Chapter 31: A Night of Reckoning

Xia Zhiquiu shuddered at the words, finally realizing the danger of her situation, her eyes widening in alarm.

Bai Hao watched the bewitching woman, finding her naivety endearing, yet he knew she would take action.

Indeed, she did. But to his amusement, her response was not to rise from the bed, but to wrap herself in the blankets, becoming a ball of fabric, satisfied with her solution.

“This should do it,” she murmured, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Bai Hao chuckled, shaking his head at her innocence. Xia Zhiquiu was truly underestimating him…

***

Night fell, and the lights of the city began to twinkle.

When Xia Zhiquiu awoke, still groggy, she found herself constrained.

She initially thought it was the blanket, but the sensation was wrong.

Turning her head, she discovered herself in the embrace of a young man, her blanket discarded on the side.

“Good evening, Xia Teacher,” the young man greeted.

Xia Zhiquiu, startled, tried to wriggle free from his grasp, her body reacting to the unexpected intimacy.

“You, how did you…” she began, her voice trembling with shock.

Bai Hao, seeing her seductive, confused gaze, teased, “Xia Teacher is wondering how I managed to remove the blanket and hold you without waking you, right?”

Xia Zhiquiu said nothing, just glared at him, her cheeks flushing.

Bai Hao swallowed, feigning innocence, “You were sleeping so soundly, like a pig, that you didn’t even stir when I took the blanket.”

Xia Zhiquiu bristled at his words, “Who are you calling a pig? You are the pig!”

Bai Hao laughed, “I am a pig, then you are a big, dumb pig.”

Xia Zhiquiu, unable to counter his playful insult, huffed and tried to rise, her clothing disheveled, accentuating her allure.

Bai Hao, unable to resist, pulled her back into his arms, his lips meeting hers.

“Let go of me!” Xia Zhiquiu protested, despite her growing familiarity with his advances, feeling a mix of shame and desire.

A phone rang, interrupting the moment, and Xia Zhiquiu seized the chance, pushing him away, “The phone, let me answer it.”

Bai Hao, understanding her attempt to escape, casually reached out, pulling the phone from her hands.

“Don’t be surprised, Xia Teacher. My ability is space manipulation,” he explained nonchalantly.

Xia Zhiquiu, taken aback, then envied his power, muttering under her breath about how unfair life was.

She checked the caller ID and found it was Gu Chen. With a press of a button, she answered, her expression tensing.

“What is it, Xia… Gu Chen?” she asked, her tone serious.

Bai Hao, who had a low opinion of Gu Chen, resented the comparison between them, feeling that Gu Chen’s good student image made him seem worse by contrast.

Despite his strength, Bai Hao’s mind was still that of a youth, prone to jealousy.

“Calm down, tell me exactly what happened,” Xia Zhiquiu instructed, trying to focus on the call, even as she felt an unruly hand on her thigh.

Bai Hao, sensing her discomfort, only became bolder, and Xia Zhiquiu, unable to reprimand him without revealing their situation to Gu Chen, endured it.

***

By the time the call ended, Xia Zhiquiu felt a sense of relief, her body glistening with sweat, her lips parted, making her look even more irresistible.

“You’ve had your fun, haven’t you?!” she exclaimed, playfully slapping his head, her voice a sultry, mature tone.

Bai Hao, his hand lingering on her silky leg, smoothly changed the subject, “Xia Teacher, what did the kid say?”

Xia Zhiquiu, her anger interrupted, felt a strange mix of emotions, finally sighing, “Gu Chen mentioned his sister, Gu Xin, has been acting strangely, possibly being targeted by the same shadowy force.”

It had been just a few days since Xia Zhiquiu and Gu Chen had defeated the shadowy entity, and they thought they could finally start anew.

But that night, Gu Chen, waking up for a glass of water, found his sister, Gu Xin, sleepwalking, swinging a hammer at the wall, seemingly unaware of the noise.

It was only when Gu Chen intervened and woke her that the bizarre episode stopped, but it repeated nightly, leaving Gu Chen distressed and seeking Xia Zhiquiu’s help.

“That’s the situation,” Xia Zhiquiu concluded, looking at Bai Hao, hoping for his insight.

Bai Hao, having several theories, hesitated to commit, “I need to see it firsthand to be sure.”

Xia Zhiquiu nodded, “Let’s go now?”

Bai Hao, sensing her eagerness, pulled her back, a hint of jealousy in his voice, “Xia Teacher, are you that concerned about Gu Chen?”

Xia Zhiquiu, caught off guard, her eyes wide, “Of course not, but it’s a matter of life and death, and they’re in a tough spot…”

Before she could finish, Bai Hao’s lips captured hers, his kiss deepening, savoring the taste of her.

After a long moment, Bai Hao lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers, “Xia Teacher, you’re mine. If you step out of line, I’ll keep you locked away in the wine cellar, where the finest wine awaits.”

Xia Zhiquiu, her body trembling, stammered, “You’re just trying to scare me, and it won’t work.”