*POV Bai Yue*
The presidential suite of the five-star hotel was steeped in dimness, illuminated only by the neon city lights filtering through the half-drawn curtains.
Gu Sheng had left to handle "urgent company matters" shortly after dropping me off here.
He thinks unlimited credit cards and expensive dinners are enough to satisfy me, but he's so… predictable. So easy to manipulate it's almost boring.
But today… today I wasn't bored.
Lying on the king-sized bed, silk sheets tangled around my legs, my breath came out in heavy pants.
"Mnn… Ahh…"
My fingers moved rhythmically between my thighs, searching for a relief that felt just out of reach.
I closed my eyes, but the image filling my mind wasn't Gu Sheng's.
It was him.
Bai Ryuu.
When I saw him earlier at the mansion—with that androgynous face, those fine, delicate features bordering on feminine perfection—I almost laughed.
I thought he was just another useless puppet, a porcelain doll I could shatter with a snap of my fingers, just like I did with that idiot Bai Xue.
But then, when I hugged him… when I buried his face in my chest to put on a show for Gu Sheng… I felt it.
A violent shiver crawled up the base of my spine, making every hair on my body stand on end.
An instinctive warning of "danger" that made me tremble all over.
I searched for the source of that feeling and found his eyes.
Bai Ryuu.
Behind those crystal-blue eyes and that harmless appearance, there wasn't a caring brother.
There was a predator.
He wasn't just analyzing me; he was stripping me bare, dissecting me, devouring me with his gaze as if I were some luxury prey.
He's exactly like me.
And that look… it felt like a physical touch reaching my most intimate places.
He saw through my fake tears, saw through my gentle smile. He saw the rotten darkness inside me… and smiled back with an even greater darkness.
Knowing he saw the real "me" and didn't recoil… God, it drove me crazy.
"Ah… Ryuu…"
A husky moan slipped from my lips as I quickened the pace of my fingers… but it wasn't enough.
The heat between my legs was unbearable, a rhythmic pulse begging for more, for something harder, more real, more violent…
I remembered the weight of his face against my chest, the warmth of his breath seeping through the fabric of my dress.
Back at the mansion, I'd gotten so aroused, so suddenly wet, that my legs nearly gave out.
If I had stayed there one minute longer, everyone would have noticed that the "pure and saintly" Bai Yue was soaked and trembling because of her own brother.
"Nyh… Ahh! Ryuu!!"
The tension in my lower abdomen coiled like a spring about to snap.
I was almost there!
The wave of heat was rising, about to crash and carry me into climax—
BZZZZ! BZZZZ!
The shrill sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand cut through the pleasant silence of the room.
The wave of pleasure evaporated instantly, replaced by murderous irritation.
I stopped moving, panting in frustration. I grabbed the phone hard enough to nearly crack the screen.
It was an unsaved number.
Probably one of my subordinates from the underworld.
I answered, my voice dripping with venom:
"Someone better be dying for you to call me at this hour."
"M-Miss Yue…" the voice on the other end stammered. It was the man I had entrusted with the important mission of "taking care" of my dear little sister. "We have a problem. The three men you sent… they've been neutralized."
I frowned, sitting up in bed.
"Neutralized?" My voice lost all emotion, turning icy. "They were professionals. What did that bitch Bai Xue do? Hire bodyguards with money she doesn't have?"
"N-No, miss… they weren't bodyguards. It was… it was just one man. And it was brutal. Bones broken, joints crushed. They're in the hospital now and can barely breathe."
The man swallowed hard, fear evident through the line.
"It was Bai Ryuu."
Silence filled the room.
Bai Ryuu. That thin, delicate boy? Breaking three professional brutes in a fight?
A shiver ran through my body, but this time it wasn't surprise.
It was pure euphoria.
He really is a monster.
That predatory gaze wasn't just for show—he had the fangs to back it up.
"Continue," I ordered, my voice dangerously low.
"H-He fought like a demon, miss. But the leader managed to land a hit before passing out. Bai Ryuu was stabbed in the back—his lung was punctured. He lost a lot of blood and collapsed."
The euphoria gave way to a sharp, cold stab in my chest.
"Where is he?"
"Bai Xue carried him in a panic to Sheng-Li Hospital. They went into emergency surgery just now." The man paused, gaining a foolish bit of confidence. "Miss, we have contacts inside. Since he interfered with our plans, should I send someone to finish the job? An… 'accident' during surgery would be easy to arrange—"
"If you touch a single strand of that boy's hair," I cut him off, my voice so cold it seemed to freeze the air around me, "I'll make sure you're skinned alive."
I heard a strangled sound on the other end.
"Listen carefully," I hissed, gripping the sheets with my free hand. "Find out which of your mangy dogs put the knife in my brother and record his execution. Then send me the footage. As for Ryuu's surgery… it must be an absolute success. Because if Bai Ryuu's heart stops beating on that operating table… I'll make sure yours does too."
The silence on the other end was heavy with tension. I could hear the man breathing deeply, processing what he was dealing with.
"U-Understood, miss," he replied, his voice trembling. "I'll do exactly as you ordered."
Another prolonged silence. I was about to hang up.
