From the night she proposed marriage by the Riverside to today, when they officially received their certificate, less than three days had passed.
Over those three days, the two of them were even busier than usual. They’d met no more than twice, and that morning at the Civil Affairs Bureau counted as one.
To be honest, Jiang Zao hadn’t adjusted at all to her new identity as Xie Lisheng’s legal wife. She even forgot about the marriage certificate tucked away in her bag while she was swamped with work.
It wasn’t until she got off work and returned to their shared home—until the instant he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss—
That it hit her.
She was married.
She had married Xie Lisheng.
Damn, it was real…
The man lingering on her lips could tell from her dazed reaction that her mind was anywhere but on him. He reached out and pinched her side.
Jiang Zao flinched with a sudden itch, her thoughts snapping back. Without thinking, she parted her lips.
Now that they had done this once and were onto the second time, he smoothly invaded the wet heat of her mouth.
The familiar yet still slightly awkward sensation, paired with those sticky sounds, made Jiang Zao flash back to that kiss they’d shared by the Riverside that night.
~~~
That night by the Riverside, Xie Lisheng had asked her three times whether she had any feelings for him.
Marriage was obviously a hugely complicated affair, but he’d framed it as if that single question was the only thing that mattered.
His actions had caught her completely off guard—or rather, she had suspected he might be leaning in that close for a reason, but she’d never imagined it would actually happen.
The moment his lips touched hers, Jiang Zao forgot whatever she’d meant to say in response.
If that stolen graze of a kiss back at the Company didn’t count, then this was her first real kiss—and his too.
It was their first proper kiss, and when he bit down a little too hard, she let out a pained hum. Their mutual inexperience was laid bare.
Sensing her flinch, Xie Lisheng paused. He cradled her face with one hand.
Their foreheads pressed together as they gazed into each other’s eyes.
He didn’t let the mood dissipate. He shifted the angle and pressed in again. This time, Jiang Zao didn’t pull away.
Their scorching lips melted together once more.
On the next kiss, Xie Lisheng was much gentler. He rubbed against her lips several times, his rough tongue tip brushing over the spot he’d bitten earlier.
Jiang Zao was pinned in his embrace, electric tingles racing through her body. Her cheek ached faintly where it pressed against his prominent nose bridge.
He stayed gentle for all of five seconds before his true colors showed.
A breeze swept by, lifting her hair and flicking the strands across his cheek. Xie Lisheng’s brow twitched, and his grip on her face tightened just a fraction.
Jiang Zao clutched at his dark red shirt, bunching the fabric into wrinkles over his chest.
Neither of them knew what they were doing. They fumbled and licked like a pair of hormone-fueled college freshmen.
But Xie Lisheng was the bolder one. In the heat of the moment, he chased the thrill, and once he noticed her tongue darting away, he pursued relentlessly.
His lips were soft—too hot. With her eyes squeezed shut, she could feel her eyelids trembling wildly.
Then she heard the wet, smacking sounds.
For a split second, she thought it was the river lapping against the railing below. But the next moment, he sucked lightly, amplifying the noise and shattering the night air. Her knees buckled.
Single for over twenty years, she’d finally understood what everyone else raved about. A kiss really could make that much racket.
Jiang Zao’s strength ebbed away. Her tongue grew tired from dodging, and she gradually surrendered. Her hands, still gripping his shirt, slid downward in a slow caress before coming to rest on his arms.
All the restraint from their previous near-misses exploded in this one true kiss.
Passersby strolled by on the path nearby, but the two of them had lost all sense of propriety, lost in the throes of passion.
Before tonight, they hadn’t even held hands.
It felt like from the moment he’d appeared at the Graduation Ceremony, some gear in the universe had kicked into overdrive. Everything had accelerated, fermented, and culminated in this midnight scene.
In the span of just one day—from Nancheng to Qinnan—they’d been through a chaotic whirlwind of events.
And yet, only a single day had passed.
On what turned out to be her last day of dodging the issue, she’d decided to marry Xie Lisheng.
The man grew bolder with every kiss, backing her against the railing. They advanced and retreated in clumsy rhythm, their disordered steps thudding on the wooden boardwalk.
Jiang Zao’s thoughts were entirely at his mercy, led by the kiss. He gripped her fiercely, determined to stretch this moment into eternity.
They kissed until no more tourist boats passed on the river, until the boardwalk fell silent with no other footsteps, until the city’s neon lights flickered out.
It was right then—
“Mommy! Uncle and Auntie are kissing!” The little girl’s innocent giggle rang out without a care.
Jiang Zao’s eyes flew open. A few steps away, she caught sight of the child’s laughing face in her mother’s arms. Startled, she coughed and accidentally nipped the other person’s lip.
Xie Lisheng pulled her close, catching the woman as she swiftly burrowed into his embrace. Her saliva still glistened on his lips.
