Chapter 22 May I... kiss you?

"It's alright, it's good that we found you."

The man whispered softly in Wen Yu's ear, his voice so gentle it could melt water, cleverly concealing the tension in his body just moments before.

Behind Shen Jinhuai, Zhou Shiye at the alley entrance only saw a couple embracing intimately.

The man was tall and imposing, completely shielding the girl in his arms with a protective gesture. The girl's face was buried in the man's shoulder, and only her slender back and cascading long hair could be seen.

It was just another illusion.

There are too many people in this world whose backs look alike.

The last glimmer of light in Zhou Shiye's eyes went out.

He turned away indifferently and disappeared back into the bustling crowd.

This time, there was no turning back.

Shen Jinhuai only began to relax when the watchful gaze that had been pressing down on him disappeared.

The man looked down at Wen Yu, who was leaning against his chest, completely unaware of what was happening. A complex and unreadable emotion flashed deep in his eyes.

"Let's go home, Xiaoyu."

Shen Jinhuai took Wen Yu's hand.

Wen Yu nodded, letting Shen Jinhuai lead her into the car.

The car was moving very slowly, as always.

Wen Yu used to tease Shen Jinhuai that he couldn't drive as slowly as a snail, and he would always affectionately ruffle Wen Yu's hair before continuing to drive slowly.

It's as if there's nothing in the world that Chen Jinhuai can worry about.

Except for just now.

Wen Yu could sense that Shen Jinhuai loved her very much.

Recalling what he had just said, Wen Yu looked at Shen Jinhuai driving the car and asked curiously,

Was I a bad woman before? Did I abandon you?

Wen Yu recalled how Shen Jinhuai's anxious voice trembled as he said those words, and how he pulled her into a tighter embrace. A sense of unease crept into her heart: "Why are you worried that I'll leave again? That I won't want you anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jinhuai gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

The relaxed atmosphere inside the carriage froze.

Shen Jinhuai's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and a complex mix of emotions surged deep within his eyes.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and forced himself to turn his head to look at Wen Yu.

"I misspoke."

The man's voice was a little hoarse and deep, and his eyes behind his glasses were particularly deep in the dim light inside the car: "Xiaoyu is not a bad woman, and she has never abandoned me."

At this point, the man stopped the car and placed one hand over Wen Yu's hand, which was resting on her knee.

"I'm sorry I didn't explain clearly, which caused this misunderstanding."

The man looked tenderly into Wen Yu's confused eyes, tugged at the corners of his mouth, and continued, "When I said 'I'm afraid you'll leave again,' it wasn't because you've left before, but because I'm too afraid of losing you."

Do you know?

Shen Jinhuai gently stroked Wen Yu's hand with his thumb, his voice filled with relief at surviving a close call: "You were in a coma for five months, and I was terrified that you wouldn't wake up. That's why I was worried about you leaving me."

Wen Yu stared blankly at Shen Jinhuai.

It turns out that Shen Jinhuai was terrified during the time she was unconscious.

She took Shen Jinhuai's hand in return: "It's alright, I'm awake now."

"And I won't leave. It's great here, and you're great too. Although I can't remember the past, I know that I feel safe and happy being with you like this now."

Wen Yu was telling the truth.

In her blank understanding, Shen Jinhuai was the source of all her security and warmth.

Looking into Wen Yu's clear eyes and listening to her clumsy words of comfort, Shen Jinhuai felt a bittersweet warmth welling up in his heart.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the intense emotions in his eyes had been forcibly suppressed, replaced by a gentle warmth.

"Um."

Shen Jinhuai grasped Wen Yu's hand, their fingers intertwined: "Then neither of us will leave the other."

"good."

Wen Yu felt a warmth in her heart: "No one will leave anyone."

Before she could finish speaking, she leaned over and hugged him tightly.

Shen Jinhuai's body stiffened.

This was the first time she had taken the initiative to hug him in nearly six months since Wen Yu woke up.

For a moment, the carriage was completely silent.

Wen Yu's cheek was pressed against Shen Jinhuai's chest, and all she could hear was the sound of his heart pounding like a drum.

The thumping sound kept going on and on.

Wen Yu belatedly realized what she had done.

She awkwardly tried to let go of Shen Jinhuai.

But the man, realizing what was happening, grabbed her and hugged her.

Shen Jinhuai lowered his eyes, looking at the soft hair of the girl in his arms, his eyes filled with an indescribable joy.

He rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling the real, warm touch in his arms.

"Xiaoyu".

The man called her name softly, his voice lower and hoarser than usual, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

As Wen Yu gradually relaxed, she could clearly feel the man holding her moving very carefully. He seemed... to be nervous.

Was he nervous because she hugged him first?

This realization stirred a strange tenderness within Wen Yu.

She was quietly held in the man's arms, letting the tranquil and intimate atmosphere spread throughout the carriage.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Jinhuai loosened his grip on Wen Yu slightly, but his arms were still loosely wrapped around her waist.

He looked down at her, his eyes behind his glasses deep and intense.

The dim lighting inside the carriage accentuated the deep features of Shen Jinhuai's face.

A moment later, Shen Jinhuai raised his long, pale hand, his slightly calloused thumb gently caressing Wen Yu's cheek, his focused gaze tracing her eyebrows and eyes inch by inch.

Wen Yu met the undisguised heat in Shen Jinhuai's eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Then, she heard the other person ask in an extremely hoarse voice, almost piously.

"Xiaoyu, may I... kiss you?"

Since Wen Yu woke up in the hospital, Shen Jinhuai has kept a safe distance from her for the past few months.

The two lived in different rooms, but Shen Jinhuai always watched her until she fell asleep before returning to his own room.

He gave her the most comprehensive protection and the most meticulous care, yet he never overstepped any boundaries.

Even if Wen Yu is awakened by a nightmare in the middle of the night, Shen Jinhuai will rush in and hug her immediately.

But those comforting hugs always maintained just the right distance.

If he hadn't been so nervous today, he probably wouldn't have hugged her so tightly as he had not long ago.

Now, in this cramped carriage, after Wen Yu took the initiative to hug Shen Jinhuai, he cupped her face and restrained himself from asking to kiss her.

The man's voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of startling Wen Yu.

Wen Yu was slightly taken aback.

She looked at the man's face so close to hers, and at the deep emotions surging in his eyes for her.

The unease Wen Yu felt about her blank past seemed less important at this moment.

Although she had no memories to refer to and no past experiences to compare with, Wen Yu inexplicably wanted to get closer.

So Wen Yu closed her eyes and took the initiative to kiss Shen Jinhuai.

Shen Jinhuai's breath hitched.

His deep eyes suddenly widened, filled with surprise and delight.

Wen Yu's kiss was fleeting, lasting only a moment.

Seeing Shen Jinhuai staring at her with burning eyes, Wen Yu's already slightly flushed cheeks became even hotter, and her heart skipped a beat, pounding incessantly.

As the man closed his eyes and approached her, Wen Yu felt the cool, clean scent emanating from him gradually fill her nostrils.

Then, the man's warm lips gently landed on her.

Wen Yu also slowly closed her eyes.

The man's kiss was very light, their lips touching, a tentative yet precious touch.

It's like savoring the world's most fragile treasure.

As Wen Yu tightened her grip on the man's clothes, Shen Jinhuai's arms around her waist also tightened.

The kiss deepened.

A man's kiss is no longer a fleeting touch, but a passionate exploration and demand.

His tongue gently pried open Wen Yu's teeth, deepening the kiss.

Their breaths mingled, their lips met, and the man held her arm tightly, his body heat seeping through the thin fabric of their clothes...

The once quiet air inside the carriage was ignited, and the temperature gradually rose.

Wen Yu's mind went blank.

All my thoughts and all my senses were consumed by this sudden, deep kiss.

This unfamiliar and intense throbbing surged through Wen Yu's entire body like an electric current.

Her limbs felt weak, and she could only lean helplessly against Shen Jinhuai's chest, letting him do whatever he wanted.

It wasn't until Wen Yu, breathless and whimpering, weakly pushed against Chen Jinhuai's chest that the man seemed to snap out of a daze and reluctantly ended the out-of-control kiss.

The man pressed his forehead against Wen Yu's, his breathing heavy and disordered, his hot breath spraying near her equally rapid, heaving lips.

The man's eyes, so close to hers, were deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless whirlpool, churning with emotions that had not yet subsided, and a hint of regret and fear that Wen Yu could not understand.

"sorry……"

The man's voice was hoarse and barely audible as he gently stroked Wen Yu's swollen, glistening lips with his fingertips: "I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself."

