The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

Yezi's home, which is the home I'm in now, doesn't have many rooms: a bedroom for her parents, a bedroom for her, a guest room, plus a living room, dining room, and kitchen—that's all there is to the house. But it's not small; on the contrary, since only Yezi lives there, the house seems very spacious to me, a little too big for her alone.

I glanced at Yezi and saw that she had reverted to her previous somewhat self-conscious state, sitting next to me with her head down, keeping a certain distance between us, and not saying a word. I reached out my right hand and, in Yezi's startled state, put my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me until we were pressed together.

"Does Yezi hate me? Why doesn't she talk to me or want to get close to me?"

"No, no..." Yezi quickly denied my words, shaking her head, but her voice gradually softened. She glanced at me furtively with an expression that seemed timid. I looked at her too, and suddenly found Yezi incredibly charming. My hand, which had been resting on her waist, unconsciously slid up her side, reaching her armpit. My palm could already feel the features of Yezi that were different from mine, and Yezi's face flushed.

Without realizing it, I pulled Yezi close, letting her press against my side. My hands covered her body, feeling her softness, and I kissed her. I felt my body gradually heating up, and my desire began to swell uncontrollably. I was somewhat surprised and wanted to stop, but my actions didn't seem to obey my will.

Is that lingering feeling of delay kicking in again? No… it feels different. I feel like if I wanted to stop, there shouldn't be any problem. This is the effect of my own inner thoughts. But… but I've already decided not to so easily succumb to desire. Don't I have any resolve or motivation at all? I don't want to admit this fact and am searching for other answers.

My gaze swept over the glass of water on the coffee table, and I was slightly taken aback.

Could it be... that Ye Zi drugged me? It's quite possible.

I could watch Yezi change clothes without reacting, yet I was drawn to her delicate expression and began to touch her inappropriately. This wasn't a very reasonable development, and I felt my desires growing stronger. Because of everything that had happened, I've become more sensitive to this situation lately and am more aware of the changes in my own mindset.

I felt a little uncomfortable, so I loosened the leaves a bit: "Could you help me a little?"

I couldn't think about anything else anymore. What was originally a very calm feeling suddenly became more and more obvious and intense, and desire had occupied almost all of my thoughts. I watched as Yezi shyly hummed in agreement, then stood up, walked over, and knelt down in front of me, just like she had done to me in that abandoned park in March.

I leaned back on the sofa, feeling Yezi's lips and tongue. Her movements were still a bit clumsy, but it was much better than the first time on the rooftop of the teaching building. Perhaps Yezi had a similar talent.

However, the thought of it made me want to slap myself. It was an insult to Ye Zi, and even though she was doing this, I shouldn't think of her like that. But I was almost losing control of my thoughts, immersed in the pleasure Ye Zi was giving me.

Suddenly, I seemed to hear that soft laughter again. I was somewhat surprised, but I didn't make any move. Even if I wanted to, I simply couldn't. All I could do was accept all of Ye Zi's offerings with utmost sensitivity.

Does this mean that there really are clues in Yezi's house that I haven't discovered?

Chapter 195 The Stopped Clock

After it was over, I tidied up my clothes a bit. I'm quite familiar with these kinds of things now, which made me feel a little embarrassed and sad, but I still had things to do.

I didn't finish the glass of water Ye Zidi gave me. I believe there must be something in it, not enough to harm the body, but it would certainly have some effect.

Yezi was sitting next to me. I put my arm around her and let her lean on me. I wanted to confirm whether the water in the glass really contained the drug I suspected, so I picked up the glass and handed it to Yezi.

"Have some water and take a break."

I thought Yezi would hesitate, since I suspected there were drugs in it, but Yezi didn't seem worried at all. She nodded slightly, took the cup, and took a sip. At such close range, she couldn't possibly do anything that could fool me. Yezi drank the water without hesitation.

I reacted quickly after drinking the water. If I had the medicine, it shouldn't have taken long to take effect... Yes, I watched as Ye Zi's body, which had calmed down a bit, started to heat up again. She was wearing a dress, and I was very sensitive to this change because I could easily touch her skin.

But I wasn't going to do it again. I let go of her waist and patted her back: "Okay, go take a shower first. Rest for a bit, I'm not going to sneak away."

Yezi hesitated for a moment, but fortunately, my words still had some binding force on her. She stood up, pulled on her skirt, and walked towards the bathroom. I thought I would hear the sound of Yezi automatically sliding the bathroom door open, but what I heard was the sound of running water reaching the living room with perfect clarity.

