No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

This is the first time in my life that I have experienced this feeling of being so disoriented that I am completely unable to control myself.

My brain is saying "nonono," but my body is shouting "gogogo."

The ambiguous background music, Pei Jingnian's dark eyes that were hard to look away from, and the fingertips intertwined with her tongue.

He gently lowered her head, almost making her nod.

Honey, tell me you want to.

Please, just say you want to.

We haven't kissed in almost a week.

Those three aggrieved sentences actually jolted Shi Qiao awake from her slumber of reason.

What is she doing?

Wasn't she supposed to be the hunter? How did she end up becoming the prey without even realizing it?

If she nodded and said she wanted to, wouldn't that be admitting that she had succumbed to Pei Jingnian's tyranny?

Shi Qiao hurriedly backed away, "I don't want to!"

That was close.

She almost drowned in Pei Daji's scheme to seduce a man!

She pulled out a pillow and placed it between her and Pei Jingnian, clearly drawing a line between them.

"You liar! You clearly said you wouldn't lay a hand on me!"

Pei Jingnian pressed down on the seemingly useless pillow, "Speaking of touching and groping, some people have done their fair share, haven't they?"

He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and in the dim light, the neat teeth marks on his neck and the intermittent scratches downwards made the scene even more ambiguous.

"Dare to do it but not admit it? A little puppy?"

Shi Qiao's face flushed red instantly. She turned over and moved as far to the side as possible.

"Wasn't it you who kept holding me in your arms first?"

"Didn't you say it yourself? It takes two to tango!"

She rummaged around with her little hands for a couple of seconds, then pulled Pei Jingnian's pillow away and placed it in the middle.

"Either you sleep here, or you get out of bed and sleep on the sofa."

She reached for the remote and turned off the TV, then snapped off the last light. Immediately afterwards, she covered her ears with both hands, determined to shut out all distractions.

"I'm not going to care about you anymore! Go to sleep!"

Pei Jingnian stared longingly at the small, rounded mound that undulated continuously before settling down at the waist.

It looks easy to tinker with.

My body is burning up a lot more.

He silently got out of bed and went into the shower to take a cold shower.

The icy water slid down his brow bone, trying to calm the surging undercurrent.

Its effect is minimal.

He lightly touched the spot where the girl had grabbed him with his fingertips, and the faint pain continued to stimulate his central nervous system.

It was a bit too much, but it was worth it.

It felt so good to catch it.

It's even more satisfying to bite into.

It's his own fault; he didn't get the balance right.

It took him about half an hour to finally calm down a bit.

Back in the room, I saw that the already cramped double bed had been mostly occupied by Shi Qiao, and the two pillows had been kicked to the floor.

She has absolutely no sleeping posture.

*

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Qiao was awakened by a slight jolt, and she groggily opened her eyes.

Before them was not the pillow separating the two of them, but the gleaming clavicle muscles.

Pei Jingnian's body exudes his usual woody scent, mixed with a refreshing tea note, making it increasingly addictive the more you smell it.

He held her in his arms, his burning palms resting on her back.

There was almost no gap between the two.

She was startled and tried to break free, but Pei Jingnian instinctively tightened his embrace.

This brought her ear right up to the man's hard chest, his heartbeat steady and strong.

His hair was a mess from sleeping, with a few strands sticking up due to static electricity.

Stray hair partially obscured her sharp brow bone, and her sleeping face showed no sign of defensiveness, her breathing steady.

Long eyelashes, like natural pupil lines, adorn the eyelids, casting light shadows.

At times like these, she would marvel at Aunt Lin's greatness.

They're really good at having children.

Pei Jingnian's facial features mostly resemble Aunt Lin's, but he also has Uncle Pei's bone structure.

Even when lying on her side, there's no excess fat on her face.

"Wife..." he called slowly, moving a few more inches toward Shi Qiao.

It's as if he wants to meld her into his very bones.

Shi Qiao's heart skipped a beat.

She carefully adjusted her body, following Pei Jingnian's pull to hug her tighter.

Pei Jingnian's embrace is so addictive.

*

When Shi Qiao woke up again, a hazy white light was already shining through the sunshade.

She rubbed her eyes, and her oversized pajamas slipped off her shoulders, revealing a small section of her pinkish-white shoulder.

"Awake?" Pei Jingnian's voice came from above.

She looked up abruptly and saw Pei Jingnian already half-supported himself, leaning against the headboard.

And she, quite pathetically, hugged his waist as a pillow.

She let go quickly, kicking her legs and retreating quite a distance.

But she retreated too quickly and lost her balance, falling backward.

The pain I had imagined didn't come from behind me; instead, I felt a sense of peace.

Pei Jingnian used force to pull her back to the bed.

He didn't let go, but tilted his head to the side and looked down, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I was so happy to hold you while you were asleep, but when you woke up I let go like I'd seen a ghost."

He ran his index finger through her hair and naturally smoothed down the stray strands.

"Is it comfortable to use me as a body pillow, Shi Qiao?"

Comfortable.

It's really comfortable.

Shi Qiao made a face and denied it, "I didn't... I didn't hug you on purpose."

"I hug whatever I see when I sleep."

"It would be the same with someone else."

As she spoke, she broke free from Pei Jingnian's tight grip and ran barefoot to the sofa.

Next, Shi Qiao ate and drank as she pleased.

The smile doesn't disappear, it just moves on.

If it were Pei Jingnian, he would be completely distraught.

His inner voice kept repeating the two sentences Shi Qiao had just said: "Break through the defenses."

The long flight finally ended, the plane landed, and as soon as Shi Qiao stepped out of the airport, she saw a luxury van in the distance.

Lin Ya-hui and Bai Shu-wen were standing in front of the car door, chatting away about something, their expressions ranging from excitement to something else entirely.

They didn't even notice her.

Shi Qiao took a deep breath and shouted, "Aunt Lin, Mom!"

The two turned their gazes and smiled when they saw Shi Qiao.

Shi Qiao dropped her luggage and ran straight towards them, burying herself in their arms.

"Waaaaah, we're finally here! I missed you all so much!"

Lin Ya Hui and Bai Shu Wen gently rubbed her little head together, saying, "Our little Qiao must have had a hard journey."

"Mommy misses you too, Xiaoqiao."

"Oh dear, Mom, look how thin your face has become! Are you not used to the food in Hong Kong?"

Shi Qiao raised her head. "Mom, you're only enthusiastic when you see me. I've been in Hong Kong for over a month, and you haven't even called me once!"

Bai Shuwen cleared her throat strategically and glanced at Lin Yahui, the two of them exchanging something.

"Oh dear, Mom's just busy! Besides, telling Aunt Lin is the same as telling me, isn't it?"

Lin Ya-wen beamed from ear to ear, "Xiao Qiao, isn't it enough that I care about you?"

"I'm going to be jealous."

Suddenly, the door to the business class seat behind her opened. Shi Qiao looked up at the sound and saw a fair-skinned face.

Its small face is packed with features, even more delicate than a BJD doll.

"Xiaoqiao, Jingnian, it's been a long time." Su Yurou smiled, revealing eight teeth, with a sweet smile.