Jiang Qingli’s lips hurt.

As her senses returned, so too did the searing pain on her lips. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

She had never seen Qin Muye act so much like a dog. His canines nipped and ground against her lips. He was like a dog starved for a decade that had just spotted a meaty bone—all reason tossed aside, driven purely by the instinct to gnaw.

Several times, she even suspected Qin Muye might eat her alive.

She looked up at Qin Muye.

Qin Muye was looking at her, too.

The side of his face she had just slapped was faintly red, but the male snow leopard’s eyes held no anger at being struck, nor any shame for being defied. He stared intently at the girl in his arms, his gaze even hotter than before.

A hungry dog that’s never tasted meat is one thing. What’s far more terrifying is a dog that’s had a taste but still isn’t satisfied.

It’s had a taste, so it knows just how delicious it is.

And it will be thinking, constantly, about getting another bite.

As Qin Muye stared, his body unconsciously dipped, leaning toward her.

Jiang Qingli pushed him away and snapped, "Who said you could kiss me?"

"You told me to say it." Qin Muye lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse. "I only made a move after I said it."

He said it as if it made perfect sense.

Jiang Qingli asked, "I didn’t agree. What gave you the right to make a move?"

Perhaps because he had gotten his way, the Prince, for once, didn’t blow his top. He answered obediently, "Then I’ll ask you next time."

"You think there’s going to be a next time—"

Jiang Qingli laughed in exasperation and raised her hand to hit him.

Just as she lifted her wrist, Qin Muye turned his head and offered her his other cheek.

This move made Jiang Qingli freeze. "..."

’What is happening?’

’Don’t tell me... Qin Muye has some kind of special kink. Does he actually *like* being hit...?’

’If I hit him now, wouldn’t that just be rewarding him?’

Jiang Qingli stared at Qin Muye’s face, debating whether she should hit him.

After a few seconds, it was Qin Muye who couldn’t take it anymore. He averted his gaze. "...What are you looking at me for? Is there something on my face?"

’He actually dared to question me.’

Jiang Qingli asked, "Why did you kiss me?"

Qin Muye’s previously tough and composed facade crumbled like paper.

A blush spread across his neck, visible to the naked eye.

’Some leopards look fierce, but a few simple questions are all it takes to make them blush.’

If this was a game, Jiang Qingli had effortlessly gained the upper hand.

She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. "I remember the first time the Prince met me, you warned me not to get close to you. You also said that if you ever laid a hand on me—"

Before she could finish, long, slender fingers clamped over her mouth.

Hearing his own harsh words repeated back to him, Qin Muye was overcome with a mortifying wave of shame. He wished he could travel back in time and beat the crap out of his past self.

Qin Muye avoided her gaze, ducking his head to bury his burning face in the crook of her neck.

His searing breath hit her skin. Jiang Qingli wasn’t used to it and felt the air slowly begin to warm.

After a long moment, Qin Muye’s muffled voice finally sounded—

"Then go ahead and punish me."

Jiang Qingli didn’t quite process that. "What?"

His other hand snaked around Jiang Qingli’s waist as he leaned in, closing the distance between them.

The girl’s fresh, sweet scent enveloped all his senses.

Qin Muye looked a bit dazed as he explained, "We signed a contract, didn’t we? If I make a move on you, you can do whatever you want with me."

His thin lips pressed together. Qin Muye stressed, "Really. I’m at your mercy."

Jiang Qingli asked hesitantly, "You’ll really do anything I tell you? And you’ll be... obedient?"

’Obedient?’

Qin Muye replayed that word in his mind, and his heart began to race.

’How exactly did she want me to be "obedient"?’

’Does she want me to give her my paw? To lower my head and let her pet me? Or... is it going to be like one of those trashy soap operas, where she demands I kneel and serve her obediently...?’

Qin Muye lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Jiang Qingli’s expression.

A strange thirst bloomed in his chest, as if it would take much more to be quenched.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. The young man’s voice was low and raspy. "Yeah. I’ll be good."

Jiang Qingli patted his shoulder. "In that case, I demand that you score above an 80 on all your theory course final exams. Can you do that?"

Qin Muye: ?

Qin Muye abruptly straightened up to look at her.

For a moment, he suspected he was hearing things.

’What did she say?’

’What did she just say?’

’Telling me to take my exams?’

’Is she kidding me?! I was ready to throw it all on the line! And Jiang Qingli is telling me to... study for my exams?!’

Qin Muye suddenly felt a bizarre sense of déjà vu, like a forgotten concubine in the Cold Palace who, after being summoned for a night of imperial favor and dressing to the nines, arrives only to find the Emperor has laid out hundreds of textbooks and told her to study...

Qin Muye’s expression was incredulous. "That’s it?"

