Chapter 7

Gently pushing aside a few strands of hair that covered her face, Ethan supported himself with his elbow and lightly kissed her burning, delicate skin.

"Ethan..." Bella nervously called out, her tender body trembling slightly. "It tickles..."

"Don't be afraid." Ethan's fiery hand covered her soft chest, his fingertips teasing her awakened bud, eagerly aiming to stir up uncontrollable passion.

In the waves of warm but not too hot desire, Bella's delicate body trembled like a startled bird. She faintly knew that Ethan's large hand forced apart her closed legs and intrusively ventured between them, seemingly with improper intentions...

"No, you can't!" Bella quickly blocked his inappropriate hand. How could someone move so fast?

"What can't I do?" Ethan asked vaguely. Her skin tasted like soft rose petals, wonderfully making it impossible for him to stop.

"Touch, touch randomly." Bella blushed shyly.

Ethan laughed softly. "Bella, we're making love!"

After laughing, Ethan passionately kissed her lips, tenderly playing with her cute pink tongue, entwining with it...

"Are you ready?" Ethan's large lower body couldn't resist pressing against her wet entrance, wishing he could have her immediately.

"Yes, I'm ready," Bella bravely took a deep breath, looking as if she was about to face death calmly.

Ethan slowly pushed his burning desire into her tight and narrow cave, inch by inch, struggling to go deeper, claiming her as his own...

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After the rain——

Bella thoughtfully lay on Ethan's sweaty chest.

"What are you thinking, Bella?" Ethan lazily massaged her delicate and beautiful back, raspily asking.

Bella sighed comfortably. "Ethan, you've improved so much compared to two years ago!" Hm! Ethan's massage skills were just right, it seems he must have been practicing while helping Cotton scratch its itch!

"What do you mean 'improved'?" Ethan satisfiedly kissed the top of her head.

"It's just—" Bella blushed and stammered. "Um... the technique, it's improved a lot."

Ethan confidently grinned, showing his teeth. "You mean I've gotten better?"

Bella squinted her slightly sleepy watery eyes, seriously pondering for a moment. "Um... I should say... you've made a lot of progress!"

Embarrassed by her honest confession, Ethan's handsome face immediately turned red. He unconsciously cleared his throat. "Ahem... do you like it?"

Bella shyly nodded, her heart filled with curiosity. "Ethan, did you secretly practice with someone?"

Ethan snorted coldly, his dark eyes filled with the low temperature of anger. "I'm not interested in other women."

His large hand punished her by patting her buttocks, her question was equivalent to insulting him.

"Why aren't you interested?" Bella rested her chin on his slightly raised chest muscles, feeling that he was very strange.

"You fool, it's all because of you." Ethan muttered with annoyance.

Ever since he had a relationship with Bella two years ago, her beautiful figure often appeared in his mind. At first, he thought he couldn't forget her sweet body, but later he gradually realized that things were not so simple. He was afraid that he had fallen in love with this woman.

"Me?" Bella was stunned for a moment before understanding the meaning behind his words. "Do you really like me that much?" She raised her small face and asked eagerly.

"Mhm." Ethan twisted her pretty nose. "You're not too stupid."

"Why?" Bella couldn't help but break into a sweet smile. Ha...she didn't expect that she, Bella, also had the ability to confuse men, hehe...

"Probably because you're different from other women!" Ethan flipped over and pressed her beneath his strong body, passionately and gently pecking at her delicate features.

"What... is different?" Bella's breath began to falter, and a wave of pleasure slowly formed within her body.

Ethan gritted his teeth as he penetrated her tight and delicate passage, moving deeply and powerfully. "You're so innocent, so fun..." His throat suddenly emitted a hoarse groan. "No... self-awareness as a woman, much cuter than those women who... only act." 

Bella softly moaned, her jade-like arms wrapping around his neck, completely immersed in the intoxicating embrace. She had already forgotten what she had just asked...

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Although the dazzling morning light was blocked outside by the black curtains, Ethan still opened his eyes on time, a good habit developed in the military.

At this moment, a slight tingling sensation came from his left arm, reminding Ethan that someone was not sleeping on their pillow but rather on his poor arm.

