Chapter 81
“Don’t dodge.”
Xie Hejing caught Nan Xu’s wrist and pulled her toward him without giving her a chance to resist.
But Nan Xu didn’t listen. She kept shrinking back, trying to escape the cool touch of his fingertips.
“It’s cold,” she murmured softly.
Hearing the tremble in her voice, Xie Hejing graciously grabbed the blanket beside them and draped it over her.
He leaned in slowly, his warm breath brushing against her skin, making Nan Xu raise a hand to block the space between them.
“Still not behaving….”
This time, he didn’t forcefully pull her hand away. Instead, his fingers hooked around the tie of her nightdress, calmly and deliberately tying it into a bow.
Nan Xu watched his movements. She hadn’t planned to speak, but he wasn’t doing anything else—just tying a bow, which felt unusually strange.
She finally asked, “What are you doing? Why are you tying that?”
Xie Hejing suddenly leaned down and kissed her lips. “Didn’t you say you like a sense of ceremony?”
Nan Xu: “……”
She had said that, but definitely not for moments like this.
And the way he acted so calm now… it made her certain he was holding back something wicked.
As expected, Xie Hejing had no intention of stopping at a shallow kiss. Before Nan Xu could react, his warm tongue had already pried past her teeth.
While their tongues tangled, the pads of his fingers gently kneaded the soft flesh at her waist.
He knew exactly what she was about to do next. So before she could even swing her fist at him, he effortlessly caught her hand and pressed it against his own body.
In that instant, the heat radiating from him poured into her without restraint.
Unsatisfied with just kissing her like this, Xie Hejing shifted positions. What he really liked was holding her in his arms while he kissed her, then watching her face when she was so breathless she couldn’t take it anymore.
Knowing she had no chance of escaping, Nan Xu gave up struggling and simply let him kiss her, letting him take her breath until she had none left.
Like slowly drowning in the sea, she bit him just to make him let go.
“If you really kiss me to death, people would laugh themselves silly,” she sighed.
“Can’t you just…” Nan Xu searched for the right words. “Can’t you kiss a little less long? And a little less hard?”
“Are you trying to murder your wife?”
Xie Hejing raised a brow. “Murder you with a kiss?”
He half-lowered his eyes, amused. “That kind of murder… sounds pretty tempting.”
“What else could it be? With the way you kiss, you’re going to suffocate me sooner or later,” Nan Xu said completely seriously.
Then she felt something loosen around her waist. Looking down, she saw the bow he’d tied earlier—now pulled loose and hanging askew.
Nan Xu inhaled deeply, resigned, and buried herself completely under the blanket. But a few seconds later, she poked her head out again, still unwilling to give up as she tried to negotiate with him.
“Don’t leave marks on me. I have to wear a dress tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Xie Hejing agreed once more.
Nan Xu still wasn’t sure whether she could trust that answer, so she double-checked, “Are you really agreeing this time? You won’t go back on it, right? If I wake up tomorrow and see any marks on me, you… you’re dead.”
“Heh. Dead how?” Xie Hejing repeated his earlier joke. “You planning to murder me the same way?”
Nan Xu: “……”
“In your dreams.”
Xie Hejing pulled off his shirt and slipped under the blanket with her, but all he did was take her hand in his.
Nan Xu’s lashes fluttered. She had thought he’d start teasing her under her nightdress, especially given how aggressive he had always been before.
But he didn’t make any other move, which suited her perfectly. Nan Xu relaxed, even feeling light-hearted enough to chat with him.
“Xie Hejing, when we go to the beach tomorrow, how about you take photos of me?”
“But your photography skills are terrible, so make sure you practice.”
“Got it.”
Fingers interlaced, Xie Hejing listened as Nan Xu rambled about her recent days—mostly trivial little things, so small that even something like what color hair ribbon she should wear tomorrow became something she had to fuss over right next to his ear.
But Xie Hejing happened to enjoy listening to all of it. Even though Nan Xu was right beside him—already part of his life—he still loved the way she shared every bit of her day with him.
It was a kind of acceptance that came straight from the heart, the kind where you didn’t have to worry about being disliked, where you could share yourself freely and without hesitation.
