As Lin Xi hesitated behind the door, Liang Yutong turned and called to her, "Why aren't you coming in?" Lin Xi showed her her phone. Liang Yutong leaned closer, put her arm around Lin Xi's shoulder, and chuckled, deliberately flicking a strand of hair behind her ear:
"So, are you going or not?" Lin Xi shrugged slightly in response. Liang Yutong opened the door and pushed her outside: "Be careful, don't let Zhou Zheng see you." Lin Xi's cheeks flushed slightly, secretly annoyed by Liang Yutong's nonsense.
She arrived at Duan Yiheng's door, looked around, and just as she raised her hand, the door was pulled open from the inside. Lin Xi stepped inside and smiled at Duan Yiheng: "You've been waiting for me?" Duan Yiheng answered irrelevantly:
"I thought you were going to make an excuse to deal with Miss Liang, and that I'd have to take my time." Lin Xi cleared her throat awkwardly: "Yutong knows about us." Duan Yiheng suddenly chuckled, leaning down to whisper teasingly in her ear: "Couldn't hide it?" Lin Xi pushed him away, embarrassed and annoyed:
"Why did you call me here?" "On the surface, it's to spend New Year's Eve with you." Duan Yiheng left the rest of his story unsaid. Lin Xi laughed: "What do you mean by 'on the surface'?" Duan Yiheng put his arm around her shoulder and casually led her to the balcony, saying:
"The rest is unspeakable, only to be understood." Lin Xi followed him to sit on the soft beige sofa, the candlelight flickering on the coffee table beside her, the aroma of red wine wafting through the air. Lin Xi took the red wine he offered, lightly touching the glass to his lips. "Is this what 'unspeakable' means?" Duan Yiheng tilted his head back and took a sip, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, creating a beautiful, sensual curve. He shared the aroma of the wine with Lin Xi, cupping the back of her neck and forcing her to accept his kiss.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, their breaths hot against each other. Lin Xi trembled slightly, gripping her wine glass tightly. When the kiss ended, Duan Yiheng downed his wine in one gulp, remaining silent for a long while. Lin Xi's throat was dry and itchy, her face burning as she occasionally sipped.
The night air was chilly, but a fire burned deep within Lin Xi's chest. Meng Huaishan's words scrolled through her mind like a never-ending barrage of bullet comments, each word a testament to Duan Yiheng's bright future. A stolen moment of pleasure—wasn't that enough?
Lin Xi's eyes deepened, mimicking Duan Yiheng's gesture as she finished her wine. "Drink slowly, it'll have a strong aftereffect." Duan Yiheng's tone was casually gentle. Lin Xi lowered her eyelashes, her voice almost hoarse: "Big brother, I'm cold."
Duan Yiheng paused for two seconds, then naturally pulled her into his arms, correcting her: "What did you call me?" Lin Xi felt utterly embarrassed; in her nervousness, she had called him by the wrong name. "Duan Yiheng."
Lin Xi's voice was just like her appearance—sweet, soft, and clear. Duan Yiheng liked it when she called him by his name. He parted his legs, wrapping one arm around Lin Xi's waist and pulling her close. "What were you asking Mu Zhao about downstairs? Were you looking for him?"
Lin Xi hugged his neck, feigning ignorance. "No, I was just asking casually. Zhou Zheng was right there, and I was afraid you'd get jealous if he talked to me." "Zhou Zheng has a good family background and good looks, but he's much younger than you."
Duan Yiheng said calmly, "You two aren't a good match." "You're the only one who's a good match." Lin Xi looked at him speechlessly. "You're only a year younger than him." Duan Yiheng wasn't annoyed. He circled her long hair behind her back and said,
"Looks like you think it's a good match. From Duan Mingxuan to Zhou Zheng, your taste in people is quite different." "I don't like Zhou Zheng at all. I clearly like—" Lin Xi suddenly stopped, her heart pounding.
She almost fell into his trap. Lin Xi knew clearly that their current relationship was their fault, clinging to that little bit of attraction and reluctance, going against everyone's wishes.
Knowing her personality, if Duan Yiheng hadn't taken the initiative repeatedly, she probably wouldn't have revealed a single word. The three words "I care," forced upon her by him, were already the only response she could give.
But Meng Huaishan's words today were undoubtedly a blow to the head, waking her from her increasingly deep entanglement. This wasn't the first time Duan Yiheng had subtly probed, all for the sake of her saying "I like you." Whether she liked him or not, Lin Xi couldn't bring herself to say it.
She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. Duan Yiheng paused for two seconds, then cupped the back of her head and began to respond. "Bang bang—" Several loud explosions ripped through the air, startling Lin Xi like a frightened animal. She abruptly opened her eyes, letting out a soft murmur:
"What?" "Fireworks." Duan Yiheng responded, tightening his grip, not letting her escape even a little. She wanted to see. Noticing her struggle, Duan Yiheng scooped her up by the hips and carried her into the room.
Her back slammed against the soft bed. Lin Xi, her long hair disheveled, stared blankly at Duan Yiheng leaning over her. "I want to see," she said. Duan Yiheng kissed her again, like a wolf catching its prey. Amidst the dazzling explosions of fireworks, Duan Yiheng pleaded, "Look at me."
Lin Xi stiffened, but didn't refuse. His hot breath moved from her lips to her neck; Lin Xi was ticklish and could only shrink back. "W-won't you turn off the light?" She couldn't stand the glare.
Duan Yiheng paused, burying his face in Lin Xi's neck, and stopped moving. Lin Xi, supporting herself with his weight, asked him what was wrong. Duan Yiheng sighed softly, realizing he had lost control.
He pulled away, stood up, and helped Lin Xi sit up on the bed, then tidied her long hair. "It's getting late, go back to sleep." Lin Xi was taken aback, blurting out, "You don't want to?" Duan Yiheng looked at her quietly for two seconds, then pulled her into his arms, saying,
"Is it that I don't want to? It's that I can't bear to leave. The time, place, and everything else are wrong." Lin Xi thought of the friends who had come with them, and her face burned. "I...I...I..." she stammered, "I'll go back now."
She ran out of Duan Yiheng's room, only to be stopped outside her own. Lin Xi knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Liang Yutong wouldn't be asleep this early, especially with the fireworks still going on outside; the only possibility was that she had gone out.
Lin Xi could only call her, but no one answered after two or three tries. "Where could Yutong have gone so late?" Lin Xi muttered to herself, then sent her a message, "Could she have been taken away by Mu Shuo?"
Liang Yutong still didn't reply. If she really went to see the fireworks, she probably wouldn't have heard. Lin Xi looked back, wondering if she should go wait for Duan Yiheng? Standing in the corridor, she didn't know how long she'd have to wait.
Lin Xi made her decision and immediately turned around. Just as she reached Duan Yiheng's door, a gentle voice called out to her, "Miss Lin." Lin Xi instinctively turned around. "Professor Zhou, you're still awake?" Zhou Zheng happily replied, "The fireworks outside are so loud, disturbing my sleep. I just couldn't sleep, so I got up to go check it out. Want to come with me?" "Uh..." "My brother sent me a photo. They're all on the rooftop terrace, and your friend is there too."
It wouldn't be polite to refuse after being invited so many times. But if she accepted... While Lin Xi was still hesitating, the door beside her suddenly opened, and Duan Yiheng, fully dressed, glanced at the two of them. "I'll go with you."