Ethan gently withdrew his arm and sat up, quietly admiring Bella's sleeping beauty.

Her sleeping face was sweet and beautiful, with a faint blush on her cheeks. If it weren't for the small crease between her eyebrows, he would have thought she was having a good dream!

Unable to resist, Ethan lightly caressed her rosy cheeks. "Bella, wake up." Why does this girl still have a furrowed brow while sleeping?

Bella's brow furrowed deeper, and she grumbled dissatisfiedly before turning around and continuing to sleep. 

A helpless smile of indulgence hung on Ethan's handsome face. "Bella, if you don't get up soon, the sun is going to burn your behind."

Bella's eyelashes flickered slightly, then she slowly reached for her bare bottom, making sure both cheeks were safely hidden under the covers, before disdainfully muttering, "There is no sun today..."

She hated cloudy days the most. If there was no passionate sunlight in the summer, then it wasn't summer at all. She would rather see the sun than see a gloomy sky.

Ethan saw her movement and couldn't help feeling both angry and amused. He put on the pants he had picked up from the floor and then got out of bed to pull open the curtains, letting the sunlight pour in.

"Now you can get up, right, Bella?" He walked back to the bed and mischievously pulled off the blanket that was covering her.

"Ah..." Bella immediately screamed, and like a kangaroo, she and the blanket bounced off the bed and onto the floor.

"You finally woke up." Seeing her amusing and cute jumping motion, the corners of Ethan's mouth curled up with amusement.

He realized that in the month and a half that he had been living with Bella, he smiled more than he had in the whole year before.

"What... What do you want?" Bella pulled on the black blanket with one hand and put up a defensive stance with her other hand, imitating karate.

Ethan innocently pointed to the sunlight outside the window. "I just wanted to wake you up for a morning run. If we don't go out soon, the sun will be too strong."

"A morning run!" Bella groggily glanced at the glaring sunlight outside. She should have been in a good mood, but the mere thought of having to go for a run made her face droop. "No way? We have to go for a morning run today! Can't we skip it for just one day?"

She had thought that after they developed an intimate relationship, she could lucky escape from this "torture," but she didn't expect this guy to be so ruthless and heartless, not even allowing her to be lazy for one day.

Wu wu... Too heartless...

"No, your stamina is too poor. You need to train properly," Ethan firmly instructed.

Bella mournfully drooped her mouth. "You only say this because you got what you wanted. How despicable..."

Ethan laughed at her words and reached out his big hand to rub her small head. "What's wrong? Why are you so reluctant to go for a morning run today?"

Although Bella usually detested exercise, she had never complained so much like today, indicating that there must be a reason behind it.

Bella suddenly blushed, her youthful face turning red. "Oh, this is something you men... will never understand!"

Ethan sat on the edge of the bed with Bella's fragrant shoulder leaning on him, curiously asking, "What is 'this thing'?" He showed an interested smile.

Ignoring Bella's interesting words and actions, in fact, what made him happiest was that she was still "maintaining the original state", not pretending or becoming strange because they had had a relationship.

He loved this relaxed and comfortable feeling.

Bella glanced at his big hand resting on her bare shoulder dumbfoundedly, unable to resist the urge to push it away, and then blushed reluctantly before speaking.

"I...I'm a bit worried that others will see that we...did 'that'...last night..."

"So what if they see?" Ethan saw Bella lowering her head in shyness, revealing her beauty, and couldn't help but hold her delicate body on his lap, bowing his head to gently breathe in her delicate and charming feminine fragrance.

Bella's delicate body trembled slightly, and a lovely shade of pink immediately appeared on her fair skin. "It's...a bit embarrassing."

She cautiously pushed away his handsome face, feeling a little startled by his enthusiasm - it's daytime now, after all!

"Embarrassing? Why?" Ethan furrowed his brow.

Bella sighed in frustration. "Sigh! If people see us together, they will definitely laugh at us!"

"What are you laughing at?" Ethan was confused by her words.

Bella pouted and glared at him in embarrassment. "Laughing at an older man going after younger women."

