“You…”
Staring at the unfamiliar online meeting screen, the young girl froze on the spot, motionless. A sea of dark profile icons filled the page, arranged in neat, formidable rows like an army standing at attention. For Lin Xinyuan, this scene was no different from being stared down by her entire class.
No… it was worse than that. She had said so many strange things. Wasn’t this guy just using his computer for online classes? Why is he in a meeting?! There were so many people… they all heard her. It wasn’t her… it wasn’t her… She isn’t Lin Xinyuan right now! But if she wasn’t herself, and she was currently in the arms of this “stinky blonde,” wouldn’t that be like cheating on herself?
Wait, no, no, no…
“Ugh…”
At this point, Lin Xinyuan was completely dazed, her mind a chaotic mess. After a long moment, she shamefully buried her head back into Qin Nanfeng’s chest, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. She didn’t dare make another sound, as if the person who had just been coquettishly scolding him wasn’t her at all.
Looking down at the well-behaved girl in his arms, Qin Nanfeng wore a faint smile, his eyes tender. However, when his gaze inadvertently brushed against her fair, translucent earlobe, his eyes grew restless again, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, he tightened his grip slightly around her petite frame. Steeling himself, his expression returned to one of serious focus as he unmuted the microphone.
“Sorry about that, there was a minor situation. Let’s continue the meeting…”
“Xiao Yuan…” “Xiao Yuan…”
The girl didn’t know when she had fallen asleep; she only remembered that the “stinky blonde” had tried to wake her up once, but she had grumbled and drifted back off. It wasn’t until she heard that familiar voice in her ear that she finally woke up.
“Err…” Lin Xinyuan rubbed her bleary eyes. Under his gentle tugging, she sat up reluctantly. “How long did I sleep for…”
She looked instinctively toward Qin Nanfeng by the bed. Having just woken up, she was clearly dazed; the way she tilted her head in a stupor made her look incredibly adorable.
“It’s almost noon.”
Qin Nanfeng let out a soft chuckle at her cute appearance. He couldn’t help but reach out to stroke her ruffled head, smoothing down a stubborn stray lock of her soft black hair. “Be good, get up and let’s go down for lunch.”
At that moment, Lin Xinyuan’s consciousness fully returned, and her dazed eyes gradually cleared. But as she stared at the person in front of her, she couldn’t help but remember what had happened earlier. Her face instantly flushed crimson—especially her earlobes, which felt hotter than ever before. Thinking back to that strange, tingling sensation, her body gave an involuntary shiver.
“Mm… oh, okay…”
Hearing Qin Nanfeng’s words, Lin Xinyuan scrambled to get up, terrified that this guy would find another excuse to tease her. But her legs were weak from sleep. In her haste, she lost her balance and nearly tumbled off the bed. Fortunately, Qin Nanfeng was quick, catching her by her slender waist just in time.
“Slow down.”
“O-Okay…” Lin Xinyuan felt timid. Following his lead, she was gently helped off the bed. She kept her eyes lowered, silently putting on her slippers.
“Does Xiao Yuan hate me? Why won’t you look at me?”
Seeing her acting like a little coward, a mischievous glint flickered in the depths of Qin Nanfeng’s eyes. His tone was intentionally aggrieved, yet his hand did not leave her waist.
“I don’t!” Panic flared within her. Eager to explain herself, she gathered her courage and looked up. She didn’t hate Brother Feng! She liked him most… But she couldn’t bring herself to say such mushy words.
Yet the moment she raised her gaze, she froze again—because she realized the guy was smiling. Simultaneously, the hand on her waist began to wander. Everywhere he touched felt like it was burning. Her whole body began to heat up as if she had a fever; her legs, already weak, now felt like they were turning to jelly. In the end, she had to lean heavily against his strong arms just to keep from collapsing, leaving her with no chance to struggle or escape.
The girl bit her lower lip. At a loss, she twisted her body feebly, trying to break free from his restless hand. “Let… let go… didn’t you say we were going to eat…”
“What’s the rush? I’m simply overjoyed and wanted to express my feelings to you first.”
Qin Nanfeng spoke his honeyed words with a grin, showing no intention of stopping. Enveloped by her sweet scent, his heart felt intoxicated. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered softly, “After all, for Xiao Yuan to say that… you must really like me, right?”
The youth’s whisper sounded like a lover’s vow. Combined with the heat radiating from him, it sent a shiver through Lin Xinyuan, draining the last of her strength. The familiarity of the situation terrified her too much to talk back, her emotions tangling into a knot. Unfazed by her hesitation, the young man continued his “wicked” game, breathing hot air against her white earlobe.
Before long, Lin Xinyuan’s shame was finally overtaken by the helplessness of these strange sensations. Her eyes grew misty, and her body shook uncontrollably. The deep-rooted love and dependence she felt for Qin Nanfeng finally revealed a corner of itself. Her face was flushed, and her voice was soft and sweet as she let out an involuntary murmur: “Mm… I like you…”
It felt as though she had used up all her oxygen to utter those words. After speaking, her breathing became ragged, like a drowning person who had just been pulled to shore.
Even her gasping is cute…
Witnessing this, Qin Nanfeng nodded inwardly with satisfaction. He knew he had pushed her hard enough for one day; any further and the girl might actually explode in anger. With that thought, he couldn’t resist leaving a mark on that rosy cheek.
“Heh… Xiao Yuan is so cute…” Qin Nanfeng laughed softly, his handsome face filled with admiration. Then, his expression turned serious. “However, my love for Xiao Yuan is much deeper than yours for me…”
The girl felt her heart racing; she couldn’t take it anymore. Her head felt so hot it was as if actual steam were about to rise from it.
C-Cute? Ah…
Lin Xinyuan was screaming silently in her heart—shame, confusion, even a bit of humiliation… but this time, there was more joy at being acknowledged by the person she liked. It hit her like a wave, making her head spin until she lost all sense of direction. For a moment, she was submerged in that warmth, both mentally and physically.
But then, she heard his next sentence. At first, she was happy, but once the words fully sank in, a sense of indignation flared up.
“It’s clearly… clearly I like Brother Feng more!”
The girl’s voice was muffled and her expression was bashful. Even though it was embarrassing and difficult, she forced herself to push back. Seeing her like this, Qin Nanfeng almost laughed out loud. This girl… she’s even competitive about this? This is really effective. Even a shy girl like her is finding her courage…
Not bad… Yeah, so cute… I want to… Tsk…