What to Do After Being Transported into a Mature-Themed Novel and Caught in a Storm of Passion - Chapter 122

Liu Xiuzhe caught his reflection in the mirror and paused. The man staring back at him looked utterly lovesick, a hairdryer clutched in one hand while the other carefully carded through Xue Zhixiao’s half-dry black hair. She leaned into his touch, eyes half-lidded with contentment like a pampered cat.

The domestic tranquility of the moment flooded his chest with warmth, so unfamiliar it made him ache. He wanted to cling to this feeling, yet feared squeezing too tight would shatter it. In his thirty-six years, he’d never known such quiet tenderness, and now he greedily memorized every detail—the hum of the dryer, the silk of her hair between his fingers, the way her shoulders relaxed under his care. He longed to live suspended in this happiness forever.

Happiness with Xue Zhixiao? His hand stilled mid-motion. The kiss, her teasing words, the way she’d let him dry her hair—what did it mean? Had she truly accepted him?

The CEO’s usually razor-sharp mind turned sluggish. His heart leapt with hope only to recoil, terrified of misreading her. They said desire made even the strongest men weak, and Liu Xiuzhe had built his empire on ruthless decisiveness. He’d restructured companies, gutted incompetent leadership, and bet millions on visionary ventures without hesitation. Yet here he stood, paralyzed by the woman before him—his one vulnerability.

How absurd that she could mock his “six seconds,” tie him up for her games, and still hear him murmur, “I won’t hold it against you,” voice thick with wounded pride. Why?

He’d chosen her stubbornly, obsessively. One day and night in her presence, after months of twisted longing, had seared her into his thoughts. She haunted his dreams in vivid, feverish scenes. What did that mean?

Liu Xiuzhe’s inner laugh was bitter. He wanted to know. Why did the man who never forgave a slight now fear her walking away? Perhaps some hidden part of him craved submission—for her, he’d kneel willingly.

Oh, CEO Liu. So brilliant, yet so blind.

Setting the dryer aside, he sank to his knees before her. Cradling her hand, he met her gaze with barely concealed hope. “Zhixiao,” he said, voice rough, “let me be your man. I’ll come whenever you need me.”

The unspoken terms hung between them: he’d appear at her call but vanish if she chose another. A loyal dog, begging for scraps.

Xue Zhixiao studied his composed face in silence, stretching the moment until his pulse thundered. Just as he braced for rejection, her answer came, melodic and measured.

“I’m not worth your devotion, Xiuzhe. My heart belongs to others too. Can you accept that?”

She pressed his palm to her chest, her heartbeat steady under his fingertips.

“I can,” he blurted, urgency stripping away his restraint. “I don’t care who else you love. I just want to stay by your side—every day, like this.” His solemn expression almost cracked as he nearly raised three fingers to swear it.