The sunlight filtered in through the window, its righteous rays filling the lab like a golden wedding veil draped over two beloved sweethearts.

When their passion had reached its peak, Yan Yi's cheeks glowed like peach blossoms, her voice winding and purring like a spoiled kitten. Ning Xinyuan suddenly reversed their roles and took the upper hand, pinning her in place, whispering softly in her ear, "You just broke the rules."

Yan Yi squirmed restlessly, "Sis, what are you talking about? I don't know…"

"We agreed that you wouldn't touch me outside, but just now, downstairs, right in front of the students, you came up and hooked your arm around mine."

"Did I? I must have just forgotten for a second, sis..."

"A mistake is still a mistake, even if you did it by accident. I told you, I can't stand people who go back on their word. When we make a deal, I stick to it. But you, you just have to test my limits, which makes me feel..."

"...like you don't respect me."

"It's fine, sis, we've always been this close. Even if the students saw, they wouldn't suspect a thing—"

Ning Xinyuan didn't reply, her back to the cabinet, so Le Yin couldn't see if anything else was happening. She could only hear Yan Yi, whose voice suddenly softened into a pitiful, guilt-ridden whisper, "…I'm sorry, sis, it's my fault."

Ning Xinyuan's lips pressed against Yan Yi's ear, her voice swirling temptingly in her canal like a cotton swab, "Bad girls who break the rules, don't they deserve to be punished?"

Yan Yi's breathing grew heavier, her voice full of aggrieved frustration—and something unspeakably excited and eager, "Yes."

Le Yin realized for the first time that her Ice Blood Physique did, in fact, have its limits.

"Do you know how to apologize?"

"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it… No matter how hard it is, no matter how much it hurts… Even if it costs me everything..." Yan Yi's voice was at once as holy as a suffering nun singing a sacred hymn, and as seductive as a witch luring souls to their downfall.

"Crap, I don't think I can take this anymore!"

"Then, I order you..."

Ning Xinyuan's cherry lips brushed lightly.

The temperature in the lab seemed to climb several degrees.

Or maybe it was just Le Yin's Ice Blood beginning to boil.

Blood-drinking Qian Yuliu, Jing Zhengwei of the Zither Sun, suffering Le Yin hidden in the shadows, cold-blooded Qian Yuliu, lend me your strength, help me hold it down—

"...to produce a new, improved prototype within three days."

That's it?

I was this close to taking my pants off, and that's all you've got for me?

Le Yin was completely stunned, listening to Yan Yi outside explaining all the difficulties she was facing with her experiments—how she'd probably have to pull all-nighters for days—watching Ning Xinyuan comfort her like a big sister, encouraging her, then witnessing another orange-scented, steamy scene play out in the lab.

Was this the letter game of cultured people? Ordering you to churn out a paper in three days flat?

Sure, this kind of assignment was cruel, terrifying, serious, and painful, but it wasn't exactly what Le Yin had been waiting for!

Hungry for drama or not, Le Yin still kept her eyes wide open. After all, every chance to see a scene like this was one less for posterity, and Le Yin saw herself as single-handedly preserving a cultural treasure for all humankind.

Funny—she'd thought Yan Yi was the one taking charge in this relationship. Actually, Yan Yi was indeed proactive, but the dynamic had always been led by Ning Xinyuan.

If people out there ever found out that sweet, gentle Teacher Ning Xinyuan was really a tyrannical queen behind the scenes…

The lines for aspiring to be Cao Cao would probably go straight through the roof.

Watching up to this point without skipping or fast-forwarding, Le Yin basically figured out their relationship—it was just your classic underground couple.

Even at the super 'inclusive' Imperial Academy, same-sex couples still caught plenty of flak. It wasn't just girls loving girls—even the cut-sleeve crowd got roasted.

Unlike feudal societies of old, the Huiyao people were hardcore against same-sex love—maybe because of the influence of Spiritual Power. In a way, falling for someone meant your spiritual forces were blending together, which supposedly counted for way more than a superficial physical connection.

