Chapter 13: Sincerity on the rooftop
The appearance of Shen Qinglan was like a tiny thorn that pierced Su Lingwan's heart. It was not fatal, but it brought a hidden pain from time to time, reminding her that the relationship between her and Huo Linshen seemed close, but was actually separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.
After the dinner, Huo Linshen remained busy, while Su Lingwan also focused on preparing for Paris Fashion Week. They met only sparingly, their occasional calls and messages often focused on business matters. Huo Linshen's demeanor remained unchanged, calm, controlled, and impeccable. It was as if the uncontrolled kiss in Macau and the subtle ripples of emotion Shen Qinglan had never occurred.
But Su Lingwan knew that something was different. She began to care about the brief pauses when he answered the phone, began to pay attention to whether he mentioned that gentle name in his words, and began to wonder if he was thinking about some past they had shared when he occasionally lost his mind.
This concern made her feel irritated, and also made her realize more clearly that she seemed to have feelings for the man who was supposed to be just a "partner of the agreement" and shouldn't have.
That evening, Huo Linshen had an unavoidable social engagement, and Su Lingwan, citing the need to prepare design drafts, opted out. Alone in her studio, she faced her nearly completed "First Reveal" series, only to find herself, for the first time, feeling a sense of inspirational exhaustion. The lines on the paper were twisted and chaotic, a reflection of her current state of mind.
A drizzle started outside the window, hitting the glass and adding to the boredom.
She put down her pen, walked over to the liquor cabinet, and poured herself a small, half-full glass of whiskey. The amber liquid swirled in the glass, carrying a spicy aroma. She rarely drank strong liquor, but tonight, she needed something to numb her overactive nerves, or perhaps... to boost her courage.
The alcohol slid down her throat, bringing a burning warmth, but it also made her already chaotic thoughts even more uncontrollable. Shen Qinglan's gentle smile, Huo Lin's deep and indecipherable eyes, that scorching kiss in the corridor of Australia City... The images overlapped and finally froze on their well-matched figures standing side by side at the dinner party.
My chest feels stuffy and painful.
She picked up the phone, her finger hovering over Huo Linshen's name, hesitating for a long time, but ultimately did not dial. With what identity and position did she ask?
Agreement girlfriend?
How ridiculous.
She downed the rest of the drink in one gulp, the spicy sensation rushing to her head, causing a moment of dizziness. She grabbed her coat and half a bottle of wine, and staggered up to the rooftop in the elevator.
The studio's rooftop boasts a vast view, now shrouded in a hazy mist. The neon lights across Victoria Harbour dissolve into a hazy halo in the rainy night, while the city lights are reflected on the wet ground, creating a sense of lonely beauty.
The cold raindrops fell on her face, dispelling some of the alcohol, but making the bitterness and grievance in her heart emerge more clearly. She leaned against the cold railing, tilted her head back, and let the drizzle wet her hair and cheeks.
I don’t know how long it took, but I heard steady footsteps behind me, which were particularly clear in the quiet rainy night.
Su Lingwan didn't look back. He was the only one who could find this place at this time.
Huo Linshen walked over to her. He seemed to have just come from a social gathering, and he still had a faint smell of alcohol and cigars mixed with his own refreshing breath. He didn't hold an umbrella, and the shoulders of his expensive suit jacket were already soaked darkly by the rain.
"Why are you here? And drinking?" His voice sounded a little low in the sound of rain, with a hint of disapproval.
Su Lingwan tilted her head and looked at him. The rain wet her eyelashes, blurring her vision, but she could still clearly see his slightly furrowed brow. The alcohol had emboldened her, and she curled her lips into a self-deprecating smile. "It's stuffy in there, let's get some fresh air. Is Mr. Huo done with his socials? Didn't he send Miss Chen home?"
As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Even she could hear the bitterness in her tone clearly.
Huo Lin's deep eyes stared at her in the night, but he didn't answer immediately. The dim light on the rooftop outlined his cold, perfect profile. Raindrops slid down his neat short hair and dripped onto his taut jawline.
He took a step closer to her, his tall figure carrying an invisible sense of oppression, his eyes fixed on her eyes that were particularly moist and bright due to alcohol and rain, and her cheeks that were slightly flushed abnormally.
"You've had too much to drink." He stated, his tone devoid of emotion.
"I didn't!" Su Lingwan retorted subconsciously, her voice choked with a barely perceptible sob. She turned away, not wanting him to see her current state of embarrassment. "I just... I just can't figure it out..."
"What can't you figure out?" Huo Linshen's voice was close at hand.
Su Lingwan turned her head abruptly, the alcohol and pent-up emotions breaking through her rational dam at that moment. She tilted her head back, staring into his eyes, which had become even more profound and captivating in the rainy night. As if risking all her courage, she asked word by word:
"Huo Linshen, is there a clause about...feeling moved in the agreement?"
“…”
Time seems to stand still at this moment.
There is only the sound of the dripping rain, knocking on each other's hearts.
