Chapter 18 His kiss was sweet
There was a small gap in the stone steps, which just happened to catch Jiang Nuanyu's thin heel.
She didn't realize that her heel had come out halfway after she lifted her foot; her body swayed and she lost her balance.
Liang Qi had been watching her feet and quickly pulled her up; however, the roses in her arms were thrown out by the inertia.
She didn't know what she was thinking, but she instinctively tried to protect the bouquet of flowers and lunged in the opposite direction of Liang Qi's pull.
Liang Qi was jerked on the arm by her sudden movement, and felt a pain in his shoulder, but he did not let go of her.
She managed to hold onto the flowers, but completely lost her balance. In a daze, she felt prepared to make intimate contact with the earth.
Liang Qi quickly realized what was happening, took a step forward, and half-embraced her, flowers and all, pulling her back to him.
Jiang Nuanyu's vision shifted abruptly, and the next second, she was gently pulled into his arms. In that instant, besides the fragrance of the bouquet, there was a strange scent in her breath that inexplicably matched Liang Qi perfectly.
She hurriedly raised her eyes and met Liang Qi's half-closed gaze.
Not only were their eyes locked, but the man's body was also pressed tightly against hers, firm and warm.
He held her, almost suspended in mid-air; her heart seemed to be floating upwards, beating faster and faster, thumping loudly in her ears.
Her breathing gradually became shallow and rapid. Unable to meet his gaze any longer, she lowered her eyes, but her eyes met his lips.
For some reason, her gaze fell on those slightly pursed lips and she couldn't look away.
Liang Qi noticed her gaze and glanced at her lips, but then nudged his chin towards her chest and said, "Is this flower that important?"
Jiang Nuanyu's eyes flickered for a moment before she snapped back to reality. She blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "...If it falls to the ground, the petals will definitely scatter...and it will get dirty."
Liang Qi said, "You'll be fine if you fall to the ground with it?"
Jiang Nuanyu: "..."
She was taken aback by his retort, and seeing the faint smile on his lips, she was even more at a loss for words.
The sudden movement had dispelled some of her drunkenness. She belatedly realized she was still in his arms and suddenly felt embarrassed, pushing against his chest to stand up straight.
Liang Qi let go of his hand.
She put her feet back into her shoes and was about to step firmly to say thank you when a sharp pain shot through her left ankle.
"Ah—" she exclaimed softly.
Liang Qi glanced at her furrowed brows and couldn't help but frown as well, then looked down at her left foot.
She was in so much pain that she pulled her foot back, afraid to put it on the ground again.
Liang Qi squatted down, pinched her ankle and examined it carefully to make sure there was no serious dislocation or fracture, then gently helped her put her foot back on the ground.
"I must have twisted it just now." He straightened up and held out one hand. "Give me the flowers."
Jiang Nuanyu subconsciously listened to him and silently handed over the bouquet of flowers in her arms.
Liang Qi tucked the flowers under his arm, glanced at the buildings in front of him, and asked, "Which building do you live in?"
Jiang Nuanyu pointed to a building not far away: "This one."
Liang Qi said, "Let's see if you can still walk."
Jiang Nuanyu understood the possible meaning behind his words, and a flush rose on her face.
She carefully lifted her left foot and took a step, but as soon as she shifted her weight a little, she felt pain.
But she felt she could still bear it and nodded, saying, "I can walk."
Liang Qi felt that her judgment was unreliable, so he glanced at her but didn't say anything more.
Jiang Nuanyu took two steps, stopping frequently. When she took her third step, a sharp pain suddenly shot up in her ankle, and her leg reflexively went weak, causing her to stop in place.
She bit her chin and tightened her lips, as if she still wanted to hold on.
Liang Qi frowned again.
He guessed that she chose to be strong because she didn't want to trouble him, but it was really not advisable for her to make things difficult for herself like this.
He compromised by extending his hand: "Help me."
