CHAPTER 102

Xiaoyuan's gaze lingered on Wei Zhuang's ears.

Her dark, shoulder-length hair was slightly tucked behind her ears, revealing delicate earlobes so pale they seemed cold. The earrings were a pair of butterfly wings, no larger than a fingertip, their thin golden frames studded with white diamonds and pearls. Even as she sat motionless, the wings shimmered faintly, casting a dazzling glow. Paired with her minimalist, black-and-white outfit—leaning toward an austere elegance—they added a touch of understated luxury.

"I like these..." Xiaoyuan murmured softly.

These earrings had been warmed by her skin, marked by her presence.

Wei Zhuang nodded and reached up to remove them.

"Let me," Xiaoyuan quickly offered. Wei Zhuang glanced at her but let her take over.

Xiaoyuan gently pinched her earlobe, her own heart pounding. She stole a glance at Wei Zhuang—the CEO's expression remained unreadable.

Taking off the earrings, Xiaoyuan only took one. The butterfly wing rested on her fingertip, gleaming under the light.

"It's so pretty, but I wonder if it'll look good on me?" Xiaoyuan leaned close to her. "Will you put it on for me?"

Wei Zhuang looked at her.

"Please~" Xiaoyuan coaxed in a sweet, playful tone, her lips curling into a dazzling smile.

Wei Zhuang took the earring, and Xiaoyuan lay back against her thigh, tilting her ear toward her.

Wei Zhuang paused for a second or two before putting it on for her.

Xiaoyuan leaned into her, looking up. "Does it look good?"

Her soft hair fanned across Wei Zhuang's lap, her exquisite features now within reach.

Wei Zhuang nodded, gazing down at her with a quiet hum. "Should I put the other one on you too?"

"No." Xiaoyuan pouted softly. "I just want one."

One for each of them—how romantic. It's what couples do. Did she not understand?

From this angle, Wei Zhuang's eyes and the shadows of her lashes seemed endless, her cheekbones to jawline sharp yet elegant, her thin lips undeniably alluring.

Silence stretched between them.

Xiaoyuan stared up at her, her dark eyes brimming with bright mischief.

Wei Zhuang gazed down at her, brushing a stray lock behind Xiaoyuan's ear but making no further move.

'Is she really not going to kiss me?' A voice screamed inside Xiaoyuan. She could barely hold back.

Sitting up, Xiaoyuan wrapped her arms around Wei Zhuang's neck, pressing close. "You still haven't wished me a happy birthday..."

Their eyes locked, the air thick with tension.

A flicker of emotion passed through Wei Zhuang's gaze. She traced Xiaoyuan's chin with a slender finger. "Happy birthday."

Xiaoyuan flinched slightly from the tickle, exerting great effort to restrain her urge to kiss Wei Zhuang's lips. She pouted slightly, nestling into Wei Zhuang's embrace, playing with the buttons on her shirt.

"I've landed a really unique role this time. At first, I was confused why I was chosen, but the more I thought about it, the more fascinating it became—I'm so excited!"

"I've signed a fifty-working-day contract. I'll be going to Hengdian tomorrow. We won't be able to see each other for at least two months..."

"That's a long time," she leaned closer to Wei Zhuang's ear.. "And you're always so busy..."

Wei Zhuang's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly as she subtly shifted away from both the girl and that teasing warmth. "...I might be going to Xicheng during those two months..."

Xiaoyuan's eyes brightened instantly. "Then could we meet there?"

Wei Zhuang gazed at her and nodded. "Should I come find you?"

"You're the best." Xiaoyuan beamed.

Suddenly, she leaned in and planted a loud, smacking kiss on Wei Zhuang's cheek, the audible "mwah" resonating in the air.

Wei Zhuang froze completely.

Xiaoyuan blinked.

The air hung in a subtly awkward silence for a second.

Suppressing a giggle, Xiaoyuan decided to even things out by kissing the other cheek—deliberately avoiding her lips. During their two-week separation, she'd replayed every moment between them, concluding she'd always been the one initiating kisses. No, she resolved, Wei Zhuang needed to kiss her first at least once.

But how difficult it proved!

Just now, she had used many tricks she learned from romantic movies—speaking in a soft, sweet voice, clinging to the other person, using her physical advantages, and so on.

But how did it just now turn into—a kiss on the left cheek, then a kiss on the right cheek?

Isn't that a move only found in family movies?

Her face burned crimson with embarrassment. As she tried sliding off Wei Zhuang's lap, her clumsy movement sent her tumbling back into the woman's embrace. Before she could right herself, Wei Zhuang's hand settled firmly against her back, holding her in place.

"What are you thinking about?" Wei Zhuang looked at her and asked softly, the emotions in her eyes fluctuating, deep and unfathomable.

Flushed and nervous, Xiaoyuan swallowed hard, mesmerized by the delicate lashes now hovering so close. At this proximity, neither could look away—their gazes tracing each other's features from forehead to eyes, nose bridge to lips...

Time seemed suspended, the air thickening with unbearable tension.

"I was wondering... when you'd finally kiss me?"

A rosy blush spread across Xiaoyuan's face as her eyes darted away momentarily before forcing themselves back to meet Wei Zhuang's.

Wei Zhuang's gaze deepened, with emotions swirling within. She neither spoke nor smiled, but merely raised her hand to brush a strand of hair that had fallen onto Xiaoyuan's cheek, revealing her pink, delicate ear.

Unable to endure this wordless teasing any longer, Xiaoyuan squirmed in frustration, attempting to escape.

Suddenly, strong arms encircled her shoulders. Wei Zhuang bent down, paused briefly, then captured her lips.

