That kiss seemed to break some boundary. The way the two interacted began to approach their true selves more and more.
After that, Jiang Yan's actions became increasingly bold. Although Lu Tu enjoyed it too, he never showed it, because the young lady hadn't clearly defined their relationship.
Jiang Yan developed a new form of entertainment—Lu Tu's body. She would caress his face, sometimes covering his eyes to feel the tickle of his eyelashes; sometimes touching his dry lips, poking at his soft mouth...
Lu Tu thought the young lady was just curious about his appearance. Not wanting her to feel unfulfilled due to her lack of sight, he silently endured it all, allowing her to do as she pleased.
As a result, her hand seemed to venture lower, barely grazing his Adam's apple before deftly undoing his buttons, about to slip inside.
Lu Tu froze, grabbing hold of that mischievous hand.
The young lady leaned in close, her eyes looking pure and innocent as she asked if he was feeling shy.
Lu Tu took a deep breath and said stiffly, "Only above the neck."
If you were to ask why he was so resentful, it was Jiang Yan's fault. She found it too amusing to tease Lu Tu as he allowed her to do whatever she wanted, mischievously withholding any official status from their relationship.
Lu Tu privately believed that since the young lady couldn't see, she wasn't captivated by his looks; and given her noble background, she certainly wasn't after his wealth... So, there were basically only two reasons why she might be interested in him: either pure curiosity and experimentation with male-female relationships, or genuine feelings that had developed over time.
Of course, Lu Tu was self-aware enough to believe the answer was certainly the former.
This led to Lu Tu's current conflicted state of mind. On one hand, he was completely immersed in the young lady's intimacy; on the other, he was forcing himself to maintain rationality and exercise final restraint. He worried that once her novelty wore off, she would discard him.
In fact, this indirectly indicated that if Jiang Yan were to acknowledge their relationship now, Lu Tu would agree immediately.
But Jiang Yan deliberately wouldn't.
However, Lu Tu wasn't someone to be trifled with so easily.
Before coming to Rose Manor, Lu Tu had already made a name for himself in business circles. He was known for his strategies and ruthless efficiency, with every deal he handled being successful. His actions had even propelled The Lu Family's business to new heights.
Outmaneuvering the young lady wasn't particularly difficult. All it required was his patience and subtle indulgence.
...
Jiang Yan was still in the teasing stage. When Lu Tu wouldn't let her touch him, she would do it secretly, taking advantage when he wasn't paying attention as he came close.
At these times, Jiang Yan always regretted not being able to see Lu Tu's expressions. What she didn't know was that the maid who could see was shocked by what she witnessed.
One time, as the maid came in quietly with freshly brewed tea, Jiang Yan was secretly unbuttoning Lu Tu's shirt. She thought Lu Tu was still reading and hadn't reacted because he hadn't noticed.
But the maid who entered stealthily discovered that the new butler caring for the young lady was sitting in the chair, watching her unbutton his shirt with an indulgent gaze.
Then, as the young lady undid the last button, he concealed a smile and pretended to just notice, frantically stopping her: "Young lady, you mustn't..."
The act of secretly unbuttoning, no matter how gentle, would be hard not to notice even if the owner was deeply engrossed in reading.
Jiang Yan knew this too, so she thought, hmm, Lu Tu was playing hard to get.
However, while she still thought this was just playful flirting, Lu Tu had already set a series of intimate traps for her.
It was an ordinary morning, with the early sunlight shining and a gentle breeze in the air.
On the dining table, a geometric white porcelain vase held freshly picked roses still covered in dew. Small dishes were filled with exquisite and delicious breakfast items.
As usual, Lu Tu fed Jiang Yan when she was feeling lazy.
The dumplings filled with egg, wood ear mushrooms, and vermicelli had thin skins and generous fillings, juicy and tender, their orange-yellow exteriors sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The translucent skin of the shumai dumplings clearly revealed the large, glistening egg yolk inside, along with distinct pieces of glutinous rice and shiitake mushrooms. The crescent-shaped corn and pork dumplings were rich in flavor, with savory fillings...
Lu Tu picked up a small bun, tore open a bit of the skin to let out some heat, before feeding it to Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan took a bite and chewed for a while, but as she finished, she couldn't resist biting Lu Tu's finger.
After swallowing the food, she held his finger between her teeth, gently grazing it with her small, sharp canines...
But strangely, this time Lu Tu didn't struggle.
