Chapter 24: The Aloof Heiress Part 3

“But one day—you just vanished.”

Her enunciation was feather-light per syllable, loath to dwell on it further.

“I was only off making you breakfast.”

The words came low, a bare recounting of her day’s deeds.

They struck Jiang Li’s ears. Her face betrayed little, but a chill tremor skipped through her heart, sourness blooming.

Without thinking, she murmured, “Sorry.”

For the first time, her arms at Luo Yihuan’s waist pulled active and tight. She pressed herself closer to the downcast figure, eyes flickering pained.

She’d made no such vows to Luo Yihuan—but abandoning her on-site was undeniable fact, however well-intentioned.

Reality blurring into dream deepened Jiang Li’s pity for this dejected Luo Yihuan before her.

Hooked.

Eyes drooping, she appraised the woman who’d thrown herself willingly into the snare. Luo Yihuan’s lips crooked upward. Her palms gathered the slim waist beneath, eyes heavy and dark, lashes shivering.

From Jiang Li’s angle, that gaze stayed bottomless black—wounded, pitiful as could be.

Utterly pitiable.

Prey caged. Next step?

Luo Yihuan thought: Lock in a promise.

Even years apart, deep down she trusted—Jiang Li never pledged lightly, but honored her word to the end.

“So, Li Li—now that you’re back, will you leave again?”

“Will you stay with me… till death do us part?”

The whisper brushed her ear. Gently, Luo Yihuan dipped to press her ear against that chest, listening for the heartbeat.

Someone once taught her the trick.

To unearth true feelings, murmur your burning question right at the ear—then bury your own ear over her heart. Listen to the pulse.

The heartbeat never lied.

Luo Yihuan posed her question, then tilted to track Jiang Li’s beat.

At first, steady thumps, cool and mechanical—like clockwork.

Gradually it accelerated, fluttering like butterflies’ wings stirring pond ripples across the water.

Luo Yihuan heard, triumph gleaming in her eyes. She’d agree, she’d…

“Sorry.”

Like glass pane splintering under a soccer ball.

Lovely surface pattern shattered by one light kick, scattering chaotic waves without direction or destiny.

Jiang Li’s soft refusal shattered Luo Yihuan’s focus.

“Why?” Restrained, voice dropped low.

She couldn’t comprehend.

Why, when Li Li looked so heartbroken for her… permitting every liberty, every whim, greenlighting whatever she tried.

Everything but one forever vow—she could never claim it.

Jiang Li’s lips pressed thin; the reason stuck hard in her throat.

By academy rules, every tasker had to bail from the world immediately upon completion—no lingering for sentiment, no indulging attachments or beauties.

Staying risked undoing repaired timelines, courting total failure.

Thus Jiang Li would extract herself post-mission.

No promise she could give Luo Yihuan. No love she could return.

Nothing came but a repeat. “Sorry.”

Arms vise-locked her waist tighter. Scalding puffs battered her neck from the buried head. Jiang Li only sighed softly and let it be.

That aloof silence fully ignited Luo Yihuan’s rage.

Fangs plunged vicious into the collarbone. Past reds paled beside this blazing scarlet imprint etched stark on the straight bone line.

Jiang Li muffled a grunt but kept her arms firm around Luo Yihuan’s waist.

Fine. Fine. Fine.

Ragefire swallowed her eyes whole. Her breaths seared Jiang Li’s skin blistering-hot. The collarbone twitched reflexively, beauty laced with torment.

Luo Yihuan drank it in, desire and mania erupting from her depths. Face thunderous as pre-storm clouds, darkness clotting her brow.

“Li Li—remember what you called me.”

Nuzzling the earlobe sloppily: “I’m a mad dog.”

Mad solely for Jiang Li.

Unwanted? Then madness held no purpose. For whom?

Her lips trailed down from the forehead tip. Fingers dug into that slender waist snippet, body bowing to pin her down. Dense kisses stippled the lovely cheek.

