Chapter Fifty-Three: Sharp Fingernails

After Ram went upstairs, Liu Yunfei went to Owali’s room and gave him a stern talking-to. He found himself in an oddly foul mood—was he jealous? But Yu Qing would never do anything to betray him. Liu Yunfei tried to reassure himself.

Still, Ram was never one for lies—so who was Yu Qing meeting? An Arab man? Was it really a date?

Another voice in his mind argued: Impossible, impossible. He knew Yu Qing’s feelings better than anyone. She’d swept the entire staircase herself just because of a word from him—how could she betray him?

Suddenly, Liu Yunfei remembered Lawrence’s warning as he left: “Be careful of those closest to you.” Did he mean Yu Qing? But that was just when Liu Yunfei had met her.

Distracted, Liu Yunfei muddled through dinner with the old prince and returned to his room.

“What’s wrong? You seem restless tonight,” Yu Qing said, draping herself over Liu Yunfei’s back.

“Oh, don’t worry—I was just thinking about some family cooperation plans.” The thought prompted Liu Yunfei to call Gao Renhou.

Although the old witch’s foundation hadn’t yet received official Swedish approval, the organization and staff were already in place—more precisely, the Aurora Castle Foundation Preparatory Committee. They planned to take a morning flight to Florence. The old witch had sent an economic expert as her full representative; Henry would come along too, first to apologize to the old prince, second to discuss matters with Lawrence that couldn't be made public.

Liu Yunfei hosted a conference call and returned to his room to find Yu Qing in a seductive black silk lingerie, lounging on the bed watching television. Her skin, so pale, seemed to glow with a tempting softness against the black silk.

“Silly, what are you staring at? I just bought this today. How does it look? Silk is so smooth—here, touch it.” Yu Qing thrust her ample chest toward Liu Yunfei, her eyes brimming with mischief.

Ever since he’d tasted forbidden fruit, Liu Yunfei had been utterly addicted, eagerly awaiting nightfall every day, and sometimes stealing moments during the day with Yu Qing, who responded with tender compliance and often initiated teasing and seduction herself.

He walked to the bed, reaching out to caress her through the silk bra—indeed, it felt entirely different, exquisitely smooth. When his fingers found that tiny red bud, Yu Qing couldn’t help but let out a low moan, lips parted, chin raised, her gaze even more alluring.

Kicking off his shoes, Liu Yunfei leapt onto the bed, gazing into Yu Qing’s expectant eyes as he pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth was small—he could envelop her lips completely. He began teasing her soft lips with his tongue, but Yu Qing was impatient, eagerly sending her fragrant tongue into his mouth; he sucked it in, letting their tongues entangle.

His hands didn’t idle either; he quickly stripped off his clothes, then leaned down, pressing Yu Qing beneath him, rubbing his body against hers. Yu Qing was already aroused, sighing softly, hips twisting beneath him.

Liu Yunfei released her lips and began kissing her neck, his hand unfastening her silk bra—her breasts remained high and firm even lying down, tempting him to bury his face in their softness. Beneath him, his lower body met hers, separated only by his underwear; Yu Qing reached down and removed her panties, guiding him slowly inside her.

He abandoned his indestructible form and surrendered to the most primal act, relishing every moment, slow to fast, long to short, as Yu Qing eagerly matched his rhythm. At the brink of ecstasy, Yu Qing’s hands gripped his shoulders tightly, nails digging into his skin. Just as Liu Yunfei prepared to release himself, Yu Qing’s fingers scratched down his back, causing him to flinch in pain.

“Oh!” Since attaining his powers, Liu Yunfei hadn’t felt such pain; he turned his head to see a small but deep scratch from Yu Qing’s sharp nails. He quickly pressed his hand to stop the bleeding and summoned his indestructible form to heal the wound.

Yu Qing’s inadvertent attack cooled his ardor; he rolled over, examining the wound, still aching, wishing he could reach it to lick but failing. Yu Qing hurriedly sat up, gently kissing the wound, soothing the pain.

“I’m sorry, my dear Awashid, I didn’t mean to—I passed a new nail salon today and had them sharpen my nails, never expected them to be so sharp. I’ll trim them right away,” Yu Qing said, remorseful and nearly in tears.

“It’s nothing—just a little scratch.” Liu Yunfei stroked Yu Qing’s smooth back to comfort her, examining her finger: the nail was honed to a razor’s edge, shaped almost like a knife. “But this is too sharp. I’m not worried, but be careful you don’t hurt yourself.”

Yu Qing, naked, jumped from the bed to find scissors. When she returned, she found Liu Yunfei’s wound already healing, amazed. “Have you trained in martial arts? How did it heal so quickly, and there’s no scar!”

“No, have you ever seen me practice? My body just heals faster than others.” Liu Yunfei pulled Yu Qing into his arms; after all the excitement and fright, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Liu Yunfei gazed at the beauty in his arms, recalling Ram’s words from the afternoon, his heart unsettled once more. Generous with money, he was small-minded when it came to his women—but then, what man isn’t afraid of being cuckolded? The more you care, the more jealousy grows. Finally, Liu Yunfei decided he would secretly follow them to their piano lesson tomorrow afternoon—he wouldn’t rest easy until he saw for himself.

The next morning, Liu Yunfei arranged for a convoy to meet Gao Renhou’s representative at the Florence airport. To his surprise, Gao Renhou had sent a tall Swedish beauty—wearing high heels, she stood nearly as tall as Liu Yunfei, her figure so stunning it was hard to tell if she was an economic expert or an international supermodel. After Henry’s introduction, Liu Yunfei learned her name was Betia.

“Why did Grandpa Gao send a model?” Liu Yunfei whispered to Henry as they walked behind the group.

“Don’t underestimate her—she graduated from Harvard Business School and was CEO of a famous American company at a young age. Grandpa recruited her with a hefty salary. If not for her family connection with the castle’s old steward, she wouldn’t have agreed to come. What do you think? Interested? She’s not easy to win over.” Henry winked lewdly.

“You think I’m like you, falling for every beauty I see?” Liu Yunfei replied, annoyed.

He led the two back to the Knight’s Castle, only to find that the crafty Lawrence had already arrived and was chatting warmly with the old prince. The old prince still maintained his airs with Henry, barely acknowledging him until Henry presented a bottle of fine wine, which finally softened his demeanor. Though Liu Yunfei had plenty more, the old prince always felt uneasy drinking Liu Yunfei’s wine for free.

With time running short, a luncheon was arranged. Yu Qing, in such settings, was in her element—winning approval from all representatives. To Liu Yunfei’s embarrassment, the guests refused to stay at the Knight’s Castle; Henry would have, but Betia insisted otherwise, and Henry could only explain to Liu Yunfei that this was a negotiation tactic—never accept hospitality, or you lose leverage at a critical moment. Liu Yunfei had no choice but to arrange transport to their hotel after lunch, though Henry found an excuse to stay behind.