Under the Dusk - Chapter 26

The summers in Kanyang were long, and July and August belonged to memories of high school students.

After “Guoguo Milk Tea” became popular, it kept rolling out creative marketing campaigns. The staff uniforms were swapped for pretty blouses and pleated skirts—though only Ruan Shu and Xia Chunchun got to enjoy such privileges.

That afternoon, a group of freshly graduated high schoolers had stopped by to take photos.

Ruan Shu felt a little uneasy.

The pleated skirt was too short, barely reaching above her knees. She rarely wore skirts, so whenever she did, it always left a striking impression.

Ji Yan turned the air conditioning up a few degrees and asked, “Why aren’t you drinking the milk tea?”

She had been holding it in her hands the whole time.

It had actually been ready earlier, but Ji Yan hadn’t taken it. Since Ruan Shu wouldn’t be off work until late, he worried the drink would lose its freshness, so he made her a fresh cup.

Now, sitting in the passenger seat, she clutched the Mango Pomelo Sago drink tightly—if she weren’t holding it, she wouldn’t know where to put her hands.

She said, “This was made for you.”

Ji Yan let out a soft chuckle but didn’t respond. Back at the milk tea shop, people had been stealing glances at him. Only when he leaned in close did Ruan Shu realize just how captivating he looked today.
His dark lashes weren’t particularly long but were thick and dense. The slight inward curve of his eyes, the sharp bridge of his nose—it was as if you could slide down it. If she got any closer, she might get the dangerous urge to kiss him.

…But that was just her imagination.

Ji Yan simply peeled off the packaging, inserted the straw, and gave the drink a shake to mix the settled ingredients. “Want a sip?”

Ruan Shu stared at the milk tea he offered. “Aren’t you drinking it?”

“Nah,” Ji Yan said. “Not a fan of sweet stuff.”

It was only eleven at night, but the streets were already quiet. Occasionally, a car would speed past, its tires whooshing against the pavement before disappearing into the distance.

Only the leaves of the camphor trees drifted down gently.

The night breeze brushed against her skin, making her lashes tremble. Ji Yan, with nothing better to do, turned on the car stereo. After Ruan Shu took a sip, he asked, “Sweet?”

He had only added 70% sugar and skipped the grapefruit entirely, leaving just the creamy blend of coconut milk and mango.

It was delicious.

Ruan Shu hummed in agreement. “Do you want to try it?”

Ji Yan leaned in, but instead of taking the drink, he wiped away a drop of milk clinging to the corner of her lips.
She had clearly worn lipstick today—its glossy sheen made her lips look even more tempting than usual. His thumb smudged a bit of it, but she didn’t notice, only feeling a faint, tingling warmth spreading across her scalp.

“Thanks,” Ruan Shu murmured, her cheeks flushing.

Ji Yan rubbed his thumb absently, trying to suppress the itch creeping under his skin. “You always used to call me Yan-ge. Why’d you stop today?”

Had… had she?

Ruan Shu couldn’t recall. “Did I not call you that today?”

“Nope.”

His exhale was warm, scorching her cheeks. Her heart pounded. She wanted to argue—I did, I called you that so many times—but under his gaze, the words dissolved before they could leave her lips.

Ji Yan pressed further. “Why’ve you been avoiding Cen Baishuang and the others lately?”

She was never around when they went out, never there when they came downstairs. He’d caught glimpses of her, but she’d always ducked her head and hurried away.

Ruan Shu’s face burned hotter. “I… I was embarrassed…”

That day, she had moaned too loudly in bed, terrified others might hear. Since then, she’d been dodging Qin Fu and Cen Baishuang, even rushing past He Yunfei’s barbershop with quickened steps.

But even if she was avoiding them, there was no reason to avoid Ji Yan.

His gaze flickered down, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “What’re you scared of?”

Qin Fu and Cen Baishuang knew their boundaries. “Even if I kissed you right in front of them,” he said, “they wouldn’t say a word.”

Besides, when they’d been going at it upstairs, He Yunfei had been blasting karaoke downstairs—so loud it was debatable whether anyone could’ve heard her anyway.

Still, the way she’d moaned that day had left him restless.
E
ven now, days later, it felt like a kitten was pawing at his chest.

“Ruan Shu.”

“Hmm?”

“Let me kiss you.”

The milk tea was plucked from her hands. Ji Yan cupped her face, smearing her lipstick as his lips moved against hers. His tongue was too soft, too hot, too skilled—leaving her breathless.

“Ji Yan…” Ruan Shu gasped.

He kissed too well.

The moment her lips parted, he was there, his breath ragged against her skin. Her ears burned, her body melting under his touch.
Ji Yan caught her fidgeting hands and guided them behind his neck.

From outside the car, his body practically engulfed hers. The taut lines of his muscles strained against his white dress shirt, his sleeves barely containing the strength of his arms. His fingers slipped behind her, finding the clasp of her bra.

A teasing flick.

“Call me Yan-ge,” he rasped.

Obediently, Ruan Shu traced the flushed curve of his ear, her voice dripping with something far too sinful. “Yan-ge…”

A soft click—the sound of her bra loosening.

The sudden lack of restraint made her jolt, her hands flying to his wrists.

Ji Yan pinned them above her head, his body shifting effortlessly to cage her against the seat.

The dominance was overwhelming.

“Yan-ge… don’t…” Ruan Shu pleaded.

Her bre*sts were soft and fragrant, her skin like warm silk. When his tongue flicked over her earlobe—her weakest spot—she shuddered, her panties already soaked.

Ji Yan sucked lightly at the tender skin behind her ear, laving it with slow, wet strokes. His fingers teased her ni*ple before palming her entire breast, kneading firmly.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

Ruan Shu shook her head. “N-no, it’s just… someone might…”

But it was late. The windows were dark, the streetlights dim. Ji Yan nipped at her neck. “No one’s here.”

He didn’t like milk tea.

But Ruan Shu tasted too sweet—and he was addicted.

As his hands explored her body, his kisses grew hungrier. Below his waist, the evidence of his desire pressed insistently against his pants.

His fingers slipped past her lips.

“Let me f*ck your tits, huh?”