bath
The body in his arms grew softer and softer. Cui Yu looked down and found that Meng Yihe was leaning against him, asleep without any defenses under the combined effects of Enigma pheromones and alcohol. Her long eyelashes drooped, and her cheeks were flushed. She looked quiet and obedient, completely different from the cold-faced director she usually was.
Cui Yu carefully adjusted his position and picked the person up horizontally.
Meng Yihe is not short, but she doesn't feel heavy when held in my arms.
He seemed to vaguely sense the movement, unconsciously furrowing his brow and uttering a muffled murmur. He tilted his head, burying it deeper into Cui Yu's neck, finding a more comfortable position, and fell into a deep sleep again.
Cui Yu's smile deepened.
He held Meng Yihe steadily, avoiding the corridor where there might still be a few guests, took the private elevator directly back to his suite, and walked into the spacious bedroom. He gently placed Meng Yihe on the soft bed.
Seeing the other person reeking of alcohol and carrying a faint smell of smoke from the banquet hall, Cui Yu frowned.
Sleeping like that must be uncomfortable.
Cui Yu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to help him clean up.
He went into the bathroom and filled a tub with hot water at a comfortable temperature; the steam gradually rose.
Then he returned to the bedside, took a deep breath, and began to help Meng Yihe take off her clothes. As he unbuttoned her shirt, his fingertips inevitably touched her warm skin, and Cui Yu's breathing became slightly rapid. He tried hard to control the pounding in his heart and focused on the task of taking care of her.
Her clothes were removed one by one, revealing smooth and beautiful lines, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and her skin with a faint pink hue due to the alcohol.
Cui Yu's eyes darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He forced himself to look away, but the fleeting glimpse he had just seen wouldn't leave his mind.
His Director Meng was indeed full of surprises.
When the last piece of clothing was removed, the slightly cool air seemed to bring Meng Yihe to her senses for a moment.
He groggily opened his eyes, his gaze heavy with sleepiness and confusion, staring blankly at the blurry figure before him. He seemed not to understand what was happening, only instinctively curling his body up slightly.
"cold……"
He mumbled something indistinctly, his voice sleepy and unusually soft and alluring.
Cui Yu quickly wrapped him in a soft bath towel and whispered reassuringly, "You won't be cold anymore soon."
He bent down, picked the person up again, walked into the bathroom, and carefully placed him in the warm bathtub.
The warm water enveloped her body, and the comfort made Meng Yihe let out a satisfied sigh. Her eyes slowly closed again, and she drifted back into sleep, letting Cui Yu do as she pleased.
Cui Yu took the shower sponge, squeezed on some shower gel, and began to wash him, avoiding all sensitive areas and focusing on washing away the smell of alcohol and fatigue. Occasionally, her fingertips would glide over his smooth skin and firm muscles, bringing a fleeting moment of desire, which she forcefully suppressed.
Throughout the entire process, Meng Yihe was unusually obedient, only unconsciously turning her head to dodge when the water touched her cheeks, or making a slightly dissatisfied nasal sound.
After quickly washing Meng Yihe, Cui Yu used a large, soft bath towel to lift her out of the water and carefully dried her body.
Throughout the ordeal, Meng Yihe remained in a dazed, half-awake state, occasionally raising her hand and turning around to cooperate, but her eyes were never fully open.
After helping him put on the clean pajamas she had prepared, Cui Yu carried him back to bed and tucked him into the soft blankets.
Upon touching the comfortable bed, Meng Yihe spontaneously rolled to the center of the bed, found a comfortable position, hugged a corner of the quilt, and fell into a deep sleep.
Under the warm yellow light, his sleeping face was peaceful.
Cui Yu stood by the bed and looked at him for a long time before finally letting out a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had completed an extremely difficult yet sweet task.
He then turned around and went into the bathroom, quickly taking a cold shower.
After washing up, he changed into his pajamas, walked to the other side of the bed, lifted the covers, and lay down. The mattress sank slightly under his weight.
Cui Yu turned to the side and looked at Meng Yihe, who was already fast asleep beside him.
The other person exuded the same fresh scent of shower gel as him, mixed with a faint cherry brandy aroma that belonged to Meng Yihe himself.
Cui Yu reached out and pulled Meng Yihe close, letting her back press against his chest.
In her sleep, Meng Yihe seemed to sense the warmth and familiar scent, and unconsciously snuggled back, embedding herself deeper into his embrace.
