The next day, Song Xinya honorably missed breakfast.
Because she had been thoroughly worn out the night before by Qin Yuhe, pushed past her limits by wave after wave of ecstasy, she was utterly exhausted. Even by one in the afternoon, she still couldn't get up.
She also honorably missed lunch.
Outside the window, the sun was dazzling, and a breeze rustled the branches, gently swaying them in the bright shadows.
Song Xinya was lying face down on the bed, half-awake, her eyes barely open into slits, not fully awake from her dreams.
The bedroom door pushed open from outside, and Qin Yuhe walked in impeccably dressed in a suit.
He was wearing formal attire, the tie neatly fastened, his hair perfectly styled and immaculate—very proper.
Hearing the door open, Song Xinya pouted and ignored him, sliding her naked body deeper under the covers, even burying her head in the blanket, not leaving him even the back of her head to look at.
Qin Yuhe smiled to himself and walked over to the bed.
"Some people have morning crankiness, but you have 'aftermath crankiness.' When we were doing the deed, you were shouting and screaming and letting go, but after a whole night, you start getting mad."
He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to lift the blanket covering her head.
Song Xinya wrapped herself tightly, gripping the blanket fiercely, refusing to let go.
He pulled forward; she pulled back. The two of them engaged in a tug-of-war.
Qin Yuhe let out a helpless chuckle: "You've got so much energy—looks like I was still going easy on you last night."
Under the covers, Song Xinya rolled her eyes.
Did this guy have no shame? If he'd actually gone easy on her, would she still be unable to get up by one in the afternoon?
Qin Yuhe stroked the fabric of the blanket covering her head, gently and rhythmically, as if petting a cat.
"I bought you your favorite strawberry cream cake, topped with a whole layer of freshly picked strawberries. If you get up too late, Song Tingye will have eaten it all."
After saying this, he reached for the blanket again and lifted it with ease.
The woman lay there with her eyes closed, her face fair and luminous, skin rosy and glowing, her slightly swollen, vividly red lips pursed in an expression of displeasure.
Actually, Song Xinya wasn't really upset. To be precise, she felt embarrassed.
Because, just as Qin Yuhe said, during the act, she had been blissfully soaring in ecstasy, but afterward, she'd gone to pick a fight with him, complaining that his moves were too rough, his positions too many, his endurance too long.
It was a bit like eating and then cursing the cook.
The ecstasy during the act was real.
The anger afterward was also real.
Qin Yuhe reached out and touched her face: "Are you getting up or not?"
Song Xinya turned her face away to the side, letting out a cool "hmph."
Of course, that "cool" was only in her own mind.
To Qin Yuhe's ears, it was pure coquettishness.
His heart stirred, and he leaned down to kiss her closed eyes.
Song Xinya furrowed her brows, kicked her legs against the blanket to show her displeasure.
Qin Yuhe grabbed her slender waist with both hands, pulling her into his arms: "If you don't get up soon, there won't be a bite of that strawberry cake left."
Song Xinya: "My arms are sore. I can't lift them."
Meaning: you dress me.
Qin Yuhe naturally caught her implication. Holding her naked, fair little body close, he kissed her lips and said in a tender, doting tone: "I'll dress you."
He put her in a long gray dress, covering her from head to toe, not even letting her ankles show.
Song Xinya stood in front of the mirror and felt she looked like an earthworm: "What kind of taste do you have? Where did you find this ugly dress?"
Qin Yuhe: "What's ugly? I think it looks good on you."
Song Xinya: "If it looks so good, you wear one too. Let's be earthworms together."
Qin Yuhe pushed her forward by the shoulders: "The strawberry cake is almost gone."
Song Xinya grumbled inwardly—she had dressed herself up so sharply, and he made her wear something this hideous. Hmph, what a jerk.
When they reached the first floor, Song Xinya saw the strawberry cake sitting perfectly intact on the table.
Song Tingye kept stealing glances at the cake but didn’t dare touch it.
