WG - 54

At this moment, their posture had crossed a line.

His words seemed to be a catalyst, making his intentions increasingly clear.

The curtains in the room were half-closed, obscuring a corner of the wall and sofa.

In the dim light, Xie Ye leaned back beneath her, his eyes seemingly flecked with tiny lights, deep and captivating. He stared straight ahead, as if he had great patience and wasn’t urging her, yet also as if he was coaxing her to make the next move.

Chi Zhiyu felt a little out of control, inexplicably thinking that she was in charge of the situation at this moment.

So.

She could do anything.

The thought emerged.

Chi Zhiyu thought of it, and did it spontaneously.

She propped herself up, lowered her head, moved close to the side of his face, and lightly kissed his lips.

Their lips met.

Both their bodies stiffened.

But she only lingered for a few seconds before pulling away.

Chi Zhiyu looked up, and their gazes met again.

Eyes locked.

Chi Zhiyu’s mind suddenly flushed hot, and she stammered, “C-Can we... stop now...?”

She leaned back, wanting to sit up straight.

The next moment, Xie Ye hooked her waist with one hand, pulling her into his embrace and making her sit up.

Following this force, Chi Zhiyu’s body leaned forward again, her forehead bumping into his chest.

She was completely unprepared, and her mind went blank for a moment.

Xie Ye first leaned in close to her eyes, their noses touching, his eyes dark, their breaths intertwining, his lips seeming to approach and then retreat.

“Do you think so?”

Chi Zhiyu’s heart pounded, but her mind was a blank slate. “What?”

At this moment, the situation had reversed.

Xie Ye held her waist tightly with one hand, not letting her escape, keeping her firmly in his grasp.

His other hand rested on the back of her neck, completely encircling her in front of him. His scent, subtly infused with sandalwood, surrounded her, faint yet impossible to ignore.

“I didn’t,” Chi Zhiyu looked up at him, a little confused, and said, “kiss you?”

Xie Ye said softly, “It doesn’t meet the requirements, so it doesn’t count.”

Chi Zhiyu’s mind was a beat slow. “Huh?”

Xie Ye smiled, “Didn’t understand?”

“...” Chi Zhiyu came to her senses and pursed her lips. “Then what should I do?”

“You try a few more times? Or,” Xie Ye’s hand on the back of her neck moved up, his thumb lightly stroking the corner of her lips, “kiss longer.”

“...”

“So unSincere?” Xie Ye hooked his lips, speaking lazily, “You already kissed me just now, and you’ve taken advantage, what are you afraid of now?”

These words seemed to have some effect. Chi Zhiyu’s mind jammed for a moment, then suddenly realized he had a point.

That’s right.

She had already kissed him.

What was she afraid of?

“Then I’ll kiss you again.” Chi Zhiyu mustered her courage and looked at him. “Don’t move.”

“Hmm?” Xie Ye’s eyes deepened, then he suddenly smiled. “Alright, you kiss me.”

Chi Zhiyu didn’t know how exactly to kiss him, so she relied on her own feeling, leaning in again. But her sitting angle wasn’t as good as before; she slipped a bit and only kissed half of his lips.

Chi Zhiyu leaned back, feeling inexplicably embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Ye looked down at her, licked the corner of his lips where she had kissed him, his voice slightly lower. “Are you teasing me? Can you be serious?”

“You, let go of my waist first.” Chi Zhiyu’s face was red. “It’s hard for me to move like this.”

Xie Ye seemed to have endless patience today. Hearing this, he said “Oh” and obediently loosened his grip, but didn’t let go, as if very thoughtfully asking, “Is that okay now?”

“...”

Chi Zhiyu always felt something was a little off, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. So, she simply raised her hands and wrapped them around his waist, leaning back a bit more easily, and accurately kissed his lips.

In an instant, she suddenly remembered what Xie Ye had said just now.

Kiss longer.

It seemed a bit unreliable.

Chi Zhiyu thought for a moment, then slightly parted her lips, her tongue licking his.

“...”

However, this seemed to be a breakthrough.

Chi Zhiyu clearly felt Xie Ye’s body stiffen. She also realized what she had done and immediately pulled back, her voice a little slow and hoarse, “Th-That should be enough, right?”

Their distance remained unchanged.

They were in close proximity, and the escalating ambiguous atmosphere continued to warm.

Xie Ye’s eyes darkened as he stared at her lips. His fingertips lightly moved to cup her cheek, and he suddenly spoke, saying softly, “Doesn’t count.”

“...”

Chi Zhiyu’s mind was slow and she hadn’t reacted yet, unable to speak.

Xie Ye’s slightly lingering voice sounded, “Kissing like this—”

As he spoke, his body pressed down. His thumb pinched her chin, lifting her face up, his movements domineering and direct.

