Feeling the subtle movements of Dai Chengfeng's hand, a faint blush spread across Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold and composed face.
Like a snowflake on a winter plum blossom, it wasn't vivid but evoked endless imagination.
"Who said I was worried about you?"
She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, her fingertips twitching slightly, but ultimately, she left it where it was. Instead, she turned her face away, avoiding Dai Chengfeng's gaze.
Her voice carried a barely noticeable tremor.
After a pause, perhaps realizing how weak her denial sounded, she added another sentence, attempting to make her tone sound more formal.
"I just thought… if something happened to you now, it would inevitably delay the rest of our travel plans. It'd be troublesome."
This cover-up explanation was vastly different from her usual straightforward and spirited demeanor.
The slight awkwardness in her behavior mirrored that of Hu Liena, who had spoken with Dai Chengfeng in the same spot not long ago.
But Zhu Zhuqing's icy disposition made this insincerity all the more endearingly clumsy.
Seeing this, a flicker of knowing amusement passed through Dai Chengfeng's eyes, though he didn't call her out on it.
He subtly increased the pressure on her hand, gripping her delicate wrist more firmly.
At the same time, he leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them. "Oh? So you're really only worried about the travel plans?"
Dai Chengfeng's fingertips lightly, almost imperceptibly, brushed against the most sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, sending a shiver through her body. "But just now…"
"It seemed to me… I saw a hint of worry in your eyes."
"You…"
Zhu Zhuqing's heartbeat suddenly went haywire.
She realized that Dai Chengfeng's intense aggression mixed with his tenderness always managed to easily disrupt her usually calm and composed self-control.
The tingling sensation from where his fingertips had brushed spread like ripples, leaving her momentarily weak.
She subconsciously lifted her eyelashes, and their gazes met—his deep, amused eyes locking onto hers.
Dai Chengfeng gazed at her face, so close to his.
Her long lashes quivered like fragile butterfly wings; the blush on her pale cheeks deepened gradually, spreading to her ears. Her slightly dry lips, pressed together nervously, took on an enticing, almost needy sheen.
He no longer waited. Leaning down, he gently captured her cool, soft lips with his own.
"Mmm…"
A faint, muffled sound—mixed with surprise and embarrassment—escaped from Zhu Zhuqing's throat.
Her body instinctively stiffened at the contact, but then, she was enveloped by his familiar, comforting presence.
Dai Chengfeng's kiss effortlessly dismantled all of Zhu Zhuqing's futile resistance.
Her tense body gradually relaxed, responding hesitantly yet obediently to the lingering kiss.
She closed her eyes, and her hand, which had been resting by her side, unconsciously rose to lightly grasp the front of his shirt…
The air was filled with tender and intimate vibes, starkly different from the teasing and provocative atmosphere brought by Hu Liena earlier.
However, just as Dai Chengfeng and Zhu Zhuqing were lost in the moment, basking in the quiet beauty of their connection, nearly forgetting everything around them—
Thud!
A soft but piercingly clear sound erupted in the silent room, coming unexpectedly from the tall wardrobe in the corner!
The noise was unmistakably caused by someone inside, likely losing balance after maintaining an awkward position for too long…
Or perhaps, overwhelmed by the scene unfolding outside, they had lost control and collided heavily with the wooden interior of the cabinet!
This sudden noise instantly jolted the two out of their tender reverie!
Their lips parted.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes snapped open, the dreamy mist in them replaced by sharp coldness in a split second.
Though the flush on her face hadn't faded, her gaze immediately shifted toward the source of the sound—the tightly shut wardrobe!
Dai Chengfeng's heart skipped a beat as a wave of "I knew it" frustration and headache washed over him.
He raised a hand to his forehead, inwardly lamenting: Of all things to happen, this is exactly what I feared!
Well, this was it—the worst-case scenario had come true.
He could almost picture the scene inside the wardrobe.
A second later, as if to confirm his suspicions, the wardrobe door creaked open, pushed awkwardly and hastily from within.
The first thing to emerge was a stunningly beautiful face, flushed red with embarrassment, shame, and a sense of being utterly exposed—it was none other than Hu Liena!
She had clearly been cramped inside the narrow wardrobe for too long, her legs numb and unresponsive.
Coupled with the shock of witnessing the passionate kiss outside through the crack, she had completely lost her balance and made the noise.
Now, she clumsily stumbled out of the wardrobe, standing unsteadily in the middle of the room. Her legs still wobbled, forcing her to lean slightly against the wardrobe door to stay upright.
As soon as she steadied herself, her gaze locked with Zhu Zhuqing's icy, scrutinizing eyes—filled with understanding and an indescribable glint.
At the same time, she felt Dai Chengfeng's gaze upon her—a mix of "I knew this would happen" resignation and "this is utterly hopeless" despair.
In that moment, Hu Liena felt a rush of blood surge to her head, her cheeks burning so hot they could fry an egg. She wished the ground would split open and swallow her whole.
Or that time could rewind—she swore she would never have hidden in that cursed wardrobe when Zhu Zhuqing knocked!
She opened her mouth, her lips trembling as she tried to explain.
Perhaps, "I just came to talk to Dai Chengfeng about something," or "It's all a misunderstanding." But no words could conceal the ironclad truth…
She had crawled out of Dai Chengfeng's wardrobe.
In the end, she could only stand there stiffly, enduring the suffocating embarrassment, feeling like a clumsy thief caught red-handed.
"I… I came to ask if Dai Chengfeng was okay… Do you… believe me?"
"Heh, what do you think? You sly fox!"
Zhu Zhuqing sneered, her sharp gaze sweeping over Hu Liena.
Hu Liena's hair was disheveled from her hasty hiding, and her pale cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, extending down to her neck.
Even her collar was slightly askew from her earlier panic.
And then there was Dai Chengfeng's expression—resigned but not particularly surprised.
In the blink of an eye, Zhu Zhuqing pieced together most of the situation.
When she had knocked on the door earlier, this room hadn't contained only Dai Chengfeng.
Hu Liena had been here too—and judging by her actions of hiding in the wardrobe and her current disheveled state, something had been going on between them…
Something they didn't want—or weren't ready—to be seen by outsiders.
------------------------------------------------------
Join my Patreon to read an exclusive novel – 'Douluo: Rebuilding Hao Tian Sect'
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)