The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: As Sweet As First Love

It was 3 a.m., and Zhao Xunyu was still awake. He leaned against the headboard, his head lightly banging against it.

After two days of not sleeping, his body was extremely sleepy, but his spirit was wide awake. He began to understand and empathize with the madness that Xu Qingchen experienced when he dated a girl from another school and couldn’t see her every day. As an ordinary guy, he used to say, ‘You should be like a rock, and I should be like a reed. The reed is tough as silk, but the rock is immovable.’

At the time, neither he nor Song Ting could understand him. They thought he was being overly dramatic, acting like a teenage angst protagonist just because he was in a relationship. Now, he had tasted torture. After only three or four hours apart, he felt weak and longed for her.

“Though my clothes are becoming loose, I don’t regret it. For her, I have become thin and haggard!” He lamented to the dark horizon, the curtains undrawn, eager for dawn.

He no longer thought Xu Qingchen was overly sentimental.

The ancients were amazing. They could effortlessly compose eloquent, heartfelt poems.

Elegant, precise, earnest, and dignified.

If it were him, he would only say, ‘I miss you so much. I miss you to death. I would bang my head against the wall for you.’

After tossing and turning for another half hour, he still couldn’t sleep. He forced himself to close his eyes, but his thoughts kept flying around in the darkness.

He gave up fighting. He sat up and continued banging his head against the wall, trying to get rid of his frustration.

Chu Zhi Lu slept in and woke up at 8:50, almost an hour later than usual.

As soon as she opened her door, a large figure embraced her. She was startled and instantly woke up.

Zhao Xunyu rested his cheek on her shoulder, clinging to her and rubbing against her with little energy. “For her, I’ve become thin and haggard…”

Chu Zhi Lu hugged him back and patted him gently. “Didn’t you just sleep?”

Zhao Xunyu didn’t want to tell her that he hadn’t slept at all. He was just whining and acting spoiled.

After a long embrace, Chu Zhi Lu tried to push him away. “I’ll go wash up.”

Zhao Xunyu didn’t move and said, “Hug me a little longer. I need to recharge.”

After another ten minutes of hugging, Chu Zhi Lu pushed him away for the third time, and he reluctantly let go. He wanted to follow her into the bathroom, but she asked, “What are you doing?”

She then closed the bathroom door and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t help but laugh at her dark circles.

***

Zhao Xunyu had already made breakfast. After they ate, they cuddled on the sofa again. The Thai drama continued to play on the television. Chu Zhi Lu was trapped in Zhao Xunyu’s embrace. He held her hands and occasionally rubbed his nose or cheek against her head.

This drama was really unwatchable…

“I watched a video last night,” Chu Zhi Lu said.

“Mm.”

“It said that during the ambiguous stage, both parties try their best to attract each other. Don’t confuse it with the passionate stage; otherwise, you might burn out all your feelings in three minutes.”

Zhao Xunyu agreed, saying, “I think so too. During the ambiguous stage, you have to be subtle. Don’t give everything away, or you’ll lose the mystery.”

He, on the other hand, was doing just fine. He wouldn’t tell her that he couldn’t sleep because he was thinking about her. He was determined to keep things ambiguous and not give her the impression that she had won him over and didn’t need to try anymore.

“…”

Forget it.

After a while, Zhao Xunyu stopped moving against her shoulder, and Chu Zhi Lu heard his steady breathing.

She looked sideways and saw that he had fallen asleep. Chu Zhi Lu carefully observed his handsome face, hoping this moment would last forever.

She was a calm and rational person, bordering on pessimistic. While she seemed happy with his enthusiasm, deep down, she was filled with anxieties.

She was afraid his passion would fade quickly. Afraid this relationship wouldn’t last. Afraid…

She smiled and kissed his face.

Despite her fears, she decided to follow her heart and love him unconditionally.

She rarely desired anything, as most of her desires were abandoned due to her pessimism and careful consideration. But this time, she was firm and stubborn. She would take this chance, even if it was only once in a lifetime and fleeting.

No matter how much she deliberated, she couldn’t refuse the hand he extended to her.

Zhao Xunyu was awakened by the aroma of cooking. He woke up on the sofa, unaware of when he had fallen asleep.

He stretched, got up, and went to the kitchen.

Chu Zhi Lu, wearing an adorable strawberry-print apron, was making soup when Zhao Xunyu embraced her from behind.

He buried his face in her neck, as if absorbing her essence, and felt refreshed. “How long did I sleep?”

“More than two hours.”

“Mm.”

Zhao Xunyu saw a plate of large, red bayberries on the counter and felt tempted. He asked, “Are the bayberries washed? Are they sweet?”

Chu Zhi Lu held a soup ladle. “Washed. Sweeter than first love.”

Zhao Xunyu wanted to eat one, but he didn’t want to let go of her. He hugged her waist, leaned over, and took a bayberry.

As soon as he bit into it, the sourness shot up to his scalp. He flinched, his face contorting in a grimace. Forgetting their intimacy, he quickly let go and looked for a trash can.

Chu Zhi Lu watched him, smiling.

With the sour taste still in his mouth and seeing her expression, he knew it was intentional. He’d planned to rinse his mouth with water, but he changed his mind.

He put the ladle back in the pot, turned her around, and hugged her. “You tricked me?”

Chu Zhi Lu shook her head.

Zhao Xunyu slowly leaned down towards her face. Chu Zhi Lu sensed the danger and instinctively stepped back.

He held the back of her head, securing her, and pressed his lips to hers. Gently, he parted her lips with his tongue, lightly teasing hers before pulling back slightly. Their breaths mingled. In a low voice, he asked, “Sweeter than first love?”

Chu Zhi Lu looked into his eyes and saw the hidden danger within.

Fearless, she met his wolfish gaze and savored the taste before leaning closer, their lips almost touching. She answered, “Sweeter than first love.”

The next second, her lips were firmly sealed. Zhao Xunyu tightened his arms around her, pressing their bodies and heads close together. He moved his lips across hers before kissing her forcefully and passionately. She was caught off guard and surrendered, allowing him to dominate.

The sour-sweet aroma of the bayberries made them salivate. When their tongues intertwined, they couldn’t help but suck harder to control their saliva.

They were inexperienced and unskilled, driven only by passion and instinct. They kissed intensely—less playful teasing and more focused sucking and tasting.

It was like trying to enjoy a large lollipop. They couldn’t maneuver it freely, but they could suck hard to savor the sweetness and swallow their saliva.

They didn’t want to stop.

They were both clumsy yet enjoying themselves.

When Zhao Xunyu finally released her, her tongue was sore. She leaned against his neck; both were slightly breathless.

After a while, Zhao Xunyu chuckled and sighed, “It’s indeed sweet, sweet as first love.”

Chu Zhi Lu lightly pinched his waist.