Chapter 53 One night of passion wasn't enough; the soundproofing was poor, so they went to sleep separately. ...

......

Zhu Qingzhi was also embarrassed. Had the soundproofing of this hotel become so appalling?

The sound was overwhelming, coming from all directions, making it impossible to tell whether it was coming from the left, right, upstairs, or downstairs.

She was so uncomfortable that her eyelashes were practically flapping in the wind. Compared to her unease, Wen Qi was much calmer.

He was looking down, fiddling with the ring on his left ring finger, his fingertip rubbing the cool metal band, round and round, the movements slow and leisurely. Occasionally, he would glance up and look at Zhu Qingzhi's reddened ears, a very faint smile flashing in his eyes, so quick it was like an illusion.

Until someone knocked something over, making a jarring cracking sound, he gently turned the ring half a turn again, his voice still devoid of emotion: "It seems tonight isn't a good time to talk business."

Despite the 26-degree room temperature, Zhu Qingzhi felt like she was about to ripen.

"Oh, then I'll go to sleep." Her nerves were on edge, and she hadn't even thought about it. The words left her mouth as soon as she realized something was wrong. "No..."

From somewhere, soft, panting breaths and deliberately suppressed sighs reached an ambiguous peak, relentlessly assaulting her eardrums.

Wen Qi's cool voice carried a hint of evasiveness, as if trying to cover up the truth: "You can sleep?"

"Hmm." Zhu Qingzhi wished she could bite her tongue off and die. With a face ashen like Guan Yu's, she stood up from the sofa. "I'm going to take a shower."

She grabbed a nightgown haphazardly from the closet, forced herself to remain calm, and held her head high, trying to walk past him without looking at him.

However, in the instant they brushed past each other, her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and in the dizzying moment, her back was already pressed against the cool wall.

Wen Qi's hair, still damp with snow water, brushed past the corner of her eye. Her other hand firmly supported the back of her head, cushioning the impact but also completely blocking her escape route.

His tall, imposing figure drew closer, his scalding body heat burning her through her thin clothing. His warm breath brushed against her lips, and his gaze was deep and focused, as if the whole world consisted only of her slightly trembling eyelashes.

He lowered his head, his voice low and soft, yet each word clear and unambiguous: "I can't sleep."

Zhu Qingzhi's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest, and the sounds around her that made her blush suddenly receded and became indistinct.

His hot breath, the warmth of his palms, and those unfathomable eyes that reflected only her—all of these forcefully occupied all her senses.

"You..." She gripped her clothes tightly with both hands, speaking with difficulty, her voice drier and hoarser than she had imagined, "...Then what do you want?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them; it was almost like extending an invitation.

The faint smile in Wen Qi's eyes reappeared, like raindrops falling on a lake, creating ripples. He leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers.

He stated it in a serious tone, yet his voice was tender, as if he were saying something romantic: "I don't know, I haven't experienced it."

His gaze fell on her lips, which were slightly trembling with nervousness. He paused meaningfully for a moment before continuing to suggest slowly, "But I should make up for what I did last time."

He stopped speaking, and gently stroked her lips with his thumb, the rough pad of his finger brushing against her delicate skin, arousing a subtle shiver.

Zhu Qingzhi's mind went completely blank for a moment. What "last time"? What "make up for it"? All her thoughts were shattered by his sudden intimacy.

His aura had woven a fine net, trapping her within it, leaving her nowhere to escape. And in those few seconds when she was lost in thought, Wen Qi's lips pressed against hers.

The cool, refreshing scent of alcohol gently yet forcefully penetrated between their teeth, and in the brief moment between their intertwined breaths, he managed to call her by her nickname in a muffled yet indulgent whisper: "Zhaozhao."

That soft call was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating subtle ripples in her blank mind. But before the ripples could spread, they were completely swallowed up by a deeper, warm breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol.

His kiss was initially tentative and gentle, but that gentleness vanished in an instant, almost changing the very next second she felt it. His thumb, which was resting on her lips, applied a little pressure, forcing her to open a crack, and then began a forceful assault.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, and Zhu Qingzhi instinctively tried to back away, but his arms held her waist tightly, pressing her even deeper into his burning chest.

All her senses had failed, except for touch, which was being amplified infinitely.

The softness and strength of his lips, the subtle tremor brought by the intertwining of their tongues, and the cool yet burning scent emanating from him, all mixed with a slight intoxication, enveloped her completely.

She seemed to be drunk too.

"Mmm..." She swallowed the soft sob, which sounded more like an unconscious moan.

Wen Qi seemed to pause for a moment at this soft moan, but then kissed her even more fiercely, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

The thin air and the surge of emotions left her weak and helpless, able only to rely on his strength and let him do as he pleased.

After what seemed like an eternity, perhaps only a moment, or perhaps an eternity, he pulled back slightly, his forehead still pressed against hers, his breathing heavy, brushing against her moist, swollen lips.

Zhu Qingzhi was panting heavily, her eyelashes trembling wetly, and her gaze was almost unfocused.

He chuckled softly, his voice hoarse, carrying lingering emotion and a satisfied sigh: "This time, it's on me."

It seemed like snow was falling again outside the window, but the room was unbearably hot.

Those distant, ambiguous sounds seemed to become the only background noise at this moment, with only the rapid breathing and the drumming heartbeats between the two.

Suddenly, two loud thuds on the door pierced through everything, shattering the lingering, romantic atmosphere.

Zhu Qingzhi's breath hitched, but her first reaction was to hide in Wen Qi's arms in a panic.

"Qingzhi, are you there?"

It was Shen Rou, and almost the instant Zhu Qingzhi heard the voice, she understood Shen Rou's purpose in coming.