Cui Yu's heart was instantly filled with joy. He lowered his head and placed a kiss on the nape of Meng Yihe's neck.
"Goodnight, Yihe," Cui Yu whispered, and closed her eyes as well.
In the early morning, Meng Yihe gradually regained consciousness amidst an unprecedented sense of warmth and security.
The hangover headache wasn't severe; it was more like a dull, throbbing sensation, which was relieved by the warm, comforting feeling all over him. He felt himself being tightly enveloped from behind by a solid, warm force.
His back was pressed against a broad, warm chest, and he could even vaguely feel the other person's steady and powerful heartbeat. A heavy arm was naturally placed across his waist.
This sleeping position, where he is tightly embraced, is extremely unfamiliar to him yet exceptionally comfortable.
He unconsciously snuggled closer to that warm embrace, almost drifting off to sleep again.
However, a few seconds later, a certain area of the brain suddenly woke up.
The unfamiliar room layout, the overly soft bed beneath me, the distinct warmth of another person behind me... and the fragmented memories of last night that suddenly flooded my mind like a tidal wave.
All the images, sounds, and sensations, especially the shock brought by the cedar pheromones and the ecstasy of finally confirming his feelings, were frantically assaulting his newly awakened nerves.
Meng Yihe's body froze instantly, as if all the blood rushed to her head and then vanished in an instant, while her ears burned uncontrollably.
What...what did he do last night? What did he say?!
And... he's actually sleeping in the same bed with Cui Yu now?! And being held so intimately by him?!
Meng Yihe almost wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, or to turn back time to before the banquet started last night.
My first instinct was: I must get out of here immediately!
He carefully tried to move the arm across his waist, inching his body away little by little, trying to escape that alluring yet incredibly dangerous embrace, every movement as light as could be.
Meng Yihe held her breath, afraid of waking the person behind her.
Just as he was almost successful, with half his body already off the covers, the arm around his waist suddenly tightened. The force wasn't rough; it easily pulled him back into the warm bed.
My back pressed tightly against that firm chest again, even tighter than before.
"Hmm..." A sleepy nasal sound came from above, and warm breath sprayed onto Meng Yihe's hair.
Cui Yu didn't seem to be fully awake; she was just subconsciously resisting the escape of the "pillow" in her arms.
Meng Yihe: "!!!"
He froze completely in Cui Yu's arms, not daring to move, as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his cheeks.
The escape plan... has completely failed.
What should we do now? Should we continue pretending to be asleep, or wake him up?
Meng Yihe closed her eyes, feeling the steady heartbeat behind her and the reassuring scent of cedar trees surrounding her. The happiness of confirming her feelings last night belatedly surged back into her heart, slowly dispelling her panic.
Maybe...maybe I can lie down a little longer?
Just a little while...
Meng Yihe thought to herself in despair, but her body honestly relaxed, and she even leaned back involuntarily, snuggling deeper into that warm and intoxicating embrace.
Cui Yu seemed to have finally transitioned from deep sleep to light sleep.
Then, Meng Yihe felt a warm and soft touch gently fall on the top of her head—a sleepy kiss.
This kiss instantly shattered Meng Yihe's last psychological defenses.
His body trembled violently, and he could no longer maintain his pretense. This tremor finally woke Cui Yu up completely, and Cui Yu's movements stopped, his arms seemingly stiffening for a moment.
After a few seconds of silence.
Cui Yu's languid, magnetic voice, still slightly sleepy, rang out above Meng Yihe's head, a clear smile playing on his lips: "Awake?"
"..."
Meng Yihe buried her face in the blanket, refusing to respond, her ears turning so red they looked like they were about to bleed.
Cui Yu chuckled softly, the vibrations of his chest clearly reaching Meng Yihe's back. Instead of letting go, he took advantage of the situation and pulled her closer, his chin affectionately rubbing against her soft hair.
"Now you know how to be shy?" Cui Yu's voice was full of doting affection.
"Where did Director Meng go last night, who announced in front of everyone that he has a girlfriend and then dragged me into a dark room to confess his feelings?"
"Stop talking..." Meng Yihe squeezed out a few muffled syllables through clenched teeth, his voice muffled under the covers. The images described by Cui Yu made him feel even more ashamed than if he had experienced them firsthand the night before.
Why won't you say?
