18 – The Mischievous Little Fox
“……”
Although Tan Shen appeared cold and aloof on the outside, his temper was actually quite tolerable. Yet, every time he encountered this troublesome young lady, he would be so infuriated that he wanted to teach her a proper lesson.
A pure, untouched maiden… How dare she describe herself like that!
“Not as pure as you,” Tan Shen retorted irritably.
Xie Yurao: “??”
Seeing her fox-like eyes widen slightly in surprise, Tan Shen simply turned around, extended his long fingers, and pinched her delicate, petite chin, forcing her to look directly at him.
His lowered tone was icy cold. “So you’ve already become so casual that you can undress without a care, is that it?”
“What else do you plan to do next?”
He lowered his cold gaze and asked, word by word.
“Touch every inch?”
Sharp and biting, the questions he uttered carried no trace of gentleness.
After speaking, Tan Shen felt a twinge of regret, wondering if his tone had been too harsh, if it might have frightened her…
But as it turned out, he was overthinking it.
The young lady stared at him with her beautiful eyes, looking both astonished and delighted.
“How did you know?”
She didn’t see anything wrong with thinking that way, acting completely unafraid and brazen.
Tan Shen: “……”
A surge of anger swelled in his chest, and Tan Shen glared at her with an icy gaze.
“Xie Yurao!”
Tan Shen licked his back teeth, his voice almost squeezing out each word. “You really dare to think that way.”
He had only said it mockingly, never expecting she actually thought that way. Did this little fox even realize she was a girl?
No, this little lustful fox.
This time, Xie Yurao didn’t mind him calling her name again. Although her chin was pinched, the man hadn’t used much force, so it didn’t hurt.
“I’ve always wanted to.”
Xie Yurao’s gaze was frank, bright, and clear. “Didn’t you already know?”
Though it was a strange thing to say, she spoke it crisply and openly, her voice pleasant and her eyes pure.
Tan Shen’s anger suddenly dissipated.
He fell silent for a moment, released his grip on her chin, and coldly averted his gaze. “No, choose something else.”
His tone remained icy and unyielding.
Tan Shen thought indifferently that he wasn’t like those who could be easily manipulated by her.
Nor did he have any interest in playing along.
“Are you the master, or am I?” Xie Yurao immediately asked, somewhat displeased.
Tan Shen didn’t answer and instead began listing punishment options for her.
“Long-distance running, push-ups, planks… all of those are fine. If that’s not enough, I can go without food for three days. If you’re still not satisfied, seven days will do.”
Xie Yurao: “……”
So,
this man would rather do all these exhausting exercises or go without food for an entire week than let her touch him?
Xie Yurao was annoyed. “Tan Shen, are you the reincarnation of Tang Sanzang?!”
How could this infuriating man be so unflirtable!
Tan Shen humored her this time. “If you say so, then so be it.”
“……”
Unable to out-argue him, Xie Yurao simply glared at him angrily and snapped, “You might as well never eat again!”
Tan Shen glanced down at her.
“Seven days at most, no more than that.”
Xie Yurao asked, “Why?”
Hearing this, Tan Shen paused, his deep eyes looking down at her face from above, his tone calm and indifferent.
“More than seven days, and I’ll lose my strength. If danger arises, I won’t be able to protect you.”
“……”
“Forget it, if you won’t take it off, then don’t.” After a long standoff, it was Xie Yurao who finally gave in first. “You’re making me seem like some hooligan forcing myself on a decent woman.”
“…”
It was rare for the spoiled, willful young lady to be reasonable for once, so Tan Shen didn’t bother correcting her about the “decent woman” part.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard her reluctantly add, “Then I’ll just touch it a little.”
Tan Shen: “?”
Xie Yurao looked him up and down, as if deciding where to start, then quite naturally settled on a spot.
“Your Adam’s apple, then.”
Tan Shen: “??”
And she says she’s not a hooligan!
Before Tan Shen could speak, she had already started playing the villain first. “You’re not going to refuse me this time too, are you?”
“I almost got beaten up because of you, and now you won’t even let me touch your Adam’s apple?”
Tan Shen: “…”
Was there any necessary connection between those two things?
“They were so scary, I was almost frightened to death…”
Tan Shen: “?”
He coldly lowered his gaze, seeing her curled up with her legs tucked in, snow-white fur wrapped around her ankles, looking like a little enchantress as she stared at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.
Tan Shen forced himself to stay calm, taking a deep breath.
He kept telling himself in his heart that it was ultimately his negligence that had nearly gotten her into trouble.
So he couldn’t get angry. He mustn’t.
After a moment of silence, he finally gave up and crouched down.
“Just once.”
Xie Yurao immediately wiped the pitiful expression off her face, leaning in quickly, her tone obedient as she said, “Okay~”
“…” Tan Shen suddenly felt like he’d been tricked.
And indeed, he had been.
The cunning young lady was actually quite clever—all the earlier groundwork had been an act. She remembered something an old gentleman had once said:
When you want to open a window, no one agrees.
But when you propose tearing off the roof, everyone suddenly agrees to open the window.
She really was a clever little thing.
Tan Shen belatedly felt a surge of irritation. “Xie…”
Before he could finish, his voice abruptly stopped.
Feeling soft fingers land on his neck, he pressed his lips together in silence, his breathing growing noticeably heavier.
Xie Yurao tilted her head, looking at him curiously.
Tan Shen stiffly turned his face away, refusing to look at her, the veins on his slender neck standing out from his heavy breathing.
A moment later, Tan Shen grabbed her hand and pushed it away.
“Enough.”
The man’s voice seemed several degrees hoarser.
Then, without giving Xie Yurao a chance to speak, he stood up and strode directly out of the room.
Xie Yurao withdrew her hand, happily rolling over on the bed and kicking her legs up in delight.
“Hmph, I finally got to touch it!”
…
On the balcony of the neighboring hotel, Tan Shen leaned half against the railing, the cold wind tousling his dark, messy hair, his handsome features appearing cold and severe in the night.
He held a black phone, talking to someone.
“Yeah.”
The man was unusually quiet today, only occasionally responding with a low grunt.
Until the person on the other end called out, “Brother Tan? Brother Tan?”
Only then did Tan Shen realize he had spaced out.
“Here.”
He listened as the voice on the phone continued speaking, then impatiently reached up to undo a button on his collar. The black shirt hung loosely open, revealing the man’s sharp, cold collarbones.
Thinking of that little fox who kept provoking him recklessly, he let out a heavy sigh.
He answered the person on the phone coldly, “Let him investigate if he wants. Don’t bother with it.”
“Understood.”
Just before hanging up, the other person asked one more question.
Tan Shen’s coolly lowered eyelashes lifted slightly. After a brief moment of thought, he spoke in a deep voice:
“No need to send the things over. Just keep them with you for now.”