My Arch-Nemesis is the R-Rated Male Lead - Chapter 31

Zhou Li had already heard Lu Rong’s thoughts. She said she would never help him through his heat again.

The hand gripping her arm tightened. Was she going to start hating him again?

Lu Rong met his gaze and felt a chill creep up her spine. But thinking of his beastly behavior last night, she snapped, half-angry and half-indignant, “Let go of me!”

Zhou Li didn’t release her. Instead, he pulled her closer. Lu Rong instinctively braced herself against his side, the distance between them close enough to make her face heat up.

“Lu Rong, I told you to leave yesterday.” He studied her closely, and she suddenly felt awkward.

It was true, she had come to him on her own. And Zhou Li had tried his best to restrain himself, even if he hadn’t fully succeeded.

But that wasn’t what bothered her most. What truly unsettled her was that she simply couldn’t handle him.

Last night, aside from the very beginning when she still had some control, she had completely become a soft, pliant thing in his hands, her body yielding until she could barely hold herself together.

Seeing that he still seemed inclined to dwell on it, Lu Rong hurriedly said, “You were poisoned by the tree demon last night. That’s why I helped you.”

Zhou Li looked at her with his pitch-dark eyes, something flickering within them. “Lu Rong, I’m a demon. No one helps a demon.”

She didn’t know how to respond for a moment. “You saved me first.”

And this is the last time I’m helping him. It has to be, she shouted silently to herself.

Zhou Li heard every word. His grip on her wrist tightened before he finally said, “I won’t hurt you again. I’m sorry about last night.”

He released her, his eyes half-closed, looking as though something inside him had completely fallen apart.

Lu Rong stood there in a daze. Seeing the marks on his neck and his disheveled clothes, she suddenly felt a trace of guilt.

Zhou Li was different from her. He had always been emotionally distant, never one for desire, yet now, he was someone trapped and controlled by his heat.

She muttered inwardly.

[What is going on? Why does it feel like I slept with some virtuous, respectable man?]

[It’s making me want to mess with him.]

Lu Rong felt that ever since she’d kissed Zhou Li, her desires had gone completely off the rails—like a wild horse slipping its reins, utterly unstoppable.

Every day, if she wasn’t thinking about kissing him, she was plotting how to get him into bed.

Naturally, Zhou Li heard every bit of her inner muttering. He sat up, and in an instant, the candlelight inside the room flared to life, fully illuminating the rumpled bed and the state they were both in.

Lu Rong stared at the face suddenly so close to hers. Tilting her head slightly, she caught sight of the distinct bite mark on his Adam’s apple. She froze, unconsciously swallowing.

How could he look so alluring afterward?

Her heart raced. She tried to look away, but then felt his breath draw closer, as if he were about to kiss her.

She stared at him blankly, her chest fluttering wildly, fingers tightening around the hem of her skirt.

She pressed her lips together, her mind still replaying everything they’d done the night before.

[Ahhh, does he still want to kiss me? Should I dodge?]

[But if I dodge, what if I regret not getting kissed?]

[Never mind. We’ve kissed who knows how many times already—one more won’t make a difference.]

She braced herself for another kiss.

Instead, Zhou Li got out of bed, leaving her with the sight of his broad, upright back.

Lu Rong: “???”

Why was he always so sexually aloof once he was fully awake?

What’s wrong with one more kiss?!

She huffed inwardly and followed him off the bed, but the moment her feet hit the floor, her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed.

Zhou Li reached out in time to catch her, studying her with a questioning look.

“No—no, it’s nothing. I just didn’t step properly.” Lu Rong forced herself to act like nothing had happened, but even standing still, her legs were trembling.

They hurt—and they were sore.

Zhou Li probably saw right through her bravado. He slipped an arm around her. “I’ll take you back.”

Before Lu Rong could even refuse, he had already brought her back to Zhuiyu Tower.

Lu Rong: “……”

Fast at everything—except when it comes to bed.