Cui Yu, however, had no intention of letting him off easily. He suppressed his laughter and deliberately teased him in a serious tone.
"I think Director Meng was particularly brave, particularly honest, and particularly..."
Cui Yu paused for a moment, then found a word.
"cute."
The word "cute" completely overwhelmed Meng Yihe. He suddenly threw off the covers, trying to break free from the suffocating embrace and the embarrassing conversation, even if it was all in vain.
"Cui Yu!"
Meng Yihe turned his head and finally met Cui Yu's smiling eyes. His handsome face, radiating the languor of someone who had just woken up and undisguised joy, was staring at him intently.
Meng Yihe's cheeks flushed bright red, both ashamed and annoyed, but because she had just woken up and was still hungover, her eyes were wet and lacked any intimidation.
"Shut up!"
Cui Yu readily complied by zipping up her mouth, but her eyes remained curved, brimming with tenderness that seemed about to overflow.
Silence descended once more.
But this time, the silence was no longer filled with awkwardness and tension; instead, it was permeated with an ambiguous and intimate atmosphere.
The two gazed at each other in the soft morning light, so close they could count each other's eyelashes. Meng Yihe's heart was still pounding, but he was overwhelmed by a feeling of happiness. He slowly stopped struggling and just breathed heavily as he looked at Cui Yu.
Cui Yu also dropped his joking expression, his gaze becoming deep and focused.
He reached out and gently brushed Meng Yihe's burning cheeks with the back of his fingers.
"Good morning, Yihe," Cui Yu said softly, her tone gentle and formal.
This simple greeting contains a thousand words.
Meng Yihe lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling, and nodded very slightly, responding in an almost inaudible voice: "...Good morning."
The sunlight climbed a little higher, making the outlines of the room even clearer.
Cui Yu's fingers were still on Meng Yihe's cheek, the warm and delicate touch from his fingertips making him linger, while Meng Yihe lowered his eyes, feeling the gentle caress, his heart still beating erratically.
In the end, Cui Yu made the first move.
He reluctantly withdrew his hand, propped himself up, looked down at Meng Yihe who was still lying in bed, and said gently, "Does your head still hurt? Do you want to lie down for a while longer? I'll go get you something to eat."
Meng Yihe shook his head and sat up as well: "It's alright... no need." His voice was still a little hoarse, and he subconsciously tightened the collar of his oversized pajamas.
He realized this too late.
These clothes belong to Cui Yu.
This realization made his face, which had just cooled down a little, burn again.
How did he change into this outfit last night?
Cui Yu clearly noticed his unease, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes, but considerately refrained from pointing it out: "There are new toiletries in the bathroom. I'll go order breakfast. What would you like to eat?"
“…Either is fine.” Meng Yihe replied softly. Looking at Cui Yu’s tall and straight back, that feeling of unreality welled up in his heart again.
Everything changed so quickly, like a beautiful but unreal dream.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and got out of bed, his steps still a little unsteady as he walked into the bathroom. The mirror reflected a face still flushed from the hangover, but tinged with other emotions. He was wearing pajamas that were clearly a size too big, the neckline loose, revealing his defined collarbone and a small patch of chest.
Where was the slightest trace of Director Meng's usual cold and serious demeanor?
Meng Yihe quickly washed her face with cold water, finished washing up, and changed her clothes.
Cui Yu was sitting at the dining table looking at the news on her tablet when she heard the noise. She looked up and smiled at him.
"Perfect timing, breakfast is here. Have something light, I have a video conference with the design team at 10 a.m." His tone had regained its usual work-like calmness, but the gentleness in his eyes remained.
This rapid switching between public and private matters allowed Meng Yihe to subconsciously get into the zone as well.
"Mm." He nodded and sat down opposite Cui Yu.
Breakfast was a light Chinese congee, perfect for a hangover.
The two ate breakfast quietly, occasionally exchanging a word about the content of the meeting that was about to begin. After finishing breakfast, Cui Yu naturally pushed the dishes aside and turned the tablet to Meng Yihe: "These are the preliminary concept drawings that the design team sent over at dawn. Take a look and get a general idea."
Meng Yihe took the tablet and immediately became engrossed in browsing it, occasionally zooming in on a detail with his finger.
At work, he quickly regained his composure, but the fleeting panic that occasionally crossed his eyes when he met Cui Yu's betrayed his unusual inner thoughts.
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