Half an hour later.
The lights in the dance studio were dimmed.
Gu Chengyu leaned against the cold mirror, bare-chested, wearing only a pair of grey casual trousers. The well-defined muscles of his waist and abdomen appeared even more taut and powerful in the subdued light.
His arms were folded casually across his chest, but his gaze was like that of a predator locking onto its prey, fixed on the slender figure standing in the pool of light.
Su Qianqian stood there, wearing one of the swimsuits he had commissioned a designer to tailor for her.
The soft, fresh green color made her skin appear whiter than snow. The style mimicked a traditional Chinese dudou, with thin straps tied behind her neck and back, revealing her beautiful back and slender waist.
The bottom was a high-slit bodysuit with a short skirt.
Being swimwear, the skirt was so short it barely covered anything, her long, slender legs a dazzling white.
She was clearly somewhat shy, not daring to look at her own reflection in the mirror—almost completely exposed to the man's gaze—and even less daring to look at Gu Chengyu beside her, whose frightening eyes seemed ready to devour her whole.
Su Qianqian took a deep breath, slowly lowered her arms, and pressed play on her phone.
The rhythm of jazz music began to play.
She turned slightly sideways, her toes lightly tapping the floor, her waist moving with a tentative, unpracticed twist, her whole body forming an S-curve.
The slit of the skirt swayed slightly with the movement, a flash of creamy-white thigh visible in the light.
Gu Chengyu's breathing grew heavier, his arms tightening where they were folded across his chest.
Su Qianqian seemed to find a bit of her rhythm, or perhaps she decided to throw caution to the wind.
She closed her eyes, no longer looking at him, and let herself be carried by the music.
It was just a sexy dance, not much different from the K-pop dances in her previous world.
It wasn't that hard; she could do it too.
And then adding a bit of a seductive expression, she knew how to do that as well.
Su Qianqian turned sideways to face him, raised one pale, slender arm, and let her fingertips trail slowly down the line of her neck, over her delicate collarbone, then over the curve of her soft, snowy bosom, before slowly patting her pert bottom, giving it a little shake, her eyes seductive and half-lidded.
Then, she smoothly turned around, leaning back slightly, her hands braced against the barre behind her.
She tilted her head, arched her chest.
One of her legs bent slightly, rubbing against the inner side of the other leg, slowly moving upward, then further up. The slit of the skirt fell completely open, both jade-like legs fully exposed to the air, the thin piece of pale green fabric now only serving to highlight what it pretended to conceal.
The slender arm braced on the barre also slowly lifted, reaching up to grasp her ankle above her head. The corner of her eye lifted as she glanced at him once more.
Gu Chengyu abruptly straightened up.
He could no longer restrain himself. He strode forward in a few steps, his large hand reaching up to grasp her ankle.
Su Qianqian wriggled her waist, her small mouth pouting in dissatisfaction. "What are you doing? I've only done a few moves, I haven't finished..."
"That's enough, Qianqian."
"If you keep dancing, you won't be sleeping tonight."
In the mirror of the dance studio, a flash of green flew through the air.
It was the swimsuit skirt the designer had painstakingly created, casually tossed by the man into the air before slowly fluttering down to the floor.
!!!
The night grew deeper.
Outside the window, a sudden downpour had begun at some point, beating densely against the floor-to-ceiling windows, weaving a noisy curtain of rain.
Also suffering the consequences were the roses that had not been moved indoors.
The roses were in full, tender bloom, their petals soft, but the rain was too sudden and too fierce. The stems swayed under the heavy onslaught of raindrops, the delicate petals repeatedly ravaged, looking increasingly pitiful.
After who knows how long, the torrential rain gradually eased, no longer a violent assault but a continuous, drizzling rain.
Then another storm followed, until finally, the wind ceased and the rain stopped.
One autumn rain brings one bout of cold.
The temperature in City S plummeted.
The rose plant on the balcony, thoroughly drenched, had withstood the storm but could not endure the cold.
In the end, its petals fell powerlessly, lying on the soil of the pot. A cold breeze blew past, causing them to tremble slightly.
The air still carried the scent of rain and the fragrance of flowers.
...
Early morning, City S was bustling with traffic, the large screens on shopping malls broadcasting the morning news.
Reminding citizens that the late autumn cold snap had arrived, to dress warmly.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom of the most luxurious apartment in the city center.
The most beautiful girl was still deep in sleep.
One of her slender, pale arms lay outside the quilt, her fingertips slightly curled, as if all her strength had been spent.
The morning light outlined her delicate face, the look between her brows and eyes indescribably alluring.
At this moment, inside the walk-in closet, Gu Chengyu walked to the full-length mirror, turned sideways, and examined his back.
In the mirror, across his broad shoulders and back, several distinct red marks crisscrossed.
They were marks left last night in the height of passion, when he had gone too far and she couldn't take it anymore. Her delicate fingers, finding no support, could only claw weakly at his back.
He turned around, looked at his chest in the mirror. Below his left collarbone, a small bite mark was still red—also her handiwork.
That was when he had pushed her too hard, and she, unable to break free, had sobbed and bitten down, with a touch of grievance from powerless resistance.
Looking at these marks, Gu Chengyu showed no trace of annoyance on his face; instead, he seemed somewhat pleased.
He put on his shirt, walked back into the bedroom with light steps, and stood by the bed looking down at his delicate darling. Seeing her arm exposed outside, his brow furrowed slightly.
Gu Chengyu bent down, took hold of her slightly cool wrist, intending to tuck her arm back under the covers.
But the touch of his fingertips against her smooth, tender skin softened his heart once more.
He changed his mind.
Gu Chengyu knelt down, lowered his head, and pressed his warm lips against the inside of her wrist, feeling the faint pulse there. His thin lips moved, giving it a few light kisses.
Then he moved to kiss the jade-like fingers that had scratched him, taking them into his mouth one by one.
Finally, he straightened up, bent over, tucked her small hand back under the quilt, and smoothed the covers around her.
Gu Chengyu stood there like that, quietly watching her for a while longer, as if he could never get his fill of looking.
Until time was starting to run short, he then turned, walked out of the bedroom, and gently closed the door behind him.
