Book 5: Chapter 47:1: Chen Hengâs Second Surprise, Part 1
Chen Heng patiently explained his missionâs purpose to Mo Qingtong. He understood that his sudden departure after just returning might seem inconsiderate.
âThe person youâre referring to is Merlin, right?â Sirin deduced this from Chen Hengâs words. She had spent some time in the association and was already familiar with all its current members; after all, there were not many.
âYes, thatâs him. Merlin has really angered Yakumo Yukari, and he hasnât stopped provoking her. Yakumo Yukari decided to teach him a lesson. This mission requires at least three participants, so she roped me in. If we donât hurry and summon Merlin, he might accumulate enough points for a fate-severing talisman. Then Yakumo Yukariâs summoning materials would go to waste. Even if she could sell them back to the store, she would lose 20 percent of her points.â
Luo Li, who had gone upstairs to discipline System 2333, descended expressionless.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âLittle Li, youâre done already?â Chen Heng asked. He knew Luo Li was skilled at disciplining System 2333 but hadnât expected her to be done so quickly.
âYes.â Luo Li maintained her detached persona, trying not to give herself away. Unfortunately, it did not work.
âElder Brother Heng, are you leaving already?â
âIâm about to. Whatâs up?â
âBe careful. Donât underestimate those seemingly harmless Servants.â Luo Li moved toward Chen Heng, who had stood up. She embraced Chen Heng, or rather she inserted herself into his arms since she was slightly shorter than him.
âAlright, donât worry.â Chen Heng initially felt startled but then wrapped his arms around Luo Li.
âBy the way, Elder Brother Heng, System 2333 mentioned you received ten association invitation letters. You gave one to Sirin. What about the rest?â Luo Li whispered a question in Chen Hengâs ear, audible only to the two of them.
Damn! What a miscalculation! Chen Heng immediately tensed, like a child caught in a lie. He attempted to extract himself from Luo Li, but she held him tight.
âElder Brother Heng, I know you donât remember the time before the reset. Youâve only seen it through the Absolute Precognition, but I donât mind. Since you thought of eliminating the Secret Scholar Society, whether or not you did it yourself, it means youâre still the Elder Brother Heng who saved me.â Luo Li paused here for a while before continuing.
âIâll find a way to restore your memory. If I canât, weâll make fresh memories. Iâll wait until you truly accept me. I can wait.â
Urhâ¦. Luo Liâs words backed Chen Heng into a corner. He was caught off-guard, especially because Luo Li was right.
Although he had a deep sense of familiarity with Luo Li and had seen the previous future through the Absolute Precognition, it lacked a sense of reality.
âElder Brother Heng, lower your head.â Chen Heng obeyed Luo Liâs command reflexively, perhaps out of guilt from lying to her.
As he lowered his head, Luo Li moved her hands from his waist to his neck. Then, standing on tiptoes, she pulled him closer.
âWhaââ Chen Hengâs eyes widened in surprise when he felt the soft touch of her lips against his. Someone forced a kiss on him again, and at the same place as before, and he was caught off-guard again.
Chen Heng felt something making its way into his mouth. He instinctively tried to pull away from this sudden invasion. However, Luo Liâs hands clasped his head tight, making escape impossible. As he locked gazes with Luo Li, he saw the gradual misting of her clear eyes and gave in, his defenses melting away shamelessly. He let his teeth part, welcoming Luo Liâs tongue into his mouth.
[Author Note: Iâm skipping about 300 words here. Just imagine the exchange of tongues and salivaâ¦. I canât get too explicit. But think about the scenario where a domineering CEO forcefully kisses a naïve sweetheart. Luo Liâs the CEO in this case. Sounds pretty exciting, right?]
Luo Liâs action dumbfounded everyone. This was too sudden, right?
This was the first time Jeanne dâArc had seen Chen Heng kiss someone else. Previously, she had been too engrossed in her game to pay attention. However, this time was different. This time, she saw it all.
As Chen Heng was forcibly kissed, Sirin was beside him, ready to embark on a mission with him. Sirin had stood up when Chen Heng did, but she had not expected this turn of events.
She wanted to intervene, reaching for Chen Heng, but eventually kept her hand to herself. Knowing that she hadnât shared as many experiences with Chen Heng and had mostly been on the receiving end, she felt she didnât have the right to separate them.
After joining the association, she had found out that Chen Heng was also a character from a novel and spent the night reading it. Coupled with additional insights from the association members, Sirin was aware of Chen Hengâs experiences. Although she felt she lacked the standing to intervene, she knew someone else who could.
Hence, she turned her eyes toward Mo Qingtong, hoping Chen Hengâs childhood friend could lend a hand.
Mo Qingtong did not disappoint and reached for Luo Li. However, Raven caught her hand midway.
Raven signaled Mo Qingtong not to interfere.
As far as Raven knew, Luo Li had been there when her young miss stole Chen Hengâs first kiss but hadnât intervened. If Mo Qingtong stopped Luo Li now, it would breed resentment. I said nothing when you took his first kiss, and now you canât let me have a taste?
Thus, it seemed unwise for her to disturb Luo Li.
The two remained like this, only separating after five minutes. For some reason, a thought popped into Chen Hengâs mind: The time Luo Li spent kissing me is slightly longer than when Mo Qingtong did the same.
âElder Brother Heng, you canât escape me. Youâre mine, and Iâm yours. Weâre inseparable; even if you run to another world, Iâll follow. I trust you forever, my one and only Elder Brother Heng, my dearest love. It doesnât matter if you accept this or not.â After whispering these words in Chen Hengâs ear, Luo Li gracefully disentangled herself from his embrace.