We Barely Know Each Other, but I'm Living with a Stone-Faced Mechanic! - Chapter 47

The unexpected kiss sent a shock through Qin Zheng.

He gripped Tao Ying’s waist. What remained of his reason made him try to push her away.

Tao Ying had never kissed anyone before. Lost in the alcohol, she only wrapped her arms around him more tightly.

The door from the living room to the terrace stood slightly ajar. The night breeze slipped inside and swept them into the restless heat of midsummer.

Tao Ying had no idea what she was doing. Her breathing lost its rhythm, and the kiss was a confused mess.

Qin Zheng was a grown man. A man could withstand only so much provocation—especially from the woman he liked.

He took control. One arm closed around her waist while the other hand supported the back of her head. With a turn of his body, he reversed their positions.

Tao Ying lay beneath him on the sofa, and Qin Zheng sealed her mouth with his.

The longer she had kept herself under rigid control, the more desperately her body craved release. Pleasure swept through Tao Ying, leaving her loose-limbed and sweetly adrift.

She gradually surrendered to it, wrapping her arms around Qin Zheng’s neck and responding.

Their breathing was hot, their kisses urgent.

Summer clothes offered only a single thin layer. Tao Ying’s blouse rode up to her waist, exposing a narrow strip of pale skin.

The touch was smooth and warm, and Qin Zheng’s breathing turned heavy.

The sofa was narrow. Before he lost all sense, he lifted Tao Ying and carried her into her bedroom.

It was Qin Zheng’s first time inside. The entire room held Tao Ying’s scent, surrounding and intoxicating him.

He placed her on the bed. Her blouse had ridden far up, and her uninhibited response strained every last thread of his restraint.

“Tao Ying.” His voice brushed her lips. “Say my name.”

“Qin…” she murmured. “Qin Zheng.”

He kissed her again, deeper this time.

Clothes rustled beside the bed. The shock of bare skin against bare skin made Tao Ying shudder. A painful, obstructing pressure brought her back to herself for an instant.

She tried to struggle, but her wrists were held firmly.

Headlights swept through the window and illuminated most of the room.

In the shifting light, Tao Ying cried out that it hurt.

The sound sobered Qin Zheng completely.

Breathing hard, he pulled away and instinctively covered her with the blanket.

He stared at her for a long moment, his expression dark and complicated. Then he got out of bed, picked up his clothes, and dressed.

Afterward, he crossed to the window and closed the curtains.

Night grew deeper. Qin Zheng left Tao Ying’s bedroom, took a pack of cigarettes, and went to the terrace.

He never smoked inside the apartment, but tonight he could no longer resist.

Inwardly, he cursed himself for taking advantage of her.

He had lost his mind. Tao Ying was the one who was drunk, not him.

How was he supposed to face her in the morning? Unease churned inside him.

He smoked three cigarettes in succession before tossing the lighter onto the table.

The culprit, meanwhile, slept soundly. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but she passed the entire night without waking.

Before sunrise the next morning, Qin Zheng went downstairs to shower.

After changing clothes, he entered the kitchen and busied himself.

He spooned honey into a cup, planning to mix it with warm water when Tao Ying woke.

Then he cracked two eggs into a dish and put them in the steamer with yam and pumpkin.

After rinsing millet, he set a pot of congee to cook.

Even while working, he kept glancing toward Tao Ying’s door.

Tao Ying woke slowly with a frown.

Her head felt heavy. She sat up in discomfort—then discovered she was not wearing a stitch of clothing.

She snatched the blanket up to cover her chest as the previous night returned in fragments.

She had left the cemetery and gone to the nightclub. Several men had approached her, and she had met the young travelers who returned to Lincheng with them…

After a long while, she got out of bed, dressed, and threw the soiled clothes into the laundry basket on the balcony.

The aroma of breakfast drifted through the apartment. Tao Ying left her room and greeted Qin Zheng as naturally as ever.

“Morning.”

Qin Zheng froze. Every speech he had prepared died beneath her ordinary tone.

“Morning,” he managed. “Do you… want breakfast?”

“Thank you.” Tao Ying pulled out a dining chair, braced one elbow on the table, and massaged her forehead.

Her complexion looked poor. Qin Zheng mixed the honey water and handed it to her.

She thanked him again.

Silently, he set breakfast in front of her.

After finishing the honey water, Tao Ying asked, “This honey isn’t still from—”

“No.” Qin Zheng knew what she meant. “I brought it from home.”

“Mm.”

“Does your head still hurt?”

She nodded. “A little. By the way, how did I get home last night?”

Qin Zheng stared at her.

She truly did not remember?

“I brought you back. Men were bothering you at the bar. The young people who drove back to Lincheng with us called me.”

“I think I remember seeing them.” Tao Ying rubbed her forehead again. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

Qin Zheng watched her without a word.

She touched her face. “What is it? Is there something on me?”

He shook his head, then tested the ground. “Last night… you don’t remember any of it?”

“No. I was drunk.” Tao Ying said, “It was my first time drinking liquor that strong.”

Qin Zheng could not name what he felt, but none of it was happiness.

After breakfast, Tao Ying offered to wash the dishes. Qin Zheng stopped her and told her to rest.

She did not argue. Returning to her room, she put her clothes into the washing machine.

When Qin Zheng came over, she had poured in nearly half a bottle of detergent.

Only when he spoke did Tao Ying abruptly return to herself.

She looked at the detergent soaking the clothes and became flustered.

That much would fill the machine with foam, wouldn’t it?

She removed one garment and rinsed the excess detergent from it.

“What’s wrong?” Qin Zheng asked. “You seem distracted.”

“I probably didn’t sleep well.”

After a long silence, he asked, “Did something happen at the cemetery yesterday?”

Tao Ying nodded and answered calmly. “I expected my mother to slap me. Instead, she stood there waiting for five hours, then punished me by making me experience the same thing.”

“You actually stood there?” Qin Zheng’s heart clenched with alarm and pain.

Tao Ying gave a soft, self-mocking laugh. “I didn’t know where else to go. After dark, I sat in the car for another two hours. I felt so stifled that I went to the bar. I didn’t hear your calls. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose.”

Qin Zheng did not blame her. But still…

“Don’t go to a nightclub alone again. It’s dangerous.”

Tao Ying thought privately that there would absolutely never be a second time.

Her phone suddenly rang. Qin Zheng glimpsed the caller ID, and his expression shifted.

Tao Ying answered. “Third Aunt.”

“Taotao, you’re on vacation now, aren’t you?” Li Meili’s tone was unusually ingratiating.

“I am.”

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

Tao Ying’s head ached. “What was that?”

“The man I wanted to introduce. Didn’t I tell you I recently met a young man who’s excellent in every respect? Come meet him.”

“Third Aunt, I don’t—” Tao Ying stopped. From the corner of her eye, she caught Qin Zheng’s searching expression and changed her mind. “When?”

“Tomorrow evening?” Li Meili was delighted by her agreement.

“All right.” Tao Ying ended the call.

Qin Zheng leaned against the doorframe. “Another blind date, Ms. Tao?”

“Mm.”

Qin Zheng smiled, the meaning in it impossible to read.