"Come here. I won't eat you," Zheng Liang teased Yang Ning, his eyes dancing with mischief as he patted the empty space next to him on the bed.
Yang Ning hesitated, her lips parting slightly. "Why do I feel like this isn't just about reading a book to you?" she questioned, a suspicious glint in her eyes.
Despite her reluctance, she went to his side and got on the bed. She sat with her back resting against the headboard, trying to appear casual and composed, while Zheng Liang lay on his side next to her, his eyes fixed on her. The warmth of his gaze made her feel both nervousness and an inexplicable excitement.
Zheng Liang quickly covered her legs with a warm, thick blanket to warm her icy-cold feet. Before she could get comfortable or protest, he shifted closer, playfully resting his head on her lap, his eyes gleaming with teasing mischief.
Yang Ning was surprised by Zheng Liang's sudden movement and asked in confusion, "What... What are you doing? Why aren't you lying on the pillow but on my lap?"
Zheng Liang closed his eyes and a pleased smile on his lips before replying, "It's more comfortable this way. The pillow was cold." He snuggled his face into her stomach and wrapped his hands around her waist, eyes still closed.
A flush crept into Yang Ning's cheeks, and she could feel her body temperature rising due to his warm and intimate gestures. Her heart pounded, both with the thrill of the moment and nervous anticipation in the air.
Although they had been sharing the bed for quite some time, they had always kept a decent distance between them while sleeping. Somehow, it still felt as if a wall was standing between them, making them feel awkward around each other.
The hesitance in their relationship was more because of her than him. She seemed to be more awkward around him, a sensation that gnawed at her whenever they grew closer. When they came close, she always remembered that she didn't belong to this world and needed to return to her own.
That was why she avoided getting close to him, worried that it might only hurt her heart.
However, after returning from their trip to Xinling City, she noticed that Zheng Liang had become more expressive and bold. They had intimate moments before that were always interrupted before they could reach another level, but he hadn't been this flirtatious and natural in the past.
The natural intimacy of this moment, his head resting so casually on her lap, seemed to break through the barrier between them, creating a new and exhilarating tension.
Something between them seemed to have changed, and Yang Ning found herself unable to identify the precise moment or reason. Despite her fears, she didn't dislike this change. Instead, she felt excited and thrilled about this new closeness, this unexpected intimacy that was blossoming between them.
Yang Ning's face turned a vivid shade of crimson at Zheng Liang's brazen behavior. Rather than retracting his hands, he looked into her eyes with a mischievous, inviting gleam. His hands, which had been tenderly caressing her back, now moved to her face, tracing the contours before lingering on her lips.
"Tell me, what was I doing?" he asked again, his voice low and flirtatious.
She hesitated, her eyes flickering to the book in her hands. But Zheng Liang's charm was magnetic, and she found herself reluctantly drawn in. Sensing her distraction, he took the book from her hands and tossed it aside with a playful grin.
"You know exactly what you were doing," she whispered, her voice trembling.
He chuckled softly, his breath warm against her skin. "Then let's not stop."
With those words, he sat up on the bed and turned to face her, his eyes alight with desire. He gently cupped her face between his hands and sealed her lips with his, indulging in a passionate kiss that took her breath away.
Yang Ning was caught off guard by his sudden advance, and her eyes widened in surprise. Her mind raced with confusion, and a pang of worry struck her as she noticed his potentially uncomfortable position, which might strain his bandaged waist.
"But you're injured," she whispered against their sealed lips, concern lacing her voice.
"Who is injured? Because I am not," he shamelessly denied, his voice filled with conviction. He kissed her again, more passionately this time, his thumbs tenderly stroking her cheeks as he explored her mouth, each movement deliberate and filled with reverence.
Yang Ning's resistance melted away as she gave in to the sensations he was eliciting within her. Her hands found their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer, as the world around them seemed to blur and fade.
After a passionate kiss that seemed to last an eternity, they finally broke apart, both panting and flushed. A fire was burning in Zheng Liang's eyes as he gazed at Yang Ning's crimson face, a fire that spoke of an insatiable desire to break all barriers between them and become one.
He was about to lean in again, drawn to her like a magnet, when a sudden knock on the chamber door startled them apart, breaking the spell.
Knock, Knock!