Chapter 166: What Defines Her Most, A Stubborn Mouth and a Tsundere Heart!
He was just bluffing. All talk, nothing serious. He was only pretending to be bold.
That’s what Lin Yibai told herself, and she suddenly felt calm inside.
She was sure that her annoying “love rival” wouldn’t dare do anything outrageous.
But she completely forgot. If he didn’t dare, then how did he kiss the back of her neck yesterday?
And just recently, how did he dare touch her lips?
Lin Yibai was the kind of person who remembered the sweet but forgot the pain, a perfect example of someone who lets her guard down too quickly.
She gave a cold laugh and said, “Hmph, you dare?”
She was playing with fire. Boldly and clearly, she was teasing danger.
This was a classic push-and-pull game. Xia Changyu was testing her, step by step, just to break through her limits.
Don’t be fooled, Xia Changyu might look like a fool or a blockhead.
Every time Lin Yibai teased him, he only got a "stop right there" result. But in reality, from the initial touch to now kissing, how far off could things going further be in the future?
In Xia Changyu’s eyes, it was only a matter of time.
Maybe soon. Maybe very soon.
The only difference was that the girl was just stubborn with her words. But now that they had already kissed, how was that any different from being a real couple?
Xia Changyu reached out his hand and gently lifted Lin Yibai’s chin. He smiled slightly and said, “You’ll see whether I dare or not. Hehehe.”
Lin Yibai was still as stubborn as ever. She clenched her teeth and threatened, “I’ll make you regret it.”
Xia Changyu laughed even more happily and said thoughtfully, “Make me regret it?”
Maybe in the beginning, he would have been a little scared.
But the more time he spent with her, the more he realized her threats were just bluffing.
She wasn’t even very good at sounding scary. Everything she said sounded more cute than mean.
So… Who was the one bluffing now?
Either way, Xia Changyu leaned in and gave her lips a light peck. His warm breath and gentle closeness made Lin Yibai’s eyes go wide.
“Ahhh~~~!”
Lin Yibai started to freak out. She gasped a few times, then yelled angrily, “You—! You’re such a jerk! I’m seriously going crazy. How can you do this again?”
Xia Changyu replied calmly, “Because I like you.”
Lin Yibai shouted, “So what if you like me? That doesn’t mean you can act like this! A guy should know how to behave!”
Xia Changyu said, “It’s not just because I like you. You were the one teasing me too, weren’t you?”
Lin Yibai yelled, “Can’t you ignore the facts just once? Stop bringing that up! Are you really the kind of guy who can’t take a joke? You know I’m mad at you! And this isn’t just any anger, it’s that deep, scary kind of girl anger! And you want to argue with me using facts!?”
If there were an emoji to show how Lin Yibai felt right now, it would be the “cry-laugh” face.
Yeah, fine! The truth was she did often play with fire. And now she got burned.
This one was totally her fault.
Xia Changyu gave her another light kiss. Just a small touch, like a dragonfly on water.
After that little taste, he began thinking about what to do next. He smiled and said, “Well, I already kissed you. No matter how you punish me afterward, I won’t mind. So... want to keep going?”
Lin Yibai raised her eyebrows, gritted her teeth, and growled, “Go on with what, you big idiot!?”
Xia Changyu sighed. “What a shame.”
A vein popped on Lin Yibai’s forehead. She clenched her jaw and said furiously, “You... you really are the worst! Saying it’s a shame? Just wait… I swear I’ll get my revenge!”
Revenge? How?
Xia Changyu imagined that maybe she’d marry him, then give him five kids, and eat him into poverty.
As he was about to get up from her—
They suddenly heard footsteps coming down the mountain path, and the sounds of travelers talking and laughing.
At that moment, the two of them were still in a very awkward position. One lying above, one below, half-sprawled on the stone steps. It really looked like they were a couple messing around in public without caring about the place or time.
Xia Changyu couldn’t help but be a little surprised. He frowned and said, “I didn’t think anyone would actually come here.”
Then he looked again at how embarrassing their position was. A strange feeling crept up inside him. Would his actions cause trouble for the girl beside him?
At the very least, he didn’t want people to gossip or say anything bad about her.
So, he thought, it’s best to get up from her first. Hopefully, it’s not too late?
But just as he started to sit up, the girl grabbed the front of his shirt and forcefully pulled him back down.
Before he could react, she had already placed one hand gently on the back of his head and pressed him down slightly. Until their cheeks were once again touching closely.
In a quiet voice, she said, “Have you heard this joke? What should you do if the women’s bathhouse catches fire? Just cover your face and run out!”
They stayed in a position that looked like a passionate kiss, just enough to hide their faces from view.
Right then, a few travelers came around the corner of the mountain path.
When they saw the two of them hugging and seemingly kissing on the ground, the laughter from the travelers stopped at once.
It got awkward, for the travelers, and for Lin Yibai and Xia Changyu too.
And maybe… there was even a strange bit of thrill?
The travelers quickly walked past. Some of them mumbled to each other, probably complaining a little.
“Seriously, messing around right here on the road?”
“Come on, they’re young. It’s normal for sparks to fly!”
“Still, it’s a public place.”
“Is kissing in public illegal now?”
“Tsk tsk…”
After the travelers were gone, Lin Yibai suddenly pushed her “love rival” away.
Her ears were so red it looked like they were about to bleed.
She stammered and shouted, “You—you—you... You’d better forget it… or else, I’ll kill you! Aaaah!!”
Xia Changyu raised an eyebrow: “Heh?”
At this point, anyone watching would notice, the things this girl said were getting more and more confusing.
Just like those anime girls, who act all proud and angry after being teased, but are actually super flustered.
Compared to how she was before, Lin Yibai had really changed a lot.
But one thing about her stayed the same from beginning to end, her stubborn mouth and her tsundere attitude.
Xia Changyu was in a great mood. He patted his chest and promised.
“You don’t need to do anything. If you’re ever mad one day, I’ll just kill myself to cheer you up.”
Lin Yibai: “……”
Xia Changyu frowned and asked, “What? Still not enough to calm you down? Then I’ll have my bones crushed and thrown in the street. Once the water truck comes by and washes it away, all your anger will be gone.”
Seriously, this guy?
Was he really saying such exaggerated things just to make her feel better?
His mouth was clearly getting better at sweet-talking girls!
Well… when it came to cheering up Lin Yibai, he was improving pretty nicely.
She didn’t seem as angry anymore. In fact, she turned her head slightly and said in a quiet voice, “I-It doesn’t have to be that serious. I don’t believe in silly oaths like that anyway. You… ugh! I don’t want to talk to you! I’m leaving!”
Xia Changyu immediately ran after her. “Wait for me!”
Lin Yibai let out a cold “hmph” and walked faster. “What else do you want to say?”
Xia Changyu pointed at the moss on the stone path and said with concern.
“This path clearly hasn’t been used in a while. It’s damp, and there’s moss growing. The ground is slippery.”
Lin Yibai shrugged. “So what are you trying to say?”
Xia Changyu said, “Hold on to me. That way you won’t fall.”
Just as he finished speaking, Lin Yibai noticed her hand was already being held by his.
She was completely confused. She looked at their joined hands and thought.
Why can’t you just admit we’re holding hands? How is this called "helping someone walk"?