I was somewhat amused and exasperated, but now was still the time for me to take action. I didn't move rashly, but leaned back on the sofa. When what had just happened, I realized that I was still being watched—even at Yezi's house, I hadn't been able to escape his surveillance.

Ye Zi... I'm not sure if she knew there were drugs in the water, but I think she probably didn't.

First, if Yezi knew there was medicine in the water, would she have drunk it so readily? Without even the slightest hesitation... That seems possible. If Yezi knew from the beginning what kind of effect the medicine would have, given our current situation, I think she wouldn't have minded things turning out that way.

Secondly, and this is the main reason I believe Yezi doesn't know—time. From the time Yezi and I truly became what we are now until now, we haven't spent enough time together. Finding aphrodisiacs on the market isn't easy, especially since Yezi is still a minor… probably not even a minor yet? But even if she isn't, she should be seventeen. However, finding such a drug is still quite difficult.

Moreover, there wasn't enough time. Apart from sleeping at night, Yezi was almost always at my workplace. How could she possibly have time to find this kind of medicine?

Third, there is an outsider here, an outsider whose name, appearance, and even gender are unclear, who is still observing everything in the room. Since the other party was able to infiltrate this place, they must also have a way to drug the water.

I looked at the water dispenser in the corner of the living room and suspected that the half-full bottle of water had been affected by the medication.

In addition, I also had an experience of being infected by drugs in March, and the drugs were obtained from an unknown mysterious person. So I naturally have reason to suspect that the drugs also came from the mysterious person who is now here.

But since the other party is observing me, I don't think this is a good time to recklessly gather intelligence here. I had already decided to disguise myself to deceive him, just like I did on the school rooftop. If I suddenly start investigating now, he will obviously figure it out.

I can't reveal my true intentions yet. All I can do is casually observe what other clues the Ye family might have.

The living room was still quite clean and hadn't changed much. Apart from the rather large-looking TV, there wasn't anything else that would make people want to wait there.

Above the door leading to the balcony was a clock, but when I tried to check the time, I found it was stopped and silent. I looked at it closely; the round clock was very simple, seemingly quite old, its black frame covered in dust, indicating it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. It just hung there, and it felt slightly out of place to me.

I quickly figured out where this feeling of unease came from.

Yezi is a very clean girl. Except for her parents' room, all the other rooms in her house are kept impeccably clean. The floor tiles are often damp, leaving marks, and even the whitewashed walls are frequently cleaned by Yezi. The kitchen is probably used infrequently, as Yezi eats all her meals at school on weekdays, only cooking for herself on weekends.

But even the kitchen was spotless, as I confirmed when I visited Yezi's house yesterday. Apart from her parents' room, nowhere else was covered in such a thick layer of dust. However, she didn't clean her parents' room because she harbored resentment towards them. Yezi had experienced too much on her own, and she needed an outlet for her emotions, so her parents' room became the sacrificial offering of accumulated dust.

However, aside from the rarely used kitchen, there was also a lower-level guest room, but those were very clean and didn't have as much dust. The dusty clock, and the very clean walls around it, were so conspicuous that I couldn't help but notice it.

I checked the time and found that the clock was permanently stuck at exactly twelve o'clock, not a second off. The hour, minute, and second hands were all pointing to the number twelve at the top of the clock. I don't know if this was intentional or unintentional, but now it seems that after the clock stopped, someone moved the hands of the clock and adjusted the time to exactly twelve o'clock, or even twenty-four o'clock, it makes no difference.

However, this person is probably not Ye Zi.

Chapter 196 Leaves in the Bathroom

There is a basis for my thinking.

If it were Yezi, I think, given her cleanliness-conscious nature, she would tidy up the house regularly and wouldn't leave this dusty clock untouched. But in fact, she left this dusty clock and her parents' dusty room untouched. Yezi deliberately ignored the latter out of revenge, but this clock is strange.

The walls around it, and even the ceiling, were very clean, with obvious signs of cleaning. Because the alarm clock was entirely black and it was nighttime, it wasn't particularly noticeable even with the lights on, but it was definitely covered in a layer of dust, as if leaves had deliberately brushed past it.

Could it be that this time holds some special meaning for Yezi? Perhaps something happened exactly at midnight. But that's also strange. If the clock had such significance, even if Yezi didn't put batteries in it to start it up again, she would at least clean off the dust, since Yezi is a clean person. But she didn't do that.

