After Ghost Marriage with My Arch-Rival - Chapter 10

It wasn’t until a chill seeped into his back that Liu Xiangyi realized he had been pinned against the icy wall.

At the same time, his back struck the light switch with a sharp clack, inadvertently cutting the power. The study was instantly plunged into darkness.

The sounds of two erratic breaths gradually rose in the dark, rising and falling in turn. Both men were deliberately restraining themselves, as if the first one to make a sound would be the loser.

But even with such forced suppression, their gasps continued to echo through the pitch-black study, intertwining so closely that it was impossible to tell whose breath was heavier or whose was more ragged.

It was a contest of lungs in the dark.

Their lips were the same—nipping, biting, and sucking at one another with zero technique but plenty of aggression. They vented every ounce of their refusal to lose onto the other’s mouth.

However, a sliver of logic remained in Liu Xiangyi’s mind, whispering that this development felt somewhat off.

He wanted to end this nonsensical contest.

Last one! Just one last bite back!

He bit down on Zhong Qinhuai’s lip, intending to retreat immediately after. But in that exact moment, Zhong Qinhuai’s tongue took the opportunity to slip inside.

Liu Xiangyi: “!”

His own tongue was instantly entwined by Zhong Qinhuai’s.

Liu Xiangyi: “!!”

Fine. Fine.

So that’s how we’re playing? Going this far, are we?

Since his tongue was already caught, Liu Xiangyi refused to be outdone and tangled back with equal fervor.

The next second, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Zhong Qinhuai pressed him hard against the wall, his tongue siphoning back with matching force.

The two wet, hot tongues refused to let go, competing to see who could coil tighter, suck harder, or delve deeper—like two dying fish fighting over a final pocket of air.

By now, the spirit of competition had gone to their heads. Logic had long since fled, replaced by a desperate need to force the other to surrender. Since neither would yield, the kiss grew increasingly heated.

The wet sounds of their tangled tongues, the messy, slick noise of siphoning breath—by the end, the kiss had deepened so much that the sound of it echoed through the room.

I’m going to suffocate!

Liu Xiangyi reached up and grabbed a handful of Zhong Qinhuai’s hair while his other hand pushed hard against the man’s chest. Only then did Zhong Qinhuai reluctantly pull away.

As if suffering from a sudden withdrawal from the contact, Zhong Qinhuai kept his eyes closed, his nose still brushing against Liu Xiangyi’s. Once. Twice. It was as if this tiny bit of lingering contact was the only thing capable of soothing his inner agitation.

Liu Xiangyi had no time to worry about these subtle movements; he was struggling just to draw air into his lungs. The kid had kissed him so deeply he’d nearly passed out.

But Liu Xiangyi could hear Zhong Qinhuai’s breathing—it was just as unstable as his own. His psychological balance was instantly restored.

The contest had been too intense! It took a full ten minutes before Liu Xiangyi’s body, breath, and heart finally settled.

He slowly opened his eyes. Zhong Qinhuai’s were still shut, as if he were still immersed in the aftermath of that surge of emotion. His breathing was so messy that his long lashes were trembling slightly.

Good.

It seemed that in that bout just now, even if he hadn’t won, he certainly hadn’t lost.

Liu Xiangyi’s willow-leaf eyes curved with triumph. “President Zhong, the match is over.”

The words acted like a curse. The moment Liu Xiangyi spoke, Zhong Qinhuai’s eyes snapped open. His expression was buried in the shadows, making it hard to read. Liu Xiangyi could only feel the ghost staring at him in total silence.

Is he angry because he’s embarrassed?

But we both participated in that mess, he can’t exactly blame me, can he?

Now that he had cooled down, Liu Xiangyi realized their current position was far too intimate. He was still trapped between Zhong Qinhuai’s body and the wall, their faces so close their noses almost touched.

Feeling awkward, Liu Xiangyi looked away and tried to push him back, only to find he couldn’t budge him!

Zhong Qinhuai remained blocked in front of him like a solid, freezing wall. Then, his voice rang out in the darkness, cold and hollow: “President Liu, we haven’t determined a winner yet. Why end it so soon?”

