Chapter 10 Indirect Kiss

Xia Li lay on her side facing the balcony. Ji Ling's gaze was fixed on her curled-up back. He walked straight up to her, his broad figure blocking the moonlight streaming in from the window.

He slowly squatted down and looked at her face.

At two o'clock in the morning, the slight frown on her brows downstairs had gradually relaxed, and the natural curve was like a crescent moon outside the window. Her curled eyelashes trembled slightly with her breath, covering her stubborn eyes. As if possessed, Ji Ling's hand involuntarily reached out and touched her eyelashes with his well-defined knuckles.

Her lips were slightly parted, chapped and cracked from the dry air. The shape of her lips was perfect, with a slight upturn at the corners, making them appear exceptionally full and soft. However, the color was too pale, lacking any color or moisture.

Ji Ling glanced away, afraid that if he continued to look, something unexpected might happen. He then stood up, pressed himself against the edge of the mattress, and took advantage of the late night to lie down next to her, causing the mattress to sink slightly.

He nuzzled her hair with his nose, inhaling the faint fragrance intimately. Then he moved closer to her neck and kissed the red mark that resembled a hickey with fervor, leaving it sparkling like stars, as if a wild beast asserting its dominance after its territory has been invaded.

Xia Li was fast asleep, completely unaware of the incredibly warm body beside him. Being caught off guard, he harbored evil intentions.

He desperately wanted to possess her, longing for her to truly become his, to have only him in her eyes. But such thoughts were too narrow-minded. He also felt that she shouldn't be bound by any constraints; she was free and could do whatever she wanted.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but the sky was already turning a pale white. Xia Li muttered in her sleep and suddenly opened her eyes.

She glanced around; there was no one there.

She reached out and touched the side of her neck with some surprise. Her fingertips lingered on her skin for a moment. She wondered why, in her dream, someone was biting her. The sensation was so real, as if it had just happened.

When she got up to open the door, she felt lightheaded. As her warm fingers touched the cold lock, she vaguely felt that something was not quite right.

After thinking it over, she suddenly realized that she had definitely locked the door from the inside last night, but now the door could be opened easily!

Xia Li squinted, her eyes still blurry, and began to doubt herself. Could it be that she had misremembered last night? She thought about it for a moment but didn't pay much attention. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and went downstairs. As soon as she looked up, her gaze met Ji Ling's at the dining table.

Ji Ling has a habit of going for a run every morning. She has already returned and changed into a comfortable set of home clothes after washing up.

The neckline was slightly open, revealing the clearly defined collarbone. Below that were the outlines of the shoulders and back, stretched taut by the fabric, with the smooth curves of the muscles faintly visible. They were exceptionally firm and exuded a restrained strength.

He had a great physique. The fabric of his loungewear was very soft, yet it accentuated his sharp angles. His waist and abdomen were perfectly cinched, and you could vaguely see the clean lines that ran down from his waistline.

Xia Lidun froze at the top of the stairs, her gaze deeply drawn to him, her throat bobbing as she unconsciously swallowed.

"Awake?" Ji Ling asked.

Pulled back to reality, Xia Li paused slightly, nodded gently, and then slowly walked to his side.

The scent of milk filled her nostrils, and she raised an eyebrow, looking towards the dining table.

The freshly baked croissants were still warm, their crusts glistening with an amber color, and covered entirely in a layer of caramel. She loved sweets, while Ji Ling was the complete opposite; this seemed entirely against Ji Ling's taste.

Her expression hardened slightly as she pulled out a chair and sat down next to Ji Ling. She picked up one end of a croissant, her fingertips recoiling from the heat, but she couldn't resist bringing it closer. Her nose touched the crumbs of pastry. After taking a bite, her eyes widened slightly, and she praised Ji Ling with some surprise, "It tastes exactly the same as before."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Li realized she might have said something wrong, so she awkwardly stopped talking, lowered her head and pretended nothing had happened, not noticing the deep look in Ji Ling's eyes.

Then I heard Ji Ling's response, which was somewhat low.

Xia Li couldn't help but wonder, had this man caught a cold again? His voice was always low and a little hoarse, which wasn't normal. He exercised every day, so he should be in good health.

She was about to ask him what was wrong, but when she saw him staring straight at her, she stopped and touched her cheek: "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Ji Ling's gaze lingered on the tip of her nose, then subtly shifted to her lower lip. He didn't answer her question, but instead suddenly leaned closer, so close that she could smell the dampness from his recent shower, mixed with a faint grapefruit scent.

