Chapter 156 - 155: You are mine; no one else can look at you.

Chapter 156: 155: You are mine; no one else can look at you. Shi Weiqing shot the other person a sharp glance with visible annoyance. Just as she was about to speak in their defense, her voice caught in her throat as an enchanting figure suddenly entered her line of sight. The girl’s raven-black, softly curled hair was tied back, revealing her smooth and flawless forehead. Her cheeks, flushed by the rising mist, bloomed like peaches hanging delicately on a young tree—so tantalizing it was enough to make one want to take a bite. She was dressed in a black triangle bikini, the thin straps resting on her shoulders. The V-neck design emphasized her strikingly fair skin. The cut-out tie details on either side of her waist, paired with her long, slender legs... Shi Weiqing felt as though his life was being drained before his eyes. "Wow!" Jin Yunzhi exclaimed when he got a good look at the girls’ outfits. Leaning against a rock wall, his gaze was glued to them. He praised them shamelessly, without an ounce of restraint: "Misses, your figures are absolutely incredible!" "Such a sweet-talker." Ruan Yuanyi crouched down with an almost maternal smile, pinching his chubby cheeks. "Nuh-uh! I’m speaking the absolute truth!" The boy puffed out his cheeks as he let her squish his face into strange shapes. Not only did he seem unbothered, but he also looked exceptionally well-behaved. Xu Linchuan raised his hand at that moment: "For once, I agree! You two really kept this hidden well, didn’t you? Hahaha." Truth be told, he’d never noticed before just how stunning his sister-in-law’s figure could be. The girl bit her lip bashfully, her gaze flitting nervously to the man on the other side, emitting a silent but palpable tension. Mustering her courage, she took small steps toward him. Leaning slightly forward, she asked softly, "What’s wrong?" Shi Weiqing’s gaze lingered on her neckline for a lingering two seconds before his expression turned icy. He grabbed her arm and abruptly pulled her into the hot spring with him. "Why are you wearing this?" He pressed firmly against her waist, positioning her back to the rest of the group. His husky voice carried a tinge of anger, and the initial spark of awe in his eyes had entirely vanished the moment others started complimenting her. "It’s the only one I had..." Yu Zhi, sensing the shift in his mood, instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and attempted to placate him: "I won’t wear this again. Please don’t be mad." When she had first walked out of the changing room, she had already guessed he wouldn’t like this swimsuit. But she hadn’t anticipated his reaction being so intense. Shi Weiqing gently caressed her cheek, wiping the droplets of water off her forehead. His narrowed eyes carried an unfathomable depth: "Zhizhi, every inch of you belongs to me." "You can’t let anyone else see, got it?" His gentle tone was laced with a dangerous edge. That thread of possessiveness rushed up from the depths of his soul, nearly impossible to suppress. It was the first time Yu Zhi had seen this darker, fiercely possessive side of Shi Weiqing. Yet instead of fear, she felt an inexplicable pang of heartache. She leaned forward of her own accord, placing a soft kiss on his cheek: "I won’t anymore." The warmth of her lips and her sweet fragrance gradually soothed the turmoil in Shi Weiqing’s heart. He gazed at her for a few seconds before cupping the back of her head and kissing her deeply. The refreshing taste of mint filled her mouth, as if it seeped into her very soul. Yu Zhi closed her eyes, her breathing tangling with his. Their intimate exchange left Shi Yin, standing nearby, silently shuffling his feet. He tried to put some distance between himself and the overwhelming bubble of pink romance surrounding them. But he had barely taken a few steps when a soft, silky sensation brushing against his arm made him freeze on the spot, as if struck by an electric current. He turned abruptly, only to see a bikini-clad woman pressed snugly against his arm... Hot blood surged to Shi Yin’s nose. In an instant, two streams of crimson dripped into the spring, blending with the clear water. "Shi Yin, are you okay?" Ruan Yuan furrowed her brows, quick to grab his right hand and lift it up high. She had just wiped away the blood trickling down his upper lip when another gush of blood surged from his nostrils. Shi Yin felt he’d never been so humiliated in his life. Yet, the closer the woman came, the less control he had over his own body. "You..." Nervous and flustered, he stammered for ages without managing a coherent sentence. In the end, he resigned himself to turning his head away, clamping his eyes shut, and refusing to look at her again. "Brother Yin!" Jin Yunzhi hastily swam over with a tissue box in hand, grabbing a dozen tissues to cover Shi Yin’s nose—and inadvertently his whole face. Seeing the tissues quickly stained red, the boy teetered on the verge of tears, wailing at the top of his lungs: "Brother Fan, call an ambulance!" "Hurry, save Brother Yin! He’s dying!" "..." Jin Yunzhi’s desperate cries threw the entire group into chaos as they crowded around the "dying" Shi Yin to assess his condition. "He’s fine." Shi Weiqing casually removed the tissues covering Shi Yin’s face, shooting him a disdainful glance. Having