Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ji Yunshu looked up at him. Pei Yufeng's lips were pressed tightly together, the line of his jaw hard and rigid, his whole body like a bowstring pulled taut, ready to snap at any moment.

He said no, but Ji Yunshu could see he was holding back.

After a long day, her skin sticky and clammy, Ji Yunshu suddenly stood up. Without answering Pei Yufeng or directly refusing, she said, "I'll go take a shower first."

With that, she didn't dare look at Pei Yufeng even once. Grabbing the nightgown placed by the bed, she hurried downstairs toward the bathroom, moving so fast you'd think someone was chasing her.

Pei Yufeng watched her retreating figure—a veritable "flight"—and felt as if a large chunk had been scooped out of his chest. The hollow, empty feeling welled up inside him again.

He raised a hand to cover his eyes and sat in silence for a long while before he went to wash up himself.

When Ji Yunshu came out of the bathroom, Pei Yufeng had already finished washing.

He sat at the edge of the bed, wearing a white undershirt, his hair still dripping wet. Water droplets ran down his neck and pooled in the hollow of his collarbone. He held a towel in his hand, drying his hair slowly, taking his time—though not very carefully, as several strands remained wet and plastered against his forehead.

Ji Yunshu stood at the doorway, pausing for some reason she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She had seen Pei Yufeng in an undershirt before. In the summers, all the guys in the compound wore them—Ji Yunting did too—and she'd never thought anything of it. But today, for some reason, seeing him sitting there, the white undershirt dampened in a small patch where it clung to his shoulder, the faint outline of muscle showing through, her face instantly went red.

When he was in his military uniform, you couldn't tell, but now she could see his shoulders were broad while his waist was narrow. The undershirt seemed slightly tight on him, which only made him look harder and more solid—like a pine tree that had withstood years of sea wind.

Ji Yunshu quickly averted her gaze, her ears burning hot.

Pei Yufeng heard the sound and looked up at her. His wet hair hung over his forehead, making him look younger than usual, less cold and hard. His gaze rested on her for a moment before he stood and walked over. "What's wrong? Need something?"

"No, nothing." Ji Yunshu stammered, clutching the hem of her nightgown, rooted to the spot, her heart thumping loudly.

She gave herself a mental pep talk—*It's fine. You've already decided to build a good life with him. This was bound to happen sooner or later. There's no getting around it.*

Besides, she wanted to have a child with Pei Yufeng.

Ji Yunshu didn't really like kids all that much, but she knew Pei Yufeng loved them. Whenever she thought of the dream where Pei Yufeng lived alone, without a wife or child, with no one to even visit his grave after he died, her heart ached with a sharp pang. Ji Yunshu didn't know when the accident from her dream might come, and she didn't dare take the chance that it might be real. But thinking of him—and of Grandma, who'd been so devastated by his death that she'd fallen ill and passed away soon after—Ji Yunshu really wanted to do something for this family.

Even if, even if the misfortune in her dream came true, if they had a child, Grandma would find some strength to hold on. Then she could take the child to visit him...

Of course, Ji Yunshu hoped none of it would happen. She just hoped she and Pei Yufeng could live peacefully, day by day. And if they could have a lively, cheerful kid, that would be even better.

She didn't know if she would be a good mother, but Pei Yufeng, with his strong sense of responsibility, would certainly be a good father.

Ji Yunshu finally made up her mind. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed.

The bedsheet was fresh, bright red, making her ankles look especially pale.

"Can we... turn off the light?" Ji Yunshu asked tentatively.

"Your hair is still wet." Pei Yufeng pointed at her waist-length hair, then took a clean new towel from the cabinet and walked over. "You want to dry it yourself, or should I—"

"I'll do it myself." Ji Yunshu snatched the towel from his hand and wrapped her hair up in it tightly. Actually, she had already wrapped it in a towel once after her shower; her long hair had stopped dripping a while ago. With the weather hot, after rubbing and wringing, the roots had dried considerably, only the ends still damp and curling.

