I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

Fu Wanqing closed her mouth, a complex emotion flashing in her amber eyes.

She lowered her head, her long pink hair falling down and covering half of her face.

Her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and the hem of her skirt became a crumpled mess.

She didn't know why she felt lost, but she just felt lost.

She was the one who saved Gu Yan, she was the one who took care of him.

I am too weak. I am worlds apart from my sister, and I can't even beat the girl in front of me.

Shen Youwei suddenly tiptoed and pressed her lips to Gu Yan's ear.

It wasn't a kiss, it was taking my earlobe into its mouth, gently biting it, and then letting go.

Gu Yan felt as if she had been electrocuted, the numbness spreading from her ears to the back of her head.

The tingling sensation traveled down my neck, making the hairs on my back stand on end.

He instinctively flinched to the side, but Shen Youwei's hand had already grabbed his wrist.

"This isn't the place to play games. Come with me."

Her voice was soft and gentle, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

Their bright red eyes gleamed under the streetlights, like two glowing embers.

Before Gu Yan could say anything, she was pulled forward by her.

Fu Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed, her long pink hair fluttering in the night breeze.

The three people crossed two streets and turned into a quiet alley.

At the end of the alley stands a detached small building with gray walls and red tiles, and a row of bamboo plants in front of the door.

Shen Youwei took a key out of her pocket and opened the door.

"Minister Li arranged a room for me, saying he wanted me to be comfortable."

Her tone was casual, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.

Gu Yan followed her inside, and froze as soon as she stepped through the door.

The living room is small but cozy, complete with a sofa, coffee table, and TV cabinet.

The painting on the wall is of sunflowers, the curtains are light blue, and there is a bunch of baby's breath on the table.

None of that mattered; what stunned him was something else entirely.

There was a cup of coffee on the coffee table; the cup was dark blue.

There is a thin crack along the rim of the cup, extending from the mouth to about one-third of the way down the body.

He recognized the cup; he remembered the crack.

This is the cup he used to use in that rented room. Shen Youyao used this cup to make coffee for him every day.

The coffee is dark brown in color, with a thin layer of milk foam floating on top.

It tastes exactly the same as what he's used to drinking, even the thickness of the milk foam is the same.

He turned to look at the kitchen, where an apron with a bear pattern was placed on the counter.

He recognized the apron; it was the one Shen Youyao used to wear.

The kitchen lights were a warm yellow, exactly the same as the lights in that rented room.

He walked to the bedroom door and glanced inside. The bed was covered with light blue sheets.

There was a plush rabbit next to the pillow, its ears were so white from washing.

He recognized the rabbit even more; it was the one Shen Youyao cuddled to sleep with every night.

Gu Yan's hand rested on the door frame, her knuckles slowly turning white.

Countless images flashed through his mind, and in each one, there was the shadow of Shen Youyao.

She was wearing an apron and making coffee in the kitchen.

She was curled up on the sofa, hugging a rabbit and reading a book.

The way she walked up to him with the cracked cup of coffee.

She was timid, wore black-rimmed glasses, and spoke in a soft, timid voice.

Every frame felt like it happened just yesterday, so clear it was almost suffocating.

Shen Youwei leaned against the door frame, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Gu Yan's retreating figure.

My sister really, really likes you.

Her voice was very soft and faint, as if she were stating a fact that did not need to be proven.

"She decorated the room like this on her very first day here."

She said it would be like you were still living here, and then she wouldn't miss you as much.

"The cup was brought from where she originally came from, as was the scarf."

"She said the rabbit smelled like you, and she washed it several times but couldn't bear to change it."

Gu Yan's throat tightened, but she didn't speak or turn around.

He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold back if he turned around.

Fu Wanqing stood in the middle of the living room, her amber eyes watching everything unfold.

She saw the cracked cup and the bear apron.

I saw the faded plush rabbit and the light blue bed sheet.

She suddenly realized something: the girl named Shen Youyao really, really liked Gu Yan.

It's not the kind of liking that's just said; it's the kind of liking that's etched into your very bones.

She pulled her fingers off the doorframe and turned to walk back into the living room.

"Weren't we supposed to be playing games? What are we playing?"

His voice returned to calm, as if he were doing something very ordinary.

Shen Youwei walked to the coffee table and sat down, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Gu Yan.

"It's simple, just flip a coin, whoever wins ten rounds first wins."

She took the coin out of her pocket and spun it on the coffee table.

The coin spun a few times before falling to the ground, making a crisp sound on the glass surface.

"For every game you win, your opponent has to take off one item from their clothes."

"Clothes, shoes, socks, jewelry, anything is fine, as long as it's something you take off your body."

Her tone was flat, as if she were saying that the weather was nice today.

Gu Yan was completely stunned, her mouth agape.

For every win, one item is removed; whoever wins ten rounds first wins.

Regardless of who wins, after taking off ten pieces of clothing, they'll be practically naked, okay?

He looked down at himself: a shirt, a pair of pants, a pair of shoes, and a pair of socks.

Including the Demon-Slaying Sword at his waist and the cell phone in his pocket, there were only five or six items in total.

Now that I've taken my clothes off, what am I taking off? I can't just take them off completely...

He dared not think any further, his face contorted as if he had swallowed a fly.

"No, this rule won't work. Change it."

His voice was a little urgent, with an urgent desire to salvage the situation.

"I'll treat you to dinner whether you win or lose, either way is fine, just don't take your clothes off."

Shen Youwei shook her head, her completely red eyes staring at him without blinking.

"No change, this is it. You promised to play the game, you can't go back on your word."

Her tone was soft and gentle, but every word was like a nail driven into the ground.

Fu Wanqing stood to the side, completely dumbfounded.

She covered her mouth, but her fingers couldn't suppress the red seeping through them.

His amber eyes were wide open, like two startled glass beads.

Her cheeks changed from pinkish-white to bright red, as red as a ripe apple.

She had never seen anything like it before, and she had never imagined that games could be played like this.

A girl asked a boy to take off his clothes, and this happened in front of her, a third person.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, so fast she could hear it herself.

She wanted to say something, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she couldn't make a sound.

She wanted to walk, but her legs felt like they were nailed to the ground, and she couldn't take a step.

Gu Yan took a deep breath, trying to make a final struggle.

"How about we remove the part where the winner has to take off their clothes and replace it with another punishment?"

"For example, the loser treats the other person to dinner, sings karaoke, or cleans the house."

"Anything is fine, just don't take off your clothes, that's really not okay."