Chapter 40: Continue, Kiss Me

Gu Yan was still sleepy when she got into the car, her eyes half-closed.

Shen Yanhui was already sitting in the back seat with a tablet spread across his lap; seeing her enter, he raised his eyes.

"Morning." Her voice was soft, carrying the stickiness of having just woken up.

"Morning." He put down the tablet, reached out to steady her quite naturally, and kissed her on the lips.

Gu Yan's eyelids were fighting each other; she burrowed into his embrace and went back to visit the God of Dreams.

Shen Yanhui brushed away the stray hair on her forehead, unfolded a blanket to cover her, and then lowered his head to continue working.

By the time Gu Yan regained consciousness, the scenery outside the window had changed from the bustling streetscape of Jingcheng to rolling green mountains.

The familiar scent of pine wood mixed with a very faint smell of tobacco drilled into her nose.

Gu Yan did not move, only her eyelashes trembled.

Shen Yanhui's hand rested on her waist; through a thin layer of silk shirt, the warmth of his palm was clearly discernible.

His other hand was turning pages of a document, the sound of paper rubbing together very light.

She quietly opened a small slit in her eyes.

She saw his well-defined jawline and his slightly bobbing Adam's apple.

And the shadow cast by his eyelashes under his eyes when he lowered his gaze to look at the document.

Like a person who had walked out of a painting.

Gu Yan remembered an old saying.

To die under the peony flower, one is still a romantic ghost.

The ancients truly did not deceive her.

Sooner or later, she would devour this man.

Just at this moment, Shen Yanhui suddenly turned his face, his gaze landing on her face.

"Awake?" His voice was low.

Gu Yan could not keep up the act, so she simply opened her eyes, but did not get up from his embrace: "Mm..."

"Almost there." He closed the document and placed it aside casually, "Sleep a bit more?"

She shook her head and braced herself to sit upright. However, the hand at her waist did not let go, but instead tightened a bit more.

"Shen Yanhui..." she protested in a small voice.

"Hm?" He responded, but his fingers were gently stroking the side of her waist.

Through the thin clothing, that bit of warmth was almost burning into her skin.

This man was definitely seducing her.

Gu Yan was certain.

She steeled her heart, grabbed his tie, and pulled it downward, forcing him to lower his head.

The two were extremely close, their nose tips touching, their breathing audible.

The surrounding air instantly became thick and sticky.

Shen Yanhui remained as steady as a mountain, waiting for her movements, only his gaze deepened slightly, ink-black color surging in the depths of his eyes.

With the driver present, Gu Yan did not dare to go too far, only lightly biting his lip.

Not hard, like a kitten's tentative nibble.

But when she pulled back, the back of her head was held fast.

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment.

She heard him say, with a command that sounded like coaxing: "Continue, kiss me."

His thumb stroked the side of her neck, the pressure neither light nor heavy, yet it made her whole body tremble.

Gu Yan's eyelashes fluttered as she stared at the mark on his lip where she had bitten him, which was slightly flushed red.

She leaned in again.

This time it wasn't a bite, it was a kiss. Her lips pressed against his, sucking gently.

Her tongue tip tentatively licked across his lip seam, only to be caught by him and hooked into his own mouth.

The deep kiss came suddenly and fiercely.

Gu Yan's fingers were still clutching his tie, clutching it tighter and tighter.

The kiss grew deeper and heavier. She could barely breathe, her fingertips went soft, and she let go of the tie. With nowhere to put her hands, she could only climb onto his shoulders and grab the fabric of his shirt.

In the end, she even begged for mercy in a soft voice.

Shen Yanhui pulled back slightly, giving her room to breathe.

His lips were still pressed against hers, his breath scorching: "Wasn't it you who started it?"

Gu Yan: "..."

Her cheeks were crimson, and she glared at him, but her gaze lacked any deterrent power, instead looking as glistening as if it contained water.

