Which fairy godmother is throwing herself into my arms?
Despite the overwhelming shame, the body's sensations could not deceive itself.
The discomfort of the vulnerable period subsided significantly, leaving an unprecedented sense of peace and tranquility. The lingering weakness in my limbs was more like a languid feeling after extreme relaxation. The temporary marking directly from Enigma was far more rapid and thorough than that of cold, hard inhibitors.
Cui Yu sensed the person hiding in his arms and heard a muffled protest, and couldn't help but let out a low, pleasant laugh.
He stopped teasing Meng Yihe, simply tightening his arms around him and gently patting his back with his other hand.
"Okay, I won't say anymore," Cui Yu replied, her smile undiminished.
The two remained in this close embrace, quietly staying in the quiet and warm room.
This feeling of being completely enveloped was unfamiliar yet reassuring, gradually soothing the anxiety brought on by her sensitive period. After a while, the heat on Meng Yihe's face subsided slightly, but she still didn't dare to lift her head.
Meng Yihe shifted slightly, her voice still muffled on Cui Yu's shoulder, but clearer than before.
"...Put me down."
Cui Yu let out a soft chuckle, and instead of loosening her grip on his waist, she tightened her arms even more, deliberately saying, "You just used me and you're already throwing me away? Director Meng, isn't your speed in burning bridges a bit too fast?"
"..."
Meng Yihe was speechless, so she could only bury her burning face deeper into his neck, her fingers gripping the sweater on Cui Yu's back.
Sensing his slightly embarrassed and annoyed gestures, Cui Yu knew when to stop, afraid of really provoking him.
He loosened his grip slightly, but not completely. Instead, he used the embracing position to pull Meng Yihe backward.
The two lay down together on the soft, large bed.
The sudden change made Meng Yihe gasp and instinctively raise her head.
As she looked up, she met Cui Yu's smiling eyes. Meng Yihe's breath caught in her throat, and she immediately tried to turn her face away, but Cui Yu gently cupped her cheeks in his hand.
"Don't hide."
Cui Yu's thumb lightly brushed against Meng Yihe's skin, his tone softening and becoming serious.
"Are you still feeling unwell? Is there anything that's bothering you?"
Meng Yihe pursed her lips and shook her head honestly. Apart from the slight lingering tingling in the glands at the back of her neck and a languid weakness after being completely soothed, she felt no other discomfort.
"……fine."
Meng Yihe answered in a low voice, her gaze darting around, not daring to look Cui Yu in the eye for long.
"That's good." Cui Yu breathed a sigh of relief and gently rubbed behind his ear with her fingertips. "Take a nap? It's better to rest after marking him."
Meng Yihe hesitated for a moment, but ultimately could not resist the needs of her body and nodded gently.
Cui Yu smiled, pulled the blanket over him, and made no move to leave. He remained lying on his side, watching Meng Yihe, patting Meng Yihe's back lightly with one hand, as if trying to lull him to sleep.
Meng Yihe was initially a little uncomfortable.
But under the steady and reassuring scent of cedar and the gentle patting, the tense nerves gradually relaxed, the heavy eyelids slowly closed, and the breathing became even and long.
Before Meng Yihe fell into a deep sleep, he seemed to feel a gentle kiss fall on his brow.
After confirming that Meng Yihe had fallen into a deep sleep, Cui Yu quietly got up, stood by the bed, and gazed at Meng Yihe for a moment. The way she curled up in the quilt looked incredibly docile.
Cui Yu turned and walked into the bathroom.
Using the dim light coming in from the doorway, he wet a towel with warm water and wiped his face.
Cui Yu looked in the mirror and felt a faint trace of touch on the side of his neck where Meng Yihe had brushed and kissed him. He straightened his collar, which had been slightly disheveled by Meng Yihe.
Stepping out of the bathroom, he looked around the room, then walked to the door and turned off the main light.
The room instantly fell into darkness, with only a soft nightlight on the bedside table, enough to not disturb sleep.
Cui Yu stood between the two beds. Her gaze fell on her own clean and empty bed, then on the sleeping profile of Meng Yihe.
He hesitated.
Reason told him he should go back to his own bed and rest, giving the other person enough space. Alphas are in a special emotional and physical state during their vulnerable period and after being marked; they need comfort, but also respect.
However, another, more powerful instinct and desire was pulling him in different directions.
After being marked, Enigma's protective instincts and feelings of closeness towards her partner were at their peak. Cui Yu could clearly sense the calming cherry brandy scent in the air, a scent that had become soothing from mingling with her own pheromones.
This silent call beckons him to come closer, to confirm, to protect.
We just lay together, doing nothing, simply to help him sleep better.
Once the thought arises, it becomes irresistible.
