Chapter 191

Chapter 191

Slice of Life 2: Devoured Whole

The pair of long, well-defined hands bound by a black tie tensed until the veins stood out. His heavy breathing was proof enough that his patience had been pushed to the limit.

Xia Wanzhi’s now-masterful technique had all been taught to her by Xie Qiyan back before they had gotten their marriage certificate.

Practice made perfect. And tonight, all the essence she had failed to grasp back then was put to use on him.

“Baby-”

A vein throbbed at Xie Qiyan’s temple, as if he were begging for mercy.

“Teacher Wanzi…”

“My Lady Wife, be good.”

“Untie the tie-”

Her knee accidentally knocked against the wineglass on the nightstand, and the unfinished crimson liquid spilled over the edge of the table, trickling all the way down.

Xia Wanzhi liked the sound of Xie Qiyan’s breathing at that moment. Every sense in her body and every emotion buried deep in her heart had been stirred awake. Her hand ached, and she leaned limply against him, her neck filled with the heat of his breath.

The knot in the tie loosened, then slipped from between Xie Qiyan’s fingers and fell to the floor, honorably relieved of duty.

Xia Wanzhi liked tying him up, but he did not like it.

He preferred Xia Wanzhi’s arms wrapped tightly around him. When it hurt or became too much, she would scratch him. When she was happy, she would use every ounce of strength in her body to hold him.

Gradually, another voice joined those low, sexy, magnetic groans.

It was the most beautiful sound in the world,

a heavenly melody that belonged to him, Xie Qiyan, and him alone.

The night was tender and intoxicating. And the night was still long.

“Are you okay?” Xie Qiyan held her shoulders.

The room was so dark they could not see their own hands. Sweat had formed on the tip of Xia Wanzhi’s nose, and her reply to Xie Qiyan was almost nothing more than breath. “Thirsty…”

As if he had expected it, Xie Qiyan reached out to turn on the wall lamp, then deftly unscrewed a bottle of water and brought it to Xia Wanzhi’s lips.

Tears still clung to her trembling lashes. Xia Wanzhi’s breathing had yet to calm. After taking a sip, she looked up in confusion. “It’s sweet?”

Xie Qiyan made her drink a few more mouthfuls before explaining, “Mm. Sports drink. To replenish energy.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

“Tired?” She had not let him turn on the lights earlier, and Xie Qiyan had complied. But now, after switching off the wall lamp, he took advantage of Xia Wanzhi’s dazed state and smoothly turned on the small night-light by the bed.

He asked the question on his own, and before Xia Wanzhi could answer, his burning knuckles had already settled around her soft waist. “If you’re not tired, then let’s continue.”

“Xie…” The end of her word was suddenly shattered, and Xia Wanzhi’s nasal voice trembled with broken sobs.

The night stretched on, and so did their love.

“I love you…”

“Xia Wanzhi, I love you.”

“You’re mine-”

His one and only Little Princess.

The completely exhausted Little Princess got her wish the next day and slept until the afternoon.

The afternoon sun blazed outside, right at the hottest point of a summer day. Indoors, the curtains blocked out the light. Xia Wanzhi’s gaze was still a little unfocused. She stared at the ceiling for a while before slowly coming back to herself and picking up her phone to check the time.

No wonder Xie Qiyan had said they should stay at Lanting Bieyuan after the wedding.

If they had gone back to Qingcheng Villa, Xia Wanzhi was afraid she would never dare set foot outside the bedroom again.

Xia Wanzhi was just testing whether her limbs still obeyed her commands when she heard Changsheng meow from the foot of the bed. Before she could make a sound, Xia Changsheng, who was usually too lazy to move, actually jumped off the bed and trotted to the door in a few steps, slipping out through the crack.

Xie Qiyan had probably left that crack open.

Xia Changsheng had likely been entrusted with the important task of keeping watch beside Xia Wanzhi and reporting to Xie Qiyan once she woke up.

Sure enough, in less than half a minute, Xie Qiyan pushed the door open and came in.

Xia Wanzhi narrowed her eyes. Xie Qiyan, looking thoroughly refreshed, ignored the murderous look in her eyes and walked over to press the remote for the curtains.

