Chapter Five: Curiosity Killed the Cat
“Are you even listening to me?” Wen Hupo asked, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. She experienced more emotional fluctuations around Lu Li than she had in the past ten years.
“Ah, of course. Sorry, I was just a little shocked.” Lu Li sent a message to Superintendent Cai, who readily agreed to provide him with the gun’s serial number tomorrow. “I just didn’t expect you, of all people, to be connected to the arms trade. You seem so… gentle.”
Wen Hupo decided to take it as a compliment and not argue with the scoundrel.
“I’ll send you the serial number once I get it,” Lu Li said, lowering his voice. “Don’t tell Zou Yameng or An Baili about this yet.”
The golden-haired girl watched as Lu Li rinsed the dishes under cold water, the stream flowing through his fingers. She suddenly felt an urge to help. She raised her ethereal eyes. “Why keep it a secret? Won’t that cause misunderstandings?”
“If I told them the truth, they would ask who wanted to kill me, who I’d offended, what I planned to do next, and all I could say is ‘I don’t know.’ What good would that do?” Lu Li shook his head. “I’m not a child anymore. I can’t run to Sister Yameng for help every time I encounter a problem. It would only worry them needlessly.”
“How long do you plan to keep this from them?” Wen Hupo’s finger traced the surface of the water. “Let me help you with the dishes.”
“Do you even know how to wash dishes?”
“Is it that difficult?” Wen Hupo looked at him, her beautiful eyes wide.
“I won’t hide it for long. I’ll tell them as soon as I hear back from the police. Knowing the police are involved will at least reassure them.” Lu Li smiled inwardly. He didn’t actually expect any useful information from the police; he’d said that just to comfort the girls.
Wen Hupo clumsily washed the dishes, the greasy water flowing over her usually pristine hands. Lu Li felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if long ago, she had also descended from her lofty perch for the sake of her husband.
“See? It’s not that hard,” she said, a hint of pride in her voice.
“Very clever.”
After they finished cleaning up, Wen Hupo went to take a shower. Lu Li sat at his computer, trying to contact “Zhu Xi.”
After a long moment of contemplation, he typed, “Are you there?”
He covered his face, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. Messages that started with “Are you there?” were usually followed by requests for money, favors, or some other form of attention-seeking behavior. The sound of running water from the bathroom drifted to him, and he imagined Wen Hupo’s beautiful, naked body, his thoughts wandering. Her hair was golden, her eyebrows were golden, so… was it also golden down there? It was a strangely compelling question.
He waited, but “Zhu Xi” didn’t reply.
This was unusual. She usually responded instantly. He had often teased her inwardly about a princess spending all her time online like a shut-in.
Even after Wen Hupo emerged from the bathroom, there was still no reply from “Zhu Xi.”
Was she busy? It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? The day he was attacked, he couldn’t reach the Fourteenth Princess… Who would believe that was a coincidence?
There were three Zhu Xis in Lu Li’s mind: the cruel and ruthless Poison Princess of his past life, the fox-wolf he’d met in this life, and the cute and playful Cute Little Corgi online. Which one was the real her?
Wen Hupo quickly dried her hair with a hairdryer, then towel-dried the ends, carefully combing it afterwards. Lu Li always thought her hair was too long, a hassle to maintain. He closed his laptop and sat on the bed, watching her comb her hair.
One of Wen Hupo’s eyes peeked through her curtain of hair. “Aren’t you going to sleep?” Her hair, hanging loose like this, reminded him of a horror movie character. He thought that if a long-haired Wen Hupo could crawl out of the television, he’d buy ten more TVs just to have her around.
“Aren’t I sleeping on the bed? You said I didn’t have to sleep on the floor anymore.” Lu Li kicked off his slippers and climbed into bed.
Wen Hupo paused, then let her damp hair fall forward, hiding her face. “Oh.”
Lu Li assumed she was shy, uncomfortable sharing a bed with a man her age. He thought she might go sleep with Sister Yameng. But after drying her hair, she simply said, “I’m turning off the lights,” and lay down beside him.
Lu Li felt her warmth beside him, her body brushing against his arm. She was facing away from him, and he could only see her silhouette in the dim light. He felt a sudden surge of nervousness. “You’re really letting me sleep with you?”