Cui Yu finally let out a barely audible sigh, following his heart. He walked to Meng Yihe's bedside, carefully lifting a corner of the blanket. Trying not to disturb her, he slowly lay down, facing Meng Yihe.
There was a short distance between the two.
However, Cui Yu's cold and powerful cedar pheromones had already spread uncontrollably, like a silent barrier, gently enveloping Meng Yihe.
In his sleep, Meng Yihe seemed to sense the approach of the reassuring source of warmth. He unconsciously stirred, his slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxing, and his body curled up slightly towards the source of the heat.
Cui Yu gazed quietly at the sleeping face so close to hers.
In the dim light, he carefully traced the familiar outline of the other person with his gaze. Cui Yu made no further move, simply watching, ensuring that his pheromones could continue to provide reassurance.
After a long while, he slowly closed his eyes, immersed in the pheromone atmosphere of their intertwined bodies, and fell into a deep sleep.
The winter morning light in Hancheng shone through the gaps in the curtains.
Meng Yihe was the first to slowly wake up from her deep sleep.
The moment consciousness returned, the first feeling was peace. The agonizing feeling of the sensitive period had completely subsided, and my body felt as if it had been thoroughly cleansed.
Immediately afterward, Meng Yihe sensed something was different. He wasn't alone; the crisp, calming scent of cedar still enveloped him, its source very close. He slowly opened his eyes, and after his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Cui Yu's serene sleeping face came into clear view.
They lay face to face.
I was so close I could count his drooping eyelashes and feel the slight breaths of his steady breathing.
Meng Yihe stared at him quietly for a few seconds.
Yesterday's hazy yet intense memories flooded back, and shame returned, but without the usual panic and urge to flee. Perhaps it was because the deep comfort from the mark was still in effect, or perhaps it was because the person before me, asleep and completely unguarded, was too endearing.
Meng Yihe almost held her breath and moved forward a little.
Then, he carefully raised his arm and very gently wrapped it around Cui Yu's waist, pressing his forehead lightly against the other's collarbone, forming an embrace that was almost too tight to be real.
After making this gesture, he immediately closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, as if he had done something extremely daring and was afraid of disturbing the other person.
He just wanted to get closer to the source of that reassuring aura.
It will only take a moment.
Meng Yihe maintained the extremely light embrace, the comforting scent of cedar lingering around her nose.
However, just a few seconds later...
Meng Yihe keenly sensed that the body embracing her seemed to tense up for a moment, and the breathing rhythm above her head was no longer the long, deep sleep it had been at the beginning.
He suddenly realized that Cui Yu had woken up.
Meng Yihe almost immediately let go of his hand, her body instinctively wanting to retreat and escape this sudden and awkward situation.
But before he could fully pull away, a warm and strong arm landed on his back even faster, pulling him back into that brief embrace, even closer than before.
A low, hoarse laugh came from above.
"Good morning..." Cui Yu's voice was languid and sexy, "Which fairy maiden is throwing herself into my arms? Hmm?"
His tone was still hazy from just waking up, but there was no surprise in his voice, as if he had already noticed Meng Yihe's little actions.
Meng Yihe buried her face in Cui Yu's shoulder, not daring to look up, and struggled in a muffled voice.
"open."
"I won't let go." Cui Yu answered crisply and decisively, tightening his grip on his arm and even raising his other hand to smooth the hair at the back of his head, the gesture natural and intimate.
"Use me and then run? Director Meng, that's not a good habit of yours."
Cui Yu paused, then lowered his head. His lips were almost touching Meng Yihe's burning earlobe, and his voice was even lower, full of laughter.
"And... when you secretly hugged me just now, why didn't you tell me to let go?"
Meng Yihe was rendered speechless by his words, her body stiff as he held her in his arms.
Cui Yu chuckled softly, deciding to stop while he was ahead and not pressuring Meng Yihe any further. He loosened his embrace slightly, but his large hand remained on Meng Yihe's back, patting it gently and intermittently.
"Okay, I'm just teasing you. How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Meng Yihe pursed her lips, refusing to answer the first question, but she shook her head very slightly when asked about her physical condition, indicating that the marking was very effective.
"That's good."
Cui Yu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her hand sliding down his hair to the back of his neck, her fingertips gently touching the temporary mark. Meng Yihe's body trembled violently, and a very soft sob escaped his throat.
That place is more sensitive than other places.
Cui Yu immediately withdrew his hand, his tone apologetic: "Did I hurt you?"
"...No." Meng Yihe's voice was still muffled, but it had softened considerably compared to before.
Cui Yu chuckled softly, not continuing the topic, but also showing no intention of letting go of the embrace for the time being.
The two embraced quietly for a moment in the soft morning light, enjoying the satisfaction brought by the natural fusion of their pheromones after being marked.
