Qi Sui dried her wet hands and put the cleaned dishes back into the overhead cabinet one by one.
Xiang Yu diligently wiped down the cabinets, the gas stove, and even the refrigerator. An awkward atmosphere of discomfort spread between them.
Previously so bold and audacious, now he was like a dog with its tail tucked in. Just when he could have acted openly, he had to pretend to be innocent and naive.
What a schemer, this Xiang Yu.
Qi Sui leaned against the edge of the counter, admiring the emerald jade bracelet on her wrist under the light, and spoke without warning: "Xiang Yu, I'm divorced."
"Mm."
Because he was too nervous, he could only respond with a low sound.
But outwardly, he still appeared as the calm and tenacious CEO.
Qi Sui continued, "I've thought about your earlier proposal."
Her tone didn't sound very favorable.
"I... probably won't choose to get married anytime soon, nor do I want to rush into a new marriage."
Xiang Yu's movements slowed.
The pounding of his heartbeat disappeared.
It wasn't that he felt disappointed, but rather—
This seemed like the correct, natural process.
In fact, he wasn't confident either, was he? No one could seamlessly transition into a new relationship, nor could anyone fully accept cheaply offered feelings.
It seemed he had imagined his feelings as too precious.
But why should Qi Sui accept them?
He wetted another paper towel, bent his head, and stubbornly wiped the countertop clean.
But this time, he didn't say a word.
Qi Sui watched his figure, as if he were determined to clean the entire kitchen, and smiled helplessly.
"Director Xiang, usually after a sentence like that, there's a 'but,' isn't there?"
"Don't you want to hear it?"
"..."
"...I don't want to give you a chance to reject me."
His voice was muffled, tinged with damp despondency.
Qi Sui said bluntly, "But on second thought, if it's marriage, I'm not sure I can manage it well, because I'm a failure myself."
"But if it's starting a relationship that makes me happy, then it seems—"
"I can give it a try."
The man paused again, then finally wiped a small puddle of water by the sink, washed his hands methodically, took off the green floral apron, and hung it up.
Without a word, Xiang Yu took her hand and led her out of the kitchen, sitting down on the soft sofa as if he were the owner of the house.
"Can I take this as you accepting my pursuit?" he asked, still persistent, as if he would pull out a contract for Qi Sui to sign at any moment.
"I suppose..." Qi Sui said.
"Then can I kiss you?" he asked with a straight face, saying something strange.
"A peck?" Qi Sui asked.
Xiang Yu shook his head. "A real kiss."
"..."
What exactly were human lips used for? They were covered with dense lines, possessing uniqueness on par with fingerprints. Normally, they closed together to protect the warm, moist oral cavity.
Other than that, they seemed to have no other function.
So humans invented a new use.
They pressed their lips tightly against each other's to exchange the temperature and saliva within each other's mouths, signaling a willingness to share with this person the 50% vital component of normal human life.
Qi Sui had only one thought:
She should recommend that Xiang Yu use lip balm every day.
His lips were dry, unsuitable for kissing—of course, it could also be due to his nervousness.
Qi Sui gently licked the lines on his lips with the tip of her tongue, finding the texture strange—like licking a piece of dry meat that didn't belong to her body!
Xiang Yu kept his mouth closed, letting her lick him like a kitten drinking water. He, too, found it quite strange.
But a kiss seemed to be more than that.
The wet, soft flesh, with its resilient tendons, coated his lips with a moist sheen.
He also tried to learn from Qi Sui, opening his mouth to accommodate her soft, slippery flesh, until they both became wet and drenched like kittens caught in the rain.
Warm, soft, moist.