Chapter 31 — Thank you.

Jian Yan eyed He Xiu unhappily, asking him with an unsightly complexion, "What science is this theory of yours based off of?"

He Xiu promptly answered, "There"s no scientific basis. I"m speaking nonsense. How about we change spots?"

Jian Yan said, "No need. Even if we change spots, the vapor will still float to my side." Fortunately, she had brought extra clothes; otherwise, she would have smelled like hotpot when she went to work later. That would be terrible.

Thinking of this, Jian Yan opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off by He Xiu signaling the waiter.

"A bottle of , Pessac-Leognan please," He Xiu ordered, glancing at Jian Yan from the corners of his eyes to see if she had any resistance. Seeing shock but not indignation, he picked up a pair of chopsticks and began dropping the ingredients in the pot.

Watching He Xiu silently for a moment, Jian Yan frowned slightly. She asked, "Wine?"

"Mn." He Xiu didn"t pause as he continued to prepare the meal. "The key to pairing wine with hotpot is not to concentrate on the meat, but on the sauce. Hotpot tends to be fairly mild in flavor, so the sauce adds to the taste. Normally, a white wine like Riesling is paired with Chinese food, but past experience has taught me that lighter wines with a nice fruity flavor like a younger Côte du Rhone or Beaujolais rounds out the more acidic sauces. I plan on serving this alongside a more savory sesame sauce, however, so the "wild white," one strongly aged, is better."

"Oh." Jian Yan didn"t know how to respond to the impromptu wine lesson. "Does it taste like Chardonnay? I"ve had that before, a Chablis one I think. Lin Zhen ordered a bottle to go with the oysters that we went out to eat celebrating my first award."

"Chablis ?" He Xiu set down the chopsticks and began adjusting the temperature. "A cla.s.sic young, white burgundy. Chief Lin must know her wine pretty well. Chablis goes particularly well with oysters; the young, unoaked , brewed in a cool climate, complements light and delicate food perfectly. "

Jian Yan blinked. It was just wine. Ke—ke— Coughing, she changed the topic. "Should we be consuming alcohol when we have work later?" She glanced askance at the cream white bottle of liquor in the ice bucket. The waiter had stealthily delivered it a moment ago as he had not wanted to interrupt He Xiu.

He Xiu started. Mentally cursing at himself, he stated, "We can take the day off to recover. My apologies; I had forgotten about further engagements later today."

"Is it okay to just take a holiday so last minute?"

"Since I am the director, making such last minute accommodations should be no problem." He glanced to the side and placed a wine gla.s.s in front of each of them.

Looking at his guilty expression, Jian Yan suspiciously replied, "Alright&h.e.l.lip;" Trailing off, she saw He Xiu"s eyes light up. A blink of an eye later, the light disappeared. "Right, I might quit two days from now."

He Xiu was slightly stunned. Hand grasping the bottle, he poured the wine into gla.s.ses, his movements slightly unsteady. "I was wrong; a moment ago, I was only speaking nonsense. You don"t need to quit, okay?"

Jian Yan laughed and said, "Chief Lin only gave me a month vacation, and previously, Zhou Wen Wen and I had agreed that I would leave after Christmas."

He Xiu slightly pursed his lips. He wasn"t afraid that there would be one less employee at Fantasy Wardrobe because Jian Yan left. Instead, he was afraid that if she left, he would have less opportunities to interact with her.

He pondered for a moment before saying to her, "Hui Hui is leaving for C City after Lunar New Year. How about you stay until then and leave with her."

"Mn&h.e.l.lip; it"s not like I can"t do that." It was just that if it was like this, her new project might be started even later than intended.

He Xiu continued to argue. "A holiday bonus is also given during Lunar New Year. You"ll also receive one."

Jian Yan raised a brow slightly. "The benefits are that good?" She was still a probationary employee.

"Mn." He Xiu nodded. She would because he said she would.

"Well, okay then. It"s only a few more days anyway."

He Xiu"s heart relaxed a little upon seeing her agree. He took a sip of his wine, smiled at her, and asked, "What else do you want to eat? I"ll buy it for you."

"Oh, nothing for the time being. Ask again after we finish eating this."

"Mn." He Xiu raised his chopsticks and picked up a few pieces. He didn"t care what it was and just placed it into his bowl. Currently, he was thinking that time was running out. He had to develop a closer relationship with Jian Yan before she quit. "Oh, that"s right, are you free the day after tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow?" Jian Yan thought for a moment. "January 1st?"

"Mn."

"I think I have the early shift."

"Then do you have time after you finish work? I want to take you somewhere."

Jian Yan was slightly curious. "Where?"

He Xiu smiled at her. "Confidential for the time being."

Jian Yan narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you trying to plan something bad?"

He Xiu laughed in spite of himself and replied, "Absolutely not. Trust me."

Jian Yan thought this over and agreed. "Sure."

