Chapter 280 The Paranoid Painter 10 The air conditioning was turned down, and the studio did indeed cool down.

Jin Ye's hand moved faster and faster as he painted, and his brushstrokes became increasingly bold and unrestrained.

The red spider lilies bloom on the canvas, their crimson color so vibrant it's almost blood-red, their beauty dazzling.

His gaze couldn't leave Zi Xi's nape, where a fine sheen of sweat trickled down her graceful curves and into her collar.

"Don't move yet, let's stay still for a while..."

His voice was deep.

Zi Xi did indeed feel unusually hot, and a strange desire made her body restless.

What's wrong with me today? Is the air conditioner broken...? It's so hot!

She thought to herself, her breathing quickening involuntarily.

Jin Ye clearly caught this thought, and with the multiple stimulations of sight and smell, his self-control was crumbling.

He was breathing heavily, put down his paintbrush, and walked step by step toward Zi Xi.

When his fingers gently touched the back of her neck, they both trembled slightly.

The skin there was incredibly hot, and sticky with sweat.

Zi Xi wanted to get up and avoid this overly intimate contact.

"Don't move...it's not finished yet..."

But Jin Ye gently pressed his hand on her shoulder.

His fingertips, stained with bright red paint, slowly traced a phantom stem of a spider lily down her spine.

Zi Xi gasped, the sensation both icy and burning sent a shiver down her spine.

"Look, isn't it beautiful?"

He gently turned her toward the canvas.

Against the dark background of the canvas, her silhouette is graceful and fragile, while the surrounding spider lilies are eerily red, trembling slightly as if they were alive.

The whole painting exudes a dangerous yet alluring aura, as does its scent.

Driven by both the effects of the drug and his creative passion, Jin Ye could no longer resist leaning down to smell the flowers, his lips gently touching the spider lilies painted on the back of her neck.

A faint hiss escaped from Zi Xi's throat.

She should push him away and escape this blatant transgression.

But her feverish body betrayed her reason, and she leaned back into his arms instead.

This response acted as the final catalyst.

Jin Ye turned her around and kissed her lips fiercely.

That wasn't a gentle probing, but a desperate craving, like a drowning person seeking oxygen, a biting and devouring.

The smell of paint filled the air, mingling with the sweat and panting of the two men.

In the studio, the spider lilies in the paintings bloom as if they possess a spirit.

Both of their rational defenses collapsed completely.

The paintbrush rolled to the ground, spilling paint and leaving dazzling marks on the floor.

On the large workbench, amidst scattered sketches and a blanket, two bodies driven by the effects of drugs and desire finally came together.

Jin Ye never imagined, nor would he allow, anyone to get so close, and Zi Xi never imagined she would be so unrestrained.

But now all boundaries have blurred, leaving only the most primal desires and possessions.

The effects of the medication gradually wore off as night fell.

Jin Ye woke up to find himself and Zi Xi lying in each other's arms on the carpet in the art studio, surrounded by a mess.

Zi Xi slept soundly in his arms, her face still wet with tears.

Memories flooded back of what had just happened, and Jin Ye felt a surge of panic.

He gently got up and covered Zixi with his coat, then gazed at the painting that had triggered everything.

Against the backdrop of dawn in the painting, the red spider lilies on her neck are breathtakingly vibrant, and Bai Zixi's silhouette exudes an unprecedented gentleness.

It's still so beautiful; it's undoubtedly a masterpiece.

But there's clearly something wrong with the taste.

Zi Xi stirred slightly and opened her eyes, still sleepy.

The moment their eyes met, awkwardness and shyness filled the air.

She hurriedly got up and straightened her clothes, not daring to look him in the eye.

“Last night, I… I know this sounds like I’m making excuses, but there really was something wrong with those paints…”