Chapter 174: Alone at Night

Ellen lightly pressed her lips together, lowered her head in shyness; a single turn had nearly cost her her first kiss, but fortunately, nothing so rash occurred.

However, after experiencing such a tense and thrilling moment, plus Ye Ye Qingfeng being so close to her, the scent drifting from him entered her nostrils, instantly making her heart race and the tips of her ears turn red.

Too close! The smell suddenly feels so good~!

Ye Ye Qingfeng did not know Ellen's little thoughts, merely assuming she was a bit embarrassed; he walked around her and sat on the room's only chair.

"Sit? Or stand?"

Ye Ye Qingfeng patted his thigh, extending an invitation to Ellen.

"Sit!"

Ellen's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously in agreement.

After agreeing subconsciously, she felt that agreeing so quickly might seem abrupt in Ye Ye Qingfeng's eyes, so she did not act immediately but instead looked at him and blinked.

As if asking: Is it okay? Won't this be a bit inappropriate...

Ye Ye Qingfeng nodded slightly.

Reassured, Ellen turned sideways and sat squarely on Ye Ye Qingfeng's lap; her pretty face inevitably flushed with a hint of red, her heart filled with unease and a trace of excitement.

"Heavy?"

She gripped the clothes over his chest with both hands and asked softly, pretending to be casual.

Very heavy! Ellen already had a great figure, plus a chubby tail; thinking it wasn't heavy was impossible.

However, Ye Ye Qingfeng certainly would not say this to her face.

"Not heavy at all~ In fact, you're a bit light; Ellen, you should eat more in the future."

Ye Ye Qingfeng said with a kind smile and a sincere tone.

"Lying... I'm actually quite heavy, right!"

Hearing Ye Ye Qingfeng's words, Ellen felt a sweetness well up in her heart; her tense body relaxed, and leaning her head against his shoulder, she lightly exposed his lie.

She still had some self-awareness, but she was very happy that Ye Ye Qingfeng could say this; didn't it mean she occupied a place in his heart~(?? ヮ??)?

"Alright, actually, you are very heavy."

Ye Ye Qingfeng hadn't expected Ellen to proactively expose the truth; the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and after clearing his throat, he said seriously.

"Then I'll leave?"

Ellen pouted dissatisfiedly and asked back resentfully.

Brother Ye Qingfeng is really something! What big truths is he blurting out! ▼_▼

"What I meant is that Ellen holds a very heavy weight in my heart!"

Ye Ye Qingfeng extended his right hand to block Ellen's waist, while his other hand pinched her chin, applying slight force to make her face his direction, biting each word very hard.

"Mm..."

Ellen subconsciously wanted to lower her head, but being firmly controlled by Ye Ye Qingfeng, she could only shift her gaze away guiltily.

Ye Ye Qingfeng's words crashed into Ellen's heart, instantly stirring up tremendous waves.

Ah—! Really!

What is Brother Ye Qingfeng blabbering about! Making it sound like a confession...

If Brother Ye Qingfeng suddenly confessed, should I just agree directly?

Would agreeing too quickly be bad? But not giving an answer for a long time also seems bad...

What should I do?!

"I wonder how large a position I occupy in Ellen's heart?"

Looking at the dazed Ellen, Ye Ye Qingfeng chuckled and continued to ask.

"Huge! Extremely huge!"

Ellen answered instantly.

Moreover, both her expression and her tone appeared extremely serious.

Ye Ye Qingfeng happily pinched Ellen's cheek with one hand; her pink, tender lips consequently puckered, making him unable to resist licking his own lips.

Her crimson eyes appeared somewhat dazed and cute, staring at Ye Ye Qingfeng with a dissatisfied little glance, as if conducting a silent accusation.

Ye Ye Qingfeng reluctantly let go of his hand, immediately followed by a "pop" sound; Ellen immediately seized this opportunity to lower her head shyly.

"Hmm~ Let me think..."

Ye Ye Qingfeng wrapped both arms around Ellen's slender waist, pondering a solution in his mind.

Regardless, he still hoped Ellen would prioritize her studies; the primary issue to resolve was her indifferent attitude toward learning.

"Do you have anything you like, or any things you enjoy doing?"

Soon, he thought of a solution and asked Ellen.

The method Ye Ye Qingfeng came up with was a reward system, using things she liked as rewards to try to stimulate her desire to study.

"Let me think..."

Ellen did not ponder why Ye Ye Qingfeng asked this, but instead turned her head to think about things she enjoyed.

"Sleeping, eating the meals you cook, sweets, massages!"

Uh... why do the things Ellen likes feel so...

Why so rotten? Eating, sleeping, and massages?

"I can't help you with sleeping, but I can do the latter few; as long as you diligently complete your daily homework, I'll occasionally cook a meal for you, how about that?"

"Mm... Okay! I accept!"

Ellen nodded in acceptance.

If merely completing daily homework could be exchanged for an occasional delicious meal, anyone would think it a bargain.

"Then, if your exam results improve next time, you can enjoy a massage service once."

"Okay~!"

Ellen agreed immediately without hesitation.

Ever since accepting the massage yesterday, she felt a long-overdue lightness in her body, her sleep quality had improved significantly, and she had rarely stayed awake during school today.

Viewed this way, it was simply a virtuous cycle, and that wasn't even counting the enjoyment during the massage itself.

"As for the Ding Ni issue..."

Ye Ye Qingfeng couldn't help but feel somewhat troubled thinking about this.

Logically speaking, a student's primary duty is studying, but applying that to Ellen felt somewhat off.

How did that saying go again...

Whether attending school or working a job, one ends up working like an ox or a horse; at least the latter pays money, doesn't it?

Moreover, Ellen's personality was the type to slack off anytime, anywhere; if not forced by circumstances, she would probably just eat, sleep, sleep, and eat every day.

If a friend invited her out, she would play for a day, then return to her usual routine the next.

Even so, she still had principles; accepting Ding Ni for nothing was not something she would readily do.

Ultimately, Ye Ye Qingfeng and Ellen were still in an ambiguous state; neither party had a direct relationship with the other yet, and even their "sibling" status was fake.

On the surface, both maintained a sibling relationship, yet both harbored good feelings for the other; now it merely depended on who would pierce that layer of paper between them.

The rest would follow naturally, so there was no need to be troubled by the current problem.

After all, once they became a couple, the two of them would effectively form a small unit.

Basically, there would be no need to distinguish between what is yours and what is mine, but even so, Ellen would remember this kindness and repay it in the future.

For instance, by bearing him a little shark baby?

That was a matter for the future, though...

Ye Ye Qingfeng likewise understood that the key now was who would speak first; he had no intention of overthinking it and planned to take the initiative, but surely he couldn't just confess directly?

Before that, shouldn't he lay some groundwork?

"Will Ellen feel that my current behavior is excessively interfering with your life?"

Ye Ye Qingfeng grabbed a lock of Ellen's beautiful hair and gently rubbed it between his fingertips.

(The author is working hard on typing the next chapter...)