Chapter 54

"Designated range?" Mo Wansheng raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Huo, are you going all out today?"

Huo Yuzheng finished the remaining wine in his cup and put it down.

The glass bottom struck the coffee table, producing a crisp sound.

"You raised the stakes last round. I'll raise them this round."

"What, you're afraid to answer?"

Mo Wansheng was enraged by his almost provocative provocation, her competitive spirit burning fiercely.

Instead of backing away, she leaned even closer.

His face was undisguised, radiating the smugness of a winner.

At least at this moment, she held an absolute psychological advantage.

"Dare not?" Mo Wansheng mimicked Huo Yuzheng's tone from before, raising the last syllable.

"I'm afraid you can't afford to lose."

She stretched out her finger and gently tapped him from a distance.

She was certain she wouldn't lose.

A new game is about to begin.

The map was complex, the time limit was tight, and the two players moved so fast that they were almost blurry.

The air was scorching hot.

Mo Wansheng could feel the heat radiating from Huo Yuzheng.

During one of his extreme maneuvers, his taut leg muscles, strained from exerting force, brushed against the outside of her thigh through two thin layers of fabric.

Mo Wansheng's fingers paused for a moment, and the character on the screen also staggered.

"Focus." Huo Yuzheng's reminder rang out at the right time, but his eyes remained fixed on the screen.

It was as if that brief touch was just an insignificant accident.

Mo Wansheng bit her lip, forcing herself to calm down, but cursing inwardly.

He absolutely did it on purpose.

The final level requires perfect teamwork.

Toss the food in the wok, season it, and plate it.

All the movements were performed in one smooth motion, with perfect timing.

When the dazzling three-star completion animation exploded on the screen, Mo Wansheng was instantly overwhelmed with excitement.

“I won!” She practically jumped up, turned around, and knelt on the sofa.

Her knees sank into the soft sofa cushions, and she sat in front of him with a superior posture.

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and her eyes sparkled.

She looked down at Huo Yuzheng, who was still leaning back on the sofa, and stretched out her finger, almost poking his straight nose.

"Huo Yuzheng, how is it?"

She uttered his name with the triumphant declaration of victory.

They were full of arrogance.

Huo Yuzheng looked at the brilliant record on the screen, then shifted his gaze to her cheeks, which were flushed with excitement.

He twitched the corner of his mouth and slowly put down the handle.

She sank into the sofa, relaxed, with her arms outstretched and resting on the back of the sofa, the neckline of her loungewear slightly open.

"As you see fit."

"Big winner, where would you like to begin?"

The word "enjoy" was held between his lips and teeth, making it particularly ambiguous.

Mo Wansheng forced herself to calm down, deliberately scanning him with her gaze.

She's the winner; she can't afford to lose her composure.

She slowly extended her right hand, her wrist turning slightly.

"My wrist is sore from playing games. Let's start here."

Huo Yuzheng chuckled softly and patted the sofa beside him. "Come here."

Mo Wansheng shook her head. "I don't want to. Come here. I'm the winner. I said I was jealous."

"Okay." Huo Yuzheng's eyes were full of doting affection.

But he didn't get up immediately. Instead, he unbuttoned the top button of his loungewear, as if he were making some kind of preparation.

Then, he stood up.

He walked a few steps to her and knelt on one knee on the sofa cushion next to her.

This position forced him to lean slightly closer to her.

Mo Wansheng's heartbeat suddenly went out of control.

He was too close, and in that position...

She forced herself to maintain her posture, straightening her shoulders and back.

He pushed his wrist, which he claimed was sore and weak, forward even further.

The hand almost touched the skin beneath his slightly open collar.

The back of her hand slowly and gently slid down the outside of her forearm to her wrist bone.

Then, he completely enveloped her wrist with his palm.

Huo Yuzheng's palms were burning hot, yet he controlled his strength perfectly.

He pressed his thumb precisely on the most sore spot on her wrist, massaging it with just the right amount of pressure.

He didn't give a proper massage; his fingertips applied a kind of irritating pressure, sometimes heavy and sometimes light.

"How is it, Mrs. Huo? Is the pressure just right?" he asked, looking up at her, his breathing a few beats heavier than usual.

Mo Wansheng felt as if the small patch of skin being pressed was about to burn, and the heat quickly spread throughout her body.

Her throat was a little dry, and she could only utter a short syllable, "Mmm."

His thumb movements became more lingering, and occasionally his knuckles would brush against her more delicate palm, causing a subtle itch.

The massage continued until the soreness was completely filled.

"Mmm." Mo Wansheng avoided his overly piercing gaze.

Her voice rose slightly, "My shoulders are also a little uncomfortable."

The darkness in Huo Yuzheng's eyes was so intense it seemed impossible to dissolve.

He didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently grasped her upper arm.

He guided her to turn around, so that her back was to him.

His hands were large, almost covering her entire shoulder.

The heat was transferred through the pajamas.

At first, I pressed tentatively, but soon the pressure began to change.

