Chapter 32 Seduction

Lin Li stared at him blankly, unable to react for a long moment; it felt as though time itself had suddenly frozen, coming to a complete standstill.

The two of them locked eyes, neither speaking nor making the first move.

If only time *could* truly freeze or stop—but, of course, it couldn't.

The hot breath against her ear was palpable; they were pressed so close together that the slightest movement from either of them would be instantly felt by the other.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lin Li finally snapped out of the shock caused by Zhou Han’s words. Perhaps realizing just how awkward their position was—and how "dangerous" her situation had become—she dared not make another rash move. Instead, she offered a nervous, awkward laugh and said to Zhou Han, "You... you're joking, right?"

Zhou Han leaned closer, his voice low and husky as he asked, "Do I look like I'm joking right now?"

The sensation of that searing heat pressing firmly against her lower abdomen made Lin Li’s smile vanish instantly; her face flushed a deep, burning red. She hurriedly stammered, "Zhou Han, we signed a contract... we—we only have a business partnership. We... we can't do *that* kind of thing!"

At this, Zhou Han deliberately curled the corner of his mouth into a smirk. He blew gently against her ear and asked, "Not do *that* kind of thing? What exactly is *that* kind of thing?"

Lin Li shuddered involuntarily, instinctively shrinking her neck. She felt a rising heat spreading through her body—from her chest to her lower abdomen—and her breathing grew heavy and ragged.

After staring at him for a long time, she finally managed to utter four words: "You know exactly what!" She bit down hard on her lower lip and held her breath, terrified that she might lose her self-control and succumb to the charged, intimate atmosphere. Zhou Han took in her every reaction; the smile playing on his lips deepened as he leaned in close, turning his face slightly toward her ear to whisper, "Want to go to bed?"

"Zhou Han!" Anger was written all over Lin Li's face; she clenched her hands tightly at her sides, struggling to keep her composure.

Ignoring her anger, Zhou Han continued to speak near her ear with that faint, mocking smile. "Do you really not want to?" As he spoke, his hand slid beneath the hem of her nightgown, pressing firmly against her skin as it slowly moved upward.

"I don't!" Lin Li gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at him. "Take your hand off me!"

At these words, Zhou Han’s hand paused, yet he did not immediately pull it away as she had demanded; his large palm remained pressed against her back. He knew she wasn't as composed as she appeared, for he could clearly feel the subtle trembling of the skin beneath his hand.

Fixing his gaze intently upon her, he said in a low, deep voice, "We both have needs of this kind, don't we?"

Lin Li turned her face away to avoid looking at him and said coldly, "I don't engage in sex without love. If someone goes around acting on lust just to satisfy a physical urge, what makes them any different from an animal?" She didn't realize that by turning her head away, she had exposed the view of her bosom—fully visible to Zhou Han given his current stance.

It was a beautiful sight, certainly, but for Zhou Han at that moment, it was anything but good. He felt his body grow even more taut than before; the tension was so intense it caused a fine sheen of sweat to break out on his forehead, and his breathing grew ragged and heavy. He knew he had to find relief immediately, or else he would die—he truly felt he would die.

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/

Seeming to sense the shift in the situation, his grip tightened significantly. Lin Li turned back, suppressing her fear and unease, and gritted out, "Zhou Han, let go. I said I don't want this—are you actually trying to force yourself on me?" As she spoke, she tried to shove him away with all her might.

Zhou Han suddenly seized her hands and pinned them against the wall behind her, using his legs to immobilize hers, before abruptly leaning down to plant a fierce kiss on her lips.

Lin Li tried to struggle, but she was no match for his strength. She turned her head to dodge the kiss, but it was futile; she kept her lips tightly sealed to thwart him, yet ultimately succumbed to his domineering force, her mouth parting to let him claim her completely, leaving her utterly unable to fight back. Zhou Han’s kiss was domineering—devoid of any gentleness. He forcefully pried her teeth apart with his tongue, greedily devouring her sweetness, insisting she dance along with him, and leaving her absolutely no room to refuse.

“Mmph... Zhou Han, let me go! Mmph...” Lin Li couldn't push him away at all; she was so distressed she was on the verge of tears. Finally, out of desperation and a sudden surge of resolve, she bit down hard on his tongue. The metallic taste of blood instantly flooded their mouths. 

Zhou Han’s eyes snapped open, fixing a steady gaze on her, yet he didn't pull away; his hands remained locked onto hers, and his body didn't retreat even an inch. After staring at her intently for a moment, he kissed her again—this time even more fiercely and intensely than before.

Lin Li was truly panicked now; she struggled more violently, but it was all in vain.

After an indeterminate amount of time—just as Lin Li was becoming dizzy and nearly losing herself in the kiss—Zhou Han suddenly let go and pushed himself away, his chest heaving from the passionate encounter.

