Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Wanting to Taste Just How Sweet That Candy Really Is On the grassland, she kissed Jiang Shixu for a long time. It had been too long since they had been this intimate. In their daily interactions, both of them had been trying their utmost to restrain and suppress their feelings. Days of restraint had made longing and desire grow ever deeper. Once the shackles were broken, there was no stopping. When they parted, her lips were slightly swollen. After the kiss, both of them were breathing heavily and rapidly. For the rest of the day, Chu Tang was in a daze, feeling like everything was unreal. Back at the hotel that evening, Chu Tang was still in a daze. In the garden outside the hotel. The two of them sat on a long wooden bench. Jiang Shixu gently held Chu Tang, his voice low and husky: "Tangtang, let's make up, hmm?" The night breeze carried the lingering heat of summer, and the streetlights cast dim, sparse light. Jiang Shixu's dark eyes were deep, his tone cautious, laced with a hint of nervousness and anticipation. He even stopped breathing. Chu Tang leaned against Jiang Shixu's chest and softly hummed in agreement. Finally, the suspended heart settled. Jiang Shixu's heart, which had been pounding like a war drum, finally steadied. A smile curved at the corners of Jiang Shixu's lips. He opened his palm, revealing a fruit candy in the center. Chu Tang rested her head on Jiang Shixu's shoulder, looking down at the candy in his palm. "Why do you still carry candy around with you?" Jiang Shixu was in an excellent mood, his voice carrying a smile as he spoke: "The hotel owner's daughter just gave it to me in the lobby. It's for you." Chu Tang picked up the candy and examined it. "Peach flavor. It's my favorite." Chu Tang peeled off the wrapper and placed the fruit candy in her mouth. Sweetness spread through her mouth. The two leaned against each other, enjoying the evening breeze, comfortable and content. Time slowed down in this moment. "Is it sweet?" Jiang Shixu suddenly asked. The candy in Chu Tang's mouth hadn't fully dissolved yet. Holding it in her mouth, she replied slowly: "Mm, very sweet." The man's voice was low and magnetic, even more seductive and alluring in the night: "Is that so? As sweet as you?" The night was so still that the sound of the wind could be heard clearly. Chu Tang thought that perhaps it was the summer night breeze carrying the lingering heat of the scorching season—her cheeks had grown slightly warm. Chu Tang was about to change the subject when Jiang Shixu spoke again: "Want to kiss?" "Why bring that up all of a sudden?" Chu Tang paused slightly. Jiang Shixu's tone was casual and nonchalant: "I want to taste just how sweet that candy really is." He was too good at flirting. It felt as if even the air had grown hot. Chu Tang spoke in a soft, coquettish whisper: "Didn't we just kiss during the day? We kissed for so long." "Not enough." Jiang Shixu turned his head, lifting Chu Tang's chin. In his pitch-black eyes, there was only her. "May I? Tangtang?" Chu Tang softly hummed in agreement. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. But Jiang Shixu heard it. A smile curved at his lips, his gaze gentle as water. The next second, Jiang Shixu's face suddenly drew close. The man tilted his head slightly to avoid their noses colliding, and his warm lips pressed against Chu Tang's. Chu Tang's nerves suddenly tensed. Staring at his handsome face so close to hers, she even forgot to close her eyes. This time, it was Jiang Shixu who closed his eyes first. A warm, gentle touch landed on Chu Tang's lips. He kissed with a very light pressure, like a feather brushing softly across. Chu Tang's breathing unconsciously grew lighter. At first, Jiang Shixu's kiss was shallow and light. Just as Chu Tang thought this would only be a brief, perfunctory kiss— Jiang Shixu's tongue pressed through Chu Tang's teeth, plunging straight in. In an instant, it transformed from a simple peck into a deep, passionate kiss. Their lips intertwined in a lingering, tender embrace. Chu Tang's heartbeat immediately lost its rhythm. The peach flavor of the candy spread through her mouth. Chu Tang's heart beat faster and faster, and she gradually began to feel short of breath. Jiang Shixu held Chu Tang's chin with one hand, steadying her so she couldn't pull back. His slightly rough fingertip gently brushed across Chu Tang's jawline. He kissed with effortless mastery. Chu Tang had no strength to