In his office, Yin Shou gazed out at the floor-to-ceiling windows when he heard someone step in from behind.
He felt two thin limbs circle his waist, then after the tiny figure pressed her head against the planes of his lower back, breathing in his scent.
Yin Shou held onto her hand, twisting around to face her.
Xue Teegan had a soft smile etched on her lips, and he adored it. Lately, she had been glowing with happiness.
He remembered the first time seeing her in years at the house; her expression was rather sharp and cold, but beneath her eyes was a hollowness she needed to fill.
Therefore, when he found out that w.a.n.g Weimin not only hurt her but her family, too, it was unforgivable.
Yin Shou held her waist, cupping her head in his hands when his secretary walked in. He stepped in awkwardly, but Yin Shou allowed him to come in.
The secretary glanced at Xue Teegan as if he was weary about providing confidential information with someone else around, but Yin Shou gave him a curt nod, allowing him to speak.
"Mr. Yin. The inmates" families received their checks. Expect Mr. w.a.n.g to be hospitalized again within a few days," he said.
Yin Shou was gazing at Xue Teegan"s expression as it changed from normal to surprise.
"Thank you," Yin Shou said to his secretary, urging him to leave the two of them alone.
"What have you done?" Xue Teegan asked with a curious tone.
Yin Shou smiled briefly. "I paid some inmates to give him a beating; I encouraged them not to kill him because he needs to feel that physical pain, as well as the mental pain he will endure for being stuck in a prison cell for the rest of his life. I want to break him before he grows old; so in the future, he"ll be mentally insane," he said.
Xue Teegan released a whistly breath, stepping away from him slightly, not because she was scared, but because she wanted a better view of his face. She gazed up at him, reaching up to caress his cheek with her fingers softly. "You"re really something," she said to him.
Yin Shou broke out into a broader smile. "If I had known what he did earlier—" he began to say before Xue Teegan cut him off.
"Shou," she said with a soft, gentle tone. "We both didn"t know until we witnessed the truth at court. Some part of me didn"t like him, hated him even, but my intuition doesn"t reveal what secrets lie beneath a person," she said.
Her lips thinned. "Even though he made me lose what I cared for most in this world, I can"t help but think my mother is the reason why we"re all together."
It sunk into him then. He met Xue Teegan again because she was meeting with Long Huojin in regards to her mother. Then after, when Xue Guangli began to court Long Huojin, it gave Yin Shou more opportunities to see Xue Teegan, and their relations.h.i.+p strengthened since then.
He sighed, pulling her in close against him. "I like your optimism," he said.
Xue Teegan smiled against his chest. "I like how you care about things so pa.s.sionately on my behalf. It"s one of the reasons why I love you so much," she admitted softly.
Yin Shou"s heart pounded.
She said those words casually as if it was natural thing between them. Yin Shou hadn"t the courage to say it first; he felt that he would make himself look like a fool if he were to confess.
But he loved her, too.
He bent to capture her lips with him. "It"s about time you fell for me," he said as he parted from her.
Xue Teegan pursed her lips, pinching him at his arms.
"I love you, too," he said to her, low and thoughtful, full of emotion.
Xue Liena went on many dates with Long Bolin, but he hadn"t made a move to advance on her. He hadn"t even kissed her yet.
She felt hopeless and skeptical.
Long Bolin took her to a carnival, where people stuffed their faces with treats and games set in columns of booths.
Xue Liena wore a beautiful rose-pink dress with a light jacket to cover her shoulders. She walked next to Long Bolin, antic.i.p.ating any movements or gestures from him.
Most of the time, they spoke about each other"s hobbies and interests. She had taken some interests in his hobbies, and recently she found out that he"ll be taking over Long Huojin"s position whenever he wasn"t in the country.
She was happy for her Xue Guangli. It was difficult to learn that she had been in a previous relations.h.i.+p with the man who almost broke her family apart. But she had Long Huojin by her side to move on, to move forward, without looking back at the past.
They stopped to play a game, where Xue Liena was having trouble with shooting at the target. Long Bolin stepped behind her, grasping her hand and waist, a.s.sisting her.
Her heart sped up quickly; her breathing hitched.
She didn"t understand him.
Xue Liena won a prize, while Long Bolin carried it for her so that she could spend the rest of the evening eating treats and enjoying other games.
They stopped in front of a clocktower as it chimed the midnight hour. The stalls began to close, and people moved around them, but they stood underneath the yellow light that shone from the street lamps surrounding the tower.
Long Bolin pa.s.sed her the stuffed animal she won and grasped her hand. "Let"s go home," he said.
Xue Liena didn"t move, and Long Bolin turned to face her. "What"s wrong?" he asked.
Xue Liena flushed suddenly, embarra.s.sed, but she felt bold tonight.
With blushed cheeks, she said, "Why haven"t you kissed me yet?"
Long Bolin"s eyes gaped; the wind brushed his ink-black curls.
After a moment of silence, Long Bolin flushed red all over his face. He attempted to cover his face, but Xue Liena placed the stuffed animal in between her thighs to carry and using her both free hands to grab his.
She faced him determinedly.
He peeked a glanced with pursed lips and a red face. "I haven"t...done it before," he said.
Xue Liena blushed. She thought Long Bolin had some experience with women. He was handsome, and his charm was irresistible.
"Me too," Xue Liena responded to him.
They both held each other"s hands, looking away with beat-red faces.
Long Bolin then composed his expression, pulling her carefully towards him. Xue Liena was then conscious of everything. She felt stupid! Why couldn"t she let things go at a natural pace between them?
But Long Bolin was inching closer, cupping her face, gazing down at her with a tender expression. His eyes darted from her eyes to cheeks, to lips. Her nerves heightened as he stared at her with want; it nearly pierced through her.
He leaned down to peck her lips gently, and Xue Liena followed his lead by opening her mouth.
It was clumsy, at first, but it grew more fervent as he gripped her arms, and she nestled into him. The kiss was warm, and something that she didn"t know she needed, because she never tried it before.
Long Bolin deepened the kiss, and Xue Liena attempted to catch up, but her head was dizzying with pa.s.sion. She broke the kiss, trying to regain her breath. He gave her a pleasant smile before saying, "You"re right. I should have kissed you sooner."
Xue Liena gritted her teeth at him while trying to stop her panting breath. He laughed.