Chapter 20: Stage Two - Horny Gorilla

Lumi stared at him, her face slowly turning red.

’Did he just say kiss?’

She looked at Evan’s face, then at the hand still resting around her waist. He looked exhausted, his breathing uneven, and his eyes still carried that strange, hazy look from before.

’Does Rampage have stages? Like Stage one: angry gorilla.’

Her eyes slowly widened.

’Stage two: horny gorilla?’

Lumi immediately began to panic. She tried to wiggle herself free from Evan’s hold, but his arm around her waist didn’t budge.

"Young Master Caesar... listen carefully..." She raised both hands helplessly, her mind scrambling to figure out what she was supposed to say.

"Err... I don’t know how Guides usually do their guiding. Is it kissing or skin-to-skin... ahem..." Her voice became smaller. "I mean, any kind of physical interaction... I don’t have any experience with either of them..."

But Evan continued looking at her with a blank expression, as though he hadn’t heard a single word she had said.

Lumi felt completely hopeless.

’If I don’t do something, what if he turns into that angry gorilla again?’ She let out a long, resigned sigh.

"Okay... let’s try a kiss. Just once..." Her cheeks burned as she slowly leaned closer.

’It’s only to calm him down. That’s all. It’s not like I’m actually trying to kiss him!’ She paused just before their lips touched and locked eyes with Evan once again. ’Right?’

But at that exact moment, she caught something.

Just for a brief second, Evan’s eyes twitched, followed by the faintest movement at the corner of his mouth, as though he were struggling to keep himself from answering her.

Lumi blinked. ’Huh?’

Before she could figure out what she had just seen, Evan’s expression returned to its usual blankness.

’Did I imagine that?’ She hesitated for another second before finally deciding she was probably just too nervous. ’Whatever. I’ll think about it later.’

Then she closed her eyes and leaned in before leaving a quick peck on his lips.

The moment she pulled away, she blinked, her whole face turning red like a prawn being cooked.

"Ah, haha... here goes your kiss."

She smiled awkwardly. ’Does it work? Say it works... say it works...’

Evan remained completely still.

Lumi’s smile slowly disappeared.

’It didn’t look like it was working...’ She was just about to ask if he felt better when Evan suddenly lowered his head.

His lips curved into a faint smile.

Lumi’s eyes widened. "Sorry?"

Before she could react, Evan’s hand tightened around her waist, pulling her closer as he leaned in again.

Their lips met and this time, there was nothing hesitant about it.

Lumi’s mind went completely blank.

’W-Wait—’

His other hand came up to the back of her head, gently holding her in place as he deepened the kiss, leaving her no time to process what was happening. The warmth of his lips and the steady pressure of his embrace made her fingers instinctively clutch the front of his clothes.

’What is he doing?!’

Her face burned even hotter.

Before Lumi could pull away, Evan parted her lips and pushed his tongue in, his movements unexpectedly steady despite how exhausted he had looked moments ago.

Lumi’s fingers instinctively tightened around his clothes. Her mind went completely blank for a second.

Then, like the worst possible memory at the worst possible moment, the streamer’s words suddenly resurfaced in her mind.

’The closer... the warmer... the wetter... the better.’

Lumi’s eyes widened.

’THE WETTER THE BETTER?!’

Her entire face felt like it was on fire.

’So that’s what she meant?!’

She had barely finished the thought when Evan finally pulled away.

Lumi stood there completely stunned, staring at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

’What just happened...?’

Evan looked at her for one brief moment. When his eyes suddenly closed and his entire body suddenly went limp.

"Young Master Caesar?" Lumi barely managed to catch him as he collapsed against her.

She stared down at his unconscious face.

"You..." Her cheeks became even redder. "You kissed me like that and then just fainted?!" She looked at him helplessly. "I guess it worked?"

Before she could figure out what to do next, a loud engine suddenly echoed between the buildings.

Lumi looked up.

A transport aircraft flew over the rooftop, followed by another one close behind it. The bright afternoon sunlight reflected off their metal frames as they circled above the buildings.

"There!"

Someone shouted from above.

"They’re on that rooftop!"

Lumi’s eyes dimmed as she finally spotted the aircraft.

"Ah... thank God..."

The moment the tension left her body, she simply flopped down onto the rooftop and let out several exhausted sighs.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the first few seconds of peace she had experienced all day.

Then she opened them again, only to be greeted by Leon Caesar landed right in front of her.

"Oh gosh—!"

Lumi nearly jumped out of her skin as she clutched her chest.

’Why do all these Sentinels love jumping?!’

Leon straightened and immediately looked at her with concern.

"Are you okay, Miss Ce—" He stopped.

His eyes moved over her face, and he suddenly remembered the words she had spoken in the hall earlier. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that the girl in front of him was Lumi Pei.

His expression changed slightly. "I guess you are Miss Lumi Pei?"

Lumi blinked.

Leon glanced at the unconscious Evan beside her before looking back at her. "Evan’s Fated Guide?"

Lumi nodded hesitantly.

"I..." She gulped, trying to think of the right words to say.

But what could she possibly say?

No matter how she explained herself, it wouldn’t change the fact that the Pei family had tried to deceive the Caesar family by replacing Evan’s Fated Guide with another daughter.

Lumi lowered her gaze. Her fingers nervously curled against her dress.

"I’m sorry..." The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Leon’s brows furrowed. "Why are you apologizing?"

’Of course because my family caused all this trouble...?’

She glanced at Evan again.

"This... shouldn’t have happened if..." Her voice trailed off.

What could she possibly say? No words could make up for the chaos that had already happened today, especially after the Pei family had tried to deceive the Caesar family and replace Evan’s Fated Guide with someone else.

Lumi lowered her gaze.

"I’m just... very sorry for everything that happened."

She struggled to push herself to her feet, her legs still weak from everything she had gone through. Once she managed to stand, she took a breath and bowed deeply.

"On behalf of the Pei family, I apologize for everything that happened today."