Tsukiyuki Rio helped Gao Sijin dry the water droplets from his body with a bath towel, then dragged him onto the canopy bed. Her movements were elegant yet carried a hint of dominance, leaving Gao Sijin no room whatsoever to resist.
“Don’t be so afraid, Gao-kun. I keep my word—I won’t force Gao-kun to do anything he’s unwilling to do tonight. But if Gao-kun happens to want something, I’m more than happy to oblige. After all, ensuring my husband has a comfortable night is a wife’s duty.”
“Right now, I just want to sleep as soon as possible. Please don’t talk to me anymore.”
Even though he had done absolutely nothing all day, Gao Sijin still felt a profound sense of exhaustion.
He lay beside Tsukiyuki Rio on the canopy bed, the surrounding atmosphere gradually growing hazy and charged with intimacy.
Better fall asleep fast. Even though, from this day forward, he would never need to wake up early for work again.
—Thump, thump.
Sharing a bed with her, Gao Sijin’s heart just wouldn’t stop pounding wildly.
At this moment, Tsukiyuki Rio was wearing nothing but a solid black lace-trimmed bra and panties, her snow-white skin laid completely bare.
Her figure was exceptional, and most crucially, a refreshingly sweet scent emanated from her body. That fragrance flooded into Gao Sijin’s brain, numbing his mind like a hallucinogenic drug.
“Hey, Gao-kun, are you asleep?”
In the utter darkness where he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face, her voice sounded so clear, pleasant, and abrupt.
To mask his racing heartbeat and shame, Gao Sijin had no choice but to turn his face away and not look at her. Otherwise, his heart would certainly beat even faster.
Compared to being forcibly trained by her, this—just lying here quietly, doing nothing—somehow felt even more devastating.
“It seems you are asleep, my adorable Gao-kun. In that case, does that mean I can launch a night raid on you?”
Then, a soft sensation pressed against Gao Sijin’s back, and a slender arm gently coiled around him like a snake.
She said she wouldn’t do anything, yet she kept teasing Gao Sijin’s rationality in various different ways. This woman was far too crafty.
Although she had already forcibly relieved him of his virginity, Gao Sijin’s experience with girls wasn’t exactly seasoned. His one and only romantic experience since childhood had been back in middle school.
So hot…
“Rio, could you please stop pressing closer to me?”
Gao Sijin suddenly spoke up.
“Hehe, Gao-kun finally stopped pretending to be asleep.”
Tsukiyuki Rio laughed, looking as if her scheme had just succeeded.
Under the vast night sky, Gao Sijin didn’t look at her face; he kept his back turned.
Yet he could still clearly feel her presence and the warmth of her touch.
Though he had been kidnapped by Tsukiyuki Rio, not long ago, he had still been living and working all alone in Bincheng.
Countless times, he had jolted awake from sleep, only to be overwhelmed by the intense loneliness of an empty home, making Gao Sijin long for someone to confide in.
He didn’t want to call his aunt, because that would make him seem terribly weak. His parents didn’t care about his well-being at all. Perhaps only when his life was hanging by a thread would they hypocritically rush over to shed a few tears.
After graduation, his friends had all gone their separate ways in pursuit of their futures. This society was so busy; everyone needed to earn money to support their families. Who had any spare time to lick the wounds of a former friend?
Gao Sijin liked games, but it wasn’t that he enjoyed playing games. Rather, he liked engaging in meaningless interactions with a group of total strangers online. That was all.
As if sensing the thoughts in Gao Sijin’s heart, Tsukiyuki Rio murmured softly:
“I will always stay by Gao-kun’s side, just like the way those interesting characters in Gao-kun’s books once accompanied my lonely self.” The arms entwined around Gao Sijin’s body suddenly became gentle. “Gao-kun saved me, so I shall be the one to save Gao-kun.”
“You feel loneliness too?”
“Everyone feels loneliness. It’s just that some people disguise it well, and others disguise it poorly.” Tsukiyuki Rio stroked Gao Sijin’s cheek. “Gao-kun, could you please turn your face this way? I want to look at your face.”
“Is that an order?”
“It’s a request.” Tsukiyuki Rio said wistfully. “I’ve had enough of the feeling of hugging my knees and staring blankly for hours. Being able to become husband and wife with Gao-kun makes me truly happy. Falling asleep while gazing at Gao-kun’s sleeping face has always been my greatest wish.”
“Rio, can you give me back my freedom? We could pretend to be strangers to each other, starting with a chance encounter, then gradually becoming acquainted, getting to know each other, relying on each other emotionally, and then building a family from there.”
“Gao-kun’s suggestion is very appealing, but I’m not ready to let go of Gao-kun just yet. Forgive me for being a greedy woman.”
Tsukiyuki Rio held Gao Sijin the way a young girl cuddles a teddy bear while sleeping.
The quilt protecting them from the cold became a barrier separating the two of them from the rest of the world.
Gao Sijin turned his face over, looking at Tsukiyuki Rio’s deep crimson eyes and exquisitely delicate features. She was truly, breathtakingly beautiful.
In the end, he chose to gaze into Tsukiyuki Rio’s eyes as he fell asleep.
“Goodnight, Rio.”
“Mm, goodnight to Gao-kun too. You must keep working hard to write even more wonderful works in the future, okay?”
“I will. Just watch me.”
Perhaps tonight, the distance between him and Tsukiyuki Rio had closed a little after all.
