Chapter 44: Almost Kissed

Bai Yuchen snatched the white sheet from beneath Ye Shenghan’s hand. He raised his voice with interest, lazily saying, “Shenghan, will we have steamed turtle tonight?!”

He noticed the sweat on her forehead, clear droplets sliding across her brow, strands of hair sticking to her face, as clean and fresh as if washed by rain. Ye Shenghan paused, feeling lost in his gaze. Since last night, she hadn't answered his calls or responded to him, and his heart felt blocked by something. “I’ll go warm the dishes,” he said.

“I’ll do it instead!” Ye Linglan tried to stop him, immediately covering his wrist with her hand. Ye Shenghan froze, turning to look at her, his gaze falling upon her tightly clenched hand. Silence settled between them. Ye Linglan realized she had crossed a line and instinctively withdrew her hand, repeating, “Young Master Ye, let me do it instead!”

As she brushed past him, Ye Shenghan followed, saying, “Let’s go together.”

So-called “together,” yet in the end, Ye Linglan merely watched by his side, experiencing the kind of man who could command both the drawing room and the kitchen. Linglan glanced at him, carefully observing his profile. Fine bangs just touched the corner of his brow, giving him an ineffable handsomeness. She watched his practiced movements; the table was filled with exquisite dishes, so enticing that their aroma alone was enough to make her mouth water. She smiled softly, increasingly fascinated yet increasingly fearful, afraid that everything before her was but a dream. With her back to him, she secretly snapped a photo of the table with her phone, preserving it in her memory.

Bai Yuchen glanced at the kitchen, switched on the crystal chandelier in the dining room, and brilliant light reflected off the two figures. He shook his head and sighed quietly, Ah, fate, fate!

***

After dinner, Ye Shenghan drove her home but parked the car in a small alley not far from her house. He always did this, leaving the last few hundred meters to walk with her: “Let’s take a stroll.” The winding path was lined with orderly street lamps; beneath their dark poles, warm orange light spilled across the cement road.

Tonight, she had drunk a little red wine. In no time, a soft flush bloomed on her cheeks, like a layer of pale blush, but more luminous and clear, making her skin look as delicate as porcelain. Tonight, he followed behind her, watching her shadow. She spread her arms, skipped lightly, spinning in circles, her backpack seeming to fly in her hands. “I’m flying—I'm free—Young Master Ye, I’m free—”

She was like a joyful sprite, reveling in the human world, spinning again and again. Then, a misstep, and her body pitched backward. “Careful—” Ye Shenghan cried out, reaching to grab her wrist, but it was too late; he instinctively tumbled down with her.

“Ah—” she cried out, her brows knitting.

With a thud, they fell together onto the ground, embracing.

The weight of the man pressed her against the pavement like a jack. Ye Shenghan froze; her breath was so close, with a faint hint of wine, her lips grazing his chin. He could feel her softness pressed against his chest. What kind of sensation was that?! He closed his eyes, lips brushing gently against her forehead in a trembling kiss. All his breath felt scorching, gathering into something unnamed.

When he opened his eyes again, Ye Shenghan quickly concealed his emotions. He rose and reached out to pull her up. “Are you all right?”

Ye Linglan, just recovering from the pain, dusted herself off. “It’s all my fault!”