Bai Yue’er was curious, but not to the point of being overly nosy.

The reason she suddenly acted coquettishly was that she’d been here for a while but hadn’t found a real chance to close the distance between them. She had no choice but to take the initiative and create an opportunity herself.

And now seemed like a perfect moment.

Under the guise of seeking knowledge, Bai Yue’er playfully leaned into Xu Xiuwen’s embrace.

At first, Xu Xiuwen didn’t notice anything unusual. By the time he realized it, Bai Yue’er was already nestled in his arms.

Her breathing was audible and clear. Each warm breath fell precisely against his cheek.

Xu Xiuwen instinctively tilted his head back. Bai Yue’er, however, happened to lower hers at the same time.

Their eyes met, gazes locking together.

For a moment, both of them froze. All movements stopped, leaving only their silent exchange of glances.

Xu Xiuwen finally noticed the sweetness and warmth in Bai Yue’er’s gaze—like honey. Just a single glance was enough to make one feel as though they were drowning in its sugary allure.

At this moment, it was as if time had rewound to that night.

The memory of that pear-flavored kiss surfaced vividly in his mind.

Bai Yue’er, too, went silent. Her beautiful eyes stayed fixed on Xu Xiuwen, her heart now racing wildly.

They were so close, within reach.

He would kiss her, wouldn’t he?

Bai Yue’er was nervous, expectant, and uneasy all at once.

Seconds passed—ten or so in the blink of an eye—and yet the moment she anticipated never came.

At another time, Bai Yue’er might have withdrawn. But tonight, she had summoned all her courage to find Xu Xiuwen. She had mentally prepared herself for this.

She refused to retreat now, not at this critical juncture.

She knew that if she backed off, it would be nearly impossible to find another opportunity to be alone with Xu Xiuwen.

Determined, Bai Yue’er steeled herself.

Suddenly, she reached out, wrapping her arms around Xu Xiuwen’s neck.

At the same time, she closed her eyes and softly whispered, “Kiss me.”

Her words made Xu Xiuwen’s gaze unconsciously drift toward her lips.

Her lips looked as if they had been brushed with honey—glistening, radiant, and irresistibly sweet.

He couldn’t help but swallow, his throat moving visibly. Deep within him, a voice urged him to lean in and kiss her. But another voice, the kind with a halo of righteousness, warned him to stay in control.

An intense battle waged inside Xu Xiuwen—kiss her, or don’t?

Bai Yue’er kept her eyes closed, waiting for what felt like an eternity.

Still, Xu Xiuwen made no move.

Bai Yue’er’s heart sank.

She had done so much, gone this far.

And yet, Xu Xiuwen still wouldn’t take that step.

Did he really not like her at all?

The thing Bai Yue’er feared most was that he truly didn’t like her at all—that it had all been her wishful thinking.

She didn’t want to admit she had been deluding herself.

So, she opened her eyes.

Before Xu Xiuwen could react, she leaned forward and kissed him.

The moment their lips met, Xu Xiuwen’s whole body stiffened. His eyes flew open in shock, staring at Bai Yue’er in disbelief.

Bai Yue’er had her eyes open too, but she quickly shut them again.

Her kissing was clumsy—a result of her lack of experience. She had only kissed a few times in her life, all of them with Xu Xiuwen.

Even then, a few were during filming, merely shallow and fleeting kisses.

After their first drama wrapped, during the shooting of their second drama, all her kiss scenes had been filmed using camera tricks or body doubles.

Truth be told, as an actress, kiss scenes were unavoidable. But Bai Yue’er had no desire to film such scenes with anyone other than Xu Xiuwen.

At first, she had been troubled, wondering what to do about it. But when they were on set, Hang Fei solved the issue without her even having to ask.

She’d been secretly relieved and grateful for quite some time.

Later, in moments of leisure, she began to wonder if Xu Xiuwen had told Hang Fei to intervene.

Perhaps that was why Hang Fei had made sure she didn’t have to film any kiss scenes!

This was one of the reasons Bai Yue’er felt certain Xu Xiuwen liked her.

Because she was inexperienced, her kisses lacked finesse.

Fortunately, Xu Xiuwen didn’t make things difficult for her.

Even though he had hesitated to make a decision, Bai Yue’er had taken the initiative for him.

Xu Xiuwen was surprised by her boldness, but he was also touched.

Up until now, Bai Yue’er hadn’t said a single word about “liking” or “love.”

Yet he could feel her feelings through her actions.

What he didn’t know was whether he could handle those feelings.

When the kiss ended, Xu Xiuwen gently pushed Bai Yue’er away.

Firmly, he said, “No. We can’t do this.”

“Why not?” Bai Yue’er retorted.

