Chapter 29

After Feng Chengze left the bedroom, Ji Qingyu still stared at the ceiling, raising her hand to her chest to feel her rapidly beating heart. It was beating so fast. Even if he hadn’t kissed her forehead in the end, she wouldn’t have minded. Firstly, they hadn’t actually done anything substantial, so she didn’t need any so-called post-comfort. Secondly, she had indeed found joy in that long kiss, perhaps even more than he did. She was usually very forgiving towards those who brought her happiness. However, that forehead kiss did make her heart flutter slightly, giving her a feeling similar to palpitations.

At this moment, she truly understood what he meant by “everything as usual.” It wasn’t just about maintaining a marital relationship; it meant he would learn to love her like a husband loves his wife, and she would love him like a wife loves her husband. Perhaps he had been too rational before, leading her to mistakenly believe that all he wanted was a marriage in name and reality, nothing more. Now, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

She sat up and turned on the reading light. The soft light dispelled the darkness, and her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness. She closed her eyes, and after a moment, she picked up her phone from the bedside table and lit up the screen. She was stunned for a few seconds—it had already been over an hour since he turned off the lights!

The duration of their kiss had set a new record for her. She got out of bed, put on her slippers, and walked to the closet. The room temperature wasn’t high, but after all that activity, she felt sweaty and sticky, which was uncomfortable. She hesitated for a few seconds, looking at the row of hanging pajamas, and finally chose a silk camisole nightgown. There was no need to wear conservative pajamas now.

After leaving the closet, she headed straight to the bathroom. She quickly washed off the heat and the sensation of his touch, dried herself with a towel, and put on the nightgown. Standing in front of the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror. Feng Chengze had been very restrained; she had felt him wanting to bite her a few times, but he didn’t. So, apart from a slight mark on her chest, nothing else needed covering.

After her shower, Feng Chengze hadn’t come in yet, and there were no messages from him on her phone. Her curiosity far outweighed her shyness. She put on a robe, tied the belt, and quietly opened the bedroom door. The two nannies and Feng Jiayuan had very healthy and regular routines. Although it wasn’t midnight, the lights in the nannies’ and children’s rooms were off, and there was no sound. The soundproofing in the house was excellent. She walked through the hallway, and the guest bathroom door was open. As she passed by, she could feel the steam coming out, indicating he had just finished his shower. The air still had a fresh, post-shower scent.

When she reached the living room, she was momentarily stunned and widened her eyes. She quickly walked towards Feng Chengze, who had his back to her. “Oh, I forgot! I knew there was something I hadn’t finished. Tomorrow is Tuesday!”

Every child in the Rose Class had to bring a castle to kindergarten for display. The best ones would be placed in the glass showcase, which was a great honor for the little ones.

Feng Chengze sat leisurely on the carpet, his hair still wet. He looked at her and said, “You go to sleep first. I’ll handle this.”

“No way,” Ji Qingyu replied, seeing the true nature of the man in Feng Chengze. He had been decent, average, not bad to her before, but after they kissed, his patience and thoughtfulness visibly increased. This man was indeed practical, not acting until he saw the results.

“It’ll be faster if we do it together.” She sat cross-legged opposite him. If she were too sleepy to keep her eyes open, she wouldn’t hesitate to let him handle it, but she was wide awake and might as well help with the castle.

Feng Chengze’s gaze lingered on her fair legs. Fortunately, the silk robe was long enough to cover them. The castle was about seventy percent complete, but the remaining finishing touches were crucial. Director Yuan was good at assigning tasks. The castle needed many people, including her two dogs, and Ji Qingyu was responsible for the detailed handiwork. Holding a white dog figurine, she sighed, “I thought prestigious kindergartens like this didn’t have homework.”

“…Maybe it started in kindergartens like this,” Feng Chengze explained.

Ji Qingyu was surprised, “Did your parents do this too?”

Feng Chengze paused, shook his head, and said flatly, “They didn’t have time.” Most of his homework was done by Uncle Yang.

“Were they that busy?” she asked.

“Yes,” he nodded, focusing on using hot glue to attach bottles to the cardboard, his expression serious as if he were working. Though he wasn’t very skilled and was getting glue on his fingers, he showed no sign of impatience. She realized that his essence might not just be “reliable” but also “focused.”

Ji Qingyu slowed her movements, watching him intently.

“What’s up?” he asked, not even lifting his eyelids as he sensed her gaze.

“I feel like I should comfort you,” she said, looking away and continuing to mold the little white dog. “But that would be too hypocritical, so I’ll pass.”

The Feng family was extremely wealthy, and so was the Zheng family. Feng Dong and Zheng Mingyue’s marriage was a union of two powerful families. She couldn’t imagine if her family were that wealthy; she’d be a hundred times happier and more carefree, without any worries!