This area is located in the south, and although it's hot in the summer, the air quality is relatively good because of the high vegetation coverage and the absence of factories that produce large amounts of smoke and dust nearby. It would take a considerable amount of time for such a layer of ash to accumulate. This is what surprised me so much when I saw the scene in Yezi's parents' room.

Moreover, the current state of this clock is as if... it doesn't exist in Ye Zi's eyes.

In this contrast, the clock stands out to me.

Knowing the state of the clock, I intentionally began searching the living room for similar objects, but I didn't find anything similarly covered in dust. Perhaps I should move closer to take a look; it's impossible to find everything with just the eyes.

I stood up and walked towards the television. It looked very expensive, which made me even more cautious. The television was on top of a TV stand, which was otherwise empty. Although there was plenty of space to put things, it seemed that everything that could be placed there had already been put on the coffee table.

I examined the television, gently running my finger along the screen and edges. Looking at my finger, I saw nothing on it, and naturally, I didn't see any dust, just as I expected. The small speaker on the TV stand was also there; I checked it using the same method and found no trace of dust.

These larger items might require a little more care to clean, but at least they're not too troublesome. I turned my attention to the smaller items and looked at the coffee table behind me.

There were many things neatly arranged on the coffee table. When I saw this, I already assumed that everything on the table had been cleaned and tidied up. After all, Ye Zi had so carefully categorized them, so it wouldn't make sense not to tidy them up before handling them. I randomly picked up one or two items to check, and as I expected, even the oddly shaped decorations with their complex internal structures didn't have any trace of dust.

I glanced under the sofa where I had just been sitting. Everything that had been there was out in the open, but while the area under the sofa was prone to dust accumulation, cleaning it wasn't as easy or thorough as cleaning items that were always in sight. I went to the sofa and first looked at the floor. I hadn't paid much attention before, but the wooden floor in the living room was impeccably clean, clearly the result of recent cleaning. I tested for dust using the same method, but nothing stuck to my hands. It was a little too clean.

I bent down, took out my phone, turned on the flashlight, and glanced around. There wasn't much dust near the outside, and while it was a bit harder to see the inside, there probably wasn't much either. I didn't use my previous method to check, because someone was watching me. My earlier actions could be attributed to curiosity about how thoroughly Yezi had cleaned the room, but reaching directly under the sofa would have seemed too strange.

However, once the inspection reaches this level, I can understand that Yezi has probably cleaned her house very thoroughly, except for the clock and the room.

Just in case, I went to the other rooms and quickly checked the more conspicuous items in these rooms. I tried to pretend that I was looking at Ye Zi's house out of curiosity. Although Ye Zi's house had a lot of decorations, it seemed a bit empty. Even so, most of the things I checked were very clean. Except for some corners where there were piles of objects, I didn't spend time checking them. But I figured that even if they weren't particularly clean, there wouldn't be much dust or anything like that.

I was walking out of what should have been a study, intending to check on Yezi, when my gaze simultaneously swept over the open bathroom door and fell upon Yezi drying herself. I immediately looked away, but it seemed I had already attracted Yezi's attention. I didn't look at her, but I could feel her gaze fixed on me.

I licked my tongue to clear my head, then looked directly at the naked Ye Zi. I noticed her wet hair was disheveled, and she was staring at me expressionlessly. The atmosphere was slightly off, and I felt a little scared, but that fear was quickly replaced by a stronger resolve. I put on a half-smile, crossed my arms, and looked at her without saying a word, scrutinizing Ye Zi from head to toe. This was probably the first time I had seen Ye Zi's entire body, but strangely, I didn't feel any surge of desire like I had before.

Was it because of Yezi's expression earlier? I wasn't sure. But under my gaze, Yezi seemed to be slowly returning to "normal." Her originally expressionless face began to show a shy look. She lowered her head slightly, not daring to look at me, and her hands seemed a little helpless, as if she wanted to cover her body, but in the end she didn't.

Ye Zi's expression just now left a deep impression on me.

Chapter 197 A Short Rest

"Put your clothes on, don't catch a cold," I said to her, then naturally walked towards her room. Before Yezi finished changing, I wanted to quickly check her room.

Yezi's room door wasn't closed. Although the light was off, the switch was right next to the door, so I quickly found it and turned it on, making the bedroom much brighter. Although I'd seen Yezi's bedroom a few times, this was the first time I'd come here with a specific purpose. I looked around the space.

Yezi's room wasn't large, but it wasn't small for a girl either. A bed stood against the wall, taking up about a quarter of the room, while a table sat near the window on the other side, next to a coat rack. This was the room Yezi used most frequently, and probably the cleanest she kept it. I didn't find anything with a trace of dust.

