Under the Cheongsam Skirt - Chapter 20

Zhao Ciqin couldn’t help but let her eyes curve into a smile. “What if you were single?”

Xu Xing raised an eyebrow. “Then they’d start introducing me to potential partners.”

“…” Zhao Ciqin thought for a moment and asked, “Would Lawyer Xu agree to that?”

For a moment, Zhao Ciqin felt as if Xu Xing seemed a little disappointed. He tilted his head slightly, as if about to kiss her again.

But he didn’t. Instead, after a pause, he simply reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, saying softly, “No, because I already have someone. She’s a beauty with a slender waist and a full figure, and she’s priceless to me.”

Xu Xing was usually the epitome of a gentleman. While he was polite to everyone, those who truly got to know him realized he wasn’t easy to get close to. But in front of Zhao Ciqin, he always seemed to say the most passionate things in the calmest tone.

The air around them grew thin, and Zhao Ciqin’s heart instinctively raced.

After a while, Xu Xing gently took a step back and then led her out of the bathroom by the hand.

After dinner, the two of them sat on the rattan chair as usual. In the past, one would read documents while the other read books, but today Zhao Ciqin noticed Xu Xing holding a stack of newspapers. She couldn’t help but lean closer.

“What are you looking at?”

She didn’t seem to realize how close she was, her hand resting on his thigh, her breath brushing against the side of his neck as she spoke.

Xu Xing didn’t even lift his eyelids, though the muscles in his thigh tensed slightly. “After I finish the current case, I’m planning to leave the law firm and start my own practice. So I’m looking at potential rental spaces.”

Most rental advertisements in Shanghai were published in newspapers, making it more convenient for tenants to find information.

Zhao Ciqin asked, “Where are you thinking of renting?”

Xu Xing had initially planned to say he already had a location in mind, but seeing her curious gaze, he closed the newspaper and asked, “What do you think I’m considering?”

“For you, I think you’d choose somewhere close to the art gallery, so we can see each other more often. But the rent for storefronts at the east end of the street is quite high. If you’re considering a larger client base, the surrounding Mingshi Street and Mingping Street would be more suitable.”

Zhao Ciqin rarely thought from Xu Xing’s perspective, just as she had never wondered why Xu Xing liked her or why he had confessed to her before she had fully moved on from her previous relationship. She felt a bit nervous.

She pressed her hand slightly harder on his thigh and looked up at him. “Am I right?”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right,” Xu Xing finally couldn’t hold back his smile. He reached into Zhao Ciqin’s slightly curled, dyed hair, his palm resting on the back of her head as he leaned in, his forehead touching hers. “So, what reward does Qin Qin want?”

“I…”

“Then how about a kiss? Is that okay?” Xu Xing said.

Zhao Ciqin wasn’t incapable of resisting, but anyone being looked at with such tender, loving eyes would likely not think of pulling away.

In the next moment, she watched as Xu Xing’s lips descended on hers. Unlike the earlier light, butterfly-like kiss, this time his lips pressed against hers with an intimate warmth, easily parting her lips and gently capturing her tongue.

As they kissed, his arm wrapped around her, pulling her onto his lap, his burning palm resting firmly on her waist.

The air seemed to carry a sweet yet restless scent.

After a while, Zhao Ciqin got up, rubbing her slightly red lips, and tried to jump off his lap. “I need to take a shower.”

“Qin Qin,” Xu Xing firmly held her in place. He mimicked her earlier gesture, his lips brushing against the side of her neck as he whispered, “After your shower, don’t go to sleep. Wait for me.”

Then, satisfied, he watched as her cheeks gradually turned red, the subtle itch in his heart finally easing a little.