[Yelan met your gaze, staring into those unfathomably deep eyes. Unable to stop herself, she lifted her hand and gently brushed the skin beside them.]
[She smiled, almost entranced, as though she were not the one being held by the throat.]
[With her airway pressed beneath your hand, Yelan's voice came out low and hoarse.]
["Those eyes of yours are truly beautiful."]
[Yelan had spent years walking along the edge of danger, chasing the thrill that came with it.]
[But as time passed, that suffocating rush she once felt during missions had gradually dulled.]
[She had grown more and more at ease in dangerous situations.]
[Yet with you, she felt that exhilarating sensation return.]
[This was already the second time.]
[Yelan was no stranger to threats. She had faced killing intent before, felt it from others more than once.]
[But you were different.]
[Your killing intent was just as sharp, yet it carried far too much within it.]
[Helplessness... Exhaustion... Pain...]
[You were like a sheet of white paper soaked through with thick black ink.]
[That final trace of untouched white made people want to dig deeper.]
[And to see what you would look like once you were completely stained.]
[Yelan felt an eager stir in her heart.]
[It was the first time she had realized she possessed such a desire.]
[Your existence felt as though it had been tailored specifically for her, every detail perfectly aligned with her tastes.]
[You tilted your head slightly, avoiding Yelan's fingers, which carried a faint warmth, and frowned as you looked at her.]
["Miss Yelan, did you hear what I said?"]
[Yelan beamed at you.]
["I heard you. Don't worry. I won't go looking for your sister."]
["Having you is enough for me. I don't need anyone else."]
[You did not fully believe her words.]
[She was a master at manipulating hearts. At best, only three tenths of what she said could be trusted.]
[Chenxi was not as safe in Liyue as you wanted to believe.]
[Liyue was a gathering ground for every kind of power. You had to make preparations for her.]
[You nodded to Yelan and loosened your grip.]
["Sorry, Miss Yelan. I overstepped just now."]
[Your expression returned to its usual cold detachment.]
[Yelan touched her neck and gave you a smile filled with unspoken meaning.]
["Honestly, I rather liked how you looked just now…"]
["I like being treated roughly by you. If it were somewhere else… it would be even better."]
[Yelan began teasing you again.]
[The first time she had done this, you thought it was merely one of her tactics.]
[You knew some female agents used their bodies to carry out missions, lowering an enemy's guard before striking with fatal precision.]
[But later, after looking into Yelan's background, you realized she was not what you had imagined.]
[Yelan revered strength. She believed that when faced with danger, only overwhelming force could break the deadlock.]
[She treated only you this way.]
[You were not arrogant enough to believe that a woman as calculating as Yelan had truly fallen in love with you.]
[You only felt that there must be some deeper meaning behind her actions, something you had yet to perceive.]
[Yelan was already used to your coldness. Being silently rejected by you did not dishearten her.]
[If anything, it filled her with fighting spirit.]
[Her slender fingers brushed lightly over her full, rose-colored lips.]
["Mr. Kael, your reaction really breaks my heart."]
["Is it because of that Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the one who grew up with you, that you're rejecting me?"]
["What's so good about that immature little girl? Don't you want to taste the ripe forbidden fruit?"]
["Besides…"]
[Yelan let out a soft laugh.]
["Has she ever seen the real Mr. Kael? Does she truly know the man you are?"]
[Yelan's final question left you unsettled.]
[In front of Hu Tao, you had always been the gentle boy.]
[Hu Tao often said she liked you, yet she had never seen the darkness buried within your heart.]
[If she knew what you did behind the scenes, knew how much blood stained your hands.]
[Would she still like you the way she did now?]
[You had always avoided facing that question.]
[Yelan saw through the wavering in your heart and chose not to press further.]
[She understood the principle of knowing when to stop.]
[She was an excellent hunter, possessing more than enough patience.]
[As long as she planted a seed within your heart, one day it would sprout, slowly growing into the shape she desired.]
[Lost in thought, you returned to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.]
[The moment you stepped inside, Hu Tao ran up to greet you.]
[Just like always, you put on a gentle smile.]
[Yet Yelan's words brushed through your mind.]
[The corners of your mouth stiffened, your expression turning slightly unnatural.]
["Kael, Chenxi tried to run away just now. Luckily, I caught her when I went to bring her food."]
["Is she really your sister?"]
[Hu Tao swallowed the rest of the sentence.]
[Why does she look at you like you're her enemy?]
[She knew how much you cared about this sister of yours and did not want to hurt you.]