Chapter 27 His smell was dry...
How do you define "near"?
With Liang Qi's words swirling in Jiang Nuanyu's mind, she didn't know what she was thinking. Perhaps she hadn't even thought about it, but simply acted on her first instinct to get closer to him. She slowly walked over to him and sat down beside him.
The distance closed suddenly, and his tall, broad figure automatically magnified in her peripheral vision, forcefully occupying her senses. She even found it difficult to breathe.
Liang Qi's gaze slowly followed her as she walked. He turned his head to look at her for a moment, then his chin twitched slightly before he looked away. "So close."
"No," Jiang Nuanyu said subconsciously, then added softly, "It's not just that. But, being this close... is something I also want."
She dared not look at him; her heart felt as if it would leap out of her throat along with those words.
The temperature of the air around her seemed to have risen; she wondered if it was due to the heat radiating from her face.
Liang Qi glanced at her bright red ears, then looked down and saw that she had her hands tucked into her sleeves, wrapping them back and forth around the long sleeve.
He watched her movements for a few seconds and said, "This dress is indeed a bit too big for you."
Jiang Nuanyu was startled, and her hands immediately stopped moving. Those words reminded her.
She silently pulled the hem of her top, which reached between her thighs, towards her knees. "The sleeves are just a little long." She then tried to explain, "...the pants are also very long, so..."
Liang Qi pretended not to notice her little gesture and said, "I thought you were cold, that's why I brought you a long-sleeved shirt. Shall I give you a short-sleeved one?"
His seemingly caring words were so natural that Jiang Nuanyu's heart stirred, rippling with sweetness and affection.
She lowered her eyes and shook her head: "This one is fine."
Liang Qi didn't insist any further. He glanced at his watch and said, "Your clothes should be almost dry."
Jiang Nuanyu turned her head in a daze: "So fast?"
Liang Qi chuckled: "What?"
Jiang Nuanyu steadied her drifting thoughts, unable to utter a word. She suddenly felt a pang of reluctance to break this state.
She didn't respond to him, but Liang Qi naturally understood her thoughts.
Now that they were looking at each other at close range, perhaps the atmosphere had loosened his restraint, and his gaze unconsciously traced a light, gentle stroke across her face.
Her bare face was clean and pretty, with a faint blush on her fair cheeks and red lips; her clear black and white eyes looked at him, and although there was unease in them, the emotions in her eyes were open and she was completely unguarded towards him.
Jiang Nuanyu swallowed hard. Although it was brief, she still noticed the change in his expression for that brief moment. It made her flustered, yet strangely sexy.
She was dazed, wondering if she was imagining things, but she seemed to smell his unique scent.
That was the scent she remembered, the scent that lingered on her nose when he kissed her—dry, warm, and heating up every pore of her blood.
The two were about half a person's distance apart; they weren't particularly close, but they weren't far either.
Perhaps driven by this illusion, Jiang Nuanyu turned around and leaned closer little by little.
Liang Qi seemed caught off guard by her movement, and his gaze subtly shifted as she moved forward. He watched her, but didn't move.
She braced herself on the sofa, using the weight to elevate herself. She paused midway, raising her gaze repeatedly, but never daring to look him in the eye.
She stared at his still lips, then suddenly moved closer, until her lips touched his.
Her heart was pounding, and she felt her breath brush against his face and bounce back to the tip of his nose; it was warm.
When she didn't get a response from him, she stepped back a little, blinked her eyelashes, but Liang Qi still didn't move; she had no choice but to step back a little more and look up at him.
Liang Qi lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze lingering on her lips before shifting to her eyes, his expression deep and unfathomable.
Seeing that he didn't seem to be going to kiss her back like last time, Jiang Nuanyu loosened her grip, lowered her body back to its original height, and her buttocks returned to their original position.
"Here we go again?" Liang Qi said, his tone relaxed but slightly lower.
Jiang Nuanyu's eyebrows twitched—his words implied that she had done it on purpose, that it was all part of a routine.
That's a bit much...
She was already frustrated by her failed attempt to kiss him, but his words made her even more embarrassed, so she turned away and refused to look at him again.
Seeing that she cared, Liang Qi stopped teasing her about the topic and slowly leaned back against the sofa.
He stood slightly behind her, his face turned to the side, observing her back. She had her head down, the soft curve of her hair obscuring her profile and her expression.
Almost unconsciously, he raised his hand, tucked a strand of hair from one side of her face behind her shoulder.
His fingers were very careful, never touching her skin, yet the heat on her face surged and quickly spread to her neck.
Jiang Nuanyu froze, blinked blankly, but didn't turn her head.
Liang Qi stared at her for a long time: "Are you angry?"
Jiang Nuanyu was surprised again.
His words felt strangely intimate, and the slightly coaxing tone instantly dispelled her earlier annoyance and embarrassment. However, she still didn't move.
"Hmm?" he continued.
Jiang Nuanyu turned her face away, her lips slightly pursed, and shook her head at him.
Liang Qi's lips curled slightly, seemingly disbelieving: "Really?"
She thought for a moment, then shook her head.
Fake.
Liang Qi was amused by her frankness and laughed a few times, his chest heaving.
His smile softened, and after looking at her for a few more seconds, he asked, "Are you hungry?"
Jiang Nuanyu didn't understand why he would suddenly ask this, so she frowned and didn't answer.
Liang Qi said, "Didn't you eat enough for lunch?"
Jiang Nuanyu was surprised that he noticed her little awkwardness in the banquet hall. She was happy for a moment, but then felt a little embarrassed that her little trick had been seen through.
she:"……"
Liang Qi added, "I didn't eat enough at noon, and then I got caught in the rain."
