CHAPTER 458: CHAPTER 438: PROPOSAL

When Nan Yu woke up again, she was nestled in Huo Juanyan’s arms.

She slightly raised her head and could see Huo Juanyan’s well-defined jawline, sharp and striking, then his high nose bridge, and finally, his cool and deep-set eyes.

Her gaze landed at last on his pale, thin lips.

After their kiss last night, she had leaned against Huo Juanyan’s chest and fallen asleep without realizing it.

But that kiss—she remembered it vividly.

His breath, his dominance...

Nan Yu’s face flushed red, and she instantly lowered her head, not daring to dwell on the memory of that kiss.

Suddenly, she felt a tightening sensation around her waist.

The next second, warm breaths brushed against her ear.

"Awake?"

Hearing his voice, Nan Yu quickly lifted her head and looked at Huo Juanyan.

In a flash, she was ensnared by his deep, captivating eyes.

She pressed her lips together. "I’m awake."

Huo Juanyan lowered his head, pulling her even more tightly into his embrace.

"Nan Yu, I’m sorry. Last night’s kiss—I couldn’t control myself."

The warmth of his breaths grew almost scorching by her ear. Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as she tried to pull away, wanting to escape Huo Juanyan’s overpowering presence.

But Huo Juanyan refused to let go. Instead, he held her even closer, leaving no distance between them.

"Little Yu, don’t move. I just want to hold you like this."

Feeling the warmth of his embrace, Nan Yu’s initial intention to break free gradually softened. She stopped struggling and stayed still.

Huo Juanyan’s deep voice resonated gently.

"Little Yu, beyond that kiss, this hug now... that’s also me losing control."

Nan Yu felt her ears burn. Nervously swallowing, she whispered, "Hmm?"

Somewhere in her heart, anticipation stirred for what he might say next.

Huo Juanyan continued, "Little Yu, liking you... that’s something I can’t control either."

Upon hearing his confession, Nan Yu froze for a moment.

From his embrace, she slowly lifted her head to meet those deeply affectionate eyes, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

"You..."

Huo Juanyan leaned down carefully, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Nan Yu, everything I said is true. I like you and want to spend my entire life with you."

"That’s why I don’t want to divorce you."

Nan Yu saw the cherish and fear in Huo Juanyan’s eyes, as if she was something precious, as if he was afraid she’d leave, wanting nothing more than to keep her close.

Looking at the man before her, Nan Yu could hear the quickened rhythm of her own heartbeat.

In that moment, she found herself at a loss for how to respond to him.

To say she didn’t like him? But she hadn’t resisted his embrace, nor had she resisted that kiss.

To say she liked him? It seemed like...

The sound of her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

Nan Yu suddenly realized she couldn’t find the words to deny that she liked him.

Slowly, she lifted her head, her hand clutching tightly at the fabric of Huo Juanyan’s shirt. A bit of light gleamed in her clear eyes.

"Huo Juanyan, when I think about spending my life with you, it doesn’t seem like such an unpleasant future."

At her words, Huo Juanyan’s eyes darkened slightly, a trace of joy surfacing.

"Little Yu, you..."

Nan Yu leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and softly pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth.

"Huo Juanyan, I’ve decided."

"We won’t divorce. Let’s live well together from now on."

Hearing this, Huo Juanyan felt waves of excitement surge from his chest. Looking into her starry, smiling eyes, his gaze deepened.

He cupped the back of Nan Yu’s head and leaned down to kiss her again.

"Little Yu, I like you."

...

Nan Yu lost track of how many times he kissed her.

She only knew that her lips were swollen.

Even the slightest touch hurt.

To avoid being noticed by Nanny Wang and Qi Ming, she carefully applied some ointment and covered it up with lipstick.

When she went downstairs, the first thing she saw was the culprit sitting at the dining table. He lifted a smiling gaze and waved at her.

"Today’s meal is prepared by Nanny Wang, and it’s all your favorite dishes."

Nan Yu deliberately chose to sit at the farthest spot from Huo Juanyan and said to Nanny Wang, who was bringing dishes from the kitchen, "Nanny Wang, thank you for your hard work."

Seeing that Nan Yu was ignoring him, Huo Juanyan quietly maneuvered his wheelchair over to her side and forcibly wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Why are you ignoring me?"

There was a trace of grievance in his tone.

Nan Yu had no choice but to look at him. She pushed his hand off and cast him a warning glance.

"Let’s eat."

Huo Juanyan noticed the faint redness behind her ears. He suppressed the smile that almost reached his eyes and obediently withdrew his hand.

Then, he personally ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Nan Yu.

"The soup Nanny Wang makes is always delicious. You should have more to nourish yourself."

Nan Yu didn’t refuse. She picked up the bowl and began sipping it one mouthful at a time.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Huo Juanyan wasn’t eating, only persistently placing food onto her plate. Out of curiosity, she asked, "Aren’t you going to eat?"