Chapter 21: So... You Have Feelings for Me

"So, you do like me."

"Then why did you pretend to be so cold and indifferent before?"

Jiang Shiyi playfully tapped him on the chest with a fist. Huo Yixun ignored her "complaint," instead pulling her into an even tighter embrace. His nose caught the faint, sweet fragrance lingering on her skin. It was an incredibly surreal feeling, as if she belonged entirely to him.

"Shiyi, as soon as my marriage application is approved, let’s get married, shall we?"

As the words left his lips, a sense of anticipation welled up within him—a feeling he had never experienced before.

"Married?"

Jiang Shiyi’s eyes lit up. She hadn't expected Huo Yixun to consider this step so quickly. Was this really the "flower on the high peak" everyone spoke of? He was clearly just a hopelessly pure-hearted young man. Then again, this wasn't the modern world she came from. The rules of a casual, fleeting world didn't apply here; this was an era where if you dated someone, you married them, and if you kissed them, you were responsible for them until the end.

Isn't this exactly what she wanted? Marrying him and becoming Mrs. Huo would complete her mission for this lifetime, and she would no longer have to worry about "attraction points" like she used to.

Looking at Huo Yixun, who was so earnest about marriage, a sudden pang of guilt pricked at her. It felt as though a big bad wolf had coaxed a little lamb into a trap, only to devour it whole. But then again, where was there ever equality in matters of the heart? She simply didn't love him as much as he loved her. Besides, wooing this powerful tycoon had taken a great deal of effort—in a way, she had put her heart into it too!

With that thought, her guilt vanished completely. She looked at him, ready to give her answer.

However, because she remained silent for so long, a shadow of disappointment flickered across his sharp, handsome features. Could it be that she was still pining for those other men out there?

"Shiyi, you were the one who seduced me first. You have to take responsibility for me."

Seeing him looking so aggrieved, Jiang Shiyi couldn't help but find him adorable.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and teased, "And what if I don't want to take responsibility for you?"

Huo Yixun looked down at her, his thumb tracing her delicate collarbone as if weighing the truth of her words. "If you don't want to take responsibility for me, then I can take responsibility for you instead."

He smiled with mischievous intent, drawing their faces closer until they were almost touching, their breaths mingling. Jiang Shiyi felt her heart race as she looked at his handsome face under the dim light. She tried to remain still, fearing that if this man touched her again, she would lose her composure and throw herself at him.

Ah! Someone, come and take this demon away! This guy was usually so repressed, but right now, he was wild.

"Shiyi."

As he spoke, the electric sensation of their lips brushing sent a shiver through her entire body. Before she could react, he seized the opportunity to press his tongue against hers. He teased her with restraint, gently and patiently guiding her to respond.

Jiang Shiyi, being on the receiving end, was momentarily at a loss. In both her past life and this one, she had only ever been with Huo Yixun. In her previous life, she had been too busy struggling to survive to consider personal matters, and in this life, she had only been courting the male lead to stay alive. So, despite her bold talk, when it came to intimacy, she was practically a blank slate.

Clearly, Huo Yixun sensed this, and for some reason, it only made him more excited.

Jiang Shiyi felt as though she couldn't breathe. She tried to push him away, her hands fumbling until they pressed against the well-defined muscles of his abdomen through his thin shirt. She could clearly hear his breathing grow heavy, and his kiss became more intense, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

Jiang Shiyi finally surrendered, defeated.

A long while later, she finally gained a moment of freedom. She slowly lifted her flushed face, her bright, captivating eyes looking at Huo Yixun with a pitiful, delicate air. A few damp strands of hair clung to her collarbone, and the sight of her flushed skin added a fragile, ethereal beauty to her appearance.

Watching this, Huo Yixun nearly lost all control. He had always prided himself on his self-restraint, believing he was immune to the influence of others. But ever since he met this woman, his vaunted willpower had completely failed him.

He shifted his position, gently kissing her forehead, her ears, and finally, those vibrant, succulent lips. He pushed aside her shawl, gripped her slender shoulders, and slid his hands down her smooth, fair arms to her wrists, pinning them above her head with a firm, controlled motion.

Jiang Shiyi’s long legs moved fluidly, hooking around his powerful waist.

The atmosphere in the room was already stiflingly hot, and the two of them were like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, spiraling out of control. Somewhere along the way, the lights were turned off, and the faint glow from the garden spilled through the window, casting their intertwined shadows upon the bed.

He leaned down, their bodies pressed flush against each other, the contrast between her softness and his firmness clear. Jiang Shiyi was left breathless and weak. Her system seemed to be issuing some kind of alert, but before she could process it, the "big bad wolf" launched another, even more intense assault.

Deep into the night, Jiang Shiyi hurriedly pushed her feet against his chest.

"What's wrong?"

Huo Yixun looked at her, confused, but his breath hitched a second later. Jiang Shiyi was so focused on checking the system's notification that she didn't realize how provocative she looked. Her skirt had been pushed up, and her long, white, straight legs were splayed—one resting on the bed, the other pressed firmly against his chest.

After searching the system for a while and finding no new instructions, she began to wonder if she had just hallucinated. When she finally snapped back to reality, she found that the "culprit" who had left her aching and exhausted was staring at her with predatory hunger.

She hastily moved away. "I’m covered in sweat, it’s disgusting."

After one bout of passion, she couldn't bear to go for a second round; at the very least, basic hygiene had to be maintained.

Huo Yixun understood her meaning. He lowered her leg from his chest, leaned in to plant a kiss on her lips, and said softly, "I’ll carry you to wash up."

"Mm."

Jiang Shiyi nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, letting him carry her into the bathroom. It was the first time she had seen this "high-peak flower" be so gentle.

Taking a closer look, she noticed a tiny cut on his sexy lip, which was a pity. But Jiang Shiyi didn't feel sorry for him at all—it was his own fault for playing the "repressed" card. This was her punishment.

"If anyone asks, just say you accidentally bumped it yourself."

"What?"

Huo Yixun was stunned for a moment before he realized what she meant. He gave her a light, playful pat on the hip. "Fine, but you’ll have to compensate me."

Seeing him like that, anyone who didn't know better would think that Jiang Shiyi was the one who had bullied him.