Remember what you're saying now

Does it hurt? Of course it hurts.

But more than the pain, the feeling of being thoroughly provoked, having boundaries drawn without mercy, and then having the other party reveal a completely different and sharp side, made his blood boil.

What I initially thought was just a thorny rose has now been revealed to be a poisoned dagger disguised as a plant.

"A little lower...?" Jiang Yu's azure eyes were filled with turbulent emotions, and her fingertips unconsciously curled up, as if weighing the weight of that threat, or as if anticipating the next confrontation.

"You really dare to say that..."

"This is getting more and more interesting." He turned around, his steps slightly slowed by the pain, but his back had straightened again, and he had regained his usual nonchalant noble demeanor. However, the light in his eyes was even more unfathomable than when he arrived.

A black sedan with sleek lines and an understated yet undeniably luxurious appearance silently slowed down and came to a precise stop beside the slightly disheveled Jiang Yu.

The passenger window slowly rolled down, revealing Xiao Chi's handsome profile, which was sharply defined but now bore an undisguised mockery.

His gaze swept coldly over Jiang Yu's pale face, the cold sweat on his forehead, and his abdomen that had just been hit hard. A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"It seems," Xiao Chi's voice was low, carrying a detached indifference, but it clearly reached Jiang Yu's ears, "that you actually enjoy being lectured."

In fact, Yu Fuli guessed one thing wrong.

Jiang Yu didn't actually plan the route in advance to deliberately block the way on the secluded path leading to the teachers' apartment to create a chance encounter.

At that time, he and Xiao Chi were sitting in the car together, preparing to go to the academy's racetrack for a race.

Although the Saint Laurent Royal Academy also admits commoners and students on scholarships, it is ultimately a top-tier aristocratic institution, and naturally, traditional aristocratic sports such as equestrianism are equipped with corresponding top-notch venues and facilities.

The car happened to pass by the outskirts of that relatively quiet teachers' apartment area.

It was through that glimpse through the car window that Jiang Yu keenly spotted the familiar figure walking alone on the tree-lined path: Yu Fuli.

Without any hesitation, and without even having time to explain to Xiao Chi in the passenger seat, he immediately stopped the car and excitedly, even impatiently, got out and chased after them.

As a result, when he eagerly approached, he was met with a merciless knee strike and a cold warning.

At that moment, the black car that was originally heading towards the horse farm slowly stopped beside him, looking somewhat disheveled.

"Looks like riding a horse isn't going to happen." Xiao Chi's gaze lingered for a moment on the hand clutching his stomach, filled with deep sarcasm. "Switched to being a punching bag?"

"I can take a beating," Jiang Yu smiled brightly, as if the previous embarrassment and pain were just an illusion, and even revealed a strange sense of satisfaction. "You wouldn't understand this feeling."

Xiao Chi found it utterly unbelievable. Looking at Jiang Yu's appearance, he became even more convinced that there was something wrong with this person's mind.

"You don't know," Jiang Yu said, ignoring Xiao Chi's expression, and began to savor the moment, her azure eyes slightly narrowed as if she were tasting some delicacy, "when Teacher Yu's knee came at me, what I felt first wasn't pain at all."

He paused, his tongue unconsciously licking his lower lip, his voice low, carrying an eerie gentleness that was almost intoxicating, "It's the aura emanating from him that's cold and sharp, like a wind blowing across an icy plain, yet it's also entwined with an indescribable, dark fragrance that seeps straight into one's bones..."

He looked up at Xiao Chi, whose expression had grown increasingly cold and hard, his smile deepening, his tone almost boastful: "The pain only came after that scent entered my nostrils. But by then, the pain seemed to have a different flavor... tsk, how should I describe it?"

Xiao Chi: "...?"

He felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Shut up."

He interrupted Jiang Yu, his voice filled with undisguised disgust, "Don't tell me this. It's disgusting."

"Tsk—" Jiang Yu dragged out the word, shrugged, and showed a regretful expression as if he were talking to a brick wall. He lightly uttered two words, "Straight man~".

Then, ignoring Xiao Chi's face which darkened even more instantly, he opened the car door and got into the passenger seat.

The already tense atmosphere inside the car became even more bizarre and inexplicable because of his shocking insights.

"You can play around with it," Xiao Chi said, starting the car and looking ahead. His voice didn't reveal much emotion, but those who knew him well could detect a rare, almost admonitory tone. To be honest, if Jiang Yu wasn't his good friend, he wouldn't have bothered saying those words.

"But don't go too far. He is, after all, one of Duke Cornworth's men. If he really causes trouble, the Duke might not be so lenient." He paused, glanced at Jiang Yu, and said in a more serious tone, "Be careful not to overdo it and let your brother find out."

Jiang Yu's position in the family is quite delicate.

He was not the designated heir of the Jiang family, and he had an older brother who was practically perfect.

That older brother was expected to succeed Jiang Yu from birth, even though he was only born a few minutes earlier. He grew up impeccably, calm and composed, with outstanding abilities, and was the ideal successor in the eyes of his elders.

In contrast, Jiang Yu, who acts recklessly and has a notorious reputation for womanizing, seems to live at the other extreme. The difference in their status within their families is like heaven and earth.

Jiang Yu's smile remained unchanged, as if Xiao Chi had mentioned something unimportant.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

He answered casually.

He truly didn't believe he would develop any real feelings for Yu Fuli, much less pursue her relentlessly.

To be precise, he was infatuated with Yu Fuli's impeccable face and his exceptionally tall and slender body, which appeared particularly upright and strong under his clothes.

It was his nature to have an almost instinctive desire to possess and collect all things that were extremely beautiful.

He even has a specially made collection room in his home, where he keeps a variety of objects that he has collected from all over the world and that he has judged to be beautiful—from ancient artworks to rare minerals, all kinds of strange and wonderful things.

Thinking of the collection cabinet, a piece of his collection suddenly popped into his memory: a men's bathrobe made of red silk with a texture as smooth as flowing clouds and a color as fiery as fire.

He had acquired it by chance a few years ago and always felt that no one could match its overly intense and flamboyant colors and cut.

At this moment, the fiery red color overlapped perfectly with Yu Fuli's disheveled black hair and cold, piercing eyes.

I really want to see it...

Jiang Yu leaned against the car window, her fingertips tapping lightly on her knees, a dark and expectant light flashing in her eyes.