Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Scheming Snake Acts Cute Online: It Hurts

Gu Nian spoke with a slight smile, as if this were just a casual conversation.

But having interacted with him just once via video call, Baili Jing already understood his nature.

He was being passive-aggressive, taking a jab at him for clinging to Jiang Qingli.

Anyone else might have gotten angry, but not Baili Jing.

Baili Jing lifted his long lashes and lazily glanced at the video feed. He then turned his head, moving closer to the girl in his arms.

"I guess I’m being too clingy..." Baili Jing pursed his lips. "I’m sorry, Xiao Li. Am I being annoying?"

"Of course not..." Jiang Qingli quickly reached out to pat his head. "Don’t overthink things when you’re sick."

"Okay." Baili Jing smiled at Jiang Qingli, his words full of affection. "You’re so good to me, babe."

Out of the girl’s sight, Baili Jing glanced sideways. His pale gold eyes stared at the screen, narrowing slightly, full of provocation.

On the other side of the screen, Gu Nian’s body visibly stiffened, and his breathing grew heavier.

The young man bit his lip and, not to be outdone, began to speak, "Sister..."

Before he could finish, Baili Jing cut him off.

Baili Jing acted as if he’d only just noticed someone else was there. "Oh, right. Did you need help picking out an outfit? I can help you."

Jiang Qingli thought that was a great idea. "Yes, he’s a huge star! He knows all about fashion. The dresses he bought for me before were all beautiful!"

Gu Nian: "..."

Gu Nian forced a stiff smile and lowered his eyes, feigning embarrassment. "Then... then I’ll go get changed."

He placed his terminal to the side and silently walked away.

As he stood up, Jiang Qingli caught a glimpse of a fair, elegant collarbone and shoulder.

’A strange thought suddenly popped into her head: Wait, don’t tell me Gu Nian isn’t wearing anything...’

Jiang Qingli immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it appeared.

’I’m really looking at him with a biased eye. How could that be possible?’

’Gu Nian is just a very well-behaved and timid rabbit. He would never do something so bold and seductive.’

Jiang Qingli shook her head.

As if afraid she’d leave, Gu Nian quickly changed and reappeared on the screen.

Compared to when the video call first connected, Gu Nian looked much more proper now.

The young man took off the rabbit ears, stepped back a little, and stood in front of the hotel’s light-colored wallpaper.

The light blue silk shirt draped perfectly, accentuating his snow-white skin and making him look like a handsome character straight out of a manga.

The collar was slightly open, revealing a long neck and delicate collarbones, which made him look a bit slender.

Jiang Qingli realized that Gu Nian seemed much taller than she had imagined.

She had read in his profile that he was 1.82 meters tall, but after seeing so many of his selfies, she always thought of him as just a pretty kid, probably around her own height—someone whose face she could easily reach out and touch.

But now, seeing his full figure, she realized he was, in fact, an adult man.

The feeling was a bit strange.

Jiang Qingli didn’t say anything. On the other end of the video, Gu Nian seemed a little anxious. He pursed his lips. "Sister, does it not look good?"

"No, not at all! It looks great," Jiang Qingli said earnestly. "That shirt really suits you. Besides, you’re so handsome, you’d look good in anything. I bet there are very few people in the First District better looking than you!"

Just a few words from Jiang Qingli were enough to make Gu Nian’s eyes curve into a smile.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Ye Linyuan’s cold voice sounded out, "Time to eat."

Only then did Jiang Qingli realize it was getting late.

On the other end of the call, Gu Nian said considerately, "Then I’ll go eat too. You’ve worked hard, Sister. You should get some rest~"

’How could just looking at clothes be considered hard work?’

’If anything, it was a feast for the eyes.’

Jiang Qingli didn’t think much of it. She hung up the call and pulled Baili Jing downstairs for dinner.

「Fourth District, Aniwell Hotel.」

Gu Nian took off the blue shirt, hung it up, and put it in the closet.

A few other pieces of clothing were piled at his feet.

They were cheap shirts he had bought in the Twelve Cities.

Because they were made by cutting corners, the material of these shirts was terrible, but they had one advantage: when worn, they became semi-transparent, vaguely revealing the wearer’s silhouette.

