Chapter 90

Shen Lihuan carried You Changqing back to the room, kicked the door shut with a backward sweep of her foot.

You Changqing lightly tugged on her long hair and mumbled, “Go easy. You’ll break the door if you kick it like that.” If it broke, they’d have to replace it.

Shen Lihuan gave her a playful bite on the right cheek. Her peach blossom eyes narrowed dangerously as she said, “You still have the mind to worry about other things? Seems like I haven’t been working hard enough.”

You Changqing yelped from the pain and glared at her in mock annoyance. “Are you a puppy or something? You just love biting people.”

“I only love biting you. You’re just too delicious.”

Shen Lihuan smiled like a child who had snuck some candy, her eyes curving into mischievous crescents. But when she saw the pink flush blooming on You Changqing’s cheek, her heart softened, and she leaned in to gently lick the red mark with her tongue.

It tickled, and You Changqing pushed her head away. “I wasn’t wrong calling you a puppy. You’re even licking me now.”

“You didn’t know? Puppies lick their wounds to help them heal. I’m helping you recover.”

Shen Lihuan lowered her eyes to look at her, her entire expression the picture of innocence—but her dark pupils seemed like they could suck You Changqing right in.

You Changqing was clearly entranced. Her slender fingers traced down Shen Lihuan’s back, her actions honest even as she said, “Lihuan, Changhong and the others are probably about to come out.”

“What’s the rush? Let them do their thing, we’re busy with ours.”

A shiver ran down Shen Lihuan’s spine, her breath growing heavier. She lowered You Changqing onto the bed, used her long legs to nudge off her shoes, and braced herself over her.

Thinking back to the pleasure from the afternoon, You Changqing’s breath also deepened. Her eyes glistened like a pool of spring water, and her cheeks glowed with a rosy flush, as if dusted with rouge. Her skin looked so soft and delicate, as if even a breath could break it.

She wrapped her arms around Shen Lihuan’s slender neck, her breath fragrant as she whispered, “Lihuan, if we keep doing this every day, aren’t we going a bit overboard? What if one day we can’t get excited anymore?”

“You mean you think I’ll get old and useless? You really don’t trust your woman’s ability, huh~”

Shen Lihuan deliberately twisted her words, tugging at her collar to reveal her delicate collarbone.

With her legs pinned down, You Changqing wiggled them uncomfortably. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

Shen Lihuan chuckled lowly, her voice sultry and teasing, making You Changqing feel as if even her bones were melting.

You Changqing tried to explain herself, but Shen Lihuan didn’t give her the chance. She silenced her with a kiss.

And so, once again, You Changqing sank into the bliss that Shen Lihuan brought.

—

Meanwhile, after dragging You Changhong into a room, Ye Muyan was promptly shaken off. You Changhong snapped, “Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be off with your little lover?”

He probably didn’t even realize how sour that sounded.

And he didn’t know what had come over him either. Ye Muyan wasn’t even his boyfriend, yet the thought of him being close with someone else filled him with a burning anger—as if someone had stolen what belonged to him.

“Changhong, don’t be mad. The only person I like is you. That guy is my biological cousin. I wouldn’t be deranged enough to date my own cousin, would I?”

Ye Muyan quickly grabbed his hand, his voice full of urgency. He had rushed over so quickly that his back was soaked with sweat, but he didn’t even bother to wipe it.

You Changhong froze, his indignant expression faltering. He stared wide-eyed at Ye Muyan. “Brother Ye, what did you just say?”

“Cousin?”

“Chengxing is my real cousin. You misunderstood.”

Ye Muyan gave a bitter smile, though there was a flicker of joy in his heart. If Changhong cared so much about him being close to another guy… maybe he really did hold a place in his heart.

“I… I didn’t know.”

Realizing he’d made a complete fool of himself, You Changhong covered his face in embarrassment. “Ahh, this is so awkward.” He wanted to crawl into a hole.

“You silly thing. You ran so fast I couldn’t catch you, and you wouldn’t answer my calls. Do you know how worried I was?”

Now that things were cleared up, Ye Muyan finally relaxed. His legs gave out slightly, and he nearly stumbled.

You Changhong was too worried to feel embarrassed anymore. He quickly grabbed his arm. “Brother Ye, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me.”

“You’re the one who scared me half to death.”

Ye Muyan held his hand tightly and pulled him into a firm embrace. “I hadn’t planned on confessing this soon. You’re only fifteen, you haven’t even figured things out yet.”

You Changhong’s heart was pounding wildly. His face turned bright red, like a monkey’s butt. He clung to Ye Muyan’s shirt, inhaling the faint scent of soap from his body, listening to the synchronized rhythm of their heartbeats. His whole body felt feverish.

“Brother Ye, I…”

“Shh. Don’t rush to answer me. If I confess to you, will you find it disgusting? Will you hate me? Will you want to distance yourself from me?”

Ye Muyan gently placed a finger on his lips, locking eyes with him, his gaze deep and serious.

You Changhong clutched his chest, his heart ready to burst. He didn’t dare meet his gaze. “I… Brother Ye, I won’t hate you. I won’t push you away. Actually… I don’t know why either, but I don’t like seeing you close with anyone else. Maybe… I might like you too.”

Ye Muyan’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really?!”