Jiang Nuanyu hesitated for a few seconds, but finally placed her hand on his.
She moved her feet carefully, trying not to lean entirely on him. But inevitably, when her left foot landed, most of her body weight still pressed down on him.
Liang Qi matched her pace, showing no impatience in his steps, but his jaw was taut.
When he pulled her back, he felt something was wrong with his left shoulder. Now, supporting her weight, that familiar yet unfamiliar pain became clear again.
He suppressed his discomfort and helped her into the apartment building.
Jiang Nuanyu released his arm, but his body temperature still lingered in her palm.
The unit door wasn't closed, and the wind blew in, making her palms feel even colder and emptier.
Liang Qi pressed the elevator button, then glanced at her ankle, which was already a little swollen.
"Do you have any ice at home?" he asked.
She looked up: "Yes."
Liang Qi nodded.
Neither of them spoke again, as if they both tacitly agreed that he would go upstairs with her.
Jiang Nuanyu knew that he was probably just being a gentleman, but she still wondered and hoped that there were other feelings involved.
Once inside the elevator, Liang Qi stood near the floor panel and turned to ask, "Which floor?"
"7th floor."
Liang Qi pressed "7".
The elevator was brightly lit and quiet; the sounds of heartbeats and breathing seemed amplified.
Jiang Nuanyu stole a glance at the reflection on the elevator door. Liang Qi stood beside her, loosely holding the huge bouquet of roses in one hand. The bouquet, so large in her arms, seemed remarkably light in his.
Her gaze moved upwards, and the moment it landed on his face, his lowered eyelids lifted.
The two looked at each other quietly in the reflection.
However, the elevator took too short a time to go up to the seventh floor, and soon, a "ding" sounded.
The elevator has arrived.
Their gazes shifted simultaneously.
The elevator was just a few steps from her door, so Jiang Nuanyu didn't let Liang Qi help her and moved to the door herself.
She unlocked the door, leaned her upper body into the room, turned on the light, and stepped aside, avoiding his gaze. She simply whispered, "Please come in..."
Liang Qi didn't put on airs. After helping her inside and sitting her down on the sofa, he placed the flowers on the dining table, noticed the refrigerator next to it, and turned around to ask, "Where are the towels?"
"It's in the bathroom." Jiang Nuanyu pointed towards the bedroom, a little shy for some reason. "The bathroom is inside..."
Liang Qi glanced towards her bedroom, hesitated briefly, but finally stepped inside. The lights came on, and soon the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Jiang Nuanyu sat on the sofa, and although she was in her own home, she dared not breathe loudly. Her ears followed the faint sounds coming from the bathroom, and her heart pounded faster and faster.
Soon, the sound of water stopped.
Liang Qi took out two towels, one dry and one wet, then took ice cubes from the refrigerator, wrapped them in the wet towels, tied the four corners together, and twisted them to make a simple ice pack.
He walked to the sofa, knelt down on one knee, and before touching her, he calmly looked up and confirmed with his eyes.
Jiang Nuanyu didn't say anything.
An indescribable atmosphere hung in the air, as if we had returned to the horse ranch restaurant.
He lifted her left foot, took off her high heel, and neatly wrapped the excess piece of the ice pack towel around his hand.
Before the ice pack touched her skin, he warned, "It'll be a little cold."
Jiang Nuanyu nodded: "Mm."
Her ankle was congested and hot. The moment the ice pack was applied, the temperature difference caused the coolness to quickly penetrate her skin, and she couldn't help but hiss.
Liang Qi pressed the ice pack and glanced at her silently.
His expression seemed to say: Didn't I just remind you?
Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips, looked at him expectantly, and added, "...It really is cold."
Liang Qi didn't reply, and lowered his eyes.
He applied ice to her ankle while gently massaging it back and forth. When he reached one spot, he asked, "Does it hurt here?"
