Chapter 105 Ignition (End of Main Text)

By the time they took Xiaoliwo and Li Ke home, it was already evening.

As dusk settled, the last rays of the sun faded on the beach.

The streetlights in Dongpu Alley lit up one by one. The surroundings were too quiet. Xin Mian hung up the phone and glanced at him guiltily.

Chi Yu took her hand, looked down at her, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"...Not much..."

When she answered the phone just now, she only dared to say "um" and "okay" a few times, because she was afraid he would notice something was off.

The summer evening breeze seemed to carry the damp scent of the sea. Xinmian pulled him along quickly toward courtyard number 7, changing the subject, "It's a bit hot, I want to go back and take a shower as soon as possible."

“Oh,” Chi Yu smiled casually, “I’ll help you wash.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xin Mian immediately remembered what he had said at the restaurant at noon.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, but it was too late to shake off his hand.

The man wrapped his long arm around her waist, pushed open the courtyard gate, and half-pushed, half-carried her inside.

Xin Mian immediately cried out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "Let go!"

"It wouldn't be good if Grandma saw this!"

She struggled, so Chi Yu simply bent down, picked her up horizontally, and carried her up the stairs.

"Don't worry, Grandma isn't home."

"Eh...?"

Xinmian was momentarily stunned before noticing that the house was very quiet.

Even the chubby orange cat couldn't see a trace of it.

"Grandma and Fatty Orange, where are you going?"

"I took it to get vaccinated and give it a bath, but it's not back yet."

"oh..."

“Baby,” he said, bending down to kiss her, “we agreed on this at noon.”

Xinmian's shyness had not yet been dispelled before it returned.

"...Who said you agreed...!"

"I didn't agree to that!"

Chi Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, "But I've already convinced Little Dimple for you."

"...I...I can do it myself..."

She hesitated for a moment, but he "made the first move."

She could persuade Xiaoliwo herself.

That scoundrel must have known this, which is why he seized the opportunity when she wasn't paying attention.

Now that it's in his mouth, their "deal" seems to have been reached.

He helped her convince Xiaoliwo, and now he's just waiting for her to keep her promise.

Xin Mian couldn't help but slap him, accusing him, "This is forced buying and selling!"

All those things he said, were they not pushing her to the brink of unbearable pain?

Overwhelmed with shame and possessing a vivid imagination, she seemed to already conjure up the scene, her ears burning with embarrassment.

The man carried her, his long legs carrying her steadily into the room on the third floor. He used his broad shoulders to open the bathroom door and placed her on the sink.

Summer clothes are made of light and thin fabrics. She wore a light-colored floral dress that reached her ankles, with many osmanthus flowers adorning the hem.

Touching the cold temperature of the sink countertop, Xinmian shuddered and wanted to get down.

But his tall frame was already blocking her way, and her movement forward seemed more like throwing herself into his arms.

His intentions, given his position and posture, are self-evident.

Even though they had been intimate so many times, Xinmian's heart still trembled uncontrollably.

“Chi Yu…”

His gaze was deep and intense, like a cheetah that had its jaws on its prey and wouldn't let go.

The desire in her dark eyes was intense and undisguised; everything was laid bare before her, naked and unfiltered.

In the instant their breaths touched, she heard the heavy thumping of his Adam's apple.

"Baby, let me lick it first, okay?"

Xinmian was so embarrassed that her toes curled up, and she could only lie nestled in his arms.

He's licked it countless times already!

But he always liked to ask her so directly, asking her in detail about every action and feeling during sex.

Sometimes gentle, sometimes aggressive, just like the person he is.

Xinmian couldn't stand his bluntness, but she was no match for his strength.

Moreover, Chi Yu knows her body well enough, even better than she does herself.

The final result is usually that she sobs and whimpers as he takes advantage of her, sinking into the abyss of desire he brings, feeling so good that her scalp tingles and her soul feels like it's about to leave her body.

Just like right now.

The fabric of her skirt was lifted by a large, veiny hand, and finger marks were pressed into the soft flesh of her fair legs.

Xinmian bit her lip and sobbed softly, bracing herself against the sink with both hands, but could only barely support herself.

His thin arms trembled, his waist trembled, and the feet on his shoulders trembled as well.

“Chi Yu…”

Her voice was choked with sobs, her eyelashes were half-wet, and the ceiling light shattered into tiny specks under his fierce onslaught, reflecting the tears at the corners of her eyes as they slowly slid down.

Chi Yu finally stood up, leaned over and kissed her, and carried her into the shower room.

He was always gentle when bathing her.

Ke Xinmian knew that the long night had only just begun.

The summer nights are filled with the chirping of cicadas, but they are shut out by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The room was filled with an ambiguous dampness and stickiness; breath evaporated quickly in the air. Xin Mian gasped for breath, her hair swaying back and forth around her waist.