Zhou Li fell silent for a moment, debating whether to leave her at the door or carry her inside, when Lu Rong spotted Xue’er approaching from afar. She hurriedly patted his shoulder. “Inside—inside, now!”

If Xue’er saw her being held in Zhou Li’s arms, it would be instant social death.

After all, everyone knew she and Zhou Li were sworn enemies.

Zhou Li pushed the door open, carried her inside, and set her down on the bed. Almost immediately, there came a knock.

“Rongrong, are you back?”

Xue’er’s voice sounded from outside. Lu Rong’s guilt flared. She hastily shoved Zhou Li into her studio. “Don’t come out.”

She shut the studio door just as Xue’er entered, her face full of concern.

“Rongrong, where did you go last night?”

“I went to find A’Ling.”

Xue’er’s movements were limited to Zhuiyu Tower. She was a little rabbit demon with very weak spiritual power. If she went outside, she could easily be captured.

Zhuiyu Tower was her turf. Other than Qiu Ling and his father, no one ever set foot there, now with one extra exception: Zhou Li.

Lu Rong hadn’t hidden anything from Qiu Ling or his father, but Zhou Li was impossible to conceal.

Fortunately, he was a demon too.

Xue’er didn’t suspect a thing. She simply said, “The sect leader came looking for you last night. He said you were to deliver this medicine to Venerable Jian.”

As she spoke, she took out a small bottle and handed it to Lu Rong.

Lu Rong took the bottle, glanced at it, and, having no idea what it actually did, could only accept it.

“What else did my father say?” she asked curiously.

“He didn’t say much. Just that Venerable Jian saved you this time, so logically, you should…” She trailed off, speaking haltingly, her eyes flicking nervously to Lu Rong’s expression.

Lu Rong looked at her, confused. “Should do what?”

“The Sect Leader said that, logically, you should repay him with your body.”

Lu Rong: “???”

Is my father some kind of savage dug straight out of the dirt?

Repay him with your body—my ass.

Just drooling over someone’s body is more than enough.

Lu Rong knocked Xue’er lightly on the head. “If you hear nonsense like that again, just pretend you never did. Go.”

Xue’er rubbed the spot she’d been tapped, gave a soft “Oh,” and shuffled out slowly.

But just before leaving, she couldn’t help asking, still worried, “Rongrong, are you hurt too? I saw your legs shaking.”

Lu Rong: “……”

Say that any louder and Zhou Li will hear!

“No.” She straightened up, painfully serious.

Only then did Xue’er nod and leave, even closing the door behind her.

The moment Xue’er was gone, Lu Rong completely lost her strength. Her legs trembled as she braced herself against the wall and called toward the studio, “You can come out now. Go back.”

But Zhou Li was already inside her studio, flipping through the sketchbook she’d left on the table.

Every single drawing had his face.

And the things the man and woman were doing in those pictures were even more explicit than what they’d done the night before.

So… this is what she likes?

Lu Rong waited, not seeing him come out, and assumed he’d already left. Instead, when she opened the door, she saw him seated at her desk, holding the sketchbook—

The sketchbook was full of her pornographic drawings of him and her.

It’s over.

He saw everything.

She hurried over, but her movement was too abrupt. Her already sore body gave out, and she failed to steady herself, crashing straight into Zhou Li’s arms. The pain made her face go noticeably pale.

Still, desperate to avoid total social death, she hurriedly reached out to snatch the booklet back. Zhou Li seemed to do it on purpose, raising his hand just out of reach and, unhurriedly, continuing to flip through the pages.

“Give it back to me.” Seeing she couldn’t reach it, Lu Rong grabbed at his arm, trying to pull it down.

Zhou Li lowered his gaze halfway, looking at her now seated on his lap. His eyes darkened slightly—this was a position they’d used last night as well.

Following his line of sight, Lu Rong realized her chest was positioned right by his lips.

