#61: Kisses and Confessions (7)

Early the next morning, Shi Yin set five alarms to wake herself up.

Getting up early to catch a flight was always a painful ordeal. The night before, she had packed most of her things and glanced at the time. After calculating how much time she had left, she decided to skip makeup altogether and collapsed back into her pillow.

She would use the time saved from skipping makeup to sleep instead.

An hour later, Gu Congli arrived.

Shi Yin had just stepped out of the shower and was slightly surprised. “You’re here so early.”

He glanced at her. “I was worried you wouldn’t get up on time.”

Shi Yin absentmindedly rubbed her damp hair and was about to say something when she suddenly remembered what Fang Shu had said the day before.

Feeling awkward, she cleared her throat and quickly darted back into the bedroom, her voice trailing behind the closed door: “I’ll go finish packing…”

Gu Congli raised an eyebrow slightly, staring at the tightly shut door.

Shi Yin leaned against the doorframe with one hand, glancing at the nearly packed suitcase on the floor. She walked over to the small sofa and picked up the bag that Fang Shu had given her yesterday.

The beautiful sky-blue lace-trimmed princess-style gift bag contained something entirely unexpected.

A business trip… A business trip meant staying in a hotel, and staying in a hotel often meant booking a room.

Gu Congli was usually the epitome of a gentleman. Although every time they kissed, Shi Yin felt like she was being smothered by him, during their last stay at a hotel in Yangcheng, he had even slept on the couch. When she woke up, he was already gone.

Even after the other night when she had been drunk—and according to him, she had already harassed him in all sorts of ways—he still hadn’t budged, his belt firmly fastened.

When Shi Yin tearfully recounted this story to Fang Shu, she was mercilessly mocked.

Now, Shi Yin’s face turned slightly unnatural.

Last night, because of this, she hadn’t slept well again, her dreams filled with sensual images of the lingerie set making appearances.

She pulled out the items inside the bag. When Fang Shu was there the previous evening, she hadn’t dared to examine them too closely. Now, alone, Shi Yin took both pieces out and laid them on the bed.

So… how exactly was she supposed to wear something like this?

She didn’t even know which string went where.

And that thing that looked like underwear—was that a string of pearls attached to it?

Shi Yin leaned over the bed, extending her index finger to hook the thin string, squinting as if studying the tiny pearls. After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and dashed to the window to close the curtains. Returning to the bed, she picked up the delicate piece of fabric and held it against her body.

She moved to the mirror, her face slowly turning red. Covering her face with one hand, she let out a soft sigh of frustration.

How on earth was she supposed to wear this?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Gu Congli’s calm voice called from outside: “Shi Yin.”

Startled, Shi Yin jumped. Her hand holding the lace fabric trembled as though she’d been caught doing something wrong. Quickly, she hid the lingerie behind her back and stammered, “Wh-what?!”

“Are you done packing?”

“Yes!”

Gu Congli pushed the door open.

Shi Yin leapt from in front of the mirror, scrambling back to the bed. Grabbing the items from the bed, she hastily stuffed them into the suitcase and slammed the lid shut with a loud “snap.”

As Gu Congli entered, he caught a glimpse of the young woman hurriedly tossing a black bundle into the suitcase and forcefully closing it. She then knelt on top of the suitcase, hands gripping its edges, looking up at him with a deep exhale.

Without makeup, her pale face was flushed, even her ears were red. The neckline of her thin sweater had slipped slightly due to her movements, revealing an enticing view from Gu Congli’s angle.

His gaze lingered there for a few seconds before shifting to her face. “There wasn’t much for breakfast. Shall we eat out?”

Flustered, Shi Yin scrambled off the suitcase, zipped it up, and dragged it toward the living room. “Sure, I’m fine with anything,” she babbled nonstop. “The weather is so nice today, and the sun is out.”

“And the clouds… ah, so white.”

“…”

“Is it very cold in the north during winter? Should I bring another coat?”

Gu Congli followed behind her, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Did you do something you feel guilty about?”

