Chapter 22

There was coming and going in the dormitory building. Fu Ming Shi grasped Zhen Bao's hand and quickly led her away.

On an autumn afternoon, the warm sunshine welcomed the setting sun to the west. Zhen Bao felt hot from head to toe, as if soaking in hot water.

She tried to break free from the man's warm big hand.

Fu Ming Shi firmly held on, tilting his head to look at her, "Feeling the heat?"

She turned her head to the right, "I ate some tangerines."

Fu Ming Shi smiled. Even if she really ate tangerines, that kiss must have contributed.

"Don't be like this..." Zhen Bao shook his hand again. She had agreed to a pretend engagement before coming to the capital. Why was he always touching her inappropriately? Zhen Bao was unwilling. If he thought he could take advantage of her just because the engagement allowed her to attend university, she would immediately return home.

Her face darkened, she was really unhappy. Looking at how far away the lakeside was, Fu Ming Shi had no choice but to let go for now.

"Where are we going?" Zhen Bao stopped and lowered her head to ask. She came down to see Fu Ming Shi in hopes he would explain himself clearly, not wander around aimlessly with him. Thinking back to Fu Ming Shi's words "into my arms" on the stairs, the more she thought about it, the more improper he seemed.

"To the lakeside, I have something to tell you." Fu Ming Shi explained in a low voice, "It's not suitable to discuss over the phone, so I haven't brought it up these past few days."

Zhen Bao pursed her lips and continued following him forward.

The college's campus lake was located west of the library building. The lake was long and narrow in shape, with some undulation along the shore. Fu Ming Shi led Zhen Bao under a thick locust tree by the shore, the location relatively secluded. Zhen Bao looked left and right, seeing some girls painting in the distance. Only then did she suppress her dangerous imaginings.

Arriving under the tree, Zhen Bao still kept her head low waiting for him to speak.

"Close your eyes. I'm going to get something. When I get back, I'll tell you to open them." Fu Ming Shi bent down, looking straight at her as he gently spoke, his tone as soothing as a fairytale narration, leading one into a dreamlike world.

They were so close Zhen Bao turned her head away, frowning as she asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"You'll know in three minutes at most." Fu Ming Shi held her shoulders, leaning her against the tree. His dark eyes gazed at her pleadingly, "Be good, close your eyes."

Zhen Bao hesitated for a moment before obediently closing her eyes after less than three seconds. She didn't know if it was because she was eager to escape his hands or affected by his tone, or perhaps she didn't want him looking at the blister on the corner of her mouth from so close.

"Wait for me, three minutes max." She was being so good, Fu Ming Shi gave her shoulders a final squeeze before quickly walking over to the girl helping him keep the roses. After taking over ten steps, he looked back again to admonish his well-behaved girl, "Don't open your eyes."

He walked backwards, the setting sun stretching his shadow into a long line on the grassy shore. His dark eyes happily watched the girl under the tree. Having been a CEO for several years, the business elite was now radiating youthful spirits, his voice seemed to carry the breath of youth unique to one's student days.

Zhen Bao leaned against the tree trunk, lightly scratching the bark with her hands.

How long was three minutes?

Zhen Bao silently counted. The cool breeze from the lake blew over, she had counted to 99 when she heard Fu Ming Shi running over. Zhen Bao secretly clenched her fists, curious what he had gone to get.

"There are people over there, let's change direction." Fu Ming Shi held the flowers behind his back with his right hand, using his left to guide her shoulder and make her turn in circles. "I'll tell you when to open your eyes." Zhen Bao had kept her eyes closed for so long already, she was in no rush for that brief moment. She slowly turned ninety degrees.

She had just steadied herself when a strong floral fragrance suddenly drifted over, it smelled like the rose bath wash Qian LeLe used. The bathroom always filled up with the scent of roses after Qian LeLe's showers. What she smelled now was even more concentrated and fresher than the bath wash...

Zhen Bao was too confused. She couldn't wait for Fu Ming Shi's cue and curiously opened her eyes.

She saw a bouquet of roses, clustered densely together, vibrant red and fragrant.

Zhen Bao stared blankly, slowly raising her head.

Fu Ming Shi stood on the other side of the roses, his dark eyes fixed on her the entire time. When she finally looked over and their eyes met, Fu Ming Shi suddenly realized that while she was as silly as he had expected, he was more nervous than anticipated. How could he confess in an even more romantic and unique way?

Fu Ming Shi couldn't think of anything, it seemed he was also out of time to think. Forgetting the plans he had come up with on the way over, when he saw her pure eyes like starry lakes, seemingly shimmering with ripples, Fu Ming Shi forgot all his techniques.

"Feng Bao, I like you." He took a step closer, gazing at her as he softly said, his expression more earnest and gentle than ever before, his voice very light, like the gurgling narration in a fairytale film, leading one into a fantastical world.

"Feng Bao, before meeting you, I drafted a prenuptial agreement because we knew nothing about each other. I may not have been able to accept you dropping out of high school and you might not like a stranger like me either, so the agreement was an exit for both of us. But you cried and promised grandfather at his grave to become engaged to me, willing to wrong yourself to comfort grandfather's heart. So I decided to try my best to take care of you, and attempt to become real fiancés before marrying for real, if you agree. But that night, when you texted me to confirm if it was a pretend engagement, I suddenly felt something move in my heart. Afterwards, I discovered..."

He deliberately trailed off there.

Zhen Bao's heart was all strung up, her pink lips parted slightly as she blankly waited for him to continue.

