Chapter 44 Her Affairs

Xia Li was stunned for a moment, thinking she was hallucinating. It wasn't until the hand moved from her shoulder to her waist, with a cool touch, that she came back to her senses from the sudden embrace.

"Ji Ling?" she called out instinctively, her eyes full of confusion, "What are you doing here?"

Ji Ling didn't answer immediately, but just looked at her, his gaze almost swallowing her whole.

"Never mind, let's talk inside." After all, standing in the hallway wasn't appropriate. As soon as the room key beeped, Xia Li stopped. Now that she and Ji Ling were alone together and in the cooling-off period after their divorce, inviting Ji Ling into the hotel room didn't seem like a reasonable decision.

Before she could react again, Ji Ling had already embraced her from behind, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pinned her against the entrance door, slamming the door shut.

"What are you doing?" Xia Li asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Why are you asking me what I'm doing?" Ji Ling's dark eyes narrowed slightly, his lips twitching, his voice hoarse with suppressed anger. "I'd like to ask you, Xia Li, what are you doing?"

He spoke very slowly, as if he wanted her to hear clearly. His cool lips pressed against her earlobe, and his warm tongue touched her intentionally or unintentionally.

Xia Li shuddered and pushed his shoulder away, "Let go of me!"

Ji Ling ignored her and instead hugged her even tighter, their bodies pressed tightly together, making her feel his burning heat. "It's only been a few days, less than a month, and you're already out meeting men? Are you that lonely?"

Xia Li glared at him fiercely, "You followed me? Ji Ling, what exactly do you mean by this?"

For her, was it simply an addiction to sleeping together, or did she develop a feeling from sleeping together and become reluctant to let go?

Ji Ling sneered: "What do I mean? Can't you sense it?"

At the same time, he subtly lowered his head to kiss the corner of her lips.

Xia Li turned her head away. "Get out. I don't want to mess around with you."

"Me, go out? Are you kidding me?" One word seemed to pierce Ji Ling's heart, and he gritted his teeth and asked fiercely, "Didn't you invite me in? What? You want me to leave now?"

"We're already divorced..." Xia Li explained, but before she could finish speaking, Ji Ling bit her hard, drawing blood to the corner of her lips.

Ji Ling, her eyes red, deepened the kiss. "Did I say I wanted a divorce? Are you in such a hurry? What? Can't I satisfy you?"

Xia Li was puzzled. Despite his aggressive words, she seemed to see anxiety, grievance, and suppressed emotions in his eyes.

Has she fallen so deeply in love with him that even his impolite words seem to be imbued with a kind of magic by her brain?

Before she could answer, Ji Ling kissed her fiercely again, his kiss filled with an almost desperate possessiveness, as if he wanted to confirm her existence and meld her into his very bones.

Xia Li was breathless from the kiss, and her arms, which had been resisting him, gradually lost their strength. Just as she was losing consciousness, Ji Ling released her lips, and suddenly the world spun around her as Ji Ling lifted her up in his arms.

"Ji Ling!"

Ji Lingmo remained silent, walked a few steps to the edge of the bed, and pulled her down into the soft bedding. The warmth of their bodies pressed together was transmitted through the thin fabric.

"Ji Ling!" Xia Li shouted, trying to bring him back to his senses. "Ji Ling, let me go! We can't do this..."

"Why can't I?" Ji Ling lowered his head and gently touched the tip of her nose. "Tell me, why can't I? We're a legally married couple. If I can't, then someone else can, right?"

He leaned down and kissed her again, but not at the corner of her lips. Instead, he traced a path down her slender neck, his pearly teeth lightly brushing against hers, leaving an intimate mark.

Xia Li struggled to get up, but his bent knees were pressed down with his legs as he had planned beforehand, and his hands were also restrained and raised above his head.

"Ji Ling...you bastard..." Xia Li's voice was choked with sobs. This was the first time she had ever used such a rare curse word on him.

Hearing this sob, Ji Ling paused, gently brushing the hair from her forehead, and bit her again. "Yes... I'm a bastard, a complete and utter bastard! This bastard of mine has loved you for almost ten years! I loved you so much that you were my whole life! Have you ever thought about how painful it was for me these past few months, respecting your wishes and watching you be hot and cold?! When you finally noticed me, when I thought you accepted me, I woke up to find only a stack of cold divorce papers on the corner of the bed. How did I feel?! How can someone be so heartless, flirting and then ignoring it, sleeping with you and then running away, and still being able to laugh and talk with other men so casually..."

Ji Ling slowly lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers, "Xia Li... you're even more of a bastard than me..."

