82: Color is a bone scraper

"That's enough, let go of me!"

Xie Wan pushed Shen Qian away again, her face already flushed red as she gasped for breath.

"Senior, I forced everything on you. I threatened you with my wound. It wasn't you who initiated it."

As he spoke, Shen Qian pressed on her waist, and with the force from behind, she was drawn back into another kiss with him.

Zhang Ailing once said that there is a shortcut to capturing a woman's heart.

But in Shen Qian's view, before taking that shortcut, one must first open the 'upper shortcut'.

That is, to kiss well.

Based on the few girls he had interacted with so far, kissing was absolutely the act most likely to stir emotions and affection.

This wasn't theory; it was knowledge gained from practice, a valuable asset.

To help her relax, he also shouldered all the responsibility himself. Girls are like that—even if they have their own desires, millennia of tradition and subtle education instill a sense of caution in them.

But if someone else takes on the responsibility, that's a different story altogether.

When they parted again, Shen Qian actually saw something different in Xie Wan's eyes—something intense, as if it could melt them both.

"If you just want my body, you can have it tonight."

While his heart burned with desire, Shen Qian was still calculating how to arrange the night. Things had already developed beyond his expectations; he never imagined making such progress with Xie Wan.

Now he had two choices. One: press on and take her completely. She was Campus Belle level and the first girl scoring above a 7 to have such intimate contact with him. The potential gains would be substantial.

But substantial gains also came with substantial risks. He still didn't know how many suitors pursued this Campus Belle or what their capabilities were.

A Campus Belle was different from other girls. Other girls might just put on makeup and filters, receiving praise online, but their real-world popularity was almost zero, since everyone's looks were similar. However, a Campus Belle's popularity, both online and offline, was genuine.

This meant a Campus Belle couldn't possibly lack confidence. An absolutely confident girl would not be obedient, which would be a huge variable for his future plans.

As for the other choice, it was to act as if nothing happened after the kiss, using time to slowly wear her down, until she was overthinking and felt she couldn't live without him.

"No! I must resist!"

After careful consideration, Shen Qian gritted his teeth, picked up the girl in his arms, and placed her on a seat beside him. Xie Wan looked at him, puzzled, her watery eyes seemingly capable of ensnaring one's very soul.

Shen Qian turned his head away, not looking at her. At this moment, he felt like he was about to explode.

The thread named 'reason' in his mind was stretched taut, not relaxing for a moment.

"This is wrong. I asked you here to discuss how to reject Senior Female Student Du!"

His voice trembled slightly. Resisting a man's primal desires was incredibly difficult.

"No, I can't stay here any longer. If I stay, my rationality will definitely collapse."

"No, absolutely not. I absolutely cannot let a moment's pleasure interfere with the entire subsequent plan!"

Without any hesitation, he walked straight out of the private room. Only after leaving the hotel and taking a breath of fresh air did he send a message to Xie Wan.

"We'll talk about Du Xixi's matter later."

"Okay."

She replied quickly, then added another message.

"Why did you run? Are you afraid of me?"

Shen Qian didn't reply again, because just that one sentence made him feel the sliver of rationality he had just regained was almost gone again.

He quickly entered a nearby hotel, booked a room with a bathtub, and soaked his entire body in cold water. Only then did he feel the burning heat on his body lessen a bit.

When he emerged from the cold water, his gaze was clear once more.

"I was careless. When dealing with girls scoring 7 and above from now on, I still need to take it step by step.

If I'm not mistaken, Xia Mengling will probably start making moves soon, and there might even be some kissing involved.

A perfect face combined with an exquisite figure—it's truly a bone-scraping steel knife!"

The more Shen Qian thought about it, the more fearful he became. If he had made one wrong move tonight, the subsequent steps would have all been wrong, and he might have ended up as Xie Wan's devoted follower.

There was another reason he took that cold bath: he still had to meet Du Xixi in the evening. Since he had made such progress with Xie Wan, he couldn't touch Du Xixi for now, or else things would blow up with Xie Wan.

But his rationality had nearly collapsed earlier. It was hard to guarantee he wouldn't take a bite if Du Xixi, this piece of meat delivered to his doorstep, was presented to him.

In the bathroom, Shen Qian looked at himself in the mirror, glanced down at the area below his navel, and sneered disdainfully.

"You think you can control the big head? Dream on!"

Shen Qian drove back to the school. As expected, even though he had sent word, Du Xixi was still waiting downstairs.

"Shen Qian, you're back!"

Seeing Shen Qian, Du Xixi's face lit up with joy.

"Sigh, senior, do you know what I used to like about you?

You were willful, capricious, lively, and clever—those were your strengths. But look at you now. This isn't right; this isn't the Du Xixi I liked.

So, if you still want there to be a possibility for us in the future, I hope you can go back to how you were before. At the very least, don't do things the old you wouldn't have done."

"The old me..."

"Xixi, I think you must have had a lot on your mind lately. My matter alone shouldn't be enough to make you so haggard."

As he spoke, Shen Qian gently stroked her hair.

"Since we have time, why don't we talk? Let's talk about what's been happening recently, what's been on your mind. You can tell me anything."

"Shen Qian, have you seen Xie Wan since that morning?"

Her sudden question made Shen Qian's heart skip a beat. Could Xie Wan have told Du Xixi about their kiss earlier?

Impossible, absolutely impossible. They were one step away from a complete fallout. If she said something like that now, it would undoubtedly be a provocation, making reconciliation even less likely.

Shen Qian nodded.

"Yes, she came to find me, hoping to ease the tension between you two a bit."

These words were seventy percent truth, thirty percent lie.

"Actually, after I realized I had fallen for you, I had a huge fight with her..."

Du Xixi poured out everything that had happened over the past few days, her voice choking up as she spoke.

"Am I despicable? I'm jealous of her, but I just am jealous of her."

Shen Qian took Du Xixi's hand and strolled with her around the school. Passing by a park bench, they found it deserted and poorly lit due to the holiday.

He cupped her face and gently kissed her.