The Gods Are Fighting Over Me - Chapter 21

Lin Jianyue had just changed into a clean, long cotton dress when Kenji Hagiwara knocked on the door. He came in carrying a bulging plastic bag, the corners of rice balls and sandwiches peeking out.

I had Ran-san help me make some quick food. Just to tide you over.

He placed the bag on the nightstand, his gaze sweeping over her ankle.

A faint red mark was left from Watanabe’s grip, particularly noticeable against her pale skin. With a barely perceptible frown, Kenji Hagiwara asked, Does it still hurt?

As he peeled back the wrapping on a sandwich.

No, it doesn’t,  Lin Jianyue said, taking a bite of the cheese-filled sandwich.

 Her cheeks were stuffed with food.

She sat on the edge of the bed, the cotton skirt pressed into shallow wrinkles. In her peripheral vision, Kenji Hagiwara sat down in the armchair across from her, his gaze heavy as it lingered on her.

As her stomach filled with the sandwich and the hunger subsided, his stare became clearer. It felt like it was tracing every inch of her face.

She licked the crumbs from her fingers and slowly looked at Kenji Hagiwara.

She had meant to look at his face, but as her gaze moved upward, something else caught her attention.

Kenji Hagiwara was still wearing the white shirt that had been soaked by the rain. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms.

The damp fabric clung tightly to his skin, outlining his shoulders and a toned torso. Every muscle was candidly defined by the water-soaked clothes, even the slightest curve was clearly visible.

His collar was open, revealing the clear line of his collarbone.

Lin Jianyue’s eyes lingered on the wet fabric for two seconds, and her throat unconsciously tightened.

Lin Jianyue had seen his body countless times before. In her drawings, in her endless dreams.

Back then, he was both the person she loved and a combination of lines to be dissected. He was an object she could freely depict, so she did it openly and never felt shy.

But now, he was a living, breathing person, with warm body heat and a real pulse.

When he went from being an object in a drawing to a living, breathing subject in front of her, Lin Jianyue only gave a glance at the wet fabric clinging to his torso, and her cheeks flushed; even the tips of her ears felt hot.

Gulp.

The unconscious sound of her swallowing was incredibly loud in the silence.

Lin Jianyue’s ears instantly burned. She lowered her eyes, about to pretend to take another bite of the sandwich, when she heard a low chuckle from across from her.

Lin Jianyue looked up abruptly and met Kenji Hagiwara’s smiling eyes. His purple eyes were stunningly bright in the light, holding a mix of crushed starlight.

She pursed her lips and quickly held up the food in her hand as an excuse. “The sandwich… is a little dry.”

“Hmm,” Kenji Hagiwara said, his voice gentle and his eyes filled with a smile. He picked up a bottle of water from the table. “Drink some water.”

He unscrewed the cap and handed it to her. His fingertips brushed against her hand by accident, and they were slightly cold and damp.

Lin Jianyue took the bottle and took two big gulps. The cold liquid slid down her throat, but it didn’t lessen the heat on her face.

Lin Jianyue secretly glanced at him, but she was caught again.

Kenji Hagiwara smiled and tilted his head. The loose strands of hair on his forehead swayed with the movement. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Jianyue lowered her eyes, her gaze uncontrollably sweeping over the faint outline of Kenji Hagiwara’s chest muscles under the wet white shirt.

Her eyes paused for a second, then quickly moved away as if they had been burned. “Kenji, you should take off your shirt. You’ll catch a cold if you keep wearing wet clothes.”

“Huh?” Kenji Hagiwara blinked in surprise, his long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. But a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes.

He winked at Lin Jianyue, feigning innocence as he replied, “Okay,” then he reached up and undid his shirt buttons one by one.

The translucent fabric clinging to his body slid away with his movements, revealing his well-built chest.

Lin Jianyue’s pupils contracted sharply, and her mind went blank.

His sexy upper body was completely exposed to her view. His great-looking chest muscles were fully displayed under the light, gleaming with a moist sheen. The lines of his toned abs were distinct. The muscles on his shoulders and arms were smooth and not overly bulky, with a sense of strength from years of training.