’If there was water, the effect would be even better...’

Gu Nian’s gaze fell on the glass of water on the table.

’Everything had been ready. It was all that damned fox spirit’s fault.’

Thinking of the young man who had been holding the girl earlier, Gu Nian snorted.

"He wasted so much of Sister’s spiritual power last night, made her work so hard, and he’s still clinging to her. So annoying..." The young man’s brow furrowed pitifully, but when no one was around, his soft voice shamelessly revealed a vicious streak. "It would be great if I could just kill him."

"But Sister seems to really like him. What a pain..."

The distant rumble of thunder masked the young man’s morbid muttering.

The night was deep. As the thunder faded, a fine, drizzling rain began to fall.

Strands of rain, carrying a damp mist, landed on the slender fingers resting on the windowsill, soaking them.

Jiang Qingli closed the window. Before she could turn around, she felt a man embrace her from behind. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

His arms circled her waist, and a slight weight settled on her shoulder.

Ye Linyuan leaned his head close to her ear. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, just closing the window," Jiang Qingli answered honestly.

Her body was a little stiff.

Having been intimate twice, Ye Linyuan knew she was nervous, her little mind likely picturing some indecent scenes.

His lips curled into a smirk. Ye Linyuan turned her around and pinned her against the glass window.

His fingers tilted up her chin. Just as he was about to lower his head, Jiang Qingli suddenly covered his mouth.

"Let me just say this first—I used up all my spiritual power last night. I don’t know if it’ll be useful right now..." Jiang Qingli gave him a heads-up. "If your wound doesn’t heal after we kiss, don’t blame me."

Ye Linyuan frowned subconsciously.

Her words made him very uncomfortable, even a little repulsed.

’It was as if they could only be intimate when it was for Spiritual Healing.’

Ye Linyuan frowned, ignoring the strange feeling of repulsion. He spoke calmly, "To the bed."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Does he have to be so direct?’

"I don’t want to do it today." Jiang Qingli always found it easy to be honest in front of the villain. "I’m very tired. I have no energy."

After she spoke, she felt Ye Linyuan’s eyes narrow in displeasure.

She had braced herself for a few passive-aggressive remarks from Ye Linyuan, but he said nothing, only grunting an "Mm."

Jiang Qingli walked over, but just as she sat on the bed, a snake tail coiled around her. He moved closer and captured her lips.

They hadn’t seen each other for a day and a night. His movements were much more urgent, yet gentler than before.

’It’s like... he’s not as fierce anymore.’

Jiang Qingli grew a little bolder and tentatively kissed him back.

She was still inexperienced, so her movements were clumsy and faltering.

Ye Linyuan stopped his own movements, letting her explore on her own.

The snake tail was wrapped around the girl’s calf, coiling and rubbing slowly, its restraint tinged with an imperceptible doting.

Ye Linyuan closed his eyes, his breathing slightly uneven.

During their movements, her hand touched his waist.

An involuntary hum escaped the young man’s throat.

"I’m sorry, did I touch your wound?" she asked apologetically in the dark, her breath falling on his cheek.

Ye Linyuan watched her through half-lidded eyes, his thoughts drifting.

’When he left that day, he hadn’t wanted to come back. He wanted to stay far away from her. But when his turn came, he had returned as if guided by some unseen force. The wound on his waist wasn’t caused by a Superpower. It wasn’t deep and had healed not long after being bandaged. But when he saw Qin Muye clinging to her, he had, almost without thinking, torn open the healed wound, just to make her stay. For as long as he could remember, Ye Linyuan had lost count of how many injuries he’d sustained, how many times he’d been on the verge of death. The worst time, there was barely an uninjured patch of flesh on his entire body. He had poured alcohol over it all without even frowning. But now, under the girl’s concerned gaze, Ye Linyuan actually felt a slight warmth swelling in his chest. She always gave him such strange and unfamiliar feelings. Annoying, yet impossible to leave.’

Ye Linyuan lowered his eyes, his heartbeat in disarray.

A long time later, he heard his own voice, low and soft—

"It hurts."