Fu Ming Shi liked how she looked right now. He leaned his entire body over, pressing the roses against her shoulder with one hand while embracing her slender waist with the other. He gently exerted some force to pull her entire being into his arms. Zhen Bao instinctively raised her hands, but she had just braced them against his waist when her ear suddenly itched, as if something had brushed past.

Zhen Bao's heart quivered. The masculine aura that followed instead made her entire body go soft.

"I discovered that falling for you didn't require effort, I just needed to interact with you all the way to naturally want to take care of you, to want to date you."

Date...

Zhen Bao's heart thumped rapidly. She had never considered dating anyone before today. She only wanted to study hard and master her major well. But if it was him...

"Miss Zhen, I am Fu Ming Shi. I want to date you, are you willing?" Holding her in his arms, Fu Ming Shi slowly raised his head again, his dark eyes locking onto hers once more.

Zhen Bao was from a mountain village with waterways and bamboo groves. Children who grew up there almost all had clear eyes. Zhen Bao was the most beautiful flower in the village, so she also had the loveliest eyes. When she didn't smile, they were like two tranquil pools, serene and limpid. When she did smile, they curved into crescent moons, making your heart curve along with her.

But right now, Zhen Bao cried, like a frolicking mountain spring leaping forth, two streams of clear tears emerged, then she cried even more.

If he liked her, why didn't he say so earlier? It made her lose sleep these past few days, making her think he was a bad man.

"Feng Bao?" Fu Ming Shi panicked. Based on their conversation after he kissed her that night, he was confident she would agree. But today upon meeting, she had a fever blister and was crying, so Fu Ming Shi suddenly lost confidence. She was too naive, if dating would be distressing for her, then...

"Why didn't you say so earlier..."

Thinking of the blister on the corner of her mouth, it would surely look even worse now that she was crying. Zhen Bao buried her face against his broad chest and aggrievedly asked.

She had really thrown herself into his arms. Fu Ming Shi's fluctuating heart instantly steadied.

Listening to her childlike aggrieved questioning, Fu Ming Shi helplessly held her and lowered his head to kiss her hair. Her hair was so fine and soft, just like her. After kissing his fill, after breathing in her hair fragrance, Fu Ming Shi finally lowered his head to explain, "At the time, I wanted to tell you, but you refused to come down to see me."

"Then you could've sent a message." Zhen Bao sniffled and mumbled her question.

Fu Ming Shi smiled, his lips slowly shifting to her ear. "A once in a lifetime confession, saying it in a message wouldn't be proper enough."

Once in a lifetime...only once confession.

Zhen Bao stopped crying. She also stopped feeling aggrieved. But she was even more embarrassed to face him now. "Anything else unclear?" Fu Ming Shi stared at her blushing profile as he neutrally asked.

Knowing he was watching her, Zhen Bao turned her head the other way. After thinking about it, she did have another question. "Why didn't you tell me first?"

Kissing her without confessing caused her fever blister. In the end, it was still his fault. What if she didn't like him? Suddenly kissing her, wasn't that taking undue advantage? If he was a total stranger, she could've accused him of harassment.

"Couldn't help it." Fu Ming Shi pinched her chin, slowly turning her little face towards him.

With this action, Zhen Bao's face instantly turned red. She nervously closed her eyes.

Seeing the girl he liked reveal her most pure and charming side, Fu Ming Shi's gaze darkened. He inched closer to her bit by bit.

His breathing was like the wind, lightly falling on her face. Amidst the rose fragrance, his breathing also carried a scent.

Zhen Bao's heartbeat nearly stopped. She thought of the kisses between idol drama leads. She knew what Fu Ming Shi was about to do, but Zhen Bao didn't know what she should do now.

Her lips tingled. Zhen Bao suddenly jerked her head, twisting her entire body towards the locust tree behind her, covering her face to refuse him, "No, you..." But before she could stand firm, before she could finish speaking, she was swiftly spun back around by Fu Ming Shi's plundering actions. He forcefully pressed her against the tree, using his body as a wall, suddenly becoming overbearingly aggressive.

This was Zhen Bao's first time facing such a Fu Ming Shi. She widened her eyes in shock.

Fu Ming Shi was practically touching her lips. Seeing her stunned appearance, he managed to halt himself with great difficulty. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "You're unwilling?" His eyes peered into hers, the depths seeming to harbor danger.

Zhen Bao was extremely flustered. She lowered her head, embarrassed to say as she pointed to the corner of her mouth to show him.

It looked so ugly, how could he bear to kiss her?

"I don't mind."

Since she wasn't unwilling, Fu Ming Shi impatiently seized her little hand blocking her mouth.

Zhen Bao blushed as she closed her eyes.

Fu Ming Shi's movements to lower his head were urgent, like a pouncing hawk. But when he truly kissed her, he was extraordinarily careful, lightly pecking her left lip, afraid of touching that blister and hurting her.

Zhen Bao's body was stiff, frozen in place, her lips also pursed tightly together.

Fu Ming Shi felt it wasn't enough. He cradled her face, trying to deepen the kiss.

But that far exceeded what Zhen Bao could accept right now. She couldn't take it anymore, her heart seeming to explode.

She gently pushed him away, "That's enough..."

Fu Ming Shi didn't listen. She was still young and inexperienced, while he was already mature at twenty-eight.

What Zhen Bao was afraid of was exactly his maturity. Pushing lightly didn't work, so she suddenly increased her strength.

Caught off guard, Fu Ming Shi took a step back.

Zhen Bao lifted her foot to run, but Fu Ming Shi reacted quickly and pulled her back into his embrace.

"No more..."

"Alright."

She wasn't ready yet, so Fu Ming Shi could only surrender.