Chapter 6: Taking Advantage of His Drunkenness for a Kiss—Until His Spine Went Weak
In that instant, every one of Xie Youci’s senses sharpened.
The soft warmth brushing against his ear and the hot breath fanning over his cheek seemed to pierce straight into his soul, overwhelming his mind completely.
“Chi Yang! Chi—”
A harsh scraping sound suddenly cut through the air.
Before he could finish speaking, Chi Yang boldly shoved him in the shoulder.
Caught completely off guard, Xie Youci stumbled backward with her in his arms, and the two of them fell together onto the enormous round sofa behind them.
The impact was heavy.
The sofa slid across the floor, its metal legs screeching against the tiles with an ear-piercing grind.
Then—
Chi Yang’s lips brushed across his cheek and landed on the underside of his lifted chin.
The veins on Xie Youci’s arms stood out.
At that moment, his long fingers tightened around her waist. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently, and both ears turned visibly red.
Holy shit…
Holy shit.
Holy shit!
His mind went completely blank.
The instant their lips touched, it felt as though every shred of reason had burned away. The room was so quiet he could hear their mingling breaths—and the furious pounding of his own heart.
Yet Chi Yang’s kisses continued to wander upward.
The tingling sensation left his entire body numb.
Turning his head away, he narrowly avoided the kiss that almost landed on his lips.
“Chi Yang.”
His voice came out low and hoarse.
The veins on his hands had yet to fade as he gripped her slender waist and caught her wrist.
“Get a hold of yourself.”
“I’m Xie Youci!”
In his mind, he was kindly reminding her.
After all, the two of them had fought each other since childhood. As far as he was concerned, there was no way Chi Yang could possibly have any improper intentions toward him.
But drunk Chi Yang was completely unhinged.
She didn’t care whether the man in front of her was her lifelong rival, Xie Youci.
Clinging to his belt, she tugged his shirt loose and slipped her hand underneath, pressing her palm against his abs.
Xie Youci: “…”
Every muscle in his abdomen and back went rigid.
His Adam’s apple rolled wildly.
In the end, as if he’d been utterly defeated, he collapsed deeper into the sofa with a look of resignation, just like that night when her teasing had nearly driven him past the point of self-control.
This time, too, Xie Youci found himself completely incapable of resisting.
In fact…
Part of him was tempted.
Closing his eyes, he tilted his chin upward.
As Chi Yang’s kisses left his entire spine tingling, he kept trying to dodge them, yet found himself sinking deeper and deeper into surrender.
Then suddenly—
A sharp pain shot through his chin.
“…”
Right.
The little puppy had bitten him again.
And then—
She stopped moving.
Xie Youci lowered his gaze toward her, his emotions tangled and complicated. His reddened ears had yet to recover their color.
“Chi Yang?”
He tried calling her name.
But she remained sprawled across his chest, completely still.
One hand was even tucked inside his shirt, resting possessively over his abs.
A slight frown creased his brow.
He lifted her chin with one hand and finally noticed the drunken flush staining the corners of her eyes and cheeks.
The little puppy who’d been assaulting him moments ago…
Had fallen asleep.
Xie Youci: “…”
His gaze darkened as he studied her face.
What was that supposed to mean?
She kissed me?
She actually kissed me again.
Don’t tell me…
She likes me?
His thoughts grew increasingly complicated.
He patted her cheek.
“Wake up. What exactly was that kiss supposed to mean? Explain yourself, Chi Er’er.”
He ground out her childhood nickname through clenched teeth.
In response, Chi Yang slapped the back of his hand away.
Half asleep and thoroughly drunk, she mumbled,
“Stop bothering me… I’m sleeping. Keep it up and I’ll draw Peppa Pig all over your abs.”
Xie Youci: “…………”
He had every reason to believe she would actually do it.
So he wisely shut up.
Then, like some innocent victim who’d been thoroughly taken advantage of and abandoned immediately afterward, he slid an arm beneath her knees and carried the drunk troublemaker to her feet.
