A battlefield of jealousy

After Sylus finished dressing Xiao Yan.

He took Xiao Yan's hand in satisfaction and led her around the soft carpet between the bedroom sofa and the bed.

"I'm actually starting to regret it." Sylus sighed softly.

Xiao Yan couldn't possibly wear high heels in the bedroom. To accommodate Sylus's height, she rose onto her toes and took another two steps forward.

Sylus, who had already stopped, pulled her back.

She turned involuntarily and collided head-on with his embrace.

His solid, broad chest rose and fell slowly and steadily with his breathing.

Xiao Yan wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face to his chest, and heard the strong thump, thump of his heartbeat inside.

"Regret what?" she asked teasingly, smiling.

Sylus lifted Xiao Yan's hand before his face and played with her slender fingers.

His expression turned distinctly disgruntled, but he still kissed her fingertips gently. "I should have fought to be the principal husband for the first round."

If he had been the principal husband in the first round.

Then tonight, his little wife, Little Tabby, whom he had dressed so carefully, would have held his arm all evening.

Before everyone's eyes, they could openly show off their relationship: she was his wife, and he was the husband she could be proudest to present.

"Unfortunately, a certain little dragon's competitive instincts woke up too late." Xiao Yan withdrew her hand and poked his chest. "It's too late for regrets now."

"Mm." Sylus gave a rough grunt. "Then I'll make up for some of my losses while I can."

He suddenly bent down and swept Xiao Yan into his arms.

Startled, Xiao Yan cried out, "What... are you doing?"

"I can barely suppress the urge to mess you up," Sylus said frankly.

He carried Xiao Yan to the sofa, sat down, and settled her on his lap.

Then he freed a hand to hold her chin, making her tilt her head up slightly.

He narrowed his eyes and carefully admired her features.

From her lively eyes to her small, pert nose, then to her lips, which looked soft and pink without a fresh application of lipstick, since they would be eating shortly.

His fingers rubbed lightly over Xiao Yan's chin. "Tell me, how did you make me develop such an intense greed for you in so little time?"

Under Sylus's dangerous, prey-stalking gaze.

Xiao Yan refused to back down, narrowing her eyes slightly as she stared greedily into his.

In those deep-set, narrow eyes, shaped like a cold-blooded animal's, two faintly dancing flames in his red irises made her heart itch.

So she shoved hard against his chest.

As he obligingly leaned back against the sofa, Xiao Yan rose onto her knees, straddled him, and copied him by taking hold of his chin.

"Hmm?" He loved seeing Little Tabby this assertive, always trying to take control.

His sensual lips curved as he waited eagerly to see what Xiao Yan would do next.

Yet Xiao Yan did nothing particularly excessive.

She simply repeated what Sylus had done to her, only more intensely.

Carefully, entranced, she studied him from the tips of his brows to the full curve at the center of his lips, surveyed his straight nose, then met his eyes again.

With a greed and desire that made her want to devour him whole.

Next, she pressed her index finger against his lips.

With a push, she forced his lips and teeth apart.

The pad of her finger pressed into the gap between his upper and lower teeth.

Sylus lowered his eyes and considered it. What did she want?

"Didn't you want me to make it up to you? What are you afraid of?" Xiao Yan brought her face closer, smiling provocatively.

Sylus raised his eyes again and bit her, neither gently nor hard.

The slight pain in her fingertip actually gave Xiao Yan an incredibly pleasurable sensation.

She closed her eyes briefly, slowly tilted her head, and smiled wider.

That expression...

Sylus's eyes suddenly darkened. He wrapped an arm around Xiao Yan's lower back and pulled her flush against him.

Just as he tipped his head up to taste her.

Xiao Yan covered his mouth with perfect accuracy and said something thoroughly mood-killing. "I'd like to talk to Xavier before dinner. You wouldn't mind going downstairs to call him for me, would you?"

Sylus immediately furrowed his brow.

Without another word, he caught the back of her head.

With Xiao Yan's hand still covering his mouth, they kissed through her hand.

Sylus even flicked his tongue over her palm. "Mentioning another man's name at a time like this-are you trying to anger me? Because you've succeeded."

"What would I gain from angering you?" Xiao Yan pulled down the hand Sylus was restraining her with.

She also moved her own hand away from his mouth.

She leaned back, her smile turning calm, even slightly distant. "But since you admit you're angry, doesn't that mean you get jealous over me too?"

"..."

Being angered was an animalistic or instinctive emotional response.

