Chi Yu stared at her, his gaze like a net, as if afraid she might slip away.
He said flatly, “It’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”
Xia Shuran couldn’t move, so she could only stiffen her neck and face off against this shameless person. “That… that’s different.”
Back then she was drunk and in high spirits, not afraid of being embarrassed.
But now, sober, asking her to kiss him? No way!
Xia Shuran glanced at the window behind the pool and deliberately mimicked those online sayings to gross him out.
“Even if I had to jump out of that window today, I wouldn’t kiss you even once.”
Chi Yu: “…”
What kind of nonsense does Chiara usually watch?
Xia Shuran struggled against the wrist Chi Yu was holding, but it didn’t budge at all.
The man’s hand—knuckles clearly defined, fingers long and slender, nails neatly trimmed, clean and tidy.
But the veins rising across the back of his hand and the sharp, protruding wrist bone lent this cold, elegant hand a touch of wild, primal strength.
Both of her wrists were held in his single hand.
Where their skin touched at her wrist, Xia Shuran suddenly felt a heat spreading, the warmth seeping straight into her heart.
She bared her teeth. “Let go!”
He found the girl adorable. Chi Yu suppressed his smile and released her hand.
Xia Shuran immediately rubbed her wrists.
Chi Yu looked somewhat innocent. “I didn’t use any force.”
Xia Shuran gave a low snort and said nothing.
“Go out and wait for me for a moment. I’ll be right there.” Chi Yu finished speaking but didn’t leave, as if he wouldn’t move until the girl agreed.
Xia Shuran hesitated, then finally nodded.
It wasn’t like she could leave anyway.
Chi Yu narrowed his eyes and confirmed once more, “Promise me. You can’t lie to me.”
Xia Shuran said “Yes!” three times in a row before Chi Yu finally turned around.
He strode over to the side of the pool on his long legs.
Xia Shuran didn’t move. If she ran now, she’d definitely be caught and dragged back, so she might as well see what he was up to.
She watched him walk toward the open-air shower before it suddenly hit her.
This guy was going to shower after swimming.
Seeing him about to take off his swim trunks, Xia Shuran froze, unable to stop a startled yelp from escaping.
Chi Yu paused mid-motion, straightened up, and turned around, only to find Xia Shuran still standing there.
He couldn’t help but smile, his low, magnetic voice cutting through the silent space. “If you want to watch, come closer.”
Xia Shuran spun around and bolted.
Xia Shuran sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa, legs pressed together, hands resting on her knees.
Whenever she was nervous, she unconsciously sat up straight.
Her tote bag lay beside her leg, and Xia Shuran didn’t want to look at it for now.
Because the knife inside was like a ticking time bomb—and that bomb had already lost its purpose.
No one had taken secret photos. The heavy weight in Xia Shuran’s heart finally settled, and her whole body felt at ease.
The man that night was Chi Yu.
Xia Shuran didn’t feel any resistance about it, because it completely exceeded her expectations.
Objectively speaking, Chi Yu was the kind of top-tier handsome man who would still make her gasp even after she’d seen so many European pretty boys.
And Chi Yu’s clean, restrained facial features actually suited her taste better than the sharp bone structure of white men.
“What are you thinking about?” Chi Yu’s lazy voice suddenly rang out, startling Xia Shuran.
She looked up and saw him in the dim light. He had already changed into a simple white tee and loose black trousers.
It made him look full of youthful vigor, his cool, indifferent features sharp and unapproachable.
But at this moment, his gaze was soft.
His damp hair was still dripping slightly. Chi Yu casually raised a hand to wipe it with a towel, his forehead strands partially covering his brows and eyes.
Xia Shuran’s face flushed slightly as she lowered her gaze. “Nothing.”
Chi Yu turned and walked into one of the rooms along the corridor, and Xia Shuran couldn’t figure out what he was doing.
There were too many rooms on both sides of the corridor to count. She thought that if anyone came to visit, they’d probably get lost.
