Two young heartbeats intertwined.
Wen Sui was held in the man’s arms, his long arms wrapped tightly around her, pulling her closer and closer, holding her with extraordinary force.
The quiet room was dim, a sliver of moonlight seeping through the half-open curtains, the moonlight drifting, casting hazy shadows.
Wen Sui’s head was groggy as she let her cheek rest against the hollow of Pei Yuli’s neck.
A drop of scalding wetness fell onto the girl’s rounded shoulder, cooling in the moonlight, heavy.
Pei Yuli, always so composed and steady, sounded panicked, cupping her face over and over, almost stubbornly asking her where on earth she had gone.
Wen Sui, drugged, her head dizzy and muddled, could only notice the pleasant cold fragrance of Pei Yuli’s body drifting into her nose.
It was like the feathers of some young bird brushing against her skin, making her heart itch.
Habitually, she nuzzled her cheek against the man’s chest.
Her flower-petal lips pressed together, seemingly a little thirsty, as she swallowed softly.
The grown-up Pei Yuli talked a lot.
He said that nineteen-year-old Wen Sui had vanished inexplicably after leaving the library, in a blind spot no camera could reach. Even though the police were notified and a case opened at the fastest possible speed, and the search began immediately, nothing was ever found.
At first they thought it was a kidnapping, but no word ever came from any kidnappers.
He said the Wen family and the Pei family mobilized every connection they had, launched a carpet search, yet not a single useful clue ever surfaced.
Two years, three years. In the fourth year, Wen Sui’s parents, hearts broken, had her declared dead.
From then on, his young, adorable childhood sweetheart had vanished from this world completely.
A tale like pure fantasy, like a cruel prank in a chaotic dream.
The girl nestled in his arms listened without a word, occasionally letting out a soft hum.
The man’s large hand tightened, his sharply chiseled jaw tilting slightly, pressed against the girl’s smooth forehead, his voice hoarse:
“Suisui, where on earth did you go?”
After Pei Yuli finished asking, the lines of his profile grew even tauter.
Someone who had disappeared for seven years had reappeared, her face identical to seven years ago.
She had appeared in the dead of night, appearing after the effects of alcohol.
Like a wandering soul returning at midnight, like a figment born of his breakdown, like a beautiful dream he might wake from at any moment…
She just didn’t seem real.
Pei Yuli couldn’t control his racing heartbeat. His rolled-up sleeves revealed long arms, the crisscrossing blue veins prominent like the veins on a large butterfly’s wings, bulging from tension.
In a flash of lightning, he had imagined a thousand outcomes.
In the end, he only lowered his head and gently kissed the girl’s smooth forehead, his voice low and hoarse:
“Take me with you, Suisui.”
“This time, I don’t want to wake up.”
The girl in his arms stirred slightly, lifting her fluffy little head.
Her damp breath puffed against the man’s jaw, a little dazed, as she said slowly:
“Pei Yuli, I’m so hot.”
The man with his half-lowered phoenix eyes froze, then raised a hand to feel the back of her neck.
His fingers were slender, his palm large and elegant.
The gesture nearly enveloping, pressed unimpeded against the girl’s soft, tender skin.
The instant their body heat touched, the girl whose neck he held let out a delicate little hum.
In the hazy night, his childhood sweetheart lifted a fresh, beautiful young face, her breath sweet as orchids, her voice soft:
“That feels nice, Pei Yuli…”
She took his hand and pressed it against her own body,
“Touch me…”
The fingers resting on the back of her neck tightened for an instant.
A moment later, the lights came on, and the world flooded with brightness.
The girl pinned by him in the corner of the sofa had disheveled hair, her thin straps slipping off her rounded shoulders, revealing an even larger expanse of snow-white skin.
A face identical to the one from seven years ago was flushed an unnatural pink, her lips a bewitching red, from the rims of her ears down to her neck, everything was red.
She kept her legs pressed together, the soft flesh of her thighs squeezed against each other.
Her absurdly short skirt barely covered her thighs, and where his suit jacket had pressed against them, red marks showed.
Pei Yuli’s mind went off like a thunderclap, and those illogical speculations were swiftly shattered.
He reacted quickly, with no time for catching up on old times. He raised a hand and patted her head.
“What did you take?”
The girl huddled in the corner of the sofa, her eyes brimming with moisture, seemed unable to understand his words, her reactions sluggish.
The cold, stern-faced man quickly dressed her in his own shirt, gathered her into his arms with one hand, and swiftly dialed the phone:
“Get the car ready. Now.”
He spoke at lightning speed, snatched up his coat to wrap her up completely, lifted her in his arms, and rushed outside.
The moonlight was silent. The speeding luxury car drove with its hazard lights flashing, like a bolt of lightning through the starless night, reaching the hospital at the fastest possible speed.
A grand panel of specialists convened, the most expensive and advanced equipment.
The blood test results came back quickly. The report clearly stated that an ingredient with aphrodisiac properties had been detected.
In the eerie midnight corridor, Pei Yuli’s fingers clutching the report suddenly tightened.
His icy face was thin and unapproachable, his phoenix eyes half-lowered, a sinister darkness surging in their depths. The air around him was terrifyingly oppressive, as if he wanted to crush everything nearby.
The hospital director, leading the group, chose his words carefully, trembling:
“Mr. Pei, the patient has already been given the antidote and is currently resting. Her vital signs are normal. She is expected to wake up within six to twelve hours, at which point we will conduct a further evaluation.”
“However, our specialists have consulted together and unanimously agree that the situation is optimistic. The patient is young with a strong metabolism, and she was found and brought in promptly. As of now, there don’t appear to be any problems.”
The cold, stern-faced man didn’t even lift his eyelids, merely nodding slightly.
The secretary ushered everyone out, and the corridor fell silent.
The man gripping the report, his lips pressed into a tight line, spoke in a low tone carrying a calm that sent chills down one’s spine:
“Pull tonight’s surveillance footage from the hotel. Find out who sent her to my room.”
A moment later, he turned and pushed open the door to the private ward.
The clean, tidy ward carried a faint scent of disinfectant. Most of the lights were off, with only a small lamp left on at the bedside.
The girl lying on the white hospital bed had a sweet sleeping face, her breathing even. One raised hand rested habitually by her cheek, like a little angel innocent to the ways of the world.
The monitor beside her glowed, the green waveform pulsing steadily—heart rate 82, blood oxygen saturation 99%, blood pressure within normal range—emitting a regular “beep, beep,” like some reassuring metronome.
The tall man stood by the bed, quietly watching her, like a frozen statue.
Everything tonight felt like falling into a dream.
After a long while, he finally came back to his senses and raised a hand to touch her cheek.
Soft. Warm.
The girl whose sleep had been disturbed slightly furrowed her delicate brows, letting out a tiny murmur.
Wen Sui—alive and breathing.
Alive. Nineteen-year-old Wen Sui.
His little childhood sweetheart, after seven years of endless darkness, had returned to his side once more in a way that felt almost like a dream.
The man’s undisguised gaze was fixed squarely on her.
Greedily, yet with a tender, careful cherishing, his eyes swept over the girl on the hospital bed, inch by inch.
The dim light fell upon the man’s sharp facial contours.
His prominent browbone cast a shadow, and his deep-set eyes were a shade of crimson.
Glistening and moist, as if brimming with water.