“Thank you for the offer, Young Master Ye, but I’ll be taking Niuniu. You needn’t trouble yourself,” Qiao Qi’s voice was cold and sharp. He tilted his chin. “Niuniu and I live together. Your coming would be… inconvenient, wouldn’t it?”

Niu Shurui’s temple throbbed, her heart racing. Ye Li gritted his teeth. “You live together?”

“Yes,” Qiao Qi pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder, his voice laced with icy provocation. “Do you have a problem with that, Young Master Ye?”

“You—”

“Enough.” Seeing her earlier efforts unravel, Shurui couldn’t remain a passive observer any longer.

She cut off their escalating argument. “I’ll be going with Qiao Qi this weekend. There’s no need to argue. I promised him first; I can’t simply break my word.”

Ye Li was speechless. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

To prevent further outrageous pronouncements from Qiao Qi, Shurui pressed on, handing her bag to Ye Li. “Go back to my office and wait for me. We can talk after I’ve finished eating.”

The bag still carried Niu Shurui’s warmth and scent, as if it were an extension of herself. Ye Li clutched it, a sense of satisfaction swelling within him. He was pleased by her use of “go back,” making them sound like a unit.

He nodded. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.” Ye Li turned and left, his steps hurried and uneven.

Niu Shurui had hoped this would temporarily diffuse the situation, but she hadn’t expected him to be so pleased. The red light faded, leaving only Qiao Qi’s.

Qiao Qi leaned close, his voice low and menacing. “Niuniu, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

His lips brushed against her ear, each word sending a wave of hot breath into her, a possessive force she couldn’t resist. It felt as though he was trying to invade her mind, branding it with his mark.

She squirmed, trying to escape his hold. He tightened his grip around her waist with each struggle. Finally, she gave up.

Niu Shurui hadn’t anticipated her evasions being dismantled so thoroughly in just half a day.

Further concealment was pointless. She offered a half-truth. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kept it from you. Ye Yanhui called last night. Ye Li was having an episode, so I had to go to his house to treat him.”

Qiao Qi’s face hardened. He didn’t bother looking for flaws in her story to deceive himself. He wouldn’t believe it was that simple. What kind of treatment caused such a drastic change in personality overnight? S3x?

He’d never heard of s3x as a form of treatment. He scoffed inwardly, yet plastered a understanding smile on his face. “Is that so…”

His low chuckle was chilling. “Next time, let me know. I’ll go with you. Niuniu, it’s not safe for a girl to go to someone’s house alone, especially someone as beautiful as you. You can’t do that again, understand?”

She felt the red light, but didn’t answer, her face impassive.

Qiao Qi’s smile turned icy. “Answer me. Do you understand, Niuniu?”

“I understand,” Shurui closed her eyes wearily.

“Then repeat what I said.”

“Speak,” Qiao Qi raised his voice, wanting to bite her ear, forcing her attention on him.

“I have to take you with me next time I go to a patient’s house for emergency treatment.”

“That’s right. Good girl. Our Niuniu is the best, isn’t she? …Hmm?”

“…Yes.”

***

Ye Li cradled Niu Shurui’s bag like a precious treasure.

The moment he entered his office, he couldn’t resist reaching into his pants, roughly stroking himself as he walked to the sofa and sat down.

He lifted the bag to his nose, inhaling deeply. A guttural moan escaped his throat, youthful yet husky. “Ah… Niuniu, Niuniu… Ah, ah… Niuniu… So good, this feels so good, Niuniu…”

Finally freed, he pulled out his er3ction. His long fingers pumped rapidly, the muscles in his pale arm taut, poised.

He arched his back in desperation, but the emptiness wasn’t like last night, when he’d been held tight. It only amplified his loneliness.

He relied on his imagination, stroking the blunt tip of his penis, pretending the air was Niu Shurui, thrusting hard.

The bag lay forgotten in the corner of the sofa, a silent witness as he reached down with his other hand, gripping his scr0tum tightly, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

“Not enough… Niuniu, give it to me… Give it to me…” His hips moved faster, then froze mid-air.

He looked at the discarded bag, then quickly went to it, kneeling on the sofa, his gaze fixed on it.

Both hands continued their frantic ministrations. His c0ck swelled, the tip glistening. He increased his pace, thrusting wildly, slamming against the bag as he erupted.

Thick s3men coated the side of the bag. He groaned, cupping his p3nis, slowly stroking as he leaned back against the sofa.