Chapter 54

The clock on the wall ticked steadily, its hour and minute hands both having long passed the number twelve.

The lingering, deep kiss had just ended, leaving behind only the sound of hurried breathing.

Shu Shiran panted softly, her lips slightly numb.

She did not know when her back had pressed against the wall. Ji Xi was still holding her, his head buried in the crook of her neck, pressing heavily against her. The weight forced her to rely entirely on the wall for support.

Right beside them was the door to her bedroom.

The hot breaths he puffed against her skin sent tingling shivers down one entire side of her body, making her break out in a light sweat.

After catching her breath for a moment, Shu Shiran called out to him, "Ji Xi."

"Has it passed midnight?"

The voice coming from her neck was unusually deep and husky, capable of unsettling anyone's composure.

Shu Shiran’s heart trembled slightly, and she let out a soft "Mmm."

It had been past midnight for who knows how long.

Ji Xi sighed.

That sigh made the breath brushing against Shu Shiran’s neck all the more palpable.

"I really wish I could fly back to somewhere the seventh hasn't ended yet."

His tone was lazy, utterly unrestrained.

Shu Shiran fell silent, inexplicably feeling a twinge of softness. "I still have to go to work tomorrow."

Ji Xi chuckled and lifted his head from the crook of her neck.

Shu Shiran saw his slightly reddened lips and, recalling the repeated, intertwined practices of catching their breath, her gaze drifted away.

"Then... you should go up."

Ji Xi stood still, studying her intently, a lingering darkness still smoldering in the depths of his eyes.

"Shu Shiran, you won't wake up tomorrow and change your mind like last time, will you?"

Shu Shiran: "What?"

Ji Xi: "Saying that it's normal for adults to act on a momentary impulse, or this time, saying it's completely normal to kiss me like that for your birthday."

He dragged out his syllables slightly, having already prepared the excuses for her, his mention of the kiss dripping with ambiguity.

Shu Shiran: "…I won't."

She wouldn't do it this time.

Ji Xi wore an expression of deep skepticism.

Shu Shiran reiterated, "Really, I won't."

Ji Xi raised an eyebrow. "Grand Princess Shu, you are a repeat offender."

Shu Shiran was momentarily choked for words. "…Then what do you want?"

Ji Xi thought for a moment and said, "Record a video to guarantee it?"

Leisurely, he hooked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "If you go back on your word again, I'll take it to Grandma and let her judge us, to see how her precious little granddaughter is toying with my affections."

"..."

This was the first time Shu Shiran’s credibility had ever been questioned.

Feeling slightly exasperated, she said, "Go ahead and record then."

Ji Xi actually took out his phone, tapped the screen a couple of times, and pointed the camera at her face.

"..."

Uncomfortable, Shu Shiran blinked and avoided looking at the lens.

Ji Xi watched her bashful appearance with amused composure, making no move to rush her.

Shu Shiran did not know how to explain what had happened before.

After a few seconds of silence, she looked into the lens and said, "I had some misunderstandings about you before, thinking you weren't very sincere toward me."

After finishing, she pressed her lips together and added, "I like you too."

The surrounding space seemed to have been hit by a pause button, instantly falling quiet for a few seconds.

Ji Xi put his phone down. "If I'd known, I really should have recorded it."

Shu Shiran glanced at his screen.

It was just his home screen; he hadn't recorded anything at all.

"..."

So he had just been teasing her.

Ji Xi said, "Why don't you say it again."

Shu Shiran glared at him. "Whose fault is it that you didn't record just now?"

Ji Xi chuckled in a low voice, as if coaxing her, and leaned down close again.

Shu Shiran reached out to press against his chest.

Ji Xi stopped. "Are you going back on your word already?"

His voice carried a hint of banter, clearly asking the question on purpose.

Blushing, Shu Shiran reminded him softly, "It's very late."

If things continued this way, there was no telling what hour it would be.

