After dinner, they shared a large, sumptuous dessert and brandy coffee, leaving the restaurant feeling warm all over. Outside, snow was still quietly falling, and she took his arm.
He was somewhat flattered and looked at her face. In the snowy night, her face, with a faint smile, was exceptionally clear and sweet.
“What do you want to do next?” he asked softly, his voice slightly hoarse.
“What do you usually do?” she countered.
“We?” He was puzzled.
“You and those women you date.” She looked at him with a smile, and he wasn’t sure if she was teasing. “What do you usually do after dinner?”
What else could they do? He blinked. “Do you really want to know?”
“Mm.” She nodded.
A mischievous thought arose in him, and he felt an urge to tease her. He leaned close to her ear. “When a man and a woman are satisfied with their meal, what do you think they want to do next? What other desires do they want to satisfy?”
She shivered lightly, clearly understanding.
He thought she would be annoyed or evasive, but to his surprise, she looked straight at him with bright eyes.
“Take me to your place.”
“What?”
“Next, you would take them home, right? Or do you go to a hotel?”
Was she serious?
He stared at her in shock. Her delicate face was lightly tinged with red. Was she also feeling shy? If she was shy, why force herself to say such suggestive things?
“Or… do you not want me?” she asked even more bluntly, her cheeks reddening further, her eyes shining brightly.
His heart stirred. He cupped her face and kissed her deeply, showing her with his actions that he could never not want her.
Once they were inside, she was the one who reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He never imagined she could be so passionate, like a scene from a movie. The two of them, limbs entwined, eagerly exploring each other, caressing each other, like two hungry beasts.
Coats, scarves, sweaters, bras—they scattered these items from the entrance all the way to the bedroom. By the time they arrived, she was only wearing black garter stockings and black silk panties, which made her fair and shapely body even more alluring and sexy.
He admitted, men are visual creatures, and when faced with the temptation of a beloved woman, they are utterly defenseless.
That night, he made intense love to her. She asked if he was as passionate and uninhibited with all the women he brought home.
His answer was to penetrate her more deeply, with a hint of wild revenge.
Did she think he could give his heart to every woman the way he did with her? Did she not know that he still missed her, still couldn’t let her go!
After he had finally decided to win her back, she had suddenly and inexplicably pushed him away. Did she think he didn’t hate her? That he felt no resentment?
He truly hated her, hated her deeply…
But even in his hatred, he couldn’t bear to hurt her. So, he slowed down, caressing her more gently, teasing her more sweetly.
Before satisfying his own desires, he wanted to satisfy hers, to ensure she experienced complete pleasure.
They climaxed together, releasing all their pent-up tension, followed by extreme exhaustion.
He fell asleep but woke up groggily to find she wasn’t in bed, wasn’t by his side.
Where had she gone?
Panicked, he quickly got out of bed, only to see her sitting by the window in the living room, lost in thought, and his anxious heart finally settled.
Damn, this woman always knew how to unsettle him.
Xin Zhihuan chuckled to himself, warmed two cups of hot cocoa, and joined her. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
She turned, her eyes deep and unreadable.
“Why are you sitting here alone? Can’t sleep?” he asked.
She didn’t respond, took one of the cups of cocoa, held the warm mug, inhaled the sweet aroma, and took a sip, smiling dreamily.
“It’s so good!”
He watched her childlike behavior, feeling inexplicably pained. Even though she was smiling sweetly, why did he feel there was sorrow hidden behind that smile?
Just as this strange thought crossed his mind, he saw tears welling up in her eyes, and then the tears fell.
He was shocked and quickly sat beside her. “Feifei, what’s wrong?”
She didn’t answer, just sipped her cocoa, tears falling one by one. The salty taste of her tears mixed with the sweet cocoa, creating a complex flavor.
He stared at her in stunned silence.
Why was she crying? Why was she crying? Her silly expression made his heart ache.
“The snow keeps falling,” she said softly, her voice thin and ethereal, saying something unrelated. “With this much snow, will it be hard for you to get to work tomorrow? The traffic will be a mess, won’t it?”
He didn’t care about the traffic; he only cared about her tears.
He took the mug from her hand, set it aside, and wrapped her in his arms, her body so soft and slender.
“Tell me, why are you crying?” he asked gently, afraid that any sternness might frighten her.
“Because I feel so sorry for you.” She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him.
Sorry for him? “Why would you say that?”
“Qi Xuan told me that when I first applied for a bank loan and didn’t have enough collateral, you secretly helped me out. And over the years, whenever I had problems with the restaurant, it was you who helped solve them.”
“He told you everything?” Xin Zhihuan frowned, displeased. “That big mouth—I specifically told him to keep it a secret!”
“Don’t blame him. He should have told me earlier, then I wouldn’t have misunderstood you all this time.” She paused, her voice slightly choking. “All these years, I thought you didn’t care about me, that you had left me alone. I thought if you cared, you would come to find me, but you never did.”
