Chapter 53

The warm and gentle light in the entryway illuminated their faces, revealing every emotion hidden in their eyes, leaving no room for escape. The unfiltered honesty of the moment made Cheng Li’s heart race slightly.

But Cheng Li was not an innocent girl unaware of the ways of the world.

Lowering her gaze, she looked deeply into Rong Qi’s eyes, as though appraising him. Rong Qi could only passively meet her gaze.

Although it seemed that Rong Qi had always been the one taking the initiative in their relationship, he knew deep down that she was the one holding the string of the kite.

He was like a kite soaring far away in the sky, but no matter how far he drifted, he longed to return here—to her side.

When Rong Qi first decided to buy a house for his grandparents, his assistant scouted several properties and listed all their pros and cons.

This garden-style villa wasn’t the best he could afford.

But when he saw its address—so close to First High School, so near her home—he knew this house was destined to be his.

He knew that moving back wouldn’t necessarily change anything, but it was better than doing nothing at all.

With this mindset, he waited patiently, little by little.

But it seemed that fate had decided to favor him for once.

From their chance encounter at the bar, everything spiraled in a direction he had never imagined, yet he didn’t mind. In fact, he actively pushed for everything to happen.

It felt like half a century passed before Cheng Li’s eyelashes fluttered. Her soft, pink lips parted slightly as she spoke.

“Then what are we waiting for?”

…

These words were equivalent to consent.

In an instant, Rong Qi released his hold on her. As Cheng Li slid down, her feet barely touched the ground before his hands gently cupped her face.

His lips pressed against hers, and his tongue immediately, impatiently, sought entrance, sweeping over her lips and tongue, as though trying to draw every breath from her.

Cheng Li thought she’d grown accustomed to his kisses, but she hadn’t anticipated that each time would feel so different.

Every kiss sent a tingling sensation down her spine and ignited an inexplicable feeling in her heart.

She wanted to hold him tighter, go deeper, and possess every part of him.

Truthfully, her desires for him were no less intense than his for her.

Their passionate kisses and tangled embrace continued as they stumbled into Cheng Li’s room.

Once inside, Rong Qi pressed her against the door. The room was pitch dark since they hadn’t turned on the light. Their sight was engulfed in darkness, leaving only the sound of their ragged, heated breaths in the air.

The uneven rhythm of their breathing stirred something in their hearts, making their body temperatures soar.

When Rong Qi reached to turn on the light, Cheng Li somehow sensed his movement and grabbed his wrist. In a low voice, she asked, “What are you doing?”

“You like it in the dark?” Rong Qi’s voice was unbearably hoarse, laced with a sensuality that felt unfamiliar to her.

Cheng Li chuckled softly. Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned toward the faint outline of his figure.

She accidentally bumped into his chin.

Without thinking, she opened her mouth and bit it lightly. Though Rong Qi shaved daily, she could still feel the faint, prickly stubble.

Following the line of his jaw, Cheng Li planted soft kisses along his neck.

Her actions seemed to ignite something in Rong Qi.

His reaction was intense, and this discovery delighted Cheng Li. It turned out that not only did her body tremble under his touch, but he also experienced the same sensations she did.

Encouraged, Cheng Li continued kissing and nibbling along his neck.

But suddenly, there was a soft click—the sound of the light switch being turned on.

Bright light flooded the room, forcing Cheng Li to shut her eyes instinctively. It took her a few seconds to adjust and open them again.

And when she did, she was greeted by the sight of Rong Qi under the glaring light.

His pale neck bore faint red marks, his full lips glistened with a hint of moisture, making the scene feel charged with intimacy and desire. His usually detached and cool black eyes were now darker than ever, like boiling ink, filled with unrestrained longing.

This wasn’t the first time Cheng Li had seen such an expression in his eyes.

But this time, it wasn’t a tentative look or one full of hesitation—it was a point of no return.

Lowering his gaze to look at her, Rong Qi seemed reluctant to let her go but forced himself to suppress his emotions. In a deep, husky voice, he said, “Go take a shower first.”

