CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 162: HONEY, LET ME UNDRESS FOR YOU

The second-floor window was a bit distant from the courtyard.

Poppy Hale stood next to the curtain, still wearing the white cheongsam she wore to get the marriage certificate.

Almost merging into one with the curtain.

From the distance between upstairs and downstairs, Declan Hawthorne suddenly remembered his childhood.

Many times, he hid behind the curtain, not wanting to follow Old Master Hawthorne back to the old house.

And many times, when he was by Old Master Hawthorne’s side, he was punished by not being allowed to eat until he finished his homework.

He would stand quietly by the curtain, his eyes tracing the patterns on the curtain.

At this moment, there was an additional person by the curtain.

She waved at Declan Hawthorne.

Declan snapped back to reality.

He turned and walked toward Poppy Hale.

The path he had walked countless times now felt a bit long to him.

Step by step, he climbed the stairs and encountered a housekeeper coming down, who smiled and said to him, "Congratulations, young master, happy wedding."

Declan’s lips curled into a smile.

After going upstairs, Truth Hale saw Declan.

"Florence, let’s go to sleep with grandma. Aren’t we going to the zoo to see elephants tomorrow?"

Florence Lynch, already tired from playing, nodded and left with Truth Hale and Jackie Barrett.

Declan’s room was on the third floor.

He took Poppy Hale’s hand and walked upward, stopping at a room.

He opened the door, signaling Poppy to enter.

"Your room?"

"I used to occasionally stay here when I was in school, this is that room."

Poppy laughed lightly.

"The room you had during school and now aren’t the same? It really is the life of a young master."

No sooner had she spoken, Declan lifted her up from behind, placing her on the desk amid Poppy’s startled cry.

"I’m the young master, then what are you, Eldest Miss Hale?"

Poppy’s palm seemed to touch something.

She picked it up and saw that it was a crystal ball.

Inside the crystal ball, there was a girl in a red dress and a boy in a basketball uniform, with the names Poppy Hale and Declan Hawthorne engraved on it.

It was a gift she had custom-made for Declan during university, with no specific occasion.

"You didn’t throw this away?"

"Where would I throw it?"

Declan’s voice was a bit muffled.

He had indeed come to this room to show Poppy that he had always cherished her love.

He previously felt guilty about facing her intense and passionate love, unwilling to accept that he might not love her as much, reluctant to admit that she might love someone else.

Declan was silent for a moment.

"Everything you gave me is here, I’ve kept them all."

Poppy was truly a bit surprised.

There was an album she had made herself, containing many photos of her and Declan, memories not saved on her phone but preserved from that time.

Poppy looked at the photos taken earlier.

"I was fatter before than now. Do you like then or now?"

Declan chuckled.

"Justin once told me that men have no right to criticize women’s figures. Unless a man himself has an eight-pack."

Speaking of abs, Poppy thought of his injuries.

She asked him to show her the wounds.

Declan stepped back, undid his shirt in front of Poppy, revealing his firm chest.

Though the scars from the healed wounds were visible, Poppy felt heartache looking at them, and her brows knitted together.

Declan’s hand slipped along the side of her cheongsam.

His breath fell on Poppy’s ears.

"You feel sorry for me?"

A bit ticklish, Poppy wanted to evade, but his hands held her in place, making movement impossible.

"Today is our wedding night, where do you want to go?"

"Aren’t you still going back to work overtime?"

The little heartless one.

At such a time, making him go back to work overtime.

Work overtime for what, leaving her alone at home, while he held a cold computer.

Declan’s muffled voice sounded in Poppy’s ear, seemingly pouting yet also aggrieved.

"Honey, grandpa just hit me, it hurts."

Poppy was startled and moved to check where he was hit, only for Declan to pull her hands into his embrace.

He caught her earlobe, making her whole body go numb.

"Honey, I’ll take off and let you see slowly where I’m hurt."

Poppy felt her limbs softening.

Her cheongsam hadn’t been taken off yet, worried about damaging the dress, she cautiously pushed him away.

This invoked Declan’s dissatisfaction.

Yet he understood that the dress was Truth Hale’s, and it might need to pass on to Florence for another wear.

He controlled his impatience, taking off the cheongsam and setting it aside.

He had a preference for deep blue; the room was clad in a sea-deep blue, making Poppy’s skin appear even more starkly white when she lay on it.

It enticed those suppressed feelings in Declan, leaving them no place to hide.

She needed to adjust, and he was particularly patient.

To get the marriage certificate, Poppy had applied children’s nail polish borrowed from Florence the night before. The polish left scratches on Declan’s bare, firm back, leaving traces where it peeled off.

Once she adjusted to him, Declan held Poppy’s thigh, leaving marks.

He mischievously spoke against her ear.

"Honey, this house isn’t soundproof. My parents live next door."

Poppy bit her lip, her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.

Declan looked at her face, her damp hair sticking to her skin, she was stunning beyond words at this moment.

His heart stirred, and he lowered his head to kiss her.

The night grew deeper.

Declan carried Poppy securely wrapped after a bath up the stairs.

Poppy didn’t even have the strength to look at him.

"Why switch rooms?"

"Do you plan to call the housekeeper in the middle of the night to change the sheets?"

Poppy buried her head into Declan’s chest.

Afraid someone might get up to use the bathroom and see them like this.

Although wrapped in a towel, any adult could guess what they had done.

Urging Declan several times, telling him to hurry up.

After going upstairs, Declan looked playfully at the relieved Poppy and laughed, "My parents went to bed long ago; their room is on the first floor."

"The house has excellent soundproofing, no one will disturb us."

The Hawthorne family mansion was naturally well soundproofed.

But Poppy hadn’t thought of that layer earlier.

The room upstairs was larger than the one downstairs and was decorated identically to the room next door to Poppy’s, with only black, white, and gray hues throughout.

Poppy, too exhausted, lay down intending to sleep.

She then remembered Declan saying he was hit by Old Master Hawthorne.

"Show me, where did you get hit?"

Declan extended his leg, pointing to a noticeably red mark for her to see.

Poppy, seeing it, felt as though her own calf hurt a little.

Watching, she winced in sympathy.

"Old Master hit that hard? Will it swell tomorrow? Let’s find some ointment for you."

Declan pulled her into his arms, stopping her from fussing.

"As long as you care for me, I’ll be fine soon."