Huo Linshen's body seemed to stiffen slightly. He looked at her. The girl's eyes, washed by the alcohol and rain, were unusually clear and bright, reflecting his figure clearly in them, with desperate courage, uneasy anticipation, and a hint of grievance that was almost overflowing...
She asked.
This problem has troubled her for a long time, making her uneasy and worried.
Are you excited about the agreement?
This is tantamount to asking him, Huo Linshen, are you attracted to me?
Raindrops streamed down his angular face, dripping onto the collar of his crisp shirt. His eyes, like the mist-shrouded Victoria Harbour, were bottomless, swirling with complex and indistinguishable emotions. There was surprise, scrutiny, struggle, and even a hint of... a dim fire suddenly ignited by these words.
He remained silent and did not answer.
This silence was like a blunt knife, slicing at Su Lingwan's already tense nerves. Her courage quickly dissipated like a popped balloon, leaving only endless embarrassment and loss.
She really... brought shame upon herself.
She lowered her head and forced a smile that was uglier than crying: "Forget it, just pretend I didn't ask..."
Before she could finish her words, a slightly cold hand suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to raise her head with irresistible force.
Su Lingwan was caught off guard and met Huo Linshen's eyes, which were so close to her. All the hesitation and struggle in them seemed to disappear in an instant, leaving only an almost ferocious, scorching focus.
"No." He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, with the moisture of rain and an extremely suppressed emotion.
Su Lingwan's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
really……
But the next second, his thumb, which was clasped under her chin, gently stroked her lips, which were unusually soft and hot due to the alcohol, with an almost grinding force.
His eyes locked onto hers, as if he wanted to peer into the depths of her soul, and he declared, word by word, with unparalleled clarity:
"It's not in the agreement."
"But here," he held her hand and pressed it firmly and unquestionably on the left side of his chest where his heart was, "there is."
Through the wet shirt fabric, Su Lingwan could clearly feel the strong, even somewhat disordered heartbeat in his chest.
Bang—bang—bang—
Each sound, like the most shocking drumbeat, shattered all her rationality and disguise.
She stared at him blankly, her mind blank, with only the hot heartbeat under her palm that was out of control for her.
Huo Linshen no longer gave her any chance to think.
He lowered his head and captured her lips accurately.
Unlike the predatory and tentative kiss in Australia, this one was filled with a sense of confirmation, catharsis, and even a desperate madness. He sucked and bit her lips vigorously, his tongue forcefully prying open her teeth, entwining them tightly, carrying the aftertaste of whiskey and the coolness of rain, as well as his own intense and suffocating emotions.
Su Lingwan passively endured the kiss, her body trembling slightly from shock and the overly strong heartbeat. Her hand on his chest, originally trying to push it away, eventually slipped away powerlessly, and instead grasped his soaked shirt.
Alcohol, rain, his hot breath, the lingering touch between his lips and teeth, and the incredibly clear heartbeat under his palm...all of it converged into a huge torrent that completely drowned her.
She closed her eyes, gave up all thinking and resistance, and let herself sink into this kiss mixed with rain, alcohol and sincere confession.
Huo Linshen held her tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood. His kiss, from fierce at first, gradually became lingering and deep, with a kind of cherishment that was lost and regained, and an indescribable... piety.
The rain gradually stopped without me noticing.
The dark clouds over Victoria Harbour parted, revealing a cold crescent moon and a few sparse stars. Their light streamed down, illuminating the two people on the rooftop, hugging and kissing passionately.
After a long time, Huo Linshen slowly let her go.
His forehead rested against hers, his breathing still hot and rapid, his deep eyes shone surprisingly brightly in the moonlight, clearly reflecting her confused and bewildered look with swollen lips.
He looked at her, his voice low and hoarse, with the laziness of afterward and an unquestionable possession:
"Now, do you understand?"
Su Lingwan panted slightly, her cheeks flushed, her heart still beating uncontrollably fast. She looked into his eyes, which were so close to her. The emotion in them was no longer cold or unpredictable, but clearly written with desire, confirmation, and... a deep emotion that even he himself did not fully understand.
She nodded slightly.
Understood.
The agreement is fake.
But the heartbeat on the rooftop on that rainy night was real.
He held her hand, feeling the uncontrolled heartbeat for her, which was also real.
Huo Linshen watched her nod obediently, a faint tenderness flashing across his eyes, one he himself hadn't even noticed. He raised his hand and gently wiped away the ambiguous water on her lips with his fingertips, his movements carrying an unprecedented intimacy.
"From now on, don't drink so much by yourself." He ordered, but his tone was a little indulgent.
Su Lingwan looked at him and suddenly felt that Huo Linshen, who had shed his cold outer shell and revealed his true emotions and possessiveness, made her more... moved than the aloof CEO of Huo Group.
She buried her face in his still wet chest, listened to his steady and strong heartbeat, and said "hmm" softly.
On the rooftop, the air after the rain was fresh and cool.
The fog that lay between the two people hugging each other seemed to be quietly dispelled by this kiss that was filled with sincerity and the scent of rain.
But the road ahead is still long.
Falling in love is just the beginning.
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