Chapter 28: I Accept Your Visual Teasing

Noah leaned forward, elbows propped on Luoyao’s gaming chair.

Her pink nails poked Luoyao’s cheek as she grinned. “I dreamed someone drew a spicy picture of me and woke up.”

Spicy drawing.

Oh no!

Luoyao scrambled to close the two drawings paired together.

She feigned innocence.

“W-what spicy drawing? I don’t know!”

Say what you will, Luoyao’s knack for playing dumb matched her skill at drawing spicy art.

“Don’t know? Hmph. They were practically glued together, and you say you don’t know?”

Noah reached for the mouse, ready to reopen the drawings.

She aimed to catch Luoyao red-handed, no excuses.

Luoyao grabbed Noah’s wrist, holding her off for a few seconds.

Then she caved.

“Wah, I’m just a humble artist trying to make some cash. What’s wrong with that?”

Her pitiful act didn’t sway Noah.

The more innocent Luoyao played, the more Noah wanted to tease her.

Using her height advantage, Noah leaned over the chair, her face close to Luoyao’s.

Silver hair draped from behind, covering half of Luoyao’s face.

The soft strands brushed her skin, ticklish and warm.

Noah’s body heat mingled with the scent of her hair, intense and fragrant.

“Gotta make my drawing that spicy to earn a little cash?”

“It’s not even that spicy! I held back!”

“Fishnet stockings, provocative nun outfit, red eyes with heart shapes,” Noah listed the drawing’s details slowly. “And you call that… not spicy?”

“Emmm… at least I put clothes on you, right? Clothes mean it’s not a full-on spicy drawing!”

“Don’t humans love that half-hidden allure the most?”

Luoyao slumped against the chair, raising her hands in surrender.

“Fine, fine, I can’t outtalk you. I drew a spicy picture of you, so what!”

Noah, blanket draped over her, was like, “Yup, exactly.”

Giving up!

“Fantasizing about a vampire’s body is normal. I accept, even enjoy, your visual teasing.”

“Can’t you avoid using terms that sound all proper but are totally inappropriate?”

How could this vampire just casually drive the spicy talk train?!

Noah chuckled, pinching Luoyao’s cheek, then sat on the bed.

She nodded at the computer screen. “Submitted the draft?”

“Yeah, but the client hasn’t been online in two or three days.”

Luoyao checked the freelance platform again.

The client’s icon was still gray.

She sighed. “Looks like I worked for nothing. My $2,000, gone!”

The platform’s rule was payment upfront, delivery later.

But if the client didn’t confirm receipt, the money stayed stuck in limbo.

Luoyao would have to argue with platform support.

Even if she cleared things up, she’d get no compensation.

The $2,000 would go straight back to the client’s account.

(Or the platform might skim some off via contract loopholes, aka middleman fees.)

Luoyao had dealt with this before, but those were small gigs—$20 or $200.

She didn’t sweat those.

But this was a full $2,000!

That could buy Noah two truckloads of tomatoes!

Pain, pure pain.

This wasn’t just a cooked duck flying away.

It was a duck that got cooked, rapped a verse in her face, then flew off!

“Is $2,000 that important to you?” Noah asked.

“Super important! I’ve been wanting a new drawing tablet!”

“Drawing tablet?” Noah was clueless.

“It’s a digital art pad~” Luoyao tapped the tablet on her desk. “For us artists, it’s as crucial as fangs are to you vampires.”

That clicked for Noah. “Ohhh, got it…”

Tch.

Why did her tone sound smug along with the realization?

Luoyao frowned, studying Noah’s face.

She looked left and right but couldn’t read her.

Sliding her gaming chair closer, she placed a hand on Noah’s knee, smiling.

“Do you have a way to find this client?”

“Find them? Yeah… I’ve got a way,” Noah replied, grinning back.

“Really?! Please, you’ve gotta help me! By midnight tomorrow, if they confirm receipt, I’ll get my $2,000!”

Seeing Noah’s confidence, Luoyao’s eyes sparkled.

She turned into a fangirl, staring at the silver-haired beauty with starry eyes.

Noah pursed her red lips, pretending to ponder. “Asking for help can’t just be words. Show some action.”

“W-what do you want?”

“To… have you,” Noah teased, raising an eyebrow.

She lifted Luoyao’s chin with a finger, eyeing her like prey.

Luoyao was getting used to Noah’s bold words.

She swallowed, thinking, whether she asked for help or not, Noah would tease her in bed anyway.

Same outcome!

It’s just a bit of flirting and sweet-talk now~

“Oh, come on~ It’s a deal. If you help me get that cash, forget your request—I’ll throw in ten pounds of tomatoes!”

Noah chuckled, ruffling Luoyao’s hair. “Selling your soul for money, huh?”

“My granny taught me: As long as it’s legal and within your limits, grab every buck you can..”

“Granny?”

“Yeah, the old lady who raised me.”

“I thought you had—”

Noah stopped mid-sentence, quickly adding, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’ve never known my family anyway.”

Luoyao waved it off. “Enough about that. Back to the deal. We good?”

“Deal.”

“Great! So how’ll you find the client?”

“Already did,” Noah answered fast.

Luoyao tilted her head. “Huh? Where?”

Noah leaned forward, her cool lips brushing Luoyao’s forehead.

She caressed her cheek, whispering, “Right in front of you. She just kissed you.”