Chapter 58

Although they had already slept in the same bed before, Shu Shiran still felt nervous as she was about to finish her shower and come out.

So she lingered in the bathroom for a while longer, stalling until she truly had nothing left to do inside, before slowly walking out.

Ji Xi was sitting at the foot of the bed, his gaze lowered onto his phone, and only looked up when he heard footsteps.

By this time, his hair was almost completely dry.

"Which side are you sleeping on?" he asked.

Shu Shiran thought about it and said, "The outside."

Ji Xi gave a soft hum of agreement.

Shu Shiran lingered in the room a bit longer.

Before long, Ji Xi's phone rang.

He took his phone and went out to the balcony to answer it.

The call lasted over ten minutes. When he returned, Shu Shiran was already lying down, facing away from him.

"Going to sleep?" Ji Xi asked.

Shu Shiran hummed in response, pulling the quilt all the way up to her ears. "Do you still have things to do tonight?"

"No," Ji Xi replied. "It's the weekend, and the trading markets are closed anyway."

Shu Shiran felt the mattress dip behind her—he must have gotten onto the bed.

The quilt covering her shifted as well, lifted on the other side.

"Turn off the light?" Ji Xi asked.

"Mhm."

With the click of the light switch, the room seemed to drop behind a heavy velvet curtain, plunging into darkness.

Every subtle movement began to stand out, and even the sound of fabric rustling as he lay down was clearly audible, like spring thunder startling the grass and forest creatures.

After that burst of motion, it finally quieted down as Ji Xi settled in.

Shu Shiran’s suspended heart dropped, and she belatedly realized she had been holding her breath.

Just a few seconds seemed to pass before another movement came from behind, causing her breathing to hitch.

This movement was similar to when he first got onto the bed, causing a slight vibration that rippled through Shu Shiran's body as well.

The next second, beneath the quilt, an arm wrapped around her waist.

Ji Xi embraced her from behind, his upper body pressing against her back.

"Shu Shiran, aren't you hot with the quilt pulled up this high?" His voice carried a teasing lilt.

Shu Shiran’s ears felt itchy at his words, and her tense body trembled.

The quilt over her was pulled down a bit, allowing a breath of cool air to sweep in, mingling with the trapped heat, making it feel much more comfortable.

Yet her lips still insisted, "I'm fine."

Ji Xi let out a low chuckle and said nothing more.

After that, he made no further moves, as if simply holding her to sleep.

Shu Shiran kept her eyes open in the dark.

She had already been quite tired before her shower, but now she felt no trace of sleepiness.

Her mind was a tangled mess; it felt as though she were thinking of many things, yet at the same time thinking of nothing at all, unable to grasp a single clear train of thought.

Moreover, now that the quilt wasn't tucked so tightly, the initial coolness had faded, leaving it even hotter than before.

Shu Shiran could feel that Ji Xi's body was burning hot, and so was her own.

For a moment, it was impossible to tell whose body was hotter—perhaps they were mutually fueling each other's warmth.

After baking in this heat for who knows how long—it could have been a long time, or just a fleeting moment—Shu Shiran couldn't help shifting her stiffened body.

The arm around her waist tightened slightly.

"Can't sleep?"

His voice came from behind her. Shu Shiran could feel his breath brushing against her hair as he spoke.

She blinked and asked, "Are you the same?"

"What did you expect?" Ji Xi asked. "How do you think I caught a fever last time I came back from Haicheng?"

"What?"

"It wasn't because I have bad sleeping habits and hogged the quilt; it was because I stood out in the sea breeze all night."

The back of Shu Shiran's neck felt heavy as Ji Xi buried his face into her long hair and let out a sigh.

At that sigh, a shiver ran straight down Shu Shiran's spine.

"Lying in the same bed with you, how could I possibly sleep?"

Shu Shiran's throat tightened. "Then maybe you should go sleep on the couch—"

Ji Xi interrupted her, "I didn't sleep well during the Lunar New Year either."

Shu Shiran fell silent, momentarily at a loss for words.

Suddenly, her shoulders felt heavy as she was deftly rolled over onto her back.

Ji Xi's upper body hovered above her, completely filling her field of vision.

Her eyes gradually adjusted to the dim gloom, allowing her to make out the contours of his facial features.

The hand gripping her shoulder was so scorching it made her heart flutter anxiously.

"How about a kiss?"

In the darkness, Shu Shiran's lips moved without making a sound.

Before she could speak, Ji Xi's breath drew closer, brushing against her lips.

Just as the tickle of his breath made her want to bite her lower lip, he captured it, and kissed her.

This was the very first time they were kissing while lying in bed, and the air was thick with a much more intense undertone of desire.

After just a few lingering caresses, Ji Xi's kiss grew heavier—heavier than it had ever been before. The breathing techniques Shu Shiran had managed to practice were completely useless now, leaving her with no choice but to open her lips and let him take whatever he wanted.

The weight of his upper body pressing down felt as though it were squeezing the very air from her lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

Soon, Ji Xi tilted his head, brushed a kiss against the corner of her mouth, and swept all the stray strands of hair away from her cheek.

Shu Shiran was finally granted a breath of air.

His warm breath grazed the shell of her ear.

Suddenly, her earlobe grew hot.

Caught completely off guard, she shuddered all over, a soft sound escaping her slightly parted lips.

Ji Xi's breathing abruptly turned heavier, and his fingers lightly brushed across her face as he chuckled, "Don't make a sound."

Prior to this, they had only ever kissed each other's lips or cheeks, never anywhere else.

Shu Shiran glared at him with a flushed face.

When had she even made a sound?

Besides, she had no idea that having her earlobe nibbled would feel like this.

Ji Xi coaxed her gently, "Just let me kiss you for a bit."

