Chapter 13: Too Provocative, Even Breathing Becomes Agonizing

"I... I..."

Before she could make her point, the man suddenly drew closer to her, his high-bridged nose touching the tip of hers.

His large hand also touched her delicate shoulder.

In that instant, Xu Ningxi felt her breathing becoming labored.

Her mind was a tumultuous roar.

When she had married him, she had mentioned a marriage in name, but she hadn't specified the details with him.

So, his actions now made it difficult for her to form a words of rejection, as if they wouldn't stand on solid ground.

Just as she was feeling uncomfortable, Fu Hanzheng's head tilted to the side, and his hand slid the fallen strap of her nightgown back into place.

Xu Ningxi suddenly found her breathing smoothed out, and at the same time, she was reflecting that she had thought too much.

She had thought...

Thought that Fu Hanzheng wanted something to happen between them...

As she pondered how to divert the conversation and ease the awkwardness, she heard a deep, husky, magnetic chuckle from the man's throat.

"I was just teasing you."

She: "..."

Life is already too hard.

He had done it on purpose just now.

And he had the nerve to say it so outright.

He seemed so free and easy about it, leaving her alone in her embarrassment.

Xu Ningxi wished she could crawl into a hole and hide.

Then she heard him say, "Let's go upstairs, there are two bedrooms on the second floor."

Xu Ningxi took a deep breath and hurriedly followed him.

Fu Hanzheng stood tall and leaned casually against the door frame, his arms crossed in front of him, "There are two rooms, choose whichever you want to stay in."

Xu Ningxi didn't dare to look more.

After all, this was someone else's territory, and although they were legally married, they were not very familiar with each other.

She pursed her lips.

"You can have your usual room, and I'll pick one of the empty ones."

Fu Hanzheng chuckled softly.

"I have a bad habit of liking to switch rooms. Both rooms are quite good, one with a sea view and the other with a mountain view. Before you came into my life, I would stay in them alternately by myself."

Xu Ningxi was really stumped by this.

Additionally, his words seemed heartfelt, notably mentioning that he lived alone before.

So, his fiancée never lived with him?

But thinking about Fu Hanzheng's profession, she felt that his explanation was completely unnecessary.

Due to his job, he had been with so many women.

Accommodating women, catering to wealthy women, to him, having another fiancée move in, that wasn't a big deal at all.

A distorted, struggling expression appeared on her face.

But she quickly recomposed herself.

Nonchalantly, she pointed to a room.

"Then I'll take this one."

Fu Hanzheng looked on, the corners of his lips curling up slightly.

The room she chose at random was actually the one he had truly stayed in.

He had no reason to refuse her.

"Hmm, this room is nice, you can see the sea view, good night."

After speaking, he entered the other room.

Xu Ningxi let out a sigh of relief.

She pushed open the door in front of her.

The room held traces of his presence, luckily she didn't mind them.

Standing in front of the window, she indeed saw the sea view.

Her apartment only had a partial view of the mountains.

It reminded her of how she initially imagined Fu Hanzheng's living situation to be a cramped shared apartment.

She had been worried that living with him would disturb him and others.

It turned out to be a complete contradiction.

She overthought things and seriously underestimated Fu Hanzheng.

And her failure to fulfill the promise of providing a marital home made her feel somewhat embarrassed, somewhat inferior in front of Fu Hanzheng.

She had always been one to follow through on her words.

But in front of Fu Hanzheng, how could she face herself after being proven wrong time and time again?!

Xu Ningxi felt deeply embarrassed and mentally prepared herself to quickly escape this awkward situation.

She walked over to the wardrobe.

She opened the wardrobe, looking for spare sheets, duvets, and pillowcases to change into.

But she found none.

The entire closet only contained Fu Hanzheng's clothes.

She was not willing to give up, so she searched further down.

And she actually came across some of his personal clothing, like underwear.

The size of those briefs seemed to also hint at his size.

Xu Ningxi's cheeks turned slightly red as she looked at them.

She thought that someone in his profession certainly wouldn't be small.

She should have known he was large already.

Yet, the impact of seeing his actual underwear was still somewhat great.

Xu Ningxi quickly closed the drawer, not daring to search any further.

It was already too late tonight, so she would just have to make do.

After washing up, she went to bed.

But sleeping in his bed, under his duvet, the hormonal scent belonging to Fu Hanzheng seeped in through every pore, making it seem as if he lay right beside her, stirring up waves of confusion and desire within her.

That night, she had a dream.

A spring dream too indecent to mention to others.

In the dream, she was bound by Fu Hanzheng, a heady mix of ecstasy and despair, of living and dying.

So when she awoke, she was completely disheveled.

Sitting up in bed, she felt utterly disordered.

And she was even more annoyed with herself for having that kind of dream.

Looking outside, she saw that the sky was still somewhat dark, so she forced herself to bury her head and go back to sleep.

Perhaps because she had been so tired the day before, she eventually fell asleep again.

The door "clicked" as it was pushed open from the outside.

Fu Hanzheng walked in.

The light in the bedroom was still very dim.

His footsteps were silent on the soft, plush carpet as he made his way to her bedside.

On the bed, Xu Ningxi's soft black hair spread across the pillow, her delicate porcelain face tranquil, her long lashes like little fans resting on her cheeks, her lips slightly parted, her entire being akin to a tempting red rose on a summer day.

Especially her petite cherry lips.

As if a gentle suckle would draw out the sweet nectar.

The man's gaze grew deeper.

He reached out, his fingers articulated and long, and gently brushed away the stray hair by her temple, tucking it behind her ear.

"Little one, you finally came..."

Then—

He bent down and his thin lips gently pecked her slightly upturned upper lip.

A touch as if quenching a thirst with poison.

After doing this, the man still seemed unsatisfied.

But he dared not take any more liberties.

She was the first treasure he had come across in his life.

She was so special, and in his presence, so honest and endearing.

He couldn't bear to harm her, not even a little.

Even if he wanted to do something to her, he had to take it slowly.

He just sat by the bed, his hands resting on his knees, clenching his restraint, quietly watching her serene sleeping face.

...

When Xu Ningxi awoke, the day was already bright.

She heard some noise from outside and knew that Fu Hanzheng had already gotten up.

She rushed into the bathroom to wash up, then went downstairs.

By the time she got downstairs, the meals had already been laid out on the table.

Fu Hanzheng came over and pulled out a chair for her, asking her to sit down.

Xu Ningxi hurriedly said to him, "You don't have to do all this for me, I can take care of myself."

His attentiveness made her feel quite embarrassed.

Considering she was staying at his place, eating his food, and accepting his considerate and gentlemanly behavior, she felt undeservedly indebted.

She always felt that she hadn't provided enough value to face him with confidence.

Fu Hanzheng smiled faintly, as if he had peered into her thoughts, and said to her, "Don't feel embarrassed, I like doing these things for you."

Because it was her, that's why he liked it.

Xu Ningxi felt teased by him yet again.

He hadn't said anything remotely like a sweet nothing, but she was still embarrassingly stirred by him.