Chapter 34

His voice was lazy: “Sneaking around in the middle of the night? I thought a thief had broken in.” 

“I’m not sneaking around,” Lin Yuxi said, then started, “You…” 

She was about to ask why he was there when she suddenly remembered that they had gone skiing today. 

The ski resort wasn’t far from here, so maybe they decided to stay nearby afterward. 

So did he really bring Jiang Nan here? 

Lin Yuxi’s heart tightened bit by bit, as if someone had sucked the oxygen out of her chest, leaving her feeling suffocated. 

Was he really in such a rush? 

Could he at least wait until they were officially divorced? 

As Zhou Yanjing walked down the stairs, Lin Yuxi caught a glimpse of a small red mark on his neck. 

Even though it was over twenty degrees indoors, her body suddenly went cold, a chill seeping into her bones. 

Clenching her fists, she turned to leave. 

From behind, she heard the sound of him rummaging through something. Zhou Yanjing asked, “Where’s the first-aid kit?” 

Lin Yuxi’s voice was tight: “Second drawer to your right.” 

Zhou Yanjing opened the drawer and took out the first-aid kit. Just as Lin Yuxi was about to leave, he asked again, “Which one is for allergies?” 

Lin Yuxi didn’t want to deal with him. “Google it yourself.” 

Zhou Yanjing let out a light chuckle. “Dr. Lin, what an angel in white. Your cats caused my allergy. Even if you don’t have professional ethics, you should at least take some responsibility.” 

He then casually added a threat, “Or, if you prefer not to, I could always toss them into the snow. Don’t blame me later.” 

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Lin Yuxi stood frozen for two seconds before gritting her teeth and turning back. 

“Give me the first-aid kit.” 

Zhou Yanjing glanced at her and handed it over. 

Since no one had lived there for a while, most of the medicine had expired. Lin Yuxi only found one tube of ointment that was still usable. 

“Apply it once or twice a day. There’s no loratadine left, so make sure you take some when you get home tomorrow.” 

Zhou Yanjing didn’t take it. Instead, he sat down on the sofa, loosened his collar, and said, “Help me apply it.” 

Lin Yuxi didn’t move. “You could ask whoever’s upstairs to help you.” 

Zhou Yanjing lazily lifted his eyelids. “Who’s upstairs? Is this house haunted?” 

Jiang Nan wasn’t here? 

Lin Yuxi stared at him for a moment, confirming from his expression that he wasn’t lying, before walking over to apply the ointment. 

There was a large rash on the back right side of his neck, likely from an allergic reaction, and the small patch she’d seen earlier wasn’t a hickey he’d probably scratched it himself. 

From the angle he was sitting, part of the light was blocked. To get a better view, Lin Yuxi had to lean in closer, applying the ointment with her index finger and massaging it into the rash. 

She was focused on the task when Zhou Yanjing suddenly clicked his tongue and tilted his head away. “Are you doing that on purpose?” 

“Did I hurt you?” Lin Yuxi found him surprisingly sensitive. “I wasn’t using much force.” 

“I meant, stop blowing on my neck.” 

Lin Yuxi was speechless. “Even an amoeba needs to breathe.” 

Zhou Yanjing’s brown eyes fixed on her, and he said leisurely, “You’re turning me on.” 

Lin Yuxi’s face instantly flushed, burning hot. “That’s your problem for being a pervert.” 

She straightened up to leave, but Zhou Yanjing grabbed her wrist, gave a gentle tug, and pulled her onto his lap. 

“Let go!” 

Lin Yuxi tried to stand, but Zhou Yanjing’s hands, broad and strong, held her legs firmly in place. Not only did he not let go, but he pulled her even closer. 

The heat of his body and the unmistakable shape pressing through the fabric made it all too clear. 

The familiar surroundings and the suggestive position instantly brought back memories for Lin Yuxi of their time on this very sofa. 

Her cheeks flushed even redder, the heat spreading down her pale neck. The wine she’d drunk earlier seemed to have been set on fire, releasing warmth into her bloodstream. 

Flustered and angry, she snapped, “Zhou Yanjing!” 

“The way you say my name just makes me more excited.” Unfazed by her feeble cat-like fury, he leaned in close to her lips and sniffed. “Have you been drinking?” 

