The backward steps stopped only when they reached the foot of the bed.
Shen Shuangjian she could no longer retreat, but Xie Jinghui's body continued to get closer and closer, Shen Shuangjian no choice but to sit on the bed with her knees bent.
" Zhizhi a few more minutes, it seems like I only have time to kiss you."
Xie Jinghui slowly knelt down in front of Shen Shuangjian. He stretched out a hand and gradually slid it down along Shen Shuangjian's eyebrows and eyes to the back of her neck.
When Shen Shuangjian felt the familiar warmth on the back of his neck, he almost immediately recalled that Xie Jinghui would always gently hold the back of his neck like this before kissing him.
The force was very light, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
"Thanks, uh--".
Shen Shuangjian's voice was quickly silenced again. He tried to reach out, wanting to grab something, but was soon grasped and restrained by a long, broad hand.
"Keep your voice down, or your brother will find out. Actually, Zhizhi also secretly does bad things behind your brother's back."
These words seemed to strike a nerve with Shen Shuangjian. He almost instantly sobbed, tilted his head back, and collapsed from the foot of the bed to the floor, where he nestled into Xie Jinghui's arms.
"Don't do that, that's too much."
Shen Shuangjian's innocence and shyness came from his nature. He was very thin-skinned, especially after being isolated for a long time, which made him even more powerless to resist Xie Jinghui's bullying.
"I'm sorry, I went too far."
Xie Jinghui also admitted that he had not been able to strike a good balance between restraint and indulgence.
He was so intoxicated by Shen Shuangjian's indulgence that he took advantage of the situation and recklessly demanded every reaction from her.
"Now, can you put on some warmer clothes and see the surprise I've prepared for you?"
Shen Shuangjian's room has a terrace on the left that is not completely enclosed. In summer, if the glass sliding doors are open, the warm sunlight, along with the greenery, will shine into the room.
Unfortunately, Moscow had already seen its first snowfall in October, and Shen Shuangjian terribly cold, so the terrace was covered by heavy curtains, making it seem as if it never existed.
At 6:25 Moscow time, Shen Shuangjian, wrapped in a large, fluffy coat, slowly pushed open the glass door to the terrace, accompanied by Xie Jinghui.
The expensive fabric wasn't heavy, yet it effectively kept out the cold. Shen Shuangjian put on the hood attached to the collar, the long fur brim pressing down on his eyebrows and eyes, leaving only his still-rosy face showing.
"The rules in Capital are too rigid, but in Moscow, I think I would be able to do whatever I want."
Xie Jinghui hugged Shen Shuangjian tightly from behind, his lowered eyes filled with countless, indescribable tenderness.
He counted down softly in Shen Shuangjian's ear, which simultaneously heightened Shen Shuangjian's curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
As the final countdown ended, colorful fireworks suddenly burst open in the sky, blooming across the entire city. Countless small patches intertwined and gradually merged into a dazzling and bright night sky.
" Zhizhi."
Xie Jinghui's voice overlapped with the sound of fireworks exploding; it was only for a moment, yet it seemed to last forever.
"Happy birthday."
At that moment, all areas in Moscow where fireworks are absolutely prohibited, except where explicitly forbidden, simultaneously launched their own fireworks displays.
It is dazzling and colorful, and incredibly expensive. It is a surprise wrapped in love, a breathtaking oil painting of the sky in everyone's eyes.
It appeared for Shen Shuangjian, and it blooms only for Shen Shuangjian.
Fireworks are always short-lived and expensive to produce; in the business world, they have always been beautiful but wasteful items that attract attention.
It may only capture a fleeting moment of brilliance, yet it manages to attract people and bring greater profits to businesses.
Before meeting Shen Shuangjian, Xie Jinghui always believed that he was a heartless and ambitious person.
He never pays attention to meaningless things. He seems calm and composed, but he is utterly indifferent at heart. Only the most core interests can provoke his claws. Whenever he takes action, he will tear off a large piece of flesh in a bloody manner before he will stop.
But it wasn't until he met Shen Shuangjian that Xie Jinghui realized he could also be a very naive and vulnerable person.
It turns out that he too can be dominated by inexplicable emotions, falling into joy, pain, depression, and excitement.
It turns out he wasn't all-powerful after all, nor was he as invincible as he had imagined.
It turns out that he would also spend time and money on trivial matters that brought him no benefit, just hoping that his sweetheart would show a look of surprise in her eyes when she saw them.
It turns out that as long as Shen Shuangjian is happy, he can spend tens of millions without batting an eye; he can wear a mask and never reveal his true self.
It turns out that even ferocious beasts can hide their claws and teeth, lying on the ground and begging for mercy with their tails wagging.
It turns out that he had been unknowingly in love with someone to the point of near madness, to the point of being unable to extricate himself.
" Mr. Xie... this is..."
When Shen Shuangjian spoke, even the mist that condensed due to the cold was faint and weak.
That face, hidden behind the collar and hat brim, revealed only its beautiful and stunning eyebrows and eyes, its brown pupils forever filled with a tender, moist light.
Xie Jinghui looked down at him, her eyes reflecting the brilliance and brightness of the fireworks.
At that moment, Xie Jinghui suddenly understood why people would travel thousands of miles and wait a long time to see fireworks bloom in the night sky.
Fireworks are truly beautiful.
" Shen Shuangjian, these fireworks are just for you." Xie Jinghui's voice was always soft, and always filled with endless tenderness.
" Shen Shuangjian, do you like it?"
No one dislikes gifts, no one dislikes surprises, or rather, no one dislikes being loved intensely and deeply.
At that moment, Xie Jinghui saw Shen Shuangjian nod slightly, so before the fireworks ended, Xie Jinghui slowly approached Shen Shuangjian.
"If you like, would you like to kiss me now?"
The ten-minute fireworks display was now in its final, dazzling display, even more spectacular than the earlier fireworks, like a flower in full bloom.
In the ten seconds that Xie Jinghui waited for Shen Shuangjian's response, he once again felt the blankness he had experienced when they first met. The only things in the world besides the person in front of him were the endless beating of his heart.
Xie Jinghui had thought that Shen Shuangjian would not move and would remain in the same place. At this moment, Xie Jinghui was already prepared to take the initiative to kiss Shen Shuangjian for the rest of his life.
But at the eleventh second, Shen Shuangjian seemed to be mesmerized by the dazzling fireworks. He slowly tiptoed, his eyelashes trembling, and hesitantly approached Xie Jinghui.
This kiss was much lighter than any of the previous ones; it wasn't passionate or intimate enough, just a touch of lips, a mere, understated kiss.
But the ripples that stirred in Xie Jinghui's heart were more intense than ever before, even gradually evolving into a raging torrent.
Xie Jinghui suddenly chuckled softly.
Shen Shuangjian's rationality was awakened by him, and she showed a puzzled and bewildered expression.
" Shen Shuangjian, do you now understand what it means to have a relationship where you feel an urge to kiss another person?"
Xie Jinghui's gentleness and patience towards Shen Shuangjian were a reflection of his fickle emotions, like a pool of spring water that even the cold first snow of Moscow couldn't freeze.
And now, that tenderness rippled in his eyes, transforming into three brief yet clear words that echoed in his ears, lingering long afterward.
"They're lovers."