What to do? What to do?!

Mu Yue Ran frantically tried to shake Yuchuge awake, but the girl slept soundly, her fingers tucked into her mouth as she gently munched on them. No matter how hard Mu Yue Ran tried, she couldn’t rouse her.

With no other choice, Mu Yue Ran draped the sofa cover over Yuchuge. Heart pounding, she fixed her gaze on the door, bracing for fate’s arrival.

*Wait—why am I nervous?*

*Xiao Yue’er isn’t even my girlfriend. What’s with this knee-jerk reaction?*

Her thoughts scattered as Ji Yueyi pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Ji Yueyi found Mu Yue Ran sitting rigidly upright, hands clasped before her lips, staring intently ahead with a grave expression.

"Sister Yue Ran, you’re already up?" Disappointed she’d missed seeing her sleepy face, Ji Yueyi slipped off her shoes, slid into slippers, and headed toward the sofa. Exhausted from days of studying, she craved a moment’s rest.

Before she could sit, Mu Yue Ran whipped her head around, arm outstretched like a drowning man. "Hold it!!" she barked.

Ji Yueyi froze, bewildered. "What’s wrong?"

Mu Yue Ran’s mind raced at six thousand RPM. "I’ve caught a cold," she blurted. "Might be contagious."

"Eh? Sister Yue Ran gets sick too?" Ji Yueyi’s eyes widened. She’d always thought her sister-in-law was invincible—a superhero immune to germs. But Mu Yue Ran’s flushed cheeks and unnatural crimson hue sparked worry. *People who rarely fall ill take weeks to recover… Good thing I’m back to care for her.*

"Why are you home so early? Weren’t you supposed to be at that study camp for four more days?" Mu Yue Ran deflected, desperate to steer the conversation away as Ji Yueyi inched closer. But Ji Yueyi’s focus was solely on her health. "Finished all my tasks early. Staying longer felt pointless." She grinned, a rare, guileless smile blooming. "Besides… I missed you, hehe."

That innocent smile twisted Mu Yue Ran’s gut with guilt—a thorny sense of betrayal taking root, as if she’d cheated while her girlfriend was away.

*What the hell am I thinking?! Get out of my head!*

"Eh!" Mu Yue Ran gasped sharply.

Ji Yueyi panicked, sliding to her knees before her. She seized Mu Yue Ran’s hands, eyes frantic. "Sister Yue Ran! Where does it hurt?"

"N-nothing… I’m fine…" Mu Yue Ran gritted out through clenched teeth, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Beneath the sofa cover, Yuchuge had shifted when Mu Yue Ran pulled her arm away. Now she clung to Mu Yue Ran’s thigh, her lips pressed against the soft inner flesh, gently sucking. Mu Yue Ran could feel the featherlight brush of Yuchuge’s tongue tracing glistening trails on her skin.

The rhythmic pull and flicker wove a melody under stormy skies, sending Mu Yue Ran’s thoughts drifting like clouds in rain.

In those seconds of distraction, Ji Yueyi closed the distance. Seeing Mu Yue Ran’s deepening flush and vacant stare, she decided: *Fever.* Leaning in, Ji Yueyi brushed aside her own bangs, fingers gliding to the nape of Mu Yue Ran’s neck. She guided their foreheads together.

Mu Yue Ran’s pupils dilated, reflecting Ji Yueyi’s face drawing nearer. Those petite, cherry lips hovered just within reach—if she leaned forward even slightly… Meanwhile, Yuchuge’s hungry mouth still worked below.

*Trapped between two fires!* Mu Yue Ran screamed inwardly. *No! Not both at once! My body… it’s going to feel strange…*

"Hmm… You’re burning up. Definitely a fever." Ji Yueyi pulled back. "Wait here! I’ll get medicine!"

Relief flooded Mu Yue Ran as Ji Yueyi turned away. *The medicine drawer’s in the inner room. I can move Yuchuge while she’s gone. Crisis averted!*

*Not quite.*

"Haa~"

The soft gasp echoed through the room, yanking Ji Yueyi’s feet to a halt. She turned slowly, eyes wide with dawning horror. "That… wasn’t your voice just now, was it, Sister Yue Ran?"

Mu Yue Ran’s smile twitched. She dropped the hand she’d raised in victory and let out a tiny, catlike "Meow~."

Ji Yueyi inhaled sharply, striding to the sofa. Her gaze locked onto the rhythmic rise and fall beneath the cover on Mu Yue Ran’s lap. She yanked the fabric away, revealing Yuchuge, blissfully asleep.

A vein throbbed at Ji Yueyi’s temple. She pointed at Yuchuge, her smile sharp as shattered glass. "Sister Yue Ran… care to explain this?"

"Xiao Yue’er," Mu Yue Ran whispered, voice trembling. "Your eyes aren’t smiling."

...

As chaos erupted in Mu Yue Ran’s home, Li Feng sat brooding in his office.

Yesterday, he’d finally won the House of Yu’s favor—naturally, given his brilliance. But when he pressed to set the engagement date with Yuchuge, they’d evaded him with hollow excuses. He’d left without a clear answer.

The dismissal stung, but he needed the Yu family’s influence for his land development projects. He swallowed his pride.

*What game are they playing?* Li Feng pondered. *Surely not dissatisfaction? Impossible. Younger men lack my competence; competent ones are old men with one foot in the grave. No better match exists for their daughter. That position as the Yu family’s son-in-law is mine.*

"Tch. Trying to inflate your daughter’s price by dragging your feet?" He snorted coldly. "Fools." He ordered his team to leak engagement rumors through back channels—a pressure test for the Yu family’s stance.

As his thoughts settled, his curvaceous secretary emerged from beneath the desk. She rinsed her mouth at the sink, then picked up his schedule, breath uneven. "President Li, you have a meeting with Director Wu from Shengxing Education next."

Li Feng stood, adjusting his trousers. His face darkened. "Understood."