Chapter 29: The impending date is subtly alluring and suggestive. ...

Cheng Yi took Gu Yun home first.

After Gu Yun left, the car fell silent again, and the bustling neon-lit night scene outside the window flashed by in her eyes like flowing water.

Yu Wu stared silently out the window, pretending to be dead.

After all, they parted on such a sour note last time, and she wondered if he was still angry with her.

The space was cramped and narrow, and my nostrils were filled with the scent of men—a pleasant, cool fragrance.

Upon arriving at Xiting in Yuwu Residential Area, Yuwu first politely expressed her gratitude, and then opened the car door.

Cheng Yi also got out of the car.

Yuwu: "?"

Cheng Yixin stood tall to the side, his expression unchanged, and said, "I just got you home safely. You're not overthinking it, are you?"

He was dressed casually, tall and long-legged, standing before her, incredibly handsome. The cold night wind ruffled the wisps of hair on his forehead, even giving Yu Wu the illusion that he was her boyfriend.

Yu Wu felt a pang in her heart. She lowered her eyes and sighed at how handsome he really was. Then she went to the back seat where Gu Yun had just sat to look for her bag, but couldn't find it. She guessed that Gu Yun had taken both of them when he got out of the car.

Yu Wu could only keep her head down and lead Cheng Yi to his doorstep, where she took out the spare key that she had hidden under the green plants by the door in front of him.

Cheng Yi coldly scoffed, "I've never seen a more secluded place than this."

This person can't say anything nice.

Yu Wu ignored him, opened the door, invited him inside, and poured him a glass of water.

I handed him a glass of water, and Yu Wu sat down on the sofa to drink some warm water. She felt a little better after drinking some.

I just had a few drinks as a courtesy. I didn't realize it at the time, but now I'm finding that the aftereffects are quite strong, and my head is starting to hurt.

Cheng Yi put down the warm water in his hand, lifted his eyelids to look at Yu Wu, and asked casually, "Do you have any honey water? My stomach is a little upset."

Yu Wu gritted her teeth and refused to look at him, afraid that she would reveal her true nature and anger the old man. She lowered her eyes, got up, and went to the kitchen to make him another cup of honey water.

Cheng Yi took the honey water, took a sip, and said lightly, "It's too sweet."

Mist: !!!

It's too sweet! Why don't you drink it at home? Instead of complaining all the time!

Yu Wu remained silent, not even looking up at him, and the atmosphere fell silent. She remembered that their relationship was still in an awkward phase, and wondered what his purpose was in helping her today.

Cheng Yi didn't feel embarrassed at all. He stood up and looked around Yu Wu's room.

A compact two-bedroom apartment in a simple American style, clean and retro, with many decorations that girls would love, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Yu Wu lowered her head and took another sip of warm water, wondering why he was still lingering there. Her head really hurt, and she wondered if she should say something to show her appreciation.

"Thank you for what you just said." Yu Wu pursed her lips, took a sip of water, and said softly.

Cheng Yi glanced at her for a second, then quickly looked away.

"Need not."

"Oh." Yu Wu didn't know what to say. It was the middle of the night, and they were alone together. Should he leave?

Being in the same space with him felt like an invasion, and Yu Wu was extremely uncomfortable. She had already drunk her fill of water, so she could only lower her head and tug at the hem of her shirt.

My head really hurts, I want to sleep but I can't.

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Yi seemed to have finally finished admiring Yu Wu's home decor and sat down on the sofa again. His tall frame made the sofa feel cramped, as if his long legs had nowhere to rest.

Yu Wu quietly withdrew her gaze from him, secretly pondering how to get rid of him without offending him.

She's really scared of him now.

"I'm going to remove my makeup first, you can do as you please." Yu Wu stood up with a forced smile and headed towards the bathroom. Since the host was already washing up, a sensible guest should understand that this was a veiled way of asking them to leave, and they should probably depart, right?

"Your smile looks really fake." Cheng Yi gave a curt smile, then lowered his eyes and picked up the glass of honey water again.

Yu Wu's fake smile froze on her face. She could only chuckle twice before slipping away to the bathroom.

Once inside the bathroom and inside the door, Yu Wu could no longer contain herself and let out two silent screams! What is this person doing?! Why aren't they leaving?! They have no manners at all!

After dawdling through her washing up, Yu Wu took a few deep breaths before finally opening the door to the living room.

As it turned out, the person hadn't left yet; he was still calmly leaning against the sofa, resting with his eyes closed!

Yu Wu was starting to doubt herself. Could it be that she was the guest and he was the host?

She said slowly, "You...you haven't left yet?"

Cheng Yi glanced at him and asked calmly, "You want me to leave?"

"No..." Yu Wu feigned politeness, trying to persuade him to stay: "It's getting late, why don't you stay here for the night? It's just that my place isn't as nice as yours, and the sheets in the guest room haven't been washed in a long time, I don't know if you—"

"Okay." Cheng Yi looked over with a half-smile, as if he had been waiting for her to say that.

Yu Wu looked up at him; his gaze was deep and dark. Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a small breath. She then began to show him the guest room, finally telling him to go wash up first, while she went to the bedroom to find a towel.

She found a towel and gave it to him. Yu Wu sat on the sofa and waited for him. In her drowsy state, she heard the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing.

Then, in the next moment, Yuwu was picked up by him.

All sleepiness vanished instantly, and Yu Wu's heart was pounding in her throat! She closed her eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep.

The man's muscles were hard, and his lines stretched as he moved. His warmth penetrated her heart through her clothes, sending a strange tingling sensation through her body like an electric shock!