He leaned in so close, well past a safe distance, as if about to kiss her. Lin Yuxi turned her head away. “None of your business!” 

When she drank, she had a certain playful cuteness that was different from her usual self. Frowning in frustration Zhou Yanjing admitted to himself that he had a strange side he found it adorable. 

“The smell of alcohol is so strong. How much did you drink?” 

Was it really that strong? Lin Yuxi fell into the trap and quickly covered her mouth, saying, “Just a few glasses.” 

“I don’t believe you,” Zhou Yanjing said. “Let me check.” 

Lin Yuxi was about to ask how he was going to check did he want to draw her blood and test her alcohol level right then? 

The next moment, Zhou Yanjing cupped her delicate chin, turned her face back to him, and before she could say a word, he kissed her. 

His cool lips pressed against hers, and Lin Yuxi’s spine instantly tensed up, her breathing starting to quiver. 

It was Zhou Yanjing who had taught her how to kiss. 

Those once fiery, inseparable kisses memories burned deep into her bones. 

Zhou Yanjing seemed to hesitate, pulling back after a brief kiss, his thumb brushing her chin as he stared at her soft, pink lips, lost in thought. 

Lin Yuxi was too familiar with his presence. She had forgotten, but her body’s muscle memory had not.  

Her mind, hazy from the alcohol, couldn’t think straight, and before she realized it, she instinctively leaned in and kissed him again. 

Zhou Yanjing paused, his deep gaze falling on her face, impossible to read. 

Lin Yuxi only stayed in that dazed state for a second before she snapped back to reality. Her rationality returned all at once, and she immediately pushed Zhou Yanjing away with force. 

Zhou Yanjing fell back from her push, and Lin Yuxi quickly got off his lap, turning to leave. 

“Lin Yuxi,” Zhou Yanjing’s voice called from behind, his tone teasing and ambiguous as he leaned against the sofa. 

“Why did you kiss me?” 

Lin Yuxi pressed her lips together. “You kissed me first.” 

“I barely touched you for a second, maybe at most. You kissed me for five seconds you got the better deal.” 

Five seconds? No way! 

Lin Yuxi’s mind was a mess, frustration mounting. She cursed the alcohol for clouding her judgment, and Zhou Yanjing’s unpredictable, hot-and-cold attitude left her hanging in confusion. 

Already in a bad mood, she grew even more irritated when he played the victim. He had been the one to start everything! 

“So, what now? What do you want?” 

She didn’t hear an answer just the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. 

Zhou Yanjing hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his arms before she had time to react. Caught off guard, Lin Yuxi was trapped in his embrace. 

“I want to kiss you back.” 

Without giving her a chance to respond, Zhou Yanjing lowered his head and kissed her again. 

His cool lips pressed with force and dominance, not allowing her any chance to resist or refuse. 

Lin Yuxi was completely unprepared. Zhou Yanjing’s arm tightened around her waist, easily prying open her lips and invading her mouth. 

She whimpered as she pushed against his chest, but it was no use he was too strong, and she was already losing her breath and oxygen. 

Zhou Yanjing’s tongue expertly explored her mouth, teasing and entwining with hers, skillfully playing with her in a way that left her completely powerless. 

He was an expert kisser, and he knew all her sensitive spots. Lin Yuxi had no chance of resisting. Soon, her limbs grew weak, and her breathing became erratic. 

It felt as if she were sinking into warm water, the alcohol heightening her sensitivity and clouding her reasoning. Before long, she was completely overwhelmed by Zhou Yanjing’s kiss, her struggles growing weaker. 

Zhou Yanjing pulled her down onto the sofa, and as Lin Yuxi’s dazed eyes blinked open for a moment, he was already on top of her. 

She hadn’t even realized when her clothes had been undone. 

The rough texture of Zhou Yanjing’s fingertips made her let out a soft moan. Instinctively, she tried to curl her legs up, but his large hand gripped her knee. 

Zhou Yanjing’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice slightly breathless as he kissed her ear and coaxed, “Be a good girl, Xixi, open your legs a little.” 

In the long-unoccupied house, the temperature rose steadily, and both of them were lost in the heat of the moment. 

Just then, the doorbell rang.  

Dazed from the kissing, Lin Yuxi murmured, “Someone’s here.”