Chapter 113: The Escape of Love

Although Shen Yijue had rarely visited the villa lately, the servants kept it well-maintained, and everything remained in perfect order.

"Why didn't any servants come out to greet you? This isn't like you."

"I don't like having other people in the house at night." Shen Yijue entered the electronic code and opened the main door.

Xiao Zhang stepped out of the car and said, "Brother Shen, Mo Qi, I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning."

Shen Yijue nodded, and Xiao Zhang drove away. Mo Qi followed him into the villa.

"Would you like some tomato and egg noodles?" Shen Yijue asked.

"You've been so tired from filming; let me make a midnight snack." Mo Qi felt bad about constantly letting Shen Yijue take care of her, so she took the initiative.

Shen Yijue glanced at her and nodded. "The kitchen is over there, and there are ingredients in the fridge. I'm going to take a shower."

Mo Qi enthusiastically took out the ingredients from the fridge, ready to show off her skills.

"Hey, there really is flour." She brought out the flour, kneaded the dough, then minced the meat and cabbage she had taken out, planning to roll out wrappers for dumplings.

When Shen Yijue came downstairs after his shower, Mo Qi had already mixed the filling and was using a glass bottle to roll out the wrappers on the cutting board. She dusted the board with flour, pinched off a small piece of dough, rolled it back and forth into a perfect circle, then used chopsticks to add the filling. With a few effortless pinches, she fashioned a lovely, adorable ingot-shaped dumpling.

Shen Yijue walked over slowly and took the glass bottle from her hand. Mo Qi tilted her head to look at him. "Flour gets everywhere, I'll just do it."

"You wrap, I'll roll."

"You just showered; getting flour on you will be a hassle."

"I'll be careful—achoo!" As Shen Yijue grabbed a handful of flour to sprinkle on the board, he hadn't even finished spreading it when he suddenly sneezed twice.

The white flour flew up from the force, scattering everywhere, and even Shen Yijue’s well-defined face did not escape.

Mo Qi stared at the flour plastered onto Shen Yijue’s face, stunned for a moment, before she finally couldn't help it. She turned her head away, stifling her laughter, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Finished laughing yet?" Shen Yijue’s cool voice sounded from behind her.

Mo Qi’s back stiffened. She forced her laughter down and shook her head violently. "No, no, I'm just having a muscle spasm."

"Pfft!" Mo Qi turned back, saw the flour on Shen Yijue’s face, and finally broke down. "Hahahaha! You look like the White Impermanence! Hahahaha!"

Mo Qi was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. Shen Yijue watched her with a blank expression, then reached out, swiped a handful of flour from the board, and launched a surprise attack, smearing it all over Mo Qi's face.

Mo Qi’s laughter stopped abruptly, Shen Yijue’s large, warm palm still pressed against her face.

Shen Yijue pulled his hand back, saw the clear imprint of his five fingers on Mo Qi’s face, and finally nodded with satisfaction, turning his head away as the corners of his mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.

Mo Qi blinked twice, looked into the reflection of the refrigerator door, and saw the broad, five-fingered print covering her entire face—she looked like a wild savage.

That King Shen was so petty! It was his own fault the flour got on his face, yet he wouldn't let her laugh, and even smeared her face in return!

Mo Qi gritted her teeth, lunged forward, grabbed a handful of flour, and slapped it onto Shen Yijue’s face. "Take that for bullying me!"

"Mo Qi, you're in for it now!" Shen Yijue immediately launched a counterattack, pinning her shoulders down.

"Shen Yijue, let go! Help!"

The two of them waged a flour war in the kitchen, and it took a long while before they finally stopped. Both were covered in flour from head to toe.

"Hahaha, I'm exhausted." Mo Qi sat on the floor, laughing while gasping for air.

Shen Yijue sat in front of her, leaning his head to watch her.

Mo Qi wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. Since her rebirth, she had lived so cautiously and with such a heavy heart that she hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

"You look beautiful when you laugh like that."

Mo Qi turned to look at him, their eyes meeting.

The kitchen, which had just been filled with laughter, suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, leaving only the sound of their two heartbeats.

Mo Qi looked at Shen Yijue, whose eyes held a faint smile, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Shen Yijue propped himself up with one hand, leaned in, and slowly kissed the corner of Mo Qi’s mouth.

With gentle lips and tongue, he soothed her. Looking at his handsome face so close by, Mo Qi finally closed her eyes slowly, reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, and, following the rhythm of her racing heart, parted her lips to respond.

Unlike their previous kisses, this felt wondrous. It was as if she had fallen into a hazy fairyland; her brain had completely stopped functioning, leaving her to follow nothing but instinct to give and receive, infinitely lingering.

Shen Yijue gripped the back of her head, pulling her into his embrace. The gentle kiss gradually heated up, and their breathing grew heavy and feverish.

"Shall we shower?" Shen Yijue pulled away slightly, whispering the question. His voice had lost its usual coolness, replaced by a trace of restrained desire.

"Mm." Mo Qi’s cheeks were flushed crimson, her dark, jade-like eyes veiled in a misty haze, and she gave a low, soft response.

"I'll go run the water." Shen Yijue pecked her lips lightly and stood up to head toward the bathroom.

Mo Qi watched his tall, slender back, still dazed and struggling to process what had happened.

A gentle kiss—if they were to bathe together, what would happen next was self-evident.

Mo Qi’s chaotic mind suddenly cleared. She couldn't let things progress that way.

Almost the moment the thought crossed her mind, she scrambled to her feet, bolted out of the kitchen, grabbed her bag from the entryway, and fled without looking back.

"Bang!" The sound of the door slamming shut was deafening. Shen Yijue emerged from the bathroom and walked over, only to find the door locked. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling frost.

Shen Yijue stood there, motionless.

The phone left on the living room coffee table rang. Shen Yijue walked over, expressionless, and answered. "What is it?"

"What's wrong? You sound like you're unsatisfied," Guan Min’s teasing voice came from the other end.

"You guessed right." Shen Yijue hung up the phone.

He didn't believe Mo Qi hadn't been moved by the atmosphere and tenderness of moments ago, yet she had still run away.

Shen Yijue sat on the sofa, his brow furrowed in gloom.

Mo Qi fled the villa and looked around, feeling lost. In these suburbs, there was nothing but villas, and no taxis ever came this way.

After walking for a while, she took out her phone to call the taxi driver whose number she had saved—wasn't his daughter named Miaoyin?

"Hello, excuse me, would it be convenient for you to come pick me up in the Nanshan district now?"

"Miss Mo Qi? Yes, of course. I'm on the night shift, but I have a passenger right now. I'll come get you as soon as I drop them off."

"Thank you." Mo Qi gave him the address and waited in a prominent spot.

She had abandoned ship at such a moment; Shen Yijue would surely be furious. But what else could she do?

Mo Qi offered a bitter smile. If it were merely a physical exchange based on unspoken rules, she might not have been so conflicted, but...

The phone in her hand began to vibrate. She flipped it open to see the caller ID: "The Great Demon King."

Taking a deep breath, Mo Qi answered the call.

Shen Yijue’s deep, cold voice came through the line. "Where are you?"