Chapter 275

Side Story 2 (1)

Sensing something amiss, the smile on Su Qiuge’s face gradually froze at the corners of her mouth. She suddenly realized a rather serious issue—had she become too complacent lately because of Xie Xinglin’s flattery and groveling? Had she forgotten that this person was originally cunning and deceitful? She blinked, becoming aware of the situation, and tried to break free from his embrace.

However, no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t escape. He lowered his gaze and held her hand in his, her hand appearing small and delicate in his palm. He slightly tilted his body, wearing a lazy expression, and his feather-like eyelashes cast a shadow over his eyes.

He whispered, “So... where would you like to start trying?”

Su Qiuge, feeling somewhat intimidated by his words, immediately pulled her hand out of his palm and looked down, saying, “I’m not interested anymore, I don’t want to try.”

He curled his lips slightly and leaned closer, gazing into her eyes, saying, “Won’t you regret it if you don’t give it a try?” His words were spoken slowly and deliberately, and anyone who didn’t know better would think he was genuinely concerned for her. He continued at his own pace, “After all, it’s the honeymoon period. If you try now and aren’t satisfied, it’s your last chance to regret.”

Su Qiuge took a deep breath and blushed, stuttering, “W-what are you saying?” She pursed her lips and added in a low voice, “Besides... I’ve seen it before.” And back then, it had dealt her quite a blow. Just the thought of it made Su Qiuge’s ears turn red, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

She added, “And haven’t you heard about the significance of drinking this toast...” She couldn’t explain it in detail, but it probably meant being together forever, holding hands and growing old together.

As she spoke, he paused for a moment. He was not a superstitious person, but at this moment, he felt that everything she said was right. If it meant there was even a slight hope for a long and happy future, then why not?

So he lifted his gaze slightly and looked at her, wrapping his arm around hers. Seeing this, she smiled faintly, then tilted her head back and finished the red wine in the tall glass in one go. She acted decisively, but a little bit of the wine stained the corner of her mouth, and the wine-red liquid slid down, leaving a slightly striking mark on her fair chin.

However, after she finished her drink, she realized that this person remained completely still, and he had been staring at her without her knowing for how long. So she glared at him, grumbling a few words that were hard to hear due to the wine in her mouth. But he could still infer the general meaning from the fluctuating tone: “Why aren’t you drinking yet?” “Hurry up and finish your glass!” “Do you think it’s childish? Do you no longer love me?” “Men are truly fickle...”

Xie Xinglin lowered his eyes and watched her. His narrow eyes behind the lenses appeared even narrower in the dim light of the villa, exuding a somewhat gloomy gaze. After a long while, he chuckled softly, “No need for such trouble.”

As soon as the words fell, he took off his gold-rimmed glasses with one hand. In that instant, it was as if he had shed his refined and gentle facade, revealing a face with sharp features that exuded a strong sense of aggression. His whole being was sharp, and his gaze was deep and dark. He stared at her without looking away, then reached out and gripped her chin, pressing his thumb against her slightly puffed-up cheek.

Just as she had glared at him, he lowered his head and kissed her. She let out a soft exclamation and was then pulled into his embrace without any resistance. He held her tightly, stealing away both the taste of the red wine and the air from her mouth.

When he finally released her and she let out a sigh of relief, he continued to stare at her, making her blush and lower her head in shyness. Then his lips curled slightly and he implied, “The taste of this wine is not bad.” Her cheeks were tinged with a light shade of pink, and the lipstick she had carefully applied was smudged around her lips. Hearing his words, she playfully stared at him with her round almond-shaped eyes.