The water droplets that remained on his skin rolled down from his collarbone with his movements, slowly sliding down his chest, following the lines of his abs, and finally disappearing at the edge of his belt.

The rolling water droplets held Lin Jianyue’s gaze like a magnet. Her light brown eyes unconsciously followed their path until they disappeared deep into his abdomen.

“What are you looking at?” Kenji Hagiwara’s voice was full of laughter.

Lin Jianyue was stunned. She came back to her senses immediately, and a deep red color spread from her cheekbones to her ears. She lowered her head, trying to avoid the truth by pretending to be an ostrich.

Kenji Hagiwara reached out and ruffled her hair. His palm was warm and dry. “You were so great today, Jianyue-chan.”

His voice was low and gentle, with unconcealed praise. “You were so brave and so calm.”

His fingertips gently brushed against the ends of her hair, with a hint of nostalgia. “So I’m going to give you a reward, just like before, Jianyue-chan.”

Lin Jianyue’s heart trembled slightly.

When she still thought everything was just a dream, she loved to show off to Kenji Hagiwara, telling him all about her finished drawings and the difficulties she had overcome.

Kenji Hagiwara would always smile and ruffle her hair, praising her like she was a child.

Later, as their relationship grew closer, his encouragement was no longer just a ruffle of her hair.

It was a warm, wet kiss.

Or more than one.

A soft kiss landed on Lin Jianyue’s forehead, interrupting her thoughts.

Lin Jianyue’s body stiffened. She looked up and met Kenji Hagiwara’s eyes, which were so close. His beautiful downturned eyes were filled with crushed starlight, bathed in a gentle halo from the warm yellow light. They were stunningly bright, and her reflection was clearly visible in them.

He had his hands on her shoulders, his body leaning slightly forward. One of his legs was half-kneeling on the edge of the bed, and he was extremely close to her.

“You did very well today, Jianyue-chan.” His voice was low and gentle, with a smile. He then bent down and kissed her on the corner of her eye.

Then came her nose, her cheek, and finally, he stopped at the corner of her lips. “This is your reward, Jianyue-chan.”

His breath brushed against her lips, with a hint of a salty sea smell and a faint peppermint scent.

Her heart pounded like a drum. Lin Jianyue stared blankly at Kenji Hagiwara, her mind completely disconnected.

Seeing that Kenji Hagiwara’s kiss was about to land on her lips, Lin Jianyue finally came back to her senses. She raised her hand to block his kiss. “No.”

“Why not?” Kenji Hagiwara asked, smiling with his eyes.

I’m not ready yet. Lin Jianyue turned her face away, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings in the wind. She didn’t dare to look at him.

What do you need to get ready for? Kenji Hagiwara chuckled. His warm breath tickled her palm.

Do you want me to wait a little longer? Or he deliberately drew out the last word.

 His face gently brushed against Lin Jianyue’s palm, and the smile in his eyes was so gentle it was about to overflow. “Do you want me to be more proactive?”

After I dropped you off, I immediately went to work, handled a bunch of paperwork, and even went on an off-site assignment. I finally got out of work and was about to get into bed when Matsuda’s phone call woke me up and told me you were in trouble.

He leaned in closer, his eyes sparkling, with a hint of playful begging. It costs a lot of money to find a boat. They didn’t want to sail. It took a lot of coaxing for them to finally agree.

I was soaked from the waves, and my phone is broken.

I finally got here, and you won’t even reward me, Jianyue-chan?

Lin Jianyue looked at his whining expression and suddenly felt a little guilty. She had a vague feeling that something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

She hesitantly reached out and placed her hand on top of Kenji Hagiwara’s head, gently ruffling his hair.

Kenji Hagiwara squinted, showing the happy expression of a big dog whose head was being petted. In his crescent-shaped purple eyes, a desire swirled, silently asking for more.

Just as Lin Jianyue was about to pull her hand back, Kenji Hagiwara gently took it.