While drying her hair, Ji Yunshu couldn't help stealing a glance at Pei Yufeng. His profile looked good in the lamplight—a straight nose, a clean jawline, a slightly prominent Adam's apple. Water still dripped from his hair ends, one drop trailing down his neck, sliding over his Adam's apple, and seeping into the collar of his undershirt.

Ji Yunshu's throat went dry.

She turned her head, took a deep breath, then turned sideways, reached out, and gently touched Pei Yufeng's arm.

Pei Yufeng turned to look at her.

Ji Yunshu tossed the towel aside, and without giving him time to react, leaned in and pressed her lips straight against his.

Her movement was very light—just a press, no movement. Pei Yufeng's lips were slightly cool, with a clean hint of white jade toothpaste. There was a faint stubble on his chin from a recent shave, only visible up close.

Ji Yunshu's heart raced even faster, but she didn't know how kissing was supposed to be done. She just pressed her lips against his, stiffly, then quickly pulled back.

Pei Yufeng's body froze the instant she kissed him, then snapped back to his senses when she pulled away.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Unlike Ji Yunshu's direct press, he slowly tilted his head and pressed his lips more firmly against hers. His lips went from cool to warm, brushing against hers gently. Then he rubbed again—like he was testing, or making sure.

The feeling on her lips was vivid, his warm breath fanning across her face, sending shivers down her skin. Ji Yunshu closed her eyes, feeling his lips trace from her upper lip to her lower, then from her lower lip to the corner of her mouth—slowly, bit by bit, kissing her. His movements were gentle, unhurried, as if afraid of startling her, or as if savoring something he couldn't bear to finish in one bite.

She didn't know what to do with her hands. Instinctively, she grabbed at the undershirt on his chest. She was too overwhelmed—her long, slender nails scratched his chest. She tried to pull away, but Pei Yufeng caught her wrist.

His other hand came up to gently cradle the back of her head, fingers threading through her not-quite-dry hair. The warmth of his palm seeped through her hair to her scalp, hot against her skin.

His kiss deepened. No longer just gentle brushes—he took her lower lip between his and sucked softly. Ji Yunshu's mind went blank, a buzz ringing in her ears, her whole body going soft as she leaned into him.

Pei Yufeng took the opportunity to press his hand against her lower back, drawing her into his embrace. His hand was large, resting at her waist, his thumb tracing a small circle over the thin fabric of her nightgown.

Ji Yunshu's breathing grew erratic. She felt her body changing, from her chest downward, as if something was slowly melting—warm, soft. Her face burned, the tips of her ears scalding, but she didn't want to stop.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around Pei Yufeng's neck, pulling herself closer. There was almost no gap between them now. She could feel the heat of his chest through the thin undershirt, hot as a flame.

Pei Yufeng's kisses moved from her lips to the corner of her mouth, then from her mouth to her cheek. His nose brushed against hers, his breath hot and urgent against her face. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and parted her lips with his tongue. The moment he breached, Ji Yunshu's eyes flew wide open.

It was the first time she knew a kiss could be so fierce. His tongue tangled with hers, a slightly sharp canine tooth grazing her upper lip—not painful, but sending fine, tingling sensations through her.

He kissed her until she couldn't breathe, her chest heaving violently. She felt weightless, as if walking on clouds, or soaking in warm water, hot from the inside out.

She didn't know how to kiss, so she simply followed Pei Yufeng's lead. She was kissed into a daze, not even realizing when she had ended up straddling his waist. Maybe he had pulled her there when he held her, or maybe she had climbed over herself—she couldn't remember. All she knew was that she was now hanging entirely on Pei Yufeng, knees pressing into the bedsheet, arms around his neck, looking down at him from above.

Pei Yufeng tilted his head back to look at her. The collar of his undershirt had slipped down slightly, revealing his collarbone and a small patch of skin with a prominent dark mole on his chest. His collarbone was sharply defined, forming a clean straight line, still dotted with undried water droplets that glistened under the light.

