Qin Jiujiu originally wanted to pretend she hadn't seen him and sneak back, but unexpectedly, when she returned to her room, he was lying on her bed, leisurely reading the storybooks she had collected.
Recently, she had become fond of storybooks. Chunfeng Du was a good place, with many legends and peculiar trinkets from Manluo Kingdom. One of the storybooks she was currently reading was a legendary tale.
It was the very book in Xie Jing's hands.
Qin Jiujiu remembered that when she last read this book, she was so sleepy that she didn't put it away, just stuffed it under her pillow. Now, as she recalled, where had she stopped reading?
It seemed to be at the part where the male and female protagonists confessed their love…
What if there were some steamy scenes?
“Second Young Master Xie, why are you in my room?”
Xie Jing didn't look up at her, his gaze fixed on the storybook. Qin Jiujiu glanced over and saw it was the exact spot she had been reading. He must have stumbled upon her bookmark, so he opened it right there.
She felt a flutter of panic. She didn't know how long he had been there or how much he had read. If he had seen something he shouldn't have, wouldn't her image be ruined! Although it wasn't great even now!
“Then why were you in my room last night?”
Qin Jiujiu was momentarily speechless. She shouldn't have had any wine last night; drinking caused trouble!
She would never indulge in alcohol again!
Xie Jing's eyes remained on the storybook. He appeared to be reading with extreme focus, as if he hadn't missed a single word. She even saw him turn a page.
Suddenly, a low chuckle reached Qin Jiujiu's ears. His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. Her expression changed, and she leaned forward to snatch the storybook from his hand. However, Xie Jing didn't need to see her to know her intention. He moved the book to the side before she could reach it and continued reading.
She failed to get it back and became annoyed.
“Second Young Master Xie, this is mine!”
She declared, looking like a little rabbit whose fur had been ruffled.
Xie Jing finally looked up at her. As if struck by a thought, he suddenly laughed, even his tone laced with amusement. “So what if it’s yours? Could it be that there’s some unspeakable secret hidden within that Miss Qin doesn’t want others to see?”
Looking at Xie Jing’s demeanor and tone, Qin Jiujiu felt as though he was implying she had something to hide!
She paused, composed herself, and decided to negotiate with him. “There’s no secret. I haven't even started reading it yet!”
Xie Jing didn't expose her but kept his smile. He continued to focus on the storybook, appearing engrossed, the corners of his lips upturned.
Qin Jiujiu felt a surge of panic, thinking to snatch the book when he wasn't paying attention. But unexpectedly, this man seemed to have extra eyes. Even though the book shielded his view, he reacted swiftly, and the book was moved away again.
Qin Jiujiu had used too much force and lost her balance, tumbling onto him. Their eyes met, leaving only awkwardness.
Qin Jiujiu was startled and tried to get up, but the person beneath her suddenly flipped over and pinned her down, reversing the situation. He was now pressing her beneath him.
She was forced to look at his face, her own blushing furiously.
His hands rested on either side of her head. The book was still in his hand. He raised it, holding it with one hand, and his gaze returned to the storybook.
…
Beside her ear, he openly read aloud the descriptive passages he had seen, word for word. Qin Jiujiu, flustered, didn't know whether to cover his eyes or his mouth. In the end, she covered his eyes.
Xie Jing didn't resist. Her hand easily covered his eyes. His eyelashes tickled her palm, making it feel a bit itchy.
Her hand suddenly loosened, and her eyes widened as she looked at Xie Jing. He was looking back at her with his eyes open. As soon as she moved her hand, their gazes met.
“So this is the kind of book Miss Qin usually likes to read?”
For some reason, Qin Jiujiu felt that Xie Jing’s words held a hidden meaning. A strange smile played on his lips, and suddenly, his voice came, “You read so much, yet you still don't know how to breathe properly?”
She looked into his eyes and found them filled with teasing.
After a moment of stunned silence, she finally understood what he meant.
Her face turned redder and redder, which, in his eyes, only amplified the teasing.
“You…”
She wanted to defend herself, but his lips were already covering hers, and her unfinished words got stuck in her throat.
…
Qin Jiujiu’s eyes were hazy. In the brief moments she gasped for air, his voice reached her ear, “You are too clumsy. You always fail to learn!”
So he was teaching her how to breathe? And calling her stupid?
…
Her consciousness snapped back. No!
Xie Jing was engrossed in kissing her. For a moment, she didn't know who was seducing whom. Caught off guard, he was pushed away by her.
Her eyes, gradually clearing, looked at his lust-filled gaze. Her voice came out, “I just remembered I have something to do!”
The lust in Xie Jing’s eyes instantly vanished. His face was covered in dark lines, as if his demeanor had completely changed. Qin Jiujiu sensed his displeasure but didn't know the reason.
Just as she was about to sneak away, Xie Jing suddenly grabbed her arms, raised them above her head, and pinned her down tightly. She couldn't move and could only maintain this position.
Without giving her time to think, his kiss fell upon her roughly…
…
But he suddenly changed his approach, so gentle and careful that she felt as if he were treating his most precious treasure. She quickly surrendered.
…
It wasn't until Bai Qianluo’s arrival that the passionate atmosphere in the room subsided.
Qin Jiujiu gasped for air, her breaths coming in ragged pants. Xie Jing was not much better off, but compared to Qin Jiujiu, his breathing was remarkably steady. Qin Jiujiu felt a flicker of dissatisfaction and glared at him.
She looked like a little rabbit that had just been caught!
He reached out and touched her face. His cool fingers, now warmed by her body temperature, felt surprisingly warm at that moment.