Smooched those fine eyes—amber clear as gems, their glances always smiling, occasionally soft with ruinous gentleness.

Kiss for the dainty nose tip—so cute. Playfully irked, it’d wrinkle up with a glare like a puffed little doughball.

Ravaged the scarlet lips in furious grinds. Luo Yihuan vented ire aplenty.

Soft. Fragrant. Sweet as sin—yet never voicing what she craved.

Lustfire hooked her eyes as she speared for that tongue base.

She hungered to lure her quarry into the abyss of desire—her abyss. Eyes seeing nothing but her.

Witnessing the wounded red trailing those eye corners, Jiang Li’s clamped teeth yielded. The fierce invasion stormed in unchecked.

Tongues clashed in heated braid, Jiang Li’s heart turning marshmallow-soft. Eyes drifted shut slow.

Desire’s floodgates creaked open—leashed at first, laced with craving.

Flower Room air circulated freely, yet grew stifling by the second.

Even the blooms sensed the ambient heat blaze hotter.

Swelter. Scorching.

Sweat trickled temple-down in beads, skirting the collarbone to stream onward. Shirt clung sodden, hollow pooling a crescent shine.

Room steamed alive, dew beading incongruously on petals. Pale pink deepened as droplets gathered in veins.

Petals flushed to rich crimson bounty, tempting any watcher to lean close and sniff.

Planter was viewer too. She bent nearer.

Flower drenched rosy, bravely cupping the steady drops raining down.

Flower ravishing—the bearer moreso. Luo Yihuan admired her handiwork with relish: teeth and red crawling dense over snow-white canvas.

All hers. Thick-clustered.

Sparing a breath to bask, she dove back in dogged.

Jiang Li’s mouth wouldn’t yield honeyed words? Fine. Other routes.

Palm clamped her lips as her frame shuddered unsupported amid dangling flower stems.

Blooms gawked all around at her heaving pitch and yaw.

Muffled cheeks burned fiercer scarlet. Skin afire already—drops hitting evaporated in heartbeats.

As time dragged, her body kindled wilder. Jiang Li half-dreaded Luo Yihuan escalating until her every drop of moisture boiled off that night.

Chest jolted. Luo Yihuan’s motions swelled bolder. Peering down reflexively.

One glimpse stole her breath away.

Water glazed Luo Yihuan’s face—from brow crest sliding lashes-ward, tracing the nose bridge, pooling hesitant at lip corner till her tongue claimed it boldly.

She craned up deliberate. Long curled lashes weighed low by beads, gaze toward Jiang Li brimming pure adoration, naked obsession.

Throat gulped rippled. Lip-captured droplets slaked like nectar.

“Thanks, Li Li.”

“Not thirsty anymore.”

Throat rasped parched and broke into coughs. Jiang Li’s eyes flew wide as realization dawned on Luo Yihuan. She dipped to sip the water-beaded hand.

Head thrown back as far as it’d go? Ignored. She swooped, sealing lips to feed over the tongue-tip water slow drop by drop.

Luo! Yi! Huan! You sicko!

Hands shoved with all her might to repel, but might as well save her breath.

This woman stuck like a medicated plaster—once latched, impossible to peel off, fused skin-to-skin.

Luo Yihuan fed with unyielding resolve. With no choice left, Jiang Li swallowed the “kindly” relayed drops of her own sweat.

Sensing the gulp, excitement lit Luo Yihuan’s eyes. She pulled back.

Surveying the shame-flushed face before her, she arched a sly brow, gloom no longer veiled. Fingertip traced provocative to the rolling throat—perfectly timed to that swallow.

Jiang Li jerked her head aside, met with amused query. “Sweet?”

“Mad dog.”

She slapped away the lingering finger at her pulse, eyes storming fury that scrutiny revealed mostly humiliated rage.

Such “praise” left Luo Yihuan mightily pleased; she nodded in approval.

“I just figured Li Li had cried so long—needed some hydration.”

A tender smile flowered at her lips, warming even her eyes.

