Xie Zongxu did not say anything.
Li Yang pinched his cheek again.
“Your face used to be soft. Why is it so hard now?”
Xie Zongxu took her hand away and held it in his own.
“Stop fooling around. Get some sleep.”
Li Yang shook her head.
“I’m not sleepy. I don’t want to sleep.”
She stared at his face, her gaze sliding from his brows and eyes to the bridge of his nose, then to his lips.
Then she leaned closer.
Xie Zongxu sensed her approach and turned his head to look at her.
Their eyes met.
Li Yang’s eyes were bright, reflecting his figure within them.
“Mom, why did your lips change color?”
As he watched her move closer and closer, Xie Zongxu’s voice deepened.
“Li Yang, sit back.”
Li Yang ignored him.
She continued moving forward.
Then she kissed him.
A brief moment of stillness flashed through Xie Zongxu’s eyes.
Her lips were unbelievably soft, carrying the sweetness of the cocktail and a faint hint of lemon tartness.
She pressed her lips against his and remained motionless.
After a few seconds, she pulled back slightly and looked at him.
“Mom, why aren’t you responding?”
Xie Zongxu looked at her.
His gaze was deep, emotions she could not understand surging beneath his eyes.
“…What exactly do you want me to respond to?”
Li Yang tilted her head.
“I kissed you. What did you feel?”
She spoke with complete confidence.
Then she leaned over again. This time, instead of merely pressing her lips against his, she gently bit his lower lip.
Xie Zongxu’s breathing halted.
His grip around her hand tightened.
After biting him, Li Yang pulled back again and watched his reaction.
“Mom, you said before that it’s polite to respond when someone kisses you.”
“…”
Xie Zongxu looked at her, then suddenly turned his gaze toward the window. His voice was very low.
“When you wake up tomorrow, you’d better still remember everything you said.”
Li Yang blinked, not understanding.
She wanted to kiss him again, but the car suddenly came to a stop.
The driver’s voice came from the front.
“President Xie, we’re here.”
Xie Zongxu looked at the woman in his arms and took a deep breath.
He opened the car door and carried her out.
The night breeze swept past them. Li Yang’s hair drifted up and brushed against his face.
With her arms wrapped around his neck, she looked at him hazily.
“Mom, are we home?”
Xie Zongxu’s steps paused briefly.
Then he continued walking forward.
“Yes, we’re home.”
Xie Zongxu carried her inside.
Aunt Zhou had not gone to bed yet. Hearing the commotion, she came out to greet them. When she saw Li Yang’s condition, she froze for a moment.
“Madam is…”
“She drank too much.”
Xie Zongxu answered briefly and carried her upstairs.
Aunt Zhou followed behind, wanting to help but unable to find an opening.
“Should I make some sobering soup?”
“Yes. Bring it upstairs when it’s done.”
Without looking back, Xie Zongxu went up to the second floor and headed straight for the master bedroom.
He pushed open the door and placed Li Yang on the bed.
The moment she touched the mattress, she rolled over and hugged the blanket, rubbing against it.
“So soft. This feels amazing!”
Xie Zongxu stood by the bed and watched her for two seconds before turning toward the bathroom.
He took a towel, soaked it in warm water, and came back out.
By the time he returned, the person on the bed had already kicked off the blanket.
Her dress had ridden up to the tops of her thighs. Her long, fair legs stood out strikingly against the dark sheets.
Xie Zongxu paused briefly before walking over and gently wiping her face with the towel.
“Hot…”
Li Yang frowned, snatched the towel away, and tossed it aside.
Xie Zongxu looked at her.
She started kicking at the blanket again. This time, even her dress became disheveled. One shoulder strap slipped down, revealing a stretch of pale skin.
“It’s so hot. Stop wiping me…”
She muttered as she began tugging at her clothes.
Xie Zongxu reached out and pressed down on her hand.
“You’re not allowed to move.”
Li Yang opened her eyes groggily and looked at him.
“Mom?”
A vein pulsed at Xie Zongxu’s temple.
“I’m not Mom.”
Li Yang blinked and stared at him for several seconds.
“Oh, it’s Mr. Xie.”
She recognized him, then continued pulling at her clothes.
“Mr. Xie, I’m really hot.”
Xie Zongxu kept hold of her hand.
“Even if you’re hot, you can’t take them off.”
Li Yang refused to listen.
She broke free from his grip and quickly pulled down the shoulder straps. The dress slid lower, exposing a large expanse of skin.
Xie Zongxu turned his head away.
“Li Yang.”
His voice sank lower.
Li Yang ignored him and kept undressing.
The dress slipped down to her waist. On her upper body, only a light-colored bra remained, outlining her full curves.
She was still tugging at the dress, trying to remove it completely.
Xie Zongxu took a deep breath.
“You’re not allowed to take off any more.”
There was a warning in his tone.
Li Yang lifted her head to look at him.
“Why?”
Xie Zongxu did not look at her. His gaze settled on the curtains.
“Put your clothes back on.”
Li Yang followed his line of sight, glanced at herself, then looked back at him.
“But I can’t sleep comfortably unless I take everything off. Even my bra and panties have to come off. I like sleeping naked.”
She sounded completely justified.
Xie Zongxu: “…”
Li Yang looked at his turned-away profile and suddenly laughed.
“Mr. Xie, are you afraid to look at me?”
Xie Zongxu said nothing.
Li Yang climbed up from the bed and knelt on it, leaning right in front of him.
Xie Zongxu had no choice but to look at her.
Her face was flushed, her eyes sparkling, and a mischievous smile curved at the corners of her lips.
She was too close.
He could smell the alcohol on her body along with her own scent, mingling together into something overwhelmingly sweet.
The alcohol had fully gone to her head. Tilting her head, she looked at him.
“What are you afraid of, President Xie? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”
Xie Zongxu looked at her.
His gaze was deep, something churning beneath his eyes.
“I’m not afraid.”
Li Yang blinked and replied confidently,
“You’re really not afraid? I’m hot and want to take off my clothes to sleep. You won’t let me, and you won’t even look at me.”
She paused.
Then she suddenly looked aggrieved.
“Do you think I’m not pretty?”
Xie Zongxu was silent for a second.
“No.”
Li Yang did not believe him.
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
Xie Zongxu looked at her and lowered his voice.
“Because you’ve been drinking.”
Li Yang froze briefly.
“What’s wrong with drinking?”
Xie Zongxu did not answer.
He merely looked at her. His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips, then to her collarbone before shifting away.
“Go to sleep.”
He stood up, preparing to leave.
Li Yang immediately grabbed his sleeve.
“Where are you going?”
Xie Zongxu lowered his eyes to the hand clutching his sleeve.
“The room next door.”
Li Yang frowned.
“You’re not sleeping with me?”
Xie Zongxu looked at her.
“Do you think I should?”
Li Yang was stumped by the question.
After thinking about it, it really did not seem appropriate.
But hadn’t they already gotten their marriage certificate?
If they were legally married, weren’t they supposed to sleep together?
Her alcohol-soaked mind could not sort out the logic. She only felt wronged.
“Fine, then don’t.”
She let go of him, flopped back onto the bed, and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.
“I’ll sleep by myself.”
Xie Zongxu stood beside the bed, looking at the blanket-covered lump on the mattress.
After a few seconds, he bent down and pulled the blanket lower, revealing her head.
Li Yang’s eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly.