Chapter 14. He sleeps with a flushed face.

Out of control of the hemp.

Her ears burned, her fingers went numb, and a tingling sensation, like an electric shock, traveled to her legs, making her legs feel weak involuntarily.

Yin Xiao abruptly withdrew her hand, leaned against the wall, and brushed aside her disheveled bangs as if to cover herself.

She awkwardly avoided eye contact, her fingers gripping the pony charm on her backpack, squeezing it repeatedly from head to tail, trying to mask the sensation of having just touched Yi Zhiyan.

Actually, it wasn't a big deal; she just momentarily lost focus and bumped into his clothes. A sincere apology would have sufficed. But perhaps because of the dream she had at noon, she felt somewhat lost and guilty, unable to utter a single word.

Perhaps because she had been silent for too long, Yi Zhiyan, quite understandingly, said something.

"I understand, it's a normal little hobby."

Yin Xiao choked up, the pink bubble in her mind suddenly burst, shattered cleanly, and speechlessness instantly overwhelmed all other emotions.

Did Yi Zhiyan use this as leverage against her? How naive.

Yin Xiao retaliated by sticking out her index finger and poking his abdomen intermittently, leaving a round hole in his otherwise smooth white shirt.

“I’m very willing to spend money on my hobbies,” she drawled out, asking in a low, half-joking tone.

"How about I pay you to let me touch you again?"

Yi Zhiyan lowered his eyes to look at her, the old overhead light behind him casting a dark shadow in his eyes.

What do you take me for?

Yin Xiao raised her chin, her face full of self-righteousness.

"Be my husband."

He seemed to freeze for a second, his smooth jawline tightening, and his Adam's apple bobbing clearly.

Yin Xiao blinked and continued to explain.

"Although the trial period is one year, it's clearly stated in the prenuptial agreement that unnecessary physical contact will incur compensation, and I'm willing to pay that..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yi Zhiyan suddenly turned and encircled her in the shadows, gently holding her index finger and pressing it against her fingertip.

His palms were broad and calloused, and the thin calluses on his fingertips brushed against her palms, bringing a strange, warm touch.

The light overhead dimmed further, and in the blurred vision, the sensation of skin contact could not be diminished at all; instead, it seeped in and blended with the faint woody scent.

Yi Zhiyan tightened her fingers little by little, sliding them from her palm to her knuckles, stopping at her fingertips. The intense heat from the skin-to-skin contact enveloped her fingertips, controlling her next move.

After a brief standoff, he deftly stepped back half a step, released her, and stared at her quietly with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Embarrassment came a beat late; Yin Xiao's hand hung stiffly in front of her eyes, her fingertips seemingly still pressed against something, a warm current slowly spreading out.

"Um, I'm not..." She opened her mouth in a panic, stammered for two seconds, then simply met his gaze and gave a nonchalant answer.

"You're doing really well! When will you share your fitness tips with me?"

Yi Zhiyan seemed to curl the corners of his mouth slightly, then looked down over her head into the passageway, his smile fading as he said calmly, "You can go back now."

"Huh?" Yin Xiao hesitated.

Is it too late for praise? It was just a few touches, why be so stingy?

She frowned in thought, and just as she was about to speak, Yi Zhiyan pressed down on her shoulder and gently pushed her.

"The person you don't want to see has already passed by. The competition is about to start, so don't worry about running into him again. Go back in peace."

Yin Xiao turned around, peered through the display shelf into the bright aisle, and saw that the people who had been gathered in several groups were indeed walking orderly to the right, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"good."

"Are you coming back with me after this?" He leaned down slightly, tugged at his collar, and asked in a low voice, "This competition used our project team's new electronic scoreboard. I need to give a speech after the competition. Wait for me a moment, let's have dinner together and go home?"

"No, I'm going out with my roommates after the event." Yin Xiao waved her phone. "But leave the door open for me, okay?"