“Don’t overthink it. I’ll bring all of them tomorrow, and you can see which one fits.”
“Oh? That works.”
It was such a small gesture, but it still made Nan Xu laugh.
“You’re actually pretty good at times like this, very gentle and patient.”
“So by that,” Xie Hejing narrowed his eyes, thinking back, “when exactly have I ever been not gentle or not patient with you?”
Nan Xu frowned. “Do I really need to say it? You literally were earlier.”
He rested his forehead against the crook of her shoulder, his voice muffled. “But what am I supposed to do if I can’t help it?”
“Just being close to you makes it hard to hold back.”
These words instantly put Nan Xu on alert. She asked, “So you’re saying you’re reacting again, aren’t you?”
She had assumed he wasn’t feeling anything, hence why he’d been so patient listening to her ramble.
Xie Hejing: “…”
“…Hmm.”
The two of them froze for a moment.
Considering what she had just complained about—his lack of patience—Xie Hejing decided that, just this once, he would actually try to be patient.
Nan Xu was even less likely to take the initiative. She wanted to see how long Xie Hejing could endure—maybe, if he got sleepy enough, he’d just fall asleep.
But she had underestimated him… or overestimated his self-control.
Xie Hejing was still holding her hand, his voice gradually growing rougher.
“What do I do?” He leaned his whole body against her, his tone low and heavy. “It’s so hard to hold back… what do I do?”
His breath brushed faintly across her skin, and then he suddenly pressed a kiss to her shoulder. The warm, damp touch made her entire body tremble.
Combined with the rare note of frustration and helplessness in his voice, Nan Xu almost sank right into it.
She felt her willpower growing weaker by the second.
“Still ignoring me?” His other hand slid to her waist, his hair grazing her skin—clinging to her like he couldn’t stand even a sliver of distance.
His voice was laced with coaxing and complaint. “Are you mad because I kissed you?”
Nan Xu shook her head. She wasn’t angry at all, she just couldn’t handle him like this. If she said anything now, she’d probably make everything worse, so she figured staying silent was safer.
“Are you going to abandon me?” Xie Hejing murmured against her skin, biting lightly as he spoke. “Baby… wife… can’t you love me a little more?”
Nan Xu froze.
She had expected him to get forceful, or to ask her to help him again. But she never imagined he would soften his voice and beg her to love him more.
It hit the softest part of her heart with perfect precision.
“I…”
Nan Xu had planned to stay silent a little longer, but Xie Hejing’s words kept echoing in her head. She couldn’t help wondering if she had done something wrong.
“What… what counts as loving you a little more, in your eyes?”
She asked directly. In her experience, Xie Hejing’s logic had never quite matched normal people.
A teasing glint slowly rose in his eyes. “For example… you undoing that bow on your own?”
The implication, showing herself to him, hit her instantly.
Shock flickered so clearly in Nan Xu’s eyes it felt almost tangible. She finally understood why he had tied that bow in the first place. He had been waiting for this moment.
“Did you plan this from the start?”
“Mm.” Xie Hejing didn’t bother hiding it. “I wanted to see you take the initiative.”
To see her face flush again and again, to watch her push past her shyness just for him—those reactions were practically his dream come true.
“Besides,” he added, “if you’re the one who starts… maybe you’ll save some strength for later. Aren’t we going to the beach tomorrow? Or do you want me to carry you there?”
Seeing her still tangled in indecision, Xie Hejing continued, “Nan Xu… once I start, I don’t hear anything you say.”
And that, unfortunately, was true.
If it weren’t, he wouldn’t stay unmoved every time she begged him through tears. If anything, her tearful voice only made him more excited.
On normal days, he would stop immediately the moment she said so.
But in those moments, he wouldn’t. He was addicted to every reaction she made… even her crying.
“…Okay.”
Nan Xu made up her mind. Since she couldn’t avoid it anyway, she might as well choose the option that would be a little gentler on herself.
She reached behind her waist. The bow Xie Hejing had tied earlier was already loose and misshapen. She gave it a light tug, and it instantly came undone.
In that moment, as her skin met the cool air, a fine shiver ran through her whole body.
