Seducing Him - Chapter 8

The sky was gloomy without the curtains drawn, and summer’s sudden downpour came fast and heavy, wrapped in hot humidity.

With the muffled roll of thunder, lightning flashed in his slightly dazed eyes, fusing his usually cold features into something dangerously alluring.

Standing before him, Ci Yiyang leaned down slightly. Her long, thick lashes trembled as she locked eyes with the boy who sat still. Her lips, tinted red, glistened like petals drenched in honey.

She asked him softly:
“I didn’t see a hairdryer in the bathroom just now. Where is it?”

As she bent over, the already loose neckline of her dress slipped open a little more. The soft valley of her chest revealed itself before his eyes—bright, pale.

Like the bowl of silken tofu she had eaten that morning.

Lu Jin leaned back against the sofa, lifting his face slightly. His gaze on her carried no lust.
“It’s hanging on the bathroom wall. Didn’t you see it, jie-jie?”

“Is it?”

Ci Yiyang tilted her head, thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head in confusion.
“I think I checked. It wasn’t there. Can you help me look?”

Lu Jin lowered his lashes. His eyelids, thin and cool, shadowed his gaze as he said calmly:
“You’re blocking the light. And the way.”

She was so close that he only had to lift himself a little to seize the back of her neck and pull her down into a kiss.

Ci Yiyang seemed to realize this, let out a soft “ah,” and quickly took a step back. The sides of her pale cheeks flushed pink.
“The thunder was too loud. I was afraid you wouldn’t hear me clearly.”

He said nothing. Closing the laptop on his knees, he stood and walked into the bathroom. Soon, he returned with the hairdryer and handed it to her.

“Thank you. Without you, I’d definitely catch a cold tomorrow,” she said as she took it from him, her fingertip brushing across his hand by accident.

His fingers curled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Ci Yiyang raised her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”

He relaxed his fingers and passed the hairdryer fully to her.

She thanked him, but didn’t move aside. Instead, she stood right before him, plugging it in.

Because he was in the way, she had to tiptoe to search for the outlet, strands of wet black hair sticking to her pale, flushed cheeks. She bit her lips softly in concentration.

From his vantage, Lu Jin looked down at the girl who barely reached his chest. Her collarbones and the swath of snowy skin below were all in view. With her leaning forward like that, it was as if she were pressing herself into his arms.

Seeing her struggle, he shifted slightly to the side and took the plug from her hand, fitting it into the outlet.

She shot him a grateful glance.
“Thanks,” the word slipped from her tongue like something sweet.

Lu Jin’s eyes lowered slightly, and he smiled.
“No need.”

Then he reminded her gently:
“Could jie-jie let me leave the room now?”

The moment he had stepped in, she had blocked the exit, using the excuse of plugging in the cord to trap him in the corner.

She had just taken a shower; the clean fragrance from her neckline drifted over, seeping into his skin.

Even his eyes seemed a little damp.

Ci Yiyang stepped back, embarrassed.
“Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

“It’s fine.” He smiled, brushed past her, and lazily sprawled back onto the sofa, hugging a cushion.

Seeing him look sleepy, she quietly went into the bathroom, shutting the door before starting the hairdryer.

When she came back out, he seemed to be asleep. His long limbs curled on the sofa, half his face buried in the cushion, black hair mussed into an innocent kind of beauty.

Outside, the rain still poured. Inside, the air conditioner was set cold.

Ci Yiyang slowed her steps, half-kneeling before him with a blanket in hand, ready to drape it over him.

But before she could touch him, her wrist was caught.

She gasped softly and looked down into his eyes, now wet with hidden emotion.
“That hurts.”

There was no trace of sleep in his gaze. He released her slowly, then raked his fingers through his hair. His voice was hoarse, trailing low:
“Done drying?”

She rubbed her wrist, muttering in complaint.
“Mm.”

She really didn’t know what he had eaten to grow so strong.