—

As the basketball game ended and the arena gradually emptied, Yi Zhiyan was stopped by her mentor, Tian Yuan, for a brief chat. Looking up after their conversation, she happened to see Fang Yiwen walking towards her with a blue leather jacket draped over his shoulders, hands in his pockets, looking rather casual.

"Finished? Let's go eat."

Yi Zhiyan refused, "I won't go yet."

Fang Yiwen casually teased, "What are you doing, waiting to eat with your wife?"

Yi Zhiyan glanced at him expressionlessly. "I'm going to the lab. Dean Tian just asked for data. Are you free to come along?"

Fang Yiwen was immediately put on hold, waving his hands frantically, "No, no, no, you can handle it by yourself, I believe in you."

Yi Zhiyan didn't say anything more. He lowered his head, carefully organized his speech and materials, stuffed them into a file bag, and zipped it up.

Half a minute later, Fang Yiwen was still there, as if nailed to the spot, standing motionless beside him, watching without saying a word.

Yi Zhiyan couldn't help but look up and open his mouth to ask, but he hesitated before speaking.

"Dude, if you're not in a rush for this experimental data, you should have dinner with your wife first."

Yi Zhiyan placed the file bag on the table, crossed his arms, and impatiently urged, "Stop beating around the bush, just say what you want to say."

Fang Yiwen crept closer and pointed to the door, "Actually, I saw a junior at the gymnasium entrance. Several tall guys from the basketball team were surrounding her. It looked like they were adding each other on WeChat."

"Oh." Yi Zhiyan responded casually, "She's a volunteer, it's normal for her to add the team members on WeChat to keep in touch."

"Is this normal?" Fang Yiwen scratched his head in self-doubt. "The competition is over. Are they going to add the volunteers on WeChat for a debriefing session? But these kinds of competitions usually have group chats. Wouldn't they notify people in the group if something happened? Why are they doing it privately..."

"Aren't you going to eat?" Yi Zhiyan glanced at him and suddenly interjected, "Hurry up and leave."

Fang Yiwen glanced at the time, jumped up and exclaimed, "Damn, it's already this late! We have to get going! I'm leaving you behind!"

The disordered footsteps faded into the distance. Yi Zhiyan watched him disappear through the door in silence, then quickly took out his phone and skillfully opened Yin Xiao's WeChat.

[What time do you finish tonight? I'll pick you up.]

[Wife: No need, my roommate and I are going the same way, we can take the subway, Line 2 goes directly there.]

Yi Zhiyan held his phone in one hand for a while, then inexplicably became irritated, turned off the screen, and abruptly took off his glasses and stuffed them into his pocket.

He stretched out his suit jacket and draped it over his shoulders, picked up his briefcase, and walked to the door, only to be stopped again.

"Is there anything else?" Yi Zhiyan stared at the boy in the Dongke University team uniform in front of him and casually said his name, "Hu Jiaojiao".

The boy stood with his hands on his hips, pointing at him angrily, "Yi Zhiyan, I told you not to call me that! Hu Jiao, the Jiao of Jiaolong!"

"Speak, is it about President Hu again, or about Yi Zhi?" Yi Zhiyan asked directly and confidently, ignoring his attitude, and then added ruthlessly after thinking for a moment.

"Let me make this clear first, I don't want to get involved in anyone's business."

"No, it's Sister Ruan Zheng. She's going back to Huandao next week to take on the role of Operations Director." Hu Jiao awkwardly patted his shoulder, as if expressing friendliness and sincerity in asking for a favor. "Could you help me arrange to meet her?"

Yi Zhiyan took a step back, keeping his distance from him. "Why did you invite her? When did the cooperation with Huandao begin? None of Yi Zhi's old foxes are any good."

Hu Jiao said anxiously, "What cooperation are you talking about? I just wanted to invite her to dinner."

"Oh." Yi Zhiyan understood. "If you want to pursue someone, you need to show some sincerity. You have her WeChat, so you can chat with her yourself."

