23 – Light Kiss
“Wen Man’s trousers had been taken out by the servants for washing.
She huddled under the covers, a bath towel draped over her lower body, only her face peeking out, flushed crimson with embarrassment.
‘On my lower back, I can’t see it…’
Wen Man’s voice was muffled. The lights in the room were off, plunging it into darkness. Wen Yanchuan didn’t need to look to know she was utterly mortified.
Wen Yanchuan nodded and walked to the bedside, gently lifting the covers. ‘Where?’
Wen Man softly raised the hem of her champagne-colored nightgown, rolling it up to her lower back. The bath towel covered her hips, leaving only a small area of skin exposed—less than what her evening gowns for events usually revealed. Yet the atmosphere at that moment was undeniably charged with ambiguity.
This was her first time.
Wen Yanchuan tapped his phone screen, turning on the flashlight and directing the beam onto the skin of Wen Man’s lower back.
The champagne hue against her snow-white skin—with just one glance, Wen Yanchuan’s fingers tightened involuntarily, trembling slightly.
Wen Man’s waist was slender enough to be encircled by a single hand, and the curve from her spine to the small of her back traced a seductive arc.
But the snow-white skin was marred by a patch of red, resembling a rash that looked quite severe.
Wen Yanchuan frowned deeply, his fingers lightly tracing over Wen Man’s lower back.
Wen Man turned her head, noticing Wen Yanchuan’s expression and momentarily ignoring the warmth from his fingertips. ‘Mr. Wen, is it serious?’
Wen Yanchuan responded with a low hum. In the center of the red rash was a small wound, seemingly rubbed raw by something and then exposed to water. It now appeared inflamed, with a faint whitish tinge.
‘It’s rubbed raw. Does it hurt?’
It didn’t actually hurt much, but the discomfort was unbearable. Hearing Wen Yanchuan’s voice, Wen Man suddenly felt a wave of self-pity wash over her.
She pouted, her voice tinged with grievance. ‘Yes, it hurts.’
Hearing her tone, Wen Yanchuan chuckled softly. ‘My mistake.’
Wen Man was taken aback and turned to ask, ‘What do you mean?’
‘I wasn’t prepared enough. I thought Miss Wen was Rapunzel, but it turns out she’s the Princess and the Pea.’
Hearing his analogy, Wen Man felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and hurriedly explained, ‘No, that’s not it… I don’t know what happened…’
As she spoke, a memory suddenly flashed through her mind.
Inside her high-necked, form-fitting undershirt, there was a label. When she had put it on earlier, she had felt it rubbing uncomfortably, but she had been in a hurry to attend the program recording. Everything that happened afterward had left her no time to dwell on the discomfort.
Now, after soaking in the bath and the inflammation setting in, Wen Man finally became aware of the irritation.
She bit her lip, her face flushing with embarrassment. ‘It’s not Mr. Zhou’s fault. It’s my clothes… Could you bring me some ointment, Mr. Wen?’
Wen Yanchuan turned off the flashlight, set his phone aside, and instead sat down on the edge of the bed.
Feeling the mattress dip beside her, Wen Man’s heart tightened slightly.
After a moment of silence in the room, Wen Yanchuan’s deep voice broke the stillness once more.
‘There are many servants in the villa, Miss Wen. You could have asked them instead of sending me a suggestive WeChat message late at night.’
Wen Man’s hands clenched the bedsheet beneath the covers, a thin layer of sweat dampening the fabric.
It was a faint sense of guilt.
Born from her own selfish motives.
‘To any man, Miss Wen’s message would sound like an invitation.’
Wen Man pressed her cheek against the silk pillow, trying to cool her flushed face.
“What about Mr. Wen?”
“I feel the same.”
Wen Man’s heart fluttered slightly, a small thrill rising within her.
Wen Yanchuan gently lifted the blanket, his hand slipping beneath the warm covers. He lifted the hem of Wen Man’s nightgown, his fingertip lightly tracing over the flushed skin.