Seeing his stiff expression, Jiang Qingli said considerately, "What’s wrong? Is getting an 80 too hard for you? Should I lower the requirement?"

’What’s that supposed to mean?’

’Does she think I’m that stupid?!’

This made Qin Muye even more furious. "Who do you take me for? Eighty it is!"

"Looking forward to the good news, then," Jiang Qingli said with a grin.

But no matter how he looked at her, Qin Muye could see a mischievous glint in her smiling eyes, the look of a prankster who had just succeeded.

Frustrated, Qin Muye stepped aside to let Jiang Qingli pass so they could leave together.

Jiang Qingli extended a hand toward him.

He took it instinctively, not expecting her to use his hand to pull herself up and suddenly lean close.

"Qin Muye." The girl’s soft, sweet breath fell on his face. "You’re a terrible kisser."

’I’m a bad kisser?’

’Then who’s a good one?’

’That damn fox and that wretched snake?’

Qin Muye felt like a sapling that had been snipped just as it sprouted—angry and aggrieved. He couldn’t help leaning back toward her to argue, "I don’t care. That didn’t count. Give me another chance—"

Before he could finish, Jiang Qingli stood on her tiptoes, her soft lips landing on his.

The words he was about to say came to an abrupt halt.

Qin Muye’s eyes widened, and he subconsciously parted his lips, about to deepen the kiss.

But Jiang Qingli had already taken two steps back. She raised a hand and manually closed his mouth.

"Be good, and I’ll give you another chance." Jiang Qingli, a master of teasing leopards, patted his head. The last syllable of her sentence curled up invitingly. "Hm?"

Qin Muye froze, watching blankly as she pulled back her hand, took out her lipstick to touch up her makeup, and walked away, the hem of her pleated skirt swinging in a light arc.

Qin Muye felt his heart floating right along with it.

’The sapling that had just been snipped seemed to have revived, and was now growing even more vigorously.’

It was a long moment before he came to his senses and chased after her retreating figure.

-

Jiang Qingli walked out of the classroom, only to see a tall, slender figure standing by the door.

The familiar-looking scene made Jiang Qingli pause, slightly embarrassed. "Uh... are you here for an inspection again?"

Yuan Shiyao didn’t speak. His pale, thin lips were pressed into a tight line. With his arms crossed, his pair of emerald-green eyes scanned her from top to bottom.

Her hair was slightly messy, the rims of her eyes were a little red, and her cheeks were flushed pink...

Her lips were the worst of it. The lipstick was freshly applied, but it couldn’t hide the slight swelling, and a smudge of smeared color stained the corner of her mouth.

’She looked, for all the world, like she had just been thoroughly ravished.’

What had happened inside was self-evident.

Anger surged in Yuan Shiyao’s heart, flames practically leaping in his emerald-green eyes.

’He had run into her in the academic building only twice!’

’And both times, she was in a classroom with some male, doing unspeakable things!’

’What about all the times he *didn’t* catch her? Was she letting those disgusting males sweet-talk her into anything and everything?’

’Just how many men does she need to lead on?!’

Yuan Shiyao’s gaze grew sharper, almost accusatory.

Being stared at like that, Jiang Qingli felt an inexplicable chill and took a step back.

A hand wrapped around the girl’s waist, pulling her into an embrace.

"What are you looking at?" Qin Muye said, annoyed. "Get lost."

Yuan Shiyao raised his eyes, his gaze immediately landing on Qin Muye’s lips.

Compared to Jiang Qingli, Qin Muye looked much worse for wear. One side of his face was flushed, the skin on his lip was broken, and the corners of his mouth were faintly smeared with the same vivid red from the female’s lipstick.

’So they had a rather intense make-out session in there.’

Yuan Shiyao let out a cold sneer. "Prince, as a member of the student council, I have the right to ask what you are doing here."

Qin Muye arched an eyebrow, his arrogance on full display. "What fucking business is it of yours? Even if your old man showed up, he wouldn’t have the right to ask."

After he spoke, he suddenly realized something. He glanced at Jiang Qingli and explained in a lower voice, "I meant his dad... That doesn’t count as cursing, right?"

Jiang Qingli mimicked his eyebrow arch. "Barely, I guess."

’She’s so cute when she does that.’

Qin Muye unconsciously started staring at her again and only stopped when she shot him a glare, forcing himself to look serious with a cough.

The Prince’s foul attitude had always been infuriating.

But the easy intimacy in his voice as he explained himself to Jiang Qingli was even more irritating to Yuan Shiyao.

His fingers unconsciously tightened. Just as Yuan Shiyao was about to speak, a lazy voice sounded from behind him—

"Wow, what a lively gathering. Look at everyone here."