Not as Good as a Rubber Strip

The atmosphere at dinner was somewhat subtle. Tang Wulin barely tasted his food as he wolfed down the rice in his bowl, then used digestion as an excuse to curl up on the living room sofa early. He held the cup of warm water he had taken his medicine with, and the rising steam blurred his vision—as well as the vague, indescribable gloom in his heart.

Gu Yue, on the other hand, appeared perfectly composed. She efficiently cleared away the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher, then picked up the exquisite little box printed with an ambiguous logo. Raising an eyebrow at Tang Wulin, she left him with, "I'm going in to 'exercise' for a bit. Get some proper rest," before turning and heading back to the master bedroom, thoughtfully—or cruelly—closing the door behind her.

With a soft click, the sound was especially clear in the silent living room.

Tang Wulin curled up alone on the spacious sofa. The television was on, but he had no idea what was playing. His ears perked up beyond his control, and his keen Soul Master senses had now become instruments of torment.

At first, there came the rustling sound of fabric, probably Gu Yue shifting positions on the bed. Then there was an extremely faint tearing sound, like plastic packaging being ripped open. Tang Wulin's Adam's apple bobbed as his fingers unconsciously tightened around the cup.

Then he heard it.

It was not the exaggerated, blush-inducing kind of noise, but a suppressed, muffled moan spilling from deep in her throat. It came in broken intervals, carrying the familiar huskiness that belonged to Gu Yue when she was aroused.

There was also a faint vibrating hum, passing through the thick door like a bee constantly scratching at the tip of Tang Wulin's heart.

"Mm... ha..."

A distinct wet sound, like liquid splashing onto soft fabric, unexpectedly drilled into Tang Wulin's eardrums.

He suddenly sat upright. A sour, bitter emotion called jealousy instantly wrapped around his heart like vines, tightening more and more. He, Tang Wulin, bearer of the Golden Dragon King bloodline, was actually inferior to some cold, hard thing!

Only ten minutes! From the time she entered the room to the first sounds, it had not even been ten full minutes! Last night, he had gone at it for over an hour without making Gu Yue feel anything, yet this thing got the job done in ten minutes?!

The air in the living room seemed to freeze. Tang Wulin felt like an abandoned child, and also like an impotent husband. He stared resentfully at the tightly shut bedroom door, his inner drama rich enough to rival an eighty-episode tearjerker. He rehearsed ten thousand ways of rushing in, throwing that thing out the window, and proving to Gu Yue that the "genuine original" still had fighting power. But Ye Xinglan's medical instructions and diagnosis of "kidney deficiency" were like two locks, firmly shackling him to the sofa.

After an unknown amount of time, the bedroom door finally opened.

Gu Yue emerged wrapped in a bathrobe. A captivating flush still lingered on her cheeks and neck, not yet fully faded, while droplets of water hung from the damp ends of her hair. She had clearly just taken a shower. As she passed through the living room, she paused and glanced at Tang Wulin, curled up on the sofa like an abandoned large dog. Seeing his listless, jealousy-ridden expression, her heart inexplicably softened.

"Hey," Gu Yue said, her voice carrying a trace of post-pleasure laziness and huskiness. She reached out and ruffled his hedgehog-like hair. "Is it really necessary? You're actually competing with it?"

Tang Wulin buried his face in his knees and muttered sulkily, "I can't compare to it..."

Gu Yue laughed, then bent down and whispered into his ear, "Idiot. The only one who can make me feel secure, make me willing to share hardship and happiness with him, and still think about buying this for me even when he has kidney deficiency, is you, Tang Wulin."

She paused, and a slyly seductive note entered her voice. "Besides, once your one-month 'sentence' is over, if you don't perform well... I really won't be able to live without it."

After saying that, she straightened up, threw him a sultry wink, and walked toward the bathroom while humming a tune, carrying the pajamas she had changed out of.

Tang Wulin raised his head and watched Gu Yue's graceful figure disappear through the bathroom door. Then he looked at the empty cup in his hands. The vinegar-like jealousy in his heart gradually turned into blazing fighting spirit.

No! Absolutely not!

This was not only about a man's dignity, but also about his "family status" and "comeback prospects" over the next month!

He abruptly stood and walked to the window, gazing at the deep night outside as his fists clenched with a crackle. In his heart, he swore a solemn oath:

Once this month was over, once Tang Wulin had recovered and returned at full strength, he would definitely show Gu Yue what the absolute dominance of the "genuine original" truly meant! He would make up for all the "homework" he owed from this month, twice over, principal and interest included, all at once! When the time came, he and Gu Yue would play the wildest, most outrageous, most satisfying games! He would make Gu Yue cry and beg for mercy, completely forgetting that thing even existed!

That night, Tang Wulin fell asleep with his heart full of vows and lingering jealousy. Meanwhile, as Gu Yue washed away the last traces in the bathroom, an expectant curve also hung at the corner of her lips.