His thumb sank deep into the muscle above her shoulder blade, kneading the stiff area with powerful force.

A tingling, numb sensation instantly shot up to the top of my head.

Huo Yuzheng's technique wasn't professional, but he was extremely patient and meticulous.

When he touched a particularly sore spot, Mo Wansheng couldn't help but let out a soft hiss.

"Is it very sour here?"

"Yes, a little," she admitted honestly.

He then focused more on that spot, making circles with his fingertips.

Mo Wansheng couldn't help but tilt her head back and let out a very soft inhale.

The sound agitated him.

His movements paused for a moment, then the massage became more aggressive.

My fingers slowly moved down the muscles on both sides of her spine, pressing inch by inch.

His breath brushed against the back of her neck, making the downy hair there seem to stand on end.

"It's sour here too?"

Huo Yuzheng lowered his head, his lips tracing the side of his neck.

Mo Wansheng felt weak all over and could barely sit up, relying entirely on his arms wrapped around her for support.

"Is this considered a massage?" Her voice trembled, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on his arm that was wrapped around her.

Huo Yuzheng chuckled softly, pressing his burning heat against the nape of her neck.

"Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that if the blood vessels are unobstructed, there will be no pain."

"I'm helping you clear your meridians."

This is clearly sophistry!

Mo Wansheng was about to retort, but all her words crumbled under his "smoothing" approach.

Two hot petals were already pressed against her neck.

Her lips moved slowly along the line of her neck.

Sometimes it would gently lick with the tip of its tongue, and sometimes it would rub against the delicate skin with a light touch.

Imitating the pressure of a massage, making circular motions.

It left behind faint damp marks.

Mo Wansheng took a deep breath and softly called his name, "Huo Yuzheng..."

"Hmm?" he mumbled in response.

The massage in my hands has long since lost its meaning.

The hand that was originally massaging her shoulders was now circling around her collarbone with its fingertips.

Occasionally, it slides down, slipping into the loose neckline.

Reason was dispelled by the rising heat.

She unconsciously relaxed her body, leaned back, and gave him more of her weight.

Her back pressed against his firm chest.

That last bit of distance disappeared.

His chest was heaving violently, and his breathing was completely erratic.

His lips stopped on the side of her neck and gently took her mouth in.

"Are you so ticklish, Mrs. Huo?"

"Then it won't be easy for me to give you a massage."

She could barely speak coherently; all her strength seemed to be used to fight the tremor he brought on her.

Finally, only a broken, breathy sound escaped his throat, carrying a hint of pleading, "Huo Yuzheng... please don't do this..."

Huo Yuzheng slightly raised his head and looked down at her.

He feigned innocence and asked in a low voice, "What?"

Mo Wansheng was so angry at his shameless act of turning the tables that she wanted to glare at him.

But the glare he gave had no intimidating power whatsoever.

She wanted to escape his scorching gaze and breath, but her body wouldn't obey her commands, and she even shrank back an inch into his warm and firm embrace against her will.

Huo Yuzheng whispered in her ear, "Move a little closer to me."

Mo Wansheng felt a little dizzy because of his words.

Before she could react, Huo Yuzheng reached out and gently supported her with his warm palm.

He pulled her even tighter into his arms.

Her back was pressed completely against his broad chest, and she could clearly feel his steady but slightly rapid heartbeat.

Through the thin fabric, the heartbeats gradually converged to the same frequency.

He did nothing but hold her.

He wrapped his arms around her and gently rested his chin on the top of her head, completely embracing her.

Apart from the still-loud, cheerful sound of the television, the surroundings were completely quiet.

Mo Wansheng finally regained her composure from the earlier chaos and asked softly, "Is this still considered a massage?"

Her question broke the silence.

Huo Yuzheng chuckled softly, tightened his arms around her, and pulled her deeper into his embrace.

He leaned close to her ear and answered slowly and deliberately:

"This is after-sales service for Mrs. Huo."

Are you satisfied?

Mo Wansheng blushed and muttered, "Shameless."

"Yes, he's shameless only in front of Mrs. Huo."

On the television, cheers suddenly erupted as the Lunar New Year countdown began.

The host and the audience shouted together: "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Huo Yuzheng's hand did not leave her; instead, he used this position to keep her firmly within his aura.

Mo Wansheng didn't move, nor did she remind him that the countdown had started.

She could hear his clear heartbeat behind her, mixed with her own heartbeat pounding like a drum in her chest.

"...Three, two, one! Happy New Year!"

Brilliant fireworks exploded on the television screen, and festive music filled the entire living room.

Happy New Year, Wansheng.

Mo Wansheng slowly turned around and met his eyes.

His eyes clearly reflected her image under the warm yellow light.

"Happy New Year, Huo Yuzheng," she replied softly, a smile spreading across her face.

Huo Yuzheng spoke in a low voice, which was even hoarser than before.

"Should the winner continue to exercise their rights?"

The noise from the television set became their accompaniment.

They stayed up together to welcome the New Year.