“The floor is too cold.” There was a long pause between her words, unlike her usual briskness. “You… you get cold easily…”
“Oh…” Lu Li felt awkward, his hands clasped at his sides, less like someone preparing for sleep and more like a soldier standing at attention.
Was it too early to sleep? He remembered someone saying that Shenzhou’s large population was due to the lack of electricity in rural areas. With nothing to do in the dark, people naturally started making babies. He found some truth in that statement, because lying beside Wen Hupo, inhaling her fragrance, his thoughts also drifted towards the great human tradition of procreation.
Wen Hupo was definitely still awake. He knew she suffered from insomnia, her active mind keeping her up at night.
“Mr. Paragon, does it hurt them?” she suddenly asked, her voice trembling, perhaps from cold, perhaps from shyness.
“What?” Lu Li didn’t follow.
“When you do that to them, does it hurt them?” So that’s what she meant.
Lu Li blushed. “Of course not.”
“But why do they sound like they’re in pain?” Wen Hupo’s inquisitive nature wouldn’t let the question go.
“That’s not the sound of pain. People make noises when they’re… enjoying themselves.” Realizing she was genuinely curious, Lu Li answered more seriously.
After a long pause, Wen Hupo asked, “Why would it be enjoyable? Having… that thing inside you… shouldn’t it hurt?”
Because that part of the body is different. It’s designed for pleasure. Lu Li didn’t say that. A mischievous thought crossed his mind, and he said, his voice husky, “Do you want to see?”
Moonlight streamed through the window. Lu Li’s heart pounded. He felt like the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. Wen Hupo slowly turned over, facing him, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. “See what?”
“See what that ‘thing’ looks like.”
Wen Hupo hesitated, curiosity battling with shyness. After inventing a thousand excuses, she finally nodded.
“Just one look.”
Chapter Six: Just One Look
Wen Hupo looked at the indigo-covered textbook, Biology: The Dynamics of Life. The voices of her classmates drifted to her. “Did you see the new teacher? She’s so hot! I think she’s trying to seduce me!” The tall boy with a crew cut scoffed. “Don’t tell me it’s the new biology teacher. If she’s trying to seduce you, she might as well seduce a piece of wood; at least wood is hard enough!” His words were met with laughter.
Such vulgar jokes made Wen Hupo uncomfortable. These boys only thought with their lower halves. Ms. Harrison was simply explaining basic biology, and because the topic happened to be female reproduction, the boys started snickering and exchanging lewd glances.
Wen Hupo flipped through the textbook. The next lesson was about secondary sexual characteristics, with anatomical diagrams of male and female genitalia. She looked curiously at the male diagram. So that’s what it looks like? Like a smooth, shelled snail. Disgusting. So disgusting, she thought. I’ll never get involved with men.
“Just one look.” As Wen Hupo spoke, the memory flashed through her mind again. Was Lu Li’s also like a snail?
Lu Li hummed in agreement, standing on the bed and slowly pulling down his shorts, revealing the bulge beneath his underwear. “Would you like to do the honors?” he asked, his voice laced with playful seduction, his heart pounding with anticipation. Wen Hupo sat up, her hand hesitantly reaching out. “Just one look. Nothing else.”
“Mm-hmm, just one look.”
Wen Hupo nervously pulled down his underwear, and a large, imposing penis sprang into view. It stood erect like a spear, glistening in the moonlight, its surface radiating heat, throbbing slightly with each breath, like a living creature.
She instinctively recoiled; she had been so close that she could smell its musky scent. Stepping back, she could now see it more clearly. The golden-haired girl covered her mouth, her voice filled with surprise. “It’s not like the picture in the book…”
A mixture of shame and excitement coursed through Lu Li. He felt a sense of pride, like a boy showing off a prized possession, but also the vulnerability of being naked. He’d succumbed to his desires again.
“Does… does it kill people?” Wen Hupo asked hesitantly. “This thing… when it enters a woman’s body, does it kill them?”
“No, it might look intimidating, but it’s soft to the touch. See? You can touch it.” Lu Li’s self-respect plummeted another notch.
Wen Hupo knew he was taking advantage of her, his words bordering on vulgar, but she couldn’t bring herself to be disgusted. Perhaps she was used to his shamelessness, or perhaps she was simply too forgiving towards him.
