Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 714 Yukiko's Compromise! (Seeking monthly votes!)

"What? Are you stunned?"

Taking in Yukiko Kudo's reaction, Bai Ye raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, his gaze seemingly able to see through her inner panic and shyness.

Yukiko Kudo then seemed to wake from a dream, subconsciously tightening the collar of her yukata, trying to cover her slightly flushed skin and an inappropriate glimpse of her skin.

Bai Ye's gaze slowly lingered on her, starting from her slightly reddened ear tips, following her slender neck, and descending to the alluring curves faintly visible beneath her bathrobe, finally settling on her tightly pursed pink lips, as if trying to see right through her.

Looking at Yukiko Kudo, who was still graceful in her yukata, Byakuya couldn't help but feel a hint of amazement. Then he patted the cushion next to him and said in a deep and magnetic voice, "Sit."

As Yukiko Kudo knelt across the low table, Byakuya suddenly leaned forward.

She instinctively leaned back, but the back of her head slammed heavily against the wall with a soft thud.

Bai Ye's warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying a faint scent of red wine, like an invisible temptation: "Where's the lingerie I told you to wear?"

"I...I didn't bring it." Yukiko Kudo turned her face away, her voice barely audible, with a slight tremor.

"You're lying." Bai Ye's fingertips lightly hooked her sash, his gaze falling on the glimpse of red peeking out from under her yukata collar, a faint, dangerous smile curving his lips. "Isn't that it under the yukata?"

Yukiko Kudo's ear tips instantly turned bright red, so red they looked like they could bleed.

She did wear the lingerie Bai Ye had mentioned, and even, out of sheer madness, sprayed the perfume Bai Ye had praised last time.

Realizing this, she was filled with shame and almost suffocated.

She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her collar, not wanting Bai Ye to see her current embarrassment, but under Bai Ye's teasing gaze, her body instantly froze, unable to move, as if she had been frozen in place.

Finally, she took a deep breath, slowly adjusted her posture, and knelt down again opposite the low table, straightening her back as if this would preserve her remaining dignity and prevent her from completely collapsing in front of Bai Ye.

Taking in her reaction, Bai Ye raised an eyebrow and suddenly leaned forward again, his slender fingers gently stroking her cheek.

Yukiko Kudo instinctively wanted to back away, but the solid wall behind her blocked her way, leaving her nowhere to escape.

Bai Ye's warm breath brushed against her ear again, his voice seductive: "What's there to be nervous about? It's not like we're meeting for the first time!"

"I...I've done as you said." Yukiko Kudo pursed her pink lips, trying to suppress her shyness and panic as she replied, but her voice trembled more than she had imagined. "What about what you promised me?"

Actually, she had no intention of keeping the appointment at first.

After all, what happened between her and Bai Ye was a mistake that should never have happened.

Moreover, the so-called "agreement" was made haphazardly by her when she was infatuated.

After regaining her senses, she was filled with regret and self-blame. She even considered taking a flight back abroad before Bai Ye came knocking on her door, to get away from all this turmoil and get her life back on track.

But who would have thought that in Japan, where surveillance is not widespread, Bai Ye would unexpectedly install surveillance cameras, and in his own home no less.

Worried that Byakuya might send anything captured on the surveillance camera that could be detrimental to her to Kudo Yusaku, she had no choice but to make up an excuse to send him away. Then, filled with trepidation and fear, she went alone to the hot spring inn to keep her appointment...

Bai Ye's lips curled into an ambiguous smile. He didn't respond directly to Kudo Yukiko, but instead picked up the red wine on the table and gently swirled the glass, his gaze fixed on Kudo Yukiko as if admiring a fine work of art.

His relaxed and carefree demeanor contrasted sharply with Yukiko Kudo's anxiety.

After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Don't rush, Yukiko."

As he spoke, he gently swirled the wine in his glass, the deep red liquid swirling within, mirroring her chaotic thoughts. "I will naturally keep my promise to you, but not now."

