Late at night, Ning Chu had changed into her cozy Totoro-themed loungewear. Her hands danced across the keyboard, typing the final words of her draft before hitting send.
Raising her arms, she let out a lazy yawn, stretching her stiff body after two hours of sitting. Rubbing her sore neck, she grumbled, "Why is there so much to do every day? It’s like I can’t ever catch a break."
Sitting on the couch, Wen Yang heard her complaints and looked up with a smile. "Finished writing?"
"Today’s part, at least," Ning Chu replied, propping her chin on one hand as she opened a locked document on her computer.
"The girl we ran into earlier this evening is probably a supporting character," she mused aloud.
"She’s pretty," she muttered, searching for the girl’s plotline in her smut novel, "and apparently pretty wild too..."
Curious, Wen Yang wandered over to stand behind her. His eyes landed on the screen filled with explicit and suggestive phrases. Before he could take in more, the laptop snapped shut with a sharp clap.
"Get away from me!" Ning Chu hissed.
"It’s not like I haven’t seen it before," he teased, glancing at her face, now burning with embarrassment.
"That’s different!" she snapped, voice rising in pitch.
Even though Wen Yang had already read the entirety of her smut novel, Ning Chu couldn’t bring herself to sit next to him and casually browse it together. It felt far too weird!
Even with ordinary novels, if they were based on friends or acquaintances, she’d feel uneasy having them read it. And this was smut. Worse, it was full of interactions between "Wen Yang" and various girls. It was mortifying.
To make matters worse, Wen Yang had just played basketball earlier. His sweaty, masculine scent, tinged with hormones and faint musk, made her head spin. Normally, she’d hate the smell of sweat, but somehow, Wen Yang’s didn’t bother her. In fact, it was...
Ugh, stop thinking about that!
"Fine, I’ll back off," Wen Yang said, stepping away a few paces.
Only when he moved did Ning Chu reopen her laptop. She quickly clicked on the "Replace" function in her document and swapped every instance of "Wen Yang" with "Male Protagonist."
There. Much better. Even if it was just an illusion, it felt less personal.
Thanks to her photographic memory of her own writing, it didn’t take long for her to locate the relevant short story.
"Found it!" she exclaimed.
Wen Yang immediately returned, peering over her shoulder. "So, what does it say?"
Her face # Nоvеlight # flushed crimson again. She covered half of it with her hand, stammering, "Well... it’s... kind of easy to resolve?"
"What’s the issue?"
Wen Yang chuckled, amused by her squirming. "You wrote it. Why are you embarrassed now?"
"That girl... she’s a hermaphrodite with... a certain condition," she muttered, trailing off.
Wen Yang froze, recalling vague details about that particular story. His brow furrowed as he asked, "What kind of mental state were you in to write something like this?"
"How should I know?!" Ning Chu snapped, slamming the laptop shut again. She glared at Wen Yang, face still red. "Go take a shower! You’re covered in sweat!"
"But the house needs cleaning," he said innocently.
"Then clean it! Just don’t hover around me!" she barked, growing even more flustered under his odd gaze.
Back when she was still a man, her writing had covered every possible kink, barring the truly extreme ones. Most of her smut stories explored all sorts of scenarios, reflecting her wide-ranging tastes.
So what if I wrote a hermaphrodite story? It’s popular online! It’s not my fault Wen Yang’s a country bumpkin who’s never been exposed to modern trends!
Despite her internal justifications, Ning Chu knew this particular subplot could safely be ignored. As long as Wen Yang didn’t go poking around where he shouldn’t, the character wouldn’t actively pursue him. The girl was a passive type, not one of those overly aggressive seductresses.
"What’s her name?" Wen Yang asked.
"Why? Are you interested in her?" Ning Chu shot back, narrowing her eyes.
"Not really," Wen Yang replied, casually clearing the coffee table. "I’m not the kind of guy who falls for every girl I see."
Yeah, right. Ning Chu eyed him skeptically. This is the guy who hit on me when I was still a man. No way he’d hesitate with a beautiful hermaphrodite.
But Wen Yang had long since shed his harem-protagonist persona. Under her influence, he’d been thoroughly tamed into a loyal golden retriever of a man.
Leaning back in her chair, Ning Chu hugged her knees and said, "Her name’s Qing Qing. Don’t mess with her—her plotline only progresses if the protagonist makes the first move."
"Don’t worry."
Ning Chu trusted Wen Yang enough to take him at his word. The subtle heat rising in her body confirmed that he wasn’t lying. He had no interest in Qing Qing, effectively derailing the subplot before it could start.
Exhaling softly, Ning Chu felt her tension ease. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was just past 8 p.m. She had a feeling they’d be up early tomorrow.
As the room grew quieter, a faint blush crept across her face. Her breathing quickened, and her body began to tingle with suppressed desire. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes flicking to Wen Yang.
"Go shower already," she said, her voice a little shaky.
"In a hurry?" Wen Yang teased.
"Obviously!" she snapped.
Instead of rushing, Wen Yang methodically bagged the trash, then grabbed a broom to start sweeping. His leisurely pace only made Ning Chu more anxious.
"Forget cleaning—just go shower!" she urged.
Her skin flushed a deep, enticing shade of pink, making her look like a ripe peach waiting to be plucked. Yet Wen Yang pretended not to notice, his expression feigning confusion.
"What’s the rush?" he asked innocently.
"I..." Ning Chu began, but her throat constricted, blocking the embarrassing words. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, "Pervert!"
Once. Just once! I can hold out!
Frustrated, she bolted to the bed and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, burying her head beneath it to stifle any further thoughts.
Her heart pounded in sync with the heat pooling in her abdomen. Every fiber of her body craved something she refused to ask for.
"You could just say what you want," Wen Yang’s teasing voice floated over. "Why torture yourself?"
"You’re getting bolder!" she shot back, throwing off the blanket and tackling him onto the bed. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she growled, "I’m taking what I want! Don’t resist!"
Meanwhile, across the hallway, Xi Xi returned to her apartment after searching for signs of the evil spirit.
Walking down the dimly lit corridor, she paused at her door, fishing out her keys. Her ears perked up at the faintest of sounds—muffled, yet unmistakable, from the opposite room.
Her hand froze mid-turn, and she sighed in resignation, rubbing her temples.
"Ning Chu’s stamina is off the charts," she muttered to herself. "And things sound... intense."
After a moment of silence, the noises suddenly stopped. Xi Xi blinked in concern. "Did something happen?" she wondered aloud.
Blushing furiously, she hurriedly unlocked her door and fled inside, unwilling to investigate further.
