“Where to? Let your big sis give you a ride.”
“Home.” Lin Cheng slid into the passenger seat next to Hongshao. He couldn’t help stealing a glance at her profile, muttering under his breath that her ability was downright terrifying.
Hongshao’s power was the highest tier of Charm—nothing like the cheap kind that just stirred up lust. Hers felt more like rewriting someone’s perceptions, or pulling strings on a puppet.
Lin Cheng gave her his home address. She nodded silently and pulled out onto the road, but then she mentioned offhandedly, “My ability isn’t permanent. It lasts a few days at most. After that, Viper will probably team up with Black Beast and come after us… You ready for that?”
“Contact Litchi. She’ll handle it.”
“You’re sitting this one out?” Hongshao blinked in surprise.
Lin Cheng replied with wide-eyed innocence. “What fighting skills do I even have? This is Litchi’s wheelhouse. She’ll coordinate with you.”
Fifteen days earlier, Lin Cheng had hashed out the partnership with Hongshao in that very room.
West City had gotten way too bold lately—breaking rules left and right, even shattering those unbreakable taboos. The Alliance shouldn’t have let it slide, but for some reason, they acted like it wasn’t happening. That was when Lin Cheng pitched the deal to Hongshao: East City and North City joining forces to put West City in its place.
“I figured you’d handle it personally when the time came,” Hongshao said, her tone laced with meaning.
“Nah, I’m useless in a fight.”
“Black Beast has three S-Ranks. One’s a Psychic System user who can briefly shield others from my Charm. My sister’s power is offline for now, too. Garden’s got one S-Rank, but that’s not nearly enough… What’s Fruit Shop really packing? Don’t you think you should give me the rundown first? Otherwise, I won’t be able to relax.”
“Isn’t the mystery part of the fun?”
“I’m no gambler.” Hongshao grumbled in dissatisfaction, then shot him a curious look. “At the very least, tell me what Fruit Shop’s ace in the hole is.”
Lin Cheng hesitated for a moment.
“Grape didn’t used to be called Grape.”
“What was her name, then?” Hongshao clearly had her suspicions, but she wanted confirmation straight from him.
“Yue Sha.”
Hongshao’s body went rigid. She yanked the car over to the roadside, whipped her head around, and stared at Lin Cheng with wide eyes. “She… how the hell is she working for you?!”
“Didn’t you already guess she came from Silver Wing?”
“But I had no idea she was their leader! I thought she was just their top assassin… How did you poach her to Fruit Shop?!”
Lin Cheng gave it serious thought, then pointed at his own face.
“I’m handsome.”
Lin Cheng made it back home.
Hongshao had pressed for more details, but he’d found her too annoying and bailed, leaving her to speculate on her own. By the time he arrived, evening had deepened into dusk. He took a quick shower, then rolled around naked on the bed a few times before finally pulling on some clothes and staring blankly at the ceiling.
Outside the window, night had fallen over the city. There were no stars—just a solitary moon hanging in the sky.
He rolled onto his side and gazed out at the pitch-black heavens for what felt like ages. Then he heard the front door open in the living room. When he turned his head, there was Litchi, dressed in a crisp white blouse and a tight hip-hugging skirt. She pushed open his bedroom door and stood in the doorway.
“What brings you here?” Lin Cheng asked, eyeing her curiously.
“Thought you might have trouble sleeping. Came to check on you.”
“Huh? Does mission success come with a cuddle reward now?”
Litchi rolled her eyes and perched on the edge of the bed. She kicked off her high heels. Before Lin Cheng could get a word in, she climbed onto the mattress and lay down beside him.
Lin Cheng fell silent.
The room grew deathly quiet—so still he swore he could hear Litchi’s heartbeat. After a long moment, she spoke softly. “Didn’t we agree you’d live a normal life?”
“I’m trying…”
“What were you doing at Carrot Mountain that day?”
“Taking Xiaoxiao stargazing.”
“Not that time—the one before.” Litchi’s voice stayed even.
Lin Cheng clammed up. Several seconds ticked by before she pressed on. “Luring out the Bloodsucking Bug Queen?”
“No way—how did you even know about that…?”
“I put a tracker on your car.”
“Heh heh, you control freak!”
Litchi reached over and smacked his butt hard. “Behave yourself, you idiot!”
“Ow, ow!” Lin Cheng rolled to face her. After a moment’s thought, he whispered pleadingly, “I was just bored… needed some fun.”
“I knew you wouldn’t listen.” Litchi gazed at him with a wistful look. Lin Cheng had nothing to say. After another stretch of quiet, she murmured, “Let me take care of this one, okay?”
“Of course. I trust Litchi Baby unconditionally.”
“I’ll sort out West City. You don’t need to lift a finger—especially since you’ve already had your fun with that new toy.”
“Deal.”
Litchi grabbed his face in her hands. “Say it again, looking right into my eyes.”
“I promise I won’t get involved with West City business. Not even a little.”
