No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

Shi Qiao sat in the restaurant, her thumb stroking her phone screen back and forth.

Master Zhou hasn't replied to her yet!

Normally they're incredibly quick to reply, like a customer service representative, so why do they let us down at this crucial moment?

She craned her neck a little and saw Pei Jingnian negotiating something at the front desk, and then she organized her thoughts.

[Grumpy Chocolat: Master Zhou... this time it's really urgent! Without you, I'd die on the battlefield.]

She finally managed to find a usable one from a bunch of abstract emojis and added a crying kitten emoji.

[Crossing the river in a single boat: ?]

[Angry Chocola: Master! You're finally here! Quickly give me some advice!]

[Grumpy Chocolat: My tsundere crush is completely different now, I don't know if he's possessed by a ghost or cursed.]

The message "The other party is typing" kept popping up above my head, but only a few words were sent after half a minute.

[A Boat Crossing the River: What Has It Become Now?]

[Grumpy Chollez: It's just...like a top-tier succubus, constantly bombarding my eyes with that handsome face, and never saying anything proper.]

[One Boat Crossing the River: But after reading my post, isn't that what you wanted him to be like? Or do you just not like it? Do you want him to continue being arrogant?]

Shi Qiao felt that Master Zhou was unusually rational today, but she didn't think much of it and quickly increased her output as Pei Jingnian hadn't returned yet.

[Grumpy Chocolat: How could I possibly want him to continue being so arrogant? After getting to know him, I realized that when men get stubborn, it can be truly maddening!]

If it weren't for the matchmaker's push to meet performance targets, she might never have known that Pei Jingnian had these thoughts about her.

[One Boat Crossing the River: Dislikes conflicted things again?]

The phrase "Shi Qiao's eyelashes drooped" is even stranger.

Could it be that Master Zhou is having some trouble and is therefore in a bad mood?

[Angry Chocolat: Sorry, Master Zhou, I was so focused on talking about myself, did I disturb you?]

Before I could finish typing the rest of the sentence, my phone was snatched away.

Shi Qiao was startled and trembled. Before she could turn around, she was enveloped in a warm embrace from behind.

The man squeezed into the cramped seat, pulled her into his arms, and gently rested his chin on her neck. His hot breath was disordered and slightly trembling, brushing against her ear.

The familiar woody scent, mixed with a delicate citrus aroma, lingered around her nose.

I like you.

Shi Qiao was stunned; those three short words smoothed out all the wrinkles on her forehead.

"Wait...wait a minute..."

"No, we won't wait."

Pei Jingnian ignored her attempts to stop him, burying his face in her soft neck and murmuring, "I like you, I like you so much."

I've liked you for a long, long time.

He gently pulled her closer to him, drawing her slightly more towards him.

Is this really a curse?

Shi Qiao's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She placed her small hand on the back of his hand. "Pei Jingnian, let go first! We...we're still in the restaurant."

"I've booked the whole place." Pei Jingnian watched as her hands kept pushing him away, but he obediently loosened them a little, gently wrapping his arms around her slender waist and adjusting to a face-to-face position.

You must resist the urge to upset your wife.

Shi Qiao didn't dare to look at Pei Jingnian at all; her gaze remained fixed on his prominent collarbone.

She lowered her voice, her tone hesitant and unsteady, "Pei Jingnian, are you trying to...bluff me with this?"

Pei Jingnian bent down, took her hand and moved it to his chest, pressing it tightly against his chest.

Her heart pounded like a drum, powerfully piercing her hard chest, making her palms go numb.

No, seriously.

Shi Qiao was completely dumbfounded.

"Do you...do you realize that saying that is tantamount to admitting that you..."

"Ugh, we lost."

He raised his head slightly, adopting a completely subservient posture, his dark pupils focused solely on her, his nose lightly brushing against her ripe cheek.

"How are you going to punish me, Shi Qiao?"

His deep, husky voice held a hint of excitement, and his tousled hair hung loosely like dog ears.

"I'm willing to do anything."

"You can be my dog ​​too."

[Wife, I would gladly do it.]

Shi Qiao: !

"I haven't decided on a punishment yet, so don't talk nonsense."

Shi Qiao tilted her head to the side, constantly smoothing her hair to try and cover her ears, which were so red they looked like they could drip blood.

That's not right!

Although the process was confusing, she achieved the result she wanted, didn't she?

Why is she being so timid now?

She should stand up for herself!

After pretending to be a kitten for a month, it's time to be the king!

She coughed lightly twice, finally picking up the backbone she had long since thrown to the winds.

"Pei Jingnian, even if you say these things to me now, I will not agree to them."

"Playing the victim won't work."

Yes, that's it, I'm getting into the groove.

The "chasing-back-to-the-wife-in-the-cremation" vibe is starting to kick in.

She was about to add a more cultured line like "If only I had known this would happen," when Pei Jingnian spoke first:

"Yes, I know."

He lingered like a piece of sticky candy, not letting go completely, his clear eyes fixed on her.

"Shi Qiao, I didn't expect to win you over with just a few words."

"So I'm glad you said that."

He smoothed her hair, took a strand, and kissed it lightly, like a devout believer.

"I should be grateful that you're willing to give me a chance to start over."

Shi Qiao had imagined that Pei Jingnian would cry his heart out, begging her not to be so heartless;

I've also thought he might turn into a madman or something.

But I never expected that he could utter such sweet words from his dog mouth!

She licked her lips, which glistened even more alluringly. "Who's giving you a chance?"

"Anyway... it's up to you. Don't cry because I've been rejecting you all this time."

Pei Jingnian narrowed his eyes slightly, his lower abdomen twitched slightly, and his voice carried a clear hint of coaxing.

"I will pursue you until you are satisfied, Shi Qiao."

Shi Qiao couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "If you keep pursuing someone after being rejected, that's called harassment."

Pei Jingnian frowned slightly, his dark eyes sparkling with starlight, looking utterly aggrieved. "Harassment? Am I harassed too?"

A beauty overload.

Depend on!

"Well...it depends," Shi Qiao said guiltily, unable to say anything harsh. "Anyway, let go of me and sit across from me."

Pei Jingnian said "Oh" and reluctantly moved to the other side, but he was clearly in a good mood.

Shi Qiao always felt that something was off.

Things went too smoothly for no apparent reason.

It even gave her the feeling that this was his true nature and that his previous sharp tongue was all an act.

But if he's always been this straightforward, why did he work as a cargo loader for so long?

Born to act?

I still couldn't figure out what went wrong, and I ate a meal feeling depressed.

After eating, she went to her afternoon classes and returned home. She took a shower, changed her clothes, and went to bed. Pei Jingnian didn't do anything else.

But she still managed to suffer from insomnia.

*

Thankfully, it wasn't 8 AM.

Shi Qiao forced herself to fall asleep and drifted off to sleep until noon, when she was awakened by the aroma of food.

She washed up in a daze and followed the smell to the kitchen.

Oh, are they really going to get serious now?

Suddenly, a crack appeared, revealing only half an eye.

Pei Jingnian was wearing a black shirt with two buttons deliberately undone and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his entire forearm. He was holding a knife and chopping vegetables, his movements quick and skillful.

With each cut, the muscle lines and veins would sway a little more.

Shi Qiao swallowed hard.

For a moment, I didn't know whether I was tempted by what was stewing in the pot, or something else entirely.

Pei Jingnian glanced sideways and caught a glimpse of a small, dark figure in front of the door.

Honey, you're awake.

He tilted the blade slightly and, without hesitation, drew a bloody line on his fingertip.