A Kiss in the Morning Light

When the first ray of morning sunlight slipped through a gap in the floor-to-ceiling windows and fell on the hardwood floor,

Lu Yan woke in a daze.

His chest felt heavy, as though something soft and weighty were pressing down on it.

He instinctively tried to roll over and dislodge it, only to find his legs tightly entwined with a pair of slender ones.

His eyes flew open, and the first thing he saw was a mass of radiant pink hair.

Aemeath was practically draped over him, as if she had no intention of letting him leave.

The straps of her pink silk nightgown had slipped down to her elbows, and the expanse of snowy skin jolted Lu Yan fully awake in an instant.

His face turned scarlet, even redder than it had been last night. Between his morning physiological reaction and the sight before him at such close range, he went completely rigid.

"Mmm... A-Yan... don't go... don't go..."

Aemeath murmured in her sleep, her brow tightly furrowed. Her arms tightened around him, and her head rubbed against the crook of his neck, her long hair tickling his chest.

Lu Yan stared at the ceiling, wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear.

How was this a happy new life? It was clearly the ultimate test of his self-control.

But as he listened to the occasional magpie call from the courtyard, he couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face.

Though holding back was hard, and though he was terribly embarrassed,

a life where he could open his eyes and see Aemeath... was wonderful.

Good morning, new home, Lu Yan said silently, then closed his eyes in resignation.

He tried to suppress both his blush and his gun before Aemeath woke up.

He repeated a calming mantra in his head, trying to suppress the restlessness in his body.

But the warm, soft body in his arms, carrying a faint milky scent, shattered every last shred of his reason.

Aemeath's long hair brushed against the crook of his neck, and a few strands slipped inside his pajamas.

Lu Yan lay stiffly, feeling her steady breaths against his neck.

Just as Lu Yan prepared to hold his breath and try to enter sage mode again, the delicate body in his arms gave a slight tremble.

"Mmm..." A soft, distinctly nasal murmur sounded in the quiet room. Aemeath's long eyelashes fluttered.

Lu Yan held his breath, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Aemeath slowly opened her eyes, her golden, starry pupils especially bright in the morning light.

She didn't get up right away. Instead, she stared straight at Lu Yan, her gaze still hazy with sleep and filled with undisguised infatuation.

"A-Yan~ Good morning~" Aemeath's voice was a little husky, thick with sleep and soft as a piece of melting caramel.

"G-Good morning, Aemeath." Lu Yan barely managed to force the words out, his gaze drifting elsewhere. He didn't dare meet her eyes.

Aemeath noticed Lu Yan's unease, but instead of pulling away, she snuggled even closer into his arms.

Her forehead rested against Lu Yan's chin, and her muffled voice drifted up to him. "A-Yan, your body is so hot... and your heartbeat is so loud."

"Th-That's because it's too stuffy under the covers!" Lu Yan protested anxiously, his face red.

"Is that so?" Aemeath lifted her head, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes.

She suddenly pushed herself up, and her silk nightgown slipped down considerably with the movement, revealing her delicate collarbones and the deep cleavage that drew the eye.

Aemeath leaned close to Lu Yan's face and lowered her voice. "Then why don't you push me away, A-Yan? If you did, you wouldn't be so hot and stuffy~"

Lu Yan was completely speechless. How could he push her away? She was the miracle he wanted to hold tight, even in his dreams.

Aemeath looked at Lu Yan, who seemed ready to burst into flames, and finally decided to let him off.

She stretched lazily. "Since you're shy, A-Yan, I'll make the first move."

Before Lu Yan could react, Aemeath suddenly planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

That warm, soft touch stirred up a storm in Lu Yan's heart.

"That's a good morning kiss for our first day in our new home."

Before Lu Yan had recovered from the flutter in his heart caused by that kiss, Aemeath had already sat up slowly in bed.

Her long hair hung loosely over her shoulders. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, lightly set her feet on the floor, then obediently shuffled over to sit at the edge of the bed, looking as though she still hadn't fully woken up.

"A-Yan, I don't want to move~" Aemeath sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs with a stubborn look.

She held out her fair, delicate arms and looked at Lu Yan like a child asking to be carried.

"Let's go wash up. We still have to go out for breakfast in a bit." Lu Yan looked at her helplessly.

"Help me, A-Yan," Aemeath said matter-of-factly, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm still dreaming and haven't fully woken up. My arms and legs have no strength."

"What if I slip in the bathroom?"

Lu Yan sighed. He bent down and scooped Aemeath up in a princess carry.

"Just this once." Lu Yan kept a straight face, trying to preserve the last of his dignity.

"Hehe, A-Yan, you're the best." Aemeath wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head against his chest, giggling to herself.

After entering the excessively spacious bathroom, Lu Yan set Aemeath down on the marble counter.

Aemeath sat there cross-legged, looking just like a Buddha statue.

Lu Yan squeezed toothpaste onto a toothbrush and handed it to her.

"Mmm... My hands can't hold it." Aemeath deliberately let her hands hang at her sides, opened her little mouth, and made an "ah" sound.

Lu Yan looked at her open mouth and little pink tongue, and the hand holding the toothbrush trembled.

Then he glanced at their overlapping figures in the mirror. In that moment, he felt as though he were raising a clingy kitten.

In the end, he gave in.

Lu Yan supported Aemeath's chin with his left hand and carefully guided the toothbrush into her mouth with his right.

The minty scent of toothpaste spread between them.

Aemeath looked at Lu Yan's focused gaze, and her own gradually grew deeper.

A-Yan's gaze right now is like he's handling the most precious thing in the world.

Aemeath's heart pounded.

She enjoyed the feeling of being waited on by A-Yan, but most of all, she enjoyed that moment when she was the only one in his eyes.

When it was time to wash her face, Lu Yan gently wiped her cheeks with a warm towel.

Aemeath closed her eyes, looking just like a languid ragdoll cat as she let the warmth carry away the last trace of her drowsiness.

"A-Yan, I've made up my mind." Aemeath suddenly opened her eyes and caught Lu Yan's hand as he held the towel.

"About what?"

"From now on, you have to help me wash up every morning, A-Yan." Aemeath looked at him seriously.

"In exchange, I'll cling to you forever and never let you feel lonely."

"Okay~" he replied softly, his voice exceptionally gentle.