Shu Shiran shivered once more, her hands instinctively climbing up to grip his shoulders. The wet, intimate sounds near her ear made the fingertips grasping his clothes turn white.

As if trying to make her less nervous, his kisses grew tender again.

The darkness magnified every single sensation, every single movement.

Shu Shiran bit her lip, too embarrassed to make a sound, yet soft whimpers kept slipping out.

After kissing her earlobe, Ji Xi's lips moved down to the back of her ear and along her neck—every single spot was a place he had never touched before.

Shu Shiran's heart rose and fell amidst this delicate, tender onslaught, sinking into an indulgent haze one moment, only to be yanked back to alertness by that tightly wound string in her mind the next.

Faintly, she became aware of the change in Ji Xi's body.

Her mind went blank for a few seconds before the realization hit her. Her body stiffened, and she felt as though she were bursting into flames.

She turned her head to dodge the kisses along her neck and pushed against him.

Ji Xi stopped.

Both of them were breathing rapidly.

"This is Lubei," Shu Shiran said.

It was one thing back at their own places, but this was Lubei.

Even though this was her bedroom, the thought that both Grandmother and Aunt Hui were in the house still made her terribly shy.

Ji Xi braced his hand on the mattress beside her head. "Can't I even kiss you for a while in Lubei?"

"Then you—"

"I what?"

"..."

Shu Shiran was too embarrassed to finish, and she didn't dare move a muscle.

In the dim light, she could still see the corner of his mouth curving upward.

He was clearly asking on purpose.

"...You rogue!"

Her accusation was delivered in a very soft whisper.

Ji Xi let out a soft laugh. He hadn't intended to tease her any further, but he couldn't help throwing out one last remark: "Alright, whatever you say, Princess."

With that, he buried his face back into the crook of her neck and planted a heavy kiss behind her ear.

That particular kiss stung just a bit, causing Shu Shiran to draw in a sharp breath.

Then, the heavy weight pressing down on her vanished. The shackles trapping her were gone.

A moment later, Shu Shiran watched Ji Xi walk toward the bathroom, and she quickly pulled the quilt back over herself—though she had no idea when it had slipped off.

The heat hadn't left her body, and pulling the quilt back up only made her feel hotter, leaving her with a persistent dryness in her mouth.

She sat up to drink some water.

As she put the glass down, she noticed that the top button of her pajamas had come undone.

Blushing, she quickly buttoned it back up.

After drinking the water and lying back down, Shu Shiran gradually calmed her racing pulse, and exhaustion finally crept over her.

As she drifted into a hazy sleep, she felt the mattress dip beside her, followed immediately by being pulled into a cool embrace that still carried the damp scent of water.

Had he just taken a cold shower?

Recalling what had just happened, Shu Shiran nervously shifted her body.

Ji Xi pressed a kiss to her hair. "Sleep."

The next day, Shu Shiran slept in.

When she woke up, the space beside her was empty.

She picked up her phone from the bedside table to check the time—it was already past ten.

Ji Xi was not in the room.

Shu Shiran scrolled through her phone for a bit before putting it down, hugging the quilt as she zoned out for a moment, letting her mind drift back to the previous night.

Everything that had happened after the lights went out felt like a dream.

After lying there a little longer, Shu Shiran finally got up.

While brushing her teeth, she caught sight of a small patch of red on the back of her ear in the mirror.

She turned her head to inspect it closely. It was real, about the size of a mosquito bite.

She remembered Ji Xi's final heavy kiss—it must have been left right then.

Because of this hickey, Shu Shiran lingered in front of the mirror for a long time, only leaving the walk-in closet once she confirmed that her hair could easily conceal it without being noticed.

Just as she stepped out, Ji Xi happened to return to the room.

Seeing him, Shu Shiran shot him a disgruntled, exasperated glare.

"You're awake?" Ji Xi asked.

"Where did you go?"

"I went to chat with Grandmother for a bit."

Shu Shiran pulled open the curtains after getting out of bed. The sun was brilliant today, rich with the vibrant feel of spring.

The morning light streaming in from behind made Shu Shiran's makeup-free face look exceptionally delicate, with a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks—a sight that stirred something in Ji Xi.

He reached out to touch her, but she dodged away, swatting his hand aside.

Ji Xi raised an eyebrow, looking at her in amusement. "You just woke up. What did I do this time?"

"On my neck—it's all your fault!"

Ji Xi paused for a second, as if remembering.

"Let me see." He parted the hair framing her neck.

That hickey sat right below her ear, standing out sharply against her fair skin.

Ji Xi's thumb gently brushed over it.

Shu Shiran's mind was entirely consumed by another worry, so she didn't notice his gesture.

She asked, "Is it easy to see?"

As soon as the question left her lips, she realized the culprit looked entirely nonchalant, his eyes brimming with amusement.

Shu Shiran's accusation was much too obvious. Ji Xi reined in the smile in his eyes a fraction, though his finger couldn't resist tracing over the mark one more time as he said, "Not easy to see, as long as you don't sweep your hair aside. I'll be gentler next time."

"..."

Embarrassed and annoyed, Shu Shiran pinched his arm.

After they fussed at each other for a moment, Aunt Hui's voice drifted in from outside, still some distance away:

"Ranran awake yet? If you are, time to get up. Lunch will be ready soon."

Shu Shiran pushed Ji Xi away and called back, "I'm up!"

She straightened her hair once more to make sure it was fully covered before finally stepping out of the room.

***

After the weekend came a brand-new week.

Most of the people from Hong Kong who had come to celebrate Elder Mrs. Shu's birthday had already returned.

Shu Shiran's cousin, who had recently joined the family business, ended up staying an extra half-day on Monday, meeting up with Ji Xi for a morning appointment—clearly hoping to seek his advice and enlist his help with quite a few matters.