Caught red-handed by Cao Ying, Lin Feng seemed somewhat mortified. Fortunately, Lin Feng was a man used to weathering all kinds of storms, so he raised his head, looking her straight in the eyes with the utmost sincerity, and repented, "Sister Cao, you're just too beautiful, so tempting. I just can't control myself…"

Hearing Lin Feng's incredibly "sincere" confession, Cao Ying couldn't help but let go of Lin Feng's ear, her face still blushing. However, she seemed to accept his explanation and then offered an exceedingly practical suggestion, "If... if you really can't control yourself, maybe you can go take care of it right now…"

Hearing these words spoken in such a soft and gentle manner by the incomparably beautiful Cao Ying, Lin Feng was momentarily struck dumb. He knew well that what she was suggesting was textbook physiological advice, yet he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. Little Lin Feng grew even bigger in an instant...

"There's... no need for that…" Lin Feng considered himself thick-skinned, but facing a beauty of Cao Ying's caliber, he truly couldn't bring himself to say something as outlandish as, 'Wait a moment while I go pump one out.'

"Then you keep it under control!" Cao Ying was taken aback by her own bizarre suggestion. I must be tipsy, she silently reasoned. Why else would I be talking such nonsense?

"…That's... a bit challenging!" Lin Feng shared his frustration, then honestly admitted to Cao Ying, "In this kind of atmosphere, and being with you, Sister Cao, it's not likely to settle down tonight."

"Tsk! It's got something to do with me now, has it?" Cao Ying couldn't help but laugh at Lin Feng's words. "It's clearly your own mind that's restless, don't drag me into this! If its restlessness has to do with me, then I should just go home…"

"Please don't! When it's restless, it's actually quite... enjoyable…" Hearing Cao Ying say she was leaving, Lin Feng blurted out unconsciously.

"...What nonsense are you spouting?!" Cao Ying, her face flushing red, couldn't quite hide her embarrassment. "Anyway, at least... don't let me see it!"

"Simple enough!" Lin Feng casually summoned a junior member of the Loyalty Gang and gestured to the several lights overhead, indicating for him to switch them off.

Soon, the corner where Lin Feng and Cao Ying were became dim, making faces difficult to distinguish from half a meter away.

Whether it was self-deception or simply the absence of distracting lights, Cao Ying's mood did seem to improve a little. At least, she no longer felt so restless.

Cao Ying wasn't actually ready to go home just yet.

All along, she had never had any real friends in school. She had initially thought tonight's gathering with Li Huijin and other female classmates would be a perfect chance to truly integrate into their circle and make a couple of genuine, close friends. Instead, she had been tricked by Li Huijin into a "blind date" under the guise of a class reunion, which ultimately led to a complete fallout between them.

Before heading out, Cao Ying had specifically asked for a curfew extension, allowing her to return home anytime before 2:00 a.m. It was not yet nine o'clock. She figured that going home this early would surely make her family worry that something unpleasant had happened.

"Lin Feng, do you think I'm destined never to have real friends?" Emboldened by the alcohol, Cao Ying suddenly blurted out in frustration, "What they pursue and what I pursue are completely different; we rarely have common ground. But sometimes, I feel a bit lonely. Because I'm always rather independent, everyone thinks I'm deliberately being aloof. Over time, they intentionally distance themselves from me. Although I don't mind them keeping their distance, sometimes I still wish I could find a friend I can truly confide in. Tell me, am I destined not to have such a friend?"

"It's not that you've made the wrong friends, you've just been looking in the wrong circles…" Lin Feng could understand Cao Ying's frustration and comforted her with a warm smile. "Girls of similar status, like Ma Enhua, are the ones who could be your friends!"

"No, they're not… That circle is even less suitable for me. It's too direct, too simple, too… stark. When we go out for a meal, even seating is arranged by status. Do you believe true friendships can exist in that kind of atmosphere? In everyone's eyes, other people are just part of their network!" Cao Ying shook her head, then lazily reclined on the sofa. "Actually, what I meant to say is, I feel more relaxed when I'm with you!"

In the dim light, a faintly sweet and subtle fragrance wafted into Lin Feng's nostrils. Despite the low light, his excellent eyesight could still clearly make out Cao Ying's fair thighs, which seemed to emit a soft glow. Cao Ying's low murmur sounded like a girlfriend whispering intimately beside his ear. Lin Feng even suspected that if he took the initiative to embrace Cao Ying, he probably wouldn't be rejected. This atmosphere made Lin Feng even more painfully aroused...

Sighing, Lin Feng suppressed the fire burning within him and said in a hoarse voice, "Sister Cao, I also really enjoy talking with you…"

"Eh, Lin Feng, why does your voice sound so strange?" Cao Ying sat up and gently touched Lin Feng's forehead, her voice full of concern. "Are you okay… Ah, your forehead is so hot! Are you running a fever?"

When Cao Ying's cool little hand touched him, Lin Feng felt like a blazing pyre suddenly doused with a barrel of gasoline. WHOOSH! A scorching current surged through him from his core. He unconsciously grabbed Cao Ying's slender hand and shook his head, saying, "I'm fine, really, I'm fine."

Lin Feng held Cao Ying's hand, gently caressing it. Cao Ying's hand was small, soft, smooth, and a little fleshy; it felt extremely comfortable to hold, and Lin Feng was reluctant to let go.

When Lin Feng grasped her hand, Cao Ying's heart fluttered, and she instinctively wanted to pull away. But then she recalled that she had just said she felt more relaxed with Lin Feng. I just said I feel relaxed with him, she thought. If I can't even let him touch my hand now, wouldn't that be too hurtful?

It's just holding hands; it's no big deal, Cao Ying consoled herself while feeling the intense heat from Lin Feng's large hand. She vaguely felt a warm current slowly transmitting from his hand, gradually making her own body feel hot and flushed.

In a daze, Lin Feng's masculine scent, faintly tinged with smoke, wafted into her nostrils, causing Cao Ying to blush to the tips of her ears and her heart to pound. What's wrong with me? she asked herself unconsciously. Why do I... like this feeling?

"Lin Feng, you... can you let go for a moment? I'd like to have a drink…" Cao Ying, not wanting to lose herself any further but also afraid of hurting Lin Feng's feelings by abruptly pulling her hand away, asked softly.

Lin Feng, however, didn't let go as she asked. Instead, he said something rather strange, "Sister Cao Ying, has anyone ever told you that your palm reading indicates you're destined to bring great fortune to your husband?"

Cao Ying was taken aback by his words, her face flushing with embarrassment. She had actually heard this before. Her father, Cao Tiannan, held a high position, and many friends from all walks of life came to visit him out of admiration. Among them were some truly skilled masters of physiognomy. While Cao Tiannan didn't believe in such things, Cao Ying's mother, Wang Yueqin, had secretly invited a very famous master of physiognomy to read Cao Ying's palm. That master had indeed said that her palm reading indicated she possessed a hand that would bring great fortune to her husband...

"Lin Feng, you can read palms too?"

Cao Ying's beautiful eyes lit up, her curiosity about Lin Feng deepening.

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