Blinded by Lust chapter 21

Wu Bie didn’t expect Zhanyan to seriously explain it, and his blood surged to his face, making his whole head feel hot. With each breath, he could smell the strong scent of alcohol.

“Zhanyan!” He scolded loudly, not realizing his tone carried a hint of laughter. He had to pretend to be angry in front of Zhanyan, “Who taught you this? Have you done this with other guys too?”

Zhanyan suddenly leaned closer to the camera, though Wu Bie couldn’t see it. Her voice just became louder.

“Ge, I only do this with you. I don’t like anyone else.”

No matter how many times he heard Zhanyan say she liked him, Wu Bie could never get used to it, nor could he keep a straight face. Holding his phone, he didn’t dare to move, afraid that Zhanyan would see his foolish expression.

“I don’t believe you.” Wu Bie put his foot up on a tree trunk and sat down in a comfortable position. “You’re so good-looking. I don’t believe no other guy likes you, unless every guy at your school is blind!”

Of course, there were people who liked him. Huo Zhanyan had never lacked admirers, both male and female, but none of them caught his eye.

“Just because they like me, does that mean I have to like them? I prefer someone older than me—mature, stable, and responsible.”

Wu Bie felt like he was about to melt under the praise. His legs turned to jelly, and he almost lost his footing and fell off the tree. He remembered Zhanyan had said she’d never been in a relationship before, which made his heart flutter even more. It was like finding a treasure.

He couldn’t let others steal her away, so Wu Bie seriously warned her, “You better not say these things to any other guys.”

Zhanyan agreed with him, greatly satisfying Wu Bie’s male pride.

“I’ll only say it to you, okay?”

Of course that’s okay! Wu Bie couldn’t wait. At first, he thought Zhanyan was a blank slate, naïve and clueless, experiencing the first stirrings of love. But Zhanyan always managed to surprise him. She wasn’t as innocent as she seemed—bold, direct, even daring to tease him. Wu Bie’s protective instincts were gradually turning into a desire to conquer her, and this version of Zhanyan attracted him even more than he had imagined.

He kept pretending to be serious, “There are many bad people in this world, and even more bad men, who have bad intentions. You can’t act like this in front of others.”

“I know,” Zhanyan agreed with Wu Bie. There are indeed many bad people in the world, especially bad men with ulterior motives. “But you wouldn’t bully me.”

Stop flattering me like that, Wu Bie thought. He wanted to be the good guy, but he also didn’t want to be completely wrapped around Zhanyan’s finger. He was too lenient with her, always too easy-going in front of her, which was why this girl acted so recklessly and pushed his limits.

“How do you know I won’t bully you? I’m a guy too. All men are lustful, especially guys like me who’ve been away from the city for years, rarely interacting with women. I’m particularly bad.”

Zhanyan softly asked, “Then will you bully me?”

“You dared to ask me to kiss you, and now you’re afraid I’ll bully you?”

“You wouldn’t.” Zhanyan laughed softly. “So, are you going to kiss me or not?”

Her laugh made Wu Bie’s heart feel like it was on fire, like Zhanyan was sure he wouldn’t dare. How could someone with Wu Bie’s personality take that? He had to prove himself in front of her.

“I only kiss my wife.”

Thinking he had managed to stump the little girl, Wu Bie was about to gloat when he heard a calm voice on the other end of the phone, “So, when you were in relationships before, you never kissed your exes?”

Wu Bie froze, at a loss for words. Zhanyan didn’t let him off, her mood suddenly dropping like she was hurt, “So, you’ve kissed others before?”

What’s the point of dating if you don’t kiss? Not kissing would be ridiculous!

Wu Bie stammered, “I…”

“Were they all your wives too?”

Wu Bie didn’t expect to dig a hole for himself and jump right in. Zhanyan’s memory was too good, and she never forgot a word he said.

“If they were all my wives, would I have been able to handle that?”

Over the phone, Zhanyan’s breathing became slower and more deliberate. It felt like a feather gently brushing over Wu Bie’s heart, making him itch. He wanted to find a quiet spot to talk with her, and luckily, the fireworks had ended, and the crowd was beginning to disperse. Wu Bie jumped down from the tree and headed towards the ships, away from the people.

With his long legs and quick steps, he soon reached the shore. He didn’t hurry to board the ship, kicking off his sandals and walking barefoot on the warm sand, enjoying the tranquility of the coast. With the occasional sound from Zhanyan on the phone, everything felt so quiet. Finally, he could look at Zhanyan while speaking, noticing that she was very close to the camera.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Zhanyan blinked, her face pure and innocent. When she spoke, Wu Bie couldn’t handle it at all, “You’ve kissed so many people, but that was my first kiss.”

Could you not make me sound like a pervert? It sounded like Wu Bie randomly went around kissing people on the street. He wasn’t that low.

And also! What was that just now? Was that really a first kiss? Did Zhanyan actually kiss him on the lips? At most, she kissed the phone screen! The screen got all the benefit, and Wu Bie’s the one held responsible.