The corners of He Xiu"s lips rose slightly, clearly a bit happy. "Then after you finish work, wait for me outside the department store. I"ll give you a ride there."

"Okay." She agreed before seemingly recalling something. She asked He Xiu, "Oh, that"s right. Tomorrow night is New Year"s Eve. Are many brands going to sell lucky bags?"

He Xiu said, "Lucky bags will be sold after the department store opens up in the morning on January 1st, but many clients will be lining up outside all night."

"Mn, I know this. So will we be working overtime that night?"

"You don"t need to, but I might stay at the company all night."

Jian Yan looked at him with sympathy. "So tragic?"

He Xiu chuckled. "It"s like this every year. I"ve already become used to it."

Jian Yan wanted to say, You, as the general manager, have no need to attend to everything personally. But despite being on the verge of saying what was on her mind, she once again swallowed it back down. He Xiu was sensitive about his position in the He Family. She was afraid that she might carelessly say something that would make him feel sad.

"This saute beef with cayenne pepper is very delicious. You should try it too." Jian Yan picked up some of the beef with her chopsticks and placed it in He Xiu"s bowl.

He Xiu raised his eyes to look at her and smiled, saying, "Thank you."

"&h.e.l.lip;No need." Jian Yan buried her head, secretly annoyed at herself in her heart. Unexpectedly, she had been a little careless and had become lost in his enchanting eyes.

Digging into her meal, she took a sip of wine every few mouthfuls. Mn&h.e.l.lip; as always, He Xiu"s tastes are excellent. Though, with how much she could normally eat in addition to the fact that she loved hotpot&h.e.l.lip;maybe she shouldn"t be drinking wine so steadily. With He Xiu"s burning gaze on her, however, this slipped her mind.

"Mnnnn&h.e.l.lip;?" Jian Yan murmured, struggling to open her eyes. Her limbs felt heavy, as if lethargy had claimed her being. Even her thoughts felt slow, her first reaction nonsensical. A cream white ceiling, soft Egyptian cotton sheets, and a warm pillow&h.e.l.lip; that was moving. "Pillow stop moving&h.e.l.lip;" She patted beneath her.

Pa! Pa! Pa!

"Hmm?" She blinked slowly. Her eyes shifted down, only to see an expanse of chiseled, ivory skin. Her mind was still hazy, barely allowing her to register the soft pu—tong, pu—tong beating under her hands. Warmth seeped into her cheeks. She shifted her hips a little, only to feel a heavy arm wrap itself tightly around her waist, preventing her from moving.

Wha—what??? She tilted her head up and caught sight of a series of blooming red-purple marks——hickeys.

Her breath quickened. No, this could not be. Did he&h.e.l.lip;? No, if she remembered correctly, she was the one to&h.e.l.lip;

She felt a slightly cool hand on her forehead, causing her eyelashes to flutter. She looked up from beneath her lashes, locking his darkened brown gaze with her own. Biting her lip slightly, she leaned upward, letting his hand trail against her cheek in a caress as she caught his lips with hers.

She had never done this before, but she had dabbled with it in her art. Liquid courage, no matter how diluted the wine or the quant.i.ty of food she had consumed, ran through her veins and tore at the walls of ice she had built up long ago. The fiery heat and haze of intoxication battered at her barriers until, one by one, they fell.

She grasped his hands, placing them on her hips as her hands rested behind his neck. She smelled the faint scent of rainwater and vanilla from the glossy black strands.

Letting her gaze trail a bit higher, she froze. Her eyes couldn"t tear its gaze away from a pair of pale lips a bit pinker and plumper than usual.

Fingers trailing up her arm before brushing against her cheek. A hot breath fanned back the few strands of hair framing her face as darkness shrouded her vision. All she could feel was slightly chapped lips caressing hers and a smooth tongue wetting her lips before diving in——stealing her breath away.

A tinge of chocolate, nestled behind the fruity tang of strawberry-veiled oak—she broke free to take a gasp of air, licking his lips first though. Mint? No, it was something that was purely He Xiu—some flavor so enticing and sharp, yet light and refreshing. She was completely addicted to its taste. She dove right back into those swollen red lips.

Jian Yan struggled in the tight embrace, but all she managed to do was skim her fingers across skin, sending electric shocks through her system as memories of warmth-heat-muscle began invading her senses.

She wanted to push back, but her hands refused to listen. One slid upwards, entangling itself even deeper into silky black locks. The other tugged up a light blue cotton fabric, dragging it out from beneath the tight fit of black trousers. Her hand found purchase against hard muscle, the smoothness and sensuality of skin-to-skin contact igniting something inside her.

She couldn"t breathe. A headiness descended upon her until all she could recognize was&h.e.l.lip;

Touch.

Warmth.

Wetness.

Heat.