Shi Yin almost choked on her saliva, jumping up and whirling around to glare at him. “No! What did I do? What could I possibly do to feel guilty about?”

Gu Congli’s gaze swept over her bright pink earlobes, and he chuckled softly. “Then why are you so nervous? You’re blushing so much.”

Her expression remained blank. “I’m not nervous. I’m just hungry.”

He nodded, taking the suitcase from her. “Alright, let’s go eat.”

Since they needed to catch their flight, they didn’t have time to be picky and headed to a nearby porridge shop.

Snow vegetable chicken porridge, soy milk, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, egg tofu pudding, scallion pancakes—Gu Congli ordered a large spread, but Shi Yin only drank some porridge before feeling full. She quietly waited for him to finish, and once they were done, they headed to the airport.

Gu Congli upgraded their seats, and they boarded the plane early. As soon as they sat down, Shi Yin pulled out her panda eye mask. She had skipped putting on makeup today specifically to catch up on sleep, leaving the house with a bare face. Pulling out a panda eye mask for herself, she also fished out a small bear-shaped one and handed it to Gu Congli.

He didn’t take it. “What’s this for?”

“An eye mask,” she blinked. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

He seemed to smile faintly. “I don’t need ten hours of sleep every day.”

“……”

Shi Yin felt as though he was mocking her.

She subtly pursed her lips, put on her eye mask, and leaned back into her seat, tilting her head upward.

The eye mask had two large panda eyes, her nose slightly upturned, and her lips—untouched by lipstick—were slightly parted.

Gu Congli’s lips curled into a faint smile. He reached out, gently lifting her chin with his fingers.

Still wearing the eye mask, Shi Yin sat up in confusion.

“Sleeping with your mouth open will make you drool,” he said softly, his fingertips lightly brushing against the skin of her chin.

Shi Yin let out a soft “Oh” and obediently adjusted her posture, letting her head drop down to sleep.

She truly looked exhausted. Who knew what time she had gone to bed last night? There were faint dark circles under her eyes, yet she had stayed up late despite knowing she had to wake up early for the flight.

When the flight attendant came around with meals, a gentle female voice rang out: “Hello, may I—”

Gu Congli placed one hand beside Shi Yin’s head, gently pressing her toward his shoulder. With the other hand, he raised a finger to his lips, glanced at the flight attendant, and quietly said, “No, thank you.”

The flight attendant silently raised her hand, drew the curtain shut, and pushed the cart to the row behind them.

After finishing her round from the front to the back of the cabin, the flight attendant returned to her seat and couldn’t help but whisper to her colleague: “The couple in first class is so sweet!”

The other flight attendant leaned over. “You mean the first two who boarded? That man is so handsome.”

“I just passed by earlier, and the woman was asleep, leaning on the man’s shoulder. The man reached out and gently touched her hair, then gestured to me like this—” She raised her hand, placing her index finger to her lips, and mimicked his voice in a hushed tone: “No, thank you.”

The other flight attendant tapped her high heels together twice. “That voice! So swoon-worthy!”

“What does the woman look like? I didn’t notice earlier.”

The flight attendant who served the meal blinked seriously, her big round eyes sparkling. “She was wearing an eye mask, but she’s very pretty.”

“… You know she’s pretty just because she’s wearing an eye mask?”

The younger flight attendant replied earnestly, “Because her eye mask is shaped like a baby panda—it’s super cute.”

“…”

The flight from S City to the capital took about two and a half hours, during which Shi Yin slept the entire time.

It wasn’t until the plane was about to descend that she stirred, like a small animal wriggling slightly forward. Slowly raising her hand, she pulled off the eye mask.

The bright light stung her eyes, and she squinted lazily, still leaning against the seat. Her voice was hoarse as she murmured, “Are we almost there?”

Gu Congli set down the magazine in his hands and turned his head.

The armrest between them had been raised, and Shi Yin’s upper body was now completely nestled against him. His arm rested around her shoulder. “Mm, almost. Wake up.”

