Chapter Thirty-Four: Can You Kiss Me?

When her phone vibrated, Cheng Yin was organizing quarterly reports.

Lin Shirong's text message was brief and restrained: "My father was rude; please convey my apologies. The work arrangements have been sent to your email."

Since the Lin family dinner, Lin Shirong has been deliberately avoiding her.

When they bumped into each other in the company corridor, he would nod slightly and then quickly walk away; during meetings, his speech was rigorous and professional, but his eyes never met hers; all work-related documents were handed over by his assistant...

But... she started receiving a steady stream of anonymous gifts: a bouquet of white roses every week, with a card signed only "L"; exquisite takeout delivered at lunchtime, with a note saying "Eat on time"; and even a finely crafted cashmere shawl with the note "The air conditioning is too strong".

Cici glanced at her newly done manicure and said, "It must be Dong Ge, who else could it be?" She suddenly lowered her voice, "By the way, I heard Lin Shirong had a big fight with the old man."

Cheng Yin's finger stopped in front of the Hermès shop window. Her blurry shadow was reflected in the glass, along with Cici's gossipy expression behind her: "Why are you making so much noise?"

"You don't know?" Cici's eyes widened dramatically.

Cici pulled Cheng Yin into the coffee shop: "When Dong was eighteen, he almost died at the Haojiang Wharf. It was Grandpa Lin who saved him, took him to the hospital, paid his medical bills, and even gave him a meal."

"Later, when Dong Ge made a name for himself, Lin Shirong was kidnapped," Cici lowered her voice. "Dong Ge single-handedly stormed in, took three stabs, and managed to carry the man out." She made a throat-slitting gesture. "All the kidnappers were wiped out; not a single one was left alive."

"Old Master Lin gave Dong Ge his first investment, and the casino license was also secured with the help of the Lin family. Dong Ge is a man of great loyalty; after he got married, he would often visit the Lin family during holidays to give gifts and show his respect, sometimes even more so than a biological son..." Cici took a sip of coffee, "Over time, even though the old man didn't say it, he had long regarded Dong Ge as his adopted son. So, no matter how angry Dong Ge was, he had to endure whatever the old man said about them being incompatible."

"But don't take it to heart, he's just an old-fashioned feudalist!" Cici rolled her eyes. "Back then, he even said I was destined for a life of prostitution!" She then pointed at Cheng Yin, "Only a well-bred lady like you, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, could catch the old man's eye."

Cheng Yin shook her head: "I don't know how to play the zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting."

"But you look like you would!" Cici gestured exaggeratedly. "Wear a white dress, tie your hair up, and you'd look exactly like a young lady from a scholarly family." She pouted. "The old man falls for that."

Cheng Yin recalled the sharp look in Old Master Lin's eyes when he asked for her birth date and time, as if he wanted to pierce through her. That kind of scrutiny wasn't about looking at a person, but about assessing whether an item was worthy of his collection.

The typhoon warning was upgraded to red on the third day. Li Yaodong gave the entire company a holiday.

Just then, Li Yaodong sat down behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist to block Cheng Yin's view of the phone screen. "Are you scared?" He rested his chin on the top of her head, his breath brushing against her hair.

Cheng Yin put down her phone and shook her head: "I'm not afraid of typhoons." She paused, then added, "When I was little, the attic leaked, and that was much worse."

Li Yaodong tightened his grip. "I'm scared," he said, his voice muffled. "So you're staying with me."

"Okay." Cheng Yin turned back to continue working, letting him hold her.

Li Yaodong's hand rested on her waist, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the fabric of her pajamas. His body heat seeped through the thin clothes, like a human heater, dispelling the damp chill of the rainy night.

"There's a mistake here." Li Yaodong suddenly pointed to a number on the screen, "It's missing a zero."

"Can I kiss you?" Li Yaodong suddenly asked. "What does that mean?"

Cheng Yin stopped typing: "Can I kiss you?"

Li Yaodong chuckled softly, "That's nice." His lips brushed against her earlobe. "Now, may I kiss you?"

