Chapter 44: Please Behave, Mr. Qiao! (Part 5)

Xia Yanxi wanted to say something. She wanted to remind him not to speak so closely to her face. Because everytime he did, she could feel his scathing breath on her skin. Everytime he did, her toes would curl, and her legs and hands would tense up.

She cracked an awkward smile, seeing as how the man was as attractive as one could only imagine appearing in fairy tales.

“That night… That night was a mistake. A mistake you and I both made. Please. Find another woman. I promise that I will never get in your way. I will not… I understand what men need… What you need…”

She could not finish her sentence as he swooped in once more. His lips were pressed onto hers and his teeth sinked into her lips. This time, it hurt. It hurt as if he was trying to punish her.

Her eyes were unfocused and she could only see his dark, abyssal eyes looking into hers. Her chest tightened so much that it felt like it would just stop beating.

She knew nothing about him except for his intoxicating presence. Every move he made, every gesture, every smile, every look, were like poison buried deep within her soul, killing her with just a smile.

She should push him away. She should have at least tried. But no matter how much she wanted to, her legs and hands felt like lead; heavy and unmoving.

“I only want you.”

His voice came ringing again as his lips were still pushing against hers. His voice was cracking coarsely, like a drunken man.

Her eyes were watery, while his reflected his longing. The two were locked in a gaze, and in the dimmed lighting of the restroom, nothing else seemed to matter.

His onyx-like eyes reflected off her crystal clear ones. She could not see anything else then, only his eyes, his nose, and his succulent lips that were taking hers in.

A memory flashed across her mind, and she remembered being under a cherry blossom tree. A young teenage boy in white t-shirt and deep blue jeans was running toward her, smiling as he was opening his arms wide, and invitingly.

When her mind was drifting away, Qiao Yanli’s eyes narrowed with hostility. As if he could sense the other person in her memory, Qiao Yanli’s eyes glinted with rage and enmity. He lifted his right hand, cupped her chin and held on to it with force.

The blissful moment was over and now his tongue was penetrating every nook and cranny of her mouth, going in and about with a wanton rage. His kiss changed from that of a warm summer evening to that of a raging storm in winter. There was hardly any gap in between their lips. He would not allow that. He wanted to dominate her. He wanted to have her for himself.

Xia Yanxi felt like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, without direction. Her head was spinning about. The only thing she could make sense of was the man’s intoxicating scent as they continued to assault her senses, exciting her mind and body. There was even a hint of red wine as both of them had a cup earlier on.

His arm was wrapped around her, almost but not quite holding her in place. Even so, she could not move as she was cemented in place by him and the sink behind her. She tried many times to exert strength into her hands, to push the man away, but he was stronger. He was much too skillful in holding her in place. She was not in control of her own body, not even her own mind.

Like the storm itself, everything was running amok until the gleeful voice of another man came from behind the door.

“Yoyoooo! Second Brother! What are you two doing in there? Are Sister-In-Law and you doing the nasty inside? Please spare me some time in the restroom! My bladder is about to burst!”

Xia Yanxi finally came to. Her eyes were now focused. She brought her hands together and tried to push him away again. But he was like a mountain, unmoving, unyielding. Instead, his arms came slithering around her, drawing her slender waist closer, tighter. She could feel the power behind his arms as it felt like he was trying bring her closer even though she was already plastered against him.

Her eyelashes fluttered and grazed his face.

And then, he finally spoke.

“Mrs. Qiao. Do not think about the man that hurt you. Please open your heart and mind, try to understand and accept this husband of yours,” he said as his onyx-like eyes dove into her crystal clear ones. His voice, coarse yet gentle, harsh yet longing, rang in her mind, almost making her heart stop.

She could not deny the man’s dangerous power. The power of attraction that was as dangerous as the roaring fire, and she the frail little moth.

If she had not been with Bai Wenxuan, never hurt nor damaged, she would never have shut herself out. And perhaps, she might even take the risk of falling for someone else.

All of a sudden, like the calm after the storm, Xia Yanxi gently pushed herself away from Qiao Yanli. She ran her hand through her messy hair, tucked it behind her ears and said softly, almost apologetically, “Yanli… I’m sorry. The feeling of being hurt by another man is still freshly imprinted in me… And I’m… I’m sorry. I can’t accept your feelings… at least not for now. I’m sorry.”

The man was attractive beyond comprehension, yes, but she did not know when could she really fall for him. Not now, at least. There were just too many things to do now, too many problems to solve.

As if he knew what her answer meant, the man retreated from the dejected girl and gently caressed the top of her head. With eyes now only reflecting warmth and kindness, he said, “It’s alright. Your husband is a patient man. He can wait.”