Because they were so close, the ghostly chill in Zhong Qinhuai’s breath drifted over like a thin mist, slowly enveloping him.

Feeling even more restless, Liu Xiangyi reached out and slapped the wall switch. Click.

The lights flickered on, instantly sweeping away the lingering intimacy of the darkness. Under the sallow light, Zhong Qinhuai’s face had returned to its usual languid, carefree expression.

He stepped back as if nothing had happened, leaning against the desk. “So, President Liu, by calling for a stop, does that mean you’re admitting defeat?”

Liu Xiangyi: “?”

Does this kid actually want to keep going? We’re rivals! Is this even logical?

Liu Xiangyi scanned him suspiciously. “Don’t you think that, given our relationship, this kind of ‘contest’ is a bit excessive?”

With his back to the balcony, Liu Xiangyi didn’t notice the little crow flying in. It landed silently on the balcony railing, its golden slit-pupils looking in with confusion.

Zhong Qinhuai glanced at the crow, then shifted his gaze back to Liu Xiangyi’s face. He replied casually, “It’s just a contest. Are you that bothered by it, President Liu?”

Liu Xiangyi: “…”

From the sounds of it, Zhong Qinhuai didn’t consider what just happened to be a “kiss” at all, nor was there any romantic intent. It was purely a competition—just like when they were kids racing on the track or fighting over grades.

As absurd as it sounded, when applied to Zhong Qinhuai—the man who would race his car off a cliff just to avoid losing, it suddenly made sense to Liu Xiangyi.

Coincidentally, he felt the exact same way. He just hadn’t expected the kid to be so shameless as to kiss his arch-rival just to win.

Since he has no principles.

He glanced down at the jade pendant on his neck. Amidst the solid yellow, a tiny speck of white had appeared.

Was it because of that contest?

Liu Xiangyi offered a thin smile. “Who said I’m admitting defeat? That was just an intermission. We’ll continue next time.”

Zhong Qinhuai didn’t speak, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly as if he were smiling. If he had fired back a sarcastic remark as usual, it would have been fine, but this eerie smile gave Liu Xiangyi a subtle sense of unease.

The atmosphere felt wrong. If he stayed any longer, he’d only get more uncomfortable. Liu Xiangyi turned and left.

As soon as he was gone, the little crow flew in and landed on Zhong Qinhuai’s shoulder. It was utterly confused, but that didn’t stop its excellent eyesight; it had seen the two of them kissing in the dark study for a long time!

It had even pulled out its little notebook to see if this violated “Grandmother’s Rule Number Two.” Having reached a conclusion, it had hurried over.

“A-Huai, you k-k-kissed!” The crow stomped on his shoulder. “Grandmother said no r-r-relationships!”

A trace of hesitation crossed Zhong Qinhuai’s brow. “Is kissing the same as being in a relationship?”

He leaned lazily against the desk, his fingers tapping a slow rhythm as his dark eyes grew thoughtful. “It only counts if it’s between a couple.”

Recalling what had just transpired, his lips curled into an unconscious arc. “With President Liu, it was just a contest.”

The little crow: “?”

It tilted its head. Countless memories of their competitions flashed through its mind. Too many! A-Huai had to compete with him over everything.

Back when they were kids, if that human fell and bruised his forehead, A-Huai had to compete with that, too. But because A-Huai was a ghost-child, he had self-healing powers and couldn’t get a bruise no matter how he fell. So, he had secretly used his ghost energy to heal the human’s bruise. A-Huai said that way, he didn’t “lose.”

But here was the problem. The little crow asked worriedly, “A-Huai has never k-k-kissed anyone before. If this contest is about that, did A-Huai w-w-win?”

Zhong Qinhuai: “…”

When no reply came after a long silence, the crow tilted its head in confusion. Eh? A-Huai’s eyes and the corners of his mouth were both smiling. He looked like he was in a fantastic mood!

He definitely won!

The crow had never seen A-Huai this happy. It tilted its head further, continuing to watch in curiosity.

Suddenly, click. Zhong Qinhuai turned off the study light. In the darkness, the crow could no longer see his expression. It could only hear his nonchalant chuckle and the sound of his footsteps leaving the room.

“Next time for sure.”