“Miss Wen’s probing seems a bit clumsy in the eyes of an adult.”
As Wen Yanchuan’s fingertip caressed her, a wave of restlessness washed over Wen Man. She let out a soft hum and retorted, “Then would Mr. Wen be willing to teach me?”
Wen Yanchuan’s eyes darkened. “Does Miss Wen speak so directly with every man?”
Wen Man felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. The heat in her flushed cheeks faded, and the intimate atmosphere was shattered by his words. A mix of shame and embarrassment washed over her, and she raised herself up, preparing to leave.
Wen Yanchuan’s large hand pressed gently against Wen Man’s waist, making her lie back down on the bed. His voice was low. “Don’t move.”
Wen Man bit her lip. “What kind of person do you think I am, Mr. Wen? Someone who accepts anyone who comes along?”
Wen Yanchuan’s expression remained unchanged, his voice calm. “If I thought that, I wouldn’t have brought Miss Wen to London.”
Wen Man sniffled, her tone tinged with a hint of coquettishness. “If I said you were the first, Mr. Wen, would you believe me?”
Wen Yanchuan didn’t answer. Instead, he asked her, “Which first?”
Wen Man froze, half of her body buried under the blanket, genuinely feeling shy.
Wen Yanchuan’s directness caught her off guard. Yet, he spoke such words with a serious demeanor, making it difficult for Wen Man to respond.
“Has Mr. Wen brought anyone else here before?”
The two of them exchanged direct remarks, yet they remained incredibly subtle. The world of adults always seemed to be like this—saying half and hiding half, wanting to bring up everything yet never stating anything clearly.
Wen Yanchuan answered honestly. “Miss Wen is also the first.”
His large hand gently stroked Wen Man’s waist, a flicker of greed surfacing in his eyes.
The soft sensation transmitted through his fingertip was something Wen Yanchuan had never experienced before. He couldn’t help but want to slowly move upward, to touch even softer parts, but his rationality and upbringing stopped him there.
Even this gesture was already a significant overstep for him, completely beyond his usual conduct.
He, too, was testing Wen Man in this way.
Wen Yanchuan took a deep breath, suppressing the desire in his eyes. He had always possessed strong self-control.
Wen Man, however, was stirred by his fingertip, ripples forming in her eyes.
Such a light caress couldn’t really be considered anything—it didn’t even cover as much area as when clothing stylists measured her body. Besides, Wen Yanchuan was only using the tip of one finger, as light as a feather.
Yet the sensation was so intense that Wen Man couldn’t help but bite her lip.
“If Mr. Wen doesn’t have those feelings for me, please leave. It’s late, and it’s time to rest.”
From their first meeting, Wen Yanchuan had been helping her, attending to every detail. Although she had repaid everything she could, even someone as foolish as Wen Man could understand his intentions after tonight’s fireworks.
She didn’t know if it was love, but at the very least, he was interested in her as a person.
She was well aware of the gap between herself and Wen Yanchuan. For him to treat her this way was already a luxury for her.
Wen Man had always been sensible and tactful. She knew she couldn’t afford to put on airs and break through this layer of window paper, yet she was unwilling to lower herself too easily, to appear inferior in front of Wen Yanchuan.
But on the other hand, she didn’t want her relationship with Wen Yanchuan to remain stuck in such ambiguity.
Wen Yanchuan always had a way of drawing her closer to his heart, and she couldn’t stand it.
Wen Yanchuan pulled down the towel covering Wen Man’s hips, and the soft flesh wrapped in silk fabric was suddenly exposed to the air. Wen Man was startled, but the room was dark, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Just as she was about to sit up, Wen Yanchuan’s large hand slipped under her skirt, rolling the fabric upward to reveal the lower back she had carefully covered.
Wen Man gasped in surprise.
His cool, thin lips descended, scorching Wen Man’s skin.
A moment later, Wen Yanchuan stood up, straightened her nightgown, and pulled the blanket back over her.
“Goodnight.”