Chapter 378 You Don’t Want To?

Chapter 378: You Don't Want To?

Under that unblinking stare, Cheng Ge's fake smile was about to crack. His heart hammered in his chest, and his palms began to sweat.

Just as Cheng Ge was about to break under the silent interrogation, ready to throw caution to the wind and curse out loud—

Wuliji's face loomed closer, slowly, without any warning.

Dark skin, deep brow bones, a straight, high-bridged nose... and those deadly serious eyes, drawing nearer.

Cheng Ge could even make out his distinct eyelashes, one by one, and his own distorted reflection—twisted in shock—in those pupils.

He—he—what the hell was he about to do?!

Cheng Ge's mind went completely blank, a loud buzz drowning out everything.

His body moved before his brain even caught up. Just as Wuliji's lips were about to brush his cheek—

He jerked his head to the side, nearly burying his whole face into Wuliji's solid chest—a move that even he thought was beyond weird and humiliating!

Wuliji's warm breath brushed past his burning earlobe, hitting nothing but air.

He froze mid-motion, still leaning over. For the first time, a look of genuine confusion crossed his face, as if he hadn't expected Cheng Ge to pull away.

He frowned, straightened up, and stared at Cheng Ge, who had curled into a shrimp, leaving only his bright red ears and the back of his neck visible, and asked, baffled, "...Why did you dodge?"

Cheng Ge was this close to losing his mind! His ears were hot enough to fry an egg, his face buried in the other man's chest, his nose full of that masculine smell of sweat and grass, making him dizzy.

He sucked in a deep breath, barely finding his voice, which came out laced with panic: "What... what the hell are you trying to do?!"

Wuliji's answer was so brazenly blunt it was almost offensive, like he was stating a simple fact of nature, like sunrise and sunset: "Like you, must kiss."

He paused, as if trying to remember the full sequence, then added, "And... sleep..."

"That's enough! I got it! Stop talking!!!"

Cheng Ge's voice shot up, cutting him off, his neck and the back of his ears flushed crimson, like a crab forcibly plunged into boiling water.

His head was ringing, his blood all rushing to his face. This barbarian! This shameless barbarian!

Wuliji watched his shoulders heave and that neck so red it looked ready to bleed, his frown deepening, more confused than ever: "You... don't want it?"

Want to? I want to crack your damn skull open!

Cheng Ge roared inside, grinding his teeth so hard it was audible, but he knew that fighting back now would only make things worse.

He sucked in deep, desperate breaths, trying to cool his scorching face, and forced out a twisted smile that looked worse than crying.

Slowly, painfully, he pulled his face back from Wuliji's chest just a fraction, showing half his reddened cheek and his watery eyes as he looked up at Wuliji.

"Uh... well... of course... I do want to..." He said through gritted teeth, forcing every word out while trying to sound sincere, "But... you know..."

He lifted his bound hands, the red marks on his wrists looking even more pathetic in the dim light, his voice taking on a hurt, trembling note.

"With my hands tied, I can't move... like this... it doesn't even feel good..."

As he talked, he shot Wuliji a look from those hazy, tear-filled eyes.

"Why don't you untie me first..." His voice got softer, clingier, the last word trailing up like a hook, "Untie me... then we can... get close, right?"

With that, he quickly lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together, playing innocent.

The air in the tent seemed to congeal into thick mutton fat, each breath burning hot.

Cheng Ge could almost hear his own blood rushing, a thin sheen of sweat breaking out at his temples.

Just as Cheng Ge thought he might suffocate and was about to start cursing again no matter what, Wuliji finally moved.

He didn't go for the rope right away. Instead, that big, calloused hand slowly came up and settled on Cheng Ge's cheek.

Rough fingertips, carrying undeniable heat and weight, brushed gently across Cheng Ge's burning cheek.

Cheng Ge went rigid. His instinct was to jerk away, but he forced himself to take it.

He made his tense muscles relax, even rubbing his face into that warm palm on purpose, looking up at Wuliji with hopeful eyes.

Wuliji paused. The corner of his mouth twitched up just a fraction, so quick it could've been a trick of the light.

Then, his hand finally left Cheng Ge's cheek and went for the knot at his wrists.

