The days after Li Chen's birthday unfolded like waves lapping gently against a shore—peaceful, rhythmic, but hiding an undertow of tension beneath their calm surface.
His mother, Su Mei, moved through the house with her usual grace. She cooked, cleaned, and smiled the same way she always had, but her eyes lingered a little longer on her son when he walked past shirtless. When he brushed her hand in the kitchen, her fingers paused before pulling away. And sometimes, at night, the light from her room stayed on far too long.
His sister, Su Minzhu, had grown quiet. She avoided him in the mornings but hovered nearby in the evenings. She stared at him with a complicated look—half shame, half craving. Her body was still healing from their forbidden night, but her heart had already surrendered.
Li Chen didn't rush them. He was patient.
He knew the fire had already started.
And soon, it would spread.
---
The buzzer rang one afternoon, a few minutes past two. Li Chen, dressed in simple house clothes, opened the door to find a woman leaning against the hallway wall, sunglasses perched on her head, one hand resting on a rolling suitcase.
She smiled at the sight of him.
Su Ruyin.
His mother's younger sister. His blood aunt.
Thirty-nine years old. Married to a businessman who spent most of his time overseas. And yet, Su Ruyin had always been around during holidays, family dinners, and childhood memories. She was the "fun aunt"—mischievous, teasing, sharp-tongued, and utterly stunning.
Her figure had matured with age. She wore a light beige trench coat over a form-fitting dress, the neckline dipping low enough to hint at the swell of her breasts. Her legs, long and slim, were bare beneath the coat, and her heels clicked gently as she stepped inside.
"You've gotten tall," she said, tilting her head as she looked him up and down.
"You've gotten late," Li Chen replied smoothly, stepping aside.
She gave a low chuckle. "Didn't expect the little brat to talk back. I like it."
Her suitcase rolled across the wooden floor as she pulled it behind her, her hips swaying with deliberate confidence.
"Where's your mom?"
"Out buying vegetables."
"Mm." She let out a soft breath and turned to him again. "Then I have you all to myself for a few minutes."
Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "Should I be nervous?"
She stepped closer, standing in front of him now. The scent of her perfume—light floral and subtle spice—wrapped around him like a silk ribbon.
"I don't know," she murmured. "Should you?"
He didn't answer. He simply held her gaze.
The silence stretched, electric.
Then, footsteps echoed in the hallway. The front door opened.
Su Mei stepped inside, her long braid dusted slightly with wind. She was carrying two plastic bags of vegetables and tofu. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw her sister.
"Ah, Ruyin! You're here already?"
Ruyin pulled away from Li Chen with a light laugh and went to hug her. "Your son didn't even offer me tea."
"I'm sure he was just distracted," Su Mei replied, smiling as she set down the groceries. "Chen, help with the bags."
Li Chen stepped forward without a word, brushing past both women. Su Ruyin watched him from behind with a faint smirk, eyes lingering on his back.
"Oh, I'll be staying a while, by the way," she added casually. "At least two weeks."
Su Mei blinked. "Two weeks?"
"Mm. The company's doing a regional tour for my husband. He's gone until next month. No one home."
Li Chen saw the flicker in his mother's eyes.
"I'll get the guest room ready," she said.
"No need. I want to stay in the study."
"That's not a bedroom—"
"It's perfect," she cut in smoothly. "Besides, I like the view from that room."
Li Chen caught the way she glanced at him when she said it.
---
That evening, the apartment felt smaller than usual.
Su Ruyin had changed into something far too casual—a pale gray tank top and a pair of loose shorts that sat high on her thighs. She padded barefoot across the floor, sipping tea, laughing easily, tossing her hair over one shoulder.
Her every movement was fluid, feminine, and unconcerned.
Dinner was quiet—too quiet.
Su Mei spoke gently and asked about her husband. Minzhu stayed mostly silent, pushing food around her plate. Li Chen, as always, watched and listened.
Afterward, the women cleaned up together while he stepped out onto the balcony.
When he came back inside, he passed the hallway and noticed that the door to the study was slightly open.
Inside, a lamp was on. The golden light spilled across soft carpet. And standing there, facing the window, was his aunt.
She had removed her bra.
Her tank top hung loosely, fabric brushing over her curves like silk. The cool light from outside made her skin glow. Her arms were crossed as she looked out at the skyline.
"You've been watching me all evening," she said softly, still facing the window.
Li Chen stood in the doorway. He said nothing.
"Is it because I used to bathe you when you were small?" she asked, turning halfway to glance at him. "You'd hold my hand and cry if the water was too hot."
His voice was steady. "You've changed since then."
She smiled faintly.
"So have you."
She walked toward him slowly, barefoot, hips shifting gently. When she reached the doorway, she stopped in front of him.
"You've grown into something dangerous," she murmured.
"I'm still your nephew."
"And I'm still your aunt."
She reached up and gently brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
"But blood doesn't stop desire, does it?" she whispered.
Their eyes locked.
"I'll keep the door open tonight," she said, brushing past him.
The heat from her skin lingered against his chest long after she was gone.
---
That night, Li Chen couldn't sleep.
Not because of guilt.
But because he could hear it—the soft creak of the study floor, the whisper of cloth, the subtle sigh of a woman shifting beneath a blanket.
And he knew she was waiting.
But he didn't move.
Not yet.
Instead, he walked quietly to the kitchen for water.
There, in the dim glow of the fridge, stood his mother.
Su Mei wore a thin nightgown, the straps falling slightly from one shoulder. Her hair was undone, falling over her shoulders like a curtain of ink. She turned slowly, surprised.
"…Chen?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Neither could I." She smiled weakly. "Too many thoughts."
They stood facing each other.
Then, slowly, she walked past him to the table and sat down.
"Your aunt," she said, after a long pause. "She flirts too much."
"She's always been that way."
"I don't like how she looks at you."
Li Chen sat across from her. "Why?"
Her fingers curled around the edge of the table.
"…Because I know what that look means."
He leaned forward.
"And how do you look at me?"
Her breath caught.
"I…"
She didn't finish.
Li Chen stood and walked around the table.
She tilted her head up to look at him.
"Chen…"
He leaned in, lips brushing the corner of her mouth.
"I think you know," he whispered.
She closed her eyes.
But she didn't move.
His lips moved lower, grazing the side of her neck, where her pulse fluttered.
"I've thought about you every night," he said. "The way your eyes follow me. The way your hands tremble when I touch you."
Her hand rose, fingers trembling as she touched his chest.
"This is wrong," she whispered.
"So stop me."
She didn't.
They stood there, hearts pounding, breaths ragged. Then she pulled away suddenly, as if something inside her snapped.
"Go back to your room," she said, voice shaking.
Li Chen didn't move.
She met his gaze.
"If you stay, I won't stop you."
The words hung between them.
He turned and walked away, not because he was retreating—but because he knew now that she had already broken.
It was only a matter of time.
---
Back in his room, the system interface shimmered softly in the dark.
> [Lianhua Holdings Asset Update: +¥3.2 million]
[New Property Option: Seaview Penthouse – Awaiting Approval]
[New Summon Available in 11 Days]
He closed it and leaned back on his bed.
Two doors down, his aunt was waiting, her body burning with anticipation.
One door across, his mother lay sleepless, haunted by the taste of her son's lips.
And soon, this quiet apartment would become a kingdom of silken sins and whispered oaths.
---
[End of Chapter 3]