Jiang Nuanyu thought about it carefully, from wanting to say she didn't know, to wanting to change it to "it doesn't hurt," and finally chose a description that was perhaps closest to the truth: "It doesn't hurt too much."
Liang Qi deciphered the precise message she was trying to convey in her words, and after a few seconds, he nodded slightly.
He moved to another spot and asked, "How about here?"
"About the same as before."
He simply nodded.
Liang Qi applied a cold compress to her for a few minutes to make sure her ankle wasn't swelling any further. He put the ice pack aside, picked up the dry towel, folded it twice along the long side with his wrist turned over, and applied it to her ankle to begin simple immobilization.
As he wrapped the towel around his feet, he explained, "The towel will add some pressure, so your feet won't swell up even more when you walk around." He added, "When you sleep at night, elevate your feet a bit."
Listening to his words, Jiang Nuanyu asked, "Why are you so skilled at doing these things?"
And on Dream Island, when he treated her wounds, he was just as professional and skilled, yet meticulous and gentle.
The moment she said it, she already knew the answer—
He earned all of this through countless injuries.
Liang Qi didn't answer her question. After tying the towel, he said, "You can apply an ice pack whenever you have time these next couple of days."
Jiang Nuanyu remained silent and did not respond to him.
The more skilled and gentle his movements were, the more her heart ached.
She felt sorry for his pain, but even more sorry for his tender and considerate manner at this moment.
She felt and experienced his tenderness, her heart both soft and bittersweet.
All the feelings of attraction, admiration, and infatuation she had ever had for him seemed to be ignited by the heartache that welled up in her chest at this moment.
“Liang Qi…” she suddenly called his name, very softly.
Liang Qi put her feet, which were wrapped in a towel, on the ground and looked up at her.
The moment their eyes met, the instant he looked up at her, she saw the reflection of the light in his eyes.
The light was warm, and his eyes were gentle.
He was gentle. In her eyes, he was gentle.
At this moment, his tenderness seemed to belong only to her.
This gave her an excuse to indulge herself, and also the courage to do so.
She closed her eyes, leaned down, and pressed her lips to his.
She approached suddenly, and Liang Qi was so startled by her touch that he tilted his head back slightly to meet her lips.
She simply stayed close to him, making no other moves.
He only felt the touch of her lips, soft and warm, and her breath seemed to carry a faint scent of red wine.
His eyelids remained half-closed; in his field of vision, her eyes were closed, but her eyelashes were trembling, faster and faster. Before he could make any further move, she suddenly sat up straight.
Her eyes were downcast, and her cheeks were burning red at a visible speed.
Liang Qi pursed his lips, made no move, but kept his eyes fixed on her.
She panicked and dared not look at him anymore. When she realized that her hand was still on his arm, she hurriedly withdrew it.
The instant she pulled her hand away, Liang Qi grabbed her wrist and pressed it onto the sofa, while his other hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her forward, tilting his head slightly to press her back onto his lips.
Jiang Nuanyu's eyes widened in surprise. Before she could even grasp the meaning of the action, Liang Qi moved his jaw and slightly opened his mouth to take her lips into his mouth.
His lips were so hot. She was enveloped by his warmth, and it felt as if the blood in her body was being ignited by that temperature, rushing to every part of her body.
She involuntarily shrank her shoulders and squinted her eyes.
He gently pursed her lips, licking and sucking them. When his tongue parted her lips, she trembled instantly and instinctively opened her mouth to cooperate with him.
He seized the opportunity precisely and gently probed into her mouth.
She clutched her fingers, her heart pounding in her throat. He was kissing her, and she was almost numb, even forgetting how to breathe.
His lips and tongue seemed to possess a magical power, sweeping across her heart from afar, tickling and tingling her entire body, causing her to involuntarily let out a soft moan: "Mmm..."
The sound seemed to have startled both of them.
Liang Qi half-opened his eyes, and his movements stopped.
He slowly pulled away from her lips; she broke free from his kiss, breathing rapidly and shallowly.