"I...I'm afraid she'll reject me. You think she definitely won't reject you? Please help me, brother!"

"I won't help." He walked around Hu Jiao. "If you like someone, don't be afraid to refuse."

Hu Jiao chased after him relentlessly, "Yi Zhiyan! I even helped you fend off so many rivals, and this is how you treat me... Let me tell you, I saw your sister-in-law handing out brochures in the stands during the competition. Not only did I see it, but many of my teammates saw it too. If I hadn't stopped them, they would have gone to ask for her WeChat..."

"Send it to me." Yi Zhiyan suddenly stopped and said, word by word, "Restaurant location."

—

The recently popular Huyue Pavilion is located in the city center, where prices are highest per unit. Its unique Neo-Chinese style is very attractive. Upon entering, you'll find a small bridge and flowing water, and you can feel the natural atmosphere by walking along ancient trees and flower gardens. It's a great place for taking photos, and the interior facilities are complete, combining practicality and aesthetics.

Chen Weiqi specially booked a super-large private room at Huyue Pavilion in advance, which has everything for eating, drinking and entertainment. The room, which is over 100 square meters, is divided into a buffet bar, mahjong table, sports and entertainment area, KTV area, VR experience area and more.

Dai Lan grabbed a grilled sausage from the dining area, sat down on the sofa, and clapped her hands excitedly, "Come on! Let's start the games for the new semester!"

Chen Weiqi took a sip of juice and enthusiastically chimed in, "The old rules, the King's Game, the person who loses the most at the end gets punished."

Zhao Xiaoxun asked, "What punishment?"

"Isn't the old punishment still good enough? Just randomly pick a photo from the album and use it as your profile picture for the whole semester."

Yin Xiao put down her glass, feigning anger as she pouted, "I disagree! This punishment is targeting me! You all can't even change your profile picture once a year, what kind of punishment is this?"

Dai Lan placed the cards in the center, ran to the dining area, and returned with several cans of fruit beer and several bottles of sparkling wine, arranging them neatly in front of her, and casually replied to a conversation.

"That's hard to say. What if you randomly draw an ugly photo, or a photo of your crush? Wouldn't that be terrible?"

Yin Xiao glanced guiltily at the avatar on the screen, reluctantly agreed, closed her eyes, and reached for the card, "Here!"

Everyone took turns drawing cards. When it was Chen Weiqi's turn, her phone, which was face down on the table, suddenly rang.

"Hey boss! You guys go ahead and have fun, I'll go out and get him, I'll be back in ten minutes."

“They always say ten minutes, but it always ends up taking at least half an hour.” Dai Lan shook her head. “Qiqi hasn’t even graduated yet, but she already has that class vibe.”

Yin Xiao nodded in agreement, picked up a bottle of sparkling wine, unscrewed the cap with a corkscrew, and tilted her head back to drink it.

Dai Lan observed her for a few seconds, then quietly moved closer and whispered, "Xiao, you seem a bit off today? You're usually so enthusiastic, but now you're drinking silently. Is something on your mind?"

Yin Xiao nodded calmly, gripped the bottle tightly, and slowly opened her mouth.

"I think I like... him."

Dai Lan was shocked. "Who?"

"I told you about this last semester, 'crush'."

Dai Lan's eyes widened, and she quickly asked, "The one who spoke up for you on the subway, and later the one with V5000?"

"It's him."

Dai Lan breathed a sigh of relief and patted her back nonchalantly, "Hey, what's the big deal? Why are you so worried? He's your crush, isn't it normal to have feelings for him?"

"It's not just a feeling of liking, it's love." Yin Xiao paused for a second, "But it's not just love..."

Her fingers pressed against the cool bottle, her fingertips turning white from the pressure, and she pursed her lips.

"I want to kiss him, touch him, and sleep with him."

Dai Lan remained silent for a long time, her expression frozen, her mouth opening wider and wider.

"You've finally figured it out, are you that quick?"

