Chapter 96: A Passionate Kiss

“Shh!” Su Niannian made a mysterious gesture, signaling Gu Nan to be silent.

Gu Nan looked around cautiously.

He thought to himself, could Su Niannian have discovered something?

But all he could hear were the chirps of insects and birds—there was no other sound.

Suddenly, he felt something soft press against his lips.

Mmm!

Su Niannian’s soft lips gently pressed against Gu Nan’s, and soon, a faint fragrance filled his nostrils.

Gu Nan felt the temperature around him begin to rise, and his entire body grew a little restless.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Su Niannian’s waist, pulling her closer.

At this moment, Gu Nan felt as if he wanted to pull Su Niannian completely into his body, as though she were a part of him.

As for Su Niannian, at first, she had just intended to tease Gu Nan, but now, to her surprise, this dog of a man actually seemed to want more.

Su Niannian felt as though the air in her mouth had been completely stolen away.

She was almost out of breath.

Only then did Gu Nan finally pull back, ending the passionate kiss.

Su Niannian felt a slight pain in her lips.

“It was you who made the first move,” Gu Nan said innocently.

Under the moonlight, Gu Nan looked at Su Niannian, who pouted her lips in a way that made her seem a little wronged.

“It was my fault,” Gu Nan immediately said, pulling Su Niannian into his embrace again.

His arms around her, just like before, were familiar to Su Niannian—filled with love and tenderness.

It was the kind of embrace that gave her an overwhelming sense of security.

“I have something to tell you,” Su Niannian said softly, her voice drifting into Gu Nan’s ear as she held him close.

“Mm, go ahead,” Gu Nan’s deep voice came from above, near her head.

Su Niannian could feel the steady beat of his heart.

“You must have already noticed, right? I have a secret that’s a little different from others.” Su Niannian’s words weren’t a question, but a statement.

Gu Nan rubbed his chin against the top of Su Niannian’s head.

“Mm.”

Hearing Su Niannian say this, a different emotion stirred within him.

Was his little miss about to share her secret with him?

This secret, one that couldn’t be shared with outsiders—was his little girl really now trusting him completely, to the point where she was willing to share such a secret?

Gu Nan felt both excited and a little scared.

Excited because he was getting the answer so quickly, but scared because if it truly was what he suspected, would his little girl face danger in the future?

Su Niannian held onto Gu Nan, feeling his heartbeat, his body temperature, and his breath.

Su Niannian rested her face on Gu Nan’s shoulder.

“If what I tell you is something beyond your understanding, if it’s something like that, would you still believe me?” she asked softly.

“I would.”

Just as Su Niannian had thought, the man she trusted would believe in her unconditionally.

Su Niannian slowly pulled away from Gu Nan’s embrace, standing in front of him.

She took his hands in hers.

Under the moonlight, Gu Nan’s eyes were as deep as if they were soaked in ink.

Su Niannian felt her heart swell with affection.

Her man, the one she trusted completely.

In the next moment, the entire world around Gu Nan was illuminated by a bright light.

It was a true illumination, as Gu Nan found himself in a vast, white space.

He had suddenly appeared in this space from a place of darkness, and his eyes instinctively squinted at the brightness.

After a moment of adjusting to the light, Gu Nan was finally able to clearly see everything before him.

Su Niannian had brought him from the mountainside, from the back hills, to a realm he had never seen before.

In the distance, there was also a white mist swirling at the outermost edge of the space.

Next to him, there were shelves filled with various items, and even…

An ancient-style bed frame, neatly made with a mattress, sheets, and blankets.

Further away, there was what appeared to be a large, warehouse-like steel building, its space looking quite expansive.

There were also golden wheat, crops, fruits, and vegetables.

This place was simple yet resembled the idyllic paradise described in books.

Everything needed for living—food, clothing—was all readily available.

Moreover, behind Su Niannian, there was an ancient-looking well.

Just as Gu Nan was surveying his surroundings, a roar, deep and powerful like that of a tiger, suddenly echoed in his ears.

Gu Nan instinctively shielded Su Niannian behind him, his gaze quickly scanning the area for any handy weapons.

At that moment, a massive figure appeared within his line of sight.

Its orange-yellow fur was marked with dark brown stripes, and its limbs were strong and powerful.

It was a tiger!

A tiger!

The place Su Niannian had brought him to actually had such a dangerous tiger.

Gu Nan felt his adrenaline surge. His mind immediately started racing, thinking of ways to take down this massive creature in front of him.

The little creature charged straight at Su Niannian, completely ignoring Gu Nan who stood in front of her.

Gu Nan clenched his right fist, while with his left hand, he grabbed Su Niannian’s arm, intending to both strike and pull her away.

“It’s little one,” Su Niannian hurriedly called out when she saw Gu Nan’s actions and the excited little creature leaping toward her.

But Gu Nan still swiftly pulled Su Niannian to the side.

The little creature missed its target.

The little creature now looked at Gu Nan with a gaze full of grievance.

What was wrong with this man? Why did he pull my master away?

I haven’t seen my master in so long, and I can’t even give her a hug?

The little creature seemed displeased, even showing a hint of disdain.

“It’s mine,” Su Niannian said, her voice soft, “Don’t you remember it?”

“Yes, the one we encountered when we were in the back mountain, with the wolf pack,” Su Niannian explained as she held onto Gu Nan’s arm.

Actually, from the moment the little creature appeared, Gu Nan had recognized that this was the same tiger they had encountered that night in the back mountain. However, he still found it hard to accept that this tiger was being raised by Su Niannian.

A tiger? And a Siberian tiger, no less. How could such a fierce creature possibly be tamed by a human?

Gu Nan couldn’t shake the tension in his muscles, even as he heard Su Niannian’s words. It was as if his body refused to relax, and the sense of danger remained in the air.

The little tiger let out a plaintive howl, then plopped down on the ground, sitting there with an air of dejection. The way it did this… it almost looked like a dog.

When its owner still didn’t approach, the little tiger laid down, its front paws tucked beneath its chest in an almost childlike manner, looking up at Su Niannian with a mix of longing and complaint.

Su Niannian gently pulled Gu Nan toward the spot where the little tiger was lying, trying to reassure him.

Gu Nan remained on alert, his eyes never leaving the little tiger, still uncertain about the situation. But when he saw Su Niannian reach out and gently pat the tiger’s head, his tense body relaxed just a little.

“He’s called Little One,” Su Niannian explained, her hand still resting on the tiger’s soft fur. “I found him in the mountains behind the village when I first arrived.”

The little tiger, hearing its name, let out a small, almost contented sound, its large eyes looking up at Su Niannian as though seeking her approval.

Su Niannian continued to stroke the little tiger’s head, her voice soft and steady as she spoke.

“At that time, he was injured,” she said. “Yes, the day you encountered the wild boar that nearly killed itself.”

Gu Nan listened closely, memories of that day flooding back. It had been the first time Su Niannian had taken on the task of cutting grass for the pigs in the production team. He had felt uneasy and followed her to the mountain, worried about her safety. When he had arrived, he had heard her shout and the loud sound of impact.

When he reached her, she was standing calmly, unharmed, just a short distance from a wild boar that had collapsed under a tree, unconscious.

“That’s when I found him,” Su Niannian continued, smiling slightly as she remembered the little tiger’s frightened yet brave appearance that day. “He was just a cub then, scared and hurt. But now, he’s grown a lot.”

Gu Nan, still processing everything, glanced at the little tiger again, feeling a mix of disbelief and awe. It was hard to imagine that such a powerful creature could have been so vulnerable at one point, and even harder to accept that it was now something Su Niannian had raised and cared for.