Chapter 4 : Please, please!

“Now tell me, what’s your choice?”

Chu You’s breath hitched, the heat of his breath scorching the tips of her ears.

Lin Mo’s calm tone, wrapped in warm breath, pierced into her eardrums, causing the fur on her tail to bristle.

Chu You tilted her head slightly to avoid the brush of Lin Mo’s lips, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, yet forcing out a mocking smile, “I really underestimated you before, junior. Quite the skill.”

Lin Mo didn’t back down but pressed forward, gently pressing his fingertips under her chin to force her to meet his gaze, a low laugh escaping him.

“Learned from you, senior… After all, you staged that whole fake death just to get away and roped me into your little play. Now that we’ve reunited after so long, would you really refuse such a small request as being my personal assistant?”

Chu You was momentarily speechless—what was once a mere attempt to annoy him had now become his leverage over her.

The aura of the Oracle seeped slowly from Lin Mo’s fingertips into Chu You’s body—she could feel it like invisible threads winding through her flesh and blood, carrying an irresistible pressure.

“Assistant?” Chu You sneered. “Fetching tea and water, or warming your bed to satisfy your desires?”

“Senior, your straightforwardness is just as unchanging as ever…”

Lin Mo released her chin, his fingertips trailing down the curve of her neck to rest lightly on her collarbone, tracing faint circles.

His voice was lazy but dangerous. “We can discuss the job details slowly.”

Chu You stiffened all over, flushed bright red at Lin Mo’s increasingly bold touch, but still refused to give in verbally: “I’ll get a chance to kill you.”

Lin Mo’s lips curled slightly, clearly unfazed by her threat, teasing, “If you can manage that, senior, then by all means, try. But—”

He paused for a moment.

The blackness in his eyes deepened suddenly, and the hand that had been propping against the wall dropped down, gripping Chu You’s wrist with precise strength—enough to make her slender fingers blanch.

His other hand slid down along her spine and paused in the small hollow of her waist, pressing with neither too much nor too little force.

Chu You couldn’t suppress a short whimper as her body shuddered sharply, forced to press closer against him.

Lin Mo leaned down, his nose nearly brushing hers, warm breaths mingling.

“But if you fail…” His eyes burned intensely as they locked with hers, who tried in vain to dodge his gaze. His thumb sensually caressed the delicate skin at her wrist. “You’d better be prepared for some punishment from me~”.

Chu You’s heart pounded uncontrollably, a rosy flush spreading over her cheeks.

She bit her lip, unable to respond to Lin Mo’s words immediately.

She had once been an S-level Oracle Awakened, admired and envied ever since high school.

Later, at university, her talent and strength earned her the title of “The Highland Flower of Beifu University.”

At her peak, she was nearly invincible among her peers, avoiding any unwanted attention from the opposite sex.

Even as a girl, she hadn’t found her gender to be much of a hassle.

But now…Lin Mo’s petty, encroaching moves made her uncomfortable from head to toe.

“How’s your decision, senior?” Lin Mo gave her little time to think, the Oracle aura growing sharper. “Be my assistant, or die refusing?”

Chu You hated it a hundred times over.

But the situation was beyond her control.

If she didn’t agree to Lin Mo’s demand, the best outcome would be being taken back to headquarters and detained for life.

She had no choice but to compromise… Then, once she reawakened the Oracle and restored her strength, she’d settle the score with Lin Mo, line by line.

With this thought, Chu You grit her teeth and said, “I’ll agree, but… you can’t force me to do anything against my will.”

Lin Mo nodded, “Of course, I’m very easy to get along with, senior, you know that~”.

As he spoke, he let go and stepped back half a pace.

“Assistant Chu,” Lin Mo smiled lightly, eyes fixed on her with a teasing tone, “can you make me a cup of coffee? No sugar, no milk, lots of ice.”

Chu You rubbed her aching wrist, took a deep breath, and turned toward the small kitchenette in the corner, her tail flicking in displeasure.

At this point, it was the best she could do.

At least being with this guy was safer than being hunted outside.

Chu You’s gaze gradually steadied as she turned her back to Lin Mo.

Lin Mo, we’ll play this out… slowly.

She picked up the kettle, her fingers tightening slightly, and shot a venomous glare at Lin Mo’s retreating figure.

