episode_0009

Luo Tianyou reached out and pressed her fingers against Lin Yi’s lips, which had parted in shock at her words.

“Look, these pretty lips of yours have gone all dry without a woman’s saliva to moisten them. Be good, pucker up—let me give them a thorough hydration.”

Her eyes narrowed, her soft pink lips slightly pursed as she leaned closer to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi’s gaze flickered uncertainly. He was about to push away this silver-haired beauty whose intentions he couldn’t begin to fathom.

I’m a man with a fiancée—how could I engage in such ambiguous behavior with another woman?

But just as he started to raise his hand—

The events of yesterday, with Shen Xixi, flashed through his mind.

Luo Tianyou’s grip tightened, pinning his hand down.

Then, her alluring, supple lips pressed softly against his.

Like a gentle spring breeze, sweet and tender, they caressed him.

Mwah~

“Delicious~ 😋”

Luo Tianyou pulled back after just a taste, a triumphant smile curling at the corners of her lips.

“Professor Lin Yi, you really do taste exactly as I imagined—sweet, delectable. Just one sip, and I feel like my soul’s about to take flight. I can’t help but adore you.”

Lin Yi pressed his lips together, his heartbeat oddly accelerating.

That kiss… somehow reminded him of the first time he’d met Shen Xixi.

The taste of first love.

“The more I look at you, the more I like you.”

Luo Tianyou reached up, stroking Lin Yi’s face, then stood on her tiptoes to nuzzle against him. The joy in her eyes was practically overflowing, her sweet smile like a tiny pastry stuffed to bursting with ice cream—one gentle squeeze, and all that rich sweetness would come spilling out.

“Do you like me, Luo Tianyou?”

Lin Yi asked, puzzled. He was just an ordinary man in this female-dominated world—utterly unremarkable, with nothing to his name but his looks.

Besides, he was still engaged to Yayun. As long as no other women interfered, as long as he avoided Shen Xixi, Lin Yi believed he could build a happy life with Yayun.

What, is Luo Tianyou—a silver-haired rich girl—also into taken men?

“Kindness… and a quality unlike other men.”

Luo Tianyou released his wrist, her eyes glinting with something unreadable as she spoke words that felt entirely novel.

“I don’t like men in the traditional sense. Those spineless creatures who’ve had their personhood crushed don’t even deserve to be called human. This society needs to change, to evolve. I prefer men of the new era—independent, self-reliant. I like real men.”

Back then, when she’d been suffering from irregular periods and the flu, her body so weak she’d nearly passed out in the restroom—

It was Lin Yi who’d rushed in, carried her to the hospital, soothed her pain along the way, and even taught her methods to alleviate it.

An ordinary man wouldn’t—couldn’t—have dared charge into a women’s restroom.

They were cowardly, selfish, indifferent. Outwardly, they smiled at everyone, but in truth, they didn’t care at all. That was the majority of so-called “traditional” men in this society. Even if they saw her collapsed on the floor, they wouldn’t lift a finger to help.

Not even for their own kind.

Having been oppressed for so long in this society, seeing women suffer, seeing their own kind suffer—to them, it was just entertainment. They’d stand by silently, watching, taking pleasure in it.

“Society’s starting to emphasize male dignity now. People like Miss Yunling are actually quite kind to men—”

“You believe that? Did you not see how those women in the running hall reacted just now? Lin Yi, you’re only treated like a treasure in this company because we’re women with progressive values. We protect you.”

Luo Tianyou let out a derisive laugh, cutting him off.

Lin Yi fell silent.

It was true.

“It’s fine. I know you’re hesitant. You’re a gentle man—completely different from the rest. You have your own identity, your own thoughts. You’re devoted to the woman you love, faithful to your principles. These are your strengths, things only you can do.”

Luo Tianyou cupped Lin Yi’s face in both hands, her intoxicated gaze shimmering with infatuation.

“But this world is full of bad people—especially bad women who know how to hide their true nature. They pretend to love you, targeting gentle, kind souls like you. They toy with your heart, with your body. The more you hold fast to your morals, the more they’ll humiliate you. And once you’re broken, they’ll discard you without a second thought…”

Her words slithered into Lin Yi’s ears like a demon’s whisper, coiling around his mind, echoing relentlessly.

Her delicate fingers seemed to slip beneath his skin, tenderly stroking his heart as they trailed down his chest, parting his shirt to reveal the sculpted lines of his six-pack abs.

By the time Luo Tianyou left, Lin Yi didn’t even remember sitting down at the restaurant table, now laden with all his favorite dishes.

Every one of them chosen by her.

“Enjoy your meal.”

A male server set down a cocktail.

The elegant ambiance, the exquisite food, the refreshing drink—

Lin Yi snapped out of his daze and pulled out his phone.

[Lin Yi—I think I can call you that directly, right? I had some business to attend to this afternoon, so I left early. I picked out a lot of your favorite dishes—I doubt I got any wrong, but if I did, just let me know. Next time, I’ll make sure to exclude them. Don’t worry about what happened in the running hall—I’ve already contacted the restaurant staff and had all the footage deleted. Nothing will leak. Oh, and if your fiancée ever pressures you, just come to me. I’ll take all that resentment of yours. Vent it all on me, as much as you need…]

As Lin Yi read the lengthy message, two words abruptly surfaced in his mind:

Cheating.

Was what he was doing now… considered cheating?

He pondered for a few seconds, then shook off the thought and devoured every last bite of the food Luo Tianyou had selected for him.

Patting his full stomach, he scoffed inwardly.

In this world, in this kind of place, overthinking is just shackling your own mind.

This was the lesson I should’ve learned from Shen Xixi.

I’m the one with the system, damn it. I’m the protagonist here.

The hell I’m gonna take this shit lying down!

If you’ve got a problem with me, bring it on!

Damn right!

With his mind now crystal clear, Lin Yi stretched lazily and strolled back to the office in high spirits.

Returning to his workstation, he slipped on his headphones, cranked up an energetic track, and started typing away at next week’s draft.