"It was clearly you who kissed too fiercely!"

She pointed at her own red lips, accusing: "The lipstick is smudged, and my lips are swollen too; you don't cherish me at all."

Shen Yanhui grabbed her finger, lowered his head to kiss it, and chuckled as he repeated: "Don't cherish you?"

Gu Yan nodded heavily.

He laughed again.

"Gu Yan, if I truly didn't cherish you, I'm afraid you wouldn't even have the strength to get out of bed."

Gu Yan: "...?"

——

These few mountain peaks in the Beijing Suburbs were all built with large clusters of villas, hidden in the mountain forests, far from the city's hustle and bustle, like a paradise on earth.

As Gu Yan looked around along the way, she could not help but feel a bit curious about Shen Yanhui's residence.

Yet, even though she was prepared, she was still shocked by the building before her.

It was a three-story wooden house built against a cliff.

Made of fragrant cedar, specially treated, it glowed with a warm, honey-colored luster; the roof was thickly thatched, and the eaves curled high upward.

What left one even more speechless was that half of the wooden house hung suspended over the cliff, secured to the mountainside with thick iron chains.

Below was a deep valley, wreathed in mist, where the sound of a stream could be faintly heard.

"This is..." Gu Yan stood on the platform in front of the wooden house, looking up.

"An old lookout post," Shen Yanhui said, holding her hand as he walked forward, "I had it renovated."

The platform was also made of wood, with waist-high wooden railings around the edges. The railings were covered in climbing roses, currently in full bloom.

Gu Yan walked to the railing and looked down. It was bottomless, with only swirling clouds and mist.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"Not at all, it's so unique." She shook her head, her eyes shining brightly.

Shen Yanhui pushed open the door to the wooden house.

The interior was more open and airy than she had imagined.

The three floors were connected, with an open space in the middle and a staircase spiraling up along the wall.

The side facing the cliff featured custom-made curved floor-to-ceiling windows that extended from the floor all the way to the roof.

Beneath one's feet was a ten-thousand-foot-deep valley, with clouds and mist flowing below, as if standing on the clouds.

Gu Yan stepped forward, pressing her palm against the cold glass.

Shen Yanhui walked up behind her, his arm naturally wrapping around her waist.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it to death." Gu Yan turned around, her eyes shining as if filled with stars, "Where did you find a place like this?"

Shen Yanhui: "I bought it a few years ago."

Gu Yan pointed to a spot on the side, "I could put an easel here; I want to paint here."

Shen Yanhui nodded.

She pointed to another spot and looked up, "Can a rattan chair go here?"

"And here, I want a floor lamp this tall..."

She was full of enthusiasm, rattling off a list of requests in one breath.

Shen Yanhui chuckled: "Tell the housekeeper later."

He led her to sit by the tea table, then he picked up the tea set and began to boil water and brew tea.

Gu Yan sat cross-legged opposite him, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him brew the tea.

She watched him skillfully pour the water, perform the "Phoenix nods three times" gesture, pour the tea, and place the cup in front of her, inviting her to drink.

Simple movements, yet when he did them, they carried an air of nobility.

Gu Yan smiled sweetly, curled her right index and middle fingers together, and tapped the table lightly.

Then she picked up the teacup and took a light sip to savor it.

"Mr. Shen's skills are quite good."

Shen Yanhui lowered his eyes and smiled, pouring a cup for himself as well. It was high-quality pre-Qingming Longjing, fragrant and mellow, with a lingering sweetness.

"Except for meal deliveries and cleaning, there are usually no servants here."

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow; that was quite rare.

Shen Yanhui looked up, his tone ambiguous: "Just the two of us."

Gu Yan felt scorched by his gaze and took another sip of tea, feeling unnatural. Just the two of them, so what? Why did he have to say it in such a strange tone?

She finished the tea in her cup and finally remembered her good assistant.

"By the way, where is Xu Yuan? Where is she staying?"