The storm outside had eased; thunder and lightning were gone.

“I’ll head back.” She took the initiative to say it before he did.

Lu Jin glanced at the window. His fine brows drooped languidly, arms crossed as he watched her.

It was late. His whole demeanor toward her now seemed… indifferent to whether she stayed or went.

Ci Yiyang walked out.

Leaving the cold-toned room, she immediately felt the warmer air outside. Only then did she realize how freezing it had been inside—like the den of a cold-blooded creature.

She rubbed her arms as she walked down the hall, but after only a few steps, she ran into a woman in a long dress.

“Auntie Lu…”

Lu Lan raised her brows in surprise.
“Still awake at this hour?”

Ci Yiyang froze briefly, then composed herself.
“Just getting some water.”

“Me too.”

Lu Lan smiled.
“I had too much spicy food tonight. It’s making me feel oddly hot.”

Ci Yiyang returned the smile but said nothing.

Lu Lan’s gaze swept over her, noticing not only her damp hair but also the thin clothes that looked fresh from a shower. She slipped off her own shawl, stepped closer, and draped it around Ci Yiyang’s shoulders.

“Young girls shouldn’t wear so little at night. You’ll catch a chill.”

Yawning, she headed downstairs.

Ci Yiyang stood still, gripping the shawl.

Its warmth matched the woman’s voice. But she still slipped it off, left it draped over the stair railing, and returned to her room in her damp shirt.

Ci Yiyang’s biological clock was precise. Because she slept lightly, she always woke around seven.

The sky outside was already pale. Pulling open the window, she could see the golf course not far from the pointed-roof villa.

She rubbed her temples, washed up, and checked her phone before heading out.

Her father had sent her a message that morning.

Last year, when her mother was still alive, her father had lost money in a bad investment—almost mortgaging their home. Luckily, he’d turned things around with another project. But now, trouble had struck his overseas company. At dawn, he and Lu Lan had flown abroad.

Ci Yiyang replied with a simple Okay, then picked up the neatly folded shirt.

Lu Jin always went on morning runs, so no matter how long he slept later, he’d be present at breakfast.

When she came downstairs, sure enough, he was eating.

Every one of his movements was refined, like a white cat. His sharp features, broad shoulders, narrow hips, and long legs all fit the golden proportions of beauty.

She placed the folded shirt before him.

Lu Jin set down his utensils and looked at her curiously. His upward gaze resembled ice cracking over a frozen river, rippling faintly.

Ci Yiyang sat down.
“I was too tired last night. Only this morning did I realize—I took the wrong shirt yesterday.”

His gaze flicked to the shirt at her side. His lips curved faintly, a soft smile forming.
“I thought jie-jie liked wearing the same shirts as me. Turns out it was just a mistake.”

He lifted the folded shirt with long fingers. Morning light washed over his gentle face, making it strangely intoxicating.

Ci Yiyang lowered her lashes, pretending not to notice his scrutiny.
“It’s already washed. I hung it in my room until dry before bringing it down.”

At that, he let it go, leaning back lazily.
“Actually, you didn’t need to return it. I never wear anything three times.”

His light tone carried a faint boredom.

Of course she knew. Anything he wore or used, he rarely touched again.

“Sorry. I didn’t know.” She lifted her pale face, her eyes sincere, tinted with remorse.

Looking like that, it was impossible to blame her.

Lu Jin said nothing.

His steady gaze always felt like a seduction. His lips were still, but his eyes carried the faintest trace of teasing, as if he saw right through her.

Just as Ci Yiyang was about to blurt out that she’d buy him a replacement, he finally spoke.

“It’s fine.”

So mild. So forgiving.

Too calm. Not at all what she’d expected.

Not what she wanted.

Her lashes lowered slowly.

She had thought Lu Jin would be easy to tempt. Sometimes, his gaze on her felt tangled and lingering.

He always gave off signals of closeness. But whenever she leaned in, he stepped back—keeping the perfect distance.

