Chapter 145: Warming Hands

After the bustling noise settled, the food remained largely untouched. Gu Shiyan had only a single glass, yet his mind felt unnaturally clear. Watching the others laughing and joking, he finally understood what it meant to see happiness made manifest. He glanced at the time on his phone, then lowered his head to message Assistant Song, instructing him to call cars to take everyone home.

"Why are you hiding away, playing on your phone?" Luo Xing tilted her head, looking at the device he had tucked beneath the table. "Hmm?"

Gu Shiyan pinched her cheek and leaned in close. "Happy New Year."

Luo Xing smiled. The others at the table were too busy drinking and chatting to notice or stop them as Luo Xing pulled Gu Shiyan away for a private moment. It was rare for the young couple to see each other, after all.

They descended one floor and stood in the stairwell, which was empty and quiet. As their fingers interlaced, they shared the warmth of their skin. Luo Xing asked if Gu Shiyan was cold. He was wearing a thin suit; while the office was kept at a comfortable temperature, the roof terrace—even with the wind-blocking tent—was quite chilly. Luo Xing, however, was wrapped in a thick down jacket, her hands warm to the touch.

"I'm not cold," Gu Shiyan said, gripping her hands in his. His downcast eyes seemed steeped in honey.

Luo Xing looked away. "Don't look at me like that."

Gu Shiyan, feeling mischievous, ignored her protest. He leaned down, pressing his face close to hers, staring directly at her. When she turned her head, he followed.

"Stand properly," Luo Xing said, raising a hand to cover her eyes.

"Alright."

Luo Xing took him at his word and began to lower her hand, only to be suddenly pulled into his embrace, his heavy weight pressing against her. Gu Shiyan wrapped his arms around her, his lips, slightly chilled, brushing against the back of her hand.

"Hey!" Her hand was pulled away, and Gu Shiyan’s eyes were now inches from hers. The air seemed to grow stagnant, and Luo Xing’s breathing turned shallow. Her face burned; under the light, the flush was unmistakable, so she covered her face again.

Gu Shiyan’s voice, raspy and low, vibrated against her eardrum. "Don't cover your face..." He pulled her tighter, kissing her earlobe. "Let me have a kiss."

Luo Xing quickly pecked him, but her aim was too hasty, landing only on the corner of his mouth. Before Gu Shiyan could react, she buried her head, refusing to look at him.

"Luo Xing," Gu Shiyan said, his brow suddenly furrowing in a display of seriousness. "There is something I need to tell you."

Luo Xing looked up at his refined features. The usual languor was gone, replaced by an intense, solemn gaze. She felt slightly dazed. "W-what is it?"

As she frantically tried to guess what he could mean, Gu Shiyan took advantage of the moment and kissed her deeply.

Luo Xing, held firmly in his arms, could feel his body temperature rising, growing hot. A winter night was the perfect setting for a heated kiss. The motion-sensor light went out. Pinned against the wall, she had nowhere to retreat. Her mind grew hazy, and she forgot what she had been trying to think of.

Not until Gu Shiyan pulled away, panting softly against her ear, did he ask, "Do you know now?"

"What is it? I don't know," she whispered. In the darkness, she couldn't see his expression, but she could feel the vigorous thumping of his heart against his chest, beating rhythmically against her own.

"That was a real kiss. What you did was, at best, an accidental bump."

Luo Xing finally caught on and nudged his leg with her knee. "Who is so clumsy that they bump into someone's mouth?"

"Didn't you say you weren't coming back?" Gu Shiyan held her with one arm while his other hand traced her slender fingers, sliding over them one by one.

Luo Xing felt a tickle and pressed down on his hand. "Mom said she wanted to come back for the New Year, so we did."

Gu Shiyan paused, seemingly uncertain. "Today... your mother and the others?"

"Yes." Luo Xing stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Are you happy?"

Gu Shiyan pulled her closer, burying his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled. "Your parents are truly wonderful."

Luo Xing let out a soft sound.

"Baby, warm my hands." Gu Shiyan’s fingertips scratched at her palm; they were still cold.

"Ah, my jacket doesn't have pockets..."

Before she could finish, Gu Shiyan’s palm brushed against her neck.

"Sss, get away!"

With the wall behind her, she couldn't retreat, so she crouched down to escape the chill.

"I'm cold," Gu Shiyan said, crouching down with her. They were face-to-face, so close that their breath mingled on each other's skin.

Luo Xing tucked Gu Shiyan’s hands inside her clothes. Beneath the down jacket, her thin wool sweater was warm. "Are you warm now?"

"Hmm... baby, you're so soft." Gu Shiyan’s palm rested against her lower abdomen, a slight chill seeping through the sweater.

"I asked if you were warm, not—" Luo Xing shot him a glare. But at his words, she thought of his hand... her face grew hot. "If you're warm, take it out."

Gu Shiyan didn't answer; he just nuzzled against her, his cheek rubbing against hers—it was cool to the touch. "I want to sleep holding you." Having worked overtime for over half a month, the sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over him as he held his soft little girlfriend.

Luo Xing misunderstood his intent and turned her face away. "Pervert, move aside, I'm going back up."

Gu Shiyan held onto her. "No."

"Didn't you say you had to go back to work after eating? Hurry up and go."

"..." Why bring up something as unromantic as work at a time like this? "One more kiss, and I'll go."

Luo Xing kissed him, but Gu Shiyan still wouldn't let go.

"Let go of me."

"How long are you staying?"

"Just two days," she answered.

Gu Shiyan thought carefully, wondering if he could find the time to get away. He sighed. "I have to attend the new project roadshow tomorrow, and there's the press conference schedule the day after..."

Luo Xing stroked his head. "It's okay, I'll come see you."

As she went to comfort him, she realized that somehow, her clothes had been loosened. In the dimness, she couldn't see clearly, but she could feel the details of his movements. His large palm was pressed against her waist, the cashmere sweater feeling soft against her skin.

"Baby, your waist is so slim." Gu Shiyan’s eyes glinted in the dark. His gaze fixed on her small earlobe, and he gave it a light nip. At the same time, his hand on her waist tightened, the tendons on the back of his hand standing out in sharp relief.

"You..."

Luo Xing realized he was doing it on purpose. Through the down jacket, she hadn't felt much, but now, without that barrier, the desire was magnified. Gu Shiyan kissed her earlobe, her neck, and her collarbone. Her sweater, which had a small V-neck, was pulled aside, exposing a large expanse of skin. The contact with the cold air made her shiver.

"Gu..." Her voice was stifled. Gu Shiyan circled her waist with one arm and pressed his other hand against the back of her head, kissing her urgently.

Luo Xing was lifted slightly by the hand on her waist, forced onto her tiptoes.

"My legs are sore..."