Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Su Su returned home at noon, both Su Yaobo and Zhang Liqi were there.

The couple seemed to be in high spirits, their faces beaming with smiles.

Zhang Liqi glanced behind her and said, "Is our little one back? Auntie made crayfish for you today."

Hearing herself called "little one" again, Su Su wondered when they would finally drop that nickname.

Zhang Liqi noticed her flushed cheeks, her smile deepening as she continued, "You’re a bit late today."

At those words, Su Su immediately thought of what Tao Youming had just done to her, and the memory left her both flustered and annoyed.

Had that man lost his mind?

Just kissing her without warning?

Su Yaobo checked his watch. "You’re half an hour late. Where were you?"

"Nowhere special, just chatted with classmates for a bit after school." Su Su touched the tip of her ear and quickly changed the subject, smiling as she asked, "Dad, why aren’t you at work today?"

Su Yaobo chuckled, observing her slightly guilty expression and recalling Tao Youming’s explanation over the phone for why he’d been hit.

It was just a kiss.

These two kids were already engaged—what was there to be shy about?

"Things are covered at the company. No need to be there every day," Su Yaobo replied with a smile.

Su Su noticed the way both of them were staring at her, their eyes full of amusement, and felt an unsettling strangeness.

Seeing the auntie bringing out the dishes, she walked over and asked Zhang Liqi, "Mom, you’re in such a good mood today. Is something good happening in our family?"

"Nothing special," Zhang Liqi said cheerfully. "Hurry and eat. The crayfish are already shelled for you. Rest a bit after you finish."

Looking at the shelled crayfish, Su Su felt a slight regret—eating them just wasn’t the same without the fun of cracking them open herself.

Still, she didn’t want to reject their kindness.

After lunch, seeing that it was almost time for class, Su Su said goodbye to Su Yaobo and Zhang Liqi and hurried back to school.

Whether it was the heat or the lingering effect of that kiss with Tao Youming at noon, her ears stayed flushed all afternoon, to the point where she needed an ice pack.

She decided to skip the evening elective class, so after school, she went straight home.

The moment she stepped into the villa, she heard bursts of hearty laughter coming from the living room.

Walking in, she immediately spotted Tao Youming sitting beside Su Yaobo.

Su Su was surprised. What was Tao Youming doing here? To return the money?

But she’d already sent him her bank info.

Approaching, she asked Tao Youming in confusion, "Why are you at my house?"

Su Yaobo looked up at her and cleared his throat lightly. "Su Su, did you hit Youming at noon?"

Su Su froze for a few seconds before realizing—this guy had come to tell on her?

She shot Tao Youming a fierce glare and retorted, "I hit him because he assaulted me."

Tao Youming was startled by her words. Wow, what a great way to phrase it—as if he’d committed some heinous crime.

"I just kissed you," he protested immediately. "I didn’t do anything else."

Well, he might have grabbed her wrist briefly.

"I didn’t agree, so kissing me counts as assault!" Su Su was so angry she almost laughed.

"And you hit me," Tao Youming countered casually, opening his shirt further to reveal a faint, fist-sized bruise on the left side of his chest.

Under the bright lights of the living room, his pale skin made the mark stand out even more.

Su Su was stunned. Was that fake? It looked so realistic!

"Enough arguing," Su Yaobo interjected, waving his hand. "You're practically family. It’s not a big deal."

"Then, Uncle, I’ll stay here for a couple of days," Tao Youming said, clutching his chest dramatically, as if it were made of gold and might fall off.

Su Yaobo could guess Tao Youming’s intentions. The two had been having issues recently, and he probably wanted to patch things up.

So he said, "Let your aunt know if there are any dietary restrictions."

Su Su: "..."

He was really staying? What was he planning?

Tao Youming quickly stood up, picking up a bag of medicine from the coffee table. Turning to Su Su, he said, "Su Su, I can’t reach the bruises on my back. Can you help me apply the ointment?"

Su Su frowned slightly and refused outright. "I haven’t eaten yet."

Tao Youming’s heart sank a little. She was still resisting contact.

Su Yaobo, wanting to help Tao Youming, coaxed Su Su, "Go ahead. We’ll call you both down once dinner’s ready."

Su Su didn’t want to help him, but she hadn’t yet figured out why he wanted to stay at the Su residence. So she put on a smile and said, "Fine."

Tao Youming was taken aback. She was actually willing? No resistance?

Tao Youming was staying in the guest room, and Su Su followed him there directly.

Watching him pull off his shirt as soon as they entered, Su Su felt her heart skip a beat.

Tao Youming dropped his clothes carelessly and stretched out on the bed, clearly enjoying the look on her face.

"What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to help?" He pulled out a tube of ointment from the bag and handed it to her.

Su Su moved closer, trying not to focus too much on the man’s body. "Why are you staying at the Su house?"

Tao Youming pressed the opened ointment into her hand, lips quirking slightly as he replied casually, "Like I said earlier, I’m here to recover for a couple of days."

Su Su snorted. "Where exactly are you injured?"

Then, pointing at his chest herself, she added, "Here? Did you fake that?"

"This bruise is real," Tao Youming said, lying back on the bed as he watched her. "After you punched me so hard today, this spot’s been killing me."

"Let's start here," he said, pointing to the left side of his chest.

Seeing him put on this act, Su Su recalled how he had tattled on her earlier and smirked. "So, your chest hurts a lot from my punches, huh?"

"Absolutely," Tao Youming pursed his lips. "You wouldn’t believe how bad it hurt earlier."

Su Su smirked slightly. "So you went crying to my dad about me hitting you?"

"You want me to help apply the medicine, right?"

"Starting with the chest, right?"

Catching the mischief in her eyes, Tao Youming suddenly felt uneasy. Before he could react, her palm was already pressed lightly against his chest, gently massaging.

Her touch was feather-light, like a dragonfly skimming water, sending ripples through him. A jolt of electricity shot through him.

Tao Youming froze. Did she bite before he even set the hook?

Clenching her jaw, Su Su glared at him while her fingers, coated with ointment, rubbed slow circles over his so-called bruise. "How’s that pressure?"

Tao Youming's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as the electric sensation in his chest spread to his limbs, his body tensing up.

Shit. He was playing with fire.