Another Match

Upon hearing Aemeath's cloyingly sweet "Mmm~", Lu Yan tightened his arms, holding the person in his arms even closer. His chin rested on the top of Aemeath's head, his nose filled with her unique sweet fragrance.

"Now that the apprentices are ready to officially start their jobs..." Lu Yan lowered his head slightly, his warm breath gently brushing against Aemeath's reddened earlobe.

A mischievous smile played on his lips as he twirled a strand of her long pink hair around his finger, his tone teasing. "So, would you like your husband to start providing exclusive services now, or wait until tonight?"

He deliberately lowered his voice when he said "My dear husband," which sounded particularly alluring in the quiet living room.

Upon hearing this address, Aemeath's already flushed cheeks turned even redder.

She let out a soft hum, snuggling against Lu Yan's warm chest like a lazy cat, finding the most comfortable angle to lean against him.

"Not now." Aemeath tilted her head back, her bright golden eyes sparkling with lively light.

She stretched out two slender white fingers and gently pinched a button on Lu Yan's shirt collar, turning it casually. A sweet smile curved her lips, "I've been out for so long, all I want to do now is be a lazy bum who doesn't want to turn over. I'll wash it tonight."

"Okay~ whatever you say." Lu Yan was amused by her lazy attitude and gently stroked her back. "So, what should we do now? Do you want me to cut you some chilled watermelon?"

"No watermelon." Aemeath shook her head, wrapped her arms around Lu Yan's waist, and pressed her cheek tightly against his heart. "Right now, let's be all lovey-dovey."

"So affectionate?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. "What's Little Aemeath's standard for affection? Just hugging like this without saying a word?"

"Holding me without saying anything isn't enough!" Aemeath retorted confidently, snuggling her little head into his arms. "I want to cuddle, I want to be hugged, I want to hear you say sweet things, and I want to feel the reality that we're getting our marriage certificate in a few days!"

"I'm going to suck all your scent away, leaving none for anyone else!"

Lu Yan was absolutely charmed by her possessive way of handling her food.

"No need to suck, it's all yours." Lu Yan lowered his head and kissed her smooth, full forehead forcefully. "From head to toe, including this heart, it's all yours already, and no one can take it away."

The two of them lay quietly in each other's arms on the sofa, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility. The only sounds in the air were the soft white noise of the air conditioner and their intermittent breathing.

After a while, Aemeath, suddenly wriggled restlessly in Lu Yan's arms.

She peeked out, her gaze passing over the coffee table and landing on the game console that had been gathering dust next to the TV cabinet for a long time.

"A-Yan..." Aemeath stretched out her index finger and gently poked Lu Yan's cheek, her tone filled with a hint of eager excitement.

"What's wrong? Are you too hot from being hugged too tightly?" Lu Yan loosened his grip slightly and looked down at her.

"No, no." Aemeath straightened up from his embrace, sat cross-legged on the sofa, rested her chin on her hands, and stared intently at the game console. "I suddenly realize that I haven't played games in a long time, and my fingers are itching to get back to playing."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Lu Yan, a provocative, mischievous smile playing on her lips, "Master Lu, wanna play Street Fighter? It's been ages since we sparred."

Lu Yan followed her gaze to the game console, and the painful memories of the two of them playing the King of Fighters in the past instantly flashed through his mind.

At that time, he was thoroughly humiliated by Aemeath. He was basically pinned against the wall and relentlessly rubbed against, powerless to fight back. In the end, he could only watch as the character controlled by Aemeath struck a victorious pose on the screen.

Seeing that Lu Yan seemed lost in memories, Aemeath thought he was scared.

She patted Lu Yan on the shoulder, adopting a magnanimous air of a big sister protecting her little brother, and said with a smile that crinkled her eyes, "Oh, don't worry~ I'm in a good mood today, hmph... I'll let you have your way~"

"Let me?" Lu Yan came back to his senses, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

"That's right!" Aemeath proudly raised her chin, held up three fingers, and began to negotiate with great seriousness, "First, I won't choose my best move; second, I promise not to use any special moves or combos; third, if your health bar drops to one-third, I'll only use one hand to operate it."

"How about that? Isn't that enough of a favor?"

Looking at Aemeath's confident and smug expression, Lu Yan slowly got up from the sofa, walked unhurriedly to the TV cabinet, turned on the game console, took out two controllers, and casually grabbed a bag of potato chips from the snack cabinet next to him.

"Don't underestimate me now." Lu Yan turned around and handed one of the handles to Aemeath, his eyes shining with confidence.

He sat down again next to Aemeath, his fingers deftly flicking the buttons on the controller. "I've been practicing fighting games these past few days."

Lu Yan tilted his head slightly, looking at Aemeath's somewhat surprised expression, and said with a confident smile, "With my current reaction speed, I don't need you to let me win. You'd better go all out from the start, or don't blame me for bullying you if you lose."

Upon hearing Lu Yan's audacious declaration of war, Aemeath's competitive spirit was instantly ignited.

"Hehe~~" Aemeath chuckled mischievously as she took the controller. She quickly tied her long pink hair into a high ponytail, her eyes sharpening. "Such arrogance! I'll have to look forward to seeing just how much A-Yan's strength has improved!"

"Since you've put it that way, then I won't hold back! When I beat you so badly you won't know what's what, don't cry!"

"Who's going to cry is still uncertain," Lu Yan replied with a smile.

The two sat side by side on the soft sofa, their eyes fixed on the large television screen in front of them.

The game's opening animation flashes by quickly, then we arrive at the character selection screen.

"Then I choose Chun-Li." Aemeath instantly chose Chun-Li, then turned to Lu Yan, "What about you? Ryu?"

"No, let's try something different today." Lu Yan's finger moved quickly across the arrow keys, finally locking onto Guile.

"Oh? You changed roles?" Aemeath raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you really did practice in secret. Ready?"