Liang Qi's breathing seemed heavier than usual. He suppressed his breath, his gaze fixed on her eyes, then moving down to her lips.
A single, glistening drop of moisture remained on her rosy lower lip, sparkling under the light.
He glanced at it for a moment, then gently wiped it away with his thumb.
After a moment of passion, reason returned, and his eyes regained their previous calmness. He withdrew his hand from her neck and stood up.
Jiang Nuanyu suddenly grabbed his hand that was hanging by his side.
She looked up, her clear eyes staring straight at him: "Wait a little while before you leave... okay?"
Her eyes flashed, and the meaning behind her words was quite clear.
She loved his kisses.
If she could, she would like to kiss him one more time.
Liang Qi looked down at her, remaining motionless for a long while.
She looked up at him for a moment, thinking his silence might be a rejection, and the light in her eyes gradually faded.
Just as she lowered her head and was about to let go of him, Liang Qi suddenly lifted his foot and stepped to stand on either side of her knees.
She looked up in alarm again; his gaze lingered for a moment, then he leaned down. They were too close for him to look at her directly.
His gaze first fell on her lips, then he gently lifted his head to look into her eyes.
His eyes held a raw, undisguised honesty that was completely different from before, as if he were restraining something.
She met his gaze, her voice as soft as a feather: "...Is it okay?"
Liang Qi glanced at her again, then suddenly looked up, pulled his hand out of her grasp, moved his increasingly stiff left shoulder, and lifted her onto the sofa.
She rested her hands on the sofa, leaning back slightly, looking somewhat lost, but mostly expectant.
Liang Qi didn't give her much time to process it. He lifted her face, used his fingertips to gently part her lips, and lowered his head to kiss her again.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she quickly closed her eyes.
This time, he was much more direct. After a gentle sucking, his tongue forcefully entwined with hers. She felt waves of tingling pleasure throughout her body, every inch of her skin tensing with stimulation. With each deeper penetration, she trembled involuntarily.
She seemed to float on the surface of the water, and his kisses were the undercurrents propelling her. His kisses were sometimes deep and sometimes shallow, sometimes gentle and sometimes turbulent; her body became more and more buoyant and softer, melting inch by inch, merging with the water around her.
She was submerged in the water and gradually lost her breath.
Liang Qi stepped back slightly, his voice lower than usual: "Breathe."
"Mmm..." she responded to him subconsciously, opened her eyes, and before her gaze could focus, he kissed her again.
Her whole body ached and she felt dizzy and disoriented, yet she struggled to tilt her head back to meet his kiss. Her fingers, pressed against the sofa, curled up, barely able to support her sinking body, but for some reason, she didn't dare reach out and embrace him.
When she finally couldn't take it anymore and started to moan softly, he slowed down and released her.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips, full and luscious red, were slightly parted, emitting rapid breaths. Although Liang Qi tried to control himself, it took him some time to calm his breathing.
The surrounding temperature seemed to drop a little. She slowly raised her eyes, and in her hazy gaze, he was reflected.
"Are you leaving?" she asked.
Liang Qi did not answer.
She heard his silent reply, her eyes flickered, and a faint smile curved her lips: "You stayed for only a short while, but I was very happy..."
Liang Qi stared at her intently for a moment, then raised his hand, paused in mid-air, and brushed a strand of hair from her temple, saying, "Get some rest."
She nodded: "Okay..."
After a brief pause, Liang Qi straightened up by propping himself up on the back of the sofa and took a half-step back.
Jiang Nuanyu lowered her eyes and didn't look at him again.
After he left, she pursed her lips wistfully again.
The touch on her lips was delicate and moist, still bearing his traces. She licked them with the tip of her tongue; they were sweet.
So this is what a kiss can be like.
It turns out his kisses are sweet.
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Author's Note: President Liang left right after the kiss, and I was completely exhausted... (Actually, my hand was numb [crying emoji])
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