep. Perhaps she had been too tired, and all of this was just a dream!
In a dimly lit room, a dozen red candles burned brightly. However, the flame of one candle was slowly extinguishing.
A person clad in a black hooded cloak bent their fingers at an impossible angle for a normal human, forming strange hand seals. Puffs of black smoke were then directed towards the candle whose flame was about to die.
The candle flame flickered, its intensity slightly increasing as it was enveloped by the smoke. But as the smoke dissipated, the flame began to dim once more.
The person in the black robe let out an enraged roar. A large mass of black energy diffused outwards from their body. All the candle flames in the room flared up momentarily, instantly illuminating the entire room as if it had been struck by a powerful flash.
But after that brief illumination, the room returned to its previous gloom.
The candle that had been on the verge of extinguishing was now completely out.
"Ye Huohuo! You will die!" a slightly hoarse voice emanated from the black robe.
The black-robed figure flicked their finger. From the shadows, a black silhouette slowly drifted out, moving to a circle in the center of the room before slowly kneeling. "Master!"
The black-robed figure produced a paper effigy made of yellow paper and ignited it with candlelight. "Kill her!"
Ye Huohuo slept soundly, curled up under the covers, when she suddenly sneezed, startling herself awake.
The room was tightly sealed, with doors and windows shut, yet she felt an inexplicable chill creeping into her body.
"This is bad!" she exclaimed in alarm.