The Bento

“Professor, I’m here…”

Accompanied by a voice so cheerful it barely sounded like her own, Xiao Yuehua stepped into the Interpretation Room with a dignified yet adorable smile.

“Did you see my messages? I hope you didn’t secretly leave me all alone and go off to eat lunch by yourself, Professor?”

“Student Yuehua…”

Jiang Li had just stood up to speak, but Xiao Yuehua, approaching him, pressed down on his shoulders and forced him back into his seat. From the very first second of their meeting, the initiative was firmly grasped by her. As if chatting with a family member she had known for years, she naturally pulled out a chair and sat opposite him, her smile brilliant.

“I’m just joking, Professor. How could I not trust you?”

“Yuehua—”

“Even though the Professor did break his promise and abandon me once before…”

Jiang Li tried to speak, but he was interrupted once again. The smile on Xiao Yuehua’s face remained, but the pressure radiating from her had become almost physical, effectively sealing the words in his throat.

What on earth is going on…

At this moment, Jiang Li felt like a novice in a fighting game whose every command was being read by his opponent. He didn’t dare to attack, nor did he dare to wait passively for the enemy’s next move. Caught in a dilemma, he felt as though every micro-movement he made was a glaring opening. He could only sit and watch Xiao Yuehua’s solo performance.

Rustle… rustle…

Soon, Xiao Yuehua produced two exquisite bento boxes and laid them out. As the lids were opened, steam rose alongside the fresh aroma of the ingredients.

“Professor, open your mouth. Ah—”

Taking out a pair of portable chopsticks, Xiao Yuehua picked up a piece of lettuce and brought it close to Jiang Li. He instinctively leaned back, breaking the silence with a forced attempt at speech.

“Student Yuehua, I can do it myself…”

“Professor…” Xiao Yuehua’s voice turned cold in an instant, though the smile on her face eerily persisted. “Open wide. Ah—”

This “fake” smile undoubtedly put even more pressure on Jiang Li. He wanted to resist further, but the chopsticks drew even closer. Xiao Yuehua stood up, leaning over the desk to stare him directly in the eyes.

“Taste it, Professor. Ah—”

“…”

The two were locked in a stalemate for a moment. Perhaps out of guilt, Jiang Li eventually gave in. But the moment he opened his mouth, the chopsticks took the lead, somewhat forcefully sliding the lettuce into his oral cavity.

“Does it taste good, Professor?”

Truth be told, Jiang Li absolutely did not enjoy this semi-forced feeding. His instinct was to get angry, but for some reason, his irritation vanished the moment she spoke. Facing her unblinking gaze, he nodded hesitantly.

“It would be better if I could do it myself.”

Fortunately, Xiao Yuehua didn’t insist further, though she cast a lingering, regretful glance at his lips. “Oh? Is the Professor disgusted by me…?”

“No, it’s just that this isn’t something a professor and student should be doing.” Jiang Li breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to take the chopsticks from her when he saw her pick up a piece of food and put it into her own mouth.

Jiang Li’s expression froze.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Yuehua looked perfectly natural, the tips of the chopsticks playing between her tender lips, making a wet, sticky pop as she withdrew them.

“No… nothing…” Jiang Li didn’t want to dwell on it and took out a different pair of chopsticks. Lunch passed quickly in silence.

“So, is it time for our tutoring now, Professor?” Packing away the bento boxes, Xiao Yuehua looked up, a strange excitement in her voice.

“So…” Jiang Li’s voice was a bit strained. “Student Yuehua wants to practice…”

“It’s the script you chose before, Professor.” Xiao Yuehua’s eyes were like whirlpools; it felt as though one would be swallowed whole the moment they met her gaze.

“Monica, the conflict between us is irreconcilable. From now on, it’s best we don’t see each other again.”

“Chris, stop!”

Monica—or rather, Xiao Yuehua—wrapped her arms around Jiang Li’s waist from behind, hugging him tightly. Her warm breath brushed against the skin of his neck, causing his body to stiffen involuntarily.

The script they were interpreting was The Masquerade, the very one Jiang Li had chosen back when he was trying to get close to her. However, they weren’t performing the initial meeting at the ball anymore. Instead, they were at the mid-to-late stage of the script, where the two leads had developed feelings through long contact but were entangled in a web of love and hate due to their opposing factions.

This was precisely the source of Jiang Li’s headache—in this part of the script, the interactions between the leads were far too intimate, even borderline suggestive. This was definitely not good news for Jiang Li, who wanted to keep his distance from Xiao Yuehua to make room for his conquest of Ning Rou.

The girl’s face rested on Jiang Li’s shoulder; a slight turn of his head revealed her sorrowful and piteous expression. One had to admit, even in this state, Xiao Yuehua was breathtakingly beautiful.

“In this moment, right now… forget all that, okay? Let’s just be Monica and Chris, okay?”

Xiao Yuehua’s hand slipped quietly under the hem of Jiang Li’s shirt, winding like a serpent across his abdominal muscles with a greedy, lingering touch.

“It’s… it’s too late…”

Jiang Li broke out in goosebumps from the blatant caress and gritted his teeth, trying to stop her movements. This contact was too dangerous. If this continued, he feared the strings of his rationality would snap, leaving him to fall completely into Xiao Yuehua’s gentle trap.

However, the warm breath in his ear instantly turned into a cold warning.

“What is the Professor doing? Didn’t you promise to cooperate with me?”

Student Yuehua, this has gone way beyond acting cooperation!

Jiang Li clearly wanted to say those words. But as her voice echoed in his ears, a dizzying grogginess caused his will to resist to fade rapidly. In the end, all he could manage was:

“I’m… I’m sorry…”

“Oh?” Xiao Yuehua’s slender hand slowly slid upward toward his chest. An indescribable sense of humiliation sprouted in Jiang Li’s heart, only to vanish an instant later. “What does the Professor plan to use… to apologize to Yuehua?”

“I will… try my best to cooperate with you…”

The words were out before Jiang Li even realized it. His voice was incredibly low, carrying a trace of cowardice he shouldn’t have shown. He shouldn’t be saying things like this at all…

Behind him, Xiao Yuehua’s eyes flashed with a satisfied smile. “Isn’t that what the Professor is supposed to do?”

Her lips brushed past his earlobe almost imperceptibly, her warm breath tickling the sensitive canal and sending a wave of numbness through him.

“Then… what do you want…”

“A kiss.”

“What?”

Jiang Li tried to turn around in disbelief, but Xiao Yuehua’s soft hand held him firm, guiding him by the waist until he was turned to face her. Now, their eyes met, their bodies pressed together as they felt each other’s thudding heartbeats.

Xiao Yuehua let her Interpretive power dissipate. Her arms around him tightened with every breath, trembling slightly, her smiling face filled with an intense, raw desire.

“I want your kiss, Professor.”