The Truth

Gu Yilan reached straight for...

The matte texture of her black stockings, combined with the warmth of Gu Yilan's soft palm, was far more than a simple one-plus-one-equals-two!

"Does that feel good, big brother?"

"You really like this feeling, don't you?"

Gu Yilan pressed close.

She played tax collector, collecting what Lin Che owed her while kissing his cheek.

"I know. Every time we have Chinese class, you secretly stare at Teacher Su's thighs..."

Gu Yilan's sudden words startled Lin Che!

Had this girl found something out?

"I knew back then that you had a thing for legs, big brother~"

Gu Yilan deliberately nibbled his earlobe.

It was like ASMR!

"How about I change seats and become your deskmate?"

"Then, during class, you can do whatever you want to me~"

Gu Yilan had said it on purpose.

She had been watching a lot of educational videos lately.

Apparently, saying outrageous, provocative things during a hands-on session helped bring things to a quicker finish!

As if that still wasn't enough,

Gu Yilan even took Lin Che's large hand.

Wait!

Was this...?

The sensation against his fingers gave Lin Che a start!

Gu Yilan was actually making him help her!

A captivating blush slowly rose beneath Gu Yilan's fair skin.

"Big brother, say something too..."

Gu Yilan continued issuing her hypnotic commands.

What should he say now?

All he had to do was tell Gu Yilan how much he liked her, right?

"Little Yilan, I like you so much..."

"Ah! Say more!"

Excitement sparkled in Gu Yilan's eyes!

Lin Che's words had gone straight to her heart!

Gu Yilan's delicate body trembled.

"I want to kiss you in front of Luo Xue and make that little brat furious!"

"N-no! Not in front of Luo Xue!"

Gu Yilan was only protesting out loud. She had already begun imagining the scene.

Under Luo Xue's stunned gaze, she would boldly reveal her relationship with Lin Che...

Gu Yilan could picture it. Knowing Luo Xue, she would be hopping mad!

Gu Yilan knew it was a twisted thing to want, but...

The thought of her best friend's furious face actually excited her!

Gu Yilan's legs nearly gave out.

Her gaze had turned unbearably sultry.

"You know just what to say. Keep going!"

Still not exciting enough?

Then...

It was time for something stronger!

There was something Lin Che had been holding back for a long time!

He had wanted to tell her ever since she first tried to hypnotize him!

And now, it seemed, the moment had come!

Lin Che took a deep breath. The dazed look vanished from his face, and he returned to normal!

"Gu Yilan, I was only pretending to be hypnotized!"

"Ah! Don't say that! That's too much!"

As though overwhelmed by the shock, Gu Yilan's eyes rolled back.

In an instant, Lin Che felt Shui He Dandan...

Chapter 39: The Truth

Lin Che had never seen it before.

A smile and tears could appear on the same face at the same time.

Tears gathered at the corners of Gu Yilan's eyes while her lips curved into a smile. Her sweet, innocent face had somehow taken on an ahegao expression!

Her reaction alone told Lin Che

that his words had hit Gu Yilan with devastating force!

"Big brother... what are you saying? You're still hypnotized, right...?"

Gu Yilan clung to that hope like a shipwrecked sailor clutching a plank in a storm!

How desperately she wanted Lin Che to say yes!

But...

Lin Che had decided to stop pretending!

Gu Yilan had even taught Luo Xue how to hypnotize people. He had no intention of spending forever acting hypnotized in front of the two of them.

It was time to tell Gu Yilan the truth!

"Gu Yilan, I'm awake right now... In fact, I've been awake the whole time. I was only playing along with your so-called hypnosis!"

"Ah! You jerk, Lin Che! You tricked me!? You bastard! Doesn't your conscience hurt after playing with a girl's feelings?"

Gu Yilan went deathly pale!

Lin Che had shattered her last hope. She felt like a bird that had lost its wings, plummeting toward the ground.

Panic filled her face, yet Lin Che could feel the delicate body in his arms trembling even harder.

Shui He Dandan again.

Even Lin Che was startled.

Women really were made of water. A few words from him had sent Gu Yilan through a second round!

Lin Che withdrew his hand and wiped it clean on Gu Yilan's cool, soft thigh.

"You jerk, Lin Che! Let go of me!"

Gu Yilan wanted to give him a furious scolding, but her feelings had become so tangled that all her words caught in her throat. For a moment, she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

She could only lean limply against him.

Forget scolding him.

Right now, Gu Yilan didn't even have the strength to push him away.

"At first, I thought your hypnosis was just a prank, so I pretended it worked... But I never expected you to kiss me the moment I looked dazed!"

"And you called me big brother..."

"You even used your hand... and your mouth to help me..."

"Waaah! You jerk, Lin Che! Stop talking! It's so embarrassing!"

A lovely flush spread across Gu Yilan's beautiful face like the evening glow.

It was mortifying. Looking back, everything she had done to him had happened while he was fully aware... In that case...

The only solution was to silence the witness for good!

A fierce glint flashed in Gu Yilan's eyes!

She pounded Lin Che's shoulder with her fists, as though trying to vent every emotion inside her.

But Gu Yilan soon realized she wasn't hurting him at all!

Her struggles gradually ceased.

The light left her eyes, and she looked as though life held nothing for her anymore.

Tears slid down her cheeks.

At the height of her anguish, Gu Yilan actually laughed, her soft lips curling into a bitter smile.

"Fine, you jerk. Go ahead and laugh at me now..."

Looking at Gu Yilan like this...

Lin Che was already laughing himself silly inside.

Wasn't she acting just like a TV villain?

Her delight when she thought the hypnosis had worked stood in stark contrast to her despair now. The drama couldn't have been more perfect.

Lin Che only held her a little tighter.

"Why would I laugh at you? If I hadn't pretended to be hypnotized, how would I ever have known how you really felt?"

"So what if you know? You must think I'm a complete idiot now!"

Gu Yilan stared blankly at Lin Che, sorrow filling her lovely, innocent face.

Her bright eyes had gone dull, though a faint glimmer of hope remained deep within them.

Lin Che caught that fleeting glimmer.

He spoke gently.

"Gu Yilan, think about it! If I was only pretending, I could have jumped up and laughed at you the very first time you tried to hypnotize me. But I didn't. I kept playing along, again and again, following all your commands. Have you ever wondered... why?"

A tiny spark flared deep in Gu Yilan's lifeless eyes.

Then she raised her face, pouted, and gave Lin Che a look of disgust.

"Why else? I'm pretty, I have a great figure, and plenty of people at school are after me... You pretended to be hypnotized because you wanted my body, you jerk! Pervert!"

"Huh?"

Lin Che froze for a second.

Weren't women supposed to be emotional?

He had expected Gu Yilan to be moved to tears, gazing at him tenderly through watery eyes.

He hadn't expected her to be so rational that she could still call him a pervert!

"Well, I won't deny that I do want your body..."

After he said that, Gu Yilan looked at him with even greater disgust.

"But the real reason is... I like you too, Little Yilan!"

Lin Che really did like Gu Yilan.