Xiaoyuan's eyes flew wide, her mind blanking as she tilted her head back in surrender. The abruptness made the angle slightly awkward, but she remained still, gradually closing her eyes to savor this rare initiative. From her flaming cheeks to her pounding heart, every fiber burned—especially when Wei Zhuang's hand slid up to cradle the back of her head.

......

Though light as a feather and brief, the kiss left Xiaoyuan breathless.

The faintest taste of sweet cream lingered between them.

Impossible, they had both just drunk water.

But it was truly so sweet.

Wei Zhuang didn't kiss her for too long. When she pulled away, Xiaoyuan was left speechless, her face flushed red as she lay panting slightly in Wei Zhuang's arms.

Wei Zhuang's eyes darkened, her slender hand resting on Xiaoyuan's shoulder, caressing it slowly.

Her usually low and cool voice carried a hint of warmth now. "Is that enough?"

Two buttons of her collar were undone, revealing the elegant curve of her pale neck leading up to her collarbone—and her red lips.

"Not enough."

Unable to resist the surging emotions, Xiaoyuan sat up on her lap, wrapped her arms around her, and kissed her again.

This time, it was more unrestrained than ever before. Xiaoyuan realized that kissing was something that required practice. She felt as if she had taken control, lost in the intoxicating int!macy of their lips and tongues. Before she knew it, the kiss deepened, and she could feel Wei Zhuang's heartbeat quickening, along with their increasingly ragged breaths—she couldn't tell whose they were.

They lost track of time.

When they finally had to part again, it was only because they needed to breathe.

In a dazed, drowning haze, Xiaoyuan stared into Wei Zhuang's eyes, her heart feeling as though it were floating in sweet, fizzy bubbles, throbbing with an ache.

Her fingers lifted, tracing Wei Zhuang's face in fascination, watching as her own reflection shimmered clearly in those dark eyes.

"Frances..." she murmured Wei Zhuang's name.

The woman leaned in, pulling her close, kissing her, caressing her.

At some point, overwhelmed by the caresses, Xiaoyuan whimpered. In that brief moment of clarity, she stopped Wei Zhuang's hands.

"No..."

Wei Zhuang froze, her voice low and slightly confused. "Xiaoyuan?"

Avoiding her gaze, Xiaoyuan took several shaky breaths before steadying herself. "You're not allowed to... to take off my... clothes."

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

Xiaoyuan turned her face, biting her lip, and looked at Wei Zhuang. The emotions in Wei Zhuang's eyes wavered unsteadily. She raised a finger and gently touched Xiaoyuan's cheek. "You don't want to?"

Just this one action made the heavily teased Xiaoyuan tremble.

The girl in her arms didn't seem to truly mean the refusal, and Wei Zhuang had no intention of stopping. Just as she was puzzling over it, Xiaoyuan tugged at her collar and pressed her soft lips to hers again.

But when Wei Zhuang's delicate fingers reached the button of Xiaoyuan's denim shorts, she was rejected once more.

This time, the usually composed woman's voice was hoarse, as if barely restraining her emotions. "Then what do I have to do?"

Xiaoyuan's eyes were misty, her snow-white cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she gasped, "Unless... you take yours off too..."

Suddenly lifted into someone's arms, Xiaoyuan felt the person holding her struggling to suppress some overwhelming emotion.

"I want to go to your room..." Xiaoyuan leaned close to Wei Zhuang, gently nibbling at her collar.

Wei Zhuang's lowered eyelashes trembled slightly as she gazed at her with profound, unreadable eyes. Without speaking or refusing, she carried Xiaoyuan into her bedroom as requested.

Wei Zhuang's bedroom had no main light fixture. The intricately carved ceiling concealed small pendant lights that cast warm amber glows throughout the space.

Lying on the bed bathed in this soft golden light, Xiaoyuan looked up at the woman hovering above her, whose gaze seemed to peel away her thin garments layer by layer.

After a moment, Wei Zhuang raised her hands and began unbuttoning her shirt one button at a time. As the collar opened, the fabric slid off her jade-white shoulders.

Xiaoyuan watched, stunned, gazing at the breathtaking beauty before her in disbelief.

Then all the lights went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.

......

While darkness deprived them of visual pleasure, it amplified other senses into an entirely different realm of intoxicating ec$tasy.

The sensation of skin against skin was so exquisite that Xiaoyuan trembled all over. In the darkness, their heavy, ar0using breaths intertwined.

Xiaoyuan realized she'd grown bold tonight—after getting her way repeatedly, she still wanted to push further, to take control, especially when hearing Wei Zhuang's noticeably ragged breathing responding to her initiatives.

"Xiaoyuan..." Wei Zhuang suddenly called her name.

In the humid darkness, that voice—unusually hoarse and seductive—instantly extinguished Xiaoyuan's audacity.

"...I, I was wrong," she stammered, her voice soft and coquettish despite her racing heart, though she couldn't resist adding mischievously, "...but I'd still dare."

Her giggle was abruptly cut off as lips sealed hers.

"Mmm."

What followed was complete surrender—utterly defenseless against Wei Zhuang's uncharacteristically commanding dominance, unlike anything before.

With her wrists pinned above her head, Xiaoyuan found herself at Wei Zhuang's mercy as exploring hands ventured...

Sparks seemed to ignite the dark atmosphere, burning relentlessly until, after what felt like eternity, Xiaoyuan's tearful gasps gradually subsided.

Finally catching her breath, Xiaoyuan noticed through half-lidded eyes a golden glimmer—the butterfly-wing earrings on the nightstand.

They'd never been closer than this.

Wei Zhuang pressed against her from behind, gently stroking her shoulder. Xiaoyuan turned into her embrace, lifting her face to seek those lips once more.

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