Xia Shuran didn’t wait long before Chi Yu came out of the room, holding a bottle of liquor.
He walked over to the coffee table in front of the sofa and set the bottle down.
The tabletop was pieced together from several metal shapes of different forms.
This style looked a bit familiar to Xia Shuran—it seemed to be the kind her dad really liked but couldn’t afford.
He brought over two square glass tumblers. “A drink?”
Xia Shuran looked at the bottle, but before she could dig through her memory to identify what it was,
Chi Yu had already opened it and poured it into both glasses.
The glasses showed a bright ruby red, and the rich aroma of aged liquor gradually spread through the air.
Chi Yu picked up a glass and held it out to her. “Try it.”
Xia Shuran pressed her lips together and didn’t take it.
The implication was obvious—she was afraid some shameless person might have slipped something into it.
Chi Yu raised an eyebrow, took a sip from his glass, and watched her quietly with a smile.
Seeing that he drank it without any issue, Xia Shuran relaxed.
She held his gaze for a few seconds, unable to withstand even the slightest provocation. She leaned forward, grabbed the glass from the table, and tipped it into her mouth.
She accidentally drank too fast, choking and coughing urgently, her face turning bright red.
Chi Yu smiled as he steadied her shoulder, helped her set the glass down, and sat beside her, patting her back gently.
He spoke in a low, husky voice. “Chiara.”
Xia Shuran’s breathing gradually steadied, and only then did she realize how close they were.
Dim light and shadow fell across his profile. Xia Shuran lifted her eyes to look at him—his sharp, wild features were tinged with a faint, lingering tenderness.
His usual sword-like brows and cold eyes, his straight nose, thin lips, and pale, sharply defined jawline all seemed coated in a soft, blurred glow that softened his icy demeanor.
Xia Shuran finally understood what it meant to be captivated—his dark eyes held a magnetic pull that could draw a person in.
She quietly shifted aside, putting some distance between them.
Chi Yu concealed the faint smile in his eyes and said nothing.
He handed her the glass again. “Take your time.”
Xia Shuran accepted it with both hands and nodded obediently.
She took a sip. It wasn’t as strong as she’d imagined.
On the palate, the wine was pure and fragrant, slightly bitter with a hint of citrus sweetness, light on the body.
Xia Shuran recognized it—a Grillo from Italy, an ancient and precious variety.
He asked softly, “Is it good?”
Xia Shuran couldn’t help but look at him. Under his quiet, lingering gaze, she lowered her guard and answered slowly, “It’s good.”
True liquor never lets you know it’s strong.
The initial sweetness on entry, then the potency creeps up and amplifies your desires.
Xia Shuran’s eyes, the tip of her nose, her cheeks—all flushed red.
She still had her wits about her, but she watched Chi Yu move closer and didn’t move away.
He raised a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then cradled her cheek.
Chi Yu’s eyes were deep and alluring. He leaned in slowly until the tips of their noses almost touched, then stopped.
Their breaths mingled, warmth enveloping them.
Xia Shuran could smell the fresh scent of his post-shower cleanliness.
Her gaze traveled from his broad, strong shoulders, down his pale neck, to his lips.
Her breath was scorching, her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.
Fine, she admitted it—she’d liked Chi Yu since that time on the plane.
She liked guys with a cool, sharp demeanor and a bit of a mischievous edge.
Xia Shuran’s gaze gradually grew hazy. Under the boy’s seductive look, she gently pressed her lips to his.
A flicker of amusement passed through Chi Yu’s eyes. He quickly took control, responding to the girl’s inexperienced kiss.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Between lips and teeth, his voice came low and muffled, “Baby, don’t bite so tight.”
Then he gripped her jaw to make her open her mouth, pressing further into her space, tangling with her.
Xia Shuran was pressed against the back of the sofa, her lips kissed numb.
Her face flushed, she blinked drowsily and opened her eyes.
Chi Yu was watching her, the teasing smile in his eyes barely concealed.
“Time to dance, baby.”