Chapter 36 - She is bound to me

"Do you want to be my date?" he asked her casually.

Song Luli was momentarily stunned. Her mouth hung open, her arm froze in the air, holding the invitation in her hand. He looked at her with a deep and fathomless, half-lidded expression.

Song Luli didn't realize that she let herself immerse in his gaze. She didn't know how to explain the feeling of when her eyes met his; it was difficult to look into them--it was subterranean as if he was holding up some walls, allowing a small passage through, only opened for her.

Song Luli gritted her teeth, flustered. She held her chin high. "I thought we were married?" she responded.

Long Jie smirked, and his sly grin made her realize he was teasing her. Song Luli puffed her cheeks in frustration.

Watching her expression, Long Jie laughed, and Song Luli was getting irritated by his playfulness. He kept laughing, so Song Luli stormed around him, covering his mouth with her palms, feeling embarrassed.

He tried to move her hands around, but she kept her grip. He then peered his tongue, licking the palm of her hand. Song Luli pulled away with slight disgust, and he propped an elbow on the armrest of the sofa; his cruel lips curled, amused. Song Luli clenched her jaw. She then pushed him gently against the couch. She lifted one of her knees on the cushion, enclosing him with her arms, her hair waterfalled around his face.

He held a sly smile on his lips, watching her. Song Luli narrowed her eyes, and she bent down, close to his face. She wanted a reaction from him, but he didn't stir, and it pissed her off.

Long Jie, on the other hand, was waiting for her to do something. She was bold enough to trap him, but it was only fair to see how far she was willing to go with this game of theirs.

Song Luli regretted her actions. From his angle, it would appear as if she advancing on him. She read the expression in his eyes, full of amusement and entertainment. He was challenging her, and Song Luli doesn't like to lose, and he most likely thought she'd back away.

So she did back away, slowly, stopping at a halt in front of him. Long Jie sat up on the sofa, watching her with curious eyes. She then knelt on the ground, and with her knees, she inched towards him. He gaped, his arms hung over the armrest loosely. She placed her palms on each one of his thighs, and a ghost of a smile danced on her lips.

She lowered herself around a particular area, hovering above, mere inches away. Long Jie could feel her warm breath caressing the fabric of his pants, near his thighs. His entire body had gone still.

"You wouldn't dare, " he said to her, challenging.

Song Luli inched closer. She arched her back to face him when she rose slightly; then, she straightened it when their noses briefly touched, their breaths were practically entwining. Her mouth was close to his, daring, but not moving any closer.

"We're adults, Long Jie," she whispered, low, sensual, and pleading. "Even I have needs."

Long Jie read her lustrous expression before his eyes dropped to her mouth. But he still didn't dare to make a move, and he wasn't sure if he was breathing.

Song Luli's palm on his thigh snaked upward, towards the inner part of it, near his now-stiff sensitive area. Song Luli rubbed his inner thighs playfully, and Long Jie's breath hitched. He clenched his teeth, and his brows creased.

She kept inching towards him, but not quite touching what stood between. "Do it," he said hot and desperate, his voice had gone hoarse.

Song Luli smiled mischievously. Her face went near him again. "You lost," she said as if it were a game. She then stood up, placing her hands behind her back. "You were right, Long Jie. I wouldn't have dared. And that's because I won't be the one to give in first."

Give in? He thought. To what exactly?

Song Luli smiled before she retreated. Meanwhile, Long Jie didn't realize that his sensitive area was, indeed, stiff.

Cursed woman!

…

In the office, Long Jie appeared to have been in a sour mood. His colleagues wondered what made him upset or what tousled him the wrong way. He was making mistakes, which was rare, and he looked as if he hadn't slept well, which was a given.

They stared at him awkwardly as his hands stumbled while he was trying to control an automatic robotic arm. He then said in frustration, "Let's take a break."

His colleagues sighed in relief. Long Jie then removed his lab coat and went to his office. He slumped in his chair and tilted his head back, sighing.

His phone rang, and he picked it up when he learned it was from Han Ru. "What is it now?" Long Jie asked him as he wasn't in the mood to speak.

"Your wife paid me a visit yesterday," Han Ru said.

Long Jie sat up straight on his chair. What would Song Luli want from him?

"She paid you a visit?" Long Jie asked.

"Yes," Han Ru began. "She asked me to find a way to help you with a project."

Long Jie ran a hand through his auburn locks. He had already told Song Luli that he had it under control. And to go to another man for help? It irritated him, but he kept his cool.

"I have it under control," Long Jie responded.

"I'm certain you do," Han Ru said. "But why am I hearing that you are struggling?"

Long Jie sighed. "I'm not," he said. "Complicated matters arise every now and then."

He heard Han Ru chuckle. "Indeed so," he responded.

Silence stretched across them for a moment.

"Are you still...?" Han Ru began before he was cut off.

"Yes," Long Jie replied. "I still receive threats from Wang Corp, no less, but now Luli is involved."

"But, I thought your father ensured that all of them were dealt with?" Han Ru asked him.

"Yes, but some members of Wang Worldwide are holding a grudge, and my father has held off as long as he can. But now that I've taken over, the only weak spot they found was Song Luli," he said.

Han Ru was agitated. "What does she have to do with it?" he asked.

Long Jie was stunned for a moment. "She is bound to me. Of course, they would use any excuse to drive me out."

Han Ru exhaled, trying to keep his cool. He wasn't sure why he was so furious. "Let me know if you need any backup," he said.

"Yes, of course," Long Jie responded and ended the call.

What Long Jie didn't tell Song Luli was about the threats. He could handle the members of the board. It was only that people from the past are trying to avenge what Long Group has done to them. And that's what may have made some of the members pull out on his project. It was never safe for him, but for Luli...

He decided to go home early, but first, he would visit his father.