Without hesitation, Xu Xiuwen replied, “Brother Shi is your fiancé. We can’t betray him like this.”

Bai Yue’er responded without the slightest hesitation: “I don’t care. And you’re not allowed to care, either.”

With that, she grew even bolder.

She stood up from her seat and sat directly on Xu Xiuwen’s lap.

Leaning down, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Her anxious posture seemed to suggest that if she let go, Xu Xiuwen might run away.

Xu Xiuwen was almost amused by her words and actions.

Bai Yue’er leaned in again, trying to kiss him.

Xu Xiuwen turned his head away, dodging her kiss.

At the same time, he said, “No. Even if you don’t care, I have a girlfriend.”

“I know. I don’t care if you have a girlfriend. I like you. I want to be with you.”

Bai Yue’er had finally summoned the courage to voice her feelings.

Although Xu Xiuwen had long suspected that Bai Yue’er might also like him, hearing her boldly confess still brought an inexplicable joy to his heart.

But after that fleeting happiness, he fell silent.

“What are you hesitating for?” Bai Yue’er pressed. “I like you. I don’t mind that you have a girlfriend. Do you mind that I have a fiancé? You know perfectly well he’s never even held my hand!”

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for Shi Xiangming.

As Bai Yue’er’s fiancé, how had he ended up in such a position? He hadn’t even held her hand, let alone anything more intimate.

Still hesitant, Xu Xiuwen said, “I can’t betray Cheng Lu.”

“Stop lying to yourself!” Bai Yue’er retorted, biting her lip as she glared at him. “Are you saying you haven’t cheated on her? That you haven’t already betrayed her? Why is it okay for you to accept Weiwei, but not me?”

To Bai Yue’er, if Xu Xiuwen had only ever been with Tang Weiwei, she would have kept her feelings hidden, suppressing her emotions despite her affection for him.

But after discovering that Xu Xiuwen had cheated and that his official girlfriend was actually Cheng Lu, she could no longer suppress the flames in her heart.

The last time she confronted him in the hospital, it was partly to stand up for Tang Weiwei and partly to express her own frustrations.

Indeed, Bai Yue’er had been shaken and even regretted liking Xu Xiuwen because of his infidelity.

Yet at the same time, it was as though she had breathed a sigh of relief. A voice inside her seemed to whisper:

“If Xu Xiuwen can cheat once, he can cheat twice. If he can accept having two girlfriends, why not three?”

As for Tang Weiwei, Bai Yue’er wasn’t worried at all. Tang Weiwei had already accepted that Xu Xiuwen had other girlfriends and had even chosen to step back.

Why couldn’t she do the same?

As for Cheng Lu—of course Bai Yue’er knew her.

Cheng Lu wasn’t just the most beautiful girl at Jiaotong University, she was also well-known. She had even helped organize events for Bai Yue’er’s department, and they had interacted a few times.

Inwardly, Bai Yue’er did admire Cheng Lu.

But love is selfish.

Bai Yue’er might be willing to step aside for Tang Weiwei, but she would not do the same for Cheng Lu.

Besides, in her eyes, Cheng Lu was the one who had come between Xu Xiuwen and Tang Weiwei in the first place.

If Cheng Lu could insert herself into someone else’s relationship, why couldn’t she?

This mindset was what ultimately brought Bai Yue’er to Xu Xiuwen’s room that night.

And all of it stemmed from that moment in the hospital, when Xu Xiuwen’s cheating had been exposed.

That incident had planted a seed of possibility and hope in Bai Yue’er’s heart.

Xu Xiuwen knew Bai Yue’er liked him—he had known for a while now. He wasn’t oblivious.

Whenever they were together, whether alone or in the company of others, Bai Yue’er’s expressions and words would occasionally betray her true feelings, no matter how subtle.

But Xu Xiuwen had never acted on it, and Bai Yue’er had never pushed for more.

Xu Xiuwen had always thought their relationship would remain as it was, never realizing how deeply the incident in the hospital had impacted Bai Yue’er.

He stayed silent, but Bai Yue’er couldn’t help pressing him. “Do you like me or not? Are you saying you don’t feel anything for me at all?”

“This isn’t the same thing,” Xu Xiuwen replied, without directly denying her question.

That gave Bai Yue’er a glimmer of hope, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

“If you like me even a little,” she continued quickly, “please don’t reject me, okay?”

Xu Xiuwen fell silent for several seconds before suddenly lifting his head to look at her.

Bai Yue’er’s gaze was unwavering, steady, and resolute.

Xu Xiuwen sighed. “Why are you doing this? I’m not worth it.”

“Whether you’re worth it or not, that’s for me to decide,” Bai Yue’er said firmly. “Don’t worry—I’m not asking you to take responsibility, and I won’t get in the way of your relationship with Cheng Lu. As long as there’s a place for me in your heart, I’ll be satisfied.”

