When Lin Cheng woke up, the sound of pattering rain filled his ears.
He slowly opened his eyes, only to find that Litchi was no longer nestled in his arms. Instead, strange panting sounds emanated from his earphones. He turned around and saw Litchi curled up on his chair. Hearing the rustle as he sat up, she pressed her fingertips lightly against the desk, spinning the chair to face him. “Awake?”
“What are you doing?” Lin Cheng eyed her computer screen warily.
“Playing a game.”
The screen showed an anime girl in a classroom scene—pretty steamy stuff. But Lin Cheng’s attention wasn’t on that. It was on Litchi. With her pale, dainty feet propped up on the chair, her skirt had naturally ridden up toward her waist, revealing black lace panties underneath.
Litchi seemed oblivious.
Lin Cheng hurriedly averted his gaze. Litchi blinked, tilting her head, then quickly lowered her legs and smoothed down her skirt. Her eyes locked onto him intently. “You saw, didn’t you?”
“Nope.”
“You saw.” Litchi enunciated each word.
“Just… a little bit.”
“Hmph.” A faint blush colored Litchi’s cheeks. She lifted her slender, pale leg toward Lin Cheng, her toes nearly brushing his face. He stared at the girl’s foot, as delicate and smooth as white jade—like he could lean in and take a bite.
Wait, had Xu Wanyue brainwashed him lately? Was he turning into a total perv?
Lin Cheng shook his head hastily. Moments later, Litchi tossed a bottle of pink nail polish into his lap.
“Paint my nails.”
Lin Cheng looked up. A hint of haughty pride gleamed in her eyes.
What a brat.
Lin Cheng sat on the edge of the bed, gently cradling the sole of her foot as he carefully applied the nail polish. Litchi’s nails were neatly trimmed, her toes as pink and pearl-like as jewels, so he took extra care. Fortunately, he was a pro at this.
“You must’ve done this for her a lot before, huh?” Litchi asked suddenly.
“You know it.”
“She never went out back then… why bother with nail polish?”
“She’d paint them just to tease and humiliate me.”
“I knew you two were perverts.”
“…” Lin Cheng had no comeback. The polish was done; it just needed to dry. Litchi drew her leg back and swung her pale calf playfully, tilting her head. “How about… I humiliate you a little later too?”
“No way.” Lin Cheng shot her down instantly.
Litchi burst into delighted laughter. She pulled a lollipop from her mouth, unwrapped it, and popped it between her lips. Lin Cheng watched her longingly. “I want one too.”
“That’s my last one.”
“Then let me have a lick.”
Litchi crunched the candy between her teeth. Her pink lips parted, revealing bits of sugar on her tongue tip. She flicked her tongue teasingly, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she gazed at him. Lin Cheng leaned in, but she planted her foot on his chest, stopping him dead.
Aaaah!
Litchi finished off the shattered candy with a grin, delighting in Lin Cheng’s wistful stare. She conjured another lollipop, unwrapped it, and held it to his mouth. But he kept his lips sealed. “Not litchi flavor? Pass.”
“Aw, we’re out of litchi ones.”
“I don’t care, I don’t care—I want it, gimme!”
Watching him throw a tantrum like a spoiled kid, Litchi brought the lollipop to her own lips for a quick lick, then offered it again, head cocked playfully.
Lin Cheng snatched it like a puppy being hand-fed.
In that instant, Litchi’s cheeks flushed faintly, a flicker of shy annoyance in her eyes. “Gross.”
“Heh heh heh… so sweet…”
“Die.” Litchi couldn’t resist kicking his shoulder with her pale leg. Then she hopped off the chair. “I’m heading to the company.”
“Leaving already?”
“Got stuff to handle. Plus, we’re swallowing up West City in a few days—tons of their assets to take over.” Litchi glanced at him. “Close your eyes.”
“Huh?”
“Changing clothes, dummy.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll close my eyes to change, but… no peeking.” A sly curve tugged at Litchi’s lips.
Lin Cheng shut his eyes, plunging his world into darkness. But her words itched at him. Would she really change with her eyes closed? Or was she waiting for him to sneak a look so she could tease him?
Definitely the latter. That schemer…
So Lin Cheng kept his eyes firmly shut. Ha, crafty girl.
Litchi hadn’t peeked. Once she was dressed, she opened her eyes. “All done.”
She’d slipped back into her blouse and hip-hugging skirt, the sheer black stockings peeking from beneath the hem. She stepped into her high heels and donned her gold-rimmed glasses from the side table, shifting her vibe from girl-next-door to something a touch more mature.
“Want a ride?”
“You know how to drive yet?”
“Nope…”
“I drove here.” Litchi gave him a helpless look. “Learn soon, okay?”
