Chapter 45: Her Boyfriend Could Crush a Spoiled Brat with a Single Slap (8)

In the middle of the night, the young couple clung to each other, crying their hearts out—a truly bizarre and comical sight. During that time, Bai Yao did whatever Xue Yan asked of her; even if he craved endless junk food, even if he reached for her ankle at all hours, she would cooperate, striving to make him happy and satisfied.

It was then that Xue Yan realized something important: someone cared for him now, so he couldn't allow himself to get hurt anymore.

To this day, Bai Yao still didn't quite understand how she had come to accept that her boyfriend was, in fact, a snake. Perhaps it was during those sleepless nights when she would wake up wanting to slap herself; she had grown accustomed to his coils and his kisses, and without knowing it, had accepted everything about him.

Now, this pale, despondent man sat on the back of her bicycle, and when he looked at her, that cautious expression returned.

Seeing no one around, Bai Yao stopped the bike, turned and leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips. She meant to pull away after a light kiss, but he took advantage of the moment, opening his mouth and following her breath deeper, inviting her warmth to dance with his.

It dawned on Bai Yao belatedly that the popsicle she had just bought for him was pineapple-flavored.

Xue Yan wasn't ready to let her go, but she found kissing in that position too tiring, so she withdrew and ended the kiss. He pressed closer, gently rubbing his face against hers, occasionally brushing her rosy lips.

Bai Yao whispered, "You didn't make me angry. It's my own issue, don't overthink it."

Hearing he hadn't upset her, Xue Yan's taut body relaxed a little, but his dark eyes still gazed at her with yearning.

Bai Yao simply disliked the way that woman had looked at Xue Yan. As a fellow woman, she could sense the curiosity—the interest that stemmed from it. Truthfully, the woman was attractive: delicate and soft, standing small between two men, easily stirring a protective instinct in others.

Though she hated to admit it, Bai Yao realized she was a little jealous.

She asked Xue Yan, "Will you always love me?"

He nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I only love Yao Yao."

Satisfied, Bai Yao continued pedaling, heading into the wind, rambling nonstop, "Xue Yan, you have to know having a fiancée like me is your blessing. There aren’t many women in the world who are as clever, beautiful, graceful, lively, and generous as me. And most importantly, I have a good character!"

Xue Yan wrapped one arm around her waist, the other twined in her hair, as if he had no independent thought, believing every word she said. He smiled, his eyes curved, "The best person in the world is Yao Yao."

Bai Yao lifted her chin, "Of course! Look at how hard it is for young people to get married these days—men need a house, a car, and a stable career. You just own a house, and you're a homebody. Your salary isn’t even as high as mine. You’re lucky you met me; I don’t even mind that you’re not as well off as I am, so you must love me properly, alright?"

For once, Xue Yan's mind sharpened. He tilted his head, "Yao Yao, are you CPU-ing me?"

He had picked up the term from her short videos recently.

Bai Yao shot him a glare. "What CPU? I sleep with you every day, eat with you, play with you. Is this what you call CPU?"

After being shouted at, Xue Yan trembled, then wrapped his arms tightly around her, shrinking himself and pressing his face against her back, whispering, "I love Yao Yao. Yao Yao loves me. We will always be together."

At the mention of "always," Bai Yao felt a little guilty.

In other novels, the heroine’s system frequently bestowed cheats. Her own system had just given her the word "strategy" and then vanished—utterly useless. She couldn’t even see a favorability meter; she had no idea when she would succeed in her quest and clear this world.

If she did clear it, would she leave this world immediately?

Bai Yao put away her complicated emotions and whispered, "Let’s finish our tasks early and go home."

Xue Yan asked, "Yao Yao, are you hungry?"

Bai Yao replied frankly, "I want to touch your tail."

Among them, "touching his tail" had its own special meaning.

Xue Yan’s eyes lit up; the lazy, dejected air around him now tinged with youthful vitality. His ears flushed red, and his fair face brimmed with anticipation.

He buried his face in her back, shy and hesitant.

Was her desire for him so insatiable?

She truly was utterly smitten with him.

Grandma Dong was elderly, but still robust. Knowing Bai Yao and Xue Yan would visit today, she had prepared rose tea and some treats in advance.

While Xue Yan climbed the ladder to replace a window, Bai Yao stood in the yard, gazing up at him, barely sipping her tea.

Grandma Dong smiled benevolently, "You two really have a good relationship."

Bai Yao looked at her, embarrassed, "I’m just afraid he’ll be careless and mess things up."

Grandma Dong chuckled, "You're worried he'll get hurt, aren't you? If you didn't care, you wouldn't pay so much attention."

Bai Yao felt awkward under the teasing gaze of an elder and quickly changed the subject. "I heard Dong ended up in the hospital from eating spoiled food. Is he feeling better now?"

Grandma Dong grumbled, "I warned him not to eat meat that's been sitting out, but he wouldn't listen. Now look—he’s stuck in the hospital, getting daily injections and medicine. Thankfully, the doctor said it’s not serious. He’ll be back in two or three days."

Bai Yao said, "That's good to hear."

She glanced at the roses blooming in the yard and smiled, "When I first arrived, there weren’t even buds here—the wind and rain battered the flowers every which way. Now they’re blooming so beautifully."

Grandma Dong’s face lit up as she looked at the flowers. "Dong worked hard to make these roses flourish; all the fertilizer was top-notch, and the seedlings came from a high-quality rose estate. That’s why they’re thriving."

Grandma Dong then said warmly, "If you like flowers, I'll cut some for you to take home. Put them in a vase with water, and they'll bloom for a long time."

Bai Yao politely declined at first, but Grandma Dong insisted that since Xue Yan was helping with the windows, Bai Yao should accept the flowers. She finally agreed.

When Xue Yan finished, he climbed down from the ladder, and Bai Yao handed him her cooled tea. He drank half at once. Seeing Grandma Dong bring over a freshly cut bouquet, he worried about the thorns hurting Bai Yao and quickly took the flowers himself.

After thanking them, Grandma Dong added, "Today is the travelers' second night here—some may still be unaccustomed to life in the town. There might be things to handle tonight. Xiao Xue, will you help at the inn?"

Bai Yao looked at Xue Yan.

Holding the bouquet in one hand and Bai Yao's hand in the other, Xue Yan answered disinterestedly, "The neighborhood committee arranged for others to help at the inn."

In other words, he wasn’t planning to go.

The chimes sounded at six in the evening; dusk had fallen.

Grandma Dong smiled as she bid them farewell, "It's getting late. Go home and rest."

Bai Yao and Xue Yan left the elderly woman's house. She asked him, "Do you still need to help at the inn?"

Xue Yan replied, "Every time, there are travelers unfamiliar with the town who wander out at night and get lost. Sometimes we have to go find them."

Bai Yao considered this and nodded, "It's true—even though the town isn’t big, it’s easy to get lost if you don’t know your way. I got lost the first time I came here."

She smiled, "But getting lost was a blessing—otherwise, I might never have met you."

The hand holding hers suddenly tightened.

Bai Yao felt a twinge of pain and looked up, "What’s wrong?"

Xue Yan slowly relaxed, his eyes curving as he smiled softly, "I just feel so lucky—to have met Yao Yao before anyone else here."