Once More

Light snow suddenly began to drift down from the sky.

A black Maybach was parked by a deserted lake.

The passenger-side door stood open. Xi Jin sat sideways in the seat, one long leg braced against the ground.

His face still bore the marks from Nan Xingyu's slaps.

They lingered for a long time.

Nan Xingyu scooped up a handful of snow from a stone table, packed it into a ball, and held it against his face as a cold compress.

Otherwise, if her parents saw him like this when they got home, they would have to invent a whole string of lies to explain it.

Xi Jin couldn't help flinching as the cold seeped through his skin and into his bones, but he didn't pull away. He only looked at the girl in front of him.

"Nan Xingyu, how many of your handprints are on my face now?"

"..."

Nan Xingyu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Xi Jin chuckled. "After we get married, are you going to beat me up all the time?"

"..."

Nan Xingyu glared at him. "Yes, I'm vicious, so you'd better think it through."

Xi Jin reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, looking down at her. "Even if you stabbed me to death, I'd still have you."

"What, am I sick? Why would I stab you? You think everyone goes crazy like you?"

"I'd only ever..."

Xi Jin pulled her into his arms, pressed his lips to the curve of her ear, and whispered with a wicked smile:

"Fuck you to death in bed."

"...Shameless."

Nan Xingyu flew into a rage, mortified, and smashed the snowball in her hand against his face.

The snowball burst apart, splattering his face, and some of it even slipped down his collar.

Xi Jin winced in pain. The tenderness in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a chill as he raised his eyes and glared at her.

Nan Xingyu instantly lost her nerve on reflex and tried to redirect his anger. "I... I'll go make another snowball."

The next second.

Xi Jin grabbed her wrist, pulled her back, and bit down on her neck.

"Mmm..."

Nan Xingyu let out a muffled moan, afraid he would suck a mark onto her neck that would be hard to explain when she got home.

She hurriedly patted his shoulder, her voice softening.

"I was wrong, Xi Jin. I shouldn't have thrown it at you. Will you let go?"

But Xi Jin paid no heed. His arm held her waist in a tight grip as the tip of his tongue gently swept over the spot he had bitten.

A tingle ran through Nan Xingyu's whole body.

She reached up to push against his neck, her palm accidentally pressing against his bobbing Adam's apple.

Warm.

Moving firmly.

The sensation traveled along her fingertips and raced through her body like an electric current.

Without thinking, she gently rubbed that sexy piece of cartilage.

Xi Jin's Adam's apple bobbed lightly beneath her fingertips as he swallowed.

Every movement made her heart clench.

Her breathing grew a little uneven.

"Once more?"

His slightly hoarse voice sounded in her ear.

That unconscious movement of hers seemed to have aroused him until he had lost control.

He rested his forehead against hers, making no attempt to hide the desire in his breathing.

Nan Xingyu came to her senses and pushed against him. "No."

Ignoring what she said, Xi Jin tightened the arm around her waist and, with a gentle tug, pulled her into the car.

Bang.

The car door shut.

Shutting out the cold snow and biting wind.

Only the sound of their quickened breathing remained.

The passenger seat slowly reclined. Xi Jin couldn't wait any longer; he gripped the back of her neck and pulled her down.

Meeting her with an eager kiss.

Nan Xingyu's brief resistance soon melted away beneath his kiss.

Leaving only her instinctive surrender.

She raised her arms around his neck, her fingers unconsciously clutching his hair as her body trembled slightly.

Feeling her respond, Xi Jin kissed her harder.

Nan Xingyu couldn't catch her breath and pulled back a little, but he held the back of her neck, refusing to let her escape.

He pressed her face into his neck.

As if guided by him, Nan Xingyu kissed his long, pale neck.

When she reached the protruding cartilage, she couldn't resist opening her mouth and biting it.

A muffled groan came from above her.

Then a breath of laughter rumbled in his chest.

He let her have her way for a moment.

Xi Jin soon took control again, both hands gripping her waist as his gaze grew deeper and deeper.

He stared intently at her flushed face and parted lips as passion overtook her.

He loved seeing her like this most of all.

Like a little beast he had tamed.

Docile.

And alluring without knowing it.

It seemed that only when he was xx with her

could he feel that perhaps she liked him a little too.

Xi Jin tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her closer against him as he panted in her ear, his voice strained.

