Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh and cry when she heard his words. “When we just got off the plane, I wanted to help you, but didn’t you refuse me, insisting you could do it on your own?”
“It was fine when we got off the plane, but now it really hurts.”
The young woman tilted her head up, meeting his dark eyes. A playful smile curved her lips as she softly teased, “Your knee hurts so much that you want me to help you take a bath? Or do you want me to sleep with you?”
Pei Chen’s gaze fell on her snowy neck.
The heat made his Adam’s apple dry, “Hmm.”
She smiled, “Keep dreaming.”
“…”
She snorted lightly, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Does he think she’s a fool? Pretending to need night care?
His intentions were as obvious as daylight.
Feeling him pull her closer, the young woman met his restrained gaze, ripples of amusement surfacing in her eyes. She smiled, “Pei Chen, why is it that all you can think about now is this kind of thing? You used to just drop me off at my apartment without even coming upstairs, and now you’re this bad.”
This guy was practically desperate to get into her room, even wanting to share the same bed.
Pei Chen’s thin lips tightened as she teased him.
Ever since they’d gotten closer, that intoxicating feeling had become addictive, impossible to forget. Before they started dating, he hadn’t realized this at all.
The young woman huffed arrogantly, “Go take your bath honestly. I’m not helping you.”
After speaking, Liang Zhiyi saw the disappointment on his face, looking like a big puppy with its head drooping, and couldn’t help but laugh.
How could someone be so lovable?
If it had been last year when she was chasing after him, she would never have imagined he’d be like this today.
She helped him take out clean clothes from the suitcase and handed him a bottle of shower gel she had bought. “The guest bathroom doesn’t have any shower gel left. Go ahead and wash up, I’ll tidy up the luggage.”
He took it, his voice low, “Okay.”
She suppressed a laugh and walked towards the bedroom. After a while, she heard footsteps outside, likely him obediently returning to the guest room.
A few minutes later, she stepped out of the bedroom to grab something, only to find the bottle of shower gel sitting on the coffee table.
She was momentarily stunned before she realized what was going on.
Oh boy, was he playing tricks on her?
She chuckled, picked up the shower gel, and walked to the guest room. Standing at the bathroom door, she knocked.
The door quickly opened, revealing Pei Chen standing behind it.
His upper body was bare, dark hair framing cold, sharp brows. Droplets of water dripped from his wet black hair, trailing down his defined jawline to his neck, and further down, revealing a perfectly sculpted physique. Years of playing basketball had made every muscle taut and powerful, exuding an intense aura of masculinity.
Her cheeks warmed as she handed him the bottle. “You forgot the shower gel.”
Pei Chen took the bottle from her hand, his gaze locking onto hers with an intense, almost predatory look, as if he were staring down his prey.
Liang Zhiyi felt the heat from his palm, causing a tremor in her heart. She quickly pulled her hand back, “Take your time. I’ll continue what I was doing.”
Without waiting to see his reaction, she left the guest room directly.
Back in her room, her heart was pounding wildly, and she couldn’t help but smile.
Was he doing this on purpose to seduce her?
He knew exactly how much she desired him.
Now, she realized, he was like a wolf in disguise. They still had to wait a while longer, but given the way things were going, could he really hold out until then?
She sighed and smiled to herself.
After finishing unpacking, she went to take a shower. Once she was done, she walked over to the wardrobe to pick out a nightgown. She hesitated over a few strappy ones but, considering she didn’t want to torture him too much, she chose a simpler design instead.
When she walked into the living room, Pei Chen had already finished his shower and was sitting on the sofa. They chatted for a while, and when it got late, she wriggled out of his embrace to go to bed.
“You’re really going to sleep?” he asked in a hoarse voice, looking at her.
She smiled and kissed his cheek, “Yes. Good night, you should sleep too.”
As she walked back to her bedroom, Pei Chen swallowed hard, lowering his gaze, trying to suppress the heat within him.
Liang Zhiyi returned to her room and played on her phone for a while.
After a bit, she felt thirsty and walked out to get some water.
In the kitchen, she deliberately lingered for a while. Sure enough, after a moment, she heard a noise outside. Peeking her head out, she saw the door to the guest room opening.
She smiled suddenly.
He took the bait so easily!
Putting down her water glass, she walked over to see Pei Chen emerging from the guest room. Leaning against the wall due to his injured knee, he looked at her.
She approached him and casually asked, “You’re still not asleep?”
He looked down at her, his deep voice resonating in her ear, “Do you think I can sleep?”
She asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Is your knee hurting too much to sleep?”
“Yeah.”
She couldn’t hold back her laughter, her eyes curving with amusement as she looked at him. “If someone wants to do something naughty, they should just be straightforward about it. Your tricks are too clumsy—I saw right through them.”