The outline of that very punchable face gradually became clear before Xia Wanzhi.

“I stewed snow pear soup. It’s good for your throat.” Xie Qiyan sat down on the bed and bent to kiss her forehead. “I was wrong. Next time-”

“Next time you’ll do it again.” Xia Wanzhi pushed him away with a reproachful look, pretending to be angry. “Don’t you say that every time? You were wrong, and you’ll commit the same crime again next time.”

Xie Qiyan did not dodge the neither-light-nor-heavy slap she landed on his chest. Smiling, he pinched her limp wrist. “You didn’t exactly refuse, did you?”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

It was broad daylight, and her thoughts should not be so colorful. Xia Wanzhi gave a little huff, her tone turning coquettish. “I can’t move. My whole body has fallen apart. I can’t even brush my teeth.”

“I’ll move for you. I’ll brush them for you.” Xie Qiyan was more than happy to serve. He scooped Xia Wanzhi out from under the blanket and carried her to the bathroom.

In front of the sink, Xia Wanzhi bit down on her toothbrush, her words muffled. “I can’t eat either… can’t drink water either…”

Xie Qiyan answered each one with a smile. “Leave it all to me.”

Xia Wanzhi was satisfied. Her little legs, suspended in midair, swung happily.

After all, they had fought quite the battle. The marks left on their skin would not disappear anytime soon. In summer, she could not wear a turtleneck to cover them. Xia Wanzhi planned to go to the Studio later, and just as she was worrying over how to hide those decidedly not-safe-for-children hickeys, Xie Qiyan reached around from behind and draped a plain chiffon scarf around her neck.

A scarf patterned with pure white Gardenia flowers.

Xia Wanzhi did not know whether to laugh or cry. She really had to admire how well-prepared Xie Qiyan had been.

“What about you?” Xia Wanzhi turned around and, feeling a little guilty, straightened his collar. Her gaze flicked over the miserable bite marks, and she lifted her head to look him in the eye, sincerely suggesting, “Why don’t you work from home for two days?”

The hickeys on his neck could barely be covered. The bite mark on his chin could be hidden with a Band-Aid. But the one on his lip…
Xia Wanzhi let out a dry little laugh.

If she’d known, she would’ve gone a little easier with her teeth last night.

But it wasn’t really her fault…

He had been too heavy.

If she hadn’t bitten back, how else was Xie Qiyan supposed to know it hurt?

Xie Qiyan lightly touched his bitten lip. Not only was he not the least bit troubled, he seemed to have developed an intense sense of superiority. “Teacher Wanzi, have you ever heard this saying?”

“What saying?” Xia Wanzhi was entirely focused on how to help him cover the bite marks. She peeled open a cartoon Band-Aid, stuck it over the mark on his chin, then pressed down hard twice to make sure it stayed put.

Xie Qiyan pinched her fingers and smiled. “A hickey left by one’s wife is a husband’s glory.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

What kind of twisted logic was that…

“Suit yourself. I’m not the one who’ll get laughed at anyway.” Xia Wanzhi took a deep breath, trying her best not to imagine Xie Qiyan being whispered about by his subordinates.

Their wedding had only been yesterday, but neither Xie Qiyan nor Xia Wanzhi had taken the day off. Others might not understand, but the two of them knew perfectly well that all their current busyness was for the same goal.

The entertainment company under Xie Corporation had only just started growing. Logically speaking, it was a competitor of Jiang Corporation.

In fact, it was a competitor.

But Jiang Baichuan had successfully proposed yesterday. While still floating on cloud nine, he had also developed the magnanimity of a man ready to grant amnesty to the whole world. So he personally came to discuss matters with Xie Qiyan, inviting artists under Yuexia Entertainment to audition for roles in his Best Actress sister’s film.

As long as the artists Xie Qiyan had signed could seize this opportunity, their futures would blossom all the way forward.

There was no reason for Xie Qiyan to refuse such a gift delivered right to his door.

“The wedding’s set for next year?” Looking at Jiang Baichuan’s hopelessly smitten expression, Xie Qiyan chuckled softly and dragged him back to reality without mercy. “Yun Li’s mother probably won’t be easy to deal with. No matter how fast you move, the wedding will have to wait until next year, right?”