Seeing her curl in on herself as she pushed her nightdress down to her waist, the veins on Xie Hejing’s neck tightened sharply.
“Come closer,” he rasped, his voice hoarse with heat. “Closer… Your head and your body.”
Nan Xu slowly leaned toward him. Under the intensity of his gaze, she instinctively tugged her nightdress up a little again, trying to cover herself.
Xie Hejing didn’t make any sudden moves. He simply leaned back slightly, twirling the hem of her skirt between his fingers, a faint smile at his lips as he asked, “Can you take it in yourself?”
The jump between where they were and what he was asking was so shocking that Nan Xu’s eyes widened. “No.”
As expected, she refused.
Xie Hejing didn’t push, at least not right away. Instead he asked, “Then… can you feed it to me yourself?”
“No.” Nan Xu refused again.
This time, he wasn’t so patient. He tilted his neck with a crack, voice lowering. “Be good. Pick one.”
How was she supposed to choose?
Nan Xu was extremely troubled. She looked at Xie Hejing, seeing his increasingly uncontrolled gaze, and finally said, “I’ll… do it myself.”
“Wait…” Xie Hejing suddenly spoke. “Where are you planning to feed it to?”
He pointed slightly in front of Nan Xu. “Here?”
Then his gaze lowered. “Or there?”
Nan Xu’s ears turned scarlet, the color spreading all the way down her neck. “Does it even make a difference to you?”
Xie Hejing gave a wicked smile. “Of course it does. If it’s there, I should lie down—otherwise the position might be difficult for you.”
Nan Xu really wanted to cover his mouth. She couldn’t understand how he could say such things without even blinking.
“No. Not there.”
His smile deepened as he stared at her expectantly. “Alright.”
Since she had agreed to take the initiative, Nan Xu didn’t retreat anymore. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she slowly leaned toward him.
His light kisses landed first on the upper part of her chest, then moved gradually, searching for the place she offered. Heat swept across her skin.
The moment he fully reached it, Nan Xu clutched his shoulders tightly, unable to handle the flood of emotion. Xie Hejing somehow still managed to soothe her even while occupied—he couldn’t speak, but he kept patting her back gently, telling her not to tense up.
He seemed entirely absorbed, lingering and exploring with clear interest. Nan Xu’s whole body flushed red, while he remained unhurried and even asked, “And now? Will you keep taking the lead?”
“Or should I take over?”
He was practically exploiting Nan Xu’s embarrassed state; she simply couldn’t bring herself to say “I’ll do it myself” again.
Sure enough, Nan Xu leaned against Xie Hejing, utterly drained, feeling that this activity was too physically demanding.
Even though she had only maintained the position and hadn’t done anything extra, she was still too tired to move. “You do it.”
A triumphant smile crossed Xie Hejing’s lips. “You said it yourself.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Xu’s position changed; from half-kneeling in front of him, she was now kneeling on top of him.
Her knees brushed against Xie Hejing’s pubic bone area.
“Does it hurt?” Nan Xu asked, with her entire body weight almost concentrated on these two points.
“No feeling,” Xie Hejing thought for a moment. “It might get chafed when we start moving later. Want to admire it?”
Nan Xu: “…”
“Not interested. Admire it yourself.”
Xie Hejing finally tore open the obstructive nightgown, then positioned Nan Xu properly, and slowly sank in.
Nan Xu always struggled to bear that kind of tingling sensation and fullness, and she inevitably resisted. When they were at home, Xie Hejing would usually give her a cushion to distract her.
But they forgot to bring a cushion this time. Xie Hejing offered a pillow to Nan Xu, but she refused to take it.
Xie Hejing had no choice but to offer his palm to her. “Bite it.”
“I don’t want to bite you,” Nan Xu said.
Unexpectedly, Xie Hejing laughed: “Aren’t you ‘biting’ right now?”
“Ahhh! Xie Hejing, you’re so annoying!”
With that, Nan Xu stopped caring about anything and bit Xie Hejing’s arm. Originally, she was worried he might feel pain, but after his teasing distraction, Nan Xu was practically hoping he would hurt.
That way, at least she wouldn’t be the only one feeling tight and sore.