Oh, this is the downside of dating someone so much younger. Ethan playfully tapped her on the head. "Bella, you're overthinking it! Who pays attention to such trivial matters? Besides, you're only two years older than me."

Women will be women, always making a fuss about these boring things. Bella rubbed her head, which had been attacked, and muttered softly. "It's not like you're the one being laughed at. Of course, you can say it so lightly."

"Bella, it seems like you have a lot of complaints about me?" Ethan intentionally put on a threatening face to scare her.

Little did he know, Bella was as thick-skinned as an elephant and didn't even see his threatening expression. Instead, she sighed and got up from his lap. "As long as you know, I'm going to change my clothes."

With that, she dragged the long sheets and left the room, leaving behind an Ethan who had a mixed expression of laughter and tears.

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After the landlord-tenant relationship developed into a romantic one, Ethan and Bella did not have a difficult time adjusting. They continued to get along just as easily and naturally as before, full of laughter.

The only thing that Bella couldn't bear was sleeping in Ethan's bed, so every time they had a good time together, she would secretly sneak back to her own bed to sleep in the middle of the night.

In the end, Ethan had to move over and share a bed with her.

On this day—

"Chirp..." The sound of a doorbell interrupted Bella's nap.

"May I ask who you are looking for?" Bella politely asked, looking at the unfamiliar middle-aged couple outside the door.

This couple was around forty or fifty years old, dressed elegantly, with a dignified bearing. It was clear that they came from a distinguished background, and they were definitely not ordinary people because their demeanor couldn't deceive anyone.

However, what was quite strange was that as soon as they saw her, they smiled at her directly, making Bella feel a bit uneasy.

"We are looking for Ethan, is he here?" Although Victor asked this with his mouth, his eyes were still fixed on Bella.

Hmm! Soft and tranquil, charming and lovely, no wonder their son Ethan fell in love with her at first sight. Although she didn't have an enchanting and stunning appearance, her refreshing and sweet face was quite attractive.

Hmm... not bad! Their son really has good taste. Victor and Olivia coincidentally nodded in agreement.

"Ethan isn't home!" Bella revealed a sweet smile.

"Woof woof woof..."

Unable to resist, Cotton stuck his furry head out from behind his owner and barked a few warning sounds at the guests.

"What a cute big dog..." Olivia smiled widely, extending her delicate hand towards Cotton's nose, allowing it to sniff her scent. "I remember Ethan used to have a Saint Bernard like this when he was young. Unfortunately, it accidentally died in a car accident, and Ethan cried for a long time. Since then, he refused to have any pets." She spoke, and as she did, her eyes turned red.

Victor comfortingly patted his wife's back. "Alright, it's been many years since then."

Bella, unsure of what to do, scratched her head, a little startled by the tears welling up in Olivia's eyes. "Um... the sun is shining outside, would you like to come in... and sit for a while? Ethan should be back soon."

Cotton let out a "woof," as if understanding Olivia's sorrow, and affectionately licked her hand, causing her to break into a smile.

"Alright then, let's go inside and wait for Ethan." Olivia, although crying, didn't forget that they had come up north today to secretly meet their future daughter-in-law, so they needed to "move fast and decisively" before their son returned.

Bella led this odd couple into the living room, and then brought them two bowls of ice-cold mung bean soup. She sat down in front of them, and Cotton naturally followed her.

"Bella, thank you for taking care of Ethan," Olivia first thanked with a smile. "He must have caused you a lot of trouble!"

"Not really, actually Ethan took care of me more," Bella admitted with embarrassment, ashamed to even lift her head.

Strange! How did she know that her name was Bella? Bella scratched her temple in doubt.

Victor and Olivia exchanged a glance, their strange expressions tinged with suspicion. "Wait a minute! Are you talking about that person named Ethan?"

"Yes!" Bella nodded cautiously.

"Impossible! When would this kid ever take care of someone?" Victor immediately leaned in and whispered to his wife. "Darling, did we come to the wrong place?"

"It's possible!" Just to be sure, Olivia had to confirm again. "Miss, is your name Bella?"

"Yes." A sudden and inexplicable sense of awkwardness surged within Bella, making her nod more cautiously. She had a feeling that she had forgotten to ask something important.