resist—and she didn't want to resist. Who knew how long passed. The kiss came to an end. Chu Tang's face was flushed beyond words. It was as if her blood was heating beneath her skin, threatening to seep out through her pores. Her entire body was enveloped in the warmth of surging emotion. Jiang Shixu opened his eyes and released Chu Tang. Chu Tang's breath had yet to settle. Her dazed gaze met Jiang Shixu's eyes—the man's dark, deep pupils were like a whirlpool, swallowing her whole. Jiang Shixu's voice was very low, carrying a hint of contented satisfaction: "Mm, indeed very sweet. But you're sweeter than the candy." Chu Tang's face grew even redder. ... That night, after taking a shower, Chu Tang lay in bed, her heart racing with excitement, unable to fall asleep for a long time. The scenes from today replayed in her mind like a slideshow. In just this one short day, they had kissed twice. It was simply too dreamlike. Half a year had passed since they broke up. So many things had happened in those six months. She had always been able to feel Jiang Shixu's feelings for her. It was just that she had been restraining her own emotions all along. Perhaps it was because no one knew her in Qingcheng, and there was no pressure from her father. The scenery here was so beautiful, carrying a magical power that healed the soul, and those wounded memories were cast to the back of her mind. Suddenly, she no longer wanted to hold back. The floodgates in her heart burst open, and the emotions she had suppressed for so long poured out like a torrent, impossible to stop. Embraces, kisses, the gentle evening breeze, the warmth of touch, the racing heartbeat. Everything, absolutely everything, left her savoring the moment endlessly. Although she and Jiang Shixu had reconciled, Chu Tang still hadn't figured out how to broach the subject with her father. There were three people in their family—her, Ruan Shaodong, and Ruan Jiaojiao—who had all been dragged down by the Jiang Family and nearly died at Fu Yuanzhou's hands. Ruan Shaodong was now adamantly opposed to her being with Jiang Shixu. At the thought of this, the joy in Chu Tang's heart faded, and her mood grew heavy. For now, the reconciliation couldn't be revealed to her father. Over on his side. Jiang Shixu felt as if his entire being was soaked in a honey jar. The sweet fragrance of that candy still lingered between his lips and teeth. It had sweetened all the way down to the depths of his heart. After showering, Jiang Shixu couldn't resist video-calling Chu Tang. Chu Tang answered the call. She had already bathed, wearing a white silk pajama set as she lay on her side on the bed. "Why did you call on video?" Jiang Shixu sat on the sofa in his hotel room, his hair still wet from a recent wash, droplets of water clinging to the tips. "I missed you. I just wanted to talk to you, to hear your voice." Chu Tang smiled. "Didn't we just see each other?" "It's already been almost an hour." Only an hour had passed—when had he become so clingy? Their rooms were on different floors, his an executive suite, while Chu Tang and A Wen shared a twin room. Although they had now confessed their feelings and reconciled, they weren't at the point of sleeping together yet. Chu Tang needed time to process things; she didn't want to rush. Jiang Shixu respected that and obediently returned to his own room. "Go to sleep now. See you tomorrow," Chu Tang said softly. "Okay." Jiang Shixu's gaze was tender. "Goodnight, Tangtang." "Goodnight." ...... Over the next three days, Chu Tang and Jiang Shixu took in the famous natural scenery all around Qingcheng. They climbed the snowy mountain together, embracing atop the four-thousand-meter peak as they watched the sunset. They rode horses together, galloping freely across the vast, boundless grasslands. They chased and ran through the July sea of flowers, shouting at the top of their lungs. They kissed passionately under the bright, clear moonlight. In the village, dressed in the distinctive attire of the ethnic minority, they held hands and danced around the bonfire, singing and moving to the rhythm. Those days spent roaming Qingcheng with Jiang Shixu were the most carefree and joyful Chu Tang had experienced in a long time. ...... After returning to Jiangcheng, Chu Tang threw herself back into work. Jiang Shixu began visiting her at the law firm even more frequently. Once, Shu Mingyue came to the firm to see Chu Tang and ran right into Jiang Shixu in the parking lot beneath the office building.