Yan Hechuan's breathing suddenly grew heavy.
He could feel the fine hairs on his neck stir from the girl's breath.
He could smell the unique scent of faint orange blossom from her hair mingled with the sulfur of the hot spring.
He could even hear the sound of his own heartbeat.
He turned his head away in a fluster.
Even though he couldn't see anything now, he still didn't dare to look directly at the woman opposite him.
"Really, I never lie to you."
Xia Liuyue's fingertips covered the back of his hand.
She deliberately slowed her movements, leaning her head in slowly, her fingers brushing past his burning chest.
When she was almost close, she whispered in his ear:
"If you don't kiss me, I'll go find Brother Jiashu."
Yan Hechuan was usually emotionally stable.
Hearing this, he almost lost his composure.
"What did you say?!"
A trace of anger, from who knows where, crept into his voice.
His restrained reason finally snapped.
They were engaged.
His fiancée asking him for a kiss.
That was normal.
And his allergic reactions to her were getting lighter and lighter, perhaps a sign of improvement.
After these thoughts flashed through Yan Hechuan's mind,
He actively leaned in, but because he couldn't see, his lips brushed past her earlobe and finally landed on the side of her neck.
His warm breath fanned out, his voice hoarse, unlike his own.
"Yinyao, may I kiss you?"
Even asking for a kiss like a gentleman?
A soft laugh escaped Xia Liuyue's throat.
"You may kiss me."
"But don't call me Yinyao, use my nickname, Yueyue."
She lifted her head, her damp lips meeting his.
Yan Hechuan's mind went blank instantly; there was no extra time to think.
Did Tang Yinyao have a nickname?
Was her nickname Yueyue?
The hot spring water rippled between their pressed skin.
Yan Hechuan's Adam's apple bobbed.
All that remained was the sensation of soft lips moving and lingering against his skin.
"Open your mouth."
She murmured against his lips.
Yan Hechuan felt his reason completely shatter.
He responded instinctively, clumsily, fervently, tangling with her.
Even with some rough biting.
It completely contradicted his outwardly cool and reserved image.
But then again, how could someone who liked amateur boxing matches truly be an elegant nobleman at heart?
A beast was hidden within him.
When Xia Liuyue retreated, he pursued.
She had thought she was the one leading this battle of lips and teeth, but Yan Hechuan gradually turned the tables.
Kissing her until her legs went weak.
She couldn't remember how much time had passed before Xia Liuyue finally pushed him away.
Her fingertips traced his lips.
"Hechuan, you're such a good kisser."
"Have you kissed others before?"
The tips of Yan Hechuan's ears were red enough to drip blood.
Two words came from his mouth: "No."
Xia Liuyue asked with a smile, "You haven't kissed me before either?"
Her 'me' referred to Tang Yinyao.
Yan Hechuan's voice was raspy, the last shreds of clarity making him feel puzzled.
"No."
"Why are you asking me such a strange question? Obviously..."
Before he could finish, Xia Liuyue hooked her arm around his neck, pulling him closer until their noses almost touched.
"Because... I'm teasing you on purpose."
"Actually, you kiss terribly." Her tone lifted slightly, carrying a teasing laugh.
A flicker of displeasure passed through Yan Hechuan's still eyes.
He had never cared about Tang Yinyao's romantic history before, whether she had been in relationships before their arranged meeting, how many boyfriends she had had?
None of it mattered.
But now, hearing her say, 'kiss terribly.'
Did that mean there was someone who kissed her well?
A hint of sourness suddenly rose in his heart.
Did others kiss better? An ex-boyfriend?
He had never thought about this before, but at this moment, he cared intensely, even he himself couldn't understand this sudden surge of emotion.
Perhaps it was possessiveness?
With little reason left, he acted purely on instinct, raising his hand to cup the back of her head, his lips pressing down heavily on hers.
This time it was no longer a tentative touch, but a predatory deep kiss.
The hot spring water seemed to boil between their pressed skin.
Xia Liuyue felt good; it had been a long time since she had experienced such an evenly matched contest.
Deeper, fiercer, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Their lips and teeth tangled together.
Both carried the belief and purpose of kissing the other to death.
A long time later, Xia Liuyue gasped for breath during a brief pause.
"Hechuan, I surrender, okay? Your kisses are really amazing."
She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "But we can't continue."
Yan Hechuan released her.
A trace of emotion colored his misty eyes: "Why? Do you dislike me?"
"Not at all. It's just been a long time. I'm afraid Junior Brother Meng is getting impatient."
As she spoke, Xia Liuyue reached for the phone in its waterproof case placed on the stone ledge. The time on it was already 4:00 PM.
They had entered the hot spring around 2:00 PM.
It had been over an hour.
Opening the WeChat interface, the latest message from Meng Xiang read: "Checked the lockers, didn't see the phone."
"Forget it, we're getting ready to come out. I'll figure something out later when there's a chance," Xia Liuyue typed on the screen in reply.
Yan Hechuan frowned almost imperceptibly.
He asked as if casually:
"Is it Du Jiashu?"
He was still a bit angry inside.
After all, what Yinyao had said earlier was too much—'If you don't kiss me, I'll go find Brother Jiashu.'
Yan Hechuan had never before doubted the close friendship between his fiancée and Du Jiashu.
But hearing that sentence just now, previously overlooked details started connecting.
Their relationship was somewhat overly close.
Especially since Du Jiashu was already married, it wasn't good for Yinyao to frequently seek him out for drinks or to play ball.
Xia Liuyue chuckled and shook her head, saying:
"No, I'm messaging my junior brother to say we're heading back."
She hadn't expected her earlier offhand joke to have truly struck a nerve with Yan Hechuan.
She knew it!
How could there be such a magnanimous, indifferent fiancé?
It was simply because he didn't like her enough, so he didn't care.
Once the intimacy or emotional intensity reached a certain point, a man's possessiveness surfaced.
Second day of contact, and the progress bar seemed to be moving swiftly.
Soaking in the hot spring together, kissing together.
She had even discovered Yan Hechuan's hidden side.
The three of them gathered at the entrance of Tangshan Hot Spring, having changed back into their regular clothes.
When Meng Xiang saw her, he showed a helpless, self-blaming expression and spread his hands.
As if to say, 'I don't know where he put the backup phone either, I really couldn't find it.'
Xia Liuyue gave a slight nod, silently responding, 'It's fine.'
Yan Hechuan stood right between the two of them.
He couldn't see anything.
But he could sense that his fiancée seemed to be communicating with her junior brother behind his back, and that tinge of displeasure slowly welled up in his heart again.
He minded.
