Chapter 18: How Long Do You Want To Hold Her
Meng Shuyou didn’t notice and had already fed half a pack, so she quickly stopped her actions. “I’m not feeding anymore.”
She wiped her hands and took out the instant camera from the bag she brought with her. “I’ll take a few photographs.”
She adjusted the mode and had just taken a landscape photo when she discovered there was no photo paper.
She remembered bringing a box of spares, so she reached into her bag and felt a small box, but it slipped from her hand and fell at Pei Yuzhou’s feet.
He bent down to pick it up, and when his gaze touched the words on the packaging box, his expression froze for a moment. “Yours?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Meng Shuyou took it over and only then realized it wasn’t instant camera photo paper.
Her mind went blank for an instant.
No!
Who could tell her why it was a condom!
“It’s not mine!” She flung the hot potato away.
Pei Yuzhou leaned against the railing, looking at her calmly.
Meng Shuyou was at a loss for words. “It’s really not mine.”
She remembered now—it was the ex-partner blind box that Mia bought, and she had put this thing in her bag and forgotten to take it out.
–
Back in the room, Meng Shuyou slumped lifelessly on the sofa and took out her mobile phone to message Mia: “Your ex-partner blind box got me in deep trouble.”
Mia: “Huh? What do you mean?”
Meng Shuyou: “The condom fell out of my bag, and he saw it. Now I can’t explain myself no matter what I say.”
Mia: “Ah?! So dramatic?”
Mia: “If it’s really bad, I’ll go explain to him.”
Meng Shuyou: “Forget it.”
She attached a resigned emoji sticker.
Mia: “Which guy is so hard to chase anyway? Is he deliberately stringing you along? If it’s no good, let’s just switch to another one.”
Meng Shuyou confessed, “It’s the one you saw at the club last time.”
Mia: “!!!!!! It’s him?”
Meng Shuyou: “Yeah.”
Mia: “I suddenly get it—looks and figure are justice.”
Mia: “Good luck, hope you get him soon.”
Meng Shuyou put down her mobile phone and buried her face in her arm.
She needed some quiet time; she didn’t want to face Pei Yuzhou for a while.
In the evening, she heard the staff say that there was a hot spring pool in the villa backyard where she could soak in a medicinal bath to help with sleep.
At nine o’clock, she changed into clothes in the room, sprayed insect repellent, wrapped herself in a bathrobe, and went downstairs.
There were lights along the path, and she walked forward along the stone path.
From afar, she saw steam rising from the hot spring pool, with hazy light and shadows.
The pool was built from stones of various shapes, arranged in a staggered, artistic manner.
A strong herbal scent filled her nostrils.
Approaching the hot spring pool, Meng Shuyou suddenly spotted a figure in the water.
She got a fright, and her heart stopped for a few seconds.
Under the dim yellow light, she could make out the other person.
The man was shirtless, lazily leaning against the edge, eyes closed in rest.
His sharp jawline had a smooth, distinct outline; his neck was elongated, and underwater, the tight lines of his chest muscles were faintly visible.
Meng Shuyou froze in place. “Mister Pei?”
The man opened his eyes and turned his head to look over.
Through the water mist, their gazes met.
Meng Shuyou’s heart inexplicably heated up, and her ears unconsciously turned red. “Why are you here?”
His arm rested on the shore, his fingertip pressing against his temple, his tone casual. “My backyard.”
“Isn’t this my backyard?” Meng Shuyou looked around and suddenly realized.
No one had told her that the backyards of the two villas were connected, and even the hot spring pool was shared.
After what happened that afternoon, now running into him again in the hot spring pool, she just wanted to run away quickly.
“Then I’ll head back.”
She picked up her rattan handbag and turned around, but before she could take a step, a low voice came from behind.
“Scared?” His sexy, rich voice inexplicably added a touch of ambiguity.
Meng Shuyou retracted her foot and said softly, “I’m not scared.”
Pei Yuzhou raised an eyebrow. “Come down.”
Meng Shuyou’s eyelashes fluttered, and her palms grew slightly damp.
She pursed her red lips, hesitated for a few seconds, then turned back and walked toward the hot spring pool entrance.
Down she went—she had come to approach him anyway.
Pei Yuzhou was a bit surprised.
She actually dared to come down when he told her to.
Meng Shuyou stepped on the stone steps and slowly entered the pool.
The warm water gradually covered her body, enveloping her completely.
The water level was higher than she imagined, up to her chest.
She held onto the edge and slowly approached Pei Yuzhou.
“Afraid of water?” His tone was certain.
Meng Shuyou didn’t hide it. “Yeah, I almost drowned when I was little.”
Less than two meters from him, she didn’t dare go further.
Moonlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, floating on the water surface, with mottled tree shadows.
The sound of water filled the quiet atmosphere.
“Don’t dare come closer?” The man’s tone was light and leisurely.
Meng Shuyou hesitated; her ears were already burning. “You… you’re wearing clothes, right?”
Pei Yuzhou let out a low chuckle from his throat. “You’re still afraid of that?”
Meng Shuyou tried to save face. “Can’t I be afraid of offending you?”
Pei Yuzhou stared at her face. “How do you want to offend me?”
Meng Shuyou lightly bit her lip and lifted her foot to move toward him.
Moving in the water was inconvenient to begin with, and she accidentally stepped on a pebble, causing her body to slide forward uncontrollably, straight toward Pei Yuzhou.
“Ah!”
Accompanied by a short scream, her forehead bumped into the man’s solid, warm chest.
Instinctively, Meng Shuyou wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
The touch of her palms was supple and resilient; his proportions were even better than imagined.
His waist was narrow and powerful.
Pei Yuzhou’s breathing hitched, his adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice grew several degrees huskier. “How long do you want to hug?”
Meng Shuyou hurriedly let go and retreated two steps, her cheeks flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—I stepped on something just now.”
She really had no sense of security in the water and was easily startled by the slightest disturbance.
Pei Yuzhou looked at her blushing and flustered appearance—clearly innocent, yet boldly reckless.
“You’ve got some nerve.” He reached out to grip the girl’s waist, pulling her toward him, while his other hand pinched her chin and lifted it. “Not afraid I’ll do something to you?”
His scorching breath sprinkled down, his presence overwhelmingly strong.
Meng Shuyou’s heartbeat went into chaos as she looked up at him. “I…”
Pei Yuzhou leaned down, his thin lips very close to her nose tip. “I’m no gentleman.”
Meng Shuyou’s fingertips curled, her eyelashes trembling. “Then we’re a perfect match—I’m no good girl either.”
She was done being the obedient girl, tired of following the rules and being prim and proper.
Pei Yuzhou’s lips curved into a faint smile as his fingertip rubbed back and forth.
The little girl’s skin was delicate and tender, as if water could be squeezed out of it.
Meng Shuyou held her breath, her heart tightening inch by inch, thinking he would kiss her at any moment—only for him to suddenly let go.
“Fix your clothes.” The man leaned back against the edge and closed his eyes.
Reminded by him, Meng Shuyou looked down.
Her bathrobe collar had come open at some point, revealing a bit of cleavage curve.
She blushed as she adjusted it, muttering, “You’re not wearing clothes either.”
Pei Yuzhou’s lips twitched. “Then take it all off.”
“…”
Meng Shuyou quietly shut her mouth, her peripheral vision sneaking a glance at him.
A few water droplets clung to his jaw, sliding down his neck and disappearing into his distinctly muscled chest.
His chest muscles were full and plump—not like the exaggerated muscles of a gym bro, but just right: any more would be too much, any less would lack flavor.