Jiang Baichuan’s grin, which had been showing all eight teeth, instantly vanished. His smile froze as he shot Xie Qiyan a vicious glare. “With a mouth like that, you deserve to be bitten.”

Xie Qiyan straightened his back, leaned against the sofa, and crossed his legs. With a faint, ambiguous smile, he enunciated clearly, “Lost control. Got devoured whole. I wonder if you’ve ever experienced that.”

“Oh, right. You’re not married yet, so you wouldn’t understand. When you become a married man someday, we can compare notes.” Xie Qiyan lifted his chin, rubbing the side of his own neck with his fingertips. “Believe me, when that day comes, you’ll show off even more than I do.”

Jiang Baichuan: “…”

Flaunting himself, showing off his battle record.

As if he wanted the whole world to know that last night had been his wedding night.

“My fiancée is with your wife. I’ll hitch a ride later. We’ll go pick them up together.” Jiang Baichuan got back to business.

Xie Qiyan rolled his neck. “Where’s your car?”

“Jiang Yourong ran off again and took her man camping in the mountains. Zhaozhao and Mumu get out of school around this time, so I had the driver go pick them up.” Jiang Baichuan rubbed his nose, deliberately adding, “You and Wanzi really aren’t planning a honeymoon?”

Xie Qiyan glanced sideways at him. There was nothing to hide. “August.”

“August?” Jiang Baichuan didn’t understand.

“Mm. Starting in August, until the end of the year.” Xie Qiyan spoke leisurely, reaching out to pour himself a cup of tea and savoring it slowly.

Not only were they going on a honeymoon, they were going to spend five months on it.

Jiang Baichuan was speechless. “…”

When it came to having fun, young couples really knew how to play.

At six-thirty in the evening, Xie Qiyan and Jiang Baichuan stood side by side in the shade not far from Xingyao’s Gate One, waiting for their respective wives.

“Why aren’t you going up to get her?” Jiang Baichuan sat against the hood of the car, impatient to see Yun Li.

Xie Qiyan’s gaze was fixed on his chat with Xia Wanzhi. “She thinks I’ll be in the way and scare her client.”

“Pfft-” Jiang Baichuan couldn’t hold back his laughter.

They did not have to wait long. Before long, Xia Wanzhi and Yun Li appeared at the exit-but behind the two of them was a man.

Three minutes ago, Xie Qiyan had still been in a pleasant mood because he was about to pick his wife up and take her home. Three minutes later, the moment he saw the man beside his wife, his expression changed.

“Oh-ho. That guy seems to be the actor you hired back then to cosplay as your private butler. What was his name again…” Jiang Baichuan was watching the whole thing like a spectator enjoying the drama.

“Qi. Shi.” Xie Qiyan ground out through clenched teeth.

Sunlight filtered through the branches in shimmering fragments. A breeze blew past, and two or three green leaves drifted lazily downward. One of them finally landed on Xie Qiyan’s shoulder.

Jiang Baichuan straightened up, ready to welcome his fiancée, and conveniently picked the leaf off Xie Qiyan’s shoulder. “Calm down. Calm down.”

Xie Qiyan let out a cold scoff. “Keep your company’s artists in line.”

In the time it took to say those two sentences, Xia Wanzhi had already reached Xie Qiyan. As for Qi Shi, who had spotted Xie Qiyan before he even got close, he had slipped away long ago.

“Important client? Him?” Taking Xia Wanzhi’s bag, Xie Qiyan opened the front passenger door for her.

The service was attentive, but the resentment was overflowing.

Yun Li, who had just climbed into the back seat, laughed when she heard him. “Is President Xie jealous?”

Xia Wanzhi fastened her seat belt and chatted with Yun Li. “Good thing I didn’t let him come upstairs. Otherwise, he would’ve scared the poor man away.”

Xie Qiyan: “…”

Everyone had settled into their seats, but the person in the driver’s seat still had not moved. Xia Wanzhi glanced at him for a while before finally coaxing, “When it comes to work, all clients are equal.”

Only then did Xie Qiyan start the car.

Yun Li marveled, “That was… way too easy.”

Jiang Baichuan snorted with laughter. “Try me. I’m easier to coax than he is.”

Yun Li: “…”