“Thank you, Changhong. It’s okay if you don’t fully understand your feelings yet. I can wait. As long as you don’t mind that I’m ten years older, I’ll wait however long it takes.”

Ye Muyan’s deep eyes were filled with excitement and joy. Holding You Changhong close, he made his vow with near reverence.

You Changhong softly murmured an “mm,” resting his head against Ye Muyan’s broad chest. His large eyes curved into happy crescents despite himself. Maybe… he really did like Brother Ye. And if that was the case, then Brother Ye was his. Now, if he got jealous, he had every right to be open about it.

You Changhong had always been fearless and straightforward. Once he confirmed that he had feelings for Ye Muyan, any lingering shyness quickly faded. What was there to be afraid of? Since both sides were willing, then they might as well date. He was already fifteen—it was high time for a passionate romance.

After the two of them cleared the air and left the room, Ye Muyan’s face was glowing with a spring-like smile, and You Changhong had also shaken off his earlier daze, his brows relaxed, eyes gleaming with joy.

When they came downstairs, they didn’t see Shen Lihuan or You Changqing. You Changhong peeked around curiously but didn’t spot them. Scratching his cheek, he muttered, “Where did Sis and Sister Lihuan run off to?”

Ye Muyan pulled him over to the sofa. “They probably went back to their room. Let’s wait a bit.”

Before long, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing came downstairs together. Shen Lihuan radiated contentment like someone who had just enjoyed a satisfying feast, her whole presence blooming like a dewy, ravishing rose in full display of its charm.

You Changqing trailed beside her like a shy young bride, her steps slow. Shen Lihuan had an arm around her slender waist, adjusting her own pace to match.

Ye Muyan’s gaze flickered. You Changhong, meanwhile, looked at them with curiosity. “Sis, what were you doing in the room? Took you so long to come down.”

Shen Lihuan curled her lips in good spirits. “Kids shouldn’t worry about such things.”

You Changhong scrunched up his nose in protest. As someone who already saw himself as a grown man, he was quite displeased with that answer.

Helping Changqing to sit on the other end of the sofa, Shen Lihuan picked up a cup of tea and helped her take a few sips. You Changqing let out a contented sigh—her parched throat finally felt some relief.

“You two talked things out?”

Shen Lihuan’s gaze swept between Ye Muyan and You Changhong. Ye Muyan smiled gracefully. “We did. It was just a misunderstanding to begin with. Once we cleared it up, everything was fine.”

Shen Lihuan’s playful eyes landed on You Changhong, who was smiling at Ye Muyan with gentle eyes. “Is that so? Then congratulations.”

Looks like Changhong had figured things out. But the kid was still young—three more years till adulthood. Ye Muyan was in for a long wait.

Shen Lihuan’s eyes quickly glanced at a certain part of Ye Muyan’s body, and a trace of schadenfreude flitted through her gaze.

You Changqing felt embarrassed after realizing she had wrongly blamed Ye Muyan, but at the same time, she was also a bit resentful—her little brother had been targeted by this big bad wolf at such a young age! Still, seeing how fond Changhong clearly was of Ye Muyan, she figured it was best not to play the villain and split them up—no need to earn Changhong’s resentment later.

After dinner, Ye Muyan took You Changhong with him when he left. Mu Xi had recovered, and You Changhong wanted to visit him. Whether that was the real reason or just an excuse, no one looked into it too deeply. In any case, Ye Muyan didn’t dare let Changhong stay overnight at the Ye house—Father Ye would be the first to object.

Neither Shen Lihuan nor You Changqing liked doing dishes, but luckily, they had a dishwasher. Otherwise, they would’ve had to grit their teeth and get scrubbing.

The next morning, after dropping Changqing off at work, Shen Lihuan noticed the weather was nice, so she took a walk around the neighborhood and even jogged for half an hour. If she didn’t exercise, her abs would start fading away—and Changqing definitely wouldn’t be pleased if that happened.

Touching her chest proudly, Shen Lihuan sighed with satisfaction. She really was someone who doted on her wife.

By noon, Ye Muyan arrived with Ye Muxi and You Changhong in tow. They put together a table full of delicious food and cracked open several bottles of red wine. It was a joyful, indulgent meal.

Ye Muxi didn’t hold his liquor well. After just two glasses, his cheeks were already flushed. Ye Muyan quickly stopped him from drinking more. “Don’t push yourself.”

Ye Muxi paid him no mind and poured a glass for Shen Lihuan with a smile. “Lihuan, thank you for saving me. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be a three-year-old dummy.”

Shen Lihuan took the glass and sipped. “No need to thank me. We’re all friends—no need to be so formal.”

Ye Muxi rubbed his face. “I’ve made up my mind. I want to study medicine too, just like you, and save more people!”

The rest of his life was a bonus—he had to make it meaningful. There were countless patients in the world, and he had been incredibly lucky to meet Lihuan. Now he hoped he could become someone else’s luck, saving one person after another and helping them regain their health.

“Well said!”

You Changhong clapped him on the shoulder.

“I’ll be back in school for my second year of high school when the semester starts. That means I’ll be in the same grade as Lihuan and Changqing. Who knows, maybe we’ll even get into the same university.”

His eyes shone with hope for the future. Shen Lihuan nodded. “Go for it. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even end up working together someday.”

Shen Lihuan had only said it casually, but it ended up being a prophecy—in a few years, they really did become colleagues.