Maybe her actions were just a momentary impulse. Once she calmed down, many things might be completely open to mutual discussion.
For now, he would close his eyes and prepare to embrace the arrival of tomorrow.
The next day, Tsukiyuki Rio woke up first. Gao Sijin squinted his eyes slightly, his consciousness still groggy.
“Good morning, Gao-kun. Based on my usual understanding of you, you’ll probably go back to sleep for another hour or so. Please treat my mansion entirely as your own home and let your body truly relax.”
Cherry-blossom-pink lips gently planted a light kiss on Gao Sijin’s cheek. Then, she changed into that black kimono and left the room, without waking him.
At eight in the morning, Gao Sijin rubbed his bleary eyes. Outside, the sound of blades clashing could be heard.
He walked to the window and saw Tsukiyuki Rio and Yu Qingxue each wielding a tachi and hacking at each other. For a moment, Gao Sijin couldn’t tell if this was a life-or-death struggle or just sparring. Just looking at it made his heart race with fear.
Blades and sword shadows clashed, striking brilliant sparks. Both women seemed to be using their full strength. The slightest careless mistake, and either of them could have their bodies pierced through by the tachi, losing their lives. Gao Sijin could almost faintly glimpse an ancient battlefield drenched in blood and violence, the silhouettes of samurai locked in mortal combat, blades swinging at one another.
The two female figures flew past each other in a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye, ten more moves had been exchanged.
Gao Sijin had always assumed that Eldest Miss Tsukiyuki Rio was a refined lady from a distinguished family, not particularly outstanding in physical ability. She seemed more like a girl skilled in things like tea ceremony and flower arrangement. But as the sparring continued, Tsukiyuki Rio steadily began to gain the upper hand.
“Surely you aren’t only at this level, Qingxue? You weren’t this weak before you left Tokyo. Is it because there’s a man in your heart?”
“That’s not it. I’ve just been neglecting my training.”
“That’s just an excuse for the weak!”
Yu Qingxue gripped her sword with both hands, shifting from offense to defense.
This wasn’t her holding back; it was because Yu Qingxue truly couldn’t parry the relentless onslaught of attacks. The moment Gao Sijin imagined a deep sword wound cutting open their snow-white skin, it was as if he forgot his own situation. He yelled at them:
“Stop messing around, you two!”
Hearing Gao Sijin’s voice, both Tsukiyuki Rio and Yu Qingxue immediately ceased their offensive stances.
“Gao-kun!”
Tsukiyuki Rio stepped in her geta, jogging toward Gao Sijin in quick, tiny strides.
Yu Qingxue also sheathed her tachi.
“Morning, Master.”
“What were you two just doing?”
“Merely a lady’s hobby.”
“What kind of lady has a hobby of hacking at each other with swords?”
“That’s not for Gao-kun to decide.”
Tsukiyuki Rio gave a radiant smile, then pulled out an iron chain, clearly intending to hook it back onto Gao Sijin’s collar.
Seeing that he was about to be led around again, Gao Sijin immediately raised his hand to stop her.
“Don’t leash me. I’m a human, not a dog.”
“Alright then, I won’t leash Gao-kun today.”
Tsukiyuki Rio wrapped both her arms around one of Gao Sijin’s, preparing to go back inside.
Yu Qingxue closely followed behind. Her sharp eyes flicked a glance at Gao Sijin.
“Master, were you worrying about me just now?”
“Who would worry about someone like you, you liar.”
“So cold. But this cold feeling really is dreadfully addictive.”
Tsukiyuki Rio giggled cheerfully, watching the scene as if it were a play.
To her, she didn’t mind Yu Qingxue or the other maids teasing Gao Sijin with words. Her possessiveness hadn’t reached the level of being that terrifying.
However, kissing and going to bed were the absolute line in the sand. If any maid crossed it, Tsukiyuki Rio would unhesitatingly toss their corpse into Tokyo Bay to feed the fish.
“Does Young Lady Tsukiyuki have any other plans for today?”
“I need to go out to prepare for matters concerning Gao-kun. No matter what, I’m going to make sure Gao-kun’s work gets a successful anime adaptation this year.”
Hearing that Tsukiyuki Rio was going out today to make preparations for him, Gao Sijin’s expression turned rather complicated. On one hand, he had been kidnapped by her. But on the other hand, Gao Sijin had always longed for his book to be recognized, and getting an anime adaptation was a special indicator of a work’s popularity.
“Isn’t Gao-kun feeling rather excited too?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Such a tsundere. But Gao-kun is quite adorable like this.” Seated before the breakfast table, Tsukiyuki Rio said softly, “But an anime adaptation isn’t something that happens overnight. There are still many things to prepare beforehand. For instance, soon, I have to take Gao-kun’s work to be translated into Japanese. First, we’ll launch Gao-kun’s book in J-Country, then pursue a manga adaptation, and then an anime adaptation.”
“But my book’s copyright isn’t in your hands…”
“Gao-kun, you fool. I already bought your copyright a long time ago.” Tsukiyuki Rio produced the contract from Pineapple Bun Light Reading Media Co., Ltd. “So I own the adaptation rights to Gao-kun’s works.”
“Can my book really be made into an anime?”
“Gao-kun, as long as you have money, there’s nothing in this world that cannot be done.” Tsukiyuki Rio rested her chin on her hand and stared into Gao Sijin’s eyes. “And of course, that includes love.”