“…?”
The girl’s mother turned her child’s face away and hurried past, whispering a reprimand. “Shh, don’t say that. It’s rude…”
Jiang Zao buried her head in Xie Lisheng’s warm chest. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she wanted nothing more than to die on the spot.
At the same time, she felt a wave of relief that the kiss had been cut short like this…
~~~
Aside from upsetting him again by getting their marriage certificate today, Jiang Zao strongly suspected that Xie Lisheng had pounced the moment they stepped through the door because he hadn’t gotten enough of her kisses that day by the Riverside.
Did this man have such intense needs in that department? She’d never noticed before.
This was only their second French kiss, yet Xie Lisheng already moved with practiced ease. He held her just right, tilting her head to the perfect angle before effortlessly parting her lips and delving inside.
He always caught her completely off guard.
Jiang Zao pushed back in a daze, her fingers brushing a puddle of water along the edge of the sink.
It was slick and wet, much like their lips pressed together now.
There was nothing reckless about Xie Lisheng’s commanding kisses. He advanced with calculated precision, deepening inch by inch, claiming every bit of space.
Each press stole her breath away.
Her mouth yielded sticky, smacking sounds under the pressure. Jiang Zao’s cheeks flushed crimson as she glimpsed the bob of his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. Her mind went blank once more.
So sexy… How could he be like this?
Just as Jiang Zao teetered on the edge of surrender, lost in the haze of this unannounced deep kiss, Xie Lisheng suddenly pulled back.
A faint, silvery thread stretched between their lips.
Caught in the momentum, she chased after him for a split second. Jiang Zao froze, then yanked her face away.
He laughed.
Mortified, Jiang Zao cleared her throat twice. “…”
Xie Lisheng leaned in closer, deliberately teasing. “You’re pretty into it with me, aren’t you?”
Her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears from coughing as she shot him a glare.
Her lips, kissed red and swollen by him, only made that coquettish look ignite something deeper in Xie Lisheng’s gaze. He bent down, cradled her face, and pressed his mouth to hers once more.
This time, there was no bold invasion. He simply brushed her lips, kissed softly, shifted, and kissed again.
The muffled, intimate sounds felt even more tantalizing. Jiang Zao struggled to keep up. In a brief gap between kisses, she mumbled incoherently, “Stop… enough already.”
What had he said earlier? Something about climbing into her bed on their wedding night?
He wasn’t serious, was he?
The Prenuptial Agreement didn’t require any actual intimacy, did it?
Jiang Zao glanced up and met his eyes—darker now, gleaming with raw hunger. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure.
Before he could speak, she spotted the white bandage on his right hand. She pressed against his chest and pushed him away. “Your hand’s still injured. You should rest. I’ve got work tonight.”
“Mind if I use your study?”
Xie Lisheng finally let her go, stepping lazily to the side. “What are you so afraid of?”
Jiang Zao fell silent. “…”
Afraid you’ll get desperate and pounce anyway. Afraid you’ll lose control. Afraid you’ll play the rogue husband card now that it’s legal.
“If I’m working too late, I’ll crash in the Guest Bedroom.” She forced a casual tone as she gathered the proposal she’d deliberately left out. “Keep your routines the same. No need to adjust for me.”
Unlike most couples, who cohabited before tying the knot, they had met out of nowhere, married on a whim, and now shared a home immediately.
It felt no different from living with a near-stranger under the same roof—especially since the house was his. She couldn’t help feeling a little on edge.
She’d planned to find a new place and crash at Li Li’s temporarily, but the new rental fell through, and the marriage happened first.
Now there was no need to hunt for a place at all. Everything had resolved itself in the most unexpected way. Talk about dramatic.
Xie Lisheng opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of ice water. With his back to Jiang Zao, he chugged half of it down before slanting a knowing glance her way. “Mm.”
He was clearly too lazy to call out her obvious dodge. Whatever.
Jiang Zao returned to the Entrance Hall and picked up her laptop bag. As she headed to the Study, she couldn’t resist glancing back at the Water Bar one more time.
Xie Lisheng was still standing there, expression neutral as he propped himself against the counter and scrolled on his phone.
Her gaze drifted downward—and snagged on something impossible to ignore.
Even dressed in thick black trousers with excellent coverage, the prominent bulge was still enough to make anyone swallow hard. Jiang Zao’s gaze recoiled as if burned, a sheen of sweat breaking out on her skin as she hurriedly turned and fled.
No way… How could he stay so composed, playing on his phone without a flicker of expression?
No, he couldn’t just go ahead and do it right there. Stop it, quit thinking about that.
…How was it so… impressive? Were they all like that?
~~~
When she opened her computer, the Meal Buddies Gossip Group—composed of her colleagues—was chatting away enthusiastically.