Yin Xiao hugged the bottle and took another sip. It took her almost a day to recover before she had to admit that her dream was a reflection of her real desires.

Dai Lan seemed a little worried and quickly stopped her, "You know your own feelings so well, what are you worried about? Did he explicitly reject you?"

"No, he's very good to me. He cares about me, helps me, and even..." A fleeting image of a hug flashed through Yin Xiao's mind. She swallowed hard, struggling to speak, and changed the subject.

“But he only acts this way because of our family ties. He is usually very polite and considerate, and it has nothing to do with his own wishes.”

Dai Lan asked, "How can you be so sure he's not following his own will?"

Yin Xiao sat quietly, unsure how to answer.

“Listen to me, it’s simple if you want to figure out his attitude. Just pretend to kiss him and see if he dodges.” Dai Lan raised her hand and cupped Yin Xiao’s face, her tone firm.

Even the most thoughtful person can't resist a kiss from someone they're attracted to.

—

Walking along the winding path through the courtyard, Yi Zhiyan entered the main hall of Huyue Pavilion, just in time to receive a call from Qian Yue.

"Yes, I've arrived. Is this A16?" He walked straight to the elevator. "Okay, don't worry."

The elevator reached the fifth floor, the doors slowly opened, and he walked quickly to the end of the corridor.

The long corridor was quiet and still, with only the manager walking back and forth with a walkie-talkie. The dim yellow wall lamps hanging on the wall created a tranquil atmosphere.

When he arrived at private room A16, he was surprised to see a girl in a yellow sweater making a phone call at the door. He glanced at her quickly and then pushed the door open.

"Who are you?" the girl whispered, stopping him.

He turned his head and explained, "Hello, I'm looking for Yin Xiao."

The girl frowned and stared at him for a long time before suddenly lowering her guard and speaking politely, "Hello, senior, I'm Chen Weiqi. We met in the student council before. Thank you for writing my recommendation back then. I've been doing my internship around the island for almost half a year now."

"You're welcome." Although Yi Zhiyan didn't quite remember, he still nodded politely.

"Oh, you're looking for Xiaoxiao? She's inside..."

Chen Weiqi smiled awkwardly, recalling her impulsive intervention, pointed to the crack in the door, and turned back to continue answering the phone.

The brown door panels are thick and have excellent sound insulation.

Yi Zhiyan pushed open the door, and the heart-wrenching howls in the room immediately assaulted her eardrums.

He paused for a moment, then walked into the private room and looked around.

The overhead light in the room wasn't on; only the ambient light on the table emitted a warm, orange glow, barely illuminating shadows. Two girls stood in the karaoke area on the right, gripping their microphones and staring at him in surprise.

Yin Xiao sat alone on the L-shaped sofa in front of him, her long hair loose, three light pink cans lying across her lap, and a half-empty wine bottle lying at her feet.

He walked to the table, squatted down, and looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were half-closed, and her eyelashes were damp with a glistening halo.

With a snap, she crushed the empty can in her hand, stretched out her arm and threw it into the trash can under the table, then bent down and held a new one.

Yi Zhiyan sighed, knelt on one knee, gently grasped her wrist, and snatched the can from her hand. He examined it closely; it was a can of peach-flavored fruit wine with a 3% alcohol content, and the bottle on the ground also had a 3% alcohol content printed on it.

It seems that Aunt Qian Yue's concerns are quite reasonable. With her alcohol tolerance, it's best if she doesn't even eat chocolates with liqueur fillings.

Without saying a word, Yi Zhiyan took all the canned food from her arms, placed it gently on the table, pressed down on the back of her hand, and carefully patted it.

"Yin Xiao, go home."

Yin Xiao slowly lifted her eyelids to look at him, her eyes unfocused, and she groggily raised her hand to rub her face.

"Honey, you've come to pick me up?"

A note from the author:

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There will be another update tomorrow! Remember to check out Kiss tomorrow night at 9 PM, everyone! [Let me see!]