The next moment, his scorching lips covered hers with his breath, and the rest of his words, accompanied by the kiss, entered her lips.

“Is the standard.”

________________________________________

Their lips met in a familiar way as before, but this time, he was in control.

It was intense and direct.

He sucked on her lips, biting and tasting them repeatedly, as if mimicking her earlier actions, with undisguised desire and suppression.

Not only that.

He seemed unable to resist, biting the corner of her lip.

It hurt a little, and following the sensation, Chi Zhiyu’s lips parted.

His tongue entered, invading her warm mouth, hooking her timid tongue, inch by inch, relentlessly intertwining.

The kiss came suddenly and without warning.

It made Chi Zhiyu’s brain feel a little deprived of oxygen. Her fingertips unconsciously squeezed his clothes. She tilted her head back, passively enduring his kiss.

Even though it was his unilateral action, Chi Zhiyu unconsciously leaned in and raised her hand to hook his neck.

Noticing her reliance, Xie Ye paused. The next second, his movements became more forceful. The contact of their lips and tongues stimulated both their nerves.

It expressed his obvious desire.

Their breathing and heartbeats intensified, and the temperature rose quickly.

Her tongue gradually became numb, and Chi Zhiyu, feeling a little uncomfortable, pushed him slightly.

Xie Ye bit her lower lip very lightly, then licked it before pulling away and releasing her.

Their eyes met.

Chi Zhiyu gasped lightly, clearly seeing his usually indifferent brows and eyes now tinged with spring, his lips flushed as if painted with lipstick, and the emotions in his dark eyes had not yet dispersed, deep and profound.

Showing complete possessiveness and deep desire.

Xie Ye looked down at her, and as if unable to control himself, he lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose again. He suddenly chuckled, his voice hoarse, “So foolish.”

Still recovering, she was told this, and Chi Zhiyu subconsciously retorted, “You’re the foolish one.”

“I am indeed foolish. If only I had kissed you earlier. With all your coming and going,” Xie Ye paused, then reached up to wipe away the moisture from the corner of her lips, his tone mischievous, “I’m the one suffering.”

“...”

Her mind returned, and a series of her own silly actions from earlier suddenly flooded her thoughts.

Chi Zhiyu looked at him in disbelief.

She had actually been so silly as to kiss him three times!

She must have been an idiot back then!

Chi Zhiyu’s face instantly flushed. She raised her hand and pinched his face, exasperatedly saying, “Can you have some shame!”

Xie Ye let her pinch him, raised an eyebrow, and said matter-of-factly, “Do I have such a thing?”

“...” Chi Zhiyu continued to pinch him, gritting her teeth, “I’m definitely going to tell everyone about your shameless side.”

Xie Ye curved his lips and leisurely said, “Oh, you want to repeat today?”

“?”

Chi Zhiyu hadn’t spoken yet.

The next moment.

Xie Ye hooked her chin, lowered his head, and covered her lips again. His words, along with his tongue, entered her mouth.

“Then let’s kiss again.”

________________________________________

When Xie Ye sent Chi Zhiyu home, it was almost evening.

Chi Zhiyu calmly said goodbye to him, then quickly ran back home.

She felt inexplicably thirsty as she passed through the living room and went into the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

Aunt Wang walked in and saw her. After Chi Zhiyu finished drinking, Aunt Wang let out a strange “Eh?” and asked, “Xiaoyu, what happened to your mouth? It’s red and a little swollen?”

“Cough!” Chi Zhiyu was instantly choked, covering her mouth and coughing several times, her face gradually reddening, whether from choking or other reasons, she didn’t know.

“Oh dear, what’s going on?” Aunt Wang quickly poured her another glass of water. “Drink some quickly to calm down.”

Chi Zhiyu took it and managed a sip, then coughed a few more times before finally stopping.

Aunt Wang patted her back. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, cough.” Chi Zhiyu held the cup and sipped the water.

“Next time, drink slowly, don’t rush,” Aunt Wang instructed, then noticed her mouth again. “Did a mosquito bite your red lips?”

Chi Zhiyu paused. “Uh, I didn’t notice it just now, so it... bit me.”

Aunt Wang didn’t suspect anything at all, and even found it amusing, saying, “That mosquito sure knows where to bite, right there.”

“...”

Chi Zhiyu coughed once, put down the cup, and casually said, “I’ll go upstairs first, Aunt Wang, you can be busy.”

“Okay.”

Chi Zhiyu walked out of the kitchen and quickly headed to her room and then the bathroom upstairs.

Her reflection in the mirror showed indifferent and aloof eyes, with slightly flushed cheeks, especially the corner of her lips, which looked a little swollen and red.

Seeing this, Chi Zhiyu recalled Xie Ye’s kiss.

