Chapter 273

Chapter 273: It's Not Convenient to Shower Alone Just as the words left his mouth, Jiang Shixu grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, sending Chu Tang tumbling into his embrace. "What are you—" Before she could even finish her sentence, Chu Tang was kissed. At first, Jiang Shixu's kiss was gentle and lingering, effortless, skilled and practiced. A tingling numbness spread through every nerve in Chu Tang's body. Gradually, the man's kiss shifted from tender affection to forceful conquest. When Jiang Shixu tried to continue further, Chu Tang pushed him away with both hands, breathing slightly ragged. "Go take a shower." The man, interrupted mid-moment, had his dark eyes steeped in drunkenness, a hint of grievance mixed into his hazy gaze. "Can't I even get a kiss? Wife." Chu Tang hadn't expected Jiang Shixu to be like this when drunk—whether in expression or speech, there was a hint of coaxing playfulness about him, especially that "wife," with its rising tone at the end, which made her heart soften to its core. Chu Tang softened her voice to soothe him. "Be good, don't fuss. Go take a shower first." "Can my wife shower with me?" The man stared straight at her, his eyes full of expectation. It was hard to refuse. Just as Chu Tang was about to speak, the man said in a low, husky, alluring voice, "Wife, I'm drunk. It's not convenient to shower alone. What if I fall?" "..." Chu Tang pushed him playfully. "Are you putting on an act now?" She hadn't used much force at all—just a light push. Whether Jiang Shixu was unsteady from drinking or deliberately pretending, either way, her push sent him stumbling backward, bumping into the cabinet behind him. A dull thud sounded, though it was unclear where he'd hit himself. Chu Tang was startled and hurried over to check on him, her voice laced with urgency. "Where did you hit yourself?" "Hit my knee. It hurts so much." Jiang Shixu looked down at her with hooded eyes, his voice seductive. "Now I really can't move around well. I need my wife to help me shower." Chu Tang couldn't tell if he was genuinely hurt or not, but in the end, her heart ached for him, and she relented. "Let's go." Jiang Shixu let out a low chuckle, taking Chu Tang's hand and leading her toward the bathroom. "I knew my wife is the best to me." Ever since the proposal succeeded, Jiang Shixu had been saying "wife" left and right all night, and he kept teasing his single brothers, as if afraid no one would know he'd gotten engaged. Like a little kid who'd just gotten his favorite toy. As they walked toward the bathroom, Jiang Shixu limped along, leaning his entire weight on Chu Tang, as if he'd really been seriously injured. Chu Tang saw through it but said nothing, helping him into the bathroom. The bathroom door closed. The man couldn't wait to kiss her again. They kissed as Jiang Shixu casually turned on the showerhead, warm, fine streams of water cascading down over them. Chu Tang was lost in the passionate kiss, not even caring that her hair and clothes were soaked. When the kiss ended, steam had already filled the bathroom. Chu Tang breathed lightly as she opened her eyes and looked at Jiang Shixu through the mist. Water ran down the man's sharply defined facial features, dripping from his jawline. Her gaze traveled downward—his muscles were taut, his abdominal muscles clearly defined, with water droplets tracing dangerously alluring lines. Water dripped from Jiang Shixu's hair tips, and droplets clung to his eyelashes. Through the steam, he looked at Chu Tang with those wet, intoxicated eyes. Chu Tang's heart skipped a beat in the depths of the man's dark gaze. She knew Jiang Shixu was faking an injury to lure her into the bathroom, and she'd still come. Fine, she admitted she'd wanted to come anyway. Who could blame her when her man had been blessed with such a handsome face and such an incredible body? Being captivated by his looks was only natural. This time, Chu Tang took the initiative, rising onto her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around Jiang Shixu's neck, and pressing her lips to his. Jiang Shixu's eyes darkened as he lifted Chu Tang off the ground and pressed her against the wall. The mist fogged the glass, dimly reflecting two intertwined, overlapping figures. The sound of water pattered on in the bathroom, mingled with other sounds. Moonlight spilled down like a silver veil, a gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers—everything was beautiful that night. ... The next day, Chu Tang woke up to find the sun already high in the sky. The friends who had come to the birthday party last night had all gone home, leaving the sprawling villa quiet once more. The space beside her was empty—Jiang Shixu had already gotten up. Chu Tang threw off the covers and saw the red marks all over her body. The passionate scenes from last night flooded back into her mind, and her heart raced a few beats faster. Just then, Jiang Shixu pushed the door open. "Wife, you're awake?" Chu Tang hummed in response. Jiang Shixu walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning down to press a kiss to Chu Tang's forehead. "Good morning. I've laid out new clothes for you in the dressing room, and there's underwear by the bedside. Get changed and come downstairs to eat. This afternoon, we'll go to your place and talk to your parents about getting married." Chu Tang chuckled softly. "Already calling them 'your parents'?" Jiang Shixu raised an eyebrow, a smile curving at his lips. "That's right. You should start changing what you call me too. From now on, call me 'husband.'" Chu Tang muttered softly, "So cheesy." "You called out last night, how is that cheesy? We're an old married couple." Chu Tang shot him a glare. "Don't bring up last night. You pretended to be injured and drunk last night. How come I never noticed how scheming you are before?" Jiang Shixu curled his lips, in a great mood as he pecked Chu Tang on the cheek. "Without a bit of scheming, how could I have won you over?" Chu Tang changed her clothes, washed up, and went downstairs to eat. After the meal, Chu Tang called Ruan Shaodong to let him know in advance that she would be bringing Jiang Shixu home in the afternoon. Ruan Shaodong's tone gave away neither joy nor anger. "The meteor shower and drone proposal last night—was that his doing?" Chu Tang pressed her lips together. "Mm, Shi Xu proposed to me." Ruan Shaodong asked, "Did you say yes?" In truth, he had already guessed that his daughter had accepted. Sure enough, Chu Tang replied, "I said yes." "That kid." Ruan Shaodong chuckled. "He sure cares about ceremony. Your Aunt Yang and I have actually been discussing your and Shi Xu's wedding recently. If he hadn't proposed soon, I was going to ask him myself when he planned to get married." Chu Tang said, "I'm bringing him home this afternoon to discuss the wedding date." Ruan Shaodong said, "Alright, I'll cancel all my afternoon arrangements." Just then, Jiang Shixu had received a call from his mother, Lin Yueying. She had asked about the outcome of his proposal, and upon learning that he had succeeded, Lin Yueying was overjoyed and offered to go to the Ruan family to discuss the wedding date. So Chu Tang said to Ruan Shaodong, "Aunt Lin will also be coming this afternoon. Our two families can sit down and discuss it together." Now, the only elders left on Jiang Shixu's side were Elder Jiang and Mrs. Jiang, Lin Yueying. Elder Jiang had recently gone abroad for a visit and wouldn't be back for the next few days, so on the Jiang family's side, only Lin Yueying could go to the Ruan family to discuss the marriage. Ruan Shaodong understood and replied, "Alright, I'll have the servants prepare a meal and wait for you all."