Chapter 22: Falling into the Bathtub...

His long, slender fingers absentmindedly undid each button, then he grasped both sides of the shirt front, shoulders dipping slightly, and let the shirt slide off, revealing a perfect physique covered with a thin layer of muscle. Lian Youyou was utterly entranced by the breathtaking scene before her, completely forgetting the need to knock before entering. Lu Ming's back, turned toward her, was smooth and pale—if one were to draw a comparison, it would be like a sheet of untouched white paper, pristine and flawless.

This was simply a masterpiece among mortals...

"Are you drunk, Youyou?" Lu Ming noticed the flush on Lian Youyou’s cheeks and the lingering scent of alcohol on her, realizing she was intoxicated.

Lian Youyou shook her head with a bright grin, "Not drunk, just a little, just a little."

She raised the bottle again and took another swig. "Nothing beats our country’s Erguotou. Those foreign liquors? Might as well be mouthwash."

Clearly, she was drunk.

"Stop drinking," Lu Ming’s expression darkened as he snatched the bottle from her hands. "Who were you drinking with?"

Was it possible that now, with her rising fame, some men with less than noble intentions were starting to make moves?

"Qiao Jing, and... Quan Qing’er."

"No one else?"

"No one else," Lian Youyou spread her hands, "Really, no one. If you don’t believe me, call them. It was just the three of us. We had dinner, went to karaoke, and had a few drinks."

Lu Ming finally relaxed, relieved that she hadn’t been taken advantage of.

"Lulu!"

Lian Youyou called out his name loudly, then wrapped her arms around his.

"Did you miss me?" Her eyes shone with vibrant, captivating light, leaving Lu Ming feeling slightly bewildered.

He nodded.

"Thank you for helping me again and again, and for letting me stay here for now. You really are a good person." She buried her face in his chest.

The faint scent of woody cologne on Lu Ming was warm, both salty and sweet, instantly endearing itself to anyone who caught it.

"I’d long given up on men, so why did you have to come along and make my heart waver again?" Her voice trembled with tears. "Why are you so good to me—do you know that if you keep this up, I’ll fall for you..."

"Youyou..."

How could he tell her that he’d liked her for a long time?

Not the Youyou she used to be, but Lian Meng.

He couldn’t find a way to explain that he knew her true identity.

Lian Youyou lifted her face, small and delicate, streaked with tears.

Looking at her tear-stained cheeks, Lu Ming felt as if his heart were stabbed with a sharp blade—the pain spreading inexplicably over his whole body...

He cupped her cheeks and wiped away her tears.

Suddenly, Lian Youyou broke into a smile through her tears. "You really are annoying—you make it impossible not to like you."

She laughed with carefree abandon, rose up on her toes, and boldly pressed her lips to his!

Everything happened so suddenly that Lu Ming was truly caught off guard.

"Youyou, are you out of your mind!" He pushed her away, voice low with disbelief as he stared at her.

Perhaps, in that moment, she really seemed like a madwoman in his eyes.

Lian Youyou snorted, quickly shut and locked the bathroom door, then came up to him again, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him once more...

She forced his lips open, diving in with a storm of passion, using the kissing skills she’d honed from acting—demanding, entangling, teasing, provoking...

Soon, Lian Youyou felt his breath grow heavier, his resistance fading, and before long, he began to kiss her back, almost involuntarily.

But after only two or three kisses, Lu Ming abruptly pushed her away. Lian Youyou lost her balance and stumbled against the edge of the bathtub!

He didn’t want to take advantage of her while she was drunk.

Even if, deep down, he had such desires.

"You obviously really like me, so why keep suppressing yourself?"

Her hands found his again, and with the bathroom floor slick with water—who knows which of them slipped first—they both tumbled into the bathtub together...