Cen Wangyue wrapped herself in the blanket, ready for an afternoon nap. Barely three seconds after closing her eyes, she opened them again—a rare case of insomnia during her nap time.
So her connection with Sheng Tangzhou had begun back then, yet he had never said a word about it.
Though her impression of that birthday banquet seven years ago had already faded, it suddenly became vivid again in her mind, and she abruptly recalled that fleeting, barely-there kiss.
For the first time, she felt how tangible memories could be.
Cen Wangyue pulled the blanket over her head, trying to dispel the lingering memories in her mind with this method.
She was already married—would it be inappropriate to still be hung up on losing her first kiss?
Just then, Sheng Tangzhou, having changed into his pajamas, walked into the bedroom.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing on the “silkworm chrysalis” on the bed, then lifted one side of the blanket and lay down. “Can’t get used to sleeping here?”
He had never had the habit of napping, but because of Cen Wangyue, he thought he’d keep her company.
“No.” Cen Wangyue pulled herself out from under the blanket and met his gaze, her heart inexplicably racing.
He tucked the corner of the blanket around her. “Did someone in the family upset you?”
Cen Wangyue was now completely devoid of sleepiness, her gaze sweeping over him lightly. “No, not that either.”
She cleared her throat. “Sheng Tangzhou, I want to ask you a few questions, and you must answer me truthfully.”
She was very earnest—if she didn’t get a satisfactory answer, she would keep thinking about it.
The man looked at her and said in a calm voice, “Go ahead and ask.”
Cen Wangyue’s dark, round eyes stared straight at him. “When was the first time you saw me?”
“At the matchmaking banquet.” Sheng Tangzhou answered readily.
“You’re lying.” Cen Wangyue pinched Sheng Tangzhou’s cheek in dissatisfaction. “Grandma already told me. I want to hear it from your own mouth.”
The man’s slender fingertips brushed beneath her eyes. “Seven years ago, at your eighteenth birthday banquet.”
Hearing this, Cen Wangyue moved closer to him, a smile rippling across her eyes and brows. She raised her hand to loop around his neck. “Then what was your first impression of me?”
Sheng Tangzhou’s thoughts were instantly pulled back seven years. A faint curve lifted his thin lips. “That day, you were very beautiful.”
That was his first time attending a banquet at the Cen family’s estate. From the very start, he was drawn to the little princess surrounded at the center—besides him, there were many others in the room who wanted to invite her to dance.
He waited for a long time, but never got the chance to dance with her.
Later, leaving the banquet hall, he stood alone outside in the wind to cool his head, when his vision was overtaken by a flash of red—a dazed young woman collided straight into his arms.
That night, Cen Wangyue’s tolerance for alcohol was poor. She had only taken a small half glass before she was already drunk and unsteady, stumbling into his embrace in her high heels.
The scent of orris root spread at the tip of his nose, stirring the fire in his heart. The next second, a warm softness touched his thin lips, and the rich fragrance nearly toyed with his reason.
Sheng Tangzhou’s heart skipped a beat, his Adam’s apple bobbing. In the end, desire overcame reason, and he kissed her back.
“Then did you do anything to me?” She looked at him with anticipation.
“I kissed you.” Sheng Tangzhou said in a low voice.
“Even though you kissed first, it’s only polite to return the favor—I gave one back too. Since I made the little princess of the Cen family lose her first kiss, I have to take responsibility for you.”
That night, Cen Wangyue was deeply drunk. A single kiss was enough to stir his heart into chaos, leaving only one thought in his mind.
He wanted to kiss her.
And in fact, he did.
The evening breeze blew, carrying a warm restlessness. That night, Sheng Tangzhou had a dream.
In the dream, the girl’s soft lips pressed against his. He froze for only a moment before trapping her body in his arms and deepening the kiss.
His lips and tongue lightly grazed her earlobe, then moved to her earlobe, her slender neck becoming his possession. Her snow-white legs wrapped around him like vines, wanting more.
His body trembled violently, and Sheng Tangzhou suddenly woke up.
There was a stain on the dark bedsheet, and his Adam’s apple itched slightly.
Everything had an answer now, and Cen Wangyue suddenly understood.
She leaned close to his ear. “I can’t tell, but your kissing skills are pretty good now. Did you practice with someone else?”
“No.” Sheng Tangzhou quickly clarified. “Only you.”
After that night, his desire to marry her reached its peak. He wanted to gain enough strength to stand by her side with full legitimacy.
It was just that he learned quickly—he’d grasped a bit of the basic technique, and the rest came naturally without instruction.
This remark successfully made Cen Wangyue laugh. She sighed, “Sheng Tangzhou, you’re so pure-hearted.”
Just because he kissed her, he was already thinking about taking responsibility for her in the future.
Sheng Tangzhou’s lips curved slightly. “Whether I’m pure-hearted or not, didn’t you feel it in bed?”
Even while saying something so suggestive, his voice remained deep and magnetic.
Hearing this, Cen Wangyue blushed instantly. She quickly pulled the blanket over her head. Honestly, how could this man just casually steer a serious conversation into the gutter…
She coughed awkwardly. “I’m so sleepy, I’m going to sleep first.”
Unexpectedly, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled Cen Wangyue into his embrace, his crisp, cool scent brushing against her neck.
Sheng Tangzhou looked at her. “Wife.”
Cen Wangyue stared straight at him. At this moment, the man had taken off his glasses, his gaze deep and restrained, looking several degrees more seductive.
She muttered softly, “What?”
Judging by the look in Sheng Tangzhou’s eyes, it seemed like he couldn’t wait to have his way with her right then and there.
Cen Wangyue shrank her neck and instinctively clutched his collar. “This is the Sheng residence, not our Qinyuan. It’s not appropriate here…”
Sheng Tangzhou’s lips curled slightly as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I love you.”
His low, magnetic voice burrowed into her ears, sending a tingling, numbing sensation through her. She was teased into a light blush.
Cen Wangyue tugged at the blanket, listening in a daze. She’d been charmed by him again!
“Sleep.”
Afterward, she leaned against Sheng Tangzhou’s chest and slowly drifted off.
Before falling asleep, only one thought remained in Cen Wangyue’s mind.
Don’t fear Sheng Tangzhou staying silent—fear Sheng Tangzhou speaking sweet nothings.
She didn’t know how long she slept. When she slowly stirred awake, the man’s calm sleeping face was right before her, his crisp, cool scent enveloping her.
Outside, the sky was dim. The man beside her heard the movement and looked at his wife in his arms, his eyes gradually regaining clarity.
His voice still carried a hint of drowsiness. “What time is it?”
Cen Wangyue grabbed her phone from the nightstand. “Three in the afternoon.”
Sheng Tangzhou kissed her. “Slept that long?”
He never had a habit of napping, but the Sheng residence wasn’t as free and easy as Qinyuan. Besides keeping his wife company, there was nothing else to do.
Sheng Tangzhou said slowly, “I’ll take you downstairs to play in a bit.”
The two lingered in bed for a while before going downstairs.
Sheng Tangzhou planned to take Cen Wangyue to the entertainment room on the first floor, while Sheng Shuguan sat with the old lady, chatting.
The old lady beckoned the two younger ones over, her face full of affection.
She suggested, “Since you two happened to come by today, why not keep this old lady company with a game of cards?”
Cen Wangyue had no objections—after all, she had nothing to do at the Sheng residence, and keeping the old lady company to pass the time was just as well.
She said with a smile, “Sure.”
Sheng Tangzhou’s gaze fell on her. “You can play cards, but no gambling with money.”