Feng Chengze let out a light chuckle. “I don’t need comforting.”

It wasn’t his first day as Feng Chengze; he was used to it. His parents’ responsibilities and pressures also fell on his shoulders, so he knew how heavy they were.

After that, Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze stopped chatting. Time was tight, and they didn’t want to rush and leave apparent flaws in the castle. After all, Director Yuan would inspect it in the morning, and nothing could escape her sharp eyes. They were so focused that they didn’t notice the time passing. After placing the little butler she had made on the lawn outside the castle, Ji Qingyu stretched.

Feng Chengze’s gaze was uncontrollably glued to her legs as her robe rode up. He couldn’t imagine he’d ever enjoy looking at someone’s legs.

“Let me check the time,” Ji Qingyu said, picking up her phone. “It’s one o’clock!” she exclaimed. She suddenly felt hungry. After all, they had spent over an hour in bed, and kissing was a calorie-burning activity. Now, after working for so long, she smiled and asked, “How about I see if there’s anything to eat? Let’s have a drink?”

She would never binge drink, but having a few sips of a drink with ice in the early hours was indeed a pleasure.

Feng Chengze discreetly looked away. “…Sure.”

She got up, and although they didn’t talk, they divided the tasks seamlessly. He cleaned up the mess on the carpet and coffee table while she prepared a late-night snack.

Opening the fridge in the kitchen, she couldn’t help but marvel at how clean the diet of a family with children was. In the past, her fridge always had duck dishes bought by Master Ji. Now, there wasn’t even any cooked food in such a large fridge. Was that reasonable?

At this hour, they should eat something high in calories, like barbecue or fried chicken. But it was too late to order takeout. Actually, champagne paired with dessert was a great choice, but unfortunately, Feng Chengze didn’t eat sweets. So, she just put a small piece of blueberry cheesecake on a plate.

There were also marinated beef ribs and lamb chops in the fridge, but she didn’t want to cook. She would have to take another shower if she got even a little oil smoke on her. The most she could do was put on disposable gloves, peel a few lychees for him, and secretly open a bag of Yuan Bao’s nuts to eat. This was the midnight snack she prepared for Mr. Feng. As for herself, she secretly opened a bag of Yuan Bao’s shrimp chips.

A few days ago, Feng Chengze had opened two bottles of wine, one sweet wine for her and one for himself. When they reunited in front of the sofa, Feng Chengze stared at the plate of lychees and nuts for a while.

“…Is this a midnight snack?”

Ji Qingyu immediately emphasized, “These are not ordinary lychees.”

Feng Chengze looked at her.

“Not only did I peel them,” she said, “I also removed the seeds. You can eat them in one bite without spitting out the seeds.”

Remembering the scrutinizing look he gave when Yuan Bao kissed the back of her hand, she added, “I washed my hands and wore gloves to peel them.”

Feng Chengze nodded, sat down, and relaxed, leaning against the sofa and sipping wine.

Ji Qingyu sat beside him, eating cake with a fork in small bites. She picked up her glass, smiled, and clinked it against his, making a crisp sound as if to toast. Feng Chengze didn’t like sweets and rarely ate fruit, but he still graciously ate the few lychees she peeled. By the end, he felt quite nauseous. He drank a few more sips of wine to suppress the sweet taste.

Ji Qingyu crunched on shrimp chips, handed him the bag, and said, “These are pretty good, very healthy.”

Feng Chengze: “…”

If he remembered correctly, these were Yuan Bao’s snacks?

Facing his questioning gaze, Ji Qingyu confidently argued, “If the daughter can eat them, why can’t the mother?”

A few days ago, she definitely wouldn’t have spoken to Feng Chengze like this. It wasn’t because she was afraid of him but because people have many sides, and some could only be shown to familiar people. The relationship between adult men and women could progress by “cheating.” That’s how it was with her and Feng Chengze.

A smile flashed in Feng Chengze’s eyes. “I didn’t say you couldn’t.” He once again graciously reached into the bag for a shrimp chip, smelled the shrimp scent, and barely perceptibly frowned. He regretted it a bit; he didn’t like eating them, especially with such a strong shrimp flavor.

Ji Qingyu noticed his hesitation. Even though it lasted only a few seconds, she still caught it.

The night breeds courage. The day was too bright, and there were many things you wanted to do but were afraid to do in the bright light. However, at night, it was different. She leaned towards him, opened her mouth, and bit the shrimp chip between his long fingers, looking up at him.

Her lips didn’t touch his fingers. But he could feel her warm breath. She held the shrimp chip in her mouth, staring straight at him.

Mr. Feng.

If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself.

Under his glasses, Feng Chengze’s eyes deeply gazed at her. His fingertips seemed to connect to his heart. If she felt his pulse at this moment, she would sense the frequency of its beating.

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