Bare collarbones

The kiss caught Cheng Yue off guard. Unlike the stormy intensity of before, Ji Huaijin gently cradled the back of his neck, brushing his lips against his again and again, as lightly as a dragonfly skimming water.

It was as though he were waiting for Cheng Yue to invite him in.

Cheng Yue raised his eyes. This seemed to be the first time he had looked straight at the other man from so close. His features were cool and reserved, his profile like jade, his lowered lashes casting shadows beneath his eyes.

His thin lips were red as blood, yet their warmth was so gentle and soft when they pressed against his.

So aloof, yet so tender.

Cheng Yue lowered his gaze and tipped his chin up slightly. "Didn't you say just one kiss?"

Looking at the soft lips he had kissed red, Ji Huaijin suddenly laughed. "What am I supposed to do? You're too good to kiss."

He bent closer, lowering himself until he was looking up at Cheng Yue. "Can I have one more?"

His smiling eyes held all the enchanting beauty of a thousand mountains and rivers.

Cheng Yue: "..."

Give him an inch, and he'd take a mile.

Afternoon sunlight spilled through a gap in the curtains onto the tiled floor. A black suit lay over beige loungewear as they held each other in peaceful intimacy.

They shared a long, heart-fluttering kiss.

The Rottweiler was eventually found at a pet training school.

Its owner was the man who owned the Buick minivan. Knowing his dog had caused trouble, he hurriedly arranged for someone to transfer it beneath a bridge.

After repeatedly reviewing the surveillance footage from that day, the police spotted an ordinary-looking van slowly pulling out half an hour after the Buick minivan had left.

It then drove around the city several times before heading to a pet facility.

When the police came knocking, the van driver lost his nerve. Before they even questioned him, he spilled everything.

As it turned out, the family had always kept the Rottweiler in the suburbs, occasionally bringing it to their home here for a few days. That day happened to be when it was due to go back.

The owner suddenly had a stomachache, but he did not dare risk taking the dog upstairs again. After some thought, he left it in the car and went upstairs to use the bathroom.

He had assumed nothing serious could happen in such a short time, only for something to go wrong after all.

Worried the dog would get stuffy, he had left a crack in the window for ventilation. In his hurry, however, he had actually forgotten to lock the car.

Somehow, the Rottweiler pressed the door release. As the sliding door slowly opened, its instincts were given free rein, leading to everything that followed.

The owner came downstairs just in time to witness it all. He had intended to go over and pull the dog away, but Zhao Li and the others had already rushed forward.

Weighing his options, he drew back the foot he had stepped forward with. Only after the dog had run out of sight did he hurriedly drive after it. After following it for a block and making sure no one was chasing him, he quickly got out and brought it into the car.

Ridiculously enough, even when the police brought the dog right in front of him, he stubbornly denied everything, insisting he did not recognize it and had never owned it. His wife helped cover for him.

They shouted that the police were falsely accusing them and threatened to sue.

Sitting in the office, Cheng Yue was so eager to hear what had happened that he forgot the man before him was the chief of the Police Station. "Then what?"

"Then we showed him the van driver's statement and found surveillance footage of him walking the dog in the suburbs. Only then did he confess."

His admission made his earlier uproar at the station look like a complete joke.

Only when the handcuffs went on did he panic, hurriedly shouting for his wife to find a lawyer and pull some strings.

"As the victim, Mr. Cheng, they've asked whether you would be willing to issue a statement of forgiveness or settle privately."

The chief glanced at the man sitting on the sofa with his long legs crossed, his bearing elegant and refined.

He could not help thinking, Why bother looking for connections? The most powerful connection is right here. Unfortunately for you, he's on the other side.

Even without the Ji Family, Ji Huaijin's own capabilities were enough to make them suffer.

Cheng Yue paused, his brows drawing together slightly.

Honestly, he did not want to forgive them. If he had not seen what was happening, or had been one step too late, the consequences for that little girl would have been unthinkable.

A Rottweiler was a large dog, at least twice the little girl's size. At three years old, she could not protect herself. Once it bit down on her, she would have had almost no chance of breaking free.

No one should be allowed to use the fact that an injury had not yet occurred as an excuse to escape responsibility.

It had been happening. They had simply been lucky enough to avoid an irreversible outcome.

Someone gently patted his back, and Cheng Yue turned to look.

Ji Huaijin's voice was gentle, yet carried a steady strength. "If you don't want to forgive them, don't. It isn't mandatory."

"Ah, yes, exactly."

The chief quickly chimed in. "Don't worry, Mr. Cheng. Even if you don't forgive them, they'll still be responsible for paying the compensation you're owed."

Ji Huaijin wore an easy smile, his gaze soft as he let Cheng Yue stare at him.

He looked utterly untroubled, as though nothing mattered more to him than what Cheng Yue wanted.

In the end, Cheng Yue still refused to forgive them. The chief warmly assured him that they would help negotiate the compensation; all he had to do was wait for the payment.

Before leaving, Cheng Yue asked what punishment the dog owner would receive. He meant nothing else by it-he was simply curious.

"He'll probably be detained and fined. After all, no serious injuries were caused."

The law was the law. Even if they wanted to punish him more severely, they still had to follow the rules.

Cheng Yue nodded and smiled gratefully, then followed Ji Huaijin out under the chief's attentive gaze.

Beneath the blue sky and white clouds, Cheng Yue stretched luxuriously. After several days cooped up in that sprawling apartment, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, he felt as though his bones had rusted.

The whole incident could finally be put behind him. His wounds had scabbed over, and he had unexpectedly gained some shopping money. On the spot, Cheng Yue pulled a face-changing act worthy of Sichuan opera.

"All right, I'm going home. Go do whatever you need to do!"

No one could call him ungrateful. Hadn't he repaid him with one... countless kisses?

After that many kisses, what was wrong with eating his food for a few days? He'd eat it all he liked!

Ji Huaijin laughed helplessly and poked him between the brows. "Discarding me now that I've served my purpose, Mr. Security Guard?"

Cheng Yue had come out wearing Ji Huaijin's clothes: a royal blue silk shirt and black dress pants, paired with his own work boots. The simple outfit gave him a carefree, untamed energy.

He was handsome. With a little dressing up, he looked like a young gentleman from a well-to-do family.

Yet as Ji Huaijin looked at the bare collarbones beneath his collar, he could not shake the feeling that they needed some sort of adornment.

It was a good idea, as Cheng Yue soon helped make that wish come true.

That afternoon, Cheng Yue freely admitted that he was burning his bridges now that he was safely across. Then he waved with easy confidence and left without a shred of sentiment.

Of the four seasons, Cheng Yue liked summer best. Although he broke into a sweat the moment he stepped outside, he always felt summer offered more chances to wear nice clothes than winter did.

A perfectly legitimate paid vacation was a rare treat. Perhaps because the chief had put pressure on them, the other party paid the compensation quickly. On top of the medical expenses and lost wages he was owed, they added a sum for emotional distress.

A full twenty thousand yuan. Cheng Yue was so delighted he could barely think straight.