The reason he installed surveillance cameras in his home was not to threaten Yukiko Kudo or anything like that, but to prevent some unscrupulous thieves from targeting him.

After all, as everyone knows, Gotham City is known as Milly Flower.

Gas explosion in Fuyuki City, Science First Academy City, peaceful town of Karakura, crime-free Gotham City, and neighboring friendly town of Beika.

With a daily rate of unnatural deaths and a crime rate as high as 200%, Beika Town is a hotbed of crime, where anyone except the Black Organization could be a potential criminal.

Living in Beika Town, a place with a crime rate comparable to, or even higher than, Gotham City, he really had to be careful!

That's why, as soon as he moved to his current place, he immediately installed surveillance cameras in his room.

However, in the eyes of Yukiko Kudo now, his arrangement may have ulterior motives.

However, let the misunderstanding remain; he's not going to be kind enough to explain things to Yukiko Kudo.

After all, if Yukiko Kudo understood that the surveillance cameras in her room were purely for preventing some clueless thieves, wouldn't he have made a wasted trip?
Since we've come all this way, wouldn't it be a waste of his hard work and travel experience if we didn't eat our fill before going back?

Yukiko Kudo bit her lip, a complex expression of anger and helplessness flashing in her eyes: "Byakuya, what exactly do you want? Do you really want to make things spiral out of control?"

Bai Ye put down his wine glass, leaned forward slightly, and looked at her intently: "You know, Yukiko, from the first time we met, I felt that you were special. Your beauty and your intelligence have deeply attracted me."

Yukiko Kudo's heart skipped a beat; she hadn't expected Byakuya to suddenly say something like that. "Why are you saying all this? Things between us have already gone terribly wrong; we can't continue like this."

Bai Ye seemed not to hear her words and continued, "I know what you're worried about. Actually, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to spend more time with you, Yukiko."

"Getting along? Do you think this kind of relationship is normal?" Yukiko Kudo couldn't help but retort. "Don't you think using such methods is too despicable?"

"mean?"

Bai Ye smiled dismissively: "This is just a normal way of pursuing someone, how is it despicable?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "However, since you keep calling me despicable, wouldn't it be a disservice to your 'slander' if I didn't act despicably myself?"

As he spoke, he took out his phone from his bathrobe sleeve and waved it in front of her.

"Give it to me!" Seeing this, Kudo Yukiko thought that the key thing was in Byakuya's phone, so she quickly reached out to grab it, but Byakuya pulled her into his arms.

The yukata came undone in the struggle, revealing more skin covered in red lace.

Bai Ye's gaze darkened slightly, and his fingers unconsciously slid down her collarbone, softly praising, "So beautiful."

“You…” Yukiko Kudo trembled slightly, whether from anger or some other indescribable emotion, it was hard to tell.

Just when she thought Bai Ye would make a further move, the man released her. "Yukiko, I just don't want to lose the chance to be with you. Is it really necessary to hate me so much?"

Bai Ye frowned slightly, his expression seemingly silently expressing his dissatisfaction with Kudo Yukiko's attitude. "However, since you are so resistant to me, why don't we try a different way of getting along?"

A glimmer of hope rose in Yukiko Kudo's heart. "What method? As long as you give me the thing, I'll agree to anything you ask."

A sly glint flashed in Bai Ye's eyes, and he smiled meaningfully. "From now on, we'll pretend to be ordinary good friends and spend the night together at this hot spring inn. During this time, you must treat me like a good friend. After tonight, I'll give you what you want!"

In truth, how could Byakuya be content with merely being ordinary friends with Kudo Yukiko?

However, at the moment, Yukiko Kudo was very wary of him, and such a tense atmosphere was not conducive to him achieving his goals.

He knew that only by making Yukiko Kudo completely relax could he further close the distance between them and let things develop in the direction he hoped for.

Yukiko Kudo hesitated, staring at Byakuya, trying to discern the truth of the proposal from his expression.

She didn't know if Bai Ye's words were credible, but at this moment, she seemed to have no other choice but to believe him. After a moment's thought, she slowly nodded and said, "Okay, I promise you. But you must keep your word. Otherwise..."