Cheng Ge's heart almost jumped out of his throat! Here we go! This is it!

He held his breath, every muscle tensing silently under the blanket, coiled like a spring. His brain quickly ran through the plan once he was free:

Wrists free—knee to the groin—punch him in the face—while he's stunned, roll off the bed—bolt for the tent flap—run!

Wuliji's fingers found the knot at his wrist and started working on it.

But... he untied it slowly.

Real slow.

Painfully slow.

Cheng Ge held his breath, feeling the rope around his wrists loosening little by little.

Wuliji's fingers were rough, but his movements were surprisingly gentle, working the complicated knot apart one strand at a time.

Almost there, almost there... Cheng Ge's heart pounded like a drum, loud enough to hear in the dead-silent tent.

Every muscle coiled tighter under the blanket, every nerve pulled taut, like a bowstring ready to snap.

The second the last of the rope fell away and his limbs felt free again—

Cheng Ge struck!

Like a leopard finally let loose, all his pent-up strength exploded at once!

His face, which had been sweetly nuzzling Wuliji's palm, snapped back as his right leg shot out with everything he had, aiming straight for Wuliji's unprotected crotch!

This was vicious, no mercy—the key move in his escape plan! He needed to take the guy out in one shot!

But just as his knee was about to connect, in a flash—

As if Wuliji had eyes in the back of his head, or had been waiting for this exact moment all along.

His left arm, which had been lying across Cheng Ge's, slammed down with perfect timing, blocking the deadly strike!

At the same time, the right hand that had just undone the rope clamped down hard on Cheng Ge's wrist!

Cheng Ge's heart sank—he knew he was in trouble! But he reacted fast, bending his left elbow and slamming it backward, aiming for Wuliji's ribs.

But Wuliji's speed and strength were way beyond what he'd expected—block, grab, pin, all in one smooth motion, over in a blink!

Cheng Ge felt an unstoppable, crushing force hit him from behind, and the world spun!

Before he could even see what happened, he was flipped over by a massive force and slammed face-down, hard, onto the bed!

"Ugh—!" Caught off guard, his cheek got smothered into the blanket that smelled like Wuliji, and he let out a short, muffled grunt.

He struggled hard, flailing his arms and legs, trying to throw off the heavy body on top of him, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

One arm pressed across his back, the other hand still had a death grip on his wrist,

leaving him like a fish on a cutting board—flopping around uselessly, not moving an inch.

"Motherfucker! Let me go!!!" Cheng Ge's voice came out muffled from the blanket, a furious roar with a barely hidden hint of panic.

This barbarian's moves and reflexes were way better than he'd figured!

"Star Frost!!!" He suddenly remembered his secret weapon, twisting his head desperately and shouting through the gap in the blanket, "Son! Bite him! Now! Bite this bastard to death!!!"

The little black snake coiled in Cheng Ge's collar, also startled by the commotion, snapped out of its playing-dead act at its master's call.

Its thin body shot out of Cheng Ge's collar like black lightning, landing on the bed in a flash.

It raised its pitch-black head high, faced Wuliji, who was pinning Cheng Ge down, and frantically flicked its crimson forked tongue, hissing rapid, threatening sounds.

Its pure black vertical pupils blazed with cold, sharp killing intent, locked onto Wuliji's exposed neck and arms, coiled and ready to strike, just waiting for the command.

"Bite him! Neck! Wrist! Anywhere! Now!" Cheng Ge practically roared, his eyes flashing with fierce light.

Star Frost got the order and didn't hesitate. Its thin body arched like a coiled spring, ready to launch, jaws open with tiny fangs bared, lunging viciously at Wuliji!

At that critical, split-second moment—

A soft but unmistakable click of a beak came from the side of the bed.

Star Frost, about to strike, froze mid-motion.

Its raised, murderous head turned stiffly, inch by inch, toward the sound.

There, at the edge of the bed, stood the falcon, silent.

Wings folded, amber eyes unblinking, it stared straight at Star Frost.

There was no threat in that gaze, no ferocity, barely any emotion—just pure, simple observation.

The hawk's beak opened slightly, as if by accident.