She quickly pushed him back a little and shot him a glare, trying to look fierce.

Zhou Li didn’t think much of it. Seeing how pale her face was, he tossed the booklet back onto the table and, with one arm, lifted her and carried her back to the bed.

Seeing his silence, Lu Rong assumed he was going to kill her for having drawn spring-palace illustrations of him.

She shrank back in fright, not daring to struggle, only muttering stubbornly, “What are you trying to do? That drawing isn’t of you!”

“Then who is it of?” Zhou Li asked in return.

Lu Rong went quiet—completely deflated. After a moment, she still said stubbornly, “Anyway, it’s not you.”

Zhou Li didn’t pursue the matter and simply set her down on the bed.

Lu Rong kicked her legs, trying to struggle, but he caught her by the ankle.

“What are you doing?” Her voice dropped unconsciously, her eyes still carrying traces of last night’s haze.

Zhou Li had noticed her legs trembling two or three times earlier. Thinking back, he figured he’d probably rubbed her raw the night before.

“Your legs are injured,” Zhou Li said.

Lu Rong hadn’t expected him to bring that up.

“You bastard. Not only are my legs hurt—my palms are injured too.” She hadn’t expected him to only notice now.

Zhou Li looked at her palms. Her soft, pale skin was now flushed a vivid red.

The sensation of her palm pressed against him the night before made the tips of his ears start to heat up.

“Your hand.”

Lu Rong looked at him in confusion and held out both hands. She saw a pearly white glow brush over her aching palms, and the pain vanished instantly.

“Does it still hurt?” Zhou Li asked.

Lu Rong pursed her lips and shook her head. Seeing that he was still holding her ankle, she tried to pull it back slightly.

“I’ll apply the medicine down there myself.” She was embarrassed.

But Zhou Li didn’t seem to understand embarrassment at all. He lowered his head, the hand that had been holding her ankle sliding up to grip her knee instead.

“Don’t—” Lu Rong’s sense of shame was about to explode.

Zhou Li, however, remained calm. Seeing the bloodstains beside her white trousers, his brow creased faintly.

“You’ve rubbed the skin raw—why didn’t you say anything?” As he spoke, he thought about how rough he’d been the night before.

She’d cried, and he still hadn’t let go.

“I can apply the medicine myself.” Lu Rong tried to sit up, wanting to escape this atmosphere that was making her face heat up.

“Medicine.” Zhou Li didn’t have any on him—he could only ask her for it.

Lu Rong refused outright. “I’ll do it myself. You should go.”

She grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up. Seeing how uncomfortable she looked, Zhou Li left in silence.

Hearing him go, Lu Rong glanced back. Once she confirmed he was gone, she finally let out a breath of relief.

She’d been exhausted all night. Lying face-down on the bed, her eyes drooped, and she fell asleep not long after. But after sleeping for a bit, she felt a chill beside her.

She half-opened her eyes to see who it was and caught sight of Zhou Li standing by the bed. Dazed, she hummed softly, “Why are you back again?”

And he looked travel-worn, too.

After asking, she pressed her cheek against the pillow, her eyelids sinking again—it was obvious she was truly exhausted.

Zhou Li brushed the dark strands of hair away from her face, sat down by the bed, and took out the wound medicine he’d gone to find.

He reached out and pulled back her blanket. Lu Rong obediently rolled onto her side and continued sleeping, vaguely sensing a coolness beneath her.

The burning soreness was replaced by an icy touch. She opened her eyes again and saw Zhou Li lowering his lashes, carefully applying medicine to the inside of her thigh.

Her heart tightened, and she instinctively drew her legs together.

“You…” Lu Rong looked at him with sleepy, embarrassed eyes.

Zhou Li calmly pressed his palm against her tightly closed knees, easing them apart. As he lowered his head, his forehead nearly brushed her lower abdomen.

Warm breath fell against her skin, and her entire body tensed. She heard him murmur, almost coaxing,

“Open up.”

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