His voice was low and pained. Xia Li stared blankly at the face so close to his, without saying a word. She slowly raised her hand to brush away his stray hairs, covered his eyes, and kissed him.

This was one of the few times she took the initiative, and Ji Ling even forgot what to do next, simply accepting her kindness quietly.

It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, yet his heart ached terribly. Xia Li was such a soft-hearted person, both in the past and now. Would she offer her kiss to comfort someone? Ji Ling felt extremely distressed, but also grateful that he was the one by her side.

He didn't care about anything else and responded deeply, his actions urgent and direct, without any sign of hesitation.

"Wait..." Xia Li realized something was wrong, and used her hand to block his chest as he approached again, her breath unsteady, "Did you use a condom?"

Ji Ling didn't answer him, as if she hadn't heard him, and continued doing her own thing.

"Use a condom." Xia Li's attitude was firm.

Ji Ling then stopped, propped himself up, and said, "There's no suitable size."

His eyes held an undiminished lust, obsessive and profound.

Xia Li didn't believe him. She turned around, opened the bedside table, and started rummaging through it. After a moment, she tossed Ji Ling a condom that was a size too small, saying, "I'll make do with this."

With a stern face, Ji Ling threw aside the condom that Xia Li had painstakingly found, then leaned down again and wrapped his large hands around her.

Xia Li reached out and pushed him away: "You need to wear a condom. Condoms not only prevent pregnancy, but also prevent sexually transmitted diseases."

Ji Ling retorted angrily, "You think I'm sick?!"

If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, he would have dragged Xia Li to the hospital immediately to prove that he was completely clean, inside and out. He had lived for over twenty years and had very few sexual experiences, and even those few times were all with her. How could she be disgusted? Not only did she take advantage of him and then abandon him, but she also suspected that he was unclean!

Ji Ling's tone was one of stubbornness and self-will: "No."

"You must bring it."

Ji Ling insisted, "I won't bring it."

He said he wanted to take her further.

Xia Li had originally intended to stop if Ji Ling didn't want to continue, but she didn't expect Ji Ling to insist on going on. Instantly, she became furious and slapped him when he came closer.

Not too light, not too heavy, crisp

The sound was particularly abrupt in the room.

Xia Li herself was stunned, let alone Ji Ling, whose face was directly turned to the side by the slap, and a clear red finger mark quickly appeared on his fair skin.

He slowly turned his head, touched his numb cheek with the tip of his tongue, and narrowed his eyes as if he were examining her.

Xia Li, her lips slightly chapped, nervously swallowed, but the storm she had anticipated did not arrive.

Ji Ling did something that made her freeze in place.

He grabbed the hand that had just hit her, pulled it to his lips, not as revenge, but to extend his warm tongue and affectionately lick her slightly reddened palm.

His dark, almost eerie green eyes were fixed on her. His voice was hoarse and deep: "Did your hand hurt from hitting me?"

Completely ignoring the slap mark on his own face, he instead worried about whether her hand was in pain.

This response, completely contrary to his usual demeanor, made Xia Li even more alarmed.

In a daze, under his guidance, she agreed to all his requests. In the end, she was almost completely limp and had no strength left, so Ji Ling carried her and cleaned her up.

Afterwards, Xia Li lay in bed, forcing herself to wake up, picked up her phone, and ordered birth control pills.

Ji Ling pressed his head against her lower abdomen, nuzzled her inward, and took her phone, allowing her to contact him only afterward.

"What are you doing? Give me your phone."

"No," Ji Ling said, turning off the screen and getting up to kiss her lips. "I know what you're worried about, I won't."

"What?" Xia Li didn't react for a moment.

It wasn't until Ji Ling handed her a stack of documents that the words "Informed Consent Form for Tubal Ligation Surgery" in bold black letters stood out prominently at the top.

“Last time at the hot spring, didn’t you say you didn’t want children? So I had the abortion,” he explained, his voice muffled. “That’s why you shouldn’t take those kinds of medications; they’re bad for your health.”

Shock, bewilderment, and indescribable emotions swept over Xia Li.

That night, they slept in each other's arms.

A few days later, early in the morning, after Xia Li had recovered her strength, they returned to the neighboring city together.

The mountain road was winding, and a light rain began to fall. The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror and whispered a reminder: "Mr. Ji, the road ahead is slippery, I'll drive slower."

Ji Ling gave a faint "hmm," but before he could finish speaking, a screeching sound of brakes tore through the air.

An inexplicable fear gripped Xia Li's entire body, rendering her almost unable to think.