She braced herself against his strong, taut abs, shaking her head and crying, "Chi Yu... I can't take it anymore..."

"Waaaaah..."

She didn't want to come by herself anymore; she was too tired.

Chi Yu held her waist, his fingertips lightly caressing it, where there were still the fingerprints he had left earlier.

He leaned against the headboard, his dark eyes fixed on her. He gave her a light slap with his large hand, his voice low and husky, "Baby, why are you so greedy and lazy?"

Xinmian sobbed softly, her hair at her temples damp with sweat and clinging to her cheeks, which he brushed away.

Tiny beads of sweat mingled with tears, sliding down her beautiful chin, dripping onto his body, wetting his strong, muscular waist and her palms.

Her soft fingertips couldn't hold on any longer and suddenly slipped, causing her whole body to tense up and tremble even more violently.

Chi Yu suppressed a heavy breath, a roguish smile playing on his lips. "Baby, is this a reward or a punishment?"

Xin Mian bit her lip, unable to answer. Her misty eyes looked at him, the corners of her eyes reddening, dreamy and charming, with a hint of pleading.

"I want to get down..."

Chi Yu held her tighter, "Baby, you haven't kept your promise to me yet."

Xinmian sobbed uncontrollably, her face flushed, her voice breaking as she accused him.

She was almost out of energy, but he was still full of energy.

Xinmian didn't want to move anymore, so she wrapped her arms around him and clung to him like a spoiled child.

The two of them were pressed together, sweating profusely, their hearts pounding like crazy.

Chi Yu enjoyed her taking the initiative to embrace him, pressing his large hand on her shoulder and patting her gently as if to comfort her, but when she was least expecting it, he caught her off guard.

"Hmm..."

Xin Mian fell silent instantly, her eyes widened, and her nails dug deep into his shoulder and back, digging into the teeth marks she had made earlier.

“Chi Yu…”

A very faint sound, like the muffled whimper of a small animal being pierced by an arrow, followed by a shower of tears.

By the time this intense encounter ended, Xinmian was completely exhausted.

After helping her take a bath, Chi Yu held her and they lay down in bed together. He buried his head in her neck and inhaled deeply, his voice low and husky, "Wife."

It was an extremely muffled sound, but Xinmian, despite being utterly exhausted, still managed to catch it.

She muttered softly, "Don't shout..."

It's weird to call someone "wife" when we're not even married.

Chi Yu turned her chin towards him and kissed her on the lips. "Sooner or later."

As he spoke, he called her name a few more times in a low voice.

"Baby..."

"Wife..."

He was being as clingy as possible. Xin Mian's ears were ringing from his shouting. She couldn't take it anymore and pushed him away, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his palm.

In her hazy state, she seemed to feel him holding her fingers and playing with them, caressing her knuckles inch by inch, from her index finger to her ring finger, as if he couldn't bear to let go, lingering on her ring finger for a long time.

A thought flashed through her mind, but it was too fleeting to grasp.

She was too tired, so she simply stopped thinking about it and softly told him to stop bothering her before closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

The main light in the room was turned off, leaving only a nightlight by the bedside.

The light was dim and yellowish, like layers of halos projected onto her body, making even the fine hairs on her cheeks and ear tips visible.

Chi Yu looked at her intently, lowered his head and kissed her lips several more times before holding her and closing his eyes to sleep.

——

In early July, Wangshui Island was bustling with tourists.

Xin Mian also started getting busy, because the magazine editor-in-chief she had met at the art competition awards ceremony formally expressed his willingness to cooperate with her and drafted a contract.

She has been frequently traveling between Ancheng and Wangshui Island lately, and Chi Yu picks her up and drops her off every day without fail.

The two spent every day together, but Chi Yu still discovered that Xin Mian seemed to be hiding something from him.

Lately, I've been making phone calls behind his back from time to time, and the frequency is increasing.

Every time he asked her, she would always give vague and evasive answers.

He wasn't in a hurry, though.

We'll find out sooner or later, after all.

About a week later, a family of three living in the alley next to Dongpu Lane prepared to move away.

They had all lived together as neighbors for many years. Before leaving, the family of three smiled and offered candy to their neighbors, saying that they had bought a house in Ancheng city and were moving there.

This is good news. Chen Xiulian accepted the candy and congratulated the family with a smile.

Xinmian had just returned from kindergarten when she bumped into the lady of the house as soon as she entered.

It was the woman who had greeted her with her daughter at the alley entrance earlier; her surname was Lin.

When they saw each other, they were both taken aback, then smiled knowingly and looked away.

