I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

This time it was no longer a deep plunder, but a protracted and agonizing struggle.

He took her slightly swollen lower lip into his mouth, gently licking and sucking it.

It was like savoring the most precious candy, or like soothing someone, with endless patience and a deeper, more unsettling longing.

She passively tilted her head back, enduring his gentle yet tantalizing kisses. Her consciousness gradually blurred, leaving only the tingling sensation on her lips and her wildly beating heart.

Her fingers went from gripping his clothes tightly to pressing weakly against his chest.

Finally, somehow, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingertips unconsciously digging into his slightly damp hair.

Soft, barely suppressed moans escaped from between their intertwined lips, only to be swallowed by moisture and a deeper kiss.

Shuzi had no idea how long the kiss lasted.

She felt as if she were walking on clouds, or as if she were drowning in warm seawater.

I was floating and sinking, struggling to breathe, and my cheeks were burning.

Gu Yan finally retreated slowly and reluctantly until she was almost out of breath.

His forehead pressed against hers again, their noses touching, their breaths mingling, both unusually hot and rapid.

Shu Zi's eyelashes were wet and stuck together, her eyes were misty, and her lips were swollen and red, glistening with an alluring sheen.

She was breathing heavily, her face flushed red, and she leaned softly against him, only managing to stay upright thanks to his arm braced against the wall and his hand around her waist.

Gu Yan looked at her, who was so dazed from being kissed, his eyes filled with turbulent emotions, and his Adam's apple bobbed heavily.

He lowered his head and lightly pecked her slightly swollen lower lip again, his breathing heavy and his voice unusually hoarse.

"This time, I'll pay back part of it first."

Shu Zi's mind was still spinning, and she didn't fully understand what "a part" meant. She just blinked instinctively and blankly.

Gu Yan took a deep breath, forced himself to step back a little, raised his hand, and gently wiped her moist lips with the pad of his thumb.

He looked at her, his gaze lingering on her flushed face and the fresh red mark on her neck, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"It's time to go out," he said, his voice still slightly hoarse, but he had regained some of his usual composure.

He released his hand from her waist, made sure she could stand steadily, then turned and walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on his face.

The water flowed over his eyebrows and the bridge of his nose, attempting to suppress the turbulent emotions churning in his eyes.

Shu Zi was still leaning against the wall, looking at his straight back. She raised her hand to touch her burning face, and then touched her still numb lips. Her heart was still beating incredibly fast.

Gu Yan turned off the water, took a tissue to wipe the water droplets from his face, turned around and walked over to look at her:

"It's time to go out. If we don't go out soon, Director Liu will send someone to look for us."

Shu Zi suddenly realized that she had been inside for quite some time.

She looked down at her wrinkled pajamas, then glanced at his T-shirt, which she had just ruffled, and her face flushed even more.

"You, you go out first!" she pushed him, her voice soft and weak.

Gu Yan looked at her embarrassed and annoyed expression, a smile flashing in his eyes. "Nuonuo, I came here to take a bath."

Shu Zi choked, then remembered that he had come in under the pretext of "taking a bath".

She glared at him, grabbed her hair dryer from the shelf, turned around, opened the door, and strode out, slamming the door shut behind her.

When Shu Zi came out of the bathroom, her cheeks were flushed, her lips were noticeably swollen, her eyes were wet, and her hair was more disheveled than when she went in.

She clutched the hairdryer tightly in her hand, her steps a little hurried. She walked to the dressing table, placed the hairdryer on the table, and then turned off the bedroom camera.

[She's out! Shuzi is out!]

[You've been inside for so long, I thought you two were fixing the pipes!]

[Holy crap? Did you guys see that? Her face is super red, her hair is a mess, and her lips look a little swollen... Hmm... Am I seeing things?]

Sister, I think you're not mistaken, because I saw it too!!! And... I think I spotted a little strawberry...

【Why did she turn off the camera?! She's guilty! She's definitely guilty!】

The camera screen is black.

After Shuzi turned off the camera, she relaxed a little, but the heat on her face didn't subside at all.

She walked to the dressing table, sat down, and looked in the mirror. She almost cried out.

The person in the mirror had flushed cheeks, watery eyes, and red, swollen lips; it was obvious they had been kissed hard.

That's not all. She tilted her head to the side, and a faint, fresh red mark was clearly visible on the side of her neck near her collarbone.

"Damn it!" Shu Zi muttered under her breath.

Then, she quickly rummaged through her makeup bag for concealer and, looking in the mirror, tried with a conflicted expression to cover up the damn red mark on the side of her neck.

The mark isn't very deep, but its location is quite noticeable. Applying concealer just makes it seem like I'm trying to cover it up.

The sound of water in the bathroom was still going on, but it stopped after a short while. A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Gu Yan came out.

He changed into a clean black T-shirt and trousers, his hair was half-dry with a towel, and the ends of his hair were still damp. He looked refreshed and... invigorated.

He walked behind Shu Zi, his gaze naturally falling on her neck and the somewhat unnatural layer of concealer.

Shu Zi glared at him in the mirror, her eyes clearly saying, "It's all your fault."

Gu Yan chuckled softly.

He stretched out his hand.

Shu Zi shrank back warily.

Gu Yan's hand paused in mid-air, then naturally turned and picked up the setting spray from the dressing table. He sprayed it twice at a distance from her face.

The fine, cool mist fell on her face, and Shu Zi subconsciously closed her eyes.

"Alright." Gu Yan put down the setting spray. "You can't tell."

Shu Zi looked at herself carefully in the mirror with suspicion.

I don't know if the concealer dried out or if the setting spray had a soft-focus effect, but the mark was indeed less noticeable. It wasn't easy to spot unless you looked closely.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still glared at him in the mirror with annoyance, muttering under her breath, "...He's a dog."

Gu Yan chuckled softly, looked at herself in the mirror, and said, "Okay, I'll be gentler next time."

Shu Zi: "..."

The redness that had finally subsided has reappeared.

She grabbed a powder puff from the side and was about to throw it behind her, but he gently held her wrist.

"Stop fooling around."

As Gu Yan spoke, he naturally took the hair dryer from her other hand, plugged it in, turned it on, and tested the air temperature:

"Turn around, your hair is still wet, let me dry it for you."

Shu Zi tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't. She could only glare at him and say, "...I'll do it myself!"

"Your hands aren't shaking anymore?"

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow, glancing meaningfully at her still slightly unsteady hand as she applied concealer, and then at her still flushed face.

"..."

Shu Zi was speechless, turned around angrily, and faced away from the dressing table, which was taken as an admission.