The heat on her face climbed again. She immediately turned on the cold water, rinsed her fingers, and used her icy fingertips to caress her lips to reduce the swelling and cool them down.

After a while, Chi Zhiyu saw that her lips were not as red anymore and walked into her room.

As she passed her desk, she noticed something that looked like an invitation.

Chi Zhiyu turned back and picked it up, seeing “Chief Dance Troupe Opening Ceremony” written on the cover.

She had seen it before and casually put it back.

The confrontation that afternoon had broken Bai Li’s self-assumed control over her.

Actually, Chi Zhiyu’s attitude towards Bai Li, compared to Chi Yan, was not as hateful.

If one were to trace it back, Bai Li had indeed provided her with the best learning conditions and living standards. It was just that she had no affection for her, her heart wasn’t with her, but she needed her as a daughter.

So her method of educating her was to put everything on her.

It was pathological and extreme.

The former Chi Zhiyu had known for a long time that if she resisted and angered Bai Li, it would only lead to greater disaster.

What could an underage girl with no economic foundation do if she chose to resist?

So, whether out of practicality or out of a greedy desire to maintain such a close relationship with Xie Ye,

She chose to accept and maintain the image Bai Li wanted.

Just temporary submission would suffice.

To make Bai Li feel at ease and maintain a normal mental state, and to relax her guard on Xie Ye and herself.

This was the best approach.

But now, this approach had been broken.

Bai Li had already noticed her relationship with Xie Ye.

And started issuing warnings.

Chi Zhiyu understood Bai Li.

She couldn’t bear to let Xie Ye face Bai Li, didn’t want him to endure Bai Li’s madness, and didn’t want him to step into this deep, murky water.

These were not things he should have to face.

At least, she wanted the boy she liked to always shine, always.

To be the most dazzling.

________________________________________

The next day, Chi Zhiyu dropped Xie Ye off at the club, but afraid of delaying his training, she only saw him off downstairs.

She knew that this month was crucial for him.

A month of pre-competition training was a devilish training for esports players.

Chi Zhiyu didn’t want to drag him down. Every night before bed, she would text him and chat for a bit, reassuring him so he could focus on his training and preparation.

But she would visit the club every week to check in, which led to everyone downstairs at the club directly shouting up to the third-floor training room when they saw her arrive.

“Brother Ye, Sister-in-law is here.”

As soon as these words were out, it wouldn’t be long before Xie Ye came down and then took her upstairs.

One time, Ding Hui even told Chi Zhiyu an interesting story: the kids in the youth training team downstairs were all calculating the time it took Xie Ye to come down each time, to see how fast Brother Ye could meet his family.

Chi Zhiyu was amused. “Is that really necessary?”

“It’s absolutely necessary! Brother Ye sits in his chair all day, training and nothing but training, putting in sixteen hours of extra practice every day. Now that you’re finally here, why wouldn’t he be eager?” Yang Bin, sitting nearby, exclaimed.

Chi Zhiyu frowned at the duration and looked at the person talking to the coach nearby.

“Oh, right,” Ding Hui recalled something. “Are the college entrance exam results coming out soon? Are you nervous, Sister Chi?”

“I’m alright. The exams are over, there’s nothing I can do about it now,” Chi Zhiyu said indifferently.

“That sounds like a straight-A student!” Yang Bin clapped his hands in applause, then curiously asked, “So, how are Brother Ye’s grades? Is he one of those arrogant, troublemaking students?”

Because of Xie Ye’s demeanor, people always assumed he was a cool, arrogant, and dazzling young man.

Lin Jie, who heard his confident tone from behind, coughed, wanting to tell Yang Bin not to ask for trouble.

But Yang Bin misunderstood and turned to look at him. “Right? Is Brother Ye a popular figure at your school?”

That wasn’t wrong at all.

Lin Jie saw Xie Ye return and said truthfully, “Yes, he’s definitely a popular figure.”

“See?” Yang Bin looked at Xie Ye and said, “Brother Ye, you’re quite famous.”

Xie Ye glanced at him. “Only just realized?”

“...”

Yang Bin choked, then continued to ask Chi Zhiyu, “So, what were Brother Ye’s usual grades like?”

Xie Ye heard the question and turned to look at her too.

Chi Zhiyu met his gaze and said casually, “Oh, he’s pretty good.”

Yang Bin: “Ah, how good is ‘pretty good’?”

Chi Zhiyu: “He got a direct admission to Ruo University.”

Yang Bin: “...”

Yang Bin: ?

________________________________________

At the end of July, on the day the college entrance exam results were released, Chi Zhiyu and Wu Xuan met up to check their scores together.

Chi Zhiyu checked hers first: 633.

Wu Xuan, however, scored a bit lower, only 581, but it was perfectly enough to get into Ruo Dance.

This was clearly higher than Wu Xuan’s expectations. She looked at her score, holding her phone, and burst into tears on the spot.

