Free Web NovelChapter 192: Chapter 192: Pinch Her Face
"You..."
Ye Ming was suddenly at a loss for words.
He carefully recalled what he had just said. It was true he hadn’t explicitly asked Lanlan to cook for him; he had only said that he missed her and wanted her to be with him.
’Did I just jump to that suspicious conclusion... or did Yan Huoshui intentionally lead me to misunderstand?’
He had nothing more to say. Yan Huoshui watched him with a faint smile playing on his lips, but a flash of ridicule crossed the depths of his eyes.
’These pampered Princes and Young Masters of the Empire truly don’t understand the real dangers of the world.’
He wasn’t deliberately targeting them; he just wanted to swat away some annoying flies.
A flush of shame and embarrassment spread across Ye Ming’s face. He pressed his lips together, too tongue-tied to say anything more.
After a moment, Yan Huoshui gently tried to persuade them, "Young Master Jiang and Young Master Mu, you haven’t been back in so long. Your parents must miss you terribly. Shouldn’t you go home and see them first?"
"Eldest Prince, you must be quite busy with your duties lately. Why don’t you return to the palace to handle your affairs? I’ll take care of Lanlan for now; nothing will happen to her."
Ye Ming wanted to say he didn’t have anything urgent to do today, but Shi Lan, seeing his deliberately formal attire, assumed his earlier claim of not being busy was just an excuse. She spoke up first, "Ye Ming, your official duties are important. You should go handle them. I’m fine here. Thank you for coming all this way to pick me up."
After saying this, she felt Yan Huoshui had a point. She turned to the other two. "You haven’t seen your families in three years. They must miss you a lot. You should go home first. There’s nothing you need to worry about with me."
And so, the words of refusal on the tips of the other three men’s tongues were cut off by Shi Lan. She had made a perfectly reasonable argument. Considering she was now on the Capital Star and there would be plenty of time later, they didn’t insist on pestering her further.
As he was leaving, Jiang Xia, looking reluctant to part, planted a direct kiss on Shi Lan’s right cheek. Before she could even react, she felt a warm sensation on her face.
Immediately after, not to be outdone, Mu Tangfeng kissed her on the left.
The other two men’s gazes were like daggers stabbing into Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng, but the pair weren’t the least bit intimidated, sweet and happy smiles gracing their lips.
As for the center of attention, Shi Lan, she was so mortified her ears were practically bleeding. Flushed and flustered, she didn’t know where to put her hands or feet...
Ye Ming suppressed the sudden jealousy and bitterness welling up inside him. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Lanlan, I’m leaving now. If you need anything, just call me. I’ll be there right away."
Shi Lan didn’t dare to look him in the eye. Her slightly curly black hair hid her reddened ears as she could only manage a small nod.
After seeing the three of them off, Shi Lan remained standing at the door in a daze when a tall figure suddenly approached from behind.
Perhaps Yan Huoshui naturally preferred high temperatures, because his body heat was also quite high. Even with some distance between them, she felt a sudden wave of heat wash over her from behind.
Shi Lan shifted uncomfortably to the side, avoiding the scorching temperature that felt so imposing and aggressive.
Yan Huoshui chuckled softly, but his eyes were a dark crimson, holding little mirth. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped both sides of Shi Lan’s cheeks, his voice so gentle it was almost eerie. "Lanlan, why is your face so red?"
"It’s nothing. I’ll use my handkerchief to cool you down."
The handkerchief was dampened with cold water. As Shi Lan felt the coolness on her face, her pores seemed to relax with pleasure. Perhaps finding his movements too slow, she unconsciously nuzzled her cheek against the handkerchief, her soft, warm face inadvertently brushing against his broad, damp palm.
For some reason, the jealousy and darkness that had filled Yan Huoshui’s heart slowly receded, like a subsiding tide.
But Shi Lan was still completely oblivious. Although she had just found his body heat intense, the wet handkerchief in his hand was truly comfortable. Moreover, she subconsciously believed Yan Huoshui would never hurt her, so she felt safe enough to draw closer on her own.
Satisfied with her intimacy and obedience, he repeatedly wiped the spots where the other two had kissed her. Only then did he lightly pinch her cheek with a hint of dissatisfaction. "You’re such a handful, little girl."
Shi Lan looked at him, bewildered and innocent. She couldn’t help but cover her face. Since he was still pinching her cheek, her words came out muffled. "Why... did you suddenly pinch me?"
The low chuckle at the corners of Yan Huoshui’s mouth became more distinct. He let go of her and stared intently at the two faint fingerprints he had just left behind, as if... they were the marks of his own kisses.
He clearly hadn’t used much force, but the little female’s skin was so delicate that his mark was left with ease.
He gazed at it deeply for a good while, seemingly very satisfied. He gently blew on her pinched cheek and coaxed her softly, "It’s nothing. Lanlan is just too beautiful and well-behaved. I like you so much, I couldn’t help myself."
Shi Lan shot him an annoyed glare and pinched his cheek in return. "Well, I think you’re beautiful too. How about I pinch you?"
Yan Huoshui’s throat bobbed, and he let out a compliant "Mm," even deliberately leaning down to make it easier for her to pinch him.
But now, Shi Lan found she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She let go of his face. Looking up, she saw a large red patch on Yan Huoshui’s cheek, obviously from her pinch. She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
’I don’t think I used that much strength, did I? Why does his face get red so easily too?’
In reality, if Shi Lan had observed more closely, she would have noticed that it wasn’t just his cheek that was noticeably red. His body temperature had also risen, and the skin of his neck and ears was pinker than usual.
There was no other reason. He was just too excited.
The thought of the female he liked being right before his eyes, her sweet scent filling the air so close to him... It felt as if he could just reach out and pull her into his arms. He could barely contain his ecstatic joy.
He didn’t dare frighten her, so he could only try his best to hold back, suppressing the various intense thoughts in his mind and burying them deep within his dim, crimson eyes. But his body still trembled slightly with excitement, something that would be easily noticed if he stood there for too long.
"Lanlan, my leg hurts from standing. Why don’t we sit down and talk?"
Shi Lan looked at his injured leg and naturally prioritized the patient. She nodded quickly and sat back down on the sofa where she was before.
With the pests gone, Yan Huoshui could finally sit beside her unimpeded.
But he knew how sinister his inner thoughts were, so he still left half an arm’s length of distance between them. Nevertheless, the scent that belonged to Lanlan still drifted into his nostrils with the flow of air.
Yan Huoshui closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. His hands, which seemed to be resting calmly on his lap, involuntarily clenched into fists.
They sat there like that, and Shi Lan suddenly didn’t know what to say.
She stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye. She hadn’t seen him in a while, but Yan Huoshui was still as handsome as ever. His flame-red, wolf-tail-like hair rested softly behind him. The lines of his profile weren’t as sharp as when viewed from the front; his features overall were clearly more defined, possessing a kind of exotic beauty.
’He’s so handsome and so outstanding. He must have plenty of admirers back at school, right?’
’But... I heard him say he likes me...’
Shi Lan’s eyes wavered. A moment ago, she was only thinking about getting even for being pinched. Now that she thought back, she realized his praise had included the words "I like you."
’I wasn’t just hearing things, was I?’