Jiang Nuanyu was stunned, feeling that his words were not so simple.
Her fuzzy head struggled to turn, trying to decipher his meaning.
Because she hadn't eaten enough and had gotten wet in the rain, she seemed to need to eat something first, so...
The thought crossed her mind, and she turned around and knelt down beside the sofa, her eyes shining. She shook her head again very seriously and said, "I'm not hungry."
Liang Qi raised an eyebrow: "Really?"
This time, Jiang Nuanyu finally nodded: "Really."
Liang Qi looked at her and remained silent for a moment.
Perhaps because he was at home, he was leaning back on the sofa, looking quite relaxed and at ease.
The light shone into his long, almond-shaped eyes, making his pupils appear dark and bright; his gaze was calm, yet seemed to hold an indescribable meaning.
The air was quiet, but Jiang Nuanyu's blood was surging. She chose to listen to her heart, disregarding his silence and gaze as an invitation.
She took two steps forward on her knees, placed her hand on his shoulder, and mustered the courage to meet his gaze.
He had the sexiest bones she had ever seen, from the Adam's apple on his shirt collar to his jawline, nose, and cheekbones covered by thin skin.
She tightened her fingers around the fabric of his shirt at his shoulder and slowly leaned down.
Liang Qi watched her movements, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Just before her lips touched his again, he suddenly reached out, gently pinched her hot face, and pushed her a few inches away with his thumb and forefinger against her chin.
"Are you sure?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
She looked at him, and his gaze returned to her eyes. This time, Jiang Nuanyu read the warning in them.
This time it won't just be a kiss, she understood.
Her face was burning so hot that she could barely lift her eyes, but the feeling of crossing the boundary little by little made her feel ashamed yet addicted.
She longed to have her most secret parts revealed, willing to expose them to his gaze.
She closed her eyes, resolutely pressed herself against him again, and slightly opened her mouth to cover his lower lip.
Without much hesitation, Liang Qi immediately turned and took her in his mouth. He propped himself up, reached one hand behind her back, and with the other hand, he grabbed one of her legs, pulling her onto his body.
His trousers were made of stiff fabric, faintly warm to the touch, which seeped into her skin. The sensation was unfamiliar and strange, and she shuddered slightly.
A flicker of fear or instinctive tension swept through her. She was at a loss, yet had no intention of backing down, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Through the long sleeves of his clothes, she felt the equally burning heat on the back of his neck.
Liang Qi pulled her closer, pressing her against his body. His kiss was fierce and intense, lingering and pounding between her lips and tongue.
He helped her to her feet, and she buried her face in his neck, breathing rapidly. She was like a patient with a fever, her whole body burning hot, even her breath was scorching.
The surrounding scenery receded as he led her into another space that belonged to him.
The lights were dim, and the air was slightly cool; her back was comfortably pressed against the soft blankets, but her heart felt like a small boat adrift on a river.
A soft light shone from the opposite wall, illuminating his back and reflecting in her eyes.
She gazed at him dreamily; she loved looking at him.
He straightened up, looked down at her, and pulled out his tie and tossed it aside.
He leaned down, his body heat passing directly through her skin, as if smoothing out all the unease in her heart.
Her breathing trembled, her eyelashes and lips trembled, her heart and chest trembled, and she silently accepted what was about to happen.
But Liang Qi didn't kiss her again. He gently stroked her hair, his thumb caressing her hairline, his dark eyes fixed on her, without making any further move.
She knew that since she had initiated the invitation, he naturally wanted her to take the initiative.
She then hooked her arm around his shoulder and slowly moved closer to him.
Enveloped by the hot, mature scent emanating from his skin, she breathed heavily, tilted her head back in a daze, and instinctively kissed his chin.
At that moment, Liang Qi lowered his head, his lips lightly brushing against the tip of her nose before covering hers.
Their breaths mingled, his body strong and powerful, unexpectedly pressed against hers. She clung tightly to his arm, both surprised and frightened, yet deep within her heart, she embraced him.
She said it herself; she wanted to be closer to him.
She was so nervous that her whole body felt hot and flushed. Her mouth was open but she couldn't speak, only letting out a few suppressed sobs between her rapid breaths.
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment.
He opened a corner of her heart that had been sealed away for a long time, a corner that even she herself had never touched; with his hot and powerful breath, he awakened a sense she had never had before.
She felt uneasy and afraid, and instinctively wanted to resist, pushing against his shoulder.
Her palms were burning hot, but her fingertips were icy cold, pushing him away. A turbulent undercurrent welled in Liang Qi's eyes, but he obeyed her request and stopped. He pulled her wrist down, placing it against the pillow, wanting to comfort her, but for a moment he couldn't find the words.
He leaned down and kissed her slowly and gently. He kissed her forehead, which was damp with a light sweat, her trembling eyelids, her temples, which were wet with tears and sweat, her flushed cheeks, and her lips.
His gaze lingered gently between her eyes and the next spot of her kiss, as if by magic, drawing her in unconsciously. Her heart gradually calmed.
With his gaze, which sometimes rose and sometimes fell, she was completely drawn into his rhythm.
She didn't know when, but she stopped thinking, and the whole world seemed to consist only of him in front of her.
The heavy autumn rain hadn't stopped, and the French windows were shrouded in mist. The windows were very soundproof, but Jiang Nuanyu could almost hear the pattering of the raindrops, striking her eardrums and the depths of her heart.
The scenery before her eyes distorted uncontrollably, becoming indistinguishable. She closed her eyes.
She hadn't done anything, yet she was utterly exhausted. Before she was completely drained, she buried her face in the blankets.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
