Chapter 10: Should We Kiss?

Gu Yan's body stiffened instantly, and blood rushed to her head with a "buzz."

She was not some naive young girl who knew nothing; even if she hadn't eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. This sound, this commotion...

Next door...?!

Were the walls of this cruise ship lounge made of paper!

Shen Yanhui's movements also paused slightly.

He had clearly heard it too.

The temperature of the fingertips pinching her earlobe seemed to rise even higher.

Those ambiguous, indistinct sounds were intermittent; they weren't loud, yet like fine hooks with barbs, they scraped against one's eardrums and nerves in this private, quiet space.

This was just too awkward...

Gu Yan's gaze couldn't help but drift, and the roots of her ears were shockingly hot.

Shen Yanhui withdrew his hand.

The earring was put on, its gentle luster resting against her flushed earlobe.

He did not pull away.

Instead, he leaned in a step closer, trapping her completely between his chest and the wall, his scorching breath brushing against her forehead.

"Next door..." Gu Yan heard her own dry voice, trying to say something to break this subtle ambiguity, "... seems quite busy."

As soon as she finished speaking, she wanted to bite her own tongue off. This was even worse than saying nothing!

Shen Yanhui gave a low "hmm," his gaze heavy, locking onto her crimson cheeks and flickering eyes.

That annoying sound drifted over again faintly, mixed with indistinct teasing.

The air was so thick it could barely flow.

Gu Yan was enveloped by his scent; before her eyes was his Adam's apple, in her ears was his breathing, and next door, that deadly sound continued to stimulate her...

She felt her sanity crumbling bit by bit.

I mean, in this situation.

If she kissed him, it should be fine, right?

Gu Yan took a breath, looked up, and crashed into a pair of pitch-black eyes.

Shen Yanhui lowered his head slightly, his voice carrying a grainy texture as if ground by gravel.

"Do you want to kiss?"

Before the tail end of his sentence had even fallen, he had already kissed her.

He didn't wait for her answer at all.

His thin lips covered hers precisely, with an irresistible force.

Gu Yan's eyes widened abruptly, her breath stolen in an instant.

It was true that she wanted to kiss him.

But, but he had to let her prepare!

His kiss was just like him: forceful, direct, and full of a desire for control.

It was not a tentative exploration, but a deep, invasive occupation, prying open her teeth to seize all her oxygen and whimpers.

Gu Yan felt her mind go blank, her limbs losing all strength, leaving only the scorching friction between their lips and teeth, and the reality of being tightly imprisoned in his embrace.

She subconsciously wanted to push him away, her hands pressed against his chest, but they were limp and powerless.

His palm moved up from her waist at some point, cupping the back of her head and pressing her more firmly toward him.

Kissing even deeper.

In the air, there remained only the faint sound of lips and tongues entwining, and her increasingly chaotic breathing.

And that untimely, intermittent, ambiguous sound from next door, mixed together, stimulating one's scalp to go numb.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Shen Yanhui pulled back slightly, giving her a little room to breathe.

Their foreheads rested against each other, their scorching breaths mingling.

Gu Yan's cheeks were frighteningly hot, her eyes hazy, her lips ravaged until they were crimson and moist, slightly parted as she gasped for air.

Shen Yanhui's gaze was as deep and dark as the night; his thumb rubbed against her burning cheek, and his Adam's apple rolled heavily once.

The next second, his arm slid behind her knees, and with a slight exertion, he lifted her light frame entirely.

Gu Yan let out a low cry, subconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck.

Shen Yanhui placed her on the counter beside them, at a height that allowed her to look him in the eye while sitting.

He braced his hands on the edge of the counter on either side of her, leaning in to force her back again.

"Continue?" His voice was hoarsely unbelievable, his eyes locked on her; he wasn't asking at all.

Gu Yan's heart beat like a drum, looking at his lips closing in again, still bearing the moist traces of her own...

"Bang!"

The lounge door was pushed open from the outside at that very moment.

"Old Shen! I heard you..."

Sheng Ze's enthusiastic voice came to an abrupt halt the moment he saw the scene inside the room.