She subconsciously gripped Wen Qi's clothes, raised her head slightly, and tried to calm her racing heart, but deliberately kept her voice soft: "Your Miss Liu has sent someone to check up on you."

There was a hint of bitterness in her tone, and Wen Qi's brows, which had relaxed because of her closeness, suddenly furrowed after hearing her words.

He immediately tightened his arms around her waist, his chin gently resting on the top of her head: "Not mine."

His gaze was intense, his voice deep and firm as he corrected her, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty: "I am yours."

Zhu Qingzhi couldn't help but smile, her competitive spirit just reaching her lips when the sounds of their intimate encounter and Shen Rou's even more violent banging on the door came again.

Having no other choice, she could only push Wen Qi into the bathroom, tidy herself up a bit, and then open the door: "Did you need something?"

Shen Rou, holding her phone, missed her target. Luckily, Zhu Qingzhi caught her in time, preventing her from falling headfirst into the room. She glanced around the room and asked dismissively, "Are you alright?"

...Couldn't you have come up with a decent reason?

Zhu Qingzhi glanced at Chen Rou's phone; the screen was flashing, indicating a call was in progress. Her guess was right; it really was Liu Xiaoning's idea.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Qingzhi couldn't help but retort, "At this hour, is it alright for you to come all the way here to ask me?"

Shen Rou thoroughly searched the room but found nothing suspicious. Moreover, the fact that the sound was still there even after she knocked on Zhu Qingzhi's door was enough to explain everything.

She didn't really know why Liu Xiaoning was so concerned about Zhu Qingzhi and insisted that she come and witness this. However, she did want to find something wrong with Zhu Qingzhi, but now it seemed that she had wronged her.

"I'm just worried..." Shen Rou looked away, smiling somewhat awkwardly, but her voice trailed off when she saw Zhu Qingzhi's makeup, which was mostly ruined. "What are you doing?"

Zhu Qingzhi was so nervous that her toes were curled up, but her eyes still darted to the side, perfectly conveying the sarcasm on her face. She then rubbed her mouth with her hand, somewhat speechless, "I was only halfway through removing my makeup when you came over. You didn't think it was me..., did you?"

This time she only said half of what she meant, because she simply couldn't bring herself to say it. She was indeed there, you know...

"No, no." Shen Rou shook her head awkwardly and retreated completely, even stuffing a few earplugs into her hand before leaving.

Zhu Qingzhi immediately closed the door, her tense back relaxing instantly as she pressed against the door panel. She raised her hand to press her throbbing temples.

Just then, the bathroom door was gently pushed open, and Wen Qi stood there. He had obviously overheard most of the conversation, and his gaze quickly locked onto her, as if to make sure she was alright.

"Gone?" he asked in a low voice, his voice even deeper and hoarser than before, possessing a magnetic quality unique to intimacy that had been abruptly interrupted.

Zhu Qingzhi nodded, still somewhat shaken from the near-miss and embarrassment, her voice a little shaky: "Mm."

Before he finished speaking, Wen Qi had already walked up to her and gently wiped the corner of her lips with his fingertip. He asked, "Were you scared?"

Zhu Qingzhi glared at him, but her gaze was more reproachful than angry, and even carried a hint of coquettish relief: "What do you think, Mr. Wen? If Shen Rou had just gotten the room key from someone, the two of us would be on the front page of the entertainment news tomorrow!"

She didn't continue, her cheeks burning with embarrassment at the thought.

Wen Qi's lips curved almost imperceptibly, as if he found her embarrassed and annoyed expression particularly amusing.

He pulled her close again, this time with a soothing embrace, unlike the previous passionate and forceful one. His chin gently brushed against the top of her head.

As he chuckled, the vibrations in his chest were clearly transmitted: "My fault."

He readily admitted it, but there was little remorse in his tone; instead, there was an air of leniency that suggested he would do it again.

Zhu Qingzhi buried her burning face in the crook of his shoulder, the suggestive voice still lingering, faint and indistinct, tirelessly serving as a distant background sound, causing her toes to curl up again.

At this moment, with their hearts pounding and breaths close together, impulses and ambiguity could no longer reach their peak, because as soon as Zhu Qingzhi thought about how Shen Rou had just stuffed a few earplugs into her ear, she felt more and more like she was crying wolf.

However, she felt there was no need for such a small incident to bother her and Wen Qi. After all, they were all adults, so what was there to be shy about?

She thought she had controlled her emotions well, but her attempts to escape and dodge were always exposed to Wen Qi, so he didn't do anything further and just held her, waiting for her feelings.

Zhu Qingzhi was unaware of Wen Qi's thoughts. She waited quietly for a long time, but Wen Qi showed no intention of taking things further, even though a certain change in his body was quite obvious.

But how could she take the initiative in something like this?

And she's supposed to start her computer tomorrow! According to some articles, if this keeps dragging on, what will she do?! She doesn't want to look exhausted tomorrow, so it's best not to do it today.

But for some reason, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Finally, staring at Wen Qi's shoulder, she opened her mouth and bit him: "The soundproofing is bad, let's each sleep separately."

Wen Qi released her and tucked her messy hair behind her ear: "Okay, then go take a shower first."

...Why does he sound even more relieved than she is? Zhu Qingzhi was furious, but she didn't show it. She couldn't very well appear like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.

She nodded amiably, but as they brushed past each other, her face fell, though this expression only lasted a few seconds.

Because Wen Qi quickly pressed the bathroom door shut, a faint smile flashed across his eyes: "I'll be waiting for you in Beijing next week."

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Author's Note: Kiyoshi [question mark]: ? ? ?

Wen Qi [pats head]: [hugs][hugs][hugs]

Ah Mei: Wow, let me reserve a VIP seat!