Yet it was this eerily calm stare that made Star Frost's scales, all bristling with killing intent, seem to flare up.

Its raised head sank, visibly, bit by bit… inch by inch.

Its open jaws closed silently, and the frantically flicking tongue slowly retracted.

The fierce light in its eyes receded like a tide, replaced by an almost human hesitation, uncertainty, calculation… and a hint of cowardice. Its thin body unconsciously shrank back.

"Star Frost! What are you waiting for?! Bite!" Cheng Ge shouted urgently, baffled as to why this little brat had picked the worst moment to flake out again.

Star Frost's little black head moved again. It looked at Cheng Ge, pinned and helpless, then snuck a glance at the falcon still staring at it, and finally, its gaze swept quickly over Wuliji…

Under Cheng Ge's incredulous stare, it started stiffly wiggling its body, crawling along the bed, inch by inch, back to Cheng Ge's side.

It didn't even burrow into Cheng Ge's collar like usual, but instead coiled into a small circle on the blanket next to Cheng Ge's face.

Then it buried its little black head completely into the middle of its coiled body.

Leaving only a black snake back facing everyone, and the whole world.

A perfect "I know nothing, I saw nothing, I'm just a weak, pitiful, helpless snake ball" playing-dead pose.

Cheng Ge: "…"

With his cheek pressed into the blanket, Cheng Ge watched helplessly as his "fierce beast" defected at the critical moment, going from murderous intent to instant cowardice, finally just curling up and going into self-imposed isolation.

A nearly absurd sense of powerlessness flooded over him. This snake was nothing like that guy Yun Xunyu!

What was there to be afraid of! Just go for it! Would one bite kill you?!

Cheng Ge ranted internally, staring at the pitch-black "snake ball" with the grief and fury of a disappointed mentor.

His struggling froze, then his eyes darted around. The flush of anger and frustration on his face quickly faded.

He strained to turn his head and look at Wuliji, who still held him down, his expression unreadable.

He forced the corners of his mouth into a stiff upward twitch, a fawning smile.

"…Um… uh… this…" Broken syllables squeezed out of his throat, his gaze darting, not daring to meet Wuliji's eyes.

"Ahaha… well… a little cardio before bed helps, ha, ha…"

The air went dead silent, only Cheng Ge's dry laughter echoing in the tent, painfully awkward.

Wuliji didn't laugh, and he didn't move.

He just stayed in his pinning position, his heavy gaze on Cheng Ge's face, which was putting on a brave front but couldn't hide the guilt.

"Do you… hate me?"

The fake smile on Cheng Ge's face froze instantly, his gaze getting even more evasive, looking left and right, anywhere but into Wuliji's eyes.

His throat tightened, and his voice dropped unconsciously, carrying obvious dismissiveness and guilt.

"How… how could that be… you're the number one warrior of the Northern Di, famous far and wide, I'd love you if anything…"

With that, as if afraid Wuliji would push further, he ignored how awkward his posture was, squeezed his eyes shut, and stiffened his neck: "I'm tired! Going to sleep!"

And then he really stopped moving, even his breathing deliberately steady and long.

But the expected "let-off" never came.

He felt a sudden tightness at his waist—the arm that had been pressing across his back suddenly tightened.

Then, an irresistible force hit—he was actually hoisted up by Wuliji!

The world spun, and Cheng Ge went from the stifling face-down position to lying flat on the bed.

He jolted awake, his eyes flying open, coming face-to-face with Wuliji's gaze looking down at him.

Cheng Ge: "?!?!"

Cheng Ge's pupils narrowed to pinpricks, his mouth slightly open, a short, shocked breath rumbling up from his throat.

The dim candlelight cast their closely pressed figures onto the felt tent wall, flickering with the dance of the flame—intimate and unsettling.

Wuliji watched Cheng Ge's panicked, wide-eyed expression, his face still showing little emotion.

Yet in those calm eyes, something like an undercurrent seemed to slowly churn beneath the surface.

His arm around Cheng Ge's waist slowly slid downward, and Cheng Ge's heart clenched violently, nearly stopping.

"What—what the hell are you doing?! Don't you fucking dare!!!!"