It was close to noon by the time Xiu managed to open her eyes. It had nothing to do with her sleep addiction. She was bullied last night to the point that she couldn't even move. In fact, she still wasn't willing to open her eyes. But thinking of all the plans she had made for the day, she had to push herself up. 

She sat in a daze for a few minutes before she rubbed her eyes sluggishly. Her eyes caught sight of the clothes she was wearing and a smile bloomed on her face. Her body was snuggled up in an oversized sweatshirt which definitely didn't belong to her. But the comfort it brought was enough to tell her who it belonged to.

Instinctively, she lifted the sweatshirt and rubbed her face against the soft fabric. 

"Isn't it better to hug me?" 

Xiu looked up to see Darren leaning against the doorframe with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. But the way his eyes bore into her made her want to cower back. She really had no tofu left for him to eat now!

"Why would I hug you?" she retorted while avoiding his gaze.

Darren shook his head and came to sit beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close as he placed his chin on her shoulder as per his habit. "Because I think hugging my shirt won't be enough for you."

"Aren't you getting too full of yourself?" 

He kissed her cheek and answered, "Absolutely not my Sweets."

Xiu leaned into him as she questioned, "How are you so energetic?"

"Because you're my energy booster, the more I have you, the more I become energetic."

Xiu hit his c.h.e.s.t playfully, "You and your words... I can't win at all!"

"But there is something I can't win at from you as well," said Darren making Xiu furrow her brows in perplexion. "I'm amazed at how your brain actually works."

"What do you mean?" Xiu had a bad feeling about this question but she still had to ask. However, seeing his eyes, she was again having doubts now.

He pointed towards something and Xiu hesitantly looked over only to bury her face in his c.h.e.s.t. Did he really have to remind her of what foolishness she did last night? 

Darren indeed had to remind her at all costs. How else he was gonna see her fl.u.s.tered look? And seeing what she had bought last night, Xiu was left more than just fl.u.s.tered. She was embarrassed. Why the hell did she buy those handcuffs out of nowhere?

C.a.r.e.s.sing her head softly, he questioned, "I'm very curious... Do my Sweets even know what these things are used for? After all, blindfolds, handcuffs, and wh.i.p.s don't suit in the hands of a kid."

"Are you calling me a kid?" she glared at him.

"Not at all," he answered. "I mean to say that those risqué things don't suit in your soft, delicate, and beautiful hands."

Xiu nodded her head and accepted, "I read about it somewhere."

Darren's eyes widened, "You actually read through it?"

"Let me finish." Darren nodded and didn't interrupt her again. "I mean I wanted to read through it but I couldn't do so. I felt like my eyes will be tainted for life if I read it whole."

Darren pressed his lips together to hold back his laughter. He had expected that kind of answer from her. From his experience with Xiu, he could tell everything about her personality. She was bold and confident but she had her own reservations. There are a lot of things she still felt uncomfortable with. 

In fact, the reason why she had a habit of blurring the world and focusing only on Darren had also been that she knew if she focused on the world, she'd never been able to behave like she always did.

Darren kissed her forehead as he cupped her face and said, "Sweets, I believe your innocent soul would also be tainted. So, never ever try something like that again." Xiu had no issue agreeing with that. What she saw or read was enough to haunt her for a while. She had no plans on continuing that experience. "By the way, you didn't use that whip. Why did you buy it?"

"Originally, that was the real punishment," said Xiu in all honesty. Darren quirked his brow at her. "But I couldn't bring myself to let that crude thing touch my Baobei's skin. It'd be a sin to let anything scar this body!"

Darren couldn't help smiling even more as he said, "Aiyo, why are you so cute?"

"I'd been wondering the same thing lately," said Xiu surprising Darren. "But I still don't know why I'm so cute." Darren's smile widened at her reply and especially at that soft tone she used to reply to him. She turned around to hug his neck as she said, "But I know that I'm only this cute with my Baobei."

"I feel honored," replied Darren with a gentle and doting look in his eyes. Bloody hell! He really loved this woman. Looking at her animatedly talking about something, he could only think of one thing, 'I have to make her mine. There is no way I'm waiting any longer.'

Xiu shook his shoulder, "Baobei, why aren't you listening to me?"

"I'm listening," Darren hurriedly replied.

"Then do something. I can't even feel my legs, how am I gonna go out with you? I have so much planned for the day!"

Seeing her whining, his heart melted faster than butter. "I'll just pick you up."

Xiu tapped her chin thoughtfully, "People will look at as weirdly."

"That's their problem. How is it our concern? If I want to hold my Sweets in my arms how can anyone stop me from doing so?"

Xiu thought about his words and nodded. But before she could say anything, her stomach growled loudly. Xiu placed her hands on the stomach and said, "First, I need to fill this up. Or else the hungry tiger inside of me is gonna keep roaring."

Darren laughed at her baby voice and rubbed her head saying, "My Sweets is amazing. She even keeps a tiger caged inside of her. How remarkable!"