Gu Yan trembled in fright; before her brain could react, her body acted faster than her consciousness, and like a startled rabbit, she buried her face into Shen Yanhui's chest.

Her hands clutched tightly at the fabric of his shirt.

How humiliating!

She had been seen! She was definitely seen!

Shen Yanhui's reaction was extremely fast.

Almost the same instant the door opened, he had already raised his arms, pulling her even more tightly into his embrace.

His broad back blocked most of the view from the doorway, and also shielded her flushed face.

He turned his head to look at Sheng Ze, who was frozen in the doorway.

His gaze was icy, carrying the displeasure of being interrupted.

"Get out."

Two words spilled from his thin lips; his voice was not loud, yet it carried an indisputable command and a chill that made one's scalp tingle.

The smile on Sheng Ze's face stiffened, and he became tactful in an instant.

"Alright, carry on, pretend I was never here."

He retreated with lightning speed and "thoughtfully" pulled the door shut behind him.

"Click."

The door lock clicked into place once more.

Silence returned to the lounge.

Only Gu Yan's drum-like heartbeat remained, mingled with the sound of their two breaths, which had yet to settle.

Shen Yanhui lowered his head to look at the person in his arms who was buried like an ostrich, his chest vibrating as he let out a low, muffled laugh.

He raised his hand, wanting to stroke the top of her hair.

But Gu Yan suddenly struggled free from his embrace.

She lifted her head, her small face flushed crimson, and her eyes seemed somewhat red-rimmed as well, whether from shame or anger, it was hard to tell.

Her hair was slightly messy, with a few strands sticking to her sweat-dampened temples and cheeks, and her lips were visibly red and swollen—the very picture of someone who had been fiercely bullied.

Yet, when that pair of eyes glared at someone, she still tried to maintain her haughtiness, though they were shimmering with moisture and lacked any deterrent power.

"Shen Yanhui," her voice trembled, both coquettish and vexed, "it's all your fault!"

Shen Yanhui raised an eyebrow: "My fault?"

"It's just your fault," Gu Yan said, her logic shaky but her spirit bold, poking his rock-hard chest with her finger, "who told you... who told you to kiss me suddenly, and carry me up here? Now that I've been seen by someone, I've lost all face!"

The more she spoke, the angrier and more aggrieved she became, and the corners of her eyes really did turn a bit red.

"And another thing," she pointed to her burning ears, "I don't want these earrings anymore either. It's all because of them that I had to come find you! Running into this kind of... ah, it's so embarrassing..."

She unreasonably pushed all the blame onto him, acting spoiled and haughty as if it were only natural.

It was as if she weren't the same person who had been kissed until she was dizzy just moments ago, and who hadn't truly resisted when he closed in.

Watching her clawing and scratching, shifting the blame onto him, Shen Yanhui felt an itch in his throat again.

His little rose.

Even when her fur was ruffled, she was so cute.

It really made one want to lock her away and dote on her fiercely.

"Fine, it's my fault." He agreed readily, reaching out to help her tidy the messy hair at her cheek.

But Gu Yan turned her head to avoid him, jumped down from the countertop, and stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet.

"Stay away from me!" She glared at him fiercely, walking toward the door while unhooking her earrings.

Her steps, however, were somewhat unsteady.

Shen Yanhui stretched out his long arm, easily scooping her back and circling her into his arms once more.

"You don't want the earrings?" He lowered his head and asked by her ear, his breath scorching, "Really?"

Gu Yan couldn't break free and, in her anger, pounded him with her fists: "I don't want them, who cares for them!"

"That won't do." Shen Yanhui gripped her weak wrists, his thumb rubbing against her delicate skin, his tone slow and deliberate, yet carrying an unquestionable meaning, "Since I gave them to you, you must wear them."

He paused, then added in a lower, coaxing voice:

"Otherwise, I'll have to personally... check them every day."

Gu Yan's body stiffened.

Her ears turned even redder.

"You... rascal!"

Shen Yanhui actually nodded, "Yes, I am a rascal."

Gu Yan: "..."

How could he be like this!