Huh?

Cheng Li hadn’t expected him to stay so composed at this moment.

She had seen plenty of movies where the male and female leads were utterly consumed by passion, looking like they wanted to devour each other whole. And here he was, calmly calling for a pause.

Cheng Li tugged at his collar and muttered, “Boring.”

“Boring?” Rong Qi chuckled at her comment. His low voice carried a teasing edge. “What would make it more exciting?”

Cheng Li looked up, meeting his playful gaze.

Well, he asked for it, didn’t he?

Not wanting to back down, she decided to throw caution to the wind. “At a time like this, shouldn’t you be picking me up and tossing me onto the bed?”

Rong Qi seemed taken aback by her bold statement. For a moment, disbelief flickered across his face. After holding back his laughter, he finally leaned closer, trapping her between his body and the door.

With his proximity, Cheng Li felt like the air had thinned, making it harder to breathe.

But Rong Qi wasn’t about to let her off so easily. Tilting her chin upward with his fingers, he stared into her eyes and said slowly, “So, this is what you like.”

Like what?

Cheng Li was momentarily confused. She had merely described a typical movie scene, that’s all.

In the next moment, Rong Qi bent down, scooping her up horizontally. He walked a few steps to the bed and gently tossed her onto it.

Thanks to the thick mattress and the soft winter blankets, Cheng Li didn’t feel like she had been thrown down at all. Instead, it felt like she had landed in a pile of cotton.

Before she could react, Rong Qi knelt on the bed, straddling her.

Then, taking her hands in his, he pinned them above her head.

At this moment, her gaze carried a hint of confusion and unease, as though she couldn’t quite adapt to the rhythm of the situation.

It was precisely this bewildered expression that made her seem more like a lamb lying helplessly on the bed, soft and vulnerable, her fate entirely in the hands of the man hovering above her.

“So, this is what you call exciting?” Rong Qi leaned down, his upper body close to her ear.

There was a faint scent of alcohol on him, but more prominent was the familiar aroma she was so drawn to, a scent that she couldn’t help but find intoxicating and comforting.

Cheng Li looked up at him, as though struggling to catch up with the pace he had set.

Until his lips drew close, brushing against her earlobe, his voice feather-light, carried on his breath.

“Do you like it, baby?”

The word “baby” exploded in her mind like fireworks.

The haze in her heart vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of clarity. She instinctively tried to raise her arms to embrace him, but as soon as she moved, she remembered that her hands were still pinned above her head.

“Rong Qi,” she murmured, her eyes filled with longing and helplessness as she looked at him.

Her voice was soft, not in a coquettish way, but low and restrained, and it sent a shiver down Rong Qi’s spine.

Finally, he released her hands.

Cheng Li felt a spark of joy and immediately moved to wrap her arms around him, but the man above her suddenly pulled away, transitioning from kneeling on the bed to standing on the floor.

What’s going on?

She stared at him in confusion.

“I’m going to take a shower first,” Rong Qi said, his dark eyes gazing at her, their depths unreadable.

Cheng Li: “…”

The situation suddenly became somewhat ridiculous.

The air had been thick with sparks, ready to ignite, and yet here he was, pouring a cold bucket of water over everything.

Her wrists still bore the imprint of his firm grip, and her ears still rang with his husky, breathy voice. And yet, he somehow managed to rein himself in at such a moment.

Sitting up, Cheng Li found her gaze unconsciously drifting toward his pants.

Rong Qi, standing by the bed, immediately noticed her line of sight.

“You…” He shifted slightly, clearly aware of her attention.

Cheng Li thought for a moment and decided that now was as good a time as any to address the issue. Better to be open about things now than later. Taking this opportunity for honesty wasn’t a bad idea. She said, “You know, it’s perfectly normal for modern young men to feel under pressure. The most important thing is that we don’t—”

“Don’t what?” Rong Qi interrupted her, pulling her off the bed and pressing her against him.

“Don’t avoid the problem…” she trailed off.

It was only then that Cheng Li noticed, as their bodies pressed together, the very obvious tension in his. Very obvious.