Xie Hejing gradually slowed to a stop. Nan Xu was breathing into his ear, her exhalations exceeding her inhalations; she still couldn’t handle this position.
“Are you done?”
“Halfway,” Xie Hejing replied succinctly.
“How is that possible!” Nan Xu felt like half a lifetime had passed, and it was only halfway done?!
She didn’t believe it, but she didn’t dare to look. She only said, “Then hurry up.”
“If I hurry, you might get hurt.”
Nan Xu was getting frantic, this agonizing in-between feeling kept her from making any moves.
But then, thinking it was better to get it over with quickly than to endure this torture, she steeled her resolve and directly ended the torment herself. This was immediately followed by a sharp, intense pain.
“Ah…”
Nan Xu’s eyes welled up with tears from the pain.
That sudden move by Nan Xu was completely unexpected by Xie Hejing, and it gave him quite a fright. He initially wanted to scold her, but hearing the catch in Nan Xu’s cry, he immediately dropped all his anger.
“Does it hurt? See if you dare to be so reckless next time.”
“You… I don’t want you anymore,” Nan Xu said, too much in pain to think clearly.
Xie Hejing knew she was suffering and didn’t argue with her. “Then I want you.”
He kissed the tears from the corners of her eyes patiently and began to coax her.
“Breathe slowly. It will be better soon. Don’t move. Just bear with it for a little longer.”
Xie Hejing’s gentle soothing worked. Nan Xu began to feel it was less difficult to bear and was also startled by her own actions just now.
In fact, due to Xie Hejing’s excessively slow movements, an unspeakable tingly sensation welled up in Nan Xu’s heart, but she was too embarrassed to say anything.
Xie Hejing was deliberately slow, intending to let Nan Xu feel him completely, bit by bit.
Hearing Nan Xu’s voice gradually become more breathless, Xie Hejing knew he had succeeded. He asked at the right time: “Do you want me to go faster?”
Nan Xu didn’t speak. She knew Xie Hejing wouldn’t agree so easily; he always had a hundred and eight tricks waiting for her.
“Call me husband, let me hear it,” Xie Hejing curved his lips into a smile.
She guessed it right!
Nan Xu was happy with her understanding of Xie Hejing, but the intense rubbing sensation Xie Hejing caused was too overwhelming. It was so intense that Nan Xu couldn’t focus on anything else, only on the present moment.
To make matters worse, Xie Hejing’s hands were also restless, his palm moving along her back, as if a current were continuously passing over her skin, gradually pushing Nan Xu to the brink of collapse.
“Xie Hejing, you…”
Before she could finish, Xie Hejing interrupted her. “What should you call me?”
Nan Xu pursed her lips.
This girl can actually endure this much now?
Xie Hejing furrowed his brow, suddenly reducing the distance that had just been painstakingly created, but his speed remained incredibly slow.
“Mmm…” The deliberate nature of Xie Hejing’s actions made Nan Xu want to start cursing him. How could he take advantage of her like this?
However, whenever Nan Xu said something Xie Hejing didn’t want to hear, he wouldn’t argue. He would just suddenly increase the force and speed, causing Nan Xu’s heart to instantly rush to a peak.
And then came the extreme pull and tease again.
“Bastard, Xie Hejing, you bastard.”
Nan Xu’s voice trembled with tears again.
This time, Xie Hejing didn’t kiss her. He firmly gripped Nan Xu’s waist and whispered, “Still refusing to call me that? Then it’s still not enough.”
“Wait…”
Nan Xu couldn’t bear it any longer. She quietly called out, “Husband…”
Xie Hejing’s breathing hitched, but he quickly regained his composure: “What? I didn’t hear you clearly.”
“You!”
Nan Xu was too tired to argue further. She leaned close to Xie Hejing’s ear and said, her syllables somewhat fragmented,
“Husband… can you please stop bullying me?”
“!!!”
Xie Hejing’s controlled breathing completely broke. In the midst of their rising and falling, he suddenly slowed his movements in response to her whimpering sobs.
Leaning close to Nan Xu’s ear, Xie Hejing spoke sharply despite the tender gesture.
“Nan Xu.”
“Say that I am yours, and you are mine, forever.”