Xia Li held her breath, subconsciously widened her eyes, and even forgot to step back and create distance.

She watched him raise his hand, his fingertips hovering half an inch in front of his eyes, then gently pull it back. Instead, he picked up a tissue and handed it to her, his voice carrying a barely perceptible unnatural tone: "You got it on your nose."

Xia Li snapped out of her daze, a faint blush creeping up her ears. She coughed lightly, took a tissue to wipe her nose, and in her haste, grabbed the juice on her right, gently biting the rim of the glass and taking a sip.

However, Ji Ling's gaze remained fixed on him, instead becoming even more intense.

Xia's heart was pounding, afraid that Ji Ling would hear her. She turned her head and put on a calm and collected expression to hide her inner panic, raising her eyes to meet his gaze: "Is there anything else?"

It should be clean by now, why is Ji Ling still staring at her?

But I must say, Ji Ling's eyes are really beautiful.

Of all his faces, she liked his eyes the most.

When it looked over, its eyes were exceptionally affectionate, like a whole spring of warmth and romance.

Xia Li couldn't help but recall the dream she had two days ago. In the dream, Ji Ling's appearance overlapped with reality, except that the mature face in front of her was more noble and also more aggressive.

Ji Ling's Adam's apple bobbed, his desire to touch her yet unable to remained unfulfilled. He glanced at Xia Li's lips, which were wet with juice, then turned to the glass held by her slender fingers. He lowered his eyes, covered his mouth, and coughed lightly twice, replying, "The glass you're drinking is mine."

Xia Li hurriedly shifted her gaze, blankly checking the cup in her hand, then glancing at the other cup on the table. She realized she had indeed drunk from the wrong one. Her movements...

He paused, unsure of what to do.

Not long after, Ji Ling's voice came again: "And I've already drunk it."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Li, who had been able to pretend to be calm and composed just moments before, could no longer hide her embarrassment and quickly put down the juice in her hand.

Actually, she didn't mind, but for some reason, when Ji Ling said those words, they sounded particularly gentle, as if imbued with passion.

She subconsciously pursed her lips, her pearly teeth lightly brushing against each other—wasn't that just a disguised, indirect kiss? Why did he have to add that sentence... He drank it, so what? He knows it himself; why tell her?

It disturbed her and threw her into a daze.

She sniffed and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'll pour you another cup."

To her surprise, Ji Ling didn't respond for a long time. Instead, he stared at her intently, his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched tightly. Under her gaze, he picked up the glass of juice they had both drunk from, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip: "I don't mind."

Xia Li's ears were even redder than before. She blinked helplessly, avoiding his gaze, and continued eating her breakfast, thinking about finishing as soon as possible to go to work.

Then, remembering something else, she suddenly asked, "Are you sick?"

Ji Ling was puzzled, and paused before she could speak.

Xia Li looked at him and mistakenly thought he was embarrassed. After all, he exercises every day, but his physical condition is still so poor. He catches a cold every few days, so he must be embarrassed.

After thinking for a moment, she frowned with some worry and came up with a more subtle way of saying it: "If you have a cold, you should see a doctor. You can't just tough it out."

It doesn't seem to be very subtle either.

Ji Ling tilted his head, raised an eyebrow slightly, and stared at her, looking quite puzzled.

Xia Li thought she had embarrassed him, so she quickly waved her hand to explain, but the more she tried to explain, the worse it got: "I didn't mean you were not physically strong."

Ji Ling's eyes darkened further. Her slightly hoarse voice alone suggested poor physical condition, making her explanation sound particularly insincere.

He looked up at the sound, seemingly nonchalant, took another sip of juice, and asked Xia Li, "Not in good physical condition? How did you know?"

“…”

Xia Li couldn't help but cough twice, her ears almost turning bright red. She wasn't sensitive to emotions, but Ji Ling's words just didn't sound right. So she swallowed, ate her croissant, and lowered her head without responding.

Fortunately, Ji Ling didn't make things difficult for her; he just stared at her intently for a while.

After the meal was finished, she heard Ji Ling ask, "Have you chosen your wedding dress yet?"

In a panic, Xia Li grabbed a tissue to wipe the crumbs from her lips, her throat bobbing as she frowned, trying to find the right words.

The events of a few days ago flashed through her mind. Ji Ling had someone deliver a custom-made wedding dress to her. There were many styles to choose from.

She forgot how she felt that day, only remembering that in the end, she casually piled all the wedding dresses in the dressing room without trying them on.