Chapter 124

Chapter 124

The bar’s soft lighting fell over Xie Qiyan’s striking profile. His gaze lowered slightly as he stared at the red wine swirling in the glass in his hand.

Xia Wanzhi was looking at him.

He knew Xia Wanzhi was looking at him.

This was a quiet bar, different from the noisy bars elsewhere. With a gentle love song playing and the lights dim and warm, the atmosphere gradually turned ambiguous.

They were already boyfriend and girlfriend, yet somehow the air still felt charged.

All because of the word Jiang Baichuan had almost said but hadn’t: proposal.

Yun Li arched a brow and leaned in to whisper in Xia Wanzhi’s ear, “Your President Xie couldn’t be…”

“Mm.” Xia Wanzhi withdrew her gaze from Xie Qiyan’s face and gave Yun Li a faint smile.

Judging by Xie Qiyan’s reaction just now, he definitely had something up his sleeve.

She could guess what Xie Qiyan was planning.

They had confirmed their relationship at the end of September and fallen in love at lightning speed. Xia Wanzhi knew better than anyone how inseparable she and Xie Qiyan had been over the past few months.

They kissed and cuddled every day, all sweetness and affection, and they even slept in the same bed at night. Things inevitably got heated, but Xie Qiyan managed to slam on the brakes halfway every single time.

Because they didn’t have an official status yet, he was surprisingly good at holding back.

In his past life, he must have been a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. When he reincarnated, Meng Po’s soup clearly hadn’t washed away the self-control carved into his bones.

Official status, huh…

Xia Wanzhi pressed her lips to the rim of her glass. Her raven-feather lashes trembled slightly, her heartbeat slowly quickening as she fell into thought.

If Xie Qiyan could do it, then so could she.

With that thought, the way she lifted her eyes to look at him turned scorching.

Yun Li rubbed her nose and, also looking thoughtful, studied Xie Qiyan for a while. Before she could figure anything out, Jiang Baichuan reached out and blocked her view.

“Looking at another man right in front of your boyfriend?” Jiang Baichuan wore his displeasure plainly on his face.

His voice after drinking was husky and textured, low and deep in a way that was especially captivating. Yun Li didn’t know how drunk he was, but most of the alcohol on the table had been drunk by him and Xie Qiyan.

“Mm. I was checking if he was drunk.” Yun Li took the hand he had stretched out and sat down beside him. Knowing he was drunk, she deliberately helped straighten his body, which had tilted to the side.

Jiang Baichuan drew in a breath. “I’m not drunk either.”

“Shall we head back?” Yun Li asked Xia Wanzhi.

Xia Wanzhi snapped out of her thoughts. When she stood, she swayed slightly, clearly a little tipsy and light-headed too.

Xie Qiyan walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his warm palm stroking her faintly flushed cheek. “Wait a little longer. I called for designated drivers, but they haven’t arrived yet.”

Since both men had been drinking, they couldn’t drive and had no choice but to hire designated drivers.

Xia Wanzhi nodded. “Okay. Then you two are…”

Jiang Baichuan answered, “We’re getting a room.”

Yun Li: “…”

No, buddy, don’t ruin my reputation!

Xia Wanzhi: “???”

That exciting?

Meeting Xia Wanzhi’s shocked yet sly gaze, Yun Li explained, “Ahem, it’s just, you know, Interstellar Bay Hotel…”

“No, no, no, you don’t have to tell me which hotel!” Xia Wanzhi smiled teasingly. “What if I can’t help going over to crash your bridal chamber…”

“Xia Wanzhi!” Yun Li snapped, wanting to explain but unable to make it clear.

It wasn’t like she could say that the top-floor suite at Interstellar Bay was practically half her home.

Xie Qiyan cast Jiang Baichuan a disdainful look. “You’re making your girlfriend stay in a hotel?”

The implication was: learn from him.

Two apartments right across from each other, letting his girlfriend live there whenever she wanted.

Jiang Baichuan gave a soft snort. “What do you know? The entire Interstellar Bay Hotel belongs to my girlfriend.”

Yun Li: “…”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Could these two grown men be any more childish?

After exchanging a look, Xia Wanzhi and Yun Li each pulled their own boyfriend out, one after the other, to get some cold air.

Once the cold air hit them, they did sober up quite a bit.

Xia Wanzhi held Xie Qiyan’s arm, still wearing that thoughtful expression.

No one knew what she was thinking about so intently.

