Su Yaoyao was still immersed in the intimate atmosphere with Reg, her heart thumping wildly out of control.

She instinctively glanced up and was shocked to see Pani standing in the doorway.

In that instant, she felt a wave of scalding heat shoot from her neck to her cheeks. Her face flushed beet red, and a single thought dominated her mind: ’Did Pani just see us kissing?!’

Pani’s face was also bright red, like a ripe tomato.

He was an absolute mess, his hands twisting the hem of his clothes so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He was clearly stunned by the scene, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Pani..." Su Yaoyao murmured his name softly, her voice laced with awkwardness and uncertainty. She wanted to explain, but she had no idea where to begin.

Pani’s rabbit ears shot up in alarm, and his voice trembled. "I-I didn’t see anything!"

The moment the words were out, he scrambled into his room. A sharp CLICK followed as he quickly locked the door, as if trying to shut out what he had just witnessed.

A sense of unease washed over Su Yaoyao. She had noticed the dark circles under Pani’s eyes and couldn’t help but worry. ’Is something wrong with him?’

With that thought, she struggled to get off Reg, wanting to go after Pani and find out what was wrong.

Reg finally glanced in the direction Pani had fled. His eyes sharpened instantly, the faint smile on his lips vanished, and a hint of displeasure crossed his face.

He could sense Su Yaoyao’s concern for Pani, and a pang of jealousy shot through him.

His arm tightened around Su Yaoyao, and he showed no intention of letting go.

Unable to break free, Su Yaoyao felt a surge of anxiety and anger. She jabbed her elbow into Reg’s stomach, her voice sharp with fury. "Let me go!"

Reg grunted, but then the corner of his mouth quirked up, as if he’d enjoyed the hit.

’This little female... she’s so timid, yet she can be so unexpectedly bold.’ Every time she showed this contrast, he found himself liking her even more.

"In such a hurry to get away from me? So you can go find Pani?" Reg’s voice was low, laced with displeasure. "Aren’t Bai Lian and I enough for you? Or do you just prefer the cute type?"

His sudden question flustered Su Yaoyao, and she grumbled to herself, ’What is he talking about?’

When the little female didn’t speak, Reg’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Answer me."

His hand gripped Su Yaoyao’s wrist, his eyes filled with possessiveness as he stared at her, as if trying to see right through her.

The grip was painful. Su Yaoyao’s eyes reddened and welled with tears. "That hurts..." she said weakly.

Only then did Reg realize he was hurting the little female, and he immediately released his grip.

Su Yaoyao seized the opportunity to wriggle out of his embrace and get back into her wheelchair.

She realized that tears were particularly effective on Reg. He seemed completely helpless the moment he saw her cry, just like when they had first met in the hallway.

Su Yaoyao put on a show of being angry, then quickly wheeled herself over to Pani’s door.

Inside his room, Pani was sitting on the edge of his bed, his entire body tense. His hands were clamped tightly over his groin, and his eyes were as wild and panicked as a trapped animal’s.

The image of Reg kissing Su Yaoyao had been like a key, unlocking the floodgates of his memory and forcing him to recall the secret he had stumbled upon the previous night.

That secret weighed on his heart like a heavy stone, robbing him of sleep and leaving him with the dark circles under his eyes.

To his profound shame, watching that intimate scene had aroused him. The physical reaction left him feeling utterly mortified.

He hadn’t known how to face Su Yaoyao, so he had rushed off to his job at the medical department at the crack of dawn, hoping work would be a distraction.

But it was no use. His mind was flooded with those images, making it impossible to concentrate. After making one mistake after another, he had no choice but to take the rest of the day off.

He never expected to walk in on yet another intimate scene the moment he got home. The desire he was already struggling to suppress came surging back, and his feelings of shame and panic reached a crescendo.

Just then, a knock echoed from the door.

Su Yaoyao’s gentle voice, full of concern, came from the other side. "Pani? You don’t look well. Is something wrong?"

Pani’s ears shot up again. He instinctively glanced down at the bulge in his pants and panicked. ’The little female absolutely cannot see this!’

His voice trembled noticeably as he blurted out, "I-I’m fine! I just didn’t sleep well last night. I-I’m going to sleep!"

Hearing this, Su Yaoyao, though still worried, didn’t want to bother him further. "Alright, then get some rest," she said softly. "Just let me know if you need anything."

She sighed in resignation and let her wheelchair glide away from Pani’s door.

When she returned to the living room, Reg was waiting. He immediately stepped forward, placing his hands on the arms of her wheelchair and leaning in. A playful smirk touched his lips as he teased, "What, done checking on your little lover?"

His words made Su Yaoyao’s temper flare, and her cheeks flushed red with anger.

She smacked his hands away, her eyes wide with indignation. "Reg, don’t be ridiculous!" she fumed. "Pani is my friend, and I was just worried about him."

Seeing her bristle like that didn’t anger Reg at all. In fact, he found it utterly adorable. His lips curved into a roguish grin as he continued to poke at her.

"Fine, fine, he’s your friend," he said. "So, if you get this worried about him, how come I never see you show that much concern for me?"

Reg’s words left Su Yaoyao speechless. Her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, becoming as plump and tempting as ripe cherries.

She averted her eyes, unable to meet his teasing gaze. Biting her lower lip, she said petulantly, "Y-you... stop making things up! How can that be the same? It’s not like you’re acting as strange as Pani is. I’m worried because he genuinely seems unwell."

She paused and snuck a peek at him. Seeing that half-smile still playing on his lips made her feel both shy and annoyed, and her voice faltered.

"Besides, you always seem so capable... it’s not like you need me to worry about you..." As she spoke, she lowered her head even further.

Reg’s gaze remained locked on Su Yaoyao as he slowly knelt down, his knees touching the floor.

He tilted his head up slightly, meeting her gaze from her position in the wheelchair. Their eyes locked, and it was as if invisible sparks flew between them.

"No matter how capable I am, I still want your concern. Knowing you care about me... that’s more important than anything."

Reg’s voice was low, each word seeming to rumble from deep within his chest, carrying a scalding intensity.

Su Yaoyao’s face instantly went crimson, the blush spreading from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Her gaze darted about in a fluster, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from being drawn back to his.

Reg’s powerful, direct words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into the softest part of her heart.

The force of his emotions sent her own heart into turmoil.