Chapter 44: Shi Ying, Are You Really That Hungry?

The first kiss was a light peck, as harmless as a bird’s touch—a gesture more exploratory than romantic.

Shi Ying kissed Cheng Simin briefly, then pulled back slightly to meet her gaze. Detecting no signs of rejection or repulsion, he closed his eyes again and leaned in for a deeper kiss.

The scent of perfume enveloped Cheng Simin once more. The sharp, spicy top notes had long evaporated, leaving behind a faint trace of sandalwood.

The fragrance was cold, seductive—much like Shi Ying’s kiss, wrapping her tightly in an invisible web, pinning her to the passenger seat.

Cheng Simin’s hand holding the cigarette rested on Shi Ying’s shoulder as she tilted her head back, obediently keeping her eyes open while accepting his intimate gesture. She subtly shifted her gaze to observe his face, completely absorbed in the moment.

His kiss mirrored the one recorded by the surveillance camera that day.

It seemed that beautiful people possessed an irresistible charm. A simple closing of the eyes, a gentle kiss, evoked an aura of inevitability, as if they were destined to be together until the seas dried up and the stones crumbled.

She, on the other hand, surely looked ridiculous at this moment. With Shi Ying’s overly prominent nose, her cheek already bore a noticeable indentation. Her underdeveloped nasal cartilage made her feel like putty in his hands, malleable and pliable.

The wet, sloppy sounds of their kiss surged like waves. Initially, Cheng Simin’s left hand gripping his collar conveyed restraint, but it soon gave way to tender entanglement. His kiss brought comfort, and the creases left on his clothing became evidence of reluctance to part.

Especially with Shi Ying’s long, thick lashes brushing against her eyelids like tiny brushes. In the end, she had no choice but to close her eyes, fully immersing herself in the exchange of pheromones.

When the kiss ended, both faces were flushed with dampness.

The cigarette in Cheng Simin’s right hand had burned down to its end, ashes falling lightly in strips. She let out a small gasp as she dodged Shi Ying’s back, startling Beibei awake in the backseat.

The first thing Beibei did upon opening its eyes was to stick its head into the gap between the driver’s and passenger’s seats to check on them. Sniffing the bitter tobacco smell, it sneezed twice and barked discontentedly at the two.

Shi Ying wiped the moisture from Cheng Simin’s lips with his thumb and casually remarked, “It is rather bitter. Even the dog doesn’t like it.” He then took the cigarette butt from her hand and disdainfully threw it away.

They got out of the car, leashed the dog, closed the doors, and entered the empty elevator one after the other. Halfway up, Cheng Simin’s numb tongue finally regained sensation.

Beibei’s leash was in her right hand, while her left was held by Shi Ying, who was gently rubbing her palm.

As for his other hand, it wasn’t idle either. Sometimes it touched the ends of her hair hanging by her waist; other times, it adjusted her collar, resembling a child who had just received a new toy and couldn’t stop fiddling with it.

These moves transitioned so naturally that Cheng Simin discreetly inhaled deeply, already anticipating what he would say next.

When the elevator display reached floor 12, Shi Ying indeed spoke. He squeezed Cheng Simin’s fingers, his voice dripping with sweetness akin to roasting marshmallows over a campfire. “Going home now? Or do you want to come to my place?”

Since exposing his vulnerability in front of Cheng Simin last time, Shi Ying had vowed to transform his rented apartment into a representation of his personal aesthetics and style—an advertisement of sorts.

After weighing several trendy styles, he opted for the minimalist wabi-sabi aesthetic.

In addition to natural wood, linen, and rattan furnishings, he spent an entire weekend having workers replace the ceiling fixtures, swapping out unsightly chandeliers for sleek, lamp-free designs.

Though he initially considered using micro-cement, the project proved too extensive, so he settled for large area rugs instead.

The dining table Cheng Simin had sat at before was now replaced by a stone island countertop, adorned with a tea tray, a pour-over kettle, a direct drinking machine, an ice-making refrigerator, a gaming projector, and a smart toilet with a foot-operated lid.

Like a courting garden bird, Shi Ying couldn’t wait to showcase his impeccable taste in home decor to Cheng Simin.

“I’ve bought some new furniture and redecorated a bit. I’d like to invite you over.”

“Did you eat enough earlier? Shall I make you some pasta? Seafood, cream, traditional meatballs—what flavor do you prefer?”

“If you haven’t had enough to drink, I have wine too. The winery recently launched some new sparkling wines with flavors suitable for girls. Want to try them? Give me some feedback.”

“Oh, and the gaming console. My subletter just returned the Switch I left there. I have two controllers. Let’s play ‘It Takes Two’?”

Moreover, Shi Ying had a serious matter to discuss with Cheng Simin. A few weeks ago, the designs he submitted for the guesthouse’s wine labels didn’t yield satisfactory results. Zhou Rong specifically suggested de-commercializing the design to match the guesthouse’s style, opting for more lively, hand-drawn patterns.

