Their foreheads touched.
The tips of their noses brushed together.
When his long lashes fluttered, they stirred tiny currents of air that tickled her face.
Qin Yuhe’s lips came down like a torrential rain, leaving Song Xinya unable to catch her breath.
She pressed her palm over the place on his left chest where his heart lay.
His heartbeat was vigorous and powerful—thump, thump, thump, thump—pounding through his white shirt and trembling against her palm, as though it were beating directly in her hand.
Qin Yuhe’s passion ignited Song Xinya in an instant. She could not bring herself to say anything of refusal, nor did she want to. She obeyed the stirrings of her heart, tilted her head back, parted her lips, and let him in, returning his kiss.
Qin Yuhe tasted the tip of her tongue. She had just eaten peach jelly; her tongue carried the sweetness of ripe peaches and the coolness of crushed ice.
Her lips were soft, her tongue sweet, and the breath she exhaled so alluringly fragrant.
Both their lips were moist and hot, their mouths filled with each other’s taste.
Just as Song Xinya felt the world spinning around her, she heard Qin Yuhe’s hoarse, desire-laden voice, touched with a hint of breathlessness, whispering in her ear:
“Yaya, your pupils are the stars closest to me.”
It was unbearably swoon-worthy.
Song Xinya’s heart went weak and numb from those words.
Her legs softened like willow fluff, utterly unable to support her weight, and she began to sink.
Qin Yuhe caught her slender waist with one arm and pulled her into his embrace, pressing their bodies tightly together.
He lifted both her hands and guided them around his neck, then said to her meaningfully, in three words:
“Hold on tight…”
Song Xinya was pinned forcefully against the door…
The night breeze swept past the window, making a crape myrtle tree beside it rustle and tremble. Fresh pink petals drifted down in scattered bursts, adding a romantic atmosphere to what was happening inside the room.
A gentle rain of petals floated down.
The air was tinged with the sweet fragrance of flowers.
Beneath a star-filled night sky, tender blossoms drifted everywhere.
Qin Yuyan’s room was on the first floor, directly beneath Qin Yuhe and Song Xinya’s room.
Song Xinya was not the only one who saw the shower of petals. Qin Yuyan saw it too.
The Little Princess had always loved a lively scene. Excited, she called for Song Tingye, pulled Song Tingyou along, and summoned Jin Ruizhi as well. The four of them came beneath the crape myrtle tree.
Qin Yuyan said, “This shower of petals is so beautiful. Good things should be shared with the family. Let’s go upstairs and call Brother and Sister-in-law to come admire it with us. When Brother and Sister-in-law see how thoughtful I am, they’ll definitely be very happy and praise me.”
Song Tingye said, “Sure, I’ll go with you. Big Sister and Brother-in-law will praise me too. I love being praised.”
Song Tingyou felt that something was amiss. “We should probably not go. When Big Sister and Brother-in-law went upstairs, they said they had something urgent to take care of.”
Qin Yuyan said, “I’m only going upstairs to ask. It won’t delay them.”
Song Tingye said, “Exactly. If they want to come see the petals, Yanyan and I get praised. If they don’t, all we lose is one sentence. We have nothing to lose.”
Qin Yuyan and Song Tingye immediately hit it off and happily headed upstairs.
Jin Ruizhi strode in front of them and stretched out an arm to block their way. “Listen to me. Don’t go. You’re not doing a good deed—you’re asking for trouble.”
He looked at Qin Yuyan. “Have you forgotten what your brother said about your skin itching? If you go up there now, you’ll be volunteering to get a beating.”
Then he looked at Song Tingye. “You were just given a round of ‘bamboo-shoot stir-fry with meat’ by your sister. Haven’t had enough? The moment your sister sees you, she’ll pick up the switch and give you another helping.”
Qin Yuyan drew her neck in. “Then maybe we should forget it.”
Song Tingye took a step back. “My butt comes first.”
The four children stood beneath the crape myrtle tree, admiring the beautiful shower of petals.
Upstairs, in the bedroom, Song Xinya was admiring the petals too.
Her unfocused gaze drifted past Qin Yuhe’s shoulder toward the outside.
Because she had no strength left, the light appeared as a blurry kaleidoscope in her eyes, transforming into a dazzling rainbow of colors.
The crape myrtle petals were clearly falling very slowly, yet they looked to her like fireworks bursting from a cannon. She could no longer see them clearly.
Qin Yuhe was simply too capable…
The door gave a strained creak.
Song Xinya had the will but not the strength. Even though her mind urged her arms to exert themselves, she could no longer hold on to Qin Yuhe’s neck.
Her slender arms slid down along his chest.
Qin Yuhe shifted her body and turned her around, making her brace herself against the door handle.
His sweat fell drop by drop, striking her jade-smooth, beautiful back…