Ji Xi leaned in to drop a light kiss on her cheek, then pulled back.

***

"Will you walk me out?"

Shu Shiran escorted him to the doorway.

Once outside, Ji Xi turned around to look at her.

Shu Shiran stood just inside the threshold.

She remembered how he had appeared at her door, travel-worn and bringing such a delightful surprise, and her heart swelled full to bursting.

She brushed against his hand hanging by his side, her index finger grazing his prominent knuckles, lingering as if wanting to hook around them.

"Goodnight."

Ji Xi lifted his brows slightly, sighed, and said her name, "Shu Shiran, do you actually want me to leave or not?"

Shu Shiran pulled her hand back. "…Go on up now."

Ji Xi's tone was gentle. "Goodnight."

Stepping out of the elevator and returning to the upper floor, Ji Xi’s phone buzzed a few times.

He took it out and unlocked it to find a flood of messages from Luke.

-Luke: Jaziel, why are you never replying to my messages?

-Luke: What are you doing?

-Luke: Suddenly wanting to prove yourself to your wife like this—could it be that your wife finally found out?

-Luke: Don't tell me you've been ignoring my messages because you're about to graduate from being a virgin?!

-Luke: Finally, Jaziel.

-Luke: Let me tell you, a virgin's first time goes by really fast.

-Luke: Good thing you ran into me.

-Luke: Call me big bro, and maybe I can pass on some techniques to you.

Ji Xi didn't reply to a single word and put his phone away.

***

The next morning, Shu Shiran woke up a dozen minutes later than usual.

She hadn't fallen asleep until past one in the morning the night before, and even after lying down, she couldn't sleep, her mind racing with thoughts. She had no idea what time she finally drifted off, and she almost missed her alarm this morning.

Still feeling sleepy after washing up, Shu Shiran let out a yawn.

Catching sight of the bouquet of yellow roses, a sense of unreality washed over her.

Just as she was about to change her clothes, her phone rang. She picked it up and walked into the walk-in closet.

"Hello?"

"Up yet?"

Ji Xi’s low voice came through the receiver.

Shu Shiran froze, instantly waking up a bit more.

She hadn't checked the caller ID when she answered, assuming it was Yuanyuan. At this hour, usually only Yuanyuan would reach out to her.

She hadn't expected it to be Ji Xi.

"I'm up."

Remembering how he had demanded her guarantee last night, she added, "I haven't gone back on my word."

Ji Xi gave a low "Mmm." "Still liking me as much as you did yesterday."

"..."

Shu Shiran’s face grew warm, waking her up completely.

Ji Xi chuckled softly on the other end, sparing her any further teasing as he changed the subject. "When are you heading out?"

Shu Shiran: "In about ten minutes."

She had overslept a bit today, so time was tight.

Ji Xi: "I'll drive you."

Shu Shiran paused, her hand hovering over her clothes. "You're awake?"

Ji Xi: "Mmm."

Shu Shiran had assumed that after all his rushing around yesterday, he would sleep in a bit today.

Ten minutes later, Shu Shiran stepped out.

The elevator happened to be coming down from the upper floors and opened on her floor.

Ji Xi was standing inside wearing an outdoor shell jacket, his short dark hair falling across his forehead. He looked decidedly like someone who had just rolled out of bed—soft, lazy, yet exuding a refreshing youthful energy that caught the eye.

"Morning."

Shu Shiran stepped into the elevator. "Morning."

As the elevator descended, the hand she had resting by her side was caught and held.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" Ji Xi asked.

Shu Shiran gave a soft "Mmm."

Through the reflective elevator doors, she caught sight of the faint smile playing on his lips and figured he had easily guessed the reason for her poor sleep, which suddenly made her a bit self-conscious.

Clearly, he looked like he hadn't slept well either.

"You too?" she asked.

Ji Xi answered candidly, "Barely slept."

Shu Shiran let out an aloof "Oh," her heartbeat picking up its pace.

