Mischievous Kiss: Opportunity Always Fleets Away

Ye Mengfu attentively assisted with the supporting tasks.

Watching Lin Yu’s charcoal pencil glide effortlessly, naturally sketching curves, her admiration for him grew even deeper.

The strokes, the side-sweeping brushwork, the blooming watercolor washes…

Every step, every meticulous detail, felt as though the brush had landed directly on her heart.

Even the slightly classical painting technique mirrored her own habits perfectly.

Could such a coincidence really exist?

In this world, there was someone whose philosophy of painting and creative style… resonated with hers so completely!

And what’s more.

This person just happened to live under the same roof?

"♪ I can’t find a good reason~~♪ to resist this intimacy~~♪"

"♪ This feeling is so strange~~♪ I’m sorry I can’t explain~~♪"

"♪ I believe in this definition of love~~♪ Maybe miracles can happen too~~♪"

"♪ The wind carries a gentle clarity~~♪ Perhaps it’ll bring good news~~♪"

"……"

Somehow.

The scent of watercolor pigments in the air seemed to grow sweeter.

In her ears.

The melody of her favorite song from her youth seemed to play faintly.

Back then, she had been naive, simply thinking the song was catchy and the drama enjoyable.

But today…

She suddenly felt she understood what the melody and lyrics were truly expressing.

Lin Yu turned to look at her.

Making Ye Mengfu’s heart skip a beat.

Lin Yu spoke softly:

"Little Fufu…"

"Aren’t you going to answer your phone?"

Ye Mengfu: "Huh!? Ph-phone…"

Oh… there was no automatically playing BGM!

It was her phone ringing!

Glancing at the unfamiliar number, Ye Mengfu quickly hung up.

"S-sorry…"

"D-did I disturb you…?"

As an artist herself.

Ye Mengfu understood all too well.

How much one disliked being interrupted when immersed in the flow of painting.

Lin Yu didn’t seem bothered.

Instead, he latched onto the ringtone and smiled:

"It Started with a Kiss?"

Ye Mengfu pressed her lips together and nodded sheepishly.

Of course.

When this drama had exploded on TV, Little Fufu would’ve been around fifteen or sixteen.

It wasn’t just young girls who loved it—Lin Yu had watched it too.

Lin Yu’s thoughts shifted, and he said:

"Haven’t heard this song in so long, it’s such a nostalgia trip."

"Little Fu, could you play it again?"

Ye Mengfu obediently unlocked her phone.

After a moment’s thought.

She connected it to the small speaker by the easel.

Truth be told.

She often played music while painting too.

The theme song of It Started with a Kiss, "Mischievous," began playing once more.

In the room.

Another layer of "warm, sweet melody" buff was added.

Lin Yu returned to his painting…

A few minutes later.

"Just one last touch, on the bunny’s head…"

Ye Mengfu watched with rapt attention.

The still-wet painting depicted an incredibly lifelike little rabbit.

She felt that even if she were to paint it herself, she couldn’t possibly match Lin Yu’s skill.

(Lin Yu: Just psychological bias.)

In the final stage, Lin Yu added… a hairpin to the bunny’s head?

Ye Mengfu tilted her head. "A hairpin…?"

After setting down his brush.

Lin Yu pulled a few hairpins from his pocket.

One of them was identical to the one in the painting:

"On my way home, I passed by ‘Sanfu’ and saw these hairpins at the entrance."

"They just felt like they’d suit you."

"So…"

"May I put one on you?"

Lin Yu stumbled over his words slightly.

This time.

He deliberately avoided his usual commanding tone, opting for a sincere request instead.

Ye Mengfu looked at the hairpin in the painting.

Then at the identical one in Lin Yu’s hand.

For a moment.

She completely forgot why she had bought the little rabbit in the first place.

Maybe it was the perfect lighting in the room.

Or perhaps the sweet melody in the background.

Ye Mengfu slipped her hand into her pocket and happened to touch the Wheel of Fortune card.

Freedom, romance.

Peace, tranquility.

Lin Yu’s definition of beauty, mingled with the song’s lyrics, floated through Ye Mengfu’s mind.

As if guided by some unseen force.

Ye Mengfu found herself leaning her head forward slightly.

Is this a dream?

She wondered.

It must be.

She’d had dreams like this twice before.

It felt familiar, yet still carried a faint flutter of emotion.

Lin Yu’s gentle movements as he fastened the hairpin felt eerily similar to the touch she’d experienced in those dreams.

Once the hairpin was in place.

Lin Yu guided Ye Mengfu by the shoulders to the mirror hanging on the wall:

"Don’t judge my taste too harshly—I’m not exactly an expert on girly things."

"But in my straight-male opinion, this looks lovely."

Whether the hairpin was actually pretty or not didn’t matter!

What mattered was the sentiment, the atmosphere!

After learning the contents of the trial task, Lin Yu wasn’t foolish enough to rely solely on his painting skills.

If it were truly that easy.

Could he just scribble a stick figure and expect Ye Mengfu to be won over?

Skills were important, yet unimportant.

This soul-cultivation trial was testing… whether he could use the skills he’d acquired at the perfect moment, in the perfect way.

Painting a rabbit today had been entirely spontaneous.

But whether it was a rabbit, a cat, a dog, or even a horse… it absolutely had to have a hairpin on its head!!

As for the results…

[Ding!]

【Genius move, a dreamlike gift, perfect atmosphere—just one step away from a soul-bonding vow!】

【Reward: 20 spirit stones】

Ye Mengfu touched the hairpin on her head.

Just as Lin Yu had guessed, she didn’t care about the design of the hairpin.

Her mind was preoccupied with one thought:

Now, she owed him another gift.

It seemed like these debts of gratitude would never be repaid.

And maybe… that wasn’t such a bad thing.

"Thank you… Lin Yu."

"It’s… very pretty."

Ye Mengfu turned to face him, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes as she sincerely expressed her gratitude.

Lin Yu was watching her with gentle warmth.

The atmosphere in the room, combined with the dreamlike experience, made her hesitate longer than usual before averting her eyes.

Lin Yu keenly seized this signal…

Opportunity.

It’s fleeting, and there are no second chances.

It might never come at all.

But when it does appear…

You must hold onto it tightly!

"Xiao Fu…"

Lin Yu called her name softly.

Ye Mengfu already sensed what would happen next.

This kind of solitude.

This kind of mood.

This kind of ambiguity.

This kind of fantasy.

She raised her head, meeting Lin Yu’s intense gaze, while a melody echoed in her ears…

"♪Everything feels new~~♪ A little risky~~♪"

"♪Tell me how to reach the end~~♪"

"♪No one understands~~♪ No one knows this love between strangers like I do~~♪"

When she felt Lin Yu’s arm slip around her waist, pulling her closer,

Ye Mengfu "instinctively" closed her eyes, fists clenched tight in nervous anticipation.

She expected a bold, possessive kiss to land on her lips.

But instead…

It was a tender press against her forehead!

Huh?

Instantly, the tension in her body melted away.

She felt both respected and protected,

while also savoring Lin Yu’s thoughtfulness and warmth.

Without realizing it, she lifted her arms and gently wrapped them around him…