Cheng Yin turned her head, and Li Yaodong's face was close to hers, his eyelashes casting small shadows under his eyes, and a faint smile on his lips.

He seemed to be in a good mood and didn't look like he needed comforting.

"Is this... necessary?" Cheng Yin asked cautiously.

Li Yaodong's Adam's apple bobbed, and he slowly nodded: "Mm."

Cheng Yin put down her computer and turned to face him. She slowly leaned closer, just like in the car, and gently pressed her lips to Li Yaodong's, then pulled away immediately.

Li Yaodong shook his head: "This is a kiss, not a 'kiss'." He cupped her face in his hands. "I'll teach you."

His lips covered mine again, this time not with a simple touch, but with a gentle sucking, like savoring a delicate dessert.

Cheng Yin could feel his restrained strength, his warm breath, and his slightly trembling fingers.

The kiss lasted a few seconds before Li Yaodong pulled away, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as the sea outside the window: "Do you understand the difference now?"

Cheng Yin nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "But on the yacht... with Cici... you don't like kissing."

Li Yaodong's expression froze instantly. He released Cheng Yin and leaned back on the sofa: "That was sex, this was a kiss." His voice turned cold. "They're different."

Cheng Yin didn't understand where his anger came from: "You don't like kissing, but you need to kiss..." She tried to make sense of it, "Is it a new... need?"

These words acted as a fuse, and Li Yaodong suddenly stood up and hoisted Cheng Yin onto his shoulder.

Before Cheng Yin could react, she was thrown onto the large bed in the master bedroom. As Li Yaodong pressed down on her, she simply looked at him calmly, her eyes devoid of fear or lust, like a mirror reflecting only Li Yaodong's own loss of control.

"Damn it!" Li Yaodong suddenly sat up and slammed his fist on the mattress. He rolled off the bed, kicked over the bedside table, and shattered a glass of water on the floor.

Cheng Yin sat up: "What did I do wrong?"

Li Yaodong turned around, his chest heaving violently: "Have you ever treated me like a man?" His voice was hoarse. "Not a creditor, not a sugar daddy, just a man, a man who wants you."

Cheng Yin thought for a moment and nodded: "Yes."

"when?"

"When you saved me," Cheng Yin answered honestly, "and... when you said, 'My life is yours.'"

Li Yaodong's expression softened for a moment, then tightened again: "Then why is it always you who gives me what I want?" He walked closer to the bedside. "Why don't you just tell me what you want?"

Cheng Yin fell silent.

This problem is too difficult, like an unsolvable math problem. From a young age, she was taught obedience and patience, and never to expect what she wanted.

"I don't know... how to ask for it," she finally said.

Li Yaodong sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Then learn it." He lay down with his back to her. "What I want isn't what you give me, but what you want."

Outside the window, the typhoon howled past, and raindrops pounded on the glass like countless tiny bullets.

She lay down gently, back to back with Li Yaodong, with an invisible boundary between them.

In the darkness, she heard Li Yaodong's breathing gradually become steady, while her heartbeat grew louder and louder.

At three in the morning, when the typhoon was at its strongest, Cheng Yin was awakened by thunder.

As if possessed, Cheng Yin reached out and gently touched his brow.

Li Yaodong immediately woke up and accurately grabbed her wrist in the darkness.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, his voice still sleepy.

Cheng Yin shook her head: "It's all bark and no bite."

Li Yaodong released her and lifted a corner of the blanket: "Come here."

Cheng Yin hesitated for a moment, then moved into his bed.

Lai Yiu-tung wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer until their chests were pressed together, their heartbeats mingling.

"Are you still afraid?" Cheng Yin asked.

"I'm terrified. That's why I'm holding on tight."

Cheng Yin nodded in his arms, her nose brushing against his collarbone.

Lai Yiu-tung's presence enveloped her, warm and safe, like a harbor in a storm.

Outside the window, the typhoon was still raging. Cheng Yin listened to Li Yaodong's heartbeat and slowly closed her eyes.