"Well, there you have it!" Olivia happily patted her husband's knee. "I didn't expect our Ethan to also take care of others. That's wonderful!"

"This kid has finally grown up," Victor said with a relieved smile. He politely said to Bella, "Bella, Ethan's temper is cold and hard, please bear with him." 

In the end, he still worried about Ethan's temper, afraid that he wouldn't know how to please a woman and scare away his girlfriend.

"Oh!" Bella smiled softly. As Ethan's landlady, she had to speak up for him. 

"Ethan's temper is not that bad! As long as you don't violate his taboos, it's fine."

To be honest, after living together for almost a month, she had never seen Ethan angry. He only had a cold face when confronted with strangers. 

"What taboos?" both husband and wife asked curiously at the same time. 

Bella was startled by their synchronized question and subconsciously moved back a little. "Um... don't litter, and don't eat things from the refrigerator in the middle of the night—"

"Why can't you eat things from the refrigerator?" Olivia interrupted her with confusion.

Bella shrugged with a smile. "Probably afraid that I'll get a stomachache!"

Even if Ethan didn't say it, she could tell that he was afraid of her experiencing physical pain again, so he was extra cautious about her stomach.

The Thornton couple's jaws almost dropped, unable to believe what they heard. "Ethan really cares about you," Olivia's gentle voice carried a tinge of sadness. Ah, it seems that raising a son has become someone else's task. 

Victor cleared his throat. "By the way, I heard..."

And so, Bella sat on the couch, allowing this couple to ask a bunch of personal questions until they left, leaving her confused about their true intentions. 

Weren't they here to see Ethan? Why did they rush off before even meeting him?

It's really mysterious!

...

"Why is the mung bean soup gone?" 

When Ethan came back, drenched in sweat, he walked to the refrigerator to look for the mung bean soup he had cooked earlier in the morning.

"A strange couple drank it all," Bella crouched down, anxiously rubbing Snowflake's head. "What did the vet say?"

Ethan just went out, driving with Snowflake to the veterinarian.

"The vet said Snowflake's appetite is poor because of the hot weather. It will be better in a while," Ethan gritted his teeth and stared at the empty pot in the fridge.

Large long-haired dogs like Cotton and Snowflake are not suitable for living in hot and humid climates. People often find them cute when they are puppies and impulsively bring them home, but they usually regret it soon after because these dogs require a lot of exercise. If they don't have a suitable yard to play in, they will end up flipping the whole apartment upside down. That's why Bella was able to randomly pick up two valuable dogs on the street, both of which were abandoned by their previous owners.

"Oh!" Bella caressed Snowflake's curly hair thoughtfully. "Ethan, I want to help Cotton and Snowflake trim their fur!"

For the happiness and health of the dogs, she no longer cared about their self-esteem.

"Woof..." Cotton and Snowflake, who were originally crowded in front of the fridge enjoying the air conditioning, seemed to understand what Bella was saying! They immediately pitifully drooped their ears and let out a whimper.

"Then let's shave them!" Ethan sympathetically glanced at Cotton and Snowflake, then closed the fridge. "What strange guests have arrived after all?"

"They are a strange middle-aged couple. They came to find you," Bella continued with a puzzled look on her face.

"This couple is really strange! They were not interested in the mung bean soup I placed on the table, but as soon as they heard that you cooked it, they gulped down bowl after bowl, as if they had been thirsty for days."

"Ethan squinted his dark eyes suspiciously. 'What are their names?'

'Ah—' Bella suddenly exclaimed. 'I finally remembered that I forgot to ask!'

'What did you forget to ask?' Ethan lazily walked towards the bedroom as he took off his partially wet black sweater.

One person and two dogs immediately followed his footsteps.

'I forgot to ask who they are,' Bella said with a frustrated expression, biting her lip.

Ethan abruptly stopped in his tracks, turned around with a gloomy face. 'You let them in without even knowing who they are?'

'Ah!' Bella accidentally bumped her delicate nose against his bare, broad back, which caused her to wince in pain, tears welling up in her eyes. 'That hurts so much!' She held her reddened nose and whimpered.