Li Li @ her: Little Zao, Little Zao, have you finished moving into your new place? You sure you don’t need our help?
She glanced at Xie Lisheng’s spacious study, done up in sleek gray-black minimalist style, then typed back: All unpacked and settled in successfully √
Kexin jumped right into the next topic: Jiang Zao, you missed it earlier—the Company Gossip Group has been buzzing all day about the CEO’s injury! Every wild theory under the sun!
Jiang Zao: ?
Li Li explained: Everyone was too terrified of the CEO’s icy glare and cutting words during the big meeting to even look up. We all got reamed out until we were black and blue, so most people didn’t notice President Xie’s right hand was bandaged up thick.
She attached a blurry photo that had been passed around countless times—a sneaky shot of Xie Lisheng’s right hand and wrist wound.
The Gossip Group was in a frenzy, with five or six different theories flying around. The tame ones linked it to him holding that marriage certificate in the elevator today, speculating he’d gotten into a brawl with a romantic rival to steal someone away.
The wilder versions claimed a rival company had hired a hitman to kidnap him, that he’d barely escaped with his life, and still dragged himself to the meeting to call them all shit.
Someone even said he’d finally been taken out offline by his long-simmering resentful employees, with suspicions pointing to someone in R&D as the poster.
Jiang Zao read through the Gossip Group’s chat logs and stared at the screen in silence: “…”
She’d really dragged her boss into one hell of a public storm.
Word was, someone had already started a discussion thread about Xie Lisheng’s injury on the Tech Forum too.
Only now did she truly grasp that Xie Lisheng was a public figure. No wonder Assistant Li had suggested, on the way back from registering their marriage, that he work from home for a few days and stay out of sight—to avoid employees spotting him and stirring up needless chatter.
Still, Xie Lisheng hadn’t altered his pre-injury schedule. Business proceeded as usual.
With his personality, idle gossip wouldn’t faze him anyway.
Jiang Zao wrapped up the chit-chat and dove into the work she’d brought home. The rapid clatter of keystrokes echoed through the room—
About forty minutes later, a knock sounded at the study door.
She hadn’t closed it, so one glance up revealed the man leaning against the doorframe—he must have slipped in unnoticed.
Xie Lisheng was wrapped in a deep blue bathrobe, the collar gaping open to reveal hints of his chiseled chest. His hair was half-dry, his skin glowing with that fresh post-bath clarity.
Arms crossed, exuding a clean, refreshed aura, he gazed at her lazily.
Remembering that earlier glimpse, Jiang Zao flushed with embarrassment and fixed her eyes on the screen: “…Need something?”
Xie Lisheng held out his right hand by way of explanation: “Shower got the bandage wet. Mind changing it?”
Guilt tugged at her, so she didn’t refuse. She stood and followed him to the living room.
Even wrapped in plastic as he’d been, the outer layer had still gotten damp. Jiang Zao carefully unwrapped the old bandage and fitted a fresh one.
Xie Lisheng watched the woman fussing attentively over him. “Help me out with something later.”
Jiang Zao paused, her eyes inexplicably sweeping over his body. Her expression turned peculiar. “You… can’t even dress yourself anymore?”
Xie Lisheng arched a brow slowly.
Then he said, “If you’re that eager, I wouldn’t mind letting you dress me once.”
Jiang Zao: ?
Truth be told, she wanted to jab his mouth shut with the scissors in her hand. She shot him a glare. “Pervert.”
Xie Lisheng let out a soft huff and clarified: “Files. Need you to sign some files for me. Right hand’s no good.”
She blinked in confusion. “Can’t you use your left? You signed everything for the marriage certificate with it today.”
“Left-hand writing looks like crap,” he replied. “These are important documents.”
Jiang Zao tied off the bandage, considered for a few seconds, then nodded. “Fine.”
“Heading back to my study, like before?”
“Yeah, but the desk’s a bit high.”
He chuckled. “Picky, aren’t you? I’ll have someone swap it for an adjustable one tomorrow.”
Jiang Zao said nothing more, packing away the supplies. “There. Better keep it dry, like the doctor said.”
Xie Lisheng glanced at his right hand before turning back to meet her eyes. “The medicine’s all changed now. Time to help me with these clothes?”
Jiang Zao stared at him in stunned silence.
?
When had she ever agreed to that?
Xie Lisheng’s left hand tugged at the sash of his bathrobe, clearly intent on pulling it open.
Jiang Zao shot up a hand to stop him, her eyes going wide. “Hold on—you don’t mean…”
She stole a glance at the bathrobe, half-undone and teasingly revealing, her gaze inadvertently drifting over the man’s firm, muscled thighs.
“You can’t seriously be naked underneath, can you?”
He twirled the sash idly around his index finger, watching her reaction with keen amusement.
Xie Lisheng’s narrow eyes curved upward in a sly hook.
“You guess.”
~~~