Li Meirong stood there, dumbfounded, and stared at Zhu Qingyue. One second pa.s.sed. Two seconds. Three...
Suddenly, the sound of a soft giggle escaped her lips, filling the air with a cheerful melody, like the tinkling of silver bells. She closed her eyes as her narrow shoulders began to shake with laughter.
The ridiculousness of the situation was simply too much for her, she couldn"t help herself. When her fit of giggles had subsided, she opened her eyes only to be met with Zhu Qingyue"s dead serious expression. Despite his extraordinary presence, he might as well have been a mannequin.
After all this time, he never relinquished his hold on her chin.
Feeling awkward, she softly uttered, "This is some kind of funny joke, right?"
He was talking to her as though she was the big bad wolf who ate him up!
Having been forced by him to maintain eye contact, Li Meirong somehow discerned from his eyes, blazing like twin suns, that once again, he was displeased. Zhu Qingyue hadn"t moved a muscle but she was able to tell that, for some reason, her reaction had infuriated him.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and a bolt of lightning cracked the ashen skies. The wilted vegetation and deteriorating weather were all too clear additional signs for his ire.
Then he leaned in, still holding her in place.
After seeing him several times up close, Li Meirong was certainly conscious of the man"s large stature. Still, she was never able to measure just how remarkably tall he was until that very moment. Like a deer in headlights, she gazed up at him as he slowly brought his face closer to hers, effectively blocking the view of everything else. Her laughter had long since died in her throat.
"W-what do you think you"re doing?!" Li Meirong questioned nervously. She wasn"t presented with an answer, however.
This time, when she felt his breath mingling with hers once more, there was no longer an opportunity to push him away. The softness of his lips brushed against hers without any hesitation.
At once, the rest of the world had faded away as she felt herself melting into his gentle touch.
She knew it wasn"t the first time they had shared a kiss, and yet, it felt as though it was. In her foggy memory, she faintly recalled herself being the one to make the first move when they were high on aphrodisiac.
Within moments, the fire inside Bai Qingyue was building. He needed more. He forced their lips harder together with unabashed urgency.
She whimpered, fl.u.s.tered.
For Li Meirong, this kind of kiss was different. It felt innocent and clumsy. Not at all the type of kiss performed by an experienced man. Yet, it knocked the wind right out of her lungs just the same.
When she pounded on his chest, signalling her need to breathe, he finally let go of both her lips and chin. Li Meirong panted in relief, clutching his hunched shoulders for support.
Next, Zhu Qingyue pressed his forehead against hers and huskily whispered, "Do you still think I am joking?"
Dazed, and still struggling to believe such a man would be in any way seriously interested in her, she found herself asking a question she would never have otherwise asked.
"Why me? Because I took your… because I was your first?"
He hummed in agreement, "Mmhmm. I was taught to preserve my chast.i.ty for marriage. You have stolen my purity and so now, you must take care of me." He spoke in a deep voice, and as he did so, his lean arms greedily wrapped around her slender waist.