Huiyao folks just couldn't accept two people of the same gender blending their spirits. If you had to describe it, it was like mixing two similar shades of paint—they'd only get darker and dirtier together. All the famous gay stories in Huiyao's history were classic "ruthless, tyrant monarch" paired with a "fragile, white-lotus flower," which only confirmed what most people already believed.

So for most people, when they saw a real-on-real gay couple, their first thought was—you guys must be switching careers to the dark side.

But those were just the old-timers talking. Young people only ever got thirstier for drama, which was why rumors about Jing Qin could spread so far in Xuanzhu County. God only knew who the rumor-mongers thought the Tyrant was, and who was the White Lotus.

Qing Lan had once told Le Yin there were still folks who believed Jing Qin's story—some people even wrote tragic, romantic novels about it and asked Le Yin if she wanted a copy sent over.

Le Yin told her, "Mail me every last one, main story, side stories, the works—I'll burn them all."

Either way, as teachers at the Imperial Academy, the two could only keep things on the down-low. If anything came out, Cha Huan would definitely risk her own neck to defend them—hell, maybe even throw them a wedding to spite the haters. But let's be real, with rumors flying everywhere, there'd be no way for the two of them to stick around the academy with their heads up.

So Le Yin could absolutely never get caught on the scene, or else things would get messy.

Still, she'd heard that the girls could really scrap—so who knew how long they'd keep this up... Wait, it was only the start of the second period—don't tell me…

Tap!

Just as Le Yin was lost in this artistic spectacle, footsteps snapped her out of it. Three seconds later, Ning Xinyuan abruptly stopped what she was doing, hurriedly threw her clothes on, and hissed, "Someone's coming!"

Yan Yi's mind had already gone mushy, "Probably here for another teacher—"

Ning Xinyuan stayed cool as ice, analyzing, "It's the second period right now. The other teachers are either gone or in class. You're the only one left on the fourth floor!"

Before she could finish, three sharp knocks hit the lab door, followed by a low, male voice, "Teacher Yan, Teacher Yan, Teacher Yan."

"Teacher Lou!" Yan Yi jolted awake, blurting, "Is there something you need?"

Master of calamity and head coach for Combat Technique, Lou Yinhai!

This was the one guy Yan Yi couldn't just blow off!

"It's urgent," Lou Yinhai said calmly, "Teacher Yan, are you indisposed? Is there someone else inside?"

"No one!" Yan Yi blurted, then instantly realized her screw-up. Ning Xinyuan sighed quietly.

If only they'd just gotten dressed and opened the door calmly—but now, with Yan Yi's frantic denial, even if Lou Yinhai hadn't suspected anything before, he definitely did now.

"I'll be right there, Teacher Lou, just a moment..." Yan Yi looked helplessly at Ning Xinyuan. Ning Xinyuan nodded slightly and whispered, "I'll hide. You get rid of him as fast as you can."

She glanced around, spotted an ajar cabinet—just big enough to fit her—then went for it without thinking, grabbed the door, and—

Huh?

Ning Xinyuan froze.

Why wouldn't it open?

Was it rusted shut?

"Teacher Yan, is there something wrong? Do you need help?" Lou Yinhai pressed.

"Coming, coming!" Yan Yi quickly smoothed out her rumpled clothes and went to open the door. Ning Xinyuan didn't hesitate any longer and yanked hard—

This time the cabinet swung open without a fight.

Only it wasn't her doing the pulling.

The cabinet had been pushed from the inside.

By the time Ning Xinyuan realized what'd happened, she was inside the cabinet, pressed up face-to-face with a red-haired man, not an inch between them. Her unspoken yelp was instantly silenced—his hand clamped over her mouth, the sound stuck in her throat.

And Le Yin? She just wore an expression that said her soul had left her body.

"Seriously, there were how many cabinets in this lab? Mine was the farthest away from both of you."

"Come on, even if you'd just hidden under the desk, no one would have bent down to peek underneath for a gorgeous little darling down there."

"Honestly… forget it."

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