This means that, apart from her parents' room and the clock hanging on the door leading to the balcony, which was dusty, everything else should have been spotlessly cleaned by Yezi. Perhaps I still need to go into Yezi's parents' room to find some of the clues I'm looking for. But I can't go there now; Yezi is there, the bathroom door is open, and to get to Yezi's parents' room, I have to pass right in front of her.

But I can't show my interest in her parents right now, at least not too strongly. This feeling of being restricted isn't pleasant, and I suddenly felt a little tired, so I sat down on Yezi's bed. The bed was very soft, and I unconsciously lay down on it. I was quickly enveloped by the unique softness of the bed and the fragrance that a girl possesses.

I lay down for a bit, but then I felt it wasn't quite right, so I sat up again, only to find myself surprisingly weak. However, this feeling seemed to stem from a subconscious thought; I still had the strength to move... Perhaps it wasn't my body that was tired, but my mind.

Or perhaps it comes from something else, like this fragrance... Could it be some kind of volatile medicine? I shook my head, unwilling to think about it any further, even though it was indeed a very possible possibility.

I sat for a short while, and Yezi came to her room after she had finished dressing. Her clothes hadn't changed, but her hair was damp, and she was radiating heat, which was faintly visible. Her face was still flushed, as if she hadn't recovered from what she had just experienced.

But this was clearly a gesture she took the initiative to make, so why did I feel so shy? Is it just my personality?

Ye Zi stood in front of me, just standing there, saying nothing and doing nothing.

"Your hair is still wet, aren't you going to blow-dry it? You'll catch a cold." I took the initiative to start the conversation, but Yezi hesitated for a moment and then shook her head.

Since she didn't want to blow it, I didn't want to force her to do it. But I didn't have a chance to search her house in front of Yezi anyway. I leaned forward slightly, grabbed Yezi's hand, and pulled her towards me. I then lay back down on the bed, and Yezi followed suit.

I held her close, and I could clearly feel her body temperature and fragrance. Although the dampness of her hair made me feel a little uncomfortable, it wasn't a big problem. Yezi nestled against my chest in surprise, but didn't move.

"Won't this make you uncomfortable?" I asked Yezi while taking out my phone to check the time. It was only around 10:20, so there was still plenty of time.

"No," Ye Zi replied. I felt her hand slide down my waist, and I quickly grabbed it. "No need. I'm a little sleepy, let me rest for a bit. If you have anything else you want to do, just leave me alone."

I released the leaf, but made no move to get up. That feeling of exhaustion suddenly appeared and gradually intensified. I had already determined its nature; it must be the effect of some kind of drug, but the effect wasn't strong. I didn't know exactly how it worked; it could be the aroma, the aftereffects of that glass of water, or something else entirely.

But it shouldn't matter; a little rest should be fine. I've set an alarm for 11:30, so getting back at that time should be good.

Could you wake me up around 11:30?

"Ah."

Yezi responded to me, and I cupped her face in my hands and gently kissed her forehead. I put away my phone and closed my eyes. I thought Yezi would get up and leave, or do something else, but I didn't. Yezi remained nestled in my arms, making no other move.

I didn't even want to open my eyes, so I just lay there, and my sleepiness deepened until I fell into a deep sleep. Until I was shaken awake by the leaves, I didn't experience any strange sensations or dreams, perhaps because I was sleeping so deeply that I didn't feel anything.

I opened my eyes. Although the fatigue had eased slightly, it hadn't completely disappeared. After all, it had only been an hour; it was just a short rest to recover my energy.

"It's time..." Yezi said cautiously. I reached into my pocket but didn't find my phone. Instead, I felt Yezi's hand. She then realized what I was doing and put my phone in her own hand: "There was an alarm... I turned it off."

I ruffled Yezi's hair. After an hour, and in this kind of weather, her hair had dried quite a bit, but because she had a lot of hair, it still felt a little damp.

I was about to sit up when I patted Yezi on the back. Just as she was about to get up, I remembered something and pulled her back down. She looked at me, puzzled but not too surprised, wondering what I was up to.

I found the function I was looking for and applied it to myself.

"Look up."

The leaf obediently looked up, and I seized the opportunity to capture the moment in a photograph. The leaf's puzzled expression and my smile were frozen in time.

"That's good."

Ye Zi was silent for a while, then looked at me again. I saw something glistening in the corner of her eye, but before I could see it clearly, Ye Zi had already kissed me.