His large hand covered the back of Lin Jianyue’s hand. His palm was warm. His dry skin was against her slightly coon.

Kenji Hagiwara gently pried her fingers open, lacing them with his, then lowered his head and left a soft kiss on her palm.

The kiss was light, but it was like an electric current running through the hand he was holding.

Kenji Hagiwara devoutly bent his head, but his eyes looked up. A turbulent desire was swirling in his deep eyes, almost drowning her.

“Jianyue-chan,” his voice was low and husky, with a hint of temptation. “Kiss me, okay?”

Lin Jianyue’s heart skipped a beat.

She tilted her head slightly and gave him a light kiss on the corner of his lips.

Before she could pull away, a hand suddenly came up and covered the back of Lin Jianyue’s neck.

Their lips touched. Their breaths intertwined, carrying a faint scent of peppermint—a clean and refreshing scent.

It wasn’t a fleeting, misaligned kiss. It was a real kiss.

Kenji Hagiwara held the back of Lin Jianyue’s neck with one hand and her hand with the other. He leaned forward, slowly pressing against Lin Jianyue, as if to trap her in his arms.

Lin Jianyue squeezed her lips together and turned her head away, avoiding his intense gaze.

Her voice had an imperceptible tremble. “We… we don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Huh?” He deliberately drew out the last word. His fingertips lightly brushed against the back of her hand. “But aren’t I your kept man?”

You’re not a kept man,” Lin Jianyue whispered.

Kenji Hagiwara chuckled. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. His warm lips brushed against her skin, causing a numbing tingle.

He moved closer to her ear. His breath brushed against her sensitive earlobe. His voice was low and flirtatious. “Then tell me, what kind of relationship do we have?”

His warm breath instantly turned Lin Jianyue’s ears red. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find a suitable word to describe their relationship.

She knew what Kenji Hagiwara was waiting for, but she was selfishly taking advantage of him and didn’t want to bear the corresponding responsibility.

If you’re willing, I won’t get a boyfriend, and you can be my lover until I leave Japan.

She couldn’t bring herself to say such an irresponsible thing.

Especially since she knew Kenji Hagiwara wanted more than just that.

Lin Jianyue didn’t dare to think any further and just remained silent, avoiding his gaze.

Kenji Hagiwara looked at her like this. His eyes darkened, but his smile deepened. He let go of her hand and instead cupped her lips.

His fingertips lightly brushed against her lips, a slightly cool sensation. He stroked them a little. Jianyue-chan, open up.

Lin Jianyue unconsciously pursed her lips and didn’t say anything. Her eyes were filled with wariness and hesitation.

Just one kiss, Kenji Hagiwara’s voice softened even more, in a coaxing manner. Just one more kiss, and I’ll carry you downstairs to eat, okay?

His words seemed to have a magical effect. Lin Jianyue’s defenses slowly crumbled under his gentle gaze and tempting offer.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally, her eyelashes trembled. Very slowly, she slightly opened her mouth.

Her obedient, slightly reluctant look was like a feather lightly scratching at the tip of Kenji Hagiwara’s heart, making it itch.

He slowly leaned down. He didn’t immediately deepen the kiss. He just gently touched her lips with his, as if he was tasting a fragile piece of candy. Then, the hand on the back of her neck gradually applied pressure, slowly deepening the kiss.

Lin Jianyue unconsciously put her hands on his bare shoulders. Her breath was slowly taken away. The air was filled with the faint scent of the sea and eucalyptus from Kenji Hagiwara, making her feel a little dizzy.

Her breathing became more frantic. Lin Jianyue pushed against his chest. The muscles under her palms were firm and hot, making her fingertips tingle.

Her fingers curled slightly from tension, as if she were holding Kenji Hagiwara’s powerful heart.

Just as Lin Jianyue’s eyebrows furrowed more and more, and she was about to get angry, Kenji Hagiwara suddenly let go of her.

He looked at her reddened eyes and wet lips, let out a low chuckle, and then gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Let’s go. I’ll carry you downstairs to eat.”