The night in the Rental Apartment was quiet.
The only sound was the soft tapping of keys.
Jiang Jingye leaned against the headboard, yet his gaze never left the person sitting at the table.
Su Nuo was bent over, typing away. Her eyes were fixed on the screen.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, but every time she pressed the C key, she had to press it twice with extra force before the character slowly appeared on the screen.
His gaze lingered there.
Only then did he notice that the old keyboard’s keys had been worn pale with use.
The letter on the C key was almost completely rubbed away.
Jiang Jingye lowered his eyes and silently unlocked his phone.
His fingers typed “recommended keyboards for web novel authors” into the search bar.
A variety of options appeared, ranging from expensive to affordable.
Some cost over a thousand yuan, while cheaper ones were still several hundred.
As he scrolled through the options, he silently did the math.
He had not touched the one thousand yuan in cash that Su Nuo had given him earlier.
Over the past two days, he had earned more than seven hundred yuan repairing appliances.
In the end, he chose a basic model that cost a little over seven hundred yuan.
It was a Topre style capacitive keyboard recommended by countless authors on online forums.
It was quiet to type on and felt great to use.
After placing the order, his gaze returned once again to Su Nuo’s back.
Finally finishing today’s update, Su Nuo clicked save and stretched deeply.
Her arms extended high above her head as she arched her back.
The nightgown she wore had been washed so many times that it had lost its shape.
As she stretched, the collar drooped lower, revealing a patch of smooth skin. When she leaned forward to close the document, the neckline opened even further, exposing nearly everything beneath.
She remained completely unaware.
She merely shook her sore wrists and muttered softly that her neck was about to break.
Jiang Jingye’s breathing abruptly stalled, and the tips of his ears instantly burned red.
The soft sensation he had felt two nights ago uncontrollably resurfaced in his mind, along with the warmth of her lips, stirring heat deep inside him.
He quickly turned his eyes toward the window.
Yet all he could smell was the faint scent of shampoo lingering around her.
Before he knew it, his gaze drifted back again, settling on her slender waist.
All the blood in his body seemed to rush toward one place.
Taking a deep breath, he stood up and headed into the bathroom.
He turned on the cold water.
Only after the icy stream poured over him did the burning heat inside him barely subside.
When he came out after his shower, Su Nuo was standing on tiptoe trying to place the computer on top of the wardrobe.
Her body wobbled precariously, looking as though she might lose her balance at any moment.
Jiang Jingye strode over quickly.
Steadying the computer tower with one hand, he effortlessly placed it where it belonged.
His fingertips accidentally brushed against her waist.
Su Nuo froze slightly.
Her cheeks immediately turned red again.
“It’s getting late. Let’s rest.”
“Mhm.”
Su Nuo agreed.
Jiang Jingye responded.
The lights were switched off, and darkness instantly swallowed the tiny room.
Only a little moonlight slipped in through the window.
It outlined two figures lying on the bed, separated by a distance that felt as wide as the Yangtze River.
Lying on her side, Su Nuo felt wave after wave of soreness in her shoulders and neck.
She had shaken drinks all day at work, then spent more than three hours sitting and writing at night.
Her back felt as stiff as stone.
She reached behind herself to massage it, but no matter how she tried, she could not reach the spot that hurt the most.
The person behind her suddenly moved.
A warm hand settled firmly on her shoulder.
His fingertips pressed into her stiff muscles with just the right amount of strength.
Su Nuo’s entire body stiffened.
She nearly jumped in surprise.
Her cheeks instantly became scorching hot as she instinctively tried to move away.
“Don’t move.”
Jiang Jingye’s voice was very low beside her ear, carrying a slight hoarseness from staying up late.
“It’s hard for me to massage you if you keep moving.”
His palms were warm.
The pressure was perfect, loosening the knots in her muscles.
It felt so comfortable that she could not help letting out a soft sigh.
Gradually, the tension in her body melted away.
Her heart felt both shy and soft.
