The walk to Mrs. Lin's house was short—just a few steps across the dusty lane—but for Kai, it felt like crossing a battlefield he had already conquered.
The morning sun was climbing higher, but the heat in Kai's blood had nothing to do with the weather. The [Dragon's Vitality] buff was humming beneath his skin, making every nerve ending hypersensitive. He felt heavy, potent, and dangerously confident.
He stood before her door. The wood was dark and worn. He remembered the kitchen counter inside. He remembered the taste of her milk-soaked skin.
She's mine, Kai thought, a ruthless smirk curling his lips. She just doesn't know how deep she's in yet.
With a Charisma of 8, he wasn't just a neighbor boy anymore. He was a magnet. And Mrs. Lin—lonely, neglected, and sexually awakened by his mouth just twenty-four hours ago—was practically waiting to be plucked.
He knocked. Rap. Rap. Rap.
A moment of silence, then the shuffling of feet. The lock clicked.
The door opened a crack, then wider as she recognized him.
"Kai?"
Mrs. Lin stood in the doorway. She looked... ravaged. Not in a bad way, but in the way a woman looks when she hasn't slept because her body won't let her. Her eyes were slightly puffy, her lips bitten red. She was wearing a simple house robe, darker than the silk one from yesterday, but tied loosely enough that Kai's eyes immediately tracked the deep V of her neckline.
[Ding!][Target Analysis: Lin Mei][State: Flustered / Aroused][Affection: 45/100 (Hidden Desire)][Charisma Check: PASSED (Overwhelming Presence)]
"Good morning, Auntie Lin," Kai purred.
He didn't smile like a boy. He smiled like a wolf who had found the coop unlocked. He leaned one hand against the doorframe, looming over her slightly, invading her personal space just enough to let her smell him—the musk of a young, virile male mixed with the soap from his morning wash.
"O-Oh, good morning," Mrs. Lin stammered. Her hand flew to her throat, her eyes darting from his face to his chest, then down to his crotch before snapping back up. Her face flushed a deep, pretty pink. "I... I wasn't expecting you so early. Is everything okay?"
"My mother sent me," Kai said, his voice low and smooth. "She needs her clay pot back. The one I brought yesterday."
He let the word yesterday hang in the air, heavy and thick.
Mrs. Lin flinched as if he'd touched her. The memory of the kitchen—the milk, his tongue, her moans—crashed between them.
"The pot! Yes! Of course!" She laughed nervously, a high, breathless sound. "I... I cleaned it. I washed it very thoroughly. I'll get it."
She turned to flee into the safety of her house, but Kai was faster.
"Wait."
He didn't grab her. He just spoke. But with his enhanced Charisma, the command hit her like a physical touch. She froze, turning back to look at him, her chest heaving.
"You look tired, Auntie," Kai said softly, stepping across the threshold. He closed the distance until he was towering over her. "Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"
Mrs. Lin swallowed hard. "I... yes. It was a hot night."
"Was it?" Kai murmured. He reached out. His fingers brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. His fingertips grazed the sensitive skin of her neck.
She shivered, her knees buckling slightly.
"You know," Kai whispered, leaning down so his breath ghosted over her ear. "I couldn't sleep either. I kept tasting something sweet. Something... creamy."
Mrs. Lin let out a small, strangled whimper. Her legs pressed together involuntarily. Her nipples, hidden beneath the robe, hardened instantly, painful and eager.
"Kai... you shouldn't..." she breathed, but she didn't move away. She leaned into his hand.
"Shouldn't what?" Kai asked, pulling back to look into her eyes. His gaze was intense, stripping her bare. "You're a beautiful woman, Lin. Far too beautiful to be alone in this big house while your husband is off counting coins."
He dropped his gaze to her cleavage. He could see the rapid beat of her heart beneath the skin.
"He doesn't appreciate what he has," Kai said, his voice darkening. "But I do."
He let his hand slide from her neck down to her shoulder, then lower, letting his knuckles graze the side of her breast. It was a fleeting touch, but it made her gasp.
"I'll... I'll get the pot," she squeaked, turning and practically running to the kitchen.
Kai waited in the hallway, listening to the clatter of pottery. He checked his status.
[Affection Rising: +5][Lust Rising: +10]
She returned a moment later, clutching the clay pot to her chest like a shield.
"Here," she said, holding it out, refusing to meet his eyes. "Tell... tell your mother thank you."
Kai took the pot. His large hands covered hers on the cool clay. He didn't let go. He held her hands trapped against the pot, forcing her to look at him.
"Mrs. Lin," Kai said, his voice shifting from predatory to charmingly boyish—a lethal combination. "Actually, I had a question."
"Y-Yes?"
"My mother always talks about your cooking," Kai lied smoothly. He had never heard Ye Rou mention Lin's cooking once. "She says you make the best braised pork in the district. I've been dreaming about trying it."
He squeezed her hands gently.
"My mother is working late tonight on sewing commissions. I'll be all alone for dinner."
He stepped closer, the pot the only thing separating their bodies.
"Could I come over tonight? For dinner?"
Mrs. Lin blinked. "Dinner? Here?"
"Unless you're busy," Kai said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Or unless... you don't want to see me?"
He used the [Eye of Lust]. He poured every ounce of his desire into his gaze, telling her without words that he wasn't coming for the pork. He was coming to finish what he started in the kitchen.
Mrs. Lin's breath hitched. She looked at his lips. She looked at the bulge in his trousers. She thought about her empty bed. She thought about the way his tongue felt on her nipple.
Her resistance crumbled.
Her face turned a deep, crimson red. She lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks. Slowly, deliberately, she bit her lower lip, sinking her teeth into the soft flesh in a gesture of pure, subconscious invitation.
"I..." She looked up through her lashes, her eyes wet and hazy. "I'm making stew tonight. It... it should be ready by sundown."
"I love stew," Kai grinned, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "I'll be very hungry, Auntie. Make sure you have enough... for a growing man."
"Okay," she whispered.
"See you tonight."
Kai released her hands, took the pot, and turned to leave. As he walked away, he could feel her eyes on his back, watching him, undressing him.
He stepped out into the bright street, the clay pot under his arm.
[Ding!]
[Quest Generated: The Merchant's Wife][Objective: "Dine" with Lin Mei.][Hidden Objective: Conquer the Hostess.][Reward: Access to Lin Mei's Bedroom + 100 XP.]
Kai chuckled darkly. The Harem was building itself.
But first, the Academy. And the arrogant bitch, Li Hua.