Chapter 71 Do Not Lay a Hand on Me
When Tan Zheng came back up, Song Ni was already lying on the bed. The bed was so large that she stretched out her hands and feet, leaving him no space at all. The intention was obvious. Tan Zheng's eye sockets were rimmed with red, a reaction from suppressing his anger by chugging ice water. The sofa was too small; he wouldn't compromise for half a night, and definitely not again.
"Song Ni," the man called out.
The person on the bed didn't respond, but Tan Zheng's lips curved. Song Ni was an expert at pretending to be good, but a complete novice at pretending to be asleep. The light was still on, her eyelids had twitched when he called her earlier. And... what person sleeps so stiffly, so rigidly?
"Are you going to make space yourself, or shall I?"
Song Ni's eyelids trembled again. She was torn between waking up or continuing to 'sleep through.' But Tan Zheng's gaze was too intense, so intense that she couldn't ignore it or think at all. While she hesitated, a sense of pressure washed over her, and Song Ni suddenly opened her eyes.
Tan Zheng was truly handsome. Even from this deathly angle and at this close distance, Song Ni couldn't find anything about Tan Zheng's face that displeased her. In the past, she had no specific standards for men's looks. Since Tan Zheng appeared, slowly, subtly, Tan Zheng became her standard. Song Ni swallowed, thinking she had hidden it well, and blinked her eyes a few times.
"What are you doing?" the man grunted.
"Sleeping." Song Ni stretched out her leg and pointed adorably towards the sofa with her toe. "That's where you sleep."
Tan Zheng didn't even bother to look at the small sofa. He straightened up and lowered his head, scanning Song Ni from head to toe. "Your little arms and legs aren't enough for me to toss around. Be good."
Toss around... Song Ni's face flushed. What kind of lewd words was Tan Zheng using! Song Ni's lips tightened, unwilling to easily let Tan Zheng onto the bed. But this man, Tan Zheng... he had no concept of maintaining distance, no sense of awkwardness or shyness. Since their first official meeting, he had very consciously placed himself in the position of a fiancé. The two of them... weren't intimate, but they certainly had a tacit understanding in certain aspects. Like the fact that there was never any awkwardness between them. They had spent less time transitioning from strangers to acquaintances than most people, perhaps due to the arranged marriage.
Song Ni didn't mind sleeping with Tan Zheng, but as a girl, she had the right to be reserved. Even if she was feigning reserve.
"Are you planning to lay a hand on me if I don't let you?"
Hearing this, the man's eyes narrowed slightly. He studied the person on the bed carefully, sensing her insistence. He finally began to consider his actions. After a moment, just as Song Ni thought Tan Zheng had nothing more to say, the man suddenly touched his chin and spoke.
"I understand."
Song Ni: ??? Understand what?
"You're shy." The man's tone was very certain, and Song Ni felt ashamed.
"Shy my foot!" Saying this, she lifted her leg to kick the man standing by the bed.
Tan Zheng's reaction was still quick. He not only dodged Song Ni's attack but also reached out and grabbed her leg. Song Ni's legs were slender, and her ankles even more so. Holding it, his palm still had plenty of room. Tan Zheng frowned instinctively. Why so thin? Thinking this, he tightened his grip.
Song Ni's skin was already delicate and smooth, and she had applied body lotion earlier, making it feel incredibly good. Tan Zheng hadn't intended anything else, but the skin under his hand was just too tender, and he couldn't help but caress it with his fingers. His fingertips felt electrified, and half of Song Ni's body went numb.
"What are you doing!" A uniquely feminine voice, filled with shame and anger, rang out in the room.
Tan Zheng realized he had lost his focus and, uncharacteristically, let go of Song Ni's leg with surprising ease. He coughed lightly. "I have a headache. Be good."
Hearing this, Song Ni temporarily suppressed her shame and looked up at Tan Zheng. His complexion was indeed not good. He had a fever this morning, and now he had been wandering around shirtless for so long. It was no wonder he caught a chill. Song Ni wouldn't have guessed that Tan Zheng's current discomfort was entirely due to the several bottles of ice water he had chugged downstairs. Although the inner fire had been suppressed, it hadn't been released, and he still felt unsettled.
"Who told you not to wear clothes." Song Ni pursed her lips. She had to admit that when a man like Tan Zheng softened his tone a little, showed a little weakness, it made her heart flutter. Saying this, she shifted slightly to the side, implicitly allowing the man onto the bed.
Tan Zheng noticed Song Ni's concession and chuckled. A proud, sharp-tongued girl, but her heart was soft. Without any hesitation, Tan Zheng got into bed smoothly. As soon as he half-reclined, Song Ni was startled by his tall frame and quickly moved further to the side. The territory that had always belonged to her suddenly had the scent of a man on it. Song Ni felt unaccustomed and yet novel. She had always liked the scent of Tan Zheng.
"Do not lay a hand on me, okay?" She wasn't as worked up now; her caution was still intact.
Hearing this, Tan Zheng merely snorted and turned to face Song Ni. "As long as you don't lay a hand on me."
Song Ni: ......How could she possibly lay a hand on him!
Tan Zheng was probably really tired. He fell asleep soundly not long after lying down. Song Ni first looked up at the bright light, then turned her head to look at the sleeping Tan Zheng, and couldn't help but mutter, "Sleeping like a pig."
But as she said this, she still carefully, as quietly as possible, turned off the room light. Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness, with only the faint glow from her phone screen. In this light, Song Ni couldn't help but start to examine Tan Zheng's sleeping face. His nose was really high. His eye sockets were too deep! How could his eyelashes be so long? His lips were thin, no wonder kissing him was so satisfying. His facial contours were just too perfect!
...The more Song Ni looked, the more she felt that every feature on Tan Zheng's face hit her sweet spot. As she looked, she couldn't help but reach out. When her hand touched his brow, she thought of the seal she had dropped earlier, and her heart began to burn. It was at this moment that Song Ni realized what she was doing. She quickly withdrew her hand. Her movement wasn't small, but the man was still fast asleep.
Song Ni suddenly smiled. No wonder Tan Zheng said "as long as you don't lay a hand on me." Turns out, she really would do so. To be drawn in so involuntarily, how many times had this happened? Once was the night they fought, once was after they drove to the mountain, even this morning it happened once. And just now... it happened again.
Thump-thump. Song Ni heard her own heartbeat, unbelievably erratic. Beside her was the man's steady breathing. Song Ni blinked and raised her hand to her forehead, staring blankly at the ceiling. Although she was very reluctant to admit it, at this moment, she was indeed so affected by Tan Zheng that she had no sleepiness. Yes, she wasn't a saint. With such a sexy man lying beside her, how could she remain indifferent? So, how did Tan Zheng fall asleep so quickly? Was it because she lacked charm? Song Ni shook her head. How could she lack charm?! Since it wasn't a problem of her charm, it must be a problem with Tan Zheng. Therefore, Song Ni, who had been staring at the ceiling for a long time, suddenly turned her head to look at the man beside her, and then her gaze slowly moved downwards...
(End of this chapter)