Oh.

So he’s fine after all.

Rong Qi hadn’t intended to make things so obvious, but at this point, he had no choice but to murmur in her ear, his voice low and gravelly, “Men need to shower first. Not being clean isn’t good for you.”

“Did you get… that procedure done?” Cheng Li suddenly asked.

Rong Qi paused, taken aback. She really could come up with anything, couldn’t she?

But he still answered patiently, “Yes.”

“Did it hurt?” she asked curiously.

“Not really, they used anesthesia,” he replied, though he was beginning to feel like he was losing his mind.

“Did you go alone?” she pressed, her tone laced with concern.

“No.” Rong Qi sighed, feeling like he was going insane. He could’ve chosen not to answer, yet something compelled him to respond. “I went with Jiang Zhe.”

Cheng Li’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You two are so weird! Why would you need a buddy for something like that?”

Rong Qi: “…”

Her curiosity seemed endless as she pursued the topic relentlessly. “After the procedure, were you able to walk right away? Didn’t it hurt? Wasn’t it uncomfortable?”

Rong Qi took a deep breath, tightening his hold on her. His lips brushed against hers as he whispered, “Are you sure this is what you want to talk about right now?”

Just moments ago, she had seemed so impatient.

Now her attention was entirely derailed.

Realizing this, Cheng Li quickly snapped back to the moment. “Oh, right, I need to shower.”

As she headed toward the bathroom, Rong Qi couldn’t help but feel exasperated yet amused.

She truly was the ultimate mood-killer.

Even so, the two of them eventually went their separate ways to shower. Once Cheng Li entered the bathroom, it suddenly dawned on her—wait a minute, wasn’t this the part in the movies where the male and female leads showered together?

Why didn’t that cross her mind earlier?

Cheng Li sighed to herself, thinking she should watch more movies in the future. Otherwise, when moments like these came up, she’d be utterly clueless.

As it was, women typically took longer to shower than men. She needed to remove her makeup and wash her hair.

Cheng Li’s hair was thick and long, and back in high school, her only request at the salon had always been: thin it out, thin it out, thin it out.

After her shower, she began drying her hair with a blow dryer.

Rong Qi had long since finished his own shower and was now half-leaning against the bed, listening to the hum of the blow dryer coming from the bathroom. Although his eyes were on his phone, he didn’t register a single word on the screen.

For some reason, Cheng Li’s blow-drying session seemed to drag on forever. Whether intentional or not, it felt as though an hour had passed, and she was still at it.

Finally, the incessant noise of the blow dryer ceased, and the sudden silence felt almost unsettling to Rong Qi.

Click.

The bathroom door opened.

Cheng Li emerged, and Rong Qi looked up, momentarily stunned.

Instead of her usual two-piece pajamas, she was wearing a silver-gray satin slip dress. A row of lace trim adorned the neckline, exposing a fair expanse of smooth, snow-white skin.

The warm yellow light in the room spilled over her, making her already fair skin seem as if it was glowing.

Her figure wasn’t thin or frail; rather, she was shapely and full in all the right places. The slip she wore wasn’t a loose fit but rather tailored to hug her curves perfectly. It was the kind of garment only someone with a great figure could pull off effortlessly.

Beneath the hem of the dress were her long, straight legs, and her calves were slender and even. Having just stepped out of a shower, her feet rested in a pair of bathroom slippers. Her smooth toes fidgeted slightly, inadvertently drawing attention.

Along with the movement of her toes, his Adam’s apple shifted.

Though his expression remained calm, he casually locked his phone and set it aside.

She replaced her bathroom slippers with a pair meant for the bedroom.

The room, warmed by both the air conditioning and underfloor heating, was comfortably cozy, but having come out of a steamy bathroom, she suddenly felt a slight chill.

She walked to the foot of the bed, slipped off her slippers, and climbed toward the headboard. As she knelt on the bed, the fabric at the front of her slip naturally draped down, revealing a stretch of fair skin.

As she knelt and reached to pull the covers back, she tilted her head slightly, listening intently.

