Chapter 16: Intimacy in the Security Booth
Mu Xiaoyao squirmed in Wu Yifan's lap, her heart racing like a caged bird. The pressure against her lower back—firm, warm, *unmistakable*—sent heat flooding through her. She'd seen enough late-night movies to know what it meant, and though embarrassment prickled her skin, a small, traitorous part of her thrilled at the reaction she was stirring.
"Stop moving," Wu murmured, his voice rough. His hands, still resting on her waist, tightened slightly—not to restrain, but as if he were fighting to hold himself back.
Mu Xiaoyao bit her lip, forcing herself still. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her mind fogging with a mix of innocence and curiosity. The air felt thick, charged, like a storm waiting to break. Outside, a door slammed; inside, the only sounds were their ragged breathing and the faint hum of the computer.
Then—*BOOM*.
The screen erupted in explosions. Little Fox Sprite, seizing their distraction, had launched a full-scale assault. Her armies swarmed Mu Xiaoyao's base, reducing towers and barracks to smoldering rubble.
"Cheater!" Mu Xiaoyao yelped, springing into action. She fumbled with the mouse, her cheeks crimson—half from anger, half from the lingering heat of their closeness.
"Block her! Use the archers!" Wu urged, leaning in. For a moment, the tension between them faded, replaced by the urgency of battle.
Mu Xiaoyao nodded, her fingers flying. She rallied her remaining troops, staging a desperate counterattack. It took ten grueling minutes—towers fell, soldiers died, and at one point, she thought she'd lost—but finally, she pushed Little Fox back, storming into her enemy's base and destroying her last fortress.
"YES!" Mu Xiaoyao cheered, throwing her arms around Wu's neck. "We did it!"
Wu laughed, relief and triumph surging through him. For once, he didn't mind the way her body pressed against his—this was victory, pure and simple. He typed rapidly: "How's that for 'rookie' skills?"
Little Fox Sprite's reply was a flurry of insults: *Coward! Cheater! I demand a rematch!*
Wu smirked. "Sorry, but I've got better things to do. Maybe in a few millennia, when *you've* leveled up."
He logged off, grinning like an idiot. A year of humiliation, and now? Sweet, sweet revenge.
"Thanks," he said, meeting Mu Xiaoyao's eyes. "Really."
Her lips curved into a playful pout. "How're you gonna thank me, Brother Fan?" She leaned in, her breath warm against his cheek. "A kiss? A… lesson?"
Wu's smile faded. Right. The *other* reason she was here. He shifted awkwardly, trying to put distance between them. "Kung fu's serious stuff. You need discipline, focus—"
"I've got both!" she insisted, looping her arms around his neck. "Teach me. Please? I'll… do anything."
Her voice dropped, soft and suggestive, and Wu felt that familiar stir of desire. *Stop it*, he told himself. *She's sixteen.*
He was about to protest when—*CRASH!*
The security booth door flew open.
Ye Xiwen stood in the doorway, her face red with fury, arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze locked on Wu and Mu Xiaoyao, still tangled in each other's arms, and her voice turned icy.
"Explain. Now."
Elsewhere, in a lavish villa on Beitian's outskirts, Bao'er—aka "Little Fox Sprite"—screamed, slamming her fist into her keyboard.
"That bastard! *That bastard!*" she shrieked.
Her mother rushed in, alarmed. "Bao'er? What's wrong?"
"That Wu Sangui III! He called me a *rookie*! Me! I've been playing since I was ten!" She huffed, crossing her arms. "I need to find someone to beat him. Someone *good*."
Her mother sighed, smoothing Bao'er's hair. "It's just a game, dear."
"Not to me!" Bao'er stamped her foot. "I need a hero. A *real* one. Someone who'll crush him for me. Then… then he'll see. He'll *all* see."
She stared out the window, her eyes shining with determination.
Somewhere, a hero—or a fool—was about to get more than he bargained for.
Back at Infinity, Wu froze, Mu Xiaoyao still in his lap. Ye's glare could've melted steel.
"Uh… hi, Boss Ye," he said, trying for casual. "We were just… uh…"
"Playing games?" Ye's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Looks more like *fooling around* to me. In *my* KTV. During *work hours*."
Mu Xiaoyao scrambled off Wu's lap, her face bright red. "Sister Ye, it's not what it looks like! We were—"
"Save it." Ye's gaze sliced to Wu. "My office. Now."
She turned on her heel, leaving no room for argument.
Wu groaned. Just when things were going well.
Mu Xiaoyao bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Brother Fan. I—"
"Not your fault," he muttered, standing. "Stay here. I'll… handle this."
As he followed Ye, Wu braced himself. Lectures, threats, maybe even a pink slip.
But deep down, a tiny, stupid part of him was already wondering: *How do I sneak out later to teach her a punch?*
Life, he decided, was a lot easier when he was just a nobody.
Too bad those days were long gone.