The corners of Litchi’s lips curved up. She let go but kept staring him down. “You slept with Xu Wanyue?”
“Heavens no—I swear I didn’t lay a hand on her.” Lin Cheng was practically raising his hand to swear.
Litchi let out an “oh.” “Planning to in the future?”
“Nope.”
“You hesitated for 0.9 seconds.”
“The answer’s still no.”
“You’d better mean it.” Litchi huffed softly. “It’s been forever since we slept together, hasn’t it?”
“So… tonight?” Lin Cheng batted his eyes at her.
“I’m going to shower.” Litchi sat up and slipped out of the room. Lin Cheng watched her go, his heart suddenly pounding.
Half an hour later, Litchi returned. She wore a thin white nightgown and flicked on the bedroom light, standing bathed in its glow. Lin Cheng’s gaze drifted to her.
Litchi had kept her black shoulder-length hair all these years, a style that made her already youthful features look even more like a pure high school girl’s. The delicate nightgown’s neckline revealed her slender collarbones, its hem brushing her knees and offering faint glimpses of her thighs.
Litchi had a slim build—nothing like Xu Wanyue’s subtly sensual curves. She was like a fresh litchi, unripe on the outside but hiding tender, snow-white flesh beneath the shell. The kind you just wanted to sink your teeth into.
She finally looks the part of a high schooler.
Litchi kicked off her slippers and climbed onto the bed. Lin Cheng squinted slightly. “Why’d you turn the light on?”
“Does the nightgown look good?” Litchi knelt on the mattress and scooted a bit closer. Lin Cheng studied her from head to toe before delivering his verdict. “Gorgeous. It suits you perfectly—super cute.”
“Cute’s the only compliment in your vocabulary.” Litchi poked his forehead.
“Not true. I’ve called you… pretty, too.”
“Whatever.” Litchi twisted around and flopped naturally into his arms. Lin Cheng paused for a second before gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Her frame was so delicate, with no extra softness, yet she radiated warmth.
“You haven’t held me like this in ages.”
“Have I not?”
“Must be. My memory’s getting hazy. When was the last time we shared a bed?”
“One or two years ago…?” Lin Cheng tried to recall but drew a blank.
Back then, Litchi hadn’t even hit adulthood yet.
Lin Cheng leaned down for a light sniff. She smelled of jasmine with a faint milky undertone—the sweet, soft scent of a young woman.
“I’m nineteen now,” Litchi said suddenly.
“So? Think nineteen makes you hot stuff? I’m barely turning twenty-one.” Lin Cheng’s fingertips brushed her hair, twirling it like a mischievous kid.
“Heh, old man.”
“…”
“I heard Xu Wanyue’s been hanging around here during the days lately?”
“I unlocked her Energy Nodes for her. In return, she cooks for me.”
“Oh.” Litchi let out another “oh.”
She couldn’t cook to save her life.
“I figured you’d try to trick her into bed.”
“Come on—is that really how you see me?”
“Who knows what’s brewing in the mind of a shut-in otaku buried in weird doujinshi and eroge all day?”
“…I don’t play that stuff.”
“Heh.”
“Wait—you’re not spying on my computer too, are you?” Lin Cheng looked down at her. Litchi’s eyes were all innocence—not denial, but a clear so-what-if-I-am?
“Sigh. A guy gets lonely living alone.” Lin Cheng’s face heated up.
“After she left… did you feel lonely?”
She meant the previous lady of the house.
“Better off without her here, treating her like a corpse—hand-fed, bed-made, head empty except for sex.”
“What exactly did you two fight about?”
“I thought spoiling her with games and dates every day would bring some light back into her life. Turns out I just spoiled her rotten. So I kicked her out… She’s doing fine now, right?”
“Fine as in we dumped at least two hundred million into her to scrape by like this? Yeah, real doting of you.”
“I only meant a little anonymous help—nothing she’d trace back to me…”
“You wanted her to know it was you pulling strings from the shadows, while pretending you didn’t want her to. Heh, what hilarious pride.”
Litchi glanced out the window. “Her pride runs way deeper than yours. But she took the help anyway… Probably regrets acting so superior back then. It’s her way of bending a little toward you.”
“No way she regrets it.”
“We’ve got team building coming up. Should I invite her?”
“Up to you.”
“I can never tell with your ‘up to you’—do you want me to or not? You’re always so damn tsundere, you idiot.” Litchi muttered.
Lin Cheng paused for several seconds. “On second thought, maybe don’t. Her movie just dropped—she’s gotta be swamped.”
“Okay.” Litchi’s lips curved into a smile.
A while longer passed. Litchi shifted, resting her cheek on his shoulder. Lin Cheng switched off the light. The room fell into peaceful hush, broken only by their breathing.
“Still getting nightmares?” Litchi whispered.
“Nope, not for ages. Don’t worry.” Lin Cheng turned toward her and drew her gently into his arms. Litchi closed her eyes. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Lin Cheng dipped his head and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
Litchi said nothing. Her arms around him simply trembled faintly.