“How about we have Lemon whip up a fully automated alchemy car?”
“Lemon would wanna bite your head off if she heard that.”
“She… isn’t mad at me anymore, right?”
“If my eighteenth birthday gift was some cheap five-buck chain from a street vendor, I’d be pissed too.”
“…” Lin Cheng scratched his head.
“Tell her thanks for me… the toy’s awesome. She worked hard on it.”
“Got it.” Litchi nodded lightly and left his room.
A light rain fell outside the window. After Litchi departed, Lin Cheng sprawled by the pane, watching the droplets for a bit.
The door opened again. He turned to see Xu Wanyue.
In the hazy rain, she wore a sleeveless modernized cheongsam—black with gold-embroidered threads, intricately designed but with a high slit that bared her plump, snowy thighs. Her long hair was pinned up with a hairpin, lending her an air of elegance.
Beneath the cheongsam gleamed flesh-toned black silk pantyhose, shimmering faintly, paired with black high heels.
Strictly speaking, cheongsam and black stockings didn’t quite match—elegance was hard to pull off without a hint of allure. But Xu Wanyue’s curves were alluring, her eyes pure and clear.
“Today’s the last day,” Xu Wanyue said with a wink.
“You’re early.”
“Couldn’t sleep last night… wanted to come chat sooner.” She kicked off her shoes and flopped onto Lin Cheng’s bed, hugging his pillow and clamping it between her legs without a care. “Up all night, scared of nightmares.”
“You’ll get used to it eventually.” Lin Cheng sat in the chair, replying evenly.
“Get used to it…?”
“The world of ability users is like that. Either you never step into it and live normally—but the Alliance already scouted your powers. Even if you quit, other groups will come knocking. Rules are rules; you only get one choice…”
“Thinking back, being an ability user doesn’t seem so great. No wonder Si Ming wanted to go ordinary.” Xu Wanyue’s voice held a touch of wistfulness. She looked up at him. “Remember way back when you bragged to me that you used to be Si Ming?”
“I am Si Ming.” Lin Cheng gave her a helpless look.
“Liar. The old Si Ming never killed.”
“…Back then, I thought Batman was cool.”
“Still stubborn, huh?”
Xu Wanyue laughed so hard she rolled on the bed. Her ample chest strained against the cheongsam, her stocking-clad thighs soft and smooth through the slit.
“Your hairpin fell out…” Lin Cheng couldn’t help muttering.
Xu Wanyue snapped back, sitting up in a frenzy. “I spent all morning learning how to use it…”
“…Tie it with a hair tie for now. I’ll fix it when we go.”
“You can do it?”
“Yeah.” Lin Cheng sighed helplessly.
Satisfied, Xu Wanyue flopped back down, gazing into his eyes. “Can you order takeout for ingredients…? Too sleepy. I’ll nap, then cook when I wake up.”
“Sleep.”
When Xu Wanyue stirred awake, Lin Cheng was gone from the room. Glancing at the clock—2 p.m. She bolted upright and rushed to the living room. He must be starving!
But the aroma of home-cooked food wafted through the air. Xu Wanyue inhaled deeply, suddenly ravenous, saliva flooding her mouth. She followed the scent to the kitchen, where Lin Cheng—apron tied on—was reducing the sauce on a pot of braised pork belly.
“Smells amazing…” Xu Wanyue felt drool pooling, her stomach growling painfully.
“You’re up? Perfect—wash up and eat.”
Lin Cheng plated the braised pork belly, garnishing it with chopped green onions. Beside it sat freshly fried meatballs, still steaming. A basket of bok choy waited nearby, ready for a quick stir-fry, while winter melon and rib soup simmered in a clay pot.
Five minutes later, Xu Wanyue speared a piece of pork. Melt-in-your-mouth tender, fatty yet not greasy, the savory soy sweetness perfectly balanced with the rich meat. She tried a meatball next—crisp shell encasing flawlessly seasoned filling. Dipped in sauce or chili powder, it lingered deliciously on the tongue.
Her eyes turned to starry admiration. She sampled the stir-fried bok choy—crisp and juicy, seasoned to perfection. Amazed, she stared at Lin Cheng, who ate quietly. “Any secrets?”
Her own cooking paled in comparison.
Lin Cheng glanced up. “Cooking’s like energy manipulation. Just be precise—control the flavors and heat meticulously.”
Xu Wanyue ate far more than usual this time. Stuffed, she slouched in her chair with a satisfied burp, sipping the winter melon soup. Tears nearly welled up.
So good.
The melon’s sweetness melded flawlessly with the ribs’ aroma—light, refreshing, grease-cutting. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone soft. She grabbed two more bites. Suddenly, she recalled preening about her cooking skills in front of him… and felt utterly embarrassed.