But a cat’s curiosity is a powerful force.
Miss Lu, curled up in her bed, rolled over and continued sleeping.
Wen Hupo slowly extended her hand, wanting to feel its texture, but hesitant to cross the line.
Lu Li shifted his hips, and his penis twitched. “Go ahead, it’s okay. I promise I won’t do anything else. Trust me.”
Well… I’ve already seen it. Touching it won’t make much difference. He’s already taken advantage of me in every other way. Wen Hupo sighed inwardly. Her cool hand gently grazed his shaft, the sudden coldness making Lu Li gasp—not from the temperature, but from the sheer psychological impact. Wen Hupo, the emotionally detached, aloof, and proud Shirley Amber, was touching his penis.
She gently squeezed. It wasn’t as soft as he’d claimed, much harder than she’d expected. She asked, “Does it hurt when I squeeze it?”
Besides its hardness, the other striking sensation was its heat—burning hot, like a red-hot iron rod. She could feel the temperature of her fingertip rising. This would be a good hand warmer in winter, she thought absurdly.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Lu Li replied, his stomach tightening, making his erection even harder, casting a shadow over Wen Hupo’s delicate face.
The texture was strange, but the warmth was comforting. Wen Hupo blushed slightly. She suffered from anemia, her hands and feet often cold. Back in the villa, her favorite pastimes had been painting and sitting by the fireplace, the timid little maid always hovering nearby, tending to the fire.
Is this what he uses to bully girls? Remembering the moans she’d heard that day, Wen Hupo couldn’t help but give his penis a light pat.
“Alright, I’ve seen enough.” Afraid of falling into his trap, like the other girls, Wen Hupo quickly withdrew her hand and lay back down. “Let’s sleep.”
Lu Li nodded, disappointed. Wen Hupo wasn’t so easily swayed. If it had been Jingyi, she would have probably been putty in his hands. He glanced down; he had dropped his shorts on the floor. Too lazy to pick them up, he lay down naked, his penis still exposed.
Wen Hupo turned over, saw his still-erect penis, and clicked her tongue. “Why aren’t you wearing any pants?”
“You’ve already seen it, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Is it always like this? Why couldn’t I tell when you were wearing pants?”
“Because it’s usually flaccid,” Lu Li explained. No matter how smart she was, Wen Hupo’s knowledge of these matters was limited.
Wen Hupo suddenly asked, “Is it excited because of me?”
“…” Lu Li didn’t answer, but the answer was obvious.
“Can I hold it while I sleep?”
“What?”
“It’s a good hand warmer.” Wen Hupo was starting to talk nonsense.
Lu Li shifted closer to her, making it easier for her to reach him. Wen Hupo hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took hold of his penis. This time, there was no hesitation, no shyness. She began to play with it boldly. “It’s not as scary as it looked earlier.”
Lu Li didn’t reply. The air was still. She looked up, puzzled, and saw him staring at her, his eyes filled with a burning intensity. She realized they were too close, practically embracing. She tried to move away, but her body felt frozen.
Her hand still gripped his hot, hard shaft, the intimate gesture acting as a catalyst. Lu Li asked, “Can I kiss you?” Wen Hupo let out a soft “mm-hmm,” and then his lips were on hers. Her grip on his penis tightened, which only heightened his arousal. His tongue explored her mouth, the sound of their kissing filling the quiet room. Wen Hupo’s body tensed, surrendering to his touch.
Lu Li ended his exploration of her sweet lips. He knew this was her limit. With Wen Hupo, patience was key. He looked at her, her eyes soft and dazed, and thought that most girls were like this the first time. Sister Yameng, Wen Hupo—they were all just ordinary women when it came to intimacy.
Lu Li whispered, “You’ve seen mine. Can I see yours?”
“…” She didn’t reply, but her eyes were regaining their focus.
“I want to know if your pubic hair is also platinum blonde.” Lu Li tried to sound serious, knowing that if he framed it as a scientific inquiry, Wen Hupo would be less likely to refuse.
Wen Hupo instinctively covered her lower abdomen. Her rational mind told her to refuse—no girl would show that to anyone—but her lingering arousal clouded her judgment. She mumbled softly, “Just one look…”
“Okay…”
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