Chapter 399 - 398: Kissing and Hugging, How Improper

This was nothing like Jiang Qingli’s fleeting peck from earlier.

Nor was it like their kiss on the rooftop not long ago.

This was a kiss that threatened to devour her.

The scent of a grown man washed over her, overwhelming and stealing her breath. It was forceful yet tenderly intimate, completely enveloping Jiang Qingli’s senses.

Jiang Qingli felt like she was about to suffocate.

Her eyes were squeezed shut, eyelashes trembling frantically.

’Her rational mind screamed at her. The elevator doors were open, and a Beast Husband was watching. She had to push Ye Linyuan away. This couldn’t go on.’

’If anyone else were to pass by and see her with Ye Linyuan—who was supposed to be in the First District—kissing her in a suddenly-materialized elevator as if no one was watching... things would spiral completely out of control...’

And yet, for some reason, Jiang Qingli didn’t open her eyes.

After she tried to push him away once, only to have him catch her hands, she actually gave up the struggle.

Between breaths, Jiang Qingli could clearly feel Ye Linyuan watching her.

Ye Linyuan didn’t have an overwhelming presence.

Snakes were best at hiding themselves.

But his gaze was like a pair of rough yet gentle hands, its touch exceptionally distinct every time.

Right now, Ye Linyuan’s gaze felt like a caress on her face, a kiss on the tip of her ear that made her shiver.

Time became immeasurable.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but to Jiang Qingli, it felt like hours.

Finally, her rationality won out. A protesting whimper escaped Jiang Qingli’s throat as she raised her hands to push him.

Ye Linyuan seemed to chuckle.

But it was a cold, displeased sound.

"Afraid he’ll see?"

Their lips parted.

Just when she thought she was free, Ye Linyuan lowered his head again and recaptured her lips, even more aggressively than before.

He even nipped her lip lightly, a faint sting serving as a warning.

She didn’t know how long it was before she could finally breathe fresh air again.

She was like a beached fish returned to water.

But along with the relief came the disorienting feeling of his sudden release.

Her legs were too weak to hold her, and she could only hang on to him, using his strength to stay upright.

"Afraid?" The young man chuckled, his voice low, hoarse, and wicked as he toyed with her earlobe. "What’s the use in being afraid now? He already saw."

Jiang Qingli’s eyes flew open, and she glared at him. Her cheeks were flushed, whether from lack of oxygen or from anger, she couldn’t tell. "Ye Linyuan! You are—"

Overcome with anger, she punched him squarely in the chest.

Caught completely off guard, Ye Linyuan stumbled back against the elevator wall with a loud THUD.

Jiang Qingli had just gathered the words to berate him when she caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye—the doors were already closed.

They’d been closed for a while.

’Then... Qin Muye probably didn’t see anything, right?’

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Jiang Qingli asked, "When did the doors close?"

Leaning against the wall, Ye Linyuan rubbed the spot on his chest where she’d hit him. "While a certain someone had her eyes closed, enjoying herself," he said slowly.

His words sent another wave of heat rushing to Jiang Qingli’s face.

He smiled lazily, but his vertical pupils were fixed on her lips, like a top-tier Hunter preparing for its next strike, ready to attack at any moment.

Jiang Qingli quickly covered her mouth. Her voice came out muffled as she accused him, "You were the one who seduced me!"

"Alright, I seduced you."

Ye Linyuan admitted it readily.

It wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this, and he felt no guilt whatsoever.

In fact, as if that wasn’t enough, he raised an eyebrow at Jiang Qingli. "Want me to seduce you again?"

Jiang Qingli: "..."

She decisively jabbed the elevator’s control panel and waved him off.

Her tone was firm and final this time. "Goodbye!"

She stepped out of the elevator. Ye Linyuan followed her for a few steps but stopped at the threshold, not setting foot outside.

The corridor was empty and silent, without a soul in sight.