Tsk.
Boys really should learn to protect themselves when they’re out.
Look at him now.
Not only had he failed to protect himself—
He still had to take this female hooligan home.
Unbelievable.
The next morning.
West Bay.
Golden sunlight filtered through the clouds, glittering against the red wedding decoration pasted on the bedroom window.
Chi Yang woke up because she was hungry.
When she finally opened her eyes, the sunlight stabbed painfully into them.
Her head felt like it was splitting apart. The aftermath of her hangover fizzed through her skull like an effervescent tablet dissolving in water—swollen, throbbing, and ready to explode.
Supporting herself on the bed, she slowly sat up.
Rubbing her aching temples, she lifted her eyelids and surveyed her surroundings.
Only then did she realize she had spent the night in a man’s bedroom.
The decor was all black, white, and gray.
Simple and elegant, yet carrying an unmistakable air of arrogance and rebellion.
And strangely familiar.
“…”
Her sluggish brain froze for several seconds.
Then realization hit.
Like a startled rabbit, she immediately clutched the blanket and shot upright.
West Bay!
Their marital home!
The house she shared with Xie Youci!
Why was she here?
Her pupils contracted.
Just as she was about to recall what had happened after she got drunk, a lazy voice drifted over from nearby.
“Awake?”
Chi Yang jerked her head up.
Sure enough, there he was.
Xie Youci stood leaning against the bedroom doorway.
Dressed in a dark bathrobe that somehow made him look both cold and dangerously attractive, he looked as though all the bones had been removed from his body. Loose, relaxed, and effortlessly roguish.
The moment she saw him, her expression filled with obvious disgust.
Giving him a sidelong glance, she asked,
“Xie Dog? Why are you here?”
A mocking laugh escaped him.
Holding a cup of coffee, Xie Youci took a leisurely sip before turning to look at her.
“You seriously don’t know why I’m here?”
It would not be an exaggeration to say—
Last night had been a full-blown Youyou Survival Adventure.
Xie Youci, who had never dated anyone in his life yet always carried himself with supreme confidence, had first been shoved onto a sofa and aggressively kissed by Chi Yang without the slightest ability to resist.
Then, just as the bite mark on his collarbone had finally faded, she’d left a fresh set of teeth marks on his chin.
And after that—
She’d kissed him until she fell asleep.
He’d endured all kinds of humiliation carrying her home, only for her to wake up again the moment they arrived and continue causing trouble.
She’d insisted on sleeping in his room with her head resting against his abs.
After tremendous effort, he’d finally managed to coax her to sleep.
His bed had been completely occupied, forcing him to spend the night in the pink, cloud-soft master bedroom.
His back still hurt from it.
And now—
The very first thing Chi Yang said upon waking was:
“Wait… don’t tell me you were the one who brought me home after I got drunk?”
Xie Youci paused.
Very slowly.
Then he lifted his chin, revealing the fresh bite mark she’d left behind.
His dark eyes fixed on her with an unreadable expression.
“…You don’t remember?”
“Nope.”
Chi Yang shook her head honestly.
She knew perfectly well that her alcohol tolerance was terrible.
Most of the time, whenever she got drunk, she’d black out completely and remember nothing afterward.
Xie Youci: “…”
Wonderful.
Kissed him and then refused to take responsibility.
A humorless laugh escaped him.
Looking thoroughly offended, he turned to leave.
But just then—
A voice drifted over from behind him.
Soft as a cloud, with a faint upward lilt.
“Um… Xie Youci.”
Chi Yang’s voice naturally carried a gentle sweetness.
Not the deliberate kind.
The kind that slipped out unconsciously in the hazy moments after waking up.
Hands in his pockets, Xie Youci stopped.
He glanced back at her.
“What now?”
Rubbing her stomach, still uncomfortable from the alcohol, Chi Yang looked up at him pitifully.
“I’m starving.”
She blinked.
“Can you make me something to eat?”
