After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

The hem of the wedding dress had become loose at some point.

Beneath the slightly open neckline, a slender collarbone was faintly visible in the flickering candlelight, below which lay a hazy, soft shadow, undulating like distant snow-covered mountains.

Xie Jinchen braced his arm against Jiang Dusheng's side, enveloping her in a small space in front of him.

His kiss landed again, but this time it wasn't just a fleeting touch of lips and teeth; instead, it meandered down her lips.

"Thank you... Jinchen..."

Jiang Dusheng couldn't help but call out softly, his voice trembling slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't form a coherent sentence.

But when that faint tremor reached Xie Jinchen's ears, it transformed into an invitation.

He responded with a low "hmm," his breath hitting Jiang Dusheng's skin and making her scalp tingle.

His hand finally slipped inside the loose collar, his fingertips lightly brushing against the undulations beneath the fabric.

Jiang Du gasped sharply, his toes involuntarily curling up. He instinctively brought his legs together, but Xie Jinchen held him down firmly without any room for refusal.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered hoarsely at her lips, his breath unsteady, yet his movements carried an undeniable aggressiveness.

There was no gap between them; they were pressed tightly together, and the candlelight flickered on their overlapping shadows.

After the rustling sound of his clothes being lightly removed, Xie Jinchen's breathing noticeably became heavier.

"Waaah..."

Jiang Dusheng let out a short whimper, his fingertips digging deep into his shoulder and back.

Xie Jinchen also let out a muffled groan and pulled her even closer.

Jiang Dusheng took a trembling breath, trying to ignore the terrifying presence, and softened little by little under his coaxing.

A tingling sensation climbed up her spine, making her slightly dizzy and causing her toes to curl up, unconsciously drawing her closer to Xie Jinchen.

This silent invitation caused Xie Jinchen's eyes to darken suddenly.

He suddenly picked her up from the table.

Jiang Dusheng gasped softly, instinctively wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

This posture instantly erased the slight distance between them, and Jiang Dusheng couldn't help but bury her face in his shoulder, letting out a muffled sob.

Xie Jinchen held her in his arms and walked a few steps to the large yellow rosewood rocking chair by the window, where he slowly sat down.

The rocking chair tilted backward due to the sudden weight, making a slight creaking sound.

Jiang Dusheng fell completely into his arms.

She trembled slightly as she rested her head on his shoulder, surrendering her entire weight to him.

Xie Jinchen held her waist and back firmly with one hand, and pinched her chin with the other, forcing her to lift her face to receive his hot, deep kiss.

The rocking chair then began to sway gently, creaking under its own weight.

Each gentle sway brings a fleeting moment of subtle suspension and return.

"slow…"

Jiang Dusheng's words were incoherent, and fragmented pleas escaped his lips one after another.

This posture of having nothing to rely on makes all senses exceptionally clear, leaving one to completely follow his rhythm.

The rocking of the chair amplified the uncontrollable feeling of weightlessness, pushing the rising emotions to their peak.

"It won't be slow..." Xie Jinchen whispered, biting her earlobe, his breath hot. "The second page of the picture book... is this one."

I don't know how much time passed, or how many places I changed, but finally, I returned to the rocking chair.

Jiang Dusheng lost his strength and could only obediently tighten his arms around Xie Jinchen's neck, leaning all his weight on him.

Sweat soaked their skin, and their body temperatures were alarmingly high.

Jiang Dusheng could no longer bear it. She straightened up, cupped Xie Jinchen's face, and kissed his cheek.

Then, she whispered, "Thank you... Jin Chen, I like you."

This sentence completely ignited Xie Jinchen's last shred of rationality.

The rocking chair swayed faster, its creaking sound as fine as rain.

Jiang Dusheng felt the flickering candlelight in the room go from clear to blurry, and then back to clear in her eyes.

Amidst the shattering sound of the impact, raindrops fell on her neck, changing from slightly cool to scalding hot, and then back to slightly cool.

Amidst the crackling of the candlelight, Jiang Dusheng let out a soft, kitten-like whimper in his ear until the rocking chair gradually slowed down.

……

After a moment of silence, the sound of the bed shaking slightly came from not far away, accompanied by Jiang Dusheng's angry curse, "Xie Jinchen, you lied to me again!"