Chapter 120: The Look in Hu Yan’s Eyes Was Anything But Innocent
When Hu Yan returned, he found everyone in the courtyard. "What are you all doing here?" he asked.
Yan Yichen heard Hu Yan’s voice and immediately looked over, his own voice laced with excitement. "Hu Yan, it’s good you’re back!"
Hu Yan noticed the tense atmosphere. After glancing at everyone, he asked, "What’s wrong?"
Yan Yichen immediately rattled off everything that had just happened to Hu Yan.
After listening, Hu Yan first looked at the uneasy Bai Zhi, then at Sang Mo, whose face was dark and unreadable, and finally swept his gaze over to Zelda, who was winking and making faces at him.
Then, Hu Yan said to Zelda, "I’ll handle things here. You should head back. My grandfather mentioned that your grandfather found a female for you and wants you two to meet."
Upon hearing that, Zelda’s expression changed instantly. "What?! No way, I’ve got to go!"
He didn’t even finish speaking, forgetting all about the drama unfolding. As he walked out, he said, "I’m leaving now. I’ll come back tomorrow."
After Zelda left, Hu Yan glanced at the others. "Everyone, inside. Bai Zhi, head back to your room first. I have something to tell you in a bit."
With that, he led the way inside.
The others all followed close behind. Bai Zhi watched them go from where she stood, pursed her lips, and then returned to her room.
Hu Yan came up about twenty minutes later, bringing with him the dinner prepared by the chef.
Before he entered, Bai Zhi was curled up on the armchair.
Hearing the sound, she immediately looked up to see Hu Yan enter, followed by a robot pushing a serving cart. The robot quickly placed the dishes one by one on the small table and then left.
Hu Yan walked over to Bai Zhi and crouched in front of the armchair, meeting her gaze. He reached out and brushed a few messy strands of hair from her ear, saying softly, "It’s not a big deal, and you don’t have to feel like you did anything wrong. Who you like and who you don’t is your own choice. No one has the right to force you to like anyone."
Hu Yan’s handsome face was reflected in Bai Zhi’s clear eyes. She pursed her lips and said, "But receiving special treatment can be upsetting for others. It’s understandable that Sang Mo is unhappy."
Hu Yan took both of her hands in his. "The fact that you think this way actually makes us, your Beast Husbands, very happy. It proves you care about us. But I don’t want you to be in a bad mood because of this, understand?"
Bai Zhi looked at Hu Yan. ’How did he know I was upset?’
"Don’t worry," Hu Yan said. "The issue with Sang Mo is resolved. Now you can eat and rest, okay?"
At his words, Bai Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you handle it? Why is Sang Mo so obedient to you?"
’Just a moment ago, Sang Mo looked like he could eat me alive, yet Hu Yan placated him so easily?’
’But it seemed Hu Yan always had a magical way about him. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.’
Hu Yan chuckled softly. "That’s a secret."
Then he reached out and scooped Bai Zhi up. Bai Zhi obediently wrapped her arms around his neck.
Nestled in Hu Yan’s arms, she only had to tilt her head up slightly to see his handsome profile and his perfect jawline.
Suddenly, Hu Yan’s deep voice, tinged with a hint of huskiness, rumbled, "Keep staring like that, and we’ll be up late enough for a midnight snack."
At his words, Bai Zhi immediately stopped staring.
Then she heard Hu Yan’s low chuckle from above her. She snapped her head up and met his smiling eyes.
Bai Zhi realized at once—he had done that on purpose!!
To get back at him, Bai Zhi tightened her grip around his neck and swung her legs up to wrap them around his waist.
"Ngh..."
Worried she would fall, Hu Yan cupped his hands under her thighs to support her.
Once Bai Zhi was steady, her new position made her taller than Hu Yan. She looked down at him, deliberately reached out to tilt up his chin, and then said in an extremely cocky tone, "A midnight snack, is it? Who’s afraid of who! We’ll see who can’t take it first! After all, I’ve only ever heard of a tired-out ox, never a plowed-out field!!"
As soon as Bai Zhi said this, Hu Yan’s eyes darkened.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on her thighs, his voice dropping several shades lower than before. "I’d advise you to think carefully before you say anything more."
Bai Zhi gradually felt an unusual sensation, and she started to lose her nerve. But she didn’t let it show on her face. She tilted her head slightly, leaned in a little closer, and retorted coolly, "What should I think about? How much my spiritual power will increase tonight?"
After she said this, Bai Zhi clearly felt Hu Yan’s body tense up, along with the increasingly impossible-to-ignore sensation against her.
Bai Zhi: "..."
She shifted uncomfortably.
Hu Yan swatted her bottom and warned in a husky voice, "Don’t move!"
Bai Zhi immediately froze.
She froze because Hu Yan had clearly changed direction. He was no longer heading for the small table, but for the bathroom.
Seeing this, her bravado faltered and she quickly blurted out, "Hu Yan, I’m hungry!"
Hu Yan stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at her. "And here I thought you were so brave. Turns out it was all talk."
Then he reached for a bottle of low-alcohol wine. "I was just getting some wine. Look how scared you got."
At his words, Bai Zhi whipped her head around. Seeing he really was holding a bottle of wine, she thought of how foolish she had just acted, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
Bai Zhi tried to save face. "I wasn’t scared at all! I just wanted to eat first!"
Hu Yan’s only response was a low, soft chuckle.
Bai Zhi: "..."
Knowing Hu Yan didn’t believe a word she said, Bai Zhi tilted her head to the side. ’Fine. My dignity is my own to uphold. Whether he believes me is his business.’
Hu Yan set Bai Zhi down in a chair at the small table.
He opened the wine, poured a small amount into her glass, and set it in front of her. "It’s a fruit wine. A little will help you sleep."
Bai Zhi nodded, picked up the glass, and took a sip. It was indeed fruit wine—sweet and sour with a light aroma of wine, and it left a slightly sweet aftertaste.
Bai Zhi took two more quick sips, and the small amount of wine in her glass was gone.
Hu Yan had just finished pouring a glass for himself when he saw that hers was already empty. He stared for a moment, then couldn’t help but remind her, "Even though this is a fruit wine, the alcohol content isn’t that low."
Hearing this, Bai Zhi lifted her glistening eyes to him. "You should have said so earlier... I already drank it all."
As she spoke, she unconsciously licked the lingering wine from her lips.
Watching her rosy lips part and close, in that instant, Hu Yan felt his throat go dry. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and the look he gave Bai Zhi was far from innocent.