Snap.
Chen Shu snapped his fingers, and the main light, bedside lamp, and downlights all dimmed. Only the hallway light by the door remained on, its faint amber glow just bright enough for them to make out each other's faces.
Ning Qing's body was soft.
The thin silk offered almost no barrier. Chen Shu could clearly feel the warmth of her body.
Their lips met.
Only when his hand grew restless and began wandering over Ning Qing, checking how mature her body had become, did she catch his wrist. She turned her head away from his kiss, and her voice came softly.
"Don't rush."
"You're in charge..."
"You can kiss me all you want today."
"Anywhere off-limits?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm going to kiss you for a long time."
"How long?"
"Until I don't want to anymore."
"How long?"
"Two hours."
"Then you can kiss me for one hour, fifty-two minutes, and thirteen seconds." Ning Qing let him hold her. Neither of them wore much, and she could clearly feel his body against hers, but her heart remained calm. "The rest is what you owe me."
"Set a timer."
"I am the timer."
"..."
Chen Shu turned her face back toward him.
Their eyes met, his bright with heat, hers calm as water. After a moment, their lips came together again as naturally as before.
Chen Shu held her tightly, as though he wanted to crush her and knead her into his own body. This time, she did not stop him.
For the two of them, "dating" was only a label. It was no brand-new beginning, no great event. Perhaps the only difference between dating and not dating was that they could now unlock more permissions for intimacy with each other.
Their first day as a couple began with a two-hour