Chapter 66: The Kiss
The invisible wall of ice in the restaurant seemed to slowly melt. Xiang Er stared at the green numbers on the watch, a strange emptiness within her, the world swaying gently, as if she were on a boat.
But the swaying gradually subsided.
She thought for a long time, her gaze fixed on the green numbers, her pale wrist seemingly severed by the black watch strap, her thin, bony hand dangling beneath it, the green numbers on the display even more prominent.
She thought of nothing.
“Are you alright now?”
Shen Yuhe’s voice, soft and sweet as honey, pulled Xiang Er from the thick fog. She looked up and saw Shen Yuhe’s familiar, beautiful face, gazing at her with concern.
A sudden impulse overcame her, and she reached out, her hands circling Shen Yuhe’s neck, her fingers pressing against her smooth skin, pulling her closer.
She lifted her head, her lips reaching towards Shen Yuhe’s, tears welling up in her eyes, the metallic taste of blood still lingering in her mouth.
She wanted to kiss her.
She wanted to kiss the only real thing in this world, and that was… Shen Yuhe’s affection for her.
Perhaps Shen Yuhe hadn’t said it out loud, but she could feel it, and if she chose to trust her feelings now, then this was the feeling she should trust most.
This feeling, “Shen Yuhe likes me very much,” was her anchor, her sunlight.
She wanted to experience it more tangibly, and she pulled Shen Yuhe closer, her blood-tinged lips reaching for hers…
Shen Yuhe let out a soft, questioning “Hmm?” then lowered her head, closing the distance between them.
Shen Yuhe’s eyes, filled with a mixture of confusion and excitement, looked at Xiang Er, a silent question in her gaze:
“Is this… okay?”
Xiang Er closed her eyes, her neck, fragile yet resolute, tilting back as she offered her lips.
This was what she wanted most at this moment… human warmth and intimacy.
But just then, the door creaked open.
Xiang Er’s eyes remained closed, but Shen Yuhe froze, their faces inches apart, their breaths mingling.
Shen Yuhe, her gaze still fixed on Xiang Er, didn’t even glance at the waiter who had entered.
The waiter, pushing the door open, called out:
“Here are the wet wipes… oh.”
Seeing the two women embracing, she froze.
After a few seconds, she quickly placed the wipes on a nearby shelf and retreated:
“Sorry, sorry, please continue, please continue…”
She hurried out, quietly closing the door behind her.
But… of course, they couldn’t continue.
The air in the room had shifted, and Xiang Er opened her eyes, suddenly realizing that she had been… asking for a kiss… and in front of someone else, how could she!
How could she have done such a thing!
Xiang Er quickly pulled away, her hands grabbing the table, trying to stand up, almost knocking over the dishes.
With Shen Yuhe’s help, she finally stood up and quickly moved several seats away.
Now, Shen Yuhe, Xiang Er, and An Yue formed a triangle. Xiang Er cautiously glanced at An Yue, hoping she hadn’t seen her embarrassing behavior… she probably hadn’t, right? And if she had… could she just pretend she hadn’t?
An Yue was already eating, seemingly oblivious to their earlier intimacy, and she asked Xiang Er with a smile:
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Xiang Er:
“Oh, right…”
She glanced at the heavy electronic watch on her wrist, the SAN value still stable at 90, the green numbers reassuring.
She sighed softly, took off the watch, and handed it to An Yue:
“Here, thank you for the watch.”
An Yue took the watch and smiled casually:
“You’re welcome.”
Xiang Er was about to start eating when she realized she didn’t have any utensils, and she turned to see Shen Yuhe sitting beside her, placing a set of clean utensils in front of her, even serving her some food.
Xiang Er’s cheeks burned, and she avoided looking at Shen Yuhe, who had seen her in such a compromising position… it was so embarrassing… she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear…
“Eat something.”
Shen Yuhe’s voice was calm and even, as if nothing had happened.
The dishes she served were all Xiang Er’s favorites, and she even filled a bowl of seafood porridge for her.
Xiang Er, embarrassed, looked at Shen Yuhe’s hand as she served the food:
“Since when… are you so good with chopsticks?”
Shen Yuhe’s voice was laced with amusement:
“I’ve been practicing. I can’t always let you take care of me, I have to take care of you too. We have a long future ahead of us.”
Her words were warmer than the steaming porridge, filling Xiang Er’s heart with warmth and sweetness, a comforting feeling spreading through her.
She knew… Shen Yuhe was working towards their future.
Xiang Er started eating, all thoughts of SAN values, fainting spells, and impulsive kisses forgotten.
She didn’t want to analyze or overthink, she didn’t want to let those seeds of doubt ruin this happy moment with Shen Yuhe.
She just wanted to enjoy this peaceful, happy time with Shen Yuhe, it wasn’t too much to ask.
SAN values, electronic watches, those things had nothing to do with her.
And besides, wasn’t her SAN value a stable 90?
There was nothing to worry about.