In the end, Cui Yu made the first move.
He reluctantly let go of her arm, propped himself up, and looked down at Meng Yihe, who still had half her face buried in the blanket, his eyes full of smiles: "Alright, Director Meng, if you stay any longer, you'll be late for today's meeting with the project team."
Work is always an effective tool to bring Meng Yihe's attention back.
Meng Yihe threw back the covers and sat up, deliberately avoiding Cui Yu's gaze. Her voice regained its usual coldness: "What time is it?"
"It's still early, there's plenty of time." Cui Yu also got out of bed, stretched her shoulders, walked to the window and pulled back the curtains a little. "Why don't you wash up first? I'll have breakfast brought up."
"Okay." Meng Yihe responded, picked up her toiletries bag, quickly walked into the bathroom, and closed the door.
The cold water splashed on my face slightly reduced the heat in my cheeks.
He looked at himself in the mirror, his fingertips lightly touching the glands on the back of his neck. A complex and indescribable emotion welled up in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it. Now was not the time to dwell on this.
A simple breakfast was laid out on the small round table in the room.
Cui Yu was already dressed and sitting at the table, looking at emails on her phone, with a steaming cup of coffee beside her.
Hearing the noise, Cui Yu looked up, his gaze sweeping over Meng Yihe's clothes and his once again cold and stern face. He smiled slightly, said nothing, and simply pushed a glass of milk in front of Meng Yihe's usual seat: "Eat it while it's hot."
After finishing breakfast, Cui Yu picked up his coat: "I'll have the car come downstairs in ten minutes. Have all the documents been brought?"
"Hmm." Meng Yihe checked the briefcase and nodded.
"Let's go." Cui Yu opened the door and naturally stepped aside to let Meng Yihe go first.
As Meng Yihe passed by him, he quickly lowered his head and lightly pecked her still pale pink earlobe, chuckling softly, "Mark effective, you look much better today."
After saying that, before Meng Yihe could react, Cui Yu took the lead and walked towards the elevator.
Meng Yihe stood frozen in place, the fleeting warmth on his earlobe lingering in his mind. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm as he followed.
The vehicle arrived at the command center of the Hancheng Logistics Hub project on time.
Mr. Li, the person in charge, was also waiting in advance and warmly led them to the conference room. Today's meeting entered the substantive technical docking phase. The core team members brought by Xinghuan Technology also joined the meeting via video.
Inside the conference room, complex data streams and architecture diagrams flickered on the projection screen.
"Mr. Li, the requirement for a real-time data backup node proposed by Director Meng is to ensure that in the event of extreme circumstances, your business will not be interrupted and our system will not be blamed. It's a win-win situation," Cui Yu said to Mr. Li with a smile.
"Of course, we understand the pressure of upgrading all the existing hardware at once. How about this: we'll first implement it fully in the newly expanded Area C as a model. At the same time, we'll send a technical team to assist you in developing a phased renovation plan and budget for Areas A and B within three months, which will be included in the second phase of the cooperation plan?"
Mr. Li exchanged a few words with the technical lead beside him in hushed tones, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, nodding with a smile: "Mr. Cui is indeed very thoughtful. Let's go with your approach! The buffer period will make things easier for us."
During a break in the meeting.
Cui Yu casually handed a bottle of water with the cap unscrewed to Meng Yihe, who was looking down at the data on her tablet. Meng Yihe didn't even look up, took a sip, and continued discussing a parameter issue with the engineer next to her.
Mr. Li saw all of this.
He couldn't help but smile and whisper to Cui Yu, "President Cui, President Meng, the two of you work together perfectly! One grasps the technological lifeline, and the other controls the business rhythm—a truly harmonious combination!"
Cui Yu smiled back and gave Meng Yihe's focused profile a meaningful look.
"Mr. Li, you flatter me. We just have different roles, but the same goal."
In the second half of the meeting, both parties engaged in in-depth discussions regarding the implementation timeline and acceptance criteria for several core modules. Ultimately, they finalized the core content and timelines for the first phase of cooperation.
The meeting ended at noon.
General Manager Li extended a strong invitation to them to lunch. Cui Yu declined, explaining that her team needed to further digest the meeting content in preparation for the video presentation to Linzhou headquarters that afternoon.
On the way back to the hotel, Cui Yu asked Meng Yihe, "How was it? How was the execution of their technical team?"
Meng Yihe objectively commented: "The foundation is more solid than expected, and the learning ability and cooperation are acceptable, but cleaning up the redundant data of the old system is a big project that requires a lot of manpower."
"Okay, I've noted that down. The project team will follow up on it closely." Cui Yu nodded, took out his phone, and started typing rapidly to send Zhao Lei further instructions.
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