Volume 1, Chapter 32: A Kiss～

The slow-witted girl lifted her chin with haughty pride. "So what if she's your mother? Who calls their son in the middle of the night? Your mother... wait, what did you say?! Your mother?!"

Lu Miao, who had been on the verge of angrily hurling her phone at him, suddenly froze upon hearing the man coolly claim it was his mother. Her body shuddered, and the phone flew from her hand, slamming directly toward Fu Shiyue’s face!

"Ahhhhh! Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Fu Shiyue didn't move or dodge. Just as the phone was about to strike him, he casually raised a hand and caught it in mid-air. The glow from the screen illuminated Lu Miao’s panicked face, which had turned deathly pale.

He curled his lips expressionlessly. "Did you give me a chance to speak?"

Lu Miao: "..."

Was it her fault? She was only trying to help him fend off unwanted romantic attention!

"What do we do now? Is she going to come over here and kill me?" Lu Miao felt both embarrassed and nervous. Her toes curled tightly, and she tugged at his sleeve, babbling incoherently.

"She’s not that savage." Fu Shiyue remained calm. He reached down to remove her other shoe and said in a low, indifferent voice, "At most, she’ll find out who you are and come to meet you."

What? She was coming to meet her?

Lu Miao trembled, panicking even more. "Should I call her back and explain?"

Explain what? That they had no relationship?

The man cut off her thoughts with a single sentence: "It’s useless. You’ve already blocked her."

After Mrs. Fu was hung up on following Lu Miao’s verbal assault, she sat stunned for a long while, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.

"Shiyue’s girlfriend?"

The driver chuckled awkwardly. "How are you feeling, Madam?"

She scoffed. "The girl has been spoiled rotten; she even dared to scold me."

Mrs. Fu tried calling back, wanting to have a proper conversation with the young woman, but the call would no longer go through.

The driver coughed awkwardly again. "It seems you’ve been blocked, Madam."

Mrs. Fu’s expression remained stiff for a moment before she let out a sharp, "Hah. The girl has quite a personality. I shall meet her in person one of these days."

...

Lu Miao stood on the sofa, hands defiantly on her hips, glaring down at the man sitting below her.

"Just unblock her! Why would you and your mother be petty about this?"

But the man refused to give her the phone.

He calmly tucked the phone into his pants pocket. Lu Miao fussed beside him, "Why won't you call and explain? I am clearly not your girlfriend. What if she misunderstands?"

Fu Shiyue originally didn't want to entertain her antics, but hearing her despairing wails, he suddenly reached out, pulled her down, and looked at her with a hint of ferocity. "In such a rush to distance yourself now? Why were you calling me 'boyfriend' every other word when you were using me?"

Lu Miao fell onto him unexpectedly, her soft chest colliding with his hard shoulder.

Fu Shiyue felt the softness of the girl against him; his eyes darkened, and he immediately released her. "Did that hurt?"

"Get lost!" Lu Miao, burning with shame, covered her bruised chest and scrambled backward. Fu Shiyue deliberately gave her a tug, causing her limp body to fall back against him.

"Lu Miao," he called her name in a low voice.

His burning gaze locked onto her face. Trapped by the intensity of his stare, they stood in the darkness, staring at each other for several seconds. She stammered, "W-what do you want?"

"I helped you deal with your family, now you help me once," Fu Shiyue rasped.

"Why should I help you?" She was drunk, but she hadn't lost her mind. If his family found out, wouldn't things just get blown out of proportion? How would she clean up that mess later?

Fu Shiyue narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Shall I go tell your grandfather, then?"

"In your dreams! Give me the phone, I’m going to make things clear with your mother!"

Emboldened by the alcohol, the girl daringly reached into the man’s pocket to grab the phone.

His suit trousers were deep, and her hand pressed against his thigh. Unable to find the phone, her hand wriggled around like an eel.

Suddenly...

Fu Shiyue’s body stiffened, and Lu Miao realized something was wrong.

The man stared down at her, a terrifying emotion surging deep within his dark eyes, swirling in the gloom. She swallowed hard. "I... I... I’m sorry."

Lu Miao tried to act as if nothing had happened and pull her hand away, but the man suddenly seized her wrist, pinning it down firmly. "Do you know what those men with bad intentions are thinking when you go to bars?"

Why did he suddenly bring that up?

Lu Miao’s mind was a blank slate; she subconsciously asked, "Wh-what?"

Fu Shiyue gave a fierce tug, and she fell into his arms without warning, her forehead bumping against his chin.

Lu Miao panicked, trying to retreat, but the back of her head was suddenly gripped.

The man’s breath was dangerous. His thin lips brushed against her cheek, sliding to her ear to whisper something crude.

"Thinking about *you*."

Lu Miao turned bright red from head to toe!

Taking advantage of her shock, Fu Shiyue lowered his head and pressed his lips directly onto hers.

"Mmph!" Lu Miao’s body trembled. Her eyes widened in shock, and her mind went blank, as if all the oxygen had been sucked away.

"You old man, that was my first kiss! Go to hell!!!"

Regaining her senses, Lu Miao pushed him away with all her might and raised her hand to slap him.

Fu Shiyue tilted his head to dodge, then used his large hand to grip her wrists with a punitive force, his tone turning cold. "Try acting up again, see what happens."

Lu Miao’s cheeks were as red as cooked shrimp, filled with shame and anger. "You’re lecherous, shameless, and disgusting! You despicable man, taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability—let me go!"

Fu Shiyue, irritated by the noise, gripped her chin and forcefully silenced her chattering mouth with his own.

Lu Miao: !!!

He was kissing her again! How dare this old man keep kissing her?!

The previous touch had been simple, but this time, Fu Shiyue pressed firmly, carrying an aggressive, predatory intent. Lu Miao struggled with all her might, but the more she fought, the more ragged the man’s breathing became.

Before he lost control, Fu Shiyue released her lips, hoisted her off the sofa, strode into her room, and tossed her onto the bed.

"Sleep well. I’ll be guarding the door."

After saying this in a hoarse voice, he tucked her in. Before she could climb out to throw a pillow at him, he quickly retreated and slammed the door shut.

The pillow hit the door panel and fell to the floor, leaving the room in dead silence.

Lu Miao shuddered, wrapping herself in the quilt from head to toe in shame.

So this old man’s celibate, upright persona was all an act!

He was nothing but an old scoundrel hiding his true, malicious intentions toward her!

Fu Shiyue sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette to calm his body’s agitation, though his heart refused to settle.

He had always regarded Lu Miao as a child, but tonight, everything had spiraled out of his control.

He had always possessed self-control when it came to women; he hadn't been with anyone for years because he never felt any attraction, not even a physical urge.

He had always thought he was indifferent, not a man of strong desires.

Tonight, he felt as if he were possessed, having such intense urges toward the girl. The moment he kissed her, the desire to possess her had surged, nearly impossible to suppress.

Fu Shiyue took a deep drag of his cigarette, his mind filled with nothing but Lu Miao.

He had only come to take care of her, yet now he harbored such twisted thoughts. He realized it was time to keep his distance.

The night grew late. The neon lights outside the window extinguished one by one, and the living room fell into total darkness.

Fu Shiyue crushed the cigarette and rose to head toward the bathroom.