The meal quickly ended, and An Yue stood up to leave. Since Xiang Er had woken up, she hadn’t said anything strange, just made polite conversation, not mentioning work at all.
Her watch, of course, hadn’t made any more noises. Xiang Er noticed that her SAN value was now a stable 80, a healthy, light green.
It seemed… An Yue’s previous unstable SAN value might have had other causes.
An Yue, her tall figure casting a long shadow, her hair swaying in the wind, turned and glanced back as she left, her gaze meeting Xiang Er’s, and Xiang Er’s heart skipped a beat.
Her eyes… seemed to hold unspoken words.
“Eat more, you’re too thin.”
Shen Yuhe placed more food in Xiang Er’s bowl, drawing her attention back to her meal.
An Yue closed the door behind her, leaving Xiang Er and Shen Yuhe alone in the private room.
Xiang Er, quite full, wiped her mouth with a napkin, wondering if she should take the leftovers home.
Suddenly, someone grasped her wrist.
Cool, slender fingers encircled her wrist, and a husky voice whispered in her ear:
“We didn’t… finish our kiss, earlier.”
Shen Yuhe had somehow leaned closer, her face nuzzling against Xiang Er’s hair, her ear, her neck, one hand pulling at her clothes, drawing her closer.
“No… don’t… there are cameras in the restaurant!”
Xiang Er, her face burning, pulled away and stood up, trying to escape.
But the room was small, filled with chairs, and she had just eaten, her body feeling languid and heavy. She stumbled after a few steps, crying out:
“Ah!”
And she fell into a soft embrace.
Shen Yuhe’s arm held her tightly, her other arm, seemingly limp, yet effectively trapping Xiang Er against the table and chairs, her escape blocked.
Before Xiang Er could react, she suddenly felt, with a pang of embarrassed awkwardness… Shen Yuhe’s hand on her backside, lifting her slightly, and she was sitting on the edge of the table.
Now, Xiang Er had to look down to see Shen Yuhe, standing between her legs.
And Shen Yuhe’s slender arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, her dark eyes burning with a bright, fiery intensity, her sweet fragrance enveloping Xiang Er.
Xiang Er almost stopped breathing, her hand reaching up, only able to touch Shen Yuhe’s soft hair, her fingers tangling in the long, black strands, the more she tried to pull away, the more entangled they became… binding her fingers, her hand…
For a moment, looking at the tangled hair, Xiang Er thought of the small eyeball’s thin tentacles. She quickly shook her head, dispelling the thought, and focused on the present situation.
“Don’t do this here… the cameras will see us… people will laugh at us!”
Xiang Er’s voice was urgent, but her tone was soft and sweet, her words lacking any real conviction, a fire burning within her, threatening to overwhelm her reason.
But… no… she hadn’t… they hadn’t truly… confirmed their feelings…
Xiang Er’s hand, warm and trembling, rested on Shen Yuhe’s cheek, accidentally dislodging the blood-red camellia blossom, its petals scattering, falling onto Shen Yuhe’s hair, and onto Xiang Er’s chest.
And Shen Yuhe, oblivious to everything else, continued her exploration of Xiang Er’s body, her lips and hands tracing her skin, sniffing, kissing, touching… like a starving person devouring a feast, her movements unrestrained…
Her delicate, jade-like skin, flushed a beautiful shade of red, glowed like a ruby, beneath the veil of her hair.
A fallen petal landed on her cheek, and she seemed to find it amusing, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as her hair brushed against Xiang Er’s face, and she suddenly lowered her head.
Xiang Er’s body trembled.
Shen Yuhe’s face was buried in her chest!
This crazy woman! What was she doing?!
Xiang Er was wearing a blouse today, its top buttons undone, precariously holding on, the view within… was… ah!
“You… get up!”
Xiang Er’s hands went limp, her voice a strained whisper. The unfamiliar environment, the enclosed space of the private room, the possibility of someone entering at any moment, heightened the thrill, the danger, it was almost too much!
She flailed blindly, her hand sweeping across the table, sending dishes crashing to the floor, their muffled clatter against the carpet echoing in the room.
And Xiang Er, her neck arched back, her eyes glistening with tears, stared at the ceiling, her body trembling…
And then, footsteps approached the door!
Xiang Er gritted her teeth, suppressing a scream, her voice trapped in her throat.
But Shen Yuhe, mischievously, lifted her head.
Her beautiful face, close to Xiang Er’s, impossibly close, her skin flushed a beautiful ruby red, her dark eyes sparkling, fixed on Xiang Er’s…
She paused, her intoxicating fragrance filling the air, her lips, red as blood, parted slightly.
Shen Yuhe stared at Xiang Er, as if gazing upon a priceless treasure.
The footsteps outside the door grew closer, and Xiang Er’s heart pounded with anxiety.
Shen Yuhe suddenly leaned close to Xiang Er’s ear, her voice incredibly husky, whispering directly into her ear, a voice like ice and fire, driving her mad.
She said:
“I want you.”
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