YABE - 23

The next morning, Jiang Xu woke up very early.

He still felt a bit dizzy and his whole body was weak. There was something cool on his head, and when he reached up to touch it, he found it was a towel.

His fever had subsided, so he pulled the towel off and threw it into the basin on the bedside table. He slightly turned his head and saw the fluffy little head of the girl resting near his hand.

Wen Siyu had brought a small stool to sit on. She was leaning against the side of his bed, her head tilted as she slept soundly.

The thick curtains filtered out the daylight thoroughly, making the bedroom quite dim. Her long eyelashes covered her eyes but couldn’t hide the faint shadows beneath them.

She must have stayed up very late last night. In his dazed state, Jiang Xu vaguely remembered a pair of hands gently replacing the towel on his head every so often.

He looked up at the wall clock—it was six-thirty.

Her arm was pressing down one side of the blanket, so Jiang Xu didn’t dare to move. He slowly got out of bed from the other side and went over to her.

Bending down, he gently scooped her up with one arm under her knees, being extremely careful not to wake her.

However, Wen Siyu had been worried about him and hadn’t slept deeply. Feeling the movement, she subconsciously thought something was wrong with him again and abruptly woke up.

“… Teacher Jiang.” She jolted awake, her big eyes still closed, already calling out to him with a furrowed brow.

Jiang Xu held her with one knee on the bed, softly reassuring her: “I’m here.”

Wen Siyu nestled in his arms, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She blinked, her long lashes fluttering. “… Are you feeling better now?”

Jiang Xu’s heart melted.

He hummed in response, placed her back on the bed, tucked her in, then sat down beside her. Leaning on his elbow, he rested his head on his hand and gazed at her.

The light was dim, the distance between them close, and recalling what the man had said yesterday, Wen Siyu’s ears began to redden.

Seeing this, Jiang Xu chuckled softly.

Now Wen Siyu’s entire face was turning red.

“It’s still early,” Jiang Xu gently tidied her slightly messy hair with his free hand, his low voice trembling in the morning air, “Sleep a little more?”

Wen Siyu, who had been a bit sleepy, was now wide awake. She struggled to extend her arm out from under the covers to get up and make room for him, but the man firmly pressed her back down.

“What are you doing?”

“Making room for you.” The young girl’s slender white arm was exposed. “Teacher Jiang just got over his fever; don’t catch a cold again.”

Her expression was adorable, and her words were endearing—so much so that they tempted one to commit a crime.

Jiang Xu paused for a moment before asking, “Do you remember what I said last night?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Wen Siyu’s face turn a deep, transparent red.

She opened her mouth, stuttering “I-I-I” for a while, unable to say anything.

Jiang Xu leaned closer, his voice hoarse: “You don’t remember?”

Feeling cornered, Wen Siyu instinctively tried to retreat, but there was no space behind her on the bed.

“I said, I like you.” He lowered his head, closing his eyes as he slowly covered her lips with his own, pressing gently.

His lips were soft, moist, and slightly warm, carrying an indescribably pleasant scent.

It was a fleeting touch, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water.

But Wen Siyu’s vision blurred, and her mind buzzed.

When her sight cleared, he had already lifted his head, his eyes twinkling as he gazed at her.

— But he wasn’t done yet.

Just as Wen Siyu held her breath, her eyes wide open staring at him, Jiang Xu lowered his head again, their noses touching.

“I said, I want to kiss you.”

His thin lips brushed against hers, lightly rubbing as he whispered the words.

Jiang Xu raised his head, the laughter in his deep brown eyes growing deeper.

“I asked if you like me too.”

He bent down for the third time, kissing her.

This time, it wasn’t just a fleeting touch. He took her lower lip between his, tracing its outline with his tongue, lightly biting and sucking, varying the pressure.

Wen Siyu felt tingles all over her body, as if floating on clouds, light-headed and dizzy, letting his movements melt her into a puddle.

“So, do you like it?” The man nuzzled her nose, his tongue inch by inch grazing her lips.

Her taste was sweet and tender, like a peeled peach—taking a bite would release fresh, sweet juice.

“Do you like me?”

Her answer came in the form of trembling lashes and her hand suddenly reaching up to his neck.

She tightly closed her eyes, hooking her arms around his neck and tilting her head up, offering her lips to him. Her clumsy, inexperienced licking hit him like a powerful drug, crashing into his heart.

She was nervous, her whole body trembling, but her arms clung tightly, her soft little tongue darting here and there, igniting flames within his mouth.

Without hesitation, Jiang Xu took control. One hand pressed against the back of her ear, lifting her up, while the other slid down to her waist, gently rubbing. He coaxed her soft tongue deeper, sweeping over her teeth and gums, drawing out wave after wave of shivers.

It wasn’t until Wen Siyu felt nearly suffocated that he finally lifted his head.

