"Achoo!"
Xiao Jietian's nose tingled as he sneezed twice in quick succession.
Xuan Yi looked up at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. My nose just feels a bit itchy. Maybe someone's thinking about me. After all, I'm so handsome—it's easy for people to miss me," Xiao Jietian said with a smile, pinching his nose.
"Braggart. Your skin is thicker than a city wall!" Xuan Yi rolled her beautiful eyes at him.
Seeing her expression, Xiao Jietian's fingers moved lightly, kneading her waist. Because the sides of her qipao were slit open, he could directly touch her delicate, smooth skin.
Her skin was so tender that his hand unconsciously slid downward.
The moment his palm touched her buttocks, Xuan Yi's cheeks flushed crimson. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she stared at him and pressed down on his hand. "Keep your hands to yourself. How am I supposed to face them when they come out?"
"You said my skin was thick. I'm just helping you prove it," Xiao Jietian leaned closer deliberately, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "So… does that mean it's okay when they're not around?"
Xuan Yi shivered slightly at the warmth of his breath, as if struck by electricity. "No… no."
"Then when can it be?" Xiao Jietian pressed.
Xuan Yi's eyes showed a trace of panic mixed with something else. She had never felt this way before—not even as a child. Was her heart actually looking forward to it?
She quickly shook her head. "Anyway… it's not possible right now. Later… later."
Xiao Jietian had no intention of backing down. If she truly refused, she would have been firm, even angry.
But right now, Xuan Yi clearly wasn't. This was the perfect moment to continue the advance, not to retreat. If he pulled back now, it would be hard to warm things up again, and he would miss this heaven-sent opportunity.
Did he really have to wait for the girl to say "yes" explicitly? If he didn't take a step forward, someone else would.
Looking at Xuan Yi, who was acting as shy as an eighteen-year-old girl, Xiao Jietian suddenly lowered his head and took her small earlobe into his mouth. His tongue gently swept over it a few times.
The warm, wet sensation made Xuan Yi's entire body stiffen, as if she had been struck by lightning. She couldn't move.
Her breathing instantly became rapid. Her cheeks flushed visibly, and even her neck turned a faint pink.
"You…!" Her voice trembled, unable to form a complete sentence.
Xiao Jietian chuckled softly, then gently bit her earlobe.
Xuan Yi trembled all over and collapsed as if all her strength had been drained away.
Xiao Jietian wrapped his arm around her, steadily pulling her now boneless body into his embrace and seating her on his lap. His hand rested where he could feel her heartbeat, his fingertips clearly sensing her rapid pulse.
Xuan Yi naturally felt him sensing her heartbeat. She wanted to push him away and stand up, but her body refused to obey. It felt as if her muscles and bones had turned to water. In the end, she could only let his hand hold and embrace her.
Xiao Jietian lowered his head, his nose brushing against the side of her neck. His warm breath caressed her slightly flushed skin as he smiled mischievously. "What are you hiding from? You said no just now, so is it okay here now?"
As he spoke, his fingers moved slightly, carefully feeling the rhythm of her constantly beating heart.
"Shut up…" Xuan Yi's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Her earlobes were so red they looked ready to bleed.
She felt the warmth of his palm and was too shy to even open her eyes. She unconsciously clutched his lapels, her knuckles turning slightly white.
Xiao Jietian noticed that she only told him to shut up but didn't stop his hand from feeling her heartbeat. That proved he could go further.
He lifted one of Xuan Yi's legs, directly picking her up and shifting her from sitting sideways to facing him, pressed tightly against his body.
Then, looking at the shy Xuan Yi before him, Xiao Jietian lowered his head slightly and suddenly kissed her rosy lips.
She instinctively wanted to escape, but her body betrayed her, tilting her head back slightly to respond to his advance.
Xiao Jietian's thumb caressed the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss.
After a long while, he finally released her reluctantly.
Their noses touched, their breathing still ragged. Xuan Yi's cheeks were flushed, her eyes unfocused, as if her consciousness had drifted somewhere else.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Jietian's hand, which was on her waist, slipped through the gap and once again felt the frantic beating of her heart.
Xuan Yi snapped back to reality, but she didn't stop him. Instead, she rested her strengthless head on his shoulder and breathed in his unique masculine scent.
This time, Xiao Jietian could feel her heartbeat even more clearly. He could even see his hand moving with the violent throbbing of her heart.
"I didn't expect your heart to beat so strongly," Xiao Jietian said with a charming, wicked smile.
"Shut up. That's enough. Don't push your luck," Xuan Yi pushed his hand away, glared at him, then bit down on his shoulder.
Xiao Jietian feigned a pained expression, while inwardly thinking: Is this a girl's special skill? Biting at the slightest provocation.
After biting for dozens of seconds, Xuan Yi finally vented her frustration at being bullied. She looked at the saliva mark on his clothes and said, "Stop pretending. I know how much force I used. The skin on your shoulder is almost as thick as your face."
"Impossible. It definitely broke the skin. If you don't believe me, come back to the cabin with me and I'll take off my clothes to show you."
"Get lost~ Do you think I'm some naive little girl?!" Xuan Yi looked at him disdainfully. She knew exactly what he was up to. If she really went into the cabin with him, she might not come out intact.
After speaking, Xuan Yi frowned slightly. She twisted uncomfortably a few times, then reached down to find the source of the issue. Suddenly, she froze.
She instantly stood up, kicked Xiao Jietian hard in the shin, and quickly turned to leave, walking into the cabin.
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng, who were engrossed in dividing their spoils inside the cabin, looked up when they saw Xuan Yi approach.
Xiao Meng asked curiously, "Mother Xuan Yi, why did you come over? Are you here to help us divide the spoils?"
"But Mother Xuan Yi, why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?" Xiao Ling added, staring at her flushed cheeks.
"It's nothing. It was just too hot outside, that's why I came in." Memories of what had just happened flashed through Xuan Yi's mind. She secretly glanced at her arm, her pupils widening slightly with a trace of lingering fear.
She quickly shook her head to dispel the thoughts, then squatted down beside the two little girls and looked at the pile of items in front of them. "Aren't all these things the same? How can you two still be arguing over them?"