The elevator dropped another floor.

The hand holding hers suddenly moved.

Thinking he wanted something, Shu Shiran instinctively turned her head to look.

At that exact moment, her palm was pushed open, and cool fingertips slid into the gaps between her fingers.

Shu Shiran’s fingertips trembled, stiffening slightly as she allowed those fingers to weave slowly into hers until their palms were completely pressed together.

As if sensing her gaze, Ji Xi lowered his head to look at her.

After a second of eye contact, Shu Shiran averted her gaze as if nothing were amiss, the tips of her ears gradually turning red.

The elevator carried them all the way down to the basement garage.

Only when they reached the car did Ji Xi finally release Shu Shiran’s hand.

Once inside, Shu Shiran flexed her fingers, which had grown somewhat stiff and numb.

Ji Xi settled into the driver's seat. "Did you have breakfast?"

Shu Shiran replied a beat too late, "Didn't have time. I'll eat at the office."

Ji Xi glanced at the time. "You need to be there by ten?"

Shu Shiran nodded. "Meeting starts at ten-ten."

Ji Xi gave a low "Mmm" and steered the car out of the garage.

Shu Shiran’s heart was still caught in the lingering intimacy of their intertwined fingers.

And they had already kissed, after all.

It wasn't until they were almost at the company that her heartbeat finally leveled out.

The car stopped downstairs from the firm.

Many other companies in the building also started work at ten, and at this hour, a lot of people were heading inside.

Shu Shiran unbuckled her seatbelt and looked at Ji Xi. "I'm going up to work."

Ji Xi reached out and caught her. "There are still nine minutes."

It was now nine-fifty-one.

Shu Shiran paused, seemingly realizing what he wanted to do, and her heartbeat, which had only just calmed down, began to accelerate again.

She didn't move her body, allowing him to lean in as she instinctively tilted her chin up.

Their breaths mingled.

A horn blared abruptly.

Shu Shiran jerked backward, putting distance between them.

Ji Xi frowned slightly, straightened up, and glanced back through the rearview mirror. "Wu Tianqi's car."

One of his hands was still holding Shu Shiran's.

In a flash, Wu Tianqi's car pulled up right beside them.

He had rolled down his window and was looking over in their direction.

In truth, regardless of the horn behind them, even if he had been right next to them, Wu Tianqi wouldn't have been able to see anything.

Still, Shu Shiran felt a flutter of panic at the thought of almost being caught by an acquaintance.

With her free hand, she gave a meaningless pat to her hair, which wasn't even messy, and said, "I'm heading up."

Ji Xi showed no intention of letting go, idly giving her hand a casual squeeze. "Parking here isn't against traffic laws."

Shu Shiran: "..."

It wasn't against the laws, true.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Ji Xi added, "Kissing your own wife in a car certainly isn't illegal either."

***

Meanwhile, over on Wu Tianqi's side.

Considering he had already put in a full day of work yesterday, yet today was still a Monday, he had been listless the entire way to work.

He had arrived downstairs at the firm right around his usual time.

If he went down to park and then came back up, the timing would be just right.

Just as he was about to head into the underground parking garage, he noticed a car parked by the roadside looked rather familiar.

It was Ji Xi's car.

Early in the morning, Ji Xi's car parked downstairs from their firm—he was probably dropping his boss off for work.

Wu Tianqi deliberately honked his horn behind them, then pulled up alongside them, intending to say hello.

He waited for nearly half a minute, but the window didn't roll down; instead, it was his boss who stepped out of the car.

Wu Tianqi: "Morning, Boss Shu. Did Ji Xi drop you off?"

Shu Shiran nodded and reminded him, "Don't be late."

"Got it."

As Wu Tianqi watched his boss's retreating figure, feeling that something about her seemed slightly out of the ordinary today, the window of the car beside him rolled down.

His attention was diverted, and he greeted Ji Xi.