Jiang Qingli started to wonder if she had hallucinated seeing Qin Muye earlier.

Since no one was there, she didn’t need to rush off.

Jiang Qingli slowed her pace and turned, wanting to say one more goodbye to Ye Linyuan.

The young man was leaning casually against the doorframe. Seeing her turn back, he gave a little wave.

It was a very casual gesture.

And yet, he was looking at her so intently, his gaze never wavering for an instant.

It gave Jiang Qingli the strange feeling that he was saying a real farewell.

’They always seemed to be apart more than they were together...’

’Who knew when they would see each other again.’

Jiang Qingli sighed softly, but before any melancholy could set in...

The next second their eyes met, Ye Linyuan’s lips parted, and his forked tongue flickered out in a wanton greeting.

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’So much for that feeling!’

’I’m out of here!’

...

The girl quickened her pace, rounded a corner, and was gone.

She looked a little huffy.

Ye Linyuan chuckled.

After he laughed, he stopped and touched the corner of his own lips in disbelief.

They were turned up in a smile.

’Since meeting her, he seemed to be getting more and more familiar with the act of smiling.’

’His mood was often a pleasant one, too.’

Ye Linyuan raised a hand to his chest.

Through the fabric, he pressed the rose totem on his chest.

’It didn’t seem to have much to do with the mark.’

’Just seeing her made happiness an instinct.’

His terminal buzzed.

Ye Linyuan answered it.

A respectful voice came from the other end. "Lord City Lord, the exact location has been found. Shall I transmit the map to you now?"

Facing his subordinate, Ye Linyuan’s voice became cold and indifferent again. "Mm."

The person on the other end didn’t hang up, hesitating for a few seconds before continuing, "Lord City Lord... are you sure that after you depart, you want to give Miss Jiang..."

"Yang Fei," Ye Linyuan’s voice was flat.

His decisions were never to be questioned.

Realizing he had overstepped, the man on the other end quickly said, "My apologies, I spoke out of turn. I’ll get on it right away!"

Ye Linyuan stared for a few seconds at the spot where Jiang Qingli had disappeared, then pressed the button for the 100th floor.

The elevator doors slid shut, and the wall became a seamless, flat surface once more.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

-

When Jiang Qingli returned to the private room, the group had already finished eating and were heading to another room to continue the party.

She followed the crowd to the new room, turned down Yuan Liang’s invitation for a duet, and found a seat in the corner where she quietly poured herself a cold drink.

She had hoped to keep a low profile.

But a moment later, a tall young man sat down beside her.

The Prince’s gaze was like a hawk’s, fixed intently on her.

Jiang Qingli stared at a few people chatting across the room, pretending to be interested in their conversation.

In the end, it was Qin Muye who couldn’t hold back his displeasure any longer. "I was wondering what took you so long. Turns out *someone* was holding you up."

The heat rushed back to Jiang Qingli’s face, which had just begun to cool.

She took a sip of her drink, avoiding his eyes. "You saw wrong. You must have... been hallucinating. Yes, that’s it. You’ve had too much to drink and started hallucinating, that’s why you thought you saw Ye Linyuan."

"Did I say that ’someone’ was Ye Linyuan?" Qin Muye sneered. "A guilty conscience needs no accuser."

This only made Qin Muye angrier:

"The two of you."

"All that hugging."

"So lovey-dovey."

"Have you no decency!"

Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but laugh. "Wow, I’m impressed you can string together all those angry little phrases. You deserve a reward!"

"Jiang Qingli!" Qin Muye hissed. "Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?"

Jiang Qingli turned to size him up. His mood seemed relatively stable, which probably meant he hadn’t seen them kissing.

She crooked a finger at Qin Muye. "Actually," she said, "I was just attacked. Ye Linyuan helped me look up some information on the culprit."

She pulled out the data file to show him.

Qin Muye studied it for a moment, his brows knitting together.

"This person... I know him."