After all, they were boyfriend and girlfriend in name.
This level of contact was nothing that needed avoiding.
So she simply let him continue massaging her shoulders.
As he continued, however, that warm hand slowly slid downward from her shoulders.
It traveled across her back before eventually coming to rest over her chest.
Su Nuo’s eyes instantly widened.
The blood throughout her body seemed to freeze.
She immediately reached out to stop him.
Yet Jiang Jingye wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her more tightly into his embrace.
Warm lips landed behind her ear.
A gentle kiss sent a tingling sensation through her entire body.
“Jiang Jingye…”
Her voice trembled with confusion and panic.
“I know.”
His breath brushed against her ear, low and husky.
“Your period isn’t over yet.”
His fingers moved slightly.
Su Nuo bit her lip, refusing to let any embarrassing sounds escape.
“I won’t do anything else.”
He kissed the reddened tip of her ear, speaking softly.
He truly did nothing else.
He only kissed her and held her.
Su Nuo opened her mouth, yet no words of refusal came out.
After spending so much time together these past days, how could she not feel anything at all?
Besides, he was her favorite character that she herself had created.
The chest behind her was burning hot as it pressed tightly against her back.
Their bodies fit together perfectly without the slightest gap.
Su Nuo closed her eyes.
The tension in her body completely disappeared, and she stopped resisting.
She had no idea how much time passed.
Gradually, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Jiang Jingye felt the breathing of the person in his arms become slow and steady.
Only then did he gently withdraw his hand.
Looking down at the peaceful sleeping girl in his embrace, his Adam’s apple bobbed violently.
The reaction from his body could not be concealed.
Jiang Jingye took a deep breath and suppressed the surging heat within him.
Then he carefully got out of bed and once again rushed into the bathroom, turning on the cold water.
As the icy water poured over him, he leaned against the wall and became keenly aware of one fact.
The former version of himself had remained unmoved even when Su Nuo threw herself at him.
Now, however, he not only cherished the warmth and stability she brought into his life, but also longed for her soft body and the sparkling light in her eyes.
The next morning, spring sunlight streamed through the small window at an angle.
Warm golden light filled half the room.
The two of them walked side by side through the alley.
Sunlight fell upon them, outlining a perfectly matched pair.
The man was tall and straight, with cold and handsome features. Even the simplest security guard uniform looked refined and dignified on him.
The woman had smiling eyes, fair skin, and shallow dimples that appeared whenever she smiled.
Standing together, they looked as though they had stepped out of a painting.
At the entrance of the milk tea shop, the manager was wiping the glass doors.
When she saw the scene, she nudged Lin Xiao beside her and smiled.
“Look at Nuonuo and her boyfriend. Don’t they look perfect together? I think they’re even more pleasing to the eye than our boss standing next to President Fu.”
Lin Xiao stretched her neck for a better look and clicked her tongue.
“Come on, Sister. How can you compare them? President Xu is the daughter of the Xu family, and President Fu is the heir to the Fu Group. They’re both privileged elites from matching backgrounds. Nuonuo’s boyfriend is just a security guard. The gap in their social status is way too big.”
The manager put down her cloth and patted Lin Xiao’s shoulder with the air of someone imparting life experience.
“You young girls read too many domineering CEO novels.”
“Life is life no matter how you live it. Whether you’re rich or poor, as long as you’re with the person you love and the two of you keep moving forward together, that’s happiness.”
“Look at Nuonuo now. Her eyes sparkle every day like they’re filled with stars. The smile never leaves her face. That’s what someone looks like when they’re cherished.”
She paused before adding with a smile:
“In real life, there aren’t that many domineering CEOs waiting for you. Finding someone considerate, someone who cares whether you’re cold or warm, someone who can cook and truly treasure you, is worth more than anything else.”
“Those domineering CEOs are meant for rich young ladies. Ordinary people like us just want a stable life.”
Lin Xiao nodded, half understanding and half confused.