Mad Dog

Chapter 91: Brother — Desire and appetite are part of human nature; after all, they’re adults.

The two of them shared an umbrella, and even though the distance from the restaurant to the parking lot wasn’t far, they still got a little wet.

Ji Liang lived close to the restaurant, and Zhi Yu drove her home. It took only ten minutes, but in that short time, his shirt was still damp on the shoulders when they arrived. She glanced at him, and after the car stopped at the entrance of her apartment complex, she hesitated before asking, “Do you want to come up and dry your clothes?”

Given how adults often interpret the phrase “come up and sit for a while” as a subtle invitation, Ji Liang quickly added the second half of her sentence.

Her invitation was genuinely just for Zhi Yu to dry his clothes—nothing more.

Zhi Yu’s expression remained calm, with no indication of misunderstanding, as he nodded lightly. “Okay.”

There was a kind of “no rejection” attitude in his response.

They entered the building together and took the elevator up. Ji Liang lived on the 21st floor, and the apartment, at first glance, was spacious—over 100 square meters. The open-concept design immediately revealed that it was a single woman’s living space.

The living room and dining area were combined, and the kitchen was a Japanese-style open kitchen. Near the balcony was a small tatami mat set up for tea, with an intricately designed tea tray on the table, giving off a classic and elegant vibe.

The overall aesthetic leaned toward a beige, Japanese-inspired theme, but the large redwood desk in the workspace was distinctly traditional Chinese, giving the space a sense of old-fashioned dignity. Yet, the environment as a whole felt warm and inviting.

Watching Ji Liang rush to the bathroom to get a hair dryer, this thought crossed Zhi Yu’s mind.

Soon, she returned with the hair dryer in hand. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she casually extended her hand toward him. “Take off your shirt.”

…

Zhi Yu hadn’t thought much of it at first, but now that they were alone in her apartment, it suddenly felt a bit inappropriate. He hesitated.

“How about I just dry it while wearing it?”

“Wearing it while you dry?”

Ji Liang curled her knees up, resting her chin on them, and gave Zhi Yu a playful look. “Aren’t you going to get too hot?”

“…It’s fine.”

Zhi Yu still thought taking off his shirt would be too much, so he reached out and took the hair dryer from Ji Liang’s hand. His long fingers accidentally brushed against hers, and the soft, delicate sensation lingered.

Ji Liang instinctively pulled her hand back.

Zhi Yu, keeping his gaze calm, turned on the hair dryer.

For a while, the only sound in the room was the steady hum of the dryer, almost like the lingering echo of its own noise when it was finally turned off.

The sound of a hair dryer is usually annoying—like a giant mosquito—but when it’s gone, the silence in the room felt even more pronounced… almost to the point of awkwardness.

Although they had already kissed, the few times they had seen each other still made things feel a little unfamiliar.

Ji Liang thought for a moment, then stood up and walked toward the fridge. “Do you want something to drink? Water or juice?”

Her kitchen was open-concept, so Zhi Yu only had to turn his head slightly to see her standing by the fridge.

Ji Liang had a delicate and graceful frame, likely from years of dancing, and her posture was exceptionally smooth. Even in her dress, her side profile was slender but not overly thin, with a beautiful curve running from her waist down to her calves and ankles.

Zhi Yu’s gaze lingered for a while before he slowly pulled it back, his voice low. “Water.”

Ji Liang returned with two bottles of mineral water, sitting back down on the floor. She looked up at Zhi Yu and smiled apologetically. “Let’s just drink this. I’d offer to make tea, but I don’t have any tea leaves at home.”

“That’s fine.”

Zhi Yu shook his head, unbothered. After all, when he occasionally went home, he was already tired of drinking tea with Zhi Minglin.

Instead, watching Ji Liang sitting in a small bundle on the carpet, he grew curious. “Why do you like sitting on the floor?”

Since coming into her home, Ji Liang had never once taken advantage of the soft leather sofa. She had always sat cross-legged on the carpet.

“I’m actually used to sitting on a yoga mat.”

Ji Liang explained with a smile, her legs stretched out and fidgeting. “Over time, I felt that sitting on the floor helps keep my spine straight. If my parents hadn’t said it’s bad manners not to have a sofa for guests, I wouldn’t have even put one here.”

This was exactly the kind of response Ji Liang would give, and Zhi Yu couldn’t help but smile.

Ji Liang noticed and tilted her head, saying, “You know, you actually look pretty gentle when you’re not frowning.”

It was as if she were implying that he usually looked like a terrifying person.

For a moment, Zhi Yu wasn’t sure if he should keep the smile that had appeared on his lips unintentionally. However, Ji Liang’s smile was genuinely cute.

The sharp, almost queenly aura she had exuded when they first met had faded. After all, she was just a girl a year younger than him.

Zhi Yu quietly observed Ji Liang’s arched brows, his gaze gradually deepening.

And just like that, the slightly relaxed atmosphere between them suddenly grew tense again—at least for Ji Liang.

However, unwilling to back down, she continued to meet his gaze, her eyes locked on his intense, dark pupils. But under his sharp stare, she could feel her scalp tingle slightly.

The air between them grew heavy, a subtle tension of ambiguity filling the space.