If she weren’t the one always making the first move, she’d think he was the one toying with her.

As she debated what to say next, her father’s call came through.

In front of Lu Jin, she answered. On the line, her father first told her they’d be abroad for some time, then casually reminded her to get along with Lu Jin—her younger brother—and take care of him.

The words made her stomach turn.

“Dad, wait a sec,” Ci Yiyang said softly, standing up.

She walked over to where Lu Jin sat in the lounge, headphones in.

He looked up at her.

She lifted her chin slightly.
“My dad wants to talk to you.”

Lu Jin removed one earbud, tilted his head, and spoke briefly into the phone.

Whatever her father said, the conversation ended quickly. Counting the greeting, it lasted only three sentences, her father himself cutting it off. Lu Jin never even lifted his eyes—just gave a flat “Mm.”

When the call ended, she tucked the phone away under his faintly smiling gaze.

Pretending not to notice, she sat down beside him and scrolled on her phone.

They slipped back into their old rhythm.

With her father and Lu Lan gone, only the two of them remained in the house.

Sometimes her father called, but if Lu Jin was nearby, Ci Yiyang would suddenly press the phone to his ear, forcing him to end the conversation.

Most times, he only raised his lashes to glance at her, then spoke in his faint voice.

The calls always ended quickly.

After a few times, her father assumed their relationship was good, and seldom called again.

The already short summer vacation passed swiftly.

One morning, Ci Yiyang came downstairs to see Lu Jin dressed very differently.

He wore a crisp white shirt with perfect drape, sleeves rolled to reveal pale wrists traced with veins. A gray-blue watch gleamed on his wrist. The formality of it all contrasted with his handsome face, giving him a cold sort of elegance.

“Are you going somewhere?”

After nearly a month together, this was the first time she had seen him dressed like this.

He sat in the grand, vintage-styled hall—so striking she couldn’t look away.

Lu Jin saw her and tossed the question back, calm and slow:
“Jie-jie doesn’t know?”

Was I supposed to?

Ci Yiyang thought carefully—then remembered. Lu Jin was a freshman and needed to report early to university.

She sat beside him.
“I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Forgot. You’re leaving today?”

He wasn’t bothered by her forgetfulness.
“Ten o’clock.”

After checking the time, he asked suddenly:
“After school starts, will you live at home or on campus?”

“On campus,” she answered without hesitation. Then she remembered something else.
“Right, I need to ask you for a favor. At school, we need to pretend not to know each other.”

The air went quiet at her words.

He looked at her, expressionless.

Ci Yiyang explained:
“You’re not only good-looking—you also got into Beijing University as the top student. Once term starts, you’ll be famous. I don’t want people to know you’re my brother. Otherwise, they’ll come to me for your number, or to ask about you. It’s troublesome.”

“Mm.” He nodded lightly.

Even though she praised him, he still didn’t look pleased.

Ci Yiyang’s gaze dropped to his Adam’s apple.

His skin was so pale. With his head tilted back, the curve of his throat and the rise of his Adam’s apple were strangely captivating. She couldn’t help staring.

So, she bent down and kissed it.

The damp touch against his throat made his eyes fly open. His pupils dropped slightly, clouded with hesitation.

Ci Yiyang lifted her head, meeting his gaze with an expression even more startled than his own. She stumbled back a step.
“I—I just thought your neck looked really nice.”

His lashes trembled.
“…Mm.”

Her face reddened with shame. She stammered:
“T-Then I’ll head upstairs first. Text me when you get to campus.”

Still dazed, the boy sat there, his noble, untouchable air intact. He lowered his gaze, silent. After a long pause, he finally murmured another quiet,
“Mm.”

Ci Yiyang glanced at him once more, then fled upstairs.

Only after she had gone for quite some time did the silent boy raise his hand.

Fingers brushed over his Adam’s apple, slowly savoring the lingering softness of her kiss.