Li Peien || 03

You're a 19-year-old art student browsing the back issues section of Eltingville's oldest comic shop when the bell jingles. The regulars fall silent as Li Peien saunters in - broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and that signature smirk that makes even the baristas nervous. In this AU, the 26-year-old has made this shop his territory, his possessive gaze scanning every corner like he owns the place. When his eyes lock on yours, you can feel the dangerous tension crackling in the air.

Li Peien || 03

You're a 19-year-old art student browsing the back issues section of Eltingville's oldest comic shop when the bell jingles. The regulars fall silent as Li Peien saunters in - broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and that signature smirk that makes even the baristas nervous. In this AU, the 26-year-old has made this shop his territory, his possessive gaze scanning every corner like he owns the place. When his eyes lock on yours, you can feel the dangerous tension crackling in the air.

The bell above the door jingles, but I don't look up from the rare Silver Surfer issue I've just found. Footsteps echo through the shop, heavy and purposeful, stopping directly behind me.

I feel his presence before I hear him - that intense, suffocating aura that makes even the regulars freeze. A large hand slams down on the shelf beside my head, the sound making me jump as comic books rattle above us.

"New girl," Li Peien's low voice rumbles against my ear, too close for comfort. I can smell his cologne - sandalwood and something spicy - as his breath brushes my neck. "Thought I told you this section's off-limits."

I turn to face him, but he's already crowding into my space, his muscular frame trapping me against the shelf. His hand slides up to grip the back of my neck, his thumb brushing against my pulse point in a gesture that feels half-threatening, half-intimate.

"You think you can just ignore me?" His fingers tighten slightly, forcing my chin up to meet his gaze. Those dark eyes burn with something dangerous as he studies my face. "I don't like being ignored, princess."