As she spoke, a resolute look appeared in her eyes, as if she were showing Bai Ye that she was not without principles.

Bai Ye smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, I keep my word. By the way, let's go soak in the hot springs first and relax. I'll come find you in twenty minutes."

As he spoke, he stood up and slowly opened the French windows. The afterglow of the setting sun mixed with the steam from the hot springs and drifted into the room. A warm breeze carrying the scent of sulfur brushed against her burning cheeks.

The crisp sound of bamboo tubes striking stones drifted from afar, adding a touch of Zen to the ambiguous atmosphere.

Yukiko Kudo stared blankly at Byakuya's departing figure, the hem of her yukata swaying gently with his steps, revealing the lines of his strong calves, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Only after the paper door closed again did she breathe a sigh of relief, but then unconsciously touched her burning cheeks.

She knew this night was destined to be anything but peaceful, and all she could do was proceed with extreme caution, praying that everything would return to normal after the night, just as Bai Ye had said…

Taking a deep breath, Yukiko Kudo stood up and walked heavily towards the hot spring pool beside her, silently thinking that this was perhaps the price she had to pay for her mistakes.

The twilight outside the window deepened, the last rays of the setting sun silently swallowed by the mountains. The lantern light cast flickering shadows on the paper door, as if silently reminding her: this dangerous game has only just begun…

……

Yukiko Kudo stood alone by the hot spring pool, the rising steam blurring her vision, as if veiling the whole world in a dreamy and hazy veil.

She slowly removed her bathrobe, revealing her red lace lingerie, which looked particularly alluring and eye-catching in the misty steam.

She bit her lower lip, a struggle flashing in her eyes, but finally freed herself from the last restraints and slowly stepped into the hot spring.

The warm water gently enveloped her skin, offering a moment of comfort like a mother's embrace. However, this warmth could not dispel the lingering anxiety deep within her heart.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down, but Bai Ye's playful eyes and the lingering warmth of his fingertips kept appearing in her mind.

The petals on the water's surface swayed gently with her movements, just like her wavering thoughts.

He should have fled this place of trouble immediately, but his body seemed to have its own will and actually came here as he had planned.

She couldn't help but secretly blame herself for being so useless!
Twenty minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and just as she was anxiously waiting for the night to fall, footsteps approached from afar.

"Twenty minutes have passed."

A deep voice suddenly sounded behind her. Kudo Yukiko turned around sharply and saw that Byakuya was already standing by the pool, looking down at her.

His yukata was completely open, revealing his muscular waist and abdomen. Water droplets slid slowly down his collarbone and dripped into the hot spring.

Yukiko Kudo instinctively stepped back, but the hot spring pool was only so big, and she quickly bumped against the pool wall.

Bai Ye chuckled softly, stepped into the water, and approached her step by step.

"Why are you hiding? It's not like we haven't seen it before!"

Looking at Yukiko Kudo in the pool, Byakuya's eyes held an inscrutable expression. "How are you feeling?"

"What else can I do?" Yukiko Kudo replied irritably. At this moment, the tension in her heart was slightly relieved by Byakuya's restraint, but she was still wary of his approach.

Bai Ye smiled gently, not caring about her wary attitude. "Yukiko, you don't need to be so nervous. I just want to spend one night with you and won't do anything inappropriate."

Yukiko Kudo rolled her eyes at him. "I hope you really mean what you say."

Over the next few minutes, Byakuya started chatting with Yukiko Kudo about trivial topics, from the history of hot spring inns to recent trends, trying to create a relaxed atmosphere and ease the slightly tense relationship between the two.

Although Yukiko Kudo was unwilling, she could only reluctantly respond in order to get Byakuya to keep his promise.

However, as time went on, Yukiko Kudo was gradually surprised to find that Byakuya seemed to be keeping his promise and did not make any further inappropriate moves towards her.

Unconsciously, her guard gradually lowered, and she began to talk to Bai Ye seriously...

(End of this chapter)