Chi Yu has been busy these past few days, having taken a rare business trip to another city to resolve a firewall issue for a partner company. Only Xin Mian and Chen Xiulian are at home.

After dinner, Xinmian told Chen Xiulian about her plans that she had kept hidden in her heart.

"...Grandma, I'm thinking of...moving into Sister Lin's house next door in a few days."

"Moving? Why? This..."

Chen Xiulian didn't react for a moment and quickly asked, but then stopped.

She quickly figured it out.

In fact, moving there was a normal and correct choice for Xinmian.

She initially signed a one-year rental agreement, and now, a year later, she's with Chi Yu.

Based on Chen Xiulian's wishes, she had long considered Xin Mian as family, and it was impossible for her to renew the contract.

But...

It's not uncommon for young people to live together when they're dating, but if Xinmian continues to live with them like this, that's not what cohabitation is.

Chen Xiulian likes Xinmian and hopes that the young couple can stay together forever.

However, some things are viewed from different perspectives, and she cannot selfishly prioritize only her own ideas.

She smiled with relief and took Xinmian's hand, "Grandma supports you."

"Xiao Lin's house is just in the next alley. Since we're so close, we can still eat together for all three meals every day."

"Thank you, Grandma."

Chen Xiulian asked, "Did you tell Ayu?"

Xin Mian nodded, as if remembering something, "...I told you."

She was a bit timid, so she told Chi Yu on WeChat while he was away on a business trip.

He figured that since the other person was out of town, even if he was angry with her and wanted to move out, he wouldn't be able to come back immediately to "deal with" her.

But she didn't expect Chi Yu to return so quickly...

Cicadas chirped in the height of summer, and the hot wind scorched the earth.

Xinmian, carrying a rag, ran in and out of the new courtyard tidying up.

The voices of Qin Shengtian and the other two came from inside the house, "Mianmian, do you have a bigger clothes rack to hang these dolls?"

"Xinmian, where is the best place to install a robot vacuum cleaner in the living room?"

"Xinmian, is the water dispenser in the kitchen?"

The barrage of questions added a lively touch to the courtyard, which had been uninhabited for several days.

When Xinmian moved, Qin Shengtian and the others naturally came to help, and they've been busy since early morning.

They joked and teased each other.

Xin Mian finished answering each question, and then she heard Qin Shengtian's slightly angry voice from the living room, "Yang Chengjing!"

"Why are you looking at me like that! Get your work done!"

She chuckled, her lips pursed. Her gaze swept over the area, and there was the chubby orange cat, which had somehow run over from Dongpu Lane. With a flick of its tail, it climbed up the longan tree in the yard with remarkable ease.

"Fat orange!"

She stood under the tree, deliberately trying to scare it, saying, "Come down quickly."

"If you climb up this time, I won't be able to carry you down."

She recalled that on her first day on Wangshui Island, right after signing the contract with Chen Xiulian, she climbed up the osmanthus tree to catch a cat.

Chi Yu was standing under the tree watching her at that time.

She smiled with her lips pursed, just as she was pulling herself out of her memories, she saw Fatty Orange naughtily stepping on the tree trunk and climbing even higher.

Xinmian could only throw the rag aside, roll up her sleeves, and climb the tree to catch the cat.

A gentle summer breeze rustled the leaves on the trees.

The fat orange tree climbed too high and began to shiver as it stood among the dense foliage.

Xinmian chuckled twice, then resignedly continued climbing.

"I told you long ago that you couldn't get down on your own."

"Your cat won't listen to any advice."

"Hmph, now look what you've done..."

[Meow~]

Fat Orange's legs were trembling, and he dared not move.

[Stop cursing! Stop cursing!]

[Human! Come save me!]

A year has passed, and Xinmian's tree-climbing skills are still clumsy.

After struggling to climb up, I tucked the chubby orange into my arms, and when I looked down, I realized that I had climbed even higher this time.

It's over...

She didn't know how to get down.

Xin Mian was on the verge of tears, and was just thinking of calling Liu Haoyuan and Yang Chengjing for help when her gaze suddenly stopped.

She turned her head and looked at the man who should have been on a business trip but was now here.

"Chi Yu!"

The man was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, almost exactly the same outfit he had worn a year ago.

His tall figure leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed, watching her.

The wind rustled the leaves, and a few rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, falling on his strong and handsome eyebrows and eyes.

The old scar on his brow was defiant, and his dark eyes held a glimmer of light.

His gaze was focused and intense as he looked at her.

The girl was lying on the tree trunk, her orange cat meowing in her arms.

Everything felt so familiar, as if time had slipped back a year.

She was in the tree, and he was under the tree.

He reached out and caught her trembling heart.

——

[End of text]

-----------------------

Author's note: Let me think about what to write for the side story [pat on the head]