That was because Qin Yuhe had already warned him: the cake was for Song Xinya, and he wasn’t allowed to have any.
Song Xinya sat down at the table as the servants brought out the dishes.
Qin Yuhe sat beside her and pushed the strawberry cake to the side: "Eat your meal first."
Song Xinya: "I want to eat the strawberry cake first."
Qin Yuhe: "Eat your meal first."
Song Xinya: "But I really want the strawberry cake first."
Qin Yuhe: "You can only have one bite."
Song Xinya: "How about eight bites?"
Qin Yuhe: "Then no bites at all."
Song Xinya: "Fine, fine, one bite it is."
Qin Yuhe picked up the serrated knife, cut a small slice of cake with the biggest, reddest strawberry on top, and gave it to her.
Song Xinya ate the strawberry in one bite and downed the cake in one gulp.
One bite for the asking, and it’s delivered—what a steal.
Since the strawberry cake was on Qin Yuhe’s side, Song Xinya couldn’t sneak any even if she wanted to, so she gave up on that idea and settled down to eat her meal properly.
After dinner, she grabbed two cake forks, her appetite whetted, and devoured the strawberry cake in big, eager mouthfuls.
The cake was exquisitely made and delicious, but it was small, and after just a few bites, Song Xinya had finished it.
She licked her lips, still craving more, and gazed at Qin Yuhe with pleading eyes: "Why didn’t you buy me a bigger one?"
Qin Yuhe: "Eating too many sweets will give your teeth little bugs."
Song Xinya: "..."
"Are you treating me like a kid?"
Qin Yuhe: "Aren’t you a kid? What adult would roll around on the bed throwing a tantrum, refusing to get up, and demanding someone else to dress them?"
Song Xinya had nothing to say to that.
She patted her rear and stood up: "I’m going upstairs to change. I have to go out today."
When she came back down in her new outfit, she was surprised to see Qin Yuhe still sitting at the dining table instead of going to his study to work.
She looked at his sharply tailored suit and perfectly tied tie and asked, "Are you heading to the company?"
Qin Yuhe: "The stitches on my abdomen haven’t been removed yet. Walking too much would pull on the wound, so I’m not going."
Song Xinya: "Do you have a video conference to attend?"
Qin Yuhe: "It starts in one minute."
Song Xinya: "Then why aren’t you heading to the study?"
Qin Yuhe’s deep, cool gaze lingered on her, sweeping over her from head to toe.
She had carefully dressed up today, wearing an off-shoulder dress that revealed her beautiful neck, collarbone, and shoulders.
The long dress was cinched at the waist, showcasing her slender figure to perfection.
Her hair, which usually fell like a waterfall, was pulled up, making her neck appear even longer and more elegant.
Her radiantly charming face was lightly made up, her lips painted with a coral red lipstick, and pearl earrings adorned her ears, giving her a mature, seductive aura.
Qin Yuhe’s long, straight lashes lowered slightly, concealing a flash of sharpness in his eyes: "Where are you going?"
Song Xinya: "To grab a cup of coffee."
Qin Yuhe’s teeth ground together. She was going out for coffee with some man.
Song Xinya glanced at her watch. “Your video conference is starting. You’d better go, or you’ll be late.”
Qin Yuhe rose to his full height, tall and imposing, an aura of cold severity radiating from him.
As Song Xinya moved toward the door, he strode after her in quick, determined steps. His arm slid around her waist from one side, pulling her back against him with a firm press.
Her back collided with his chest, and his hands clamped down on her soft, pale shoulders, their touch searing hot.
He leaned into her neck, his burning lips latching onto her smooth skin. His teeth clamped down and sucked hard, as if piercing her with a swarm of fine, sharp needles all at once. Pain mixed with a numbing tingle surged through her. Song Xinya’s body tensed instantly.
“Qin Yuhe...” she pleaded, her voice soft and imploring.
He released her, glanced at the mark on her neck, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “Go ahead.”
Go meet another man with the strawberry I’ve sucked into your skin...
