Gu Sipei's kiss came without warning.
In contrast to the irresistible force with which he had drawn close, the kiss itself was surprisingly... light and restrained.
It was not rough, involved no invasive deepening, and hardly seemed to have anything to do with desire.
To be precise, it was nothing more than the simplest contact between their lips. Gu Sipei went no further, merely holding his lips against hers and slowly rubbing them together for a moment, almost as though giving a calm demonstration.
Rather than a kiss, it was more like a stamp of confirmation with a hint of punishment-a way of making the disparity in their power and standing tangible through the most direct means, after discovering that conversation was useless.
Then he pulled back of his own accord, unhurriedly restoring enough distance for them to see each other's expressions.
-The whole thing happened quickly, as fleeting as an illusion.
Lu Jiaoyue was utterly stunned. Her eyes went wide, and she felt as though every thought in her head had been sucked into a vacuum.
She even forgot to breathe, all her senses focused on the lingering... unfamiliar, soft sensation on her lips.
Seeing her completely dazed, like a little animal frightened senseless enough to forget even the most basic reactions, Gu Sipei felt the sinister darkness stirred in his eyes by the words "hate you" fade a little.
Then he spoke at his leisure, his voice as steady as if he were analyzing a business case:
"Do you see, Lu Jiaoyue?" His tone could even be called patient as he casually explained his intent. "The word 'hate' poses no meaningful threat to me. Just now, for instance, I wanted to kiss you, so I did."
"I can still do anything to you, as long as I want