Chapter 10: Does That Make You Happy?

Her knees were spread wide, sunk into the sofa, fully displaying her body's flexibility.

Her hand slid around to the back of his neck, fingers threading through his messy hair.

Ma Tai: "Did Yi teach you this position too?"

Ma Tai curved his lips, his hand coming to rest naturally on the small of her back.

Every time Li Yang drew close of her own accord, he caught her without thinking.

He had a nearly pathological obsession with cleanliness, but this woman could be his one and only exception.

Li Yang smiled, twisting her waist against him. "Would Yi ever act coy like this?"

Of course Yi wouldn't.

Ma Tai knew Yi well. Yi only ever went out of his way to make things difficult for her, wishing he could stay as far away as possible.

Ma Tai just didn't say so.

Mien City, practically tropical, sweltered through restless summer nights.

His fingertips at her lower back met water dripping from the ends of her hair—cool against his skin.

He knew she liked cold showers.

So after washing, her body temperature dropped, every inch of her fine skin carrying a chill.

The sudden closeness made that cream-popsicle scent even stronger.

He just wanted to take the melting popsicle into his mouth, lick it without restraint, and cool the fire running wild through his body.

The hand at her lower back tightened unconsciously. Ma Tai said, "So you came to me tonight just to tattle?"

Li Yang lowered her head, pillowing it in the hollow of his neck, her voice soft and sticky-sweet. "How could I? Yi is your man, Sir. How would Shaoyao dare?"

A low chuckle rumbled twice in Ma Tai's throat. "Then why are you acting coy?"

Li Yang: "Because I don't want to learn anymore. It's too exhausting. Don't make Yi teach me."

Ma Tai's lips curved faintly.

He'd known she would suffer some hardship, and he'd been sure she would come to him. But he'd expected her to last two or three days at most—not half a month.

Ma Tai: "Want me to switch you to someone else?"

Li Yang: "No~ Aren't you worried those smelly men will put their hands all over me?"

"You're the one who said you wanted to help me with work." Ma Tai's index finger curled around a wet strand of her hair, a reminder.

That was true! Li Yang really had said it.

If the two of them only ever had deep physical exchanges, who knew when her undercover mission would ever end.

This man—his body was delicious, sure, but she couldn't waste her whole life here.

A stable government job, an ordinary man to marry and have kids with, a plain and simple life to the end—that was what Li Yang wanted.

Besides, Li Yang was fickle by nature. No matter how good a man's body was, she'd get tired of it eventually.

What sustained her coyness and flattery now was nothing but his two or three tricks in bed.

If the day came when she was bored of him and still couldn't finish the mission and leave, that would be torture for both body and soul—she wouldn't even be able to keep up the act.

So Li Yang kept making excuses for herself:

"Of course Shaoyao wants to help you with work, Sir, so I've been learning very seriously. I've mastered everything Yi taught me."

"Mastered everything?" Ma Tai released the curl around his finger and repeated the question.

"Mm-hmm~" Li Yang straightened up, putting a little distance between herself and Ma Tai.

A smile hung on Ma Tai's pale face. His hand groped into the gap of the sofa cushion and pulled out a dagger.

Li Yang stared, dumbfounded. She'd never imagined a thing like a dagger could just be pulled out of anywhere.

"Here, hold it." Ma Tai gripped the cold-glinting blade and offered her the handle.

"What for?"

Ma Tai: "Kill me."