The intimate panting lingered between them. At some point, Jiang Xu had climbed onto the bed. The young girl lay beneath him, breathing softly. Her lips were red and slightly swollen, her eyes misty and shimmering with moisture, her temples flushed.

— A look that made one want to tease her even more.

Deep shadows flickered in Jiang Xu’s eyes.

He closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the intense emotions, and sighed, his voice low and raspy.

“Little one, you can’t seduce an older man in bed, understand?”

His tone was both helpless and suggestive, laced with obvious affection.

Wen Siyu looked at him innocently: “Teacher Jiang asked first.”

Jiang Xu sighed again, ruffling her hair, and rolled out of bed: “Are you hungry?”

Wen Siyu shook her head.

“Then sleep a little more. I’ll wake you up for breakfast later.” Jiang Xu tucked her in again, slipped on his slippers, and walked out from the foot of the bed.

Wen Siyu murmured in agreement, glancing at the wall clock. Softly, she asked him: “Teacher Jiang, aren’t you sleeping anymore?” — It was still early, and he hadn’t rested well after running a fever last night.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized something seemed a bit off.

The figure of the man heading out paused, looking a bit stiff.

“Can’t sleep. Going to take a shower.”

Wen Siyu: “… “

Jiang Xu’s master bedroom had an attached bathroom, but since the girl was lying on his bed, he hesitated and chose to use the bathroom outside.

After sweating through the night with his fever and the earlier activity, he emerged refreshed in clean loungewear after a bath.

Upon entering the bedroom, he saw that Wen Siyu had fallen asleep.

The little girl was quietly curled up in the blanket, her long hair softly spread across his pillow, her hand lightly clenched into a fist gripping the edge.

Jiang Xu approached, lowering his gaze, silently watching her.

Small, cute, with a sweet smile.

Sweet-smelling, with soft lips.

Now she was his.

His little girl.

Jiang Xu smiled, bending down to gently place a kiss on her forehead.

Zhou Yi knocked on his door promptly at eight o’clock. Before the man outside could knock twice, Jiang Xu quickly walked over, pressing down on the door handle with a blank expression: “Can you just come in without knocking?”

“Oh, looking lively, is your fever gone?” Zhou Yi’s loud voice boomed, but before he could finish, Jiang Xu shot him a cold glance.

“Keep your voice down, or get out.”

Confused, Zhou Yi lowered his volume, whispering, “What’s going on? Acting like a thief?”

Ignoring him, Jiang Xu went back into the kitchen, pressed the toaster down, opened the fridge, took out a carton of milk, poured it into a pot, and started heating it.

Zhou Yi followed, watching his series of actions with disbelief, almost scared speechless: “Holy crap, Teacher Jiang, since when do you cook?”

“Relax, how hard is it to heat up milk without blowing up the kitchen?” Jiang Xu didn’t even look at him.

“No, it’s just that someone who usually stays up all night gaming and doesn’t get up before noon suddenly making breakfast at eight in the morning is kind of terrifying,” Zhou Yi remarked curiously. “Are you practicing for your little streamer girlfriend?”

Jiang Xu chuckled, his tone light: “Exactly.”

Zhou Yi shook his head, muttering about the power and magic of love, which grants humans endless strength and possibilities. Just as he was about to compose a poem, the bedroom door clicked open.

From the open kitchen, Jiang Xu looked up to see the person emerging.

“Awake?” he asked coolly.

“… Mm.” Wen Siyu stood at the doorway, rubbing her eyes. “Teacher Jiang, I’m hungry.”

Jiang Xu poured the warmed milk into a glass, acting like a domestic househusband: “Go wash up first. Do you want toast?”

Wen Siyu let out a soft “Ah,” and walked over. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she saw Zhou Yi leaning against the kitchen counter, mouth agape.

— The word “eat” stuck in her throat.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi, whose jaw was nearly unhinged, managed to blurt out:

“Holy shit.”

Wen Siyu quickly spun around, diving back into the bedroom at lightning speed and slamming the door shut with a bang.

Zhou Yi pointed a trembling finger toward the bedroom door: “Wh-what’s going on?”

Jiang Xu gave him a sidelong glance, saying nothing.

“So that’s why you insisted on booking a flight and coming back last night despite your fever?” Zhou Yi’s chin quivered. “Did you go straight to her after getting off the plane?”

Jiang Xu hummed in response. Just then, the toaster popped up, filling the air with the rich aroma of toasted bread.

He thought for a moment, then nodded: “I should thank this illness. It came at a good time.”

“Your self-sacrificing spirit for the sake of your girl is truly admirable,” Zhou Yi couldn’t help but praise him. “For her, you’re willing to lose face—and even your life.”

Jiang Xu, expressionless, transferred the toasted bread onto a plate, his tone indifferent: “My face and life belong to her now. What else do I need?”

Zhou Yi: “… “

Damn.