But… if it really was the first kiss, Wu Bie’s lips twitched a little, feeling ecstatic inside. So she was just an inexperienced little chicken, trying to act tough in front of him, how adorable. He liked her even more.

“Did you kiss me? Even if it was on my forehead, that doesn’t count. I’ll remember this, and you’ll have to make it up to me later.”

Wu Bie stared at the person on the screen, feeling a bit unsettled. Zhanyan was so calm, not even blushing, and she even dared to look him in the eye. Feeling frustrated, Wu Bie quickly leaned toward the camera and kissed the screen.

The screen went black for a second, followed by a loud “mua!” sound. Huo Zhanyan, completely unprepared, saw Wu Bie’s enlarged face when he came to his senses.

Maybe Wu Bie was too excited and kissed too hard, as his lips turned red from the impact. He looked a bit shy, and his tanned skin visibly darkened a shade, though he kept his usual nonchalant look.

“I just said, I only kiss my wife.”

Huo Zhanyan’s palm was burning. Where Wu Bie couldn’t see, he poked the place on the screen where Wu Bie’s lips had been. Even through the screen, he could imagine just how soft Wu Bie’s lips must be.

“But you said it didn’t count just now,” Zhanyan’s voice was hoarse, “You didn’t even kiss me.”

“You said it was your first kiss, right? So how could it not count? I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

Wu Bie’s smile froze, both on his face and on his lips. Zhanyan’s words were too sharp—he had to shut her up somehow.

“Are you agreeing to be my wife?”

On the screen, Zhanyan glanced at Wu Bie with a faint look, though there was a hint of shyness that made Wu Bie itch all over. But it was like the itch was in another dimension, impossible to scratch.

It was rare to catch Zhanyan at a loss, so Wu Bie seized the opportunity to press on, “You still haven’t answered me, have you?”

Zhanyan’s eyes, which had initially been bashful and dodging, suddenly grew a little sad. Wu Bie froze, about to speak, but Zhanyan slowly opened her mouth.

“Wu Bie, I really like you. I’m serious.”

Of course, Wu Bie knew Zhanyan was serious. He was too. He just hadn’t expected Zhanyan to confess so earnestly, so his tone became more restrained.

“I asked you to be my wife. How could I not be serious too? Do you want me to get a marriage certificate to prove it?”

Zhanyan lowered her eyes. “Wu Bie, will you always like me, no matter what I do?”

At this point, there was no way for Wu Bie to refuse. Seeing Zhanyan so madly in love with him, yet still shy when talking about actually being together, he found her utterly irresistible.

After the alcohol in Wu Bie’s body fully kicked in, he became even more giddy, showering the camera with kisses.

“You’re already my wife. If I don’t like you, who will I like? You could even sell me off if you wanted,” Wu Bie raised an eyebrow at the camera. “Right, wifey?”

Zhanyan’s lips twitched, and an unnatural blush spread across her fair cheeks. She didn’t refute Wu Bie’s term of endearment.

“You agreed, no take-backs!”

Wu Bie grabbed a pair of slippers from the floor and jumped up, bouncing around like a monkey. He even ran up the gangplank to the deck, unable to contain his excitement.

“Woohoo!”

In the quiet night, Wu Bie’s shout was particularly loud. Huo Zhanyan stifled a laugh. “Ge, you’re too loud.”

“So what if I’m loud? Why should I hide that I’m in a relationship?” Wu Bie seemed a bit regretful, mostly because no one was around to hear.

Zhanyan didn’t protest when Wu Bie called her his wife or wanted to date her. Other than her shy acceptance, Wu Bie couldn’t think of any other explanation.

“When I get back, we’ll… No! Starting now, we’re together. If anyone asks, you have to say you’re taken.”

Zhanyan’s dark eyes sparkled. “And if anyone asks you, will you say the same?”

“Of course! I’ll tell everyone I’m taken. Forget other women, I’ll even keep my distance from female mosquitoes.”

Wu Bie’s sweet words made Huo Zhanyan smile brightly. He didn’t dare think about the future, but in this moment, he was sincere, and Wu Bie was too. Even if it were a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

Fueled by adrenaline, Wu Bie was bursting with energy, chatting non-stop as he gave Zhanyan a tour of the deck and then led her into the ship’s cabin.

“From here, we get to our room. My room is upstairs, you’ve seen it before.” Wu Bie stood at the end of the hallway. “Now, I’ll take you back to the room.”

The camera shook as Wu Bie climbed the stairs, making the screen a dizzying blur.

“One more floor up, and it’s the crew’s quarters!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice cried out in distress from somewhere ahead, “No! Please, let me go!”

Though quiet, the sound was clear in the silent ship, and even Huo Zhanyan could hear it through the video.

“What’s going on?” Wu Bie found the voice familiar and instinctively quickened his pace up the stairs. Halfway up, he heard a door slam. By the time he reached the crew’s floor, the hallway was empty—no sign of anyone.

Wu Bie looked around blankly at Zhanyan. “Did I mishear?”