“You wanted me to come find you?” He trembled, looking down at her.
She still lowered her head timidly, her thumb pressed to her lips, biting it childishly. He had never seen her do this before and was a bit startled.
She was silent for a long time before softly confessing, “Actually… I’m a coward.”
A coward? He raised his eyebrows.
“Before, I never told you, but actually… I’ve always felt inferior, ever since I was a child. I always felt like I couldn’t measure up to others, whether it was my background, education, or any other aspect. I always felt inadequate.”
How could that be? Did she really think that way?
He felt her trembling in his arms, his chest tightening.
“Meeting you through a matchmaker and marrying you felt like a dream. You’re so much better than me in every way. I never understood how I deserved you. I was always afraid, sometimes even having nightmares about you laughing at me and abandoning me.”
“You had such dreams?” He was stunned. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“How could I tell you?” Her voice was broken, tinged with self-mockery. “Every time I woke up from those nightmares and saw you lying next to me, it felt even more unreal. If it weren’t for that crazy night and our baby, a man like you would never have noticed someone like me. Your ex-fiancée was a true lady of high standing. Someone like her is the one who deserves you—”
“That’s nonsense!” He interrupted her, feeling both heartache and anger. “I never looked down on you.”
“I know you didn’t, but I couldn’t help thinking that way.” She started biting her thumb again. “Then, on the day of the accident, Jia Rong invited me out… He was dissatisfied with his job and kept complaining. I got impatient and scolded him. He said I was acting high and mighty, but I was just an ugly duckling.”
“How could he say that?” Xin Zhihuan tightened his hold on her.
“We started arguing in the car. I insisted on getting out, but he refused. He didn’t notice the truck coming, and then… ” She choked up. “Luckily, he was fine after surgery. Otherwise, I would never forgive myself. It was my fault he had the accident…”
“But I still blame myself,” she said. “And the baby… that was my fault too…”
“I told you, it was an accident!” He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “You mustn’t blame yourself anymore, understand?”
She was silent, tears shimmering in her eyes.
He lovingly took her thumb from her lips, caressing it in his palm. “When did you start biting your fingers?”
She was stunned, then bitterly pursed her lips. “It’s a bad habit I developed as a child. I just didn’t dare let you see it. I told you, I’m a coward.”
A coward? He never thought so. Six years ago, he saw a girl full of ambition, and six years later, she had transformed into a confident, elegant woman.
In his eyes, she shone brightly.
But she didn’t seem to think so, burying her head in his chest and whispering, “That day, I met with Fang Jia Jun. Because I didn’t accept his proposal, he got angry and left me on the mountain road.”
“What?! Did that really happen?” He was furious, his mind in turmoil. “Then what?”
“Then… I realized someone was following me. I was so scared and called you, but you didn’t answer… That person grabbed me from behind and tried to assault me. I kept screaming for help…”
His heart twisted, imagining her terror. He hated himself.
“Luckily, a couple driving by saved me.”
No wonder she looked so disheveled that day, no wonder she wouldn’t tell him anything.
“I’m sorry, Feifei. It’s all my fault.” He hugged her tightly, wishing he could take away her fear and pain.
“It wasn’t your fault.” She shook her head.
“But you resent me, don’t you?” he asked painfully. “Resent me for not answering the phone, for not being able to save you?”
“Even if you had answered, you wouldn’t have made it in time.” She sighed softly. “I was just stubborn. I’m actually very afraid of being alone, of loneliness, but I kept telling myself I had to get used to it…”
“You aren’t alone. You have me!” He shouted, tenderly cupping her face. “I’ll be by your side.”
She gazed at him, her eyes misty. “But for six years, you weren’t there.”
Her quiet words struck him like a thunderbolt.
He closed his eyes. “Do you blame me?”
“I can’t blame you. It’s my fault.” She smiled tremulously. “I should have been brave enough to tell you what happened. But I was a coward, and I felt so guilty for losing our baby. I thought I didn’t deserve you and should divorce you—”
“You fool!” He sharply rebuked. “You’re driving me crazy.”
“I’m sorry.” She apologized, her tear-streaked face beautiful.
He couldn’t bear to blame her and did his best to comfort her. “Don’t say sorry. I don’t want to hear it. I want you to feel safe relying on me, to be willing to be sweet with me. Do you know how much I wish you’d be sweet with me?”
“Sweet?”
“Yes, sweet.”
She was bewildered, thinking for a long time before shaking her head. “But I… don’t know how.”
This silly girl! He sighed, pulling her close, stroking her hair, resting her head against his chest. “Then start learning from today, from now on. Be sweet with me! Tell me everything, happy or sad. As long as you speak, I’ll listen.”
Would he really listen to everything?
“Yes, I will listen.” Seeing the doubt in her eyes, he promised again, so earnest and sincere.
Her heart tightened, and she suddenly wanted to cry again, quickly snuggling into his chest to hide her tears of weakness.