This&h.e.l.lip;no&h.e.l.lip;

Touching such warmth was like a drug. She let his silken locks slip through her fingers, her hands tugging apart fabric until b.u.t.tons either slipped free or fell to the floor with a clatter.

Clack. Clack.

Her nails sc.r.a.ped along the defined lines of muscle lightly, her body pushing them both forward until their legs fell in a messy tangle. Soft cushioning let them continue their dance, his fingers pulling her loose floral blouse off and revealing a silk camisole in the lightest shade of pink. Her long legs shifted until they were between his; a hardening bulge pressed against her stomach, spurring her further instead of sending her across the world in disgust.

This&h.e.l.lip;she&h.e.l.lip;they&h.e.l.lip;

She pressed kisses down his jaw, the slight hint of stubble nearly making her giggle. When she reached his collarbone, she latched onto his pulse point and began suckling it, her mind running on instinct. Even if she had never done something like this, some things were just obvious. The grunts and groans filling the air above her only reinforced this point.

A slight nip here, a flash of teeth there. She was marking him as hers. No one else could touch him——and after she was done, no one would wonder who he belonged to.

She tightly shut her eyes, willing herself to wake up from this&h.e.l.lip;this&h.e.l.lip;

Fwip!

Her camisole fluttered to the ground, the hand that tossed it backwards casually returning to slide between her back and the bed. Rough hands slid across her shoulder blades, trailing down until they reached fabric and metal clasps. A slight tug later, she found herself arching back, her fingers digging into broad shoulders.

The first thought that trickled through her mind was "wet." The second was "cold." The third never even made it as his tongue—flicked—a dusty rose bud while his fingers rolled the other back and forth.

She didn"t know what she was saying, but she did know that she had found herself trapped, legs clamped between pure muscle and body immobilized from sheer sensation.

Oh G.o.d&h.e.l.lip;she had&h.e.l.lip;

She didn"t know how, but one moment his mouth was all over her chest, and the next moment he had her stripped completely bare. He shifted down before dragging his teeth along the insides of her thigh. She had—never—thought that she would be so sensitive there, never thought that her lips could spout nonsensical litanies.

She knew she was pleading—she was practically begging at this point in all honesty—but she didn"t even know what she was asking for.

"Please, He Xiu, please&h.e.l.lip;" she trailed off, biting back a gasp. The slightest of touches at her slick core left her breathless.

She glanced down at her legs and immediately spotted the beginnings of a green-blue mottled bruising all over.  She shifted from muted pain and glimpsed the flash of color. Tilting her head a bit lower allowed her sight of her chest, and she bit back a curse.

What kind of beast attacked my chest?

If she thought the collarbone of hickeys on He Xiu was bad, her chest&h.e.l.lip;

She wanted to whimper.

His fingers.

One.

Curling inside her, exploring the folds and making her gasp and her hands tug at his hair.

Two.

Pushing in and sliding out, caressing her. She tugged even harder, only to feel a quick, sharp bite at her thigh. She craned her neck down, her eyes hazy and half-lidded. His eyes glanced upwards meaningfully, and she released her grip to dig her hands into his shoulders. He resumed his exploration.

Electricity.

Like nerves on fire.

His name rested on her lips as her thoughts descended into simplicity.

More. Oh G.o.d, she wanted more.

She shut her eyes. This did not happen. This was all a dream. This&h.e.l.lip;this&h.e.l.lip;

She felt herself shifting, shifting because the body she was resting on was shifting. Dread began creeping into her as she slowly cracked open her eyelids and looked up. Black strands of hair, limp and mussed, feathered against clear, pale skin. Black lashes fluttered slightly, his eyes moving behind his lids as he slowly awoke.

Her gaze was caught by darkened browns that held such an intensity, it sent her mind spiraling back to a moment of pure bliss, a moment where her mind had been lost and bereft of thought.

The first thought that breached her mind amidst the clash of pain-pleasure, the fullness, was that He Xiu was f.u.c.king huge. f.u.c.king huge and going to tear her into two because she could already—feel—the trickle of blood accompanying the lightning-flash sharp pain.

She had read up on this topic before and came away feeling nauseated and repulsed. It looked dirty and painful, not&h.e.l.lip;not&h.e.l.lip;

Her mind went blank when his voice filtered through her ears.

"Yan Yan, relax."

She whimpered, but automatically tried to loosen her body. His paused movements&h.e.l.lip;

A second pa.s.sed, then another.

Each pa.s.sing second began to grate on her.

She hung in balance, tilting back and forth between the feeling of fullness and warm-numbing pain. Her body seemed to mold itself around him.

All she knew, however, was that she wanted him to&h.e.l.lip;

"Move."

Then, her world exploded as she stared up into a pair of darkened eyes.

Author"s Note:

I hope everyone enjoyed this~

Expressing thanks to readers

Muah~! Muah~! (づ￣3￣)づ╭♡～

Happy April Fools!