Resisting Arranged Marriages: Starting with Myself - Chapter 13

Late at night, the bright moon hung high in the sky. Since it was the sixteenth day of the lunar month, clear moonlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains and into the bedroom, resembling the silver water that had melted in the crucible during the day. All was silent, save for the rustling of the night wind shaking the leaves, leaking in through a window that had not been closed tightly.

In the watery night, Le Xiao listened to the steady, shallow breathing beside him. Feeling the warmth of another person under the covers, he quietly turned over.

He controlled himself as much as possible, making his movements as light as possible. He did not produce a single sound from the mattress springs or even the slightest creak from the bedframe.

After turning over, Ye Jiming’s sleeping face appeared before his eyes.

During these few days of sharing a bed, he had always lied with his back to Ye Jiming, leaving him only a resolute view of his rear. He usually fell asleep earlier than Ye Jiming and woke up later. Thinking about it now, he had never actually seen Ye Jiming asleep, let alone known his sleeping posture.

So, during these past few days, had Ye Jiming been lying on his side behind him like this, appearing as if he were loosely embracing him?

Finally having the chance to trace his features without being teased into a blushing mess, Le Xiao’s gaze became increasingly bold. His vision felt tangible, like a divine brush outlining Ye Jiming’s silhouette.

Ye Jiming’s forehead was full and smooth. His hair, which was styled with gel and hairspray during the day, now hung lazily over his brow, thinly veiling half of his forehead. This made him look much younger, like an innocent college student.

Without his glasses, his eyes seemed less steady and mature than usual, possessing a bit more youthful charm. Now, those eyes were gently closed, their sparkling starlight submerged in the night. His long eyelashes trembled slightly with the rhythm of his breathing, like resting butterflies flickering their wings.

The bridge of his nose was smooth and high, as if a mountain range truly lay within it. There were two faint marks at the root of his nose left by years of wearing glasses. If this were a landscape painting, these would likely be two pools of water before a distant mountain, perhaps a pond, a lake, or a sea.

His thin lips were lightly closed, showing a healthy color. The philtrum was rounded and full, and the peaks of his lips were like a pair of hills, perfectly symmetrical. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly; Le Xiao could not remember if he naturally had a cat like mouth or if he was smiling in his sleep.

His face shape was fluid, with the angles of his jaw being quite distinct. Any more would have looked too fleshy, and any less would have appeared too gaunt. His jawline was not sharp as a blade as often described in novels; it was simply a bit more defined than most men his age. Stripped of his status as a CEO, he was just a normal person, lacking the typical appearance of a domineering boss.

If he were not a CEO, what would he do? Le Xiao knew his college major was related to artificial intelligence. If he had not founded Mingkong, he would probably be an ordinary programmer, at most just better looking than others. Or perhaps, like Duan Weiyue, he would have stayed at a university to teach, being a mentor and friend on the podium. Or maybe he would have done something else entirely.

Lost in thought, Le Xiao was suddenly startled when Ye Jiming’s breath brushed against his face. The distance between them was now less than an inch.

It seemed as if they would kiss in the next second.

Terrified, Le Xiao immediately leaned back, attempting to maintain a safe distance from Ye Jiming. However, in his unconscious movements earlier, they had become almost skin to skin, with no gap left between them.

He pulled in his shoulders, trying to slowly move in the opposite direction.

Whether Ye Jiming was dreaming or reacting subconsciously, he reached out a long arm in his sleep and pulled Le Xiao into his embrace.

Le Xiao was so frightened by this sudden movement that he dared not breathe. He huddled honestly against Ye Jiming’s chest, listening to his breathing to judge if he was still fast asleep. His brain worked rapidly, wondering if he should laugh it off or pretend to be asleep if he were caught.

Only after counting several cycles of Ye Jiming’s regular breathing did he dare to quietly lift his head so that he would not be smothered by Ye Jiming’s chest.

Unaccustomed to being so close to someone, Le Xiao instinctively wanted to break away and move out of the embrace, but he changed his mind at the last second.

His face was pressed tightly against Ye Jiming’s chest. Through the silk pajamas, he felt the warmth of his flesh and blood, listening to the soothing and rhythmic heartbeat that felt like a unique lullaby.

Then, as if possessed, he reached out his own arms and reciprocated the embrace, wrapping them around Ye Jiming’s waist. For a moment, the two of them slept like a pair of hugging koalas.

In the silence, he also heard his own heartbeat. The sound was like a great bell, like a beating drum, or like ten thousand horses galloping past his eardrums. The two heartbeats interlaced and overlapped; a passionate, surging rock melody accompanied by an elegant, soothing harmony. For a moment, it seemed incredibly harmonious, like a unique duet.

The gland on the back of his neck burned like fire, swelling heatedly. The tingling sensation made him shiver involuntarily. If a body could have a localized fever, his gland would have been suffering from a persistent high fever at that moment.

