"Right, you didn't mean it," Wong Qifu said coldly, turning away.

Xu Ke was so flustered his words tumbled out. "No, Qi Fu, I was just joking! I'm not going to the northern borders, I'm staying in Tianhai. My biggest backer is obviously you... Everyone says I'm going to be mooching off you."

He thought she was angry because he had talked about running wild in the northern borders and dismissing the Wang Family.

But Wong Qifu didn't even turn her head. "If you don't want to, then don't. After all, someone else is willing to let you call her 'sister'."

A jolt went through Xu Ke, and his eyes widened. Just as I was about to argue that my biggest backer is definitely still you...

But then, a flash of insight struck him, and he finally understood. It's not about whether I have a backer or not. The important thing is *who* the backer is...

Watching her elegant figure as she stood with her back to him, he cleared his throat, rubbed his nose, and suddenly blurted out, "Do you smell something strange?"

Wong Qifu frowned. "Hm?"

Xu Ke edged closer, sniffing the air. His voice changed, becoming urgent. "Something's not right!"

"What's wrong? What's not right?" Wong Qifu's expression wavered when she heard the change in his tone. With his unparalleled medical skills, maybe he's smelled some kind of poison...

With a grave expression, Xu Ke moved right up next to her and said sharply, "Careful! Someone's using poison!"

"What? Poison?" Wong Qifu instinctively drew closer to him. They were so close now that he could see the fair skin at her collar. But at that moment, believing she was in danger, how could Wong Qifu possibly care?

"That's right!" Xu Ke hissed, his arm snaking around her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace.

"When was it administered?" Wong Qifu's expression changed, and her eyes flashed with a cold light. "Who would be so bold? Who dares to cause trouble for the Wang Family? Quick, warn Uncle Wu and Qi Ya to be careful!"

But as he felt the warmth of her waist in his palm, Xu Ke's heart skipped a beat, and a playful note entered his voice. "No need to warn them. They can't smell it."

"What?" Just as her demeanor turned frigid, Wong Qifu furrowed her delicate brows, suddenly sensing something was wrong. "Why can't they smell it?"

If there was really poison, would Xu Ke be speaking in that tone? And what was this wandering hand doing on her waist?

She looked up. Xu Ke was raising an eyebrow, completely making things up. "They're too far away, so it won't affect them. We just need to be careful..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Because at that moment, Wong Qifu was just staring at him quietly.

"Ahem..." Xu Ke subconsciously retracted two of his fingers.

Wong Qifu said slowly, "Go on. Keep touching."

If she couldn't tell by now that he was just messing with her, she'd be a complete idiot.

Xu Ke stammered, "Are you serious?"

"What do you think?" Wong Qifu's red lips parted slightly, her eyes holding a glint that frightened Xu Ke.

He pulled back his remaining fingers.

"You've gotten bold, haven't you? You dare to play tricks on me?" Wong Qifu sneered.

Xu Ke rubbed his nose. "I wasn't playing tricks. I really did smell something strange."

"What smell?" Wong Qifu laughed in anger. How dare he keep up the act?

Xu Ke answered honestly, "A sour smell."

Wong Qifu froze. What sour smell? She hadn't smelled anything... But in an instant, she read in his eyes exactly where the sour smell was coming from.

"Are you saying I'm jealous?!" Wong Qifu erupted in fury. "Me, Wong Qifu, jealous? Jealous of *her*? Of Ki Qinyin?"

Xu Ke quickly denied it. "I didn't say a thing. You said it yourself."

Once she gets angry, she admits everything... he thought to himself.

"Xu Ke, you..." Wong Qifu was so furious she was speechless.

Xu Ke gave her a fawning smile. "Don't be angry. I was just trying to cheer you up, wasn't I?"

He had, in fact, intended to use the strange smell as an excuse to get close and find a chance to placate her. But unfortunately, his hands seemed to have a mind of their own, giving him away completely...

Wong Qifu offered a fake smile that sent a cold sweat down his back. "And you think I'm happy about that?"

Xu Ke awkwardly rubbed his nose again. "Well, I thought it was going okay..."

Wong Qifu stared at him, so exasperated that she finally let out a laugh.

Seeing his chance, Xu Ke let his hand, which had been hovering by her waist, close around it, pulling her directly into his arms.

"What are you trying to do?" Wong Qifu yelped, trying to struggle out of his embrace.

But Xu Ke held her fast, whispering in her ear, "I'm not trying to do anything. I just think it's time our relationship took a step forward. Everyone knows we're bedfellows already."

His warm breath tickled her ear, turning it bright red. Her own breath hitched, and a rare hint of panic appeared in her beautiful eyes. "Let go of me! It's broad daylight, you can't do this!"

Though her words were fierce, Xu Ke felt the soft, warm body in his arms seem to lose most of its strength. Even her struggles became much weaker.

Xu Ke pressed on. "So, it would be okay at night?"

He hadn't really planned on doing anything to her. But her struggling ignited a nameless fire in the pit of his stomach.

At his question, it wasn't just Wong Qifu's ears that were red; her cheeks were now flushed with crimson. "What nonsense are you talking?"

"Isn't that what you meant?"

"No!"

"Then when is it okay?"

"Never!" Wong Qifu snapped, thoroughly flustered.

A smile played in Xu Ke's eyes. He had always been the one getting teased before. He'd never realized how adorable Wong Qifu was when she was jealous, nor had he known how intoxicatingly beautiful she was when she blushed. The urge to tease her more washed over him. If I keep this up, maybe I can make her beg for mercy...

"How come it's suddenly 'never'?" he continued. "Are you afraid your sister will see us?"

The image flashed through Wong Qifu's mind, and her breath caught. "Don't mess around!"

"I can't hold back anymore," Xu Ke murmured, though the amusement in his eyes only deepened.

Wong Qifu took a deep breath and looked up at him, about to push him away. But when her gaze met his... she suddenly understood. He was just teasing her!

"If we close the door, no one will know..." Xu Ke said, his arms tightening around her waist as his hands began to wander.

But this time, Wong Qifu didn't beg for mercy. Instead, she asked abruptly, "Why do we need to close the door?"

Now it was Xu Ke's turn to be stunned. "If we don't close the door, won't people see?"

"This is my home. There's no one else around," Wong Qifu stated, staring at him.

Xu Ke opened his mouth to reply, but just then, he realized a jade-like hand was reaching down...

Xu Ke's face paled. "What are you doing?!"

The door was still wide open. Wasn't she afraid of being discovered? If we're going to do this, we should at least close the door first...

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Wong Qifu said fiercely.

Xu Ke desperately wanted to stop that hand, but it was too late.

Wong Qifu's face was scarlet, but she wore the look of a victor as she watched Xu Ke's own face redden. She sneered, "Still want it?"

Xu Ke sucked in a breath. "No, no..."

"Weren't you just saying how much you wanted it?!" she bit out.

"I was joking..."

"It didn't seem like it to me!"

"Just a joke, really! I was only trying to make you happy... wait, wait, don't squeeze... I was wrong!!"