Chapter 301: Don’t Look
Tender kisses peppered her brow and eyes, then her cheeks, and finally settled on her lips in a soft caress.
The rain outside seemed to have lightened, its streams slowly tracing paths down the glass. The sound was a blur, almost inaudible, yet it felt as if the rain were falling right on them, drenching and melting their very hearts.
In the narrow, dimly lit space, intimacy blossomed.
Jiang Qingli couldn’t remember how they had gone from talking to kissing, nor how long it had lasted. By the time she came to her senses, he was holding her on his lap. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and a thin film of moisture veiled her eyes.
Her neck was a little sore from holding her head up, so Jiang Qingli gave Xie Youchen a gentle push to put some distance between them.
She didn’t dare to look at Xie Youchen. Her fingers clutched the lapel of his suit as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.
No sooner had her head dipped than he was cupping her chin and lifting it back up.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and his voice was hoarse as he asked, "What’s wrong?"
Her face began to burn under his intense gaze. Jiang Qingli pressed her lips together. "It’s just, I’m a little tired." Then a thought struck her, and she coughed, her voice sinking lower. "But I’m not *that* tired..."
’According to the script, something was supposed to happen next.’
’In her memory, Xie Youchen was so conservative he seemed almost stuffy.’
’She’d never seen him get close to any female, ever. He was incredibly self-restrained, always wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers, even in the summer.’
’Then again, it wasn’t like he seemed interested in *that* sort of thing, either.’
’She remembered back in health class, a lot of the males would get all red-faced and flustered, but he would just sit there, expressionless, taking notes.’
’If he were in a relationship... would he even want to?’
’Oh, wait. Are we even dating?’
Jiang Qingli’s thoughts leaped from one thing to the next, and she blurted out, "Are we dating now, or... what is this?"
Xie Youchen remained silent, his brow furrowing slightly.
Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened. Just as she was about to question him, she heard him sigh softly. "Whatever you want me to be to you, that’s what I am."
’The way he said that, it sounded like she just wanted to fool around without any commitment, and he was perfectly fine being her plaything.’
A smile touched Jiang Qingli’s lips. She said teasingly, "You know, I agree. Our current relationship is a bit complicated. Why don’t we just be secret lovers? How does that sound?"
Xie Youchen saw the playful glint in her eyes and played along. "And how do you propose we do that, Ah Li?"
A provocative retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she was a little intimidated by him and swallowed it back down with an audible GULP.
Finding her reaction adorable, Xie Youchen stroked the crown of her head. "It’s all right. Go on."
Jiang Qingli checked, "You promise? Don’t get mad."
"Mm." He could tell she was flirting with him, and his curiosity was piqued. He played along. "How?"
"You know, the kind where..." Jiang Qingli leaned in close to his ear, blew a soft breath against it, and whispered something absolutely wicked and utterly scandalous.
"..."
He froze completely, apparently having never imagined she could say such a thing.
He was silent for so long that the culprit’s face began to burn. She poked his side awkwardly and urged in a small voice, "Hey, say something."
Xie Youchen remained motionless.
Jiang Qingli poked him again.
Xie Youchen gripped her shoulders and pushed her back slightly, as if he couldn’t bear it.
At this, Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened. "Are you really mad? Don’t be! I was just kidding..."
"I’m not." The young man averted his face, enunciating each word slowly. "I’m. Not. Mad."
The next second, Jiang Qingli realized something was very off.
Through the blanket, his body heat was scorching.
More importantly—
Jiang Qingli glanced down and saw the reason why.
In almost the same instant, Xie Youchen clapped a hand over her eyes.
The ever-composed and aloof Marshal Xie now sounded utterly flustered. "...Don’t look."
’No wonder he didn’t want me to look down earlier. He was afraid I’d see...’
’And he still tried to act calm.’
’So funny and cute.’
Jiang Qingli tried to stifle her laughter, holding it in for several seconds before managing in a calm voice, "You know, it’s actually very normal. You don’t have to—" She couldn’t hold it in any longer. "BWAHAHAHA..."
She completely lost it, collapsing into his arms with laughter.
Her fingers brushed against his ear; it was burning hot.
Xie Youchen held her, waiting until her laughter subsided. Then he guided her arms around his neck, swept her up into his arms, and started walking out.
Startled at being lifted so suddenly, Jiang Qingli quickly tightened her grip around his neck.
Xie Youchen didn’t have a bulky physique—in fact, his build was quite elegant—but he radiated strength, and he held her with effortless ease.
As they reached the bedroom, Jiang Qingli’s heart began to pound.
’She had thought about it, but... but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.’
’There should still be contraceptives in the bedroom... I remember Baili Jing brought a bunch last time and put them in the nightstand drawer. They can’t have been used up yet.’
’How are we going to start? Should we leave the lights on... that feels a little weird. Maybe lights off is better... But what if he can’t see?’
A million thoughts raced through Jiang Qingli’s mind, and she started to feel genuinely nervous.
After carrying her into the bedroom, Xie Youchen helped her take off her shoes and socks, then handed her a towel and told her to go shower first.
’Well, well,’ Jiang Qingli thought, impressed. ’He certainly knows the proper order of things!’
’Looks like he’s done his homework.’
’After her shower, Jiang Qingli picked up the pajamas he’d laid out and frowned in disdain. ’Why did he pick out the ones with the teddy bear pattern again? And a matching set, too! This is something a teenager would wear!’
’Isn’t that sexy nightdress from Ye Linyuan in the closet? He has no taste at all.’
Grumbling to herself, Jiang Qingli got dressed, then pushed open the door and held her arms out to the young man on the sofa. "Carry me."
Xie Youchen walked over, lifted her up, and gently placed her on the bed.
And then... he tucked her in.
Jiang Qingli’s eyes flew open. ???
"Aren’t you tired?" Xie Youchen sensed her confusion. He glanced down at his watch and said, "It’s eleven."
Jiang Qingli used to have a bad habit of staying up too late, and he would always be the one to enforce her eleven o’clock bedtime.
He wasn’t like Baili Jing, who would tell all sorts of elaborate stories to lull her to sleep. He would just glance at his watch and issue a stern reminder: "It’s eleven."
Hearing those two words, Jiang Qingli shut her eyes reflexively.
A few seconds later, she realized something wasn’t right. Her eyes snapped open, and she protested, "I’m a grown-up now! Besides! A minute ago, you were all..."
She glanced down and saw that he was fine now.
"Don’t stare." Xie Youchen covered her eyes again, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "It’s time for bed, Ah Li."
Jiang Qingli asked, "What about you, then?"
"..." Xie Youchen pressed his lips together. "You don’t need to worry about it."
With that, Xie Youchen stood up to leave.
He had just turned when a hand grabbed his.
Jiang Qingli opened her mouth and spouted more nonsense. "I have a newly-diagnosed condition where I can’t fall asleep unless a male is sleeping beside me."
Xie Youchen’s brow furrowed slightly. "Don’t be ridiculous."
"Ridiculous how?" Jiang Qingli tilted her head, deliberately repeating, "That I can’t sleep without a male?"
"It’s not a condition," Xie Youchen corrected, his tone laced with guilt. "It’s my fault. I haven’t been there for you enough."
Jiang Qingli’s cheeks warmed, and she pressed her advantage. "Then stay with me now."
She shook his hand, drawing out his name in a wheedling tone.
As expected, Xie Youchen was powerless against her charms. He sat back down on the edge of the bed. "How do you want me to stay?"
Jiang Qingli lifted the covers and patted the space beside her. "Get in. We’ll sleep together."