Shi Yin yawned, tugged the eye mask off her neck, and handed it to him. Leaning lazily against his shoulder, she closed her eyes again and wrinkled her nose.

Gu Congli chuckled softly and pinched her earlobe. “Lazy.”

With her eyes still closed, Shi Yin’s voice was weak and muffled. “A household doesn’t need two hardworking people.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she paused, lifted her head, and opened her eyes.

Gu Congli gazed down at her, his brown eyes soft and shallow, his lashes seemingly tinged with a warm hue.

Her heart fluttered uncontrollably, and she couldn’t resist reaching out to lightly touch his eyelashes with her fingertips.

Gu Congli closed his eyes.

As if enchanted, she leaned closer and gently kissed the corner of his lips.

The plane’s announcement system chimed in, the gentle female voice reminding everyone: “We will be descending shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts, stow your tray tables, and adjust your seatbacks to the upright position.”

The curtain that had just been drawn was suddenly pulled open again, and the young flight attendant’s cheerful voice rang out: “Hello, our plane—”

Still holding the curtain, the flight attendant paused for three seconds. Smiling, she pulled the curtain shut again. “We will be descending shortly. Please ensure all electronic devices are turned off. The cabin lights will be dimmed shortly.”

Maintaining her professional demeanor, the flight attendant quickly returned to her seat. Despite her heavy makeup, her youthful, doll-like face radiated excitement. “The couple in first class is so sweet! Seriously, they’re too adorable! I just saw the woman press the man into his seat and kiss him! And he just closed his eyes obediently! So well-behaved! So well-behaved!!”

It was nearly afternoon when they disembarked from the airport. Someone from Yaoguang Publishing’s branch office had come to pick them up.

Shi Yin hadn’t expected such treatment at Yaoguang Publishing. After all, the man beside her was the editor-in-chief—the head of the company’s top-performing department and the driving force behind their best-selling magazines. A little respect was in order.

The hotel environment was excellent, located in the city center. Two king-sized rooms had been booked—one for Gu Congli and one for Shi Yin.

Shi Yin fully experienced the coldness of winter in the north. It was indeed entirely different from the south. Shivering, she swiped her card to enter the room. Her luggage had already been delivered inside. Quickly, she scrambled onto the bed, burrowing herself under the covers and muffling her voice beneath the blankets. “Winter in the north is terrifying! The wind hurt my face!”

Gu Congli turned on the air conditioning in the room and raised the temperature slightly.

Shi Yin pinched the cheeks of her bare face, which she hadn’t moisturized after washing it that morning. “And it’s so dry! Can you grab the spray from my suitcase for me?” Still wrapped in the blanket, she kicked her legs and rolled around twice on the soft bed. “Teacher Shi Yi is a jellyfish! Teacher Shi Yi desperately needs hydration!”

Gu Congli smirked, licking his lips. He pulled over her suitcase, which had been standing upright, and laid it flat.

Her suitcase wasn’t locked; the code was simply 0000. With a click, it opened.

Jellyfish Teacher Shi Yi was still wrapped in the blanket, rolling around on the bed. Hearing the click, she suddenly remembered something, froze for a moment, and then let out a loud yelp: “Wait!”

Frantically pulling the blanket off her, she struggled out of the sheets and crawled over, her expression filled with panic.

Gu Congli was kneeling at the foot of the bed. The suitcase was open, and a black lace-edged piece of fabric lay conspicuously on top. Another piece was already in his hand.

Silence reigned.

Gu Congli hooked his fingers through the delicate strings of the fabric, holding it up to examine it for a few seconds. Calmly, he remarked, “Teacher Shi Yi has such refined taste.”

Shi Yin sat on the bed, her mouth half-open, her hair disheveled. Static electricity from the blanket made a few strands float in the air, making her look like a floating jellyfish. “I didn’t mean to…”

Gu Congli tilted his head slightly, looking at her calmly. “Did I book too many rooms? Two separate ones?”