The aroma of coffee gradually filled the air, mingling with a faint scent of orchids.

“Coffee’s ready.”

Her fluffy tail flicked lightly as Chu You carried the coffee over to Lin Mo, her eyes full of disgust and her tone curt.

“Thanks,” Lin Mo took the cup and sipped, nodding slightly.

“Not bad, though the beans are mediocre.”

“Mountain pigs don’t eat fine bran…” Chu You muttered under her breath, then turned to sit back down at the edge of the sofa, her plush fox tail twitching awkwardly as she searched for a comfortable position.

All because of that bastard Lin Mo!

He knew the Oracle stimulation would cause her demonic bloodline to go haywire, and now her tail wouldn’t retract.

She had tried repeatedly but failed, forced to glare at Lin Mo from across the room while secretly cursing him in every way she knew.

Lin Mo gently set down his coffee cup and met Chu You’s hostile gaze with a smile growing ever more amused. “Senior’s glare is filthy, but this tail…”

He trailed off, stepping closer, bending down to whisper in her ear, “Senior, you can’t retract it, can you?”

Chu You turned her face away, ears flushed, but her tail honestly thrashed anxiously against the sofa.

She knew perfectly well that an out-of-control bloodline needed Oracle guidance to calm its restlessness.

But with her own Oracle dormant, the only way to retract her tail was to wait for the bloodline to calm naturally, or…

Ask Lin Mo, that dog, for help.

“Looks like you’re planning to keep this tail and be my assistant, huh?” Lin Mo’s eyes gleamed with amusement as his finger brushed the tailtip, sending a shiver through her.

Chu You shivered violently and bit her lip, growling softly, “…Help me!”

Lin Mo chuckled lowly, his breath brushing her ear. “When you beg, you should sound like you mean it.”

“…I beg you.” The words barely squeezed through her teeth.

A warm palm suddenly covered the base of her tail, Oracle power flowing in like a soothing current.

Chu You hummed softly, her body going limp, about to collapse—only to be caught by Lin Mo’s sharp eyes who pulled her into his embrace.

“Senior’s body is getting so soft~”.

His fingers gently stroked Chu You’s arm, his teasing voice whispered by her ear.

Chu You blushed as if bleeding, biting her teeth and glaring at Lin Mo, anger thick in her tone: “Stay away from me, get lost!”

If not for her dormant Oracle, she would never have let Lin Mo hold such power over her.

Lin Mo blinked—he could tell Chu You was genuinely angry, so he quickly released her and silently took a few steps back.

Dealing with Chu You required a mix of softness and hardness.

This was a lesson he’d learned over four years tailing Chu You around university like a mascot.

“All right, down to business,” Lin Mo’s expression suddenly changed, his tone turning serious.

“I was transferred here as the Binhai Branch Director for a secret mission.”

Just as expected, the moment Chu You heard the words “secret mission,” her earlier resentment vanished, replaced by full attention.

“Oh?” Chu You shifted slightly, inching closer to Lin Mo. “Is there really a secret mission in Binhai worth deploying a Jinwu-level Swordsman?”

Lin Mo nodded, lowering his voice again. “Binhai is close to the border, development is average, easy to defend but hard to attack, so it doesn’t attract much attention.”

“Because of that, someone chose this place to secretly conduct experiments.”

He paused, his tone laced with coldness and anger.

“Vice President’s secret order… there are people in Binhai secretly conducting controlled anomaly experiments.”

At those words, Chu You shot up from the sofa, staring at Lin Mo in disbelief.

“Seriously?”

Who would dare conduct such inhumane experiments?!

But Lin Mo nodded firmly. “We’ve found some leads. Next, we need to infiltrate the Experimental High School of Binhai for a thorough investigation.”

Hearing this, Chu You blinked in confusion, then sized up Lin Mo, unable to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

“…Ahem, so you want to relive your high school days, huh?”

She was already imagining Lin Mo in a high school uniform.

Lin Mo showed no reaction to her teasing, just stared straight at her with a slowly rising smirk.

Chu You’s laughter faded abruptly.

Seeing Lin Mo’s ambiguous smile, her heart skipped a beat.

“You—you don’t mean…” she tentatively asked, “You want me to go back and redo school?”

She stared at Lin Mo expectantly, silently praying he’d say no.

But—Lin Mo lightly clapped his hands.

“Bingo.”