Chapter 96: Romance in the living room (Part-2)
"Leave me..." Li Liu whispered in a hushed tone, her breath trembling as she tried to pull back.
Lin Fang’s arms stayed firm around her waist. His lips curved into that familiar sly smile. "I will—if you clear your schedule for this Saturday."
Li Liu blinked, taken aback. "Saturday? But... your exam is on Sunday."
"Exactly." Lin Fang nodded, his gaze steady on her. "I don’t know how the exam will go, or what mood I’ll be in afterward. I just want to walk into it in good spirits."
Her lips parted, her chest rising and falling a little faster. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes uncertain. "But this... this would be our first date. I don’t want it to be under conditions like this. And besides—" her voice softened, almost a whisper "you said this morning we’d go out after the exam is over."
Lin Fang’s eyes glinted knowingly. He knew her too well, knew exactly where her defenses wavered. His hand slid behind her neck—not gripping, but loosely locking her in place with the crook of his arm. Then he leaned closer and lightly bit her earlobe.
"Aah~"
A sudden, breathy moan escaped her lips before she could hold it back. Her cheeks ignited crimson, heat flooding her face.
Lin Fang’s voice dipped low, teasing yet earnest, as his breath brushed her ear. "Don’t worry. It’s only going to be a date. Just a movie and dinner." His tone softened, and for a fleeting moment, sincerity replaced the playfulness. "I want our first time to be special too. Otherwise..." his lips brushed closer, "I would have already taken you back then."
Before her racing thoughts could steady, his lips pressed to her skin again, this time trailing lower—soft, lingering kisses along the curve of her neck.
Her fingers curled helplessly against his shirt, her breath catching at every touch.
Li Liu’s cheeks burned bright crimson. "Stop it..." she gasped as her body trembled in the heat of the moment, almost unable to resist. Her arm moved on instinct, reaching for his head as she tried to push him away, though her voice kept coming out in breathless, shaky whispers. "Don’t... don’t..."
Then, a faint click of a door echoed through the room, suddenly interrupting their intimate session.
Both of their eyes widened in instant panic.
Li Liu sprang up instantly, hastily adjusting her hair and smoothing her clothes as if nothing had happened. Lin Fang also hurriedly leaned back, slipping the beer can from the table into his hand, taking a calm sip to cover himself.
The door swung fully open, and Zhi Yan stepped out, hair wrapped in a towel, wearing a simple tank top and shorts that left her long legs bare. Even casual, she looked impossibly striking.
Lin Fang’s gaze flicked toward her, and for the briefest moment, he caught himself staring.
Zhi Yan tilted her head, noticing his subtle reaction. Misunderstanding the situation, her eyes narrowed teasingly. "What happened? You’re... flushing red."
Li Liu’s hand shot to fan herself, her voice coming out quickly and awkwardly instead. "It’s... It’s too warm in the living room, I guess!"
Lin Fang chimed in casually, as though backing her story. "I told her not to drink beer. This one has a high concentration."
Li Liu glared at him briefly, but didn’t protest, quickly moving to shut the bedroom door.
Zhi Yan blinked in surprise at their unexpected reaction, but eventually, she put it away to the back of her head and walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer can for herself. With a faint grin, she joined Lin Fang on the couch, settling comfortably beside him.
The air was lighter now, casual again—but Lin Fang and Li Liu exchanged one brief, knowing glance before she went ahead to her room for the shower.
Meanwhile, Zhi Yan took a slow sip of her beer and let out a long sigh, conversing with Lin Fang. "Work at the store has been really hectic," she admitted, leaning back against the couch. "I think... we might need to hire a few more assistants and employees. I never expected it would be this successful."
Lin Fang chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Imagine—just a couple of months ago, I was excited to get an order worth a hundred thousand credits. And now..." He waved a hand casually, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Now I’m raking in millions."
Zhi Yan rested her arm over the head of the couch, turning slightly toward him, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Sometimes I really wonder... who is that mysterious supplier of yours? The one who can supply so many king-tier potential Direwolf monsters? I’ve searched everywhere online—there’s no breeding facility that even comes close. But then I thought... maybe I should just trust you and not ask too many questions."
Lin Fang forced a small, polite smile, hiding a little tension behind it. "I’m sorry. I signed a confidentiality contract with my supplier... and also accepted a binding spell. I can’t reveal any details to anyone."
Zhi Yan nodded slowly, clearly not pressing further. "Yeah... I kind of figured that much. Anyway, forget it." She leaned back, giving a small shrug. "By the way... did you see what’s on the USB? That pervert old master said it’s pretty important."
Lin Fang shook his head lightly, a casual grin on his lips. "I’ll check it later."
A quiet pause filled the room. Xuan Hei lay across Zhi Yan’s lap now, softly humming as she stroked his fur. Outside, the city lights flickered faintly through the window, the hum of distant traffic a subtle backdrop.
For a brief moment, everything felt calm and ordinary between them. Lin Fang, not knowing what else to speak, forced himself to take out his smartphone and browse while watching the television.
Zhi Yan also quietly watched the movie while stroking Xuan Hei’s fur while sneakily taking glances at him every half a minute or so.
Eventually, Zhi Yan broke the quiet and attempted to converse once again with a new topic. "Say... your exam is on Sunday, right?"
Lin Fang tilted his head and nodded, curious where this was going.
"You know that I went to the Tower and got armor for you, right?" she continued casually.
Lin Fang nodded with a blink, his brow slightly raised. He waited, unsure what she was driving at.
"Originally," Zhi Yan continued as her tone softening, "I intended to give it to you. But... after you disappeared, then came back with that powerful monster, and got completely absorbed in your business, the armor lost its purpose. So, I sold it away."
Lin Fang’s eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"I didn’t know you’d have to go through it all again," Zhi Yan admitted, her gaze calm but focused now. "So... I was thinking. How about you come with me to the auction this Saturday? We can find equipment suited for you. After all, the trials this time... they’re going to be quite hard, right?"
Lin Fang leaned back, caught off guard, blinking at her. "Saturday? How long will it take?"
"I thought we could go in the morning," Zhi Yan replied smoothly. "That way, we can be back by evening. I figured you’d want some rest before night."
Lin Fang thought for a bit and gave a faint, appreciative smile. "Thank you."
The small exchange left a quiet warmth in the room, blending naturally with the faint sounds of the movie and Xuan Hei’s gentle hum beside them