Chi Zhiyu comforted her from the side, watching her cry profusely, and also rather uncharitably laughed.

“No, you’re still laughing!” Wu Xuan took the tissue she offered, wiping her tears. “You check Xie Ye’s score. Let’s see how terrible he scored.”

Reminded by her, Chi Zhiyu remembered this, reopened the interface, and entered his exam admission ticket number and password.

The page was a bit slow, the circle in the middle spun for a while before finally displaying.

Chi Zhiyu looked down and saw the total score at a glance, saying nothing.

Wu Xuan quickly leaned over to look, and the next second, she also fell silent. After two seconds, she said, “Is Xie Ye sick?”

The total score displayed on the screen was three digits—520.

“...”

“Is he acting like he’s awesome because he got direct admission?” Wu Xuan felt like her intelligence was being crushed and indignantly said, “His behavior is outrageous! It’s an insult to scores!!”

“And!” Wu Xuan turned to look at Chi Zhiyu. “You’re the culprit.”

“...”

Chi Zhiyu looked at his blatant score and coughed. “It’s not like I took the test. It’s his reason, not me.”

“It’s because of you.” Wu Xuan began to argue. “Look, you’ve even made my Wild so obsessed that he’s messing with his Weibo name. You’re a femme fatale!”

Chi Zhiyu: “...”

________________________________________

That day, when the official YG Club Weibo account posted an announcement @Xie Ye’s account, it directly stated that Wild had officially joined the YG team and would participate in the Asian Invitational.

As soon as this announcement was released, it became a trending topic on the hot search list that very day.

A group of people all rushed to follow Xie Ye’s account @WildGardenia.

After opening it, they found that there wasn’t even a profile picture, and all the Weibo posts were the default system-sent “account created successfully” message. But fans didn’t care about any of that; they first showered him with a huge wave of compliments, expressing how excited and thrilled they were, finally getting to see Wild’s true face and so on.

After the excitement died down, some people finally noticed his name—

WildGardenia.

Hmm?

Wild is Wild, but why add “Gardenia”?

All sorts of guesses began to emerge. Some even suggested that it might be a girl, since it was a flower.

This idea immediately became the top trending topic, and a bunch of people below started crying out, “I don’t believe it.”

And when Wu Xuan first saw it, she was stunned for a moment. After her mind quickly caught up, she, being privy to the inside story, would have been an idiot not to guess.

“So, do you think you’re a femme fatale?” Wu Xuan gave her a choice.

Chi Zhiyu also felt very embarrassed, but she had actually approved this Weibo name, which made it even more awkward.

Chi Zhiyu felt it was best not to mention this for now. She cleared her throat and casually threw out, “The Asian Invitational qualifiers start the day after tomorrow. I have tickets, do you want to come with me?”

“???”

Wu Xuan indeed paused. “Go where?”

Chi Zhiyu repeated, “PUBG Asian Invitational.”

Wu Xuan was a bit confused. “Really?”

Chi Zhiyu nodded. “Xie Ye gave me tickets. We can also invite Li Taoran and Su Le and them.”

“Holy crap!” Wu Xuan slapped the table. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go right now!”

Chi Zhiyu quickly pulled her hand. “Where are you going? It doesn’t start until the day after tomorrow. Are you going to sit at the entrance and wait?”

Wu Xuan froze for a moment. “Oh, right.”

________________________________________

Calming down.

Wu Xuan glanced at the dessert display cabinet behind her, and perhaps already understanding the current situation, she suddenly leaned towards Chi Zhiyu with a slight smile and said, “Hello, Sister-in-law Wild, is there anything you’d like to eat? I, your little fan, will buy it for you.”

Hearing her sudden address, Chi Zhiyu found it amusing. She waved her hand, having no particular requests. “You pick something.”

“Alrighty then.”

Wu Xuan picked up her phone and happily walked towards the back.

Chi Zhiyu chuckled softly, sitting in her seat. She was about to shut down her laptop but noticed the student photo on the screen.

It was a photo taken when they were in their first year of high school, when the school took uniform photos.

Xie Ye in the photo also looked noticeably younger, not as arrogant and domineering as he was now, but his expression was still that indifferent and cool, very handsome.

Chi Zhiyu’s gaze shifted, then landed on the total score of 520 below. After three seconds of silence, her face suddenly flushed hot.

She had been there when he chose the Weibo account name, but this college entrance exam score...

Chi Zhiyu picked up her phone, took a picture of the screen, and then sent it to the owner of the score.

He was probably still training at this time and likely wouldn’t have time to look at his phone.

After sending it, Chi Zhiyu thought about closing her laptop, but her phone suddenly vibrated.

A message had just come in.

Xie Ye: [?]

Xie Ye: [Confessing to me?]