Trapped by circumstance and longing for her son, Xia Xingchen had no choice but to stay.
But…
After that fateful day, Bai Yeqing seemed to vanish completely. For a full month, he was absent from the mansion. Sometimes, Xingchen wondered if he'd been a figment of her imagination. But no.
His face was constantly on the news.
Xia Daba, who like her had never cared for politics, now planted himself religiously in front of the TV at 7 PM, captivated solely by the occasional glimpse of the man on the screen. When the news ended, he'd shuffle off to do his homework, subdued.
Xingchen knew he was thinking about his father.
She didn't expect to see Bai Yeqing in the mansion the very next day.
Late that night, silence reigned. Xingchen couldn't sleep. With an important foreign delegation visiting the ministry soon, she needed reference materials.
Entering the study, she found the entire household asleep, the grand house utterly still. After a month, she knew this room well.
The books she needed sat high on a shelf. Damn the height! And her acrophobia! Gritting her teeth, she began climbing the library ladder.
Bai Yeqing, returning after a grueling month away, heard movement in the study. Instinctively cautious, he went to investigate.
Pushing the door open, he saw her.
Fresh from a shower, she wore a simple white silk nightgown. Her damp, wavy hair cascaded down to her waist, emphasizing her slender frame. She clung to the ladder like a koala, legs trembling visibly beneath the thin silk, her usually pale toes flushed pink with tension – an unwittingly… captivating sight.
What is this woman doing, looking like that in the middle of the night? Does she have any idea how much she resembles a tempting dessert laid out for tasting?
Memories of their nights five years ago surfaced, darkening his gaze. He moved closer, his voice its usual chilling baritone. "What are you doing?"
Startled mid-reach, Xingchen wobbled dangerously. She'd just grasped the heavy volumes she needed when his voice sliced through the quiet. Whipping her head around, she lost her balance completely. Books flew as she tumbled backwards.
Bai Yeqing's brow furrowed. Instinct took over. His arm shot out. The next moment, the scent of clean soap and warm skin filled his senses as her soft body crashed into his embrace. Together, they landed hard on the thick carpet.
Stunned, Xingchen stared up at him, momentarily speechless. She found herself straddling his hips. In the profound silence, she could feel the powerful thud of his heartbeat against her, smell the distinctively masculine scent of his skin…
Their noses were almost touching. Up close, his features were even more devastatingly handsome than on screen, his deep-set eyes utterly mesmerizing. She forgot to thank him. Forgot to move.
"See something you like?" His cool voice broke the spell.
Heat flooded Xingchen's face. Mortifying!
"S-sorry! I'll... get up!" Flustered, her tongue tangled. Get a grip!
Avoiding his eyes, she tried to push herself up with feigned composure. But as she rose, a sharp tug at her scalp yanked her back down.
"Oof!" Her face planted squarely against his chest.
Oh God. Just bury me now.
"Xia Xingchen! What now?!" Bai Yeqing's voice was tight, his breathing suddenly heavier. He looked furious.
"Sorry! So sorry!" Her face burned crimson, eyes darting anywhere but down. "My hair... it's snagged... on your zipper! Don't move!"
Panicking, she fumbled blindly at the hem of her nightgown near his waist.
Of all places! Snagged on his zipper pull?! This was beyond awkward. Any slip, and her fingers would brush against… there.
She tugged frantically, only making it worse. Beads of sweat formed on her nose. She couldn't bring herself to look down.
Though her experience was limited to those distant nights, she could feel the rigid tension coiling in the body beneath hers. A strange dryness filled her throat. Desperate, she met his gaze. "What do I do?"
"Your problem. Fix it," he gritted out.
Seriously?! The President is just going to watch?! "…Maybe… if we lower the zipper…?" she ventured hesitantly.
He shot her a dangerous look. "Don't. You. Dare."
"Then what?!" she cried, exasperated. "We can't stay like this! I promise I won't look!"
Bai Yeqing seriously contemplated scissors. But Xingchen, eyes squeezed shut, reached down, her fingers blindly seeking the zipper pull.
His sharp intake of breath was followed by a growl. "Xia Xingchen! Watch where you put your hands!"
"Sorry! I can't see!" She snatched her hand back, scalded. "I told you to do it!"
"You're complaining now?"
"No…" Muttering, she steeled herself and reached again. This time, her fingers brushed against his hand.
She opened her eyes to find him glaring daggers. With obvious reluctance, he yanked the zipper down himself. Letting her fumble would only lead to disaster.
Freed, Xingchen bent to untangle her hair. Her gaze inadvertently slipped below the lowered zipper…
Her cheeks ignited. Flaming. Just that fleeting glimpse sent her pulse racing, recalling intimacies from five years ago. Her palms grew slick.
"Finished staring?" His voice was icy, but his eyes held a smoldering heat.
Heaven help me!
She jerked her head away, coughing. "I didn't see anything!"
He called her bluff. "Right. Staring intently at nothing?"
"…" Xingchen wished the floor would swallow her. Thankfully, the hair came free. Scrambling off him, she fled without a backward glance, leaving the scattered books behind.
Bai Yeqing watched her go, sitting up slowly, his own breathing still uneven.
Damn it.
Was that really an accident?
...
Back in her room, Xingchen gulped down a glass of water, but her mouth felt like sandpaper. Splashing cold water on her face did nothing; she still looked like a ripe beetroot.
Disaster! How could she have stared there? Okay, yes, the man was sculpted perfection, impossibly sexy… but still! So inappropriate! What must he think of her?
"Big Bao? Why you hitting yourself?" Xia Daba mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed. "It's the middle of the night."
"Nothing, sweetie! Mama's just… doing a facial massage!" She patted her cheeks demonstratively. "Helps circulation. Boosts metabolism."
"Oh. But your face is redder than… like you're super embarrassed."
Ouch. The kid doesn't miss a thing.
"Embarrassed? Don't be silly! Lie down, go back to sleep." Xingchen climbed into bed, pulling him close. Daba snuggled in, looping an arm around her neck. Just as she thought he'd drifted off, his small, vulnerable voice pierced the dark:
"Big Bao… Did Daddy not want me again?"
A sharp pang of maternal pain lanced through Xingchen's heart.
Right. Tomorrow. She absolutely had to talk to that man.