It was clear she had made up her mind.

Xu Xiuwen let out another sigh, helpless against her persistence.

Seeing this, Bai Yue’er grew anxious, mistaking his hesitation for rejection. Her chest tightened, and she felt even worse.

Just then, Xu Xiuwen suddenly asked, “You really don’t want me to take responsibility?”

Bai Yue’er’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded eagerly. “No, I don’t.”

“You’re such a fool,” Xu Xiuwen murmured, unable to deceive himself any longer.

He opened his arms and pulled Bai Yue’er into an embrace, gently stroking her soft, silky hair.

Bai Yue’er rested her face against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his strong heartbeat.

Her nervous heart gradually calmed.

“Alright, get down. It’s late. You should go back and rest,” Xu Xiuwen said softly.

Bai Yue’er shook her head lightly. “No, I don’t want to. I didn’t come here tonight planning to leave.”

Xu Xiuwen was stunned. “Then... where are you planning to sleep tonight?”

Bai Yue’er glanced up at him briefly, then lowered her gaze and whispered, “I want to sleep with you.”

“That’s not happening! It’s too soon!”

Although Xu Xiuwen had decided to accept Bai Yue’er’s feelings, he had no intention of taking things that far that quickly.

Their relationship had already developed rapidly, and if he crossed the line now, he knew there would be no turning back if he regretted it later.

“Listen to me. Go back tonight. Let’s take this slow,” Xu Xiuwen said firmly.

“No,” Bai Yue’er replied, her tone equally resolute.

She was terrified that if she left, Xu Xiuwen might change his mind.

His ambiguous attitude made her feel as though his hesitation foreshadowed regret.

Suddenly, Bai Yue’er stood up from Xu Xiuwen’s lap.

Before he could react, she began taking off her clothes.

In moments, she had already removed her dress, leaving herself in nothing but her underwear.

Xu Xiuwen instinctively glanced at her.

Her figure was impeccable, but what stood out the most was her incredibly fair skin.

As the saying goes, “Fair skin hides all flaws.” Not that Bai Yue’er had any flaws to hide—her fair complexion only accentuated her beauty.

Xu Xiuwen only looked for a split second before quickly averting his gaze.

Grabbing her discarded dress from the floor, he wrapped it around her.

“Yue’er, stop messing around!” he said urgently.

Bai Yue’er stared at him stubbornly, her gaze unwavering. “If you kick me out, I’ll walk straight out onto the street like this. Let’s see if you can bear it.”

There was no need to ask—Xu Xiuwen absolutely couldn’t bear the thought.

If some other man saw her like this, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.

Seeing his inner conflict, torn between not wanting her to leave but also unwilling to let her stay, Bai Yue’er grew impatient.

“Xu Xiuwen, are you even a man? I’m not asking you to take responsibility, so why are you acting so spineless?”

“I’m not spineless, and don’t try to provoke me. I just don’t want you to regret this in the future.”

“I will never regret it,” Bai Yue’er said firmly.

Xu Xiuwen fell silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. “Fine, then stay.”

“I knew you couldn’t bear to let me leave,” Bai Yue’er said with a triumphant smile.

She threw her arms around him, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him lightly on the corner of his mouth.

Xu Xiuwen, however, found her a little annoying at that moment and intentionally didn’t respond.

When Bai Yue’er pulled back, Xu Xiuwen asked, “Do you still want to drink?”

She shook her head.

“Alright, I’ll drink a bit more, then,” Xu Xiuwen said.

Bai Yue’er had thought something else would happen right away, but when she heard him say he was going to keep drinking, she felt a brief wave of disappointment.

Then her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

Bai Yue’er, you’re shameless! Not only did you throw yourself at him, but you’re also more impatient than he is! she thought to herself, feeling both embarrassed and amused.

Determined to regain a little dignity, she said, “I’m going to take a shower first.”

“Mm, go ahead,” Xu Xiuwen replied casually.

Bai Yue’er turned and headed to the bathroom while Xu Xiuwen remained seated on the sofa, sipping his wine.

She didn’t take long, and soon she stepped out of the bathroom, her body wrapped in a towel.

Her delicate, fair shoulders were just barely exposed, radiating an irresistible allure.

If her fans could see this scene, they would undoubtedly lose their minds.

But Xu Xiuwen didn’t glance at her even once, his focus entirely on his wine.

Bai Yue’er knew he was doing it on purpose.

She pouted and let out a soft hmph at his back, her expression adorably playful.

She climbed into the bed, hiding her pale, graceful figure beneath the blanket. Only half her face peeked out as she clutched the covers and watched Xu Xiuwen.

“Xu Xiuwen, does the red wine taste good...?”