a nosebleed from soaking in a hot spring—really, who else could manage that? "Shi Yin, don’t tell me it’s Ruan Yuan who’s got you all worked up?" Xu Linchuan crossed his arms and gave the man, who was still pretending to faint, a light nudge with his foot. His words immediately jolted Shi Yin upright. Flustered, he blurted out: "No, it’s just the temperature—I’m not used to it." There was no way, absolutely no way, he was going to admit it had anything to do with that woman. No way. "Tch, who are you trying to fool?" Xu Linchuan clearly didn’t buy it. Did he take them for idiots? Not used to the temperature—what kind of excuse was that? Shi Yin: "..." Speechless. "If you’re not feeling well, you should get out of the water," Ruan Yuan said, trying to save him from his embarrassment as she supported his arm to help him up. "I’ll go sit outside with you." "Mm." Shi Yin took the opportunity to agree, quickly climbing out of the spring and heading away. He couldn’t bear to stay there any longer. The evening breeze at the base of the green mountain carried a biting chill. Each gust that brushed against the skin felt like being pricked by icy needles, sending shivers through the body. On the winding stone path, two closely walking figures cast shadows under the warm glow of hanging vine-ball lanterns, heading briskly into a sauna room. "Feeling any better?" Ruan Yuan handed him a bottle of water she’d grabbed at the door. Her voice was gentle, every word brimming with concern for him. "Mm, thank you." Shi Yin lowered his eyes. Beneath the dim light, the soft flutter of his lashes resembled feathers falling, tracing an arc in the air. He twisted the cap off and gulped down the water, using it as a distraction to calm the turmoil in his chest from being alone with her. After a moment of silence, Ruan Yuan called his name again. She fixated on his profile, the face that captivated her: "Have you thought about what I told you earlier today?" He’d been avoiding her all day. Surely by now, he’d sorted out his thoughts enough to give her an answer. Whether it was a yes or no, she just wanted closure. "..." Shi Yin parted his lips as if to say something. But when he turned and met her hopeful gaze, he couldn’t hide anymore. His grip on the water bottle tightened as he finally spoke, "I don’t know." Having never been in love, never even considering the possibility of someone abruptly entering his life, Shi Yin truly had no idea how to handle the situation. Her pursuit had come too fast, like a sudden high tide crashing over the previously calm sea. The waves surged violently, only to leave behind a chaotic, littered shore as they receded. "Shi Yin, I really like you." Ruan Yuan sensed his fleeting retreat and quickly took his hand. Her expression was unprecedentedly serious: "Could you give me a chance to pursue you?" Meeting his eyes, she waited anxiously for his response, her palms slick with sweat. In her twenty-something years of life, this was the first time she felt such fear when it came to matters between men and women. Perhaps it was the intensity in her gaze, so unwavering that it seemed to awaken something dormant within Shi Yin—a long-forgotten part of his heart. He couldn’t ignore the quickening pace of his heartbeat. Finally, compelled by its rhythm, he gave a soft, reluctant reply. "I’ll win your heart, no matter what," Ruan Yuan declared, her face lighting up as she dove into his arms. She hugged his waist tightly, as if afraid he might escape. The softness of her body pressed against his skin, making Shi Yin’s nose burn even hotter. His hands faltered, unsure where to rest them. But despite the awkwardness, he couldn’t bring himself to push her away, leaving him helplessly stewing in his own predicament. The night deepened as the chirping of crickets echoed from the bushes and rocks around the hot spring, disrupting the stillness with their steady "chirp-chirp-chirp." Shi Weiqing carried a bathrobe and two bottles of soda to the edge of the hot spring, where the girl lounged, dozing with her eyes half-closed. He ruffled her hair and scooped her out of the spring, quickly wrapping her in the robe. "Shi Weiqing, I’m so sleepy," Yu Zhi murmured, leaning her head drowsily against his chest and letting out a small yawn. Perhaps the sheer comfort of soaking in the spring had lulled her into an irresistible state of drowsiness. After securing the robe around her, Shi Weiqing pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. His low, raspy voice carried a tender note: "Be good. I’ll carry you back to bed." The next second, Yu Zhi felt herself lifted into the air. Tilting her head slightly, she looked up at him and muttered, "Shi Weiqing, could we maybe not..." "Not what?" "Not... that... tonight?" As soon as the word "sleep" came up, she felt a foreboding sense of dread, her legs even beginning to feel weak. Shi Weiqing immediately understood what her vague request meant. He chuckled softly, one eyebrow quirking in amusement: "Zhizhi, don’t you like it?" "I... I’m just tired today." Yu Zhi buried her face in the crook of his neck, her long, fluttering lashes brushing against his skin, teasing him with every subtle movement. Her avoidance of a direct answer only deepened the grin on Shi Weiqing’s lips. He came to a stop, gazing down at the small form curled up in his arms: "But what if I want to?"