Wen Yu's cheeks instantly turned bright red, as if they were about to bleed, and she didn't dare to look Shen Jinhuai in the eye.

She lowered her eyelashes, buried her burning cheeks in the man's neck again, and whispered, "No, it's okay."

Shen Jinhuai looked at the soft hair of the girl in his arms, his eyes filled with tenderness.

He lowered his head and kissed the girl's hair.

Back at the island villa that day, for several days in a row, Wen Yu didn't dare to look Shen Jinhuai in the eye. Whenever their eyes met, her cheeks would uncontrollably burn.

Shen Jinhuai remained as gentle and considerate as ever, but his gentleness now carried an unmistakable depth of possessiveness and satisfaction.

As before, the man kept to himself and maintained a proper distance from Wen Yu.

The only difference is that every day now includes a good morning kiss, a good night kiss, and a simple kiss anytime.

Wen Yu really liked this kind of kiss.

Restraint and respect.

It makes people feel very at ease.

Wen Yu was increasingly convinced that Shen Jinhuai was her fiancé.

"Can we...go to see a movie?"

Wen Yu wants to find her memories of her relationship with Shen Jinhuai.

Since the two are engaged, they must have dated at least once, and Wen Yu wanted to try to relive that experience.

"Of course that would be great."

The next day, Wen Yu and Shen Jinhuai took a private plane to the city.

The two walked into a movie theater together.

Meanwhile, in the president's office of the Zhou Group, Chen Xu handed a document to Zhou Yingchen.

"Mr. Zhou, we have investigated seventeen private medical institutions along the coast that match the characteristics you described. Among them, three had abnormally blurred records from six months ago. This is a preliminary analysis report, which requires further on-site verification."

Zhou Yingchen opened the document and quickly scanned it.

My gaze lingered on the records of "Jianyun Private Hospital," a high-end spa in Haicheng known for its privacy and well-being.

This hospital receives patients with unclear information more frequently than the normal statistical range.

"Make arrangements, I need to go to Jianyun Hospital for an 'inspection'."

Zhou Yingchen closed the document, his voice completely calm.

He needed a legitimate identity to intervene, and the Zhou Group happened to have medical investment projects under its umbrella. It was perfectly normal for the president to personally investigate potential partners.

Zhou Yingchen acted quickly and arrived at Jianyun Hospital that same day.

Meanwhile, Wen Yu and Shen Jinhuai had finished watching the movie and lingered together for a long time in the largest art supply mall in the city center.

It was already afternoon when Shen Jinhuai came out carrying the drawing paper and paints that Wen Yu had just bought.

The sunlight was blinding, so she raised her hand to shield her eyes, casually glancing across the street.

A black Rolls-Royce Cullinan happened to be parked across the street in front of the "Jianyun Private Hospital" where she used to stay.

At the same time, the sightseeing elevator doors on one side of the mall opened with a "ding," and a group of noisy tourists poured out, blocking Wen Yu's view and also blocking the view from across the street.

Wen Yu was led by the hand by Shen Jinhuai, who was carrying art supplies, and walked to the side with the crowd.

Across the street, Zhou Yingchen stepped out of the car. Just as he was about to enter the hospital for an inspection, he seemed to sense something and examined his surroundings.

My gaze inadvertently swept over the crowd surging in front of an art mall across the street.

Across the bustling tourists and the endless stream of traffic, the man caught a glimpse of a very familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

A girl in a light-colored dress flashed by in the crowd.

Wen Yu?

Zhou Yingchen's heart tightened. Just as he was about to step across the street, a tall double-decker sightseeing bus drove by, completely blocking his view.

The bus drove away in just a few seconds.

Zhou Yingchen stared intently at the spot where they had just been.

But then they discovered that the familiar figure was gone.

Only strangers came and went at the entrance of the art mall. The fleeting glimpse he had just seen seemed to be just another hallucination caused by his overly anxious nerves.

Zhou Yingchen stood still, his posture upright and aloof.

He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, and when he opened them again, his usual coldness had returned.

It was just another illusion.

Suppressing the sharp sense of loss in his heart, Zhou Ying turned around expressionlessly and strode into the gate of Jianyun Hospital.

But they didn't see that right at the street corner, Shen Jinhuai opened the car door and Wen Yu got in.

The man in the driver's seat leaned over and kissed the girl in the passenger seat; they smiled at each other.

The car started moving, getting further and further away from the hospital Zhou Yingchen had entered.