Chapter 9 · The Genius Likes Me, Not the School Belle

Chapter 9

Sidling up to Chloe, Ryan was practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "Chloe, I came across a new position yesterday. Let's test it out tonight, shall we?"Chloe gave a nod but added a condition, "But we have to switch hotels.""Are you having an allergic reaction again?" Panic instantly seized Ryan. He reached out to inspect her limbs, spotting the faint red marks right away.His hands then moved to tug at her collar for a closer look, but Chloe caught his wrists before he could get far."Check that at the hotel." She gently pushed away his restless hands."Is there even any hotel left for us to switch to?" Ryan groaned, looking totally defeated.That topic opened a floodgate of grievances.Ryan slumped, his face twisting into a sour mask of complaint. "In the last two months, we've slept in every single hotel and motel around. Forty!"If it's not you getting an allergy, it's you complaining about the sheets. We haven't managed to visit a single place twice."Yesterday, at that five-star place, I specifically ordered disinfection cycles in advance, and you still reacted."Chloe, we're driving 16 miles out just to find a room now. Do you realize how much time that wastes? The drive alone takes long enough for us to go another round."Chloe fell silent.It truly was a thorny issue.Her sensitive constitution meant that even familiar bedding could suddenly cause discomfort on a whim. Whether she could get a good night's sleep was entirely a roll of the dice."Constantly booking hotels really isn't sustainable." Lowering her gaze, she thought it over for a moment. "Why not find an agent and rent a place nearby?""Rent?" Ryan paused, confusion knitting his brow. "Why not just go to my place?""Your place? Don't you live in the dorms?" Chloe asked, genuinely surprised.Ryan shook his head, the answer coming to him as a matter of fact. "I've never lived in the dorms."Before high school, he had lived at home with a dedicated driver. After that, his family had simply purchased a property near the school, so he could live comfortably and do whatever he wanted.It was only then that Chloe recalled that Ryan was a genuine trust fund kid.She didn't hesitate. "Then let's go to your place from now on.""Why wait?" Ryan grabbed her hand, sounding both eager and excited. "Let's go right now."Ryan's apartment was a mere fifteen-minute drive from campus. It was a spacious three-bedroom place, tastefully furnished with a touch of elegance, and the security was tight that there was no need to worry about privacy leaks.Before Chloe could even take in the layout of the living room, Ryan had grabbed her wrist and dragged her straight into the bedroom.Fingers pressing the switch on the bedside table, the motorized curtains glided shut, plunging the once-bright room into sudden darkness.With vision obstructed, the surroundings became foreign and unknown. The only reality was the figure leaning over her, radiating a familiar, searing heat that trapped her completely."Ryan, turn on the light first." Chloe pushed lightly against his chest, her voice betraying her discomfort with the dark."Can't wait. Let's do this once, and I'll turn it on after," Ryan said, his voice rough with impatience.He was breathing hard, pressed up against her, his urgency obvious. Before Chloe could say anything else, he leaned in, pinned her down, and got right to it.Chloe was long used to his broken promises.Ryan's definition of "once" had always been "countless times."By the end, her entire body ached, her limbs weak. Even speaking required a gasp of effort, her voice soft as she urged him on, "Hurry...""What's wrong?" Ryan panted against her skin, his nose nuzzling the hollow of her neck. "Uncomfortable?""Thirsty." Her breathing was more ragged than his, her dry lips pressing together.Ryan reached up to touch her mouth. The dryness against his fingertips made him immediately loosen his grip. "Wait. I'll get you some water."Midway through intimacy, Chloe always craved water.In hotels, he always prepared warm water in advance, but today, in his excitement to bring her back to his "den," he had completely forgotten.As soon as he strode into the kitchen, it belatedly dawned on Ryan that he had never developed the habit of boiling water.Sure enough, a frantic search of the fridge and cupboards yielded nothing but iced and room-temperature bottles. Not a drop of hot water was to be found.The heat still lingered in his body, and the restlessness inside him was only getting worse.Snatching a bottle of room-temperature mineral water, Ryan twisted off the cap and sprinted back to the bedroom."Chloe, there's no hot water at my place. Make do with room temp?" He lifted the back of her head, guiding the bottle to her lips.The moment the cool liquid touched her mouth, she turned her head away. "No. I don't want cold.""It's room temperature, not cold," Ryan coaxed, trying to be patient."To me, room temperature is cold." Chloe dodged again, looking up to issue a command. "Go boil some water. Now.""Right now?" Ryan looked at her in disbelief. "Seriously, Chloe, look at me, I'm literally dying here, and you want me to go heat up water?"Chloe didn't budge, her voice steady. "Ryan, I can't drink cold water. It gives me a stomachache."Ryan was instantly struck speechless.As he looked at her red-rimmed eyes and parched lips, his irritation evaporated. He gritted his teeth and grumbled, "Chloe, you really are such a handful."No way he'd actually stop in the middle of sex just to heat up water.Ryan tilted his head back and took a large swig of the mineral water, holding it in his mouth to warm it for a few seconds. Then, leaning down, he transferred it to her lips.The warm fluid slid down her throat, quenching the thirst and dissolving some of the feverish urgency.As the dryness faded, Chloe reached up, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, her voice laced with desire. "That's enough. Let's continue."The bedroom lights didn't flicker back on until it was all over.Night had fallen outside. Through the cracks in the curtains, the faint glow of the city spilled into the room.Ryan lay sprawled across the massive bed, bare as the day he was born. He lounged in total comfort, not an ounce of shame in his posture, his mind entirely consumed by scrolling through his phone.

Chapter 9