"Have you finished wasting my time?" I asked.
"J-Just one more thing, miss!" he rushed to say. "At the hospital… Bai Xue. To get him immediate VIP treatment, she's using your name. She's pretending to be you to the doctors."
My eyes narrowed in the dark.
So the frightened little puppy finally learned to bite? Using my name to save my brother? How bold.
"Should I… intervene and expose her?" he asked uncertainly.
A slow, perverse, cruel smile formed on my lips.
"No," I purred, leaning back against the pillows. "You don't need to do anything. Let her play at being me for a little longer. I already have the perfect plan for this."
I ended the call without waiting for a reply.
I tossed the phone aside and looked at my free hand. My fingers were still glistening with my own moisture. I tried to bring them back between my legs, tried to close my eyes and recapture that hypnotic image of him devouring me.
But the magic was gone.
The initial lust had been replaced by a much denser, more violent hunger.
Knowing what he was capable of, knowing he was that strong and dominant, that he broke men with his bare hands…
I grabbed the phone again and, in a sudden burst of frustration, hurled it against the wall with all my strength.
KRAAASH—!!!
The device shattered into dozens of shards of glass and plastic.
I stared at my own fingers, breathing heavily, feeling a hollow in my stomach that no expensive toy or Gu Sheng could fill.
"Just fingers aren't enough…" I whispered to the empty room, a manic, hungry smile splitting my face. "Next time… I'll need the real thing."
*End of POV.*
…
A finger gently traced my lips, sliding down my chin and stopping at my collarbone.
When I opened my eyes, I saw it was Bai Xue.
She quickly withdrew her hand and pretended she hadn't done anything.
"Ryuu… Are you feeling any pain?"
Hearing that worried voice stirred a mix of emotions in me.
I was relieved she was safe from the attackers—after all, I had passed out and couldn't be sure no one else was hiding.
But I was also disappointed to have missed a great opportunity, because the way she was yesterday, she would have fulfilled any request of mine without hesitation.
"Xue… Where am I…?"
I forced myself to ask, pausing to catch my breath.
"Don't strain yourself. The doctor said you're still recovering and should avoid any effort. Even talking."
"Okay…"
After murmuring that, I fell silent.
Bai Xue also remained quiet.
Looking more closely now, I could see the dark circles under her eyes. She must have stayed awake all night waiting for me to wake up.
"I'm glad… you're okay…"
Bai Xue's expression softened at my concern. She hesitated for a moment before touching my hand.
"I'm okay because you protected me."
"You can't take all the credit…" I held her hand, intertwining our fingers. "You protected me too… You took me to the hospital… You saved me…"
I smiled weakly and said,
"Thank you…"
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. My words must have moved her deeply.
[+10 Affection (Bai Xue)]
"Don't thank me. I don't deserve it."
Although her mouth said one thing, her shining eyes betrayed another. She was clearly happy that someone had finally been grateful for her efforts.
I wish I could talk to her a little longer, but I have questions for the system.
"Xue… I'm sleepy…"
She let out a disappointed sigh, but quickly disguised it with an understanding smile.
"I don't want to disturb your rest, so I'll go."
She stood from her chair, but I made a painful effort and grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving.
"Don't go… I want you with me…"
"Ah…"
An indecipherable glint crossed her eyes before she sat down again with a wide smile.
"Ryuu… I'm here. And when you wake up, I'll still be here."
She placed her hand over mine, squeezing gently as she added in an almost inaudible murmur, "I'll always be here."
Her face leaned closer to mine, and with a gentle smile and almost maternal tenderness, she pressed her lips to my forehead.
Her touch lingered a little longer than necessary, but neither of us minded.
"Sleep well."
I smiled softly at her before closing my eyes.
But even with my eyes shut, I could feel a pair of eyes watching me intently.
I never thought she would act like this.
But if she's already turning into a yandere for me, that means I'm on the right path to breaking her.
"System!"
I shouted into the darkness of my mind.
[I'm here.]
"Answer me this. Why was Bai Xue going to be raped?! Isn't she the heroine? If I hadn't been there, would she really have been violated by some random thugs?"
[Look, part of it is your fault.]
"My fault?"
[Yes. Your interference caused a butterfly effect that altered the world's destiny.]
"How did I do that? I don't remember doing anything significant enough to have such huge consequences."
I really don't understand. All I did was interact a little with Bai Yue and my mother.
[I'll be direct in my explanation.]
[Gu Sheng's jealousy led him to take Bai Yue out to dinner. That caused him to be late for his business meeting and consequently late to save Bai Xue.]
"So Gu Sheng would have saved Bai Xue, and that would probably have been the first step for them to understand each other and fall in love. Right?"
[Correct, host! It seems your 11 points of intelligence aren't just for show!]
"…Go to hell…"
[No.]
"…"
[Anyway, you took the protagonist's place in that event. Originally, he was the one who was supposed to be stabbed. He was the one Bai Xue would have carried to the hospital. And he would have been the one to catch the attention of a certain woman.]
Those things really did happen to me, but that last sentence is strange.
What does that woman have to do with all this?
Why would she be interested?
"System, who is that woman?"
The system didn't respond immediately.
[Who knows.]