Ji Yunshu's gaze followed the collar downward, catching the faint outline beneath his undershirt. His chest was solid—not bulky muscle, but firm and well-defined.

She had never known Pei Yufeng's body was like this. When he wore his uniform and shirt, she only thought he was tall and lean. But with his clothes off, she could see every muscle was tight and powerful—a body forged by years at sea, weathered by wind and waves.

Ji Yunshu's face grew even redder, but her demeanor shifted. She repeated with a hint of assertiveness, "Turn... turn off the light."

Pei Yufeng didn't push her away. Instead, he scooped her up, letting her hang entirely on him, and took two or three steps to the door, pulling the light cord.

Darkness descended. The sudden shift from light to dark left Ji Yunshu momentarily blind, all her senses stripped away. In that void, she instinctively clung tighter to the only anchor she had, tightening her legs around Pei Yufeng's waist.

Pei Yufeng let out a low grunt, his arms tensing beneath her. The next instant, Ji Yunshu's breath was stolen again as Pei Yufeng's hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, and another round of dense, rapid kisses descended.

He kissed her with his head tilted up, his Adam's apple bobbing, pulling at the tendons in his neck. His eyes were closed, lashes trembling slightly, brows faintly furrowed—as if holding back a tremendous force.

Even though she couldn't see anything, Ji Yunshu could feel Pei Yufeng's body responding. He was taut as a piece of red-hot iron—scorching, hard, his very breath trembling. But his movements remained gentle, restrained, like someone carefully unwrapping a precious parcel, afraid of damaging what was inside.

They kissed for what felt like an eternity. Ji Yunshu felt her whole body go as soft as water. She was laid reverently on the bed, and he leaned over her, his fingers slowly undoing the ties of her nightgown, his fervent kisses landing on her collarbone.

He kissed her until she was breathless, her face buried in the hollow of his neck. She was too embarrassed, so she hooked her arms around his neck, not wanting him to see her flushed face.

Pei Yufeng carried a scent that belonged to his body—warm and rising, like a summer sea breeze. Ji Yunshu's hand rested on his shoulder, her fingertips touching the spot near his shoulder blade. The muscle there was hard, slightly raised, like a small hill.

"May I?" The hem of her skirt was pushed up, rough fingertips hooking the edge of the fabric at her hipbone. "Xiaoshu."

Pei Yufeng propped himself up to look at her, and they exchanged only a single glance.

In the darkness, Pei Yufeng's eyes were bright, as if a lamp burned inside them. The way he looked at her was completely different from usual. Normally, his gaze was indifferent, neither near nor far, as if maintaining a safe distance from her. But now, the way he looked at her was hot, intense, like syrup that wouldn't dissolve, thick and sticky, clinging to her like it would never let go.

Ji Yunshu didn't answer. She simply raised her arm and hooked it around Pei Yufeng's neck again. He followed her lead, lowering his head to kiss her. The pillow shifted out of place, and at some point, her nightgown and his undershirt had been swept to the floor.

...

The night was far too long—so long that Ji Yunshu couldn't tell when it had ended. The fresh sheets were a total loss, and Ji Yunshu felt sticky and clammy all over. She wanted nothing more than a shower, but she didn't have an ounce of strength left.

When she woke again, it was already noon the next day. Ji Yunshu ached all over, every muscle screaming. She stayed in bed, not wanting to move an inch. She cleared her throat and found her voice was a little hoarse.

The sheets and thin quilt had already been replaced with fresh ones, and her body was clean, dressed in a new nightgown. It seemed Pei Yufeng had already cleaned her up.

At the thought of Pei Yufeng, Ji Yunshu's face suddenly burned bright red.

"Xiaoshu, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" Just as Ji Yunshu was drowsily starting to sit up to check on herself, she heard a concerned voice from nearby.

Pei Yufeng had been sitting by the bedside the whole time, waiting for her to wake, his fingers interlaced with hers.

Author's note:

Thank you for reading. Congratulations to the young couple. Censors, please—I already cut the lights. Most of it was just kissing.