When Ivy Shen kissed Liam Willow, she suddenly felt like a big bad wolf bullying a little lamb.
But then she realized she was actually enjoying it—a lot. The last two times, Adrian Night and Lucian Vane had taken the lead, leaving her feeling out of control. She really wanted to be the one in charge, but every time they kissed, she ended up getting swept away and losing all sense of direction.
This time was different—she was the one in control, while the other party was totally passive. Heh, schooling a pure little bunny like this made her feel ridiculously cheerful.
"Darling..." See, that's the benefit of marrying a Number One Scholar—just a few rounds of kissing, and Liam Willow was already picking up her moves and starting to cooperate. The way he caught on so fast genuinely surprised Ivy.
"Mm." She slowly pulled away from Liam Willow's lips, worried she might corrupt this innocent guy. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she wondered if her boldness had scared him off?!
"Da... darling." Now free from her soft lips, Liam Willow was gasping for breath, his heart racing. So that's what kissing feels like—soft, tingly, kind of unbearable, but also really, really nice.
"Huh?" She turned to look at Liam Willow, who was still panting beside her.
Liam Willow quickly turned to face Ivy. "Darling... I'm so hot..." The sudden change left him totally flustered. As soon as he spoke, he kicked the covers off, exposing his skinny, pale body—no extra fat anywhere. Ivy's mind instantly conjured up an 'attacker' and a 'defender'—this scene was just begging for wild, shameless thoughts.
Seeing this, Ivy quickly shook her head—what was she even thinking? She coughed and said, "It's fine, you won't feel hot in a bit."
"Oh." The pure-hearted kid clearly had no objections to her answer.
A few seconds later—
"Darling, can you tell me your story?" Even after hearing her reassurance, he still felt too hot and uncomfortable—something he'd never experienced before. He quickly tried to distract himself by asking about her past.
Hearing that, Ivy looked at him and said, "You really want to know?"
He nodded seriously. "Mm-hmm!"
Seeing that, Ivy briefly explained things to him. But she didn't mention that she had an older sister trapped in the palace—she was genuinely worried he'd get anxious. She mainly told him she was a princess exiled from the Serpent Realm, the Crown Prince wanted her dead, and she had to fight back or she'd be killed!
Listening to Ivy's story, Liam Willow couldn't help but grip her hand tightly, like he'd lose her if he let go.
"Alright, that's pretty much the gist of it. We're out here to plan for the future, and you—you're super important! If a war breaks out, we'll need tons and tons of money. While we're gone, can you help keep track of our accounts for me?" Ivy saw he was worried, so she gave him something important to do—just to make sure he felt valued.
"The Crown Prince is such a jerk. I never should've taken the scholar exam!" Liam Willow huffed, furious that the guy wanted to hurt the person he loved. He was way angrier about that than if the Crown Prince wanted to kill him!
Ivy couldn't help but burst out laughing at his adorable reaction—he was just too cute! The gloom of the past few days finally started to lift, all thanks to her sweet little bunny.
"You can't say that! Taking the scholar exam proved your skills—you didn't waste all those years of hard work!"
"But... but..."
"Even if he's not a good person, that doesn't clash with you being the Number One Scholar. It's a huge achievement, and you kept your childhood promise!" Ivy tried to comfort him, seeing his conflicted frown.
"Mm-hmm, you're right, darling. Don't worry, I'll definitely keep the books straight." Then he frowned in regret and said, "If only Mr. Lan was here! He's amazing at accounting—never loses a coin!" The innocent kid thought all four of them had entered together, so where had Mr. Lan gone?
"Lan Moxuan?" Hearing Liam Willow mention that long-lost name, Ivy murmured it to herself. The last time in Poison Peach Grove, his true identity had really shocked her—he was actually Silver Princess's nephew! But what confused her more was that he'd chosen to save them. What on earth was Lan Moxuan plotting?!
And when he married her, who exactly did he strike a deal with? Was it... her master?!
She shook her head, still clueless. Her master wasn't around either. Actually, she'd never seen his true form—he always said he could turn into a snake. Hmm, what would that old rascal look like as a snake? Next time he shows up, she definitely has to make him transform for her!
"Darling... darling..." Seeing Ivy zone out, Liam Willow gently called out to her.
"Ah, sorry about that." Realizing she'd spaced out, Ivy apologized, a little embarrassed.
"Darling, would you accept Mr. Hua—the Butterfly Rogue?" Out of nowhere, Liam Willow asked something Ivy had never considered.
"Butterfly Rogue? Would I accept him? Probably not, right?!"
Seeing her hesitate, Liam Willow assumed she was thinking it over and quickly said, "Darling, Butterfly Rogue is a really good guy. Sure, he talks nonsense sometimes, but I think he's great. You don't know—he got totally wrecked stealing that jade for you. When he came back, he was covered in wounds, and his tail was bleeding..."
"What?" Ivy sat up in shock. She thought he'd pulled it off smoothly—how did he end up hurt?
"Darling, that official Cao brought tons of experts—every single one was crazy strong. According to Ke Liang, some even had insane lightness skills. That night, Butterfly Rogue came back bloodied, tail mangled, and handed me the loot. He begged me not to tell you about his injuries, in case you told your sister and she'd laugh at him. I wanted him to stay and heal, but he said he'd cause trouble for you if he did, so he left to lure the enemies away." Honest Liam Willow finally spilled the whole story.
"So you mean he went to steal something as a betrothal gift..." Ivy trailed off, suddenly realizing he was just afraid she'd laugh at him?
"He didn't want me to tell you—he was worried you'd be upset. But he said once he lured the enemies away, he'd bring all his money to you—and your 'sister.'"
Hearing that, Ivy was so surprised she didn't even know how to respond. Was this guy into her just because she was surrounded by hotties? Last time he even joked about how cool they'd look walking out together—she'd teased him for just wanting to show off. But if that's the case, why does he go all out like this? Did he not realize what he looked like? Or maybe he just liked that type?!
Ivy really couldn't figure it out. But later, when she met her 'Old Seventh,' she finally understood—sometimes, love at first sight just happens, no logic or rules required!
Just then, Liam Willow suddenly sat up, the blanket slipping down to his waist. He turned to face her, eyes blazing with determination, like he was about to make a solemn vow.
"What are you up to, Little Bunny?" Ivy asked, curious about his serious expression.
"Don't worry, darling! I may not know martial arts, but I've already thought of a way to help you. Just wait and see—I promise I won't let you down!" His eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief. "Trust me, when you get back from Chu Kingdom, you'll have a big surprise waiting!"
Seeing Liam Willow so serious, Ivy couldn't help but ask, "What are you planning?"
"Shh—" Suddenly, he put a finger to his lips. "Darling, it's a secret! I can't tell you yet. Just wait till you come back—I promise you won't be disappointed!"
"I believe you!" His gaze was so sincere, Ivy couldn't help but trust him—even though she had no clue what he was up to. If he said to wait and see, she'd wait and see.
"Uh... darling..." Suddenly, his serious face turned beet red.
"What's wrong?"
"I... I... I want, I want..."
"Huh? Want what?"
"Want—want this!" Suddenly making up his mind, Liam Willow grabbed Ivy's shoulders and toppled them both onto the bed. The next second, his fiery kiss landed right on her lips.
Seeing this, Ivy's eyes went wide. What the heck? Is Little Bunny turning into the Big Bad Wolf?!
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PS: Thanks for all the flowers, coffee, comments, and votes! Ivy loves you guys—seriously, love you down to the bone! (*__*) Heehee!