"Xiaoyu, do you love me?"

Nan Xingyu knitted her brows, her fingers tightening in his hair.

Whenever she was like this with him, physical desire always overwhelmed her reason.

But her reason kept reminding her.

She couldn't let herself become lost in his tenderness.

"Do you love me?"

Xi Jin asked again, his tone persistently demanding an answer.

He always liked to ask her that question when they were at their most intimate.

As if he wanted some confirmation from her.

A little proof that could set his mind at ease.

Nan Xingyu's breathing grew more and more ragged, the heat in her body leaving her barely able to think.

She didn't know whether she was trying to placate him, had truly been bewitched by the atmosphere, or perhaps simply needed an outlet for the desire in her body.

She gave him the answer he wanted, saying softly, "I do."

A faint smile curved Xi Jin's trembling lips.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Baby, I love you too."

Nan Xingyu had thought Xi Jin was staying in Jiangzhou to keep an eye on her.

As it turned out, he really did have work.

But it wasn't in Jiangzhou.

It was in Shenzhen, a hundred kilometers away.

Inside a hotel suite.

The desk was piled high with documents waiting to be dealt with.

His assistant, Zhang Zhe, handed him a phone. "Vice President Xi, you have a call. It's President Xi."

Xi Jin was studying data on his computer. He raised a hand and took the phone.

Xi Kun briefly asked about the new project in Shenzhen.

"Once you've dealt with things over there, get back to Jingzhou immediately."

Xi Kun said on the other end of the line:

"Your grandfather is preparing to make his will after the new year. After we kicked your second uncle out of the running, he still wanted to stir up trouble. He's been making a lot of moves lately, inciting the shareholders to remove you. He'll definitely take action."

Xi Jin moved the mouse with his fingertips. "I don't have time."

"Xi Jin, do you know what kind of situation we're in? Things here in Jingzhou have already reached a critical point. Don't test my bottom line. Do you really think I don't know why you chose Shenzhen for the new project?"

Xi Kun was furious at his son's failure to live up to expectations. How had he raised someone so love-struck?

"You did it to be closer to that little girl. You good-for-nothing, you've made the whole Xi Family lose face."

Xi Jin put down the mouse and leaned back in his chair, saying casually:

"Dad, if you have a better option, you're welcome to withdraw the investment in Shenzhen."

His tone turned colder. "Stay out of my private affairs."

"Who do you think you are?"

Xi Kun said, "You're the future heir to the Xi Family. Your marriage isn't something you can do whatever you please with. I'm only staying out of it for now because you haven't reached the legal age to register a marriage yet."

"I'll give you one more year. After that, cut all ties with this person immediately."

"President Jiang has already taken the initiative to show goodwill. You must marry Jiang Yuexi to unite our families. Don't even think about getting involved with some questionable person."

Xi Jin gave a quiet scoff. "Dad, no one gets to talk about my wife like that. Not even you."

Xi Kun said, "What wife? Jiang Yuexi is your fiancée."

Xi Jin picked up the mouse again and looked at the computer screen. "If you like her so much, I've already told you, you can have her yourself."

"You animal!"

"Go easy on the insults. You still need an animal like me to secure your empire for you."

With that, he hung up.

He casually tossed the phone onto the desk and called Zhang Zhe in.

"From now on, don't put my father's calls through to me. Find a way to handle them yourself."

Zhang Zhe paused, then nodded. "All right, Vice President Xi."

During the new year holiday, Nan Xingyu went around with her parents visiting relatives and offering new year greetings.

Xi Jin had been in Shenzhen these past few days.

Every night, she had to sneak off to video call him.

For the first few days, he kept reminding her about going abroad to register their marriage on February 10.

Then, over the next few days, he suddenly stopped mentioning it.

Nan Xingyu was worried about how to deal with him.

She was afraid he would actually barge into her home and drag her away.

Then, on the seventh day of the new year.

There was no word from Xi Jin all day.

Nan Xingyu lay on her bed staring at her phone, afraid it would suddenly ring, but also feeling that if it didn't, she wouldn't have completed today's task.

So she kept waiting.

Liu Meili knocked and came in, looking somewhat surprised. "Xiaoyu, my old coworkers' group chat says Young Master Xi's grandfather passed away in Jingzhou this morning."