Jealousy? That involved feelings.

So this was what Little Tabby wanted.

Sylus understood what Xiao Yan meant. The heat in his eyes quickly faded, and he raised an eyebrow.

He easily lifted Xiao Yan aside, stood up, and straightened his formalwear. "All right~ I'll go call him for you."

Xiao Yan really wanted to grab a teacup from the coffee table and throw it at his head!

He was clearly attracted to her, had feelings for her, craved intimacy, and could barely hold back from touching each other more intimately!

Yet he still refused to admit it!

You want a battle, Sylus?

Did he want to watch her fall hopelessly first, then leisurely release and give her what she wanted little by little?

What a unique hunting strategy!

Xiao Yan forcibly suppressed her anger, but Sylus still heard a few of her heavy breaths.

"Angry?" He looked back at her with a half-smile. "I haven't done anything for you to be jealous of. So what's your anger about?"

With that, Sylus's lips curved into another faint smile, and he left the room.

"Damn you, Sylus!" Xiao Yan grabbed a cushion from the sofa and hurled it hard at the door.

No, I can't let Sylus set the pace.

Xavier will be here soon.

Xiao Yan patted her chest, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths.

But before she could compose herself, the door opened again.

"I happened to go back to my room to do my hair, and when I came out, I ran into Sy..." Xavier abruptly stopped speaking halfway through.

He saw the cushion lying just inside the door.

He also got a clear look at Xiao Yan's new styling.

And at the way she kept patting her chest, eyes closed as she breathed deeply.

Xavier's clear blue eyes immediately darkened.

A small clenching of his jaw also betrayed some displeasure on his gentle features.

He closed the door, went over to pick up the cushion, and carried it to the sofa.

Xiao Yan quickly opened her eyes and flashed a brilliant smile. "Star, your hair looks great~"

Usually, he simply washed and blow-dried his soft hair and left it at that. Today, he had deliberately given it a side part, exposing a stretch of smooth forehead.

The new hairstyle made Xavier look a little more mature.

"Why are you angry?" Ignoring Xiao Yan's compliment, Xavier set the cushion in a corner of the sofa.

Like a Prince Charming straight out of a fairy tale, his white formal suit made him look tall, upright, and thoroughly noble.

But what was with that expression?

Like some overbearing dad!

Xiao Yan said awkwardly, "Haha... no, I'm not angry. You went to so much trouble to bring them all together, and you were so considerate of me when you made the rotation schedule. I couldn't be happier. Angry... absolutely not, haha~"

"Then you're not angry." Xavier sat beside Xiao Yan.

He brought his delicate face closer, analyzing the lingering heat and redness on Xiao Yan's face.

"Do you like Sylus that much?" He reached his conclusion, his brow furrowing. "A little time alone with him, and you're blushing and your heart's racing so much you can't even hide it?"

Oh, this battlefield of jealousy. Someone save me- Xiao Yan covered her face briefly. "No, Star, listen to me..."

"Trying to make excuses?" Xavier suddenly stood up again in anger. "You'd better sort out what you want to say first, so you don't give anything else away. I'm leaving."

Without thinking, Xiao Yan jumped up and lunged after him.

She grabbed Xavier's arm to stop him from leaving, then hurried around in front of him.

As Xiao Yan threw her arms around him from the front, Xavier gave a sulky "hmph."

Oh? If he's huffing, that means he isn't really angry.

Xiao Yan immediately stopped panicking.

She was about to nuzzle her head into the crook of Xavier's neck.

"Don't want your freshly done hair anymore?" Xavier poked Xiao Yan's forehead with one finger. "That doesn't look like a hairstyle you could do yourself. Sylus must have put quite a bit of work into it. What will you do if you mess up his handiwork?"

"If it gets messed up, you can just fix it for me." Xiao Yan shamelessly closed her eyes and tried to nuzzle him again.

Xavier simply used both hands, cupping Xiao Yan's face to keep her from making any big movements. "I'm not as good at styling hair as he is. If it gets messed up, it really will stay messed up."

Xiao Yan kept her eyes closed and puckered her lips as far as she could.

"What are you doing?" Xavier stared at her soft, pink, pouting lips. "Want me to put lipstick on you? Sure, I'll pick out the brightest shade for you."

With that, he let go of Xiao Yan and started toward the dressing table again.

Helplessly, Xiao Yan grabbed him once more, pulled him back hard, then rose onto her toes and kissed him squarely on the lips.