Once inside the room, Cheng Yi gently laid her down, tucked her in, and then stood by the bed, his eyelids slightly lowered, as if recalling the soft, smooth touch he had just received.

Yuwu continued to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.

"I know you're not asleep," a deep, pleasant voice said.

Yuwu almost bit her tongue, pretending to be dead and not responding.

"Your ears are red." He continued to expose her without any mercy.

Yuwu felt her already burning ears were now stinging, and her whole body was aching.

Cheng Yi looked down at her peaceful sleeping face, and even felt an irresistible urge to touch her cheek. He could see the tense, cautiousness she displayed in front of him, and he understood that his usual sharp way of doing things had hurt her. The words stuck in his throat, lingering for a few moments, but he still couldn't bring himself to say them.

...

Suddenly, Yu Wu felt a warm, damp touch on the back of his hand, followed by the sound of his footsteps leaving and the soft sound of the door closing.

He had just kissed the back of her hand.

The warm, damp touch suddenly struck Yu Wu's numb heart like a heavy blow.

Even though he was gone, Yuwu still felt incredibly ashamed. Her hands were wet and burning.

The subtle, alluring tension is palpable, almost imperceptible.

*

The next morning, Yu Wu was woken up by a phone call from Ye Hongmian.

I tossed and turned in bed last night, unable to fall asleep until dawn.

Ye Hongmian spoke in a loud voice, continuing, "It's the weekend today, do you and Xiao Ke have any plans? Seriously, it's been almost a month, and you two haven't made any progress at all! If you're interested in him, you should make it official and take your time! This limbo... Oh, Yu Zi, have you never been in a relationship before? Right, I don't think I've ever heard you mention it..."

Yu Wu responded weakly, "Mmm..."

"Yu Zi! Are you still sleeping?! Ask Xiao Ke if he's free to go out for lunch!"

“The boy should be the one to bring it up first,” Yu Wu mumbled, burying herself under the covers and closing her eyes. “I can’t just be the one chasing after him, can I?”

"That's true." Ye Hongmian sighed, "But you have to be more proactive! You're not taking it to heart at all! I see you care more about Xiao Ke than about work. No, no, I have to talk to Ling Xiao again..."

Yu Wu hummed in agreement twice and then hung up the phone.

After a while, the phone rang again. Yu Wu assumed it was Ye Hongmian again and lazily drawled out, "Hello—"

"Are you still sleeping?" A deep, mellow male voice startled Yu Wu awake.

She sat up and looked at the screen; it was Ke Yanchen.

"Oh, I, yes..." she replied somewhat flustered.

A soft laugh came from the other end of the line. "I was thinking of inviting you to dinner, but seeing how busy you are with work, I wonder if I would have the honor."

Yu Wu paused for two seconds, then said slowly and sweetly, "Sure."

Ke Yanchen gave her the address and said he would send it to her on WeChat later. Finally, his tone was somewhat helpless and indulgent: "Go back to sleep."

Yu Wu hung up the phone somewhat embarrassedly, and when she checked the time, it was already eleven o'clock.

Since I wasn't going out until evening anyway, I simply pulled the covers over myself and slept for a while longer.

*

At 6:30 p.m., Yu Wu finished getting ready and went out. Ke Yanchen was already waiting outside the residential area.

He lowered his eyes slightly, his features handsome, leaning against the car door smoking, his face expressionless. He wore a white shirt and dress pants, revealing a section of his arm with clean, sharp lines.

She was attracted to him physically; his presence was like a datura flower to her.

Yu Wu's eyes sparkled, and she called out "Ke Ke!" even before she got close.

Ke Yanchen glanced at her from the side, a slight smile playing on his lips, and silently opened the passenger door, inviting her to get in.

Once in the car, Yu Wu said in a slightly affectionate and coquettish tone, "It's been so long since we last saw each other."

Ke Yanchen drove without looking to the side, lazily propping his head up with his hand, and chuckled softly: "So you missed me."

It's not a question, it's an affirmative sentence.

Yu Wu gave him a coquettish look, quickly looked away, and turned to look out the window without saying a word.

"Are you angry?" Ke Yanchen lifted his eyelids and looked over, a mischievous smile flashing in his eyes.

Yu Wu smiled shyly, her eyes bright.

"I'm not teasing you anymore." Ke Yanchen changed the subject, talking about some lighthearted things, and Yu Wu echoed him.

We arrived at our destination, a luxurious estate, with a relaxed and pleasant journey.

Night falls and the city lights come on.

The manor was bathed in warm, golden light, which spilled out like silk, dispelling the twilight that was falling outside. The entire building was in the Renaissance style, with magnificent colors.

Following the waiter through the garden fountain, their footsteps were gently swallowed by the Italian hand-woven Persian carpet. They arrived at a private dining room, small and compact, yet luxuriously furnished. The walls were decorated with vintage gilded reliefs, and the delicate gold and beaded curtains at the entrance created a classical atmosphere reminiscent of an oil painting.

Ke Yanchen pushed out a chair, gesturing for Yu Wu to sit down, and Yu Wu smiled in return. As Ke Yanchen left from behind, he affectionately flicked the tip of Yu Wu's nose with his fingertip.

There is a clear dividing line between the ambiguous relationship between men and women; even the slightest touch crosses that line.

Yu Wu focused her attention slightly, raised her eyelashes, and looked at him intently.

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Author's Note: Haha, someone wanted to apologize but couldn't bring themselves to do it, so they stayed at Yuko's house until the middle of the night.