Seeing the playful, fox-like expression on her face, his gaze darkened, and he suddenly leaned down and scooped her up in his arms.
“Pei Chen…”
Startled, she cried out, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck. Before she knew it, he had her pinned against the wall.
He looked at her, his warm breath washing over her face. “If I really wanted to do something, do you think I’d need to use tricks?”
He had genuinely believed she didn’t want him to hold back tonight, but now he realized she had just been teasing him all along.
Her face heated up as he carried her towards the guest room. Worried, she said, “Your knee isn’t fully healed yet. Pei Chen, put me down…”
“As long as you don’t move around, it’ll be fine.”
In the end, he carried her to the bed, his hands braced on either side of her, locking her firmly in his embrace. Worried about his knee, she stayed still.
His body naturally ran warm in winter, and the bed was already cozy from where he had been lying. The heat enveloped her, making her cheeks flush, her heartbeat quickening. She pressed her hand against his chest and chided softly, “Pei Chen, you’re still recovering from surgery. You can’t do this now—what if it affects your health…”
“I looked it up just now, and it’s fine.”
“???”
Puzzled, she reached for his phone on the bedside table, unlocked the screen, and saw that he had Googled, “Can you do it after meniscus surgery?” The top response from a doctor was: “Hello, as long as the knee is stabilized and you don’t put weight on it while standing or lying down, it’s fine at any time.”
Liang Zhiyi: ??? Fine at any time?
Google, you’ve changed! Where’s that usual dramatic escalation from minor illness to cancer?
Her cheeks were burning as she muttered, “We’re not even doing that kind of thing…”
He raised an eyebrow. “Then it’s even more okay, isn’t it?”
“…”
What twisted logic.
He cupped the back of her head, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he leaned closer to her face, whispering, “It’s been a month already.”
She met his gaze, her heart softening, and then his tender kiss fell upon her.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she closed her eyes, instinctively wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
The truth was, she wanted this just as much as he did.
But with him having just undergone surgery, she couldn’t help but worry…
The kiss continued, and before long, her nightgown slipped out from under the covers. In the dim light, the girl’s skin still glowed, as white as spring snow.
Pei Chen’s gaze darkened deeply. He paused for a second, then his kisses rained down on her like tiny stars. Liang Zhiyi bit her lip, and after a moment, Pei Chen leaned over, his posture as reverent as a devout worshiper. He looked up at her intently, his voice husky:
“Zhizhi, is this okay?”
She froze for a moment, and a few seconds later, as his kiss landed again, her mind exploded like fireworks, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly.
…
Not long after, she was completely lost in the clouds.
Pei Chen rose up and held her tightly. Liang Zhiyi’s eyes were misty, and when she saw the moisture on his thin lips, she thought about what had just happened. Her face flushed as she buried it into the pillow, “Mmm, don’t look at me…”
Pei Chen’s lips curled into a smile, and he turned his head to kiss her earlobe, coaxing her gently, “It’s okay, Zhizhi is beautiful.”
Liang Zhiyi whimpered in embarrassment.
What had he secretly learned over winter break?
After a while, his lips met hers again, and her heart slowly melted, once again losing control and falling into him.
The night deepened.
The next day, the sun rose, and daylight filled the room.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, and tiny dust particles floated quietly in the air. The bedroom was peaceful and still.
Liang Zhiyi gradually regained consciousness and opened her eyes. As she moved slightly, she felt the arm around her waist holding her firmly in his embrace.
Pei Chen looked at her, his voice hoarse yet tender as it reached her ears, “Good morning, Zhizhi.”
This was the first time she woke up with him by her side.
Sweetness flooded her heart as the corners of her lips lifted into a smile. She met his gaze and responded, “Good morning, Pei Chen.”
Pei Chen pulled her closer, whispering in her ear with a teasing tone. Her cheeks grew hot under his playful words, and she finally let out a soft hum, warning him, “I hate you. Tonight, you’re not allowed to do that again.”
“Really?”
He replied in a low voice, “But last night, you clearly… three times…”
Mortified, she immediately covered his mouth.
Why had he become so much more mischievous lately?
After coaxing her, they lay in each other’s arms, basking in the sweetness. The atmosphere gradually heated up again, as the morning was when a man’s emotions are most easily stirred. He took her hand, his voice thick with need, pleading softly.
Afterward, he held her tightly, and she listened to his uneven breathing. Her red lips curved into a mischievous smile as she asked:
“Pei Chen, you always look like a bookworm who only loves reading. Do people even know you have this side to you?”
His ears turned slightly red.
She laughed and said, “Next time I chat with Ji Fei’er, I’ll have to secretly tell her what kind of person you really are.”
He frowned and leaned down to nip at her lips. “You’re not allowed to tell anyone.”