Lin Li was panting even harder than he was; she leaned against the wall, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her limbs felt weak, and she had to struggle just to keep from collapsing onto the floor.

A moment later, having caught his breath, Zhou Han looked at Lin Li and said, “I never force myself on women.”

Lin Li looked up at him, still breathless, and glared indignantly. “I certainly don't recall consenting to what just happened!”

Zhou Han smiled, a slight, knowing curve playing at the corner of his mouth. "I hadn't finished what I was saying earlier. While I wouldn't force myself on a woman, I *would* force a kiss."

"Shameless!" Lin Li shot him an annoyed glare.

Zhou Han’s lips remained curled in that faint smile; he said nothing more and turned to walk toward the walk-in closet. He needed to cool off right now, or else he’d suffer some serious "internal damage."

Watching him head for the closet, Lin Li turned to leave. She had just placed her hand on the doorknob when Zhou Han’s voice came from behind her: "Aren't you worried you won't have an answer if your mother asks about this tomorrow morning?"

Lin Li’s hand froze on the knob. If her mom asked, she certainly wouldn't have a good answer—after all, she had only moved here because her mother was keeping such a close watch on her. Yet, after what had just happened, how could she possibly stay in the same room as Zhou Han? If he decided to make a move, she would be completely powerless to resist.

It was as if Zhou Han could read her mind. "If I can let you go now, do you really think I’d try anything later?" With that, he grabbed his pajamas and headed into the bathroom.

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/

When Zhou Han emerged from the bathroom after a cold shower, he saw Lin Li with her back to him, bent over and fiddling with something on the floor. Drying his hair with a towel, he walked over and asked, "What are you doing?"

Lin Li didn't turn around or say a word; she simply kept working on whatever she was doing.

Zhou Han frowned instinctively and stepped closer, only to realize she was setting up a makeshift bed on the floor. Seeing this, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; he stepped up beside her and looked down at her, asking, "Did you lay this out for me to sleep on?"

Lin Li paused, turned to look at him, and asked with a forced, insincere smile, "Would you be willing to?"

Zhou Han shook his head noncommittally. "No chance." He had no reason to forgo a comfortable bed just to sleep on the hard floor.

"Hmph, ungentlemanly." Lin Li muttered this petty complaint under her breath, turned away, grabbed the pillow from the side, and placed it right in the middle of the makeshift bed.

"Actually, you don't need to be so polite; I wouldn't mind if you slept in my bed," Zhou Han said coolly from behind her, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lin Li rolled her eyes. "I would!" With that, she pulled up the quilt, wrapped herself tightly in it, and scooted against the wall. Seeing that he hadn't left yet, she eyed him warily, terrified he might try something.

Zhou Han smiled and simply said, "That's a pity." He turned away, gave his hair another quick rub with his towel before tossing it aside, then climbed straight into the bed and picked up a magazine from the nightstand to flip through casually.

Lin Li lay on the floor with her back to him, staring at the curtains while straining to hear any movement behind her. Although her eyelids felt heavy, she couldn't bring herself to fall asleep; she was afraid that if she drifted off too deeply, she wouldn't know if the man in the room decided to do something to her. It was hard to tell how much time had passed. 

She heard the person beside her finally finish reading; the magazine was closed and set aside, followed by the *click* of the light being switched off. The room was suddenly plunged into darkness. Then came the sound of rustling—Lin Li knew it was Zhou Han lying down. After a while, once his breathing had settled into a calm, steady rhythm and she was fairly certain he had truly fallen asleep, Lin Li finally relaxed; she let out a soft breath and slowly closed her eyes to drift off.

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/

When Lin Li woke up again, it was the next morning. It seemed to be another beautiful day; bright sunlight streamed in from outside, illuminating the entire room even through the curtains.

Lin Li’s brows furrowed slightly against the intruding light. She turned over, but the soreness radiating through her body made her frown even deeper. She forced herself to sit up, though her eyes remained closed—sleepiness had completely overpowered her senses. Half-conscious, she mumbled, "Just... just five more minutes..." and flopped backward. 

But the moment her head hit the pillow—*THUD!*—her drowsiness vanished instantly. The sharp pain in her head made her cry out, "Ow! It hurts!" She clutched her head, the pain so intense it brought tears to her eyes.

Just as she was rolling around on the floor clutching her head, Zhou Han’s voice drifted from behind her, carrying a hint of amusement: "Are you practicing the Iron Head technique?"

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/

TN: Iron Head kungfu practice was shown in the Shaolin Soccer (2001) movie by Stephen Chow. Played by actor Wong Yat-fei, he is the eldest of the Shaolin brothers, uses an indestructible skull, and works as a mistreated nightclub janitor before returning to martial arts.