“It sounds like it’s raining outside.”

In the south, winter wasn’t as dry as in the north. It often rained—an endless winter drizzle that made the already warm room feel even cozier.

The sound of raindrops tapping against the window was one of her favorite things.

But before she could fully savor the sound of the rain outside, she was suddenly pulled forward, landing directly in his embrace. When she looked up, her gaze collided with his deep, ink-black eyes.

“Did you do that on purpose?” he asked in a low voice.

She didn’t quite understand what he meant, but her body pressed against his quickly registered something distinct and undeniable.

Unlike the sturdy feel of his usual suit trousers, this time, the thin material of his pajama pants revealed everything.

Her breath hitched as if bewitched, and she murmured, “I don’t really know the process…”

Before she could finish her sentence, his lips descended, silencing her entirely.

Between kisses, his voice was muffled but clear. “I’ve never done this with anyone else either.”

What?

Her thoughts stuttered as though something flickered in her mind.

But he gave her no chance to process. Determined, he swallowed her words with his lips and tongue. Outside, the rain grew heavier, while the temperature inside the room climbed higher and higher.

When he flipped her beneath him, he didn’t rush. Instead, he leaned down, teasing her bit by bit.

It didn’t take long before her breathing quickened again.

Between them, sparks seemed to fly, and the smallest nudge was enough to ignite a blaze.

When the lights were switched off, her eyes blinked once.

Then she heard the distinct sound of plastic being torn open.

The noise came from just above her head.

And yet, it also felt far away as everything around her began to blur.

She felt him drawing closer, and in the enveloping darkness, her other senses heightened. His familiar scent surrounded her, warm and intoxicating, wrapping her in a cocoon of safety.

He was patient, unhurried.

The rain outside grew louder. What had started as a gentle tapping on the glass turned into a steady, rhythmic drumming.

Amidst the sound of the rain, she reached out and held onto him.

Though he cared for her deeply, the prolonged anticipation and the dreamlike moment stretched his restraint to its limit. His mind held only one thought: he wanted to make her his completely.

In the cold, rainy winter night, her world was filled with nothing but him—his breath in her ears, his presence in every corner of her consciousness. She didn’t know where he would take her, but she knew she’d follow him anywhere.

That night was endlessly long.

*

Morning.

The room was incredibly quiet. The person who had been lying in bed was now nearly buried under the covers. Though she wasn’t usually a still sleeper, last night she had been unusually calm.

When he opened his eyes, he saw her nestled in his arms.

Her face was pressed against his chest, her nose buried under the blanket.

But apparently, even that wasn’t enough for her. She wriggled further under the covers, making him chuckle softly.

What kind of sleeping habit was this?

Suffocation-style sleeping?

Normally, they didn’t stay in bed for long after waking up in the morning, so he’d never noticed this about her before.

He wondered what had caused this.

The phone on the bedside table started vibrating.

He quickly got up and silenced the alarm.

It was hers.

This girl—she even set an alarm for the weekend.

Though he moved quickly, the person in bed stirred.

When she opened her eyes, she fully understood what it meant to feel like her eyelids weighed a thousand pounds.

As her consciousness returned, she realized that her heavy eyelids were the least of her problems. Her entire body felt like it had been run over, and the discomfort lingered even now.

Keeping her eyes closed, a stray thought crept into her mind.

She should have checked her phone before falling asleep last night to see how late it had gotten.

“Sleep a little longer,” he coaxed softly.

She hummed in response without opening her eyes. Then, for some reason, she suddenly chuckled.

He looked at her curiously as she mumbled lazily, “Lord Rong.”

“??”

Still not opening her eyes, she suddenly recited, “The fleeting spring night ends as the sun rises high, and from now on, the emperor no longer attends court.”

He was momentarily speechless.

He let out a soft, amused laugh and quickly lay back down beside her.

Sensing this, she slowly opened her eyes.

But he was already leaning close. Tilting his face slightly, he nipped at her earlobe, his low voice teasing.

“Your Highness, was my service satisfactory?”