Chapter 28: A Blow to the Head

Zhao Kai shook his head, forcing himself to stay clear-minded—Yan’er was his sister, how could he entertain such amorous thoughts? Yet he had no idea that once you boarded this train, there was no getting off. Zhao Yan’er deliberately feigned drunkenness, luring him into her own room, and naturally she had no intention of letting him leave so easily.

“Brother… Could you get me a glass of water?”

Feeling thirsty, Zhao Yan’er asked. Zhao Kai poured her a drink, and seeing that she lacked the strength even to sit up, he helped her and fed her the water. Zhao Yan’er intentionally spilled it, soaking her already thin gauze dress, leaving little to the imagination.

Zhao Kai hurried to wipe her off, but the moment his hand brushed against that softness, he recoiled as if scalded by an open flame. Amitabha, he must not take advantage of her vulnerability.

The caresses she hoped for never arrived, leaving Zhao Yan’er feeling empty. She wished he would make her feel as he did that night, and she knew things between him and Fei’er had not gone smoothly.

Men are always drawn to women; when such things go awry, they invariably seek another outlet. She was willing to be that outlet—more than that, she wanted him to experience unparalleled happiness.

“Brother, do you hate me?”

Zhao Yan’er feigned a pitiful look, pressing herself against Zhao Kai. He didn’t know whether to embrace her or not, so he did his best to dodge.

“No… How could I ever hate you?”

“Then why won’t you hold me? I feel so uncomfortable, so hot…”

Uncomfortable? Hot?

Zhao Kai touched her forehead; it was indeed heated, but the abnormal warmth and the spring water brimming in her eyes didn’t seem like a fever—it felt more like…

She’d been drugged!

Impossible—who would dare to drug Zhao Yan’er? In any gathering where he was present, no one would dare lay a hand on her.

“Hot… so hot.”

Zhao Yan’er kept rubbing against his chest, utterly enamored with him, willing to use any means. Even if it meant pretending to be drunk to keep him there, even if it meant dosing herself with a mild drug to seduce him.

All she wanted was for him to take her.

Zhao Kai couldn’t figure out who might have acted, but the situation before him left no room for distraction.

“Yan’er, stay calm. I’ll call the maid to look after you…”

Zhao Kai tried to extricate himself, but Zhao Yan’er, impatient beyond measure, tugged at his clothes, exposing his broad chest, wide shoulders, narrow waist, and the faint outline of his abdominal muscles. She pressed herself tightly against him.

Anyone would find it unbearable to have such a warm beauty cling to them; Zhao Kai could barely restrain himself, yet he bit back the urge.

Never had he felt so tormented; his arms felt as if they were embracing a burning iron, leaving him nowhere to hide.

“I feel so uncomfortable…”

Zhao Yan’er was suffering too; she clung tightly to his waist, rubbing her cheek against his skin again and again.

A tall man pressed beneath a woman—it was almost comical, in truth.

Zhao Kai gritted his teeth and resisted, but only received an even tighter embrace in return.

Such intimate contact made beads of sweat break out on his forehead. Though Fei’er had only teased him these days, always stopping at the crucial moment and leaving him frustrated, it didn’t mean he’d stoop so low as to take advantage of Yan’er now.

His body responded, but he still resisted Zhao Yan’er with just enough strength not to hurt her.

“Yan’er… please, be clear-headed.”

Yan’er paid no heed. As soon as he finished speaking, she pressed her lips to his.

Zhao Kai’s mind went blank, his limbs helpless, just as that night.

But unlike that night, this time he found himself unwilling to resist.

“Brother, do you like me?”

Her voice was gentle and soft; truthfully, every time Zhao Yan’er called him brother, a strange feeling rose in his heart.

Who wouldn’t be drawn to such a captivating woman? Zhao Kai thought, shamefully, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.

Silence followed, and Zhao Yan’er grew aggrieved. “Brother, do you hate me? Do you think I’m spoiled, willful, unreasonable?”

“No!”

Yan’er was spoiled and willful, but her caprice was tinged with innocence and charm. Watching her throw her little tantrums sometimes, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

There truly was someone so lively in this world.

Of course, Zhao Kai kept these thoughts to himself, which made Zhao Yan’er misunderstand and believe he did dislike her. She used every trick she knew, desperate for a response.

She kissed his cheek lightly, her body pressing ever closer. Bold as always, she felt no shyness before the one she loved.

Zhao Kai’s face was flushed, unable to resist; he felt he was witnessing the most enchanting sight in the world.

Yan’er’s figure was already striking, a beauty none other could rival, which made it all the harder for Zhao Kai to push her away.

His mind felt like mush, reason slipping away; all he could sense were the rising and falling movements and the woman’s plaintive cries.

“Brother, tell me… please?”

That yearning plea finally shattered the last of his resolve; he gave in at last.

“I don’t hate you. I like you!”

Hearing his answer, Zhao Yan’er was finally satisfied. She kissed his lips, pulled his hand to embrace her.

Zhao Kai was stiff all over, the taut string in his mind about to snap; all he felt was the softness beneath him.

“Fei’er, if you keep this up, I won’t be able to stop myself…”

Yan’er hooked her arms around his waist. “Brother, I won’t let you stop—do as you wish…”

Zhao Kai pressed his lips tightly, still wrestling with his thoughts. Just as he lost control and kissed her fiercely—

Bang—a crash shattered the window, echoing loudly. The candle flickered, then went out.

Startled, Zhao Kai jumped, and Yan’er cried out, shrinking into his arms.

A cold wind swept through the broken window, cooling the sweat on Zhao Kai’s body and clearing his head.

Realizing what he’d just done, he awkwardly pushed Yan’er away. “Yan’er, I’m… I’m sorry… I was impulsive just now.”

Yan’er cursed inwardly—just one step away from sealing their fate, and now an accident ruined everything.

But to keep him from suspecting anything, Yan’er feigned confusion. “So cold… but I still feel hot…”

She burrowed into Zhao Kai’s arms again, but this time he decisively pushed her away and draped a coat over her.

“Yan’er, I’m sorry… Tonight was my fault. I’ll call a doctor for you. When you’re clear-headed, you can punish me as you wish.”

Zhao Kai berated himself as a despicable man, full of regret—not only for Yan’er, but for Fei’er as well. How could he take advantage of someone in such a state? Damn it!

He scolded himself, his gaze turning to the broken window and the stone lying on the floor. Who would smash a window—could it have been deliberate?