The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat

Li Ji heard Hua Manman’s inner thoughts.

He never expected that the price for neutralizing the poison in his body would be to make Hua Manman’s heart ache as if pierced by a knife.

And that reclusive master she mentioned, the one called the System, didn’t seem to want him to live.

If the System and he were enemies, what role did Hua Manman play between them?

Judging by the fact that she would rather sacrifice herself to cure him, she had to be on his side.

At this thought, Li Ji’s feelings were incredibly complex.

He had always believed himself to be strong, someone who didn’t need protecting.

And he had always acted accordingly.

On the battlefield and in his daily life, he was always so domineering and overbearing that others kept their distance.

But ever since he met Hua Manman, she had helped and protected him time and again.

Li Ji couldn’t help but ask.

"Why?"

Hua Manman didn’t understand. "Why what?"

Li Ji leaned in close, his eyes locked on hers as he asked, word by word.

"Why are you so good to me?"

He was far too close; the tip of his nose nearly brushed against hers.

The powerful aura emanating from him enveloped her completely.

It was like a great net, trapping her so tightly she could barely breathe.

It left her with nowhere to run, with no choice but to surrender.

Hua Manman’s breathing grew ragged, and her cheeks began to burn.

She leaned her head back, trying desperately to put some distance between them as she spoke.

"You are my husband. Naturally, I must be good to you."

But the next moment, Li Ji moved even closer.

The distance she had just created was instantly closed by him.

Li Ji’s eyes remained locked on her, as if he had cornered his most desired prey.

"If I weren’t your husband, you wouldn’t be this good to me, would you?"

Hua Manman was at a loss for words.

’What a bizarre question! Who asks something like that?’

Their breaths mingled.

The air around them seemed to grow several degrees warmer.

Hua Manman felt incredibly uncomfortable.

She tried to lean back again, but she went too far and tumbled backward onto the bed.

Li Ji followed like a shadow, his tall frame covering hers, pinning her firmly beneath him.

Hua Manman instinctively raised her hands to his chest, trying to push him away.

’Unfortunately, this dog of a man was too heavy; she couldn’t budge him at all.’

Li Ji stared down at her and asked.

"Why won’t you answer?"

Feeling helpless, Hua Manman tried to reason with the man.

"If you weren’t my husband, I would have nothing to do with you. I wouldn’t even know what you look like, so how could I possibly be good to you?"

But Li Ji seemed fixated on the point, determined to get a clear answer.

He pressed on, "So you’re saying that if I weren’t your husband, if you had married another man, you would be just as good to him as you are to me?"

Hua Manman had originally planned to get by with some sweet nothings.

After all, cheesy pickup lines were her specialty.

But when she met his gaze, which was so earnest it bordered on obsessive, the lie on the tip of her tongue vanished.

Her intuition told her this question was very important to him, and she couldn’t just brush it off.

So, Hua Manman adopted a serious attitude as well and answered honestly.

"Let’s assume I married another man..."

The words had barely left her lips when she saw him narrow his eyes, his gaze instantly turning dangerous.

Hua Manman was exasperated.

"Don’t look at me like that. It’s just a hypothetical.

Besides, you were the one who brought it up. I’m just following your lead."

Li Ji suppressed his displeasure and gestured for her to continue.

Hua Manman said, "Let’s assume I married another man, and he was as good to me as you are. Then, naturally, I would be willing to be good to him in return.

But if he didn’t treat me well, of course I wouldn’t think much of him.

That’s how it is between people. You’re good to me, I’ll be good to you. It’s all reciprocal."

’She felt her answer was perfectly objective and sincere, just not very pleasant-sounding.’

Sure enough, after hearing her answer, Li Ji’s eyes filled with obvious displeasure.

"So I’m not unique in your heart, then."

Hua Manman asked humbly, "When you say ’unique,’ what kind of unique do you mean?"

Li Ji himself didn’t know what kind of "unique" he wanted.

He didn’t even know why he had suddenly become so fixated on this question.

In the past, he would never have cared what others thought of him, nor would he have cared who they held in their hearts.

But now, he desperately wanted to know: what place did he truly hold in Hua Manman’s heart?

Li Ji looked at the woman just inches away. His gaze swept over her face before finally landing on her lips.

Her lips were small. Normally they were rosy, full, and glossy, like tempting little cherries. But today, they were so pale they were bloodless, and they didn’t look as delectable or delicate as usual.

Yet he still felt the urge to take a bite.

He never denied himself anything. If he wanted to do it, he did it.

Before Hua Manman could even react, her lips were bitten—not too hard, not too soft.

After biting her, Li Ji still wouldn’t let her go, brushing his lips against hers a couple more times.

The movement was so tender and lingering that Hua Manman’s heart began to pound.

Her brain instantly short-circuited. She froze, completely still.

Like a salted fish, baked stiff.

Li Ji felt the softness of her lips.

Her lips were a little cool, and they carried the faint scent of medicinal broth.

Logically, the taste shouldn’t have been very pleasant.

But still, he couldn’t bear to pull away.

He just wanted to stay pressed against her like this, forever.

At that moment, if Li Ji still didn’t understand what his heart wanted, he’d truly be a fool.

After a long moment, the two finally separated.

Li Ji looked at her intently and said in a low, husky voice.

"This is the kind of unique I mean."

Hua Manman stared at him blankly.

’I can understand every word he’s saying, so why can’t I understand them when they’re put together?’

’What does he mean, "this kind of unique"?’

’Does he mean I can only kiss him?’

’If that’s the case, he doesn’t need my permission.’

’I’m his nanny. He can kiss me whenever he wants; no one can say a word against it.’

Li Ji heard her inner monologue and knew she had gotten the wrong idea again.

But it didn’t matter.

Sooner or later, he would make her understand.

Hua Manman felt the man’s gaze on her was strange, like a large dog sizing up a savory meat bone, debating where to take the first bite.

Li Ji, who heard her thoughts: "..."