Shi Ying immediately thought of Cheng Simin’s thick bullet journal.

Better keep things in-house. If the design fee was going to someone else anyway, why not let Cheng Simin earn it to cover her employee social security costs for the year?

When the elevator door opened, Cheng Simin pulled her hand from Shi Ying’s grasp. Hearing his sandpaper-smooth voice, her cheeks flushed as she awkwardly declined. “No, it’s getting late. Beibei seems tired. I’ll take him home first.”

“Alright, send him off and then come over. It’s only 9:30, not your bedtime yet.”

Cheng Simin pursed her lips, the heat spreading from her cheeks to her ears. Her jade-like earlobes now glowed red like marbled agate beads. “But I want to freshen up… I think I smell like food.”

Understanding she might feel uncomfortable changing into her holey pajamas at someone else’s place, Shi Ying nodded. “Then visit another time.”

“You freshen up first. I still have something to discuss with you. I’ll change and come find you.”

Shi Ying’s right hand was already on his doorknob, as was Cheng Simin’s. Hearing his relentless persistence, she finally turned to him and whispered fiercely, “Shi Ying! Are you really that hungry! Are you that desperate to sleep with me?”

What, did he have no better options? Was he really that indiscriminate? Not even sparing someone like her.

Shi Ying paused, his key retrieval halted, and he turned his head earnestly. “I guess I am a bit. Isn’t that how dating works?”

He patiently speculated about Cheng Simin’s meaning. “Or do you prefer Platonic love? I’m fine with that too—it’s mainly for your consideration. Before marriage, we should at least try, right? What if there’s an issue with me? You’d suffer a lifetime of celibacy—who could bear that?”

Cheng Simin was startled when he mentioned dating. When he brought up marriage, she was shocked again.

By the time Shi Ying uttered the words “a lifetime,” she was so taken aback she hiccupped.

She couldn’t comprehend Shi Ying’s mind-blowing logic. Bewildered, she looked up and asked, “Who’s dating whom? Wait, did I miss a class? Who’s getting married?!”

“Well, talking about marriage is indeed premature. But surely, the person I’m dating is you.”

Hearing Shi Ying’s confident tone, Cheng Simin bristled like a startled animal, her neck instantly flushing pink.

“Why would I date you? Who said anything about dating you? Stop being so absurd!”

Communication failed. Shi Ying’s voice grew tinged with confusion. “If we’re not dating, why did we kiss?”

Let’s not talk about the first time. Just now in the car, Cheng Simin hadn’t rejected him at all. Didn’t that mean she liked him too? How docile she had been when he kissed her.

Shi Ying furrowed his brows, contemplating Cheng Simin’s actions, his expression cooling. “Cheng Simin, what do you mean? Do you usually kiss your male friends like this? Is this what you call ‘lip friendship’?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides the neighbors on this floor, I don’t have any other friends…” She certainly didn’t possess his knack for navigating relationships effortlessly. Clearly, years of mingling with women abroad had honed his skills.

Thinking about her own lonely, mundane life compared to his butterfly-like existence fluttering between lovers, her molars began to ache with resentment.

“Give me a reason why we can’t date. Mutual affection, full civil capacity, both single—it makes sense.”

Cheng Simin had plenty of reasons not to become casual lovers with Shi Ying—reasons tied to public morality and hygiene. But there was only one reason she couldn’t seriously date him: she feared emotional hurt.

She feared repeating past mistakes, dreaming impractical dreams within an ordinary life.

Chen Xiaofen was right. Reaching for the stars wasn’t a dream meant for ordinary people. Despite his current struggles, Shi Ying still exuded an infuriating air of elegance.

He was like the moon reflected in water, dazzling and attracting foolish monkeys to leap in succession. She wouldn’t be the first, nor the last.

Cheng Simin’s life had failed so many times due to overreaching ambitions. She needed to reflect deeply and say no to sugar-coated temptations.

“I don’t feel that way about you!” In her urgency, Cheng Simin spat out the words through clenched teeth.

Shi Ying gazed at her for a moment, then lowered his head to retrieve his keys and open the door. “Alright, you don’t feel that way about me. Then you don’t need to guard against me. Take me off your blacklist. I’ll pursue you, and you can continue to remain indifferent.”

“I don’t use love potions either.”

With that, Shi Ying opened his anti-theft door and walked straight in. Less than ten seconds later, he emerged with a few documents, maintaining a respectful social distance as he handed them to Cheng Simin. “This is what I wanted to discuss at your place. Designing hand-drawn wine labels for the winery.”

“Who knows what you’re thinking? Always sleeping around.”

“Cheng Simin, though we’re adults, indulging in desire isn’t healthy either. Reflect on yourself. If nothing else, recite some cleansing mantras at home.”