Chapter 87 - The Lessening Distance (1/2)
Xinyi slightly stiffened at that thought. In the initial years, Xinyi and Zhiyuan slept separately on the bed and couch before she couldn't see him uneasily sleep on the couch and insisted on sharing the bed.
But ever since Siying was born, he would always sleep between them on the bed but now…
On Zhiyuan's side, he realized the same thing too just when Xinyi did. He slightly widened his eyes. He sneakily peeked at her.
Wait, will Xinyi be uncomfortable?
”Um…”
”Um…”
Xinyi and Zhiyuan spoke at the same time.
Zhiyuan seemed as if he wanted to say something but he couldn't.
Why am I feeling so nervous? It's just that Siying is not there tonight, Zhiyuan pondered.
To save further awkwardness, Zhiyuan quickly said, ”I will go take a shower.”
Xinyi also hurriedly nodded in response. Her chest was thudding the whole time, thinking of tonight.
As Zhiyuan stood under the shower with the warm water glistening down his perfectly sculpted body, he still couldn't deal with the nervousness inside him. In fact, he felt that it was building more and more with each passing second.
Suddenly, the memories of cruises flashed past his mind.
The moment she fell in his embrace…
He dazedly raised his arm and lowered his head.
She felt really soft…
He stared at his arm as if there was still a lingering sensation of her warmth and presence. He felt as if he even remembered her smell that strangely put him at ease.
The image of her beautiful, long eyelashes was still imprinted in his mind that slightly trembled and fluttered as she had lowered them. He took a sharp breath as he leaned his hands on the wall.
”Zhiyuan?”
In his stupor, he didn't realize that Xinyi was calling out to him.
Outside, Xinyi waited for a moment. When she couldn't hear any response, she knocked again.
”Zhiyuan?”
This time, her voice reached his ears and he jolted from his daze.
”Are you okay? You have been inside for a long time now…” she worriedly asked.
Zhiyuan widened his eyes.
Ah?
He shut his eyes, feeling stupid.
What was I doing? I came here to calm down, but now I feel more anxious than ever.
”I am coming!”
He quickly dried himself up, wrapped the towel, and hastily opened the door only to surprise Xinyi by suddenly bumping into her.
”I-I am sorry!” He quickly held her face and checked on her.
For a moment, Xinyi felt disoriented and even more when Zhiyuan held her cheeks and leaned in. Her heart skipped a beat as he inched closer and closer.
”Are you alright? I-”
”I-I-”
Both were stuttering and stammering as their hearts beat loudly in their chest. Zhiyuan froze on realizing that he leaned in too close than needed. At that small distance, he clearly heard her short breaths, saw her lips trembling, her irises glancing left and right and her cheeks slightly flushed in pink.
There was silence for a few beats.
In a daze, as he was lost in her features, he slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, wanting to feel her presence again as if he wanted to rejuvenate her warmth.
Ah...she is indeed so soft.
His penetrating gaze at her made Xinyi more nervous and panicked. Suddenly, the atmosphere between them felt different than before.
His right palm slowly inched backward towards her hair, wanting to firmly grasp her head, and he traced his thumb along her pink cheeks. Xinyi's eyelashes trembled the same way they did on cruise, making him slightly tilt his head in a trance. She raised her head and trembled to see his gaze strongly focused on her.
Their gazes met and he felt unable to tear it apart from her. Both felt their breaths stop as the invisible tension between them arose notch by notch.
Zhiyuan's gaze traveled from her eyes to her nose that settled on her lips. As if some force attracted him, he felt himself getting pulled towards her. The distance between them was lessening until his lips were hardly a few centimeters apart.
Xinyi felt her mind go blank. She felt as if her brainpower dangerously plummeted to a lower and lower value.
W-what is happening? Is he going to...k-k-kiss…
Just as Zhiyuan could bridge the last gap, somebody started loudly knocking on their room's door.
”Xinyi! I want my tea!”
Han Huizhong was loudly banging as if he would break the door the next moment.
Zhiyuan and Xinyi suddenly froze. The trance and atmosphere shattered with his commanding voice. He rapidly blinked his eyes and realized what was just going to happen.