Just when Ji Liang was about to go numb from the silence, Zhi Yu leaned closer. His handsome, sharp face drew nearer… Ji Liang’s fingers, resting on the carpet, involuntarily tightened as she prepared herself for another kiss.

But instead,

“Ji Liang.”

Zhi Yu’s voice was soft, carrying a trace of huskiness and a light laugh. His long fingers gently brushed the corner of Ji Liang’s lips. “Your lipstick’s smudged.”

On the way back, Ji Liang had checked her makeup in the mirror and, rather than maintaining her ‘no-makeup look,’ had applied a bold red lipstick.

While drinking water earlier, some of it had smudged at the corners of her lips.

Zhi Yu, with his usual composure, ‘helped’ her, though his fingers lingered longer than necessary, the warmth of his touch growing.

“Stop it!”

Ji Liang was flustered, feeling both embarrassed and irritated. The spots where he touched—her lips and the tips of her ears—felt as if they were on fire. She resisted the urge to bite his mischievous fingers and snapped, “Stop taking advantage of me.”

“We’ve already crossed that line before.”

Zhi Yu muttered quietly, withdrawing his fingers, only to replace them with his cool lips.

Perhaps due to the rain earlier, he still carried that refreshing scent of damp pine and grass unique to Lin Lan after a shower.

It was the first time Ji Liang had been so close to a man, and despite her usual calm demeanor, she found herself instinctively clenching her small fists behind her back.

—only for Zhi Yu to gently pull them out from behind her moments later.

“Are you nervous?”

He murmured, pecking her on the corner of her lips, his voice low. “Should we wait until next time?”

By this point, it was obvious where things were headed.

They were both adults.

Ji Liang’s heart fluttered like a curious kitten pawing at something new. She swallowed nervously but ultimately shook her head.

Then, she took the initiative and began unbuttoning Zhi Yu’s shirt with her delicate hands.

At the end of the day, humans are driven by natural desires, and they were no exception.

To be honest, Ji Liang had long been curious about what the so-called ‘joy of the flesh’ would feel like, and if her first time was with Zhi Yu… it wouldn’t be bad.

“Wait a second.”

However, before she could get far, Zhi Yu stopped her wandering hands. His usually clear eyes were now tinged with a hint of redness, and his voice was hoarse as he asked, “Do you have protection?”

…

Oops, she didn’t.

What kind of question was that?

Ji Liang felt a surge of irritation and lightly punched him on the shoulder, her voice sulky as she complained, “Why would I have that in my house?”

Seriously, what kind of person did Zhi Yu think she was?

Noticing her displeasure, Zhi Yu’s eyes lit up slightly at her response.

“I’ve never used one either.”

For once, Zhi Yu seemed like an excited young boy. He leaned in to kiss her with a smile, then quickly stood up, rebuttoning his shirt as he spoke rapidly, “I’ll go buy some.”

With that, he grabbed the umbrella by the door and rushed out.

His efficiency left Ji Liang both amused and exasperated.

Was this what they called a “spur-of-the-moment decision”?

Who knew that even when it came to moments like this, people could be so eager and clumsy at the same time?

Ji Liang couldn’t help but laugh as she recalled what Zhi Yu had said. Was he implying that he was just as inexperienced as she was? That he had never used protection before? It was certainly a topic worth pondering.

While Zhi Yu ran downstairs to the supermarket for something unmentionable, Ji Liang changed into her pajamas in the bedroom—the dress she had been wearing earlier was becoming too tight.

Just as she was halfway through changing, the doorbell rang persistently.

“Hold on a second.”

Ji Liang hastily threw on a loose nightgown and ran barefoot to open the door.

The rain outside had apparently stopped. Zhi Yu didn’t have any signs of being wet when he came in, and his closed umbrella wasn’t dripping either.

“Wow.”

Ji Liang glanced at the plastic bag Zhi Yu was holding and dramatically covered her mouth with a laugh. “Why did you buy so many boxes?”

“Fun fact: there aren’t many in each box.”

Zhi Yu tossed the umbrella aside and walked over to wrap his arms around her slender waist. “Better to be prepared.”

…

He certainly had foresight.

And as it turned out, Zhi Yu’s decision to stock up wasn’t a bad one.

For two consenting adults, intimacy felt much more satisfying than the dry exchange of emotions.

Though things had moved quickly, and it even felt a bit like a casual fling, there was no rule that said newly dating couples couldn’t enjoy the pleasures of love.

Society’s expectations often impose too many limitations, but sometimes, it’s better to follow your heart.

When Zhi Yu entered her, Ji Liang winced at the pain, her delicate brows furrowing. She couldn’t even maintain her usual lazy, charming smile.

She whimpered softly, complaining about the discomfort.

“Sorry, I really don’t have any experience.”

Zhi Yu kissed her, a clear smile in his voice. “I’ll be gentler next time.”

Next time… did he really just say that?

Ji Liang, feeling both wronged and irritated, weakly pounded her fists against his chest.

But by the end of it, she was exhausted.

Even though it was their first time, it was surprisingly long-lasting.

Ji Liang couldn’t remember how she fell asleep in the end. All she knew was that her first experience wasn’t exactly comfortable, making her hesitant to try it again the next time. But once she tasted the pleasure, she found herself continuing the intimate relationship with Zhi Yu.