She thought that when Xia Qingqing passed away, it might be the same scene before her eyes, knowingly reaching the end of her life.

In that life-or-death moment, Xia Li felt a tremendous force pull her towards him. Ji Ling's strong chest protected her completely, and his large hand pressed her head tightly against his chest.

He used his own body to build the last barrier for her.

The vehicle lost control, skidded, veered off the mountain road, and crashed into the guardrail. The airbags deployed, and a painful groan came from above. Warm liquid dripped onto her neck, thick and fishy.

"Ji Ling? Ji Ling!"

Ji Ling maintained his protective posture, and with difficulty moved the corners of his lips, reassuringly saying, "Don't be afraid...it's alright..."

How could he be alright! Her hands trembled as she checked his breath; there was only a faint breath. The driver had also suffered many injuries, and he turned around with difficulty to tell them that rescue was on its way.

"Ji Ling..." she called his name again.

Ji Ling's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she uttered a very soft reply: "Are you alright?"

Xia Li couldn't hold back anymore, tears streaming down her face, and she shook her head desperately: "I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine, don't worry about me, you have to hold on, Ji Ling, you have to hold on!"

Ji Ling's lips twitched slightly, as if she were smiling, her breath coming in weak gasps: "That's good... I was afraid you'd be in pain."

Xia Li was trembling all over. She reached out and cupped his face, pressing her hands against his, her voice hoarse: "You're so foolish. Why did you protect me? You could have protected yourself first..."

Ji Ling interrupted her: "I never thought of that..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xia Li pulled him into her arms, pressed her forehead against his in a hugging position, and placed a kiss on his lips, a kiss tinged with rain and love.

"When the rescue arrives, let's go home together, okay?"

She just wanted him to live, as long as he lived.

Their future hangs by a thread.

The emergency room of the neighboring city hospital became yet another trial ground for their love and fate.

Xia Li was finally relieved from her torment upon receiving news that Ji Ling was alright.

In the days that followed, Xia Li practically lived in the hospital, taking care of Ji Ling in every detail until he fully recovered.

In the face of life and death, everything transforms into cherishing the survival experience and cautiously getting closer to someone.

Not long after, a photography exhibition was held in a neighboring city, scheduled for November.

Xia Li continues to work in the photography industry. She has turned her studio into a small shop, offering free photoshoots to anyone who needs them. Whether the photos are taken away or left in the shop to be printed into a booklet for display is entirely up to the customer.

As the opening date approached, she sent many photos of her shop to the exhibition hall.

As I was going downstairs, I overheard the staff discussing a series of works on the top floor called "Summer," which consisted of nine photos. The first eight were of beautiful glacier scenery, and the last one was of a couple standing at the foot of the glacier.

Outside the building, the glow of the setting sun shone on the couple, casting their shadows exceptionally long.

Xia Li initially got into photography to find and record beauty. She ran hard on the road to love, desperately trying to find a result. She was too impatient and neglected the process. She did not learn how to love, love things, love people, and love herself.

Ji Ling's eyes were fixed on his love. He searched for his love, approached his love, and accompanied his love. He was stubborn. He hadn't learned how to get along with his love, or how to love. He lost his love. He found his love again. He went to accompany her, help her, protect her, and love her.

Now that beauty is all around us, the meaning of photos is no longer just about capturing a moment, but also about countless embraces and the process of growing together. They've gone through eight and then ten years, their story beginning with the filming of a promotional video and ending with a shot of their backs in the camera lens.

What people pursue throughout their lives is actually what they already possess: the sunrise at dawn and the sunset at dusk.

Xia Li turned her head and gestured for Ji Ling to lower his head.

Ji Ling was puzzled, but he obediently did it anyway, bending down to lean towards her.

"I have something to tell you."

"What's going on? Why are you being so mysterious?"

"Things you don't know."

"Is there something about you that I don't know?"

Yes, there are many.

She tiptoed closer.

Xia Li has many things to do, including trivial matters and miscellaneous things, regrets and past events, as well as joys and sorrows.

What she had kept hidden for eight years, which she thought she would never forget, has finally come to an end with time.

"I love you."

"End of main text"

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Author's Note: The long serialization period is finally over! I've been writing on and off for so long, I'm really ashamed. Thank you so much to all my darlings who have been with me all this time! *hugs and kisses*

Extra chapters are being updated continuously, feel free to check them out!

The next book will be about Zhong Yuxi and Ren Fei, in the column "Writing You into My Story". Please bookmark it. If you have the chance, see you in 2026.