Chapter 183: Permission
As expected, Xie Rong could not close his eyes throughout the night. He could not sleep. All he could do was gaze at the woman lying beside him.
The room was quiet, and for once, Wang Gege was no longer glaring at him or throwing firm pillows in his direction. Her breathing had gradually become soft and steady, and Xie Rong remained lying on his side, silently watching her.
His gaze slowly softened. "This husband will make up for all the wrongs this husband has done..." he whispered. "For the rest of my life... here or wherever we end up."
Slowly, he leaned closer.
A soft kiss landed on Wang Gege’s forehead.
What Xie Rong did not expect was for her eyes to open the moment he pulled away.
"Ah—uh, this husband didn’t—"
Wang Gege pouted. "Jerk..."
Xie Rong froze.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Wang Gege was still lying on her side, her face only a short distance from his. Her eyes were not fully open yet, carrying that faint haziness of someone who had just woken up.
Xie Rong swallowed. "This husband apologises again. Usually, Furen is a deep sleeper—"
"So you can take advantage of me?" Wang Gege cut him off.
"This—this husband didn’t even think to cross any line, Furen..."
Wang Gege narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, just because I suddenly awake, right?"
Xie Rong’s eyes furrowed in frustration. "If this husband truly wanted to take advantage of Furen, this husband would have kissed you somewhere oth—"
He stopped instantly.
The words had come out too quickly, driven by the irritation of being wrongly accused, and only after the final sound left his lips did Xie Rong seem to realise exactly what he had nearly said.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Wang Gege blinked slowly at him, while Xie Rong’s expression gradually stiffened. The confidence he had carried only moments ago disappeared as his eyes shifted away from hers, his lips pressing tightly together as though he wished he could somehow take back the words that had already been spoken.
Wang Gege’s brows slowly rose. "Somewhere else?"
Xie Rong remained silent.
"Ah..." Wang Gege drew out the sound softly, her gaze gradually narrowing. "So, that is what you meant when you said you had no intention of crossing any line?"
Xie Rong immediately looked back at her. "This husband did not mean it that way."
"Then how did you mean it?"
He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
Wang Gege stared at him, waiting for an explanation, but the longer he remained silent, the more suspicious her expression became.
"You suddenly seem very quiet, Husband."
Xie Rong’s brows drew together again. "Furen is deliberately trying to embarrass this husband."
"Me?" Wang Gege pointed at herself in disbelief. "You were the one who suddenly said you would kiss me somewhere else!"
"This husband did not finish the sentence." His chest could be seen rising and falling more quickly now.
"That somehow makes it worse."
Xie Rong pressed his lips tightly together again before looking straight into her eyes. "Then... if this husband asked Furen, would Furen agree?"
"What?" Wang Gege frowned, although she had already understood the meaning behind his words.
Xie Rong’s gaze remained fixed on hers.
"Like Furen did before..." His voice gradually lowered. "Can this husband kiss you?"
Wang Gege’s breath caught.
Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, while Xie Rong remained completely still beside her, as though he had suddenly become afraid that even the slightest movement might cause her to misunderstand his intention.
"You..." Wang Gege’s lips parted, but she did not immediately know what to say. "You are seriously asking me?"
Xie Rong nodded. "This husband is asking... for permission, because at this moment, this husband really wants to kiss... you..."
Wang Gege stared at him for a moment. The space between them was still the same, yet it suddenly felt different now that he had asked so directly.
Her gaze unconsciously fell toward his lips.
Xie Rong noticed.
The rise and fall of his chest gradually became more obvious, yet he remained where he was and did not move any closer to her.
He was waiting. Waiting for her answer.
Wang Gege’s heart suddenly began beating faster.
She had been the one who kissed him first back then. At that time, she had acted without thinking too much about it, but now, with Xie Rong lying so close to her and openly telling her what he wanted, the situation somehow felt completely different.
"You..." She swallowed. "You are really asking?"
Xie Rong nodded again. "Yes... This husband is asking."
Wang Gege continued staring at him, trying to find even the slightest trace of teasing in his expression, but there was none.
She suddenly let out a weak sigh. "Do people ask before kissing someone?"
"Furen did..."
Wang Gege froze.
Xie Rong’s lips slowly curved upward. "So... does that mean Furen is giving permission?" He leaned closer.
"Your listening comprehension was quite bad in ancient times, Mr. CEO..."
Xie Rong paused, "This husband was wrong?"
Wang Gege rolled her eyes. "I was asking whether people usually ask before kissing someone. How did that suddenly become me giving you permission?"
"This husband thought Furen was implying that asking was unnecessary." He smiled teasingly.
"And that somehow translated into a yes in your head?" Wang Gege used her finger to push his forehead away slowly.
Xie Rong remained silent for a moment before slowly pressing his lips together. "Yes."
For a moment, Wang Gege said nothing.
Her finger was still pressed against his forehead, though the push behind it had gone somewhere. Xie Rong didn’t move back. He just stayed there, watching her, like her silence was something he could wait out.
"You’re really not going to let this go," she said at last.
"This husband has patience."
"I didn’t agree to anything."
"Furen also hasn’t disagreed." His voice had dropped lower, almost teasing.
Wang Gege lowered her hand from his forehead, and without it there, the space between them felt smaller than before, though neither of them had actually moved.
She should have said no. She had every excuse ready, that he’d startled her, that she’d barely been awake, that none of this had been her doing. But the truth sat heavier than any of those excuses, and it was the truth that kept her quiet.
She hadn’t been asleep the whole time.
Not when he’d first gone still beside her. Not when his breathing had changed, careful and uneven, like he was trying not to be noticed. She’d felt his gaze on her long before his lips ever touched her forehead, felt it and said nothing, curious what he’d do, telling herself it meant nothing.
It meant something.
Her lips parted, some small protest half-formed on her tongue, but what came out instead was barely a whisper, almost too soft for him to catch. "This whole night will be wasted with me waiting for him to take action..."
The moment she heard herself, her eyes flew open.
Xie Rong went completely still. "Furen?"
"I didn’t say anything," she said quickly, far too quickly, her face already burning. "You misheard."
He didn’t answer. Instead, he moved.
There was no more asking, no more waiting for permission. Whatever patience he’d been holding onto snapped the instant the words left her mouth. His hand came up to cradle the side of her face, and before she could take back what she’d said, or pretend she hadn’t said it at all, his lips were already on hers.
Wang Gege made a small, startled sound against his mouth, her hands flying up to grip his robe out of pure reflex. But the protest she meant to make never came. The kiss was nothing like the careful, hesitant thing she might have expected from him. Instead, it was certain, unhurried despite how fast he’d closed the distance, like he’d been holding this back far longer than one night.
Her fingers curled tighter into the fabric of his robe.
When he finally drew back, just enough to breathe, his forehead rested against hers, his eyes still closed.
"This husband did not mishear," he murmured, low and satisfied. "Not a single word."
Wang Gege’s face was burning too much to argue. "Shut up."
"This husband loves you, loves you so much..."
The words came out rough, almost helpless, nothing like his usual self. Wang Gege’s breath caught, and whatever sharp reply she’d been reaching for dissolved before it ever reached her tongue.
"You don’t have to say things like that," she mumbled, though her hands hadn’t let go of his robe.
"This husband means every word." Xie Rong leaned in and kissed her again, slower this time, no urgency left in it, just quiet certainty.
Wang Gege melted into it despite herself, fingers curling into his shoulder instead of pushing him away. His arm wound around her waist, pulling her closer, like he meant to close whatever distance still remained.
When they finally broke apart, both were a little breathless.
He rested his forehead against hers, eyes soft. "Can this husband continue?"