128: stumbled upon

At first, it was just a soft, tentative touch.

But soon, like dry wood set ablaze, a raging fire ignited instantly.

Lin Chao pulled Lan Yanran even tighter into his embrace, with such force that it felt as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones and blood.

Lan Yanran let out a soft moan, and her arms actively and tightly encircled Lin Chao's neck, responding to him clumsily yet passionately.

Alcohol, loneliness, and emotions suppressed for far too long all erupted at this moment.

With a surge of strength, Lin Chao picked Lan Yanran up.

"Ah!"

Lan Yanran let out a startled cry and instinctively held onto him tighter.

He carried her and gently placed her on the marble tabletop.

The crystal glasses on the table rattled with a crisp clinking sound from the impact.

The looming posture made the atmosphere between them even more dangerous and hazy... and at that moment.

On the second floor of the villa, in Lan Qingyu's room.

Long eyelashes fluttered, and Lan Qingyu slowly opened her eyes.

The headache caused by the intoxication made her frown subconsciously.

She turned her head and saw her best friend, Wu Xiuxiu, sleeping spread-eagled next to her, even snoring lightly.

Looking around, she saw it was her own familiar room.

She instantly realized that Lin Chao must have been the one to bring her and Xiuxiu back.

Thinking about how she had actually blacked out from drinking, Lan Qingyu's cheeks flushed with heat; it was truly embarrassing.

However, after drinking so much, her mouth was terribly dry.

She tiptoed off the bed, preparing to go downstairs to get some water.

But as soon as she pulled open the door, she froze.

The living room lights... why were they still on?

It's so late, is Mom still awake?

Lan Qingyu felt a bit puzzled and walked quietly to the top of the stairs on the second floor.

Holding the railing, she looked downstairs with sleepy eyes.

Just one glance.

Her entire being was like it had been struck by a bolt of lightning, and she instantly froze in place.

Under the dim yellow lights downstairs, two figures were tightly entwined.

The man was tall and upright, and the woman's figure was graceful.

They... were kissing.

When Lan Qingyu saw the two faces clearly, she felt as if her whole world had exploded with a "bang."

That... wasn't that Mom and Lin Chao?!

Lan Qingyu's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Her head buzzed and went blank, completely shocked by the scene before her that overturned her understanding.

In that moment, Lan Qingyu felt her blood run cold.

Her heart, after a deathly silence, began to thrum wildly like a war drum beaten by a rainstorm.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Every beat pounded against her eardrums, making her dizzy.

She didn't dare look anymore.

She didn't even dare stay for another second.

What if... what if they discovered her?

This thought, like a flash of lightning, cut through her chaotic thoughts.

Almost instinctively, Lan Qingyu hunched her body like a startled cat and retreated step by step, very carefully.

Her toes touched the ground silently.

Not until her back hit the cold wall did she suddenly turn around and flee back to her room.

"Click."

The door was gently closed and locked.

Lan Qingyu leaned her back against the door and slowly slid down to the cold floor.

She gasped for air, her chest heaving violently as if she had just finished a hundred-meter sprint.

But in her mind, that face-reddening scene played over and over again.

Mom... and Uncle Lin... they... Lin Chao's handsome face and Mom's sexy silk nightgown intertwined into a high-impact image.

Lan Qingyu's cheeks were frighteningly hot.

She suddenly remembered what Lin Chao had said to her before.

He said he and Mom were very good friends.

Good friends?

So... that's what he meant by "friends"!

Lan Qingyu's mood instantly became incredibly complex, like a tangled mess.

Wait... she suddenly remembered something else.

Wasn't it here when she first met Lin Chao?

That day, she had heard strange, elusive sounds from her mother's room, which made her get out of bed out of curiosity.

Then, she saw Lin Chao walking out of her mother's room with his clothes neatly arranged... So that was it.

So they had already... since then. Lan Qingyu shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off these messy thoughts.

Actually... she bit her lower lip hard.

Actually, it's nothing.

Her father had been dead for ten years.

Mom had been supporting such a large group and this family all by herself; it was too hard and too lonely.

It's perfectly natural for her to find a partner and start a new life.

Rationally, Lan Qingyu could completely accept it.

But... but why did it have to be Lin Chao?!

Even though she had always called him "Uncle Lin," in her heart, she had long since considered this man, who wasn't much older than her, as a peer she could drink and vent with.

Now... what was this?

Her friend getting together with her mother?

An indescribable sense of absurdity instantly swept through Lan Qingyu's body.

Even though she knew clearly that Lin Chao had met her mother first.

Still, this feeling made her feel uneasy all over.

Lan Qingyu buried her face deep in her knees and let out a barely audible sigh.

Forget it, I'll just pretend I didn't see anything... Downstairs, in the living room.

A long and passionate kiss finally ended.

The air seemed to still linger with the scalding scent of whiskey and hormones.

In Lin Chao's dark eyes, two flames seemed to be burning; his scorching gaze was fixed firmly on Lan Yanran beneath him, with unmasked aggression.

Being looked at like this, Lan Yanran, who had been as passionate as fire just now, actually felt a bit embarrassed.

Reason gradually returned as the oxygen deprivation eased.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes darted away, and she gently pushed against Lin Chao's chest.

"Don't... don't be like this..."

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of imperceptible coquettishness.

"Qingyu... Qingyu is at home!"

At the mention of her daughter, Lan Yanran's eyes cleared up a bit, and her tone carried a hint of nervousness.

Lin Chao, however, gave a low chuckle.

The laughter was deep and magnetic, making Lan Yanran's eardrums tingle.

He lowered his head, brought his lips to her small and exquisite earlobe, and whispered ambiguously into her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"It's fine."

The warm breath was exhaled entirely onto her ear, triggering a series of small shivers.

"Earlier, Qingyu already thought I was your little boyfriend."

"What?"

Lan Yanran's eyes widened suddenly, her face full of disbelief.

The corner of Lin Chao's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"The first time I came to your house to give you a massage, she caught me."