After they got home, washed up, and lay in bed, Xie Qiyan’s body temperature was astonishingly hot. In the past, if Xia Wanzhi had heard his heartbeat so uneven, she would have lost control long ago and done something to fan the flames. But tonight, her heart was perfectly still.
Xie Qiyan drew her into his arms, his breathing a little heavy. “What are you thinking about?”

Xia Wanzhi snapped back to herself. She blinked, then swallowed guiltily. “Nothing. I drank too much, so my brain’s not really working.”

After saying that, she closed her eyes, afraid Xie Qiyan would notice something was off.

Xie Qiyan didn’t know what she was thinking, but judging from her reaction, it probably wasn’t anything bad, so he didn’t press her.

Resting his chin on the top of her head, Xie Qiyan took a deep breath, kissed her hair, and fell asleep in contentment.

Things were calm and peaceful on Xia Wanzhi’s side, but over on Yun Li and Jiang Baichuan’s side, a storm had already broken loose.

The hotel room lights were off. Only the neon glow from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows filtered in. Half-drunk, Jiang Baichuan pinned Yun Li against the wall with one hand locking both of hers above her head, bullying her with kisses until there was nowhere left to hide.

The damp, sticky sensation at her lips added an irresistible kind of heat. Yun Li was kissed until her scalp tingled, her whole body soft and weak, unable to muster the slightest strength.

It was only a kiss, yet she already couldn’t withstand Jiang Baichuan’s invasion.

Jiang Baichuan after drinking was not quite the same as usual.

He wanted to give all of himself to Yun Li.

Yun Li could feel it.

But when those damp lips touched the skin at her neck, Yun Li’s breath hitched sharply. As if frightened, she blurted out, “Jiang Baichuan!”

Jiang Baichuan came back to himself a little and realized he had been too impulsive. He apologetically kissed Yun Li on the lips, his voice hoarse. “Mm. I heard you.”

The hand pressing down on her wrists loosened. Once Yun Li broke free, she immediately covered his mouth with her hand, not giving him any chance to take advantage.

Jiang Baichuan kissed the hand she had pressed against his lips. Panting, he let out a laugh. “Scared?”

Yun Li finally managed to find the light switch and turn the room bright. The glare was harsh. She met Jiang Baichuan’s desire-darkened gaze, then lowered her lashes to avoid looking at him. “Scared.”

She was perfectly capable of admitting defeat.

Jiang Baichuan held her hand and kissed it. “Don’t be nervous. I’m a little drunk. You know I’ve been fantasizing about you for a long time. I couldn’t help it. I really couldn’t.”

His deliberately relaxed tone was obviously meant to help Yun Li calm down.

Aside from kissing, which didn’t make her nervous, whenever his hands or lips touched anywhere else, Yun Li would tremble or feel uncomfortable all over.

Jiang Baichuan took it as excessive nerves.

But Yun Li knew very well that she was afraid.

Forcing out a smile, Yun Li pushed him away and went straight to the bathroom. “You reek of alcohol. I’m taking a shower first.”

When they had been waiting outside the bar for their designated driver earlier, the cold wind had more or less sobered Jiang Baichuan up. While Yun Li was in the shower, he had someone send up some hangover tea.

Steam filled the bathroom. Yun Li stood beneath the showerhead, dazed for a moment.

Her rejection just now had been so intense. Jiang Baichuan must have noticed.

Yun Li’s face was faintly pale. She closed her eyes and forced herself to forget certain memories from long ago.

When she came out, Jiang Baichuan was dozing on the sofa. On the table sat two cups of hangover tea, one of them half-finished.

Hearing movement, Jiang Baichuan opened his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Come here. Drink some hangover tea, or you’ll wake up with a headache tomorrow morning.”

Yun Li sat down beside him. She wanted to say she wasn’t as weak as he was and didn’t need hangover tea, but in order to protect her boyfriend’s dignity, she picked up the cup and sipped it slowly.

The drink was sweet. Yun Li drank while watching him.

Her mind drifted, and the scene from just now resurfaced. Yun Li swallowed and explained, “I didn’t mean to just now…”

“I did something that made you uncomfortable without getting your consent. I’m sorry.” Jiang Baichuan cut her off, his tone serious. “If I do that again, you can slap me twice.”

Yun Li: “…”

Scratching her cheek, Yun Li inexplicably felt her face grow warm. “It’s not that serious. I just wasn’t ready.”

“But I am ready,” Jiang Baichuan said solemnly.

Yun Li didn’t understand. “For what?”

Jiang Baichuan said bluntly, “I’m ready. You can do whatever you want to me. It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Yun Li: “…”

She grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head, cursing with a red face, “Jiang Baichuan, you sneaky pervert!”