Cold snow met flame and melted to rivulets, coursing a pliant frame. She’d taken the flood—and the ice that birthed it.

Toughest still: that incinerating lust.

Once she’d wept penitence for pegging Luo Yihuan an old cadre type.

Lips quirked faint. Bliss aplenty so far, but today’s prize phrase remained unsaid.

Body turning, eyes landed on a sight. Fresh scheme sparked.

Jiang Li panted recovery in place as Luo Yihuan scooped her up secure and strode firm toward the Flower Room balcony.

Just as hoped: cabinet beyond held a throw blanket.

Luo Yihuan cradled her close while one hand snagged the blanket, draping it over their legs to swaddle Jiang Li snug.

She hefted the nearby teapot to pour a cup. Jiang Li accepted unabashed, knocking back the clearly meant-for-her brew in one go.

Spotting the refreshed cast to her face post-sip, Luo Yihuan’s lips curved scheming. Her gaze swept the panoramic courtyard below—and lingered pointedly on the balcony railing level with Jiang Li’s waist.

Jiang Li clocked the ploy in a heartbeat, glaring wary.

“What’re you up to, Luo Yihuan?”

“Hydrating Li Li.”

Smile innocent as sin, voice honey-soft reply—even as her hands coaxed Jiang Li upright.

Back slammed icy tile; blanket buffered but chill seeped through. Frame barely cooled when fresh heat flared.

Jiang Li pushed forward to break free—only shoved gently back by the body blocking her path.

Glance sidelong confirmed the vista: Luo Family Estate courtyard sprawling full view below.

Words rose to her lips—then soft, impatient ones smothered them.

Talk later, Li Li.

Be good.

Pressing close, the soft fabric sported several buttons rubbed loose in the frenzy, hanging slack off her frame.

“Li Li—I’m thirsty now.”

No response possible.

That night, that dream: Jiang Li’s memories held naught but moans, whimpers in varied spots, tears streaming under Luo Yihuan’s relentless tide.

Her voice scraped hoarse by end’s stretch, yet Luo Yihuan spared no mercy—clung dogged, extracting that one phrase at any cost.

Jiang Li endured. Withstood the flips and ravages, over and again.

She’d never know how, late hours on, Luo Yihuan beheld her red-rimmed eyes gone sultry-seductive. Desire drowned her depths bottomless. Every gasp strained against handiwork beneath.

Beads of diligent sweat trailed cheek’s curve. Beauty struck heart-stopping.

A night drenched spring.

【Punishment End.】

Jiang Li stirred slow to wakefulness, surroundings wholly alien.

Eyes drifted ghostly about the room till they fixed on Luo Yihuan beside her—hand vise-gripped around hers, slumber deep and sweet.

Dream blurring reality, infinite fury welled toward the sleeping face.

That palm clamped her hand identical to the iron dictate forcing her ass-up at the Flower Room window for “hydration.”

Furious yank freed nothing. Anger crested; from bed’s perch she lashed out a foot to lever loose.

Intended mere brace-kick for hand extraction. But—

Thump!

Luo Yihuan tumbled clean off the bed to the floor.

Disaster.

Staring down at her accidental casualty sprawled below, Jiang Li wondered if swearing innocence would fly.

Run like hell.

She bolted off bed, dashed doorward and twisted the knob—but paused at her jacket-clad self, gaze flicking back to the floorborne Luo Yihuan.

Heartstrings tugged. Doubling back reluctant, Jiang Li snatched the quilt and hurled it broad to drape perfectly over Luo Yihuan.

There—now if questioned, it was just lousy sleep posture tumbling her to the rug, bedding and all.

Satisfied, Jiang Li turned away, cracked the door, and stepped one foot out.

“Where do you think you’re off to?”

“Jiang Li.”

The hand on the knob trembled. Luo Yihuan’s tone hurled her straight back to the dream version—and crystalized the hows of her current locale.

Goddamn it!

After confession flop, Luo Yihuan had knocked her out cold to schlep her home!