'And you dare to complain about the pain? You foolish little dimwit without a sense of alertness! Come here, let me see.' Although Ethan cursed at her harshly, his actions were gentle.

He lightly moved aside her hand covering her nose and then tilted her chin up to carefully inspect her nasal bridge for injuries.

'They didn't say, so of course I forgot to ask. Why are you scolding me?' Bella, with tears of pain in her eyes, had an expression of being wronged."

"You're still so stubborn!" Ethan angrily and lovingly tapped her smooth and delicate forehead.

"Have you ever thought about how dangerous this is? Have you ever thought about what if they are bad people? Do you have the ability to deal with them?" If it weren't for her injured nose, he really wanted to spank her butt!

Although it is highly possible that those strange couple are his lonely and eager-to-grandparent parents, Bella's careless and reckless behavior is still very infuriating.

Bella was scared pale by him, and could only stammer: "I-I have Cotton with me!" She nervously touched the Cotton beside her.

"Woof woof..." Cotton immediately let out a strong and powerful bark.

"Hmph! Don't push the responsibility onto Cotton. What use is a dog that only knows how to bark in dangerous situations?" Ethan glared at Bella and Cotton with irritation.

A dog's nature can be seen from its owner's temperament. Cotton and Snowflake are the most obvious examples. Despite their usually fierce and imposing appearances, they have gentle and foolish temperaments. That's why even Shadow is not afraid of them and can ride on their heads, acting as their leader.

"But... but Cotton..." Bella lowered her head and met Cotton's innocent gaze, desperately trying to say something good on its behalf. "Cotton, uh..."

"How is Cotton?" Ethan leaned his tall and sturdy body against the wall, waiting to hear what she had to say. 

"Cotton... looks really scary... and also..." Bella paused for a moment, troubled, as she looked at Cotton. Then she continued her 'praise.' "Um... it makes really loud noises." 

By the end, Bella's soft voice had become smaller and it was clear she couldn't find any more words to say. 

Ethan coldly picked up the cotton shirt in his hand and casually wiped away the sweat on his chest. 

"Do you realize your mistake now?" 

Without giving her any color to see, this woman would surely forget in an instant. 

"I understand." Bella stared blankly at his strong and broad chest, suddenly feeling that this guy exuded a strong sense of masculinity and was no longer the little boy from before. 

When Ethan saw her pretty eyes fixated on him, his mood suddenly improved and he couldn't help but tease, 

"Bella, your drool is coming out." 

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Bella quickly wiped her mouth. Strange! She could practically see Ethan walking around the house shirtless every day, but she still couldn't get enough of it?

"It's okay!" Ethan's lips slowly curled up, and the satisfaction in her eyes satisfied his long-ignored male dignity. "By the way! What were those two guests looking for me this afternoon?" 

"Huh?" Bella's hazy gaze shifted to his handsome face. She hesitated for a moment before remembering to answer his question. "I... I don't know!" 

"You didn't ask?" Ethan's tone was hopeless. If a woman couldn't even remember the names of the guests, how could he expect her to ask anything else? 

"Oh! I forgot." Bella said disappointedly, suddenly feeling a bit sorry for Ethan. 

"Did they say anything?" Ethan's sharp eyebrows narrowed. 

Bella squinted her watery eyes and thought hard. "No! But they asked me a lot of questions. About my age, height, weight, and interests. They asked a lot of strange questions." 

"What kind of questions?" Ethan crossed his arms, looking lazy and handsome. 

"Like my age, height, weight, and interests. They asked a lot of strange questions." Bella scratched her dark and shiny hair. "It felt like I was being interviewed!" 

Ethan raised an eyebrow. This woman wasn't too stupid. She even knew when someone was being "professional." 

"Ethan, are they managers from some big company? Otherwise, why would they speak so 'professionally'?" Bella blinked her beautiful eyes.

"Fool! Don't you know who they are?" Ethan suppressed a smile. Just earlier, he had praised her for not being stupid, so why did she suddenly reveal her foolishness? Tsk! Truly disappointing.

"Who?" Bella protested, puffing up her rosy cheeks. Why did he call her a fool again?

Ethan sympathetically ruffled her head. "My parents, my lord and lady."