Feeling the drumming of his gland, he slowly closed his eyes, then could not help but open them again to stare at Ye Jiming, repeating this cycle.

His mind was now full of flying thoughts, leaving him with no desire to sleep. Xiang Nan’s words kept echoing in his head, along with his own exclamation that sounded like a self abandoning tantrum or a helpless compromise: “I like Ye Jiming!”

It seemed like a tantrum and a compromise, like a child’s words that should not be taken seriously, but only he knew that the moment he said it, he felt a genuine sense of relief, as if a martial artist had cleared his vital energy channels.

At this point, everything had an explanation: the instinctive love for the cedar pheromones, the repeated vibrations and alarms of the monitor, the furious embarrassment, the unintentional blushing, and the subconscious hugs. Everything could be reasonably explained.

It turned out that long before he was aware of it, his body had already fallen in love with Ye Jiming, over and over again.

He could not help but quietly apply more force, holding him a little tighter.

It was not until the rural roosters began to crow and the ink like darkness gradually faded, giving way to a pale horizon, that Le Xiao finally fell asleep.

After sleeping for barely an hour or two, he was awakened by Ye Jiming, who had woken up first. They had to prepare for today’s filming.

However, what he did not expect was that the two of them were still maintaining that intimate posture from before they fell asleep, snuggling together like a pair of inseparable mandarin ducks.

“Good morning, Xiao Xiao,” Ye Jiming said without letting go, even glancing meaningfully at their current posture.

Le Xiao’s face turned red instantly.

He instinctively bristled, attempting to blame everything on Ye Jiming as usual. Why are you holding me while you sleep? Why did you not maintain your distance?

Then, he belatedly remembered that he seemed to be the instigator of it all.

The fire he had just built up immediately withered away like a small flame, failing to turn into a blaze and instead spitting out guilty sparks.

“Is Xiao Xiao getting up?” Ye Jiming had a smile in the corners of his eyes. “It is getting late; we have to go gather soon.”

“I am… I am getting up,” Le Xiao said haltingly, clearly still in shock.

“Then Xiao Xiao, let go of me first.” Ye Jiming’s smile became more obvious as he gently patted Le Xiao’s hands, which were still wrapped around his waist.

Le Xiao suddenly snapped out of it. His cheeks exploded in red as he quickly withdrew his betraying hands, scurrying into the bathroom with lightning speed. “I am washing up first!”

Watching his fleeing back, Ye Jiming shook his head and laughed, getting out of bed to go to the bathroom in the hallway.

As he walked, he slowly savored the warmth and softness that had been in his arms just now. That was the tenderness he had dreamed of for years, and it had unexpectedly crashed right into his embrace.

It was not until breakfast was served on the table that Le Xiao dragged himself downstairs from the second floor. He yawned as he walked, using his hand to smooth down a tuft of hair sticking up at the back of his head.

“Eat quickly, or we will be late,” Ye Jiming said, sounding like a parent waiting to send a child to school.

After saying that, he noticed the faint dark circles under Le Xiao’s eyes and said worriedly, “What happened? Did you not sleep well last night?”

Le Xiao thought to himself that it was more than just not sleeping well; he had barely slept at all. He casually brushed it off, “It was fine. Maybe I just dreamed all night.”

He ate his breakfast with a composed expression, while Ye Jiming remained skeptical.

After the meal, the eight guests gathered in the courtyard and received today’s task from the production team: visiting the market.

“Visiting the market?” Wu Shuo said in disbelief. “Visiting a market can be a task? I thought we were going to make something again today.”

“Visiting a market is also a type of task,” the staff member replied. “Think carefully about how long it has been since you have properly visited a market or a grocery store. The worldly atmosphere and the vibrancy of all things are hidden in the most ordinary and sincere joys and sorrows of the people in the market. How much do you still know about that?”

“Among you, some work in the arts, some are at the forefront of technology, and some are at the peak of the sports world. Art originates from life, technology serves life, and even sports are inseparable from life. Putting yourself in a position to feel the most simple earthly smoke and fire will surely benefit both your life and your career.”

“So, go to the market! Observe the world and enjoy life! I wish you all can find your favorite earthly atmosphere in the ordinary streets and alleys!”

After the production team’s long speech ended, Wu Shuo still asked skeptically, “Are there really no extra tasks?”

“Are we the kind of production team that likes to exploit guests?” the staff member said with a laugh. “There are no tasks at all. Everyone, have fun.”

At this, all the guests felt relieved and soon dispersed in small groups.

Ye Jiming took two steps forward, realized Le Xiao was still dazed on the spot, and turned around with a smile. “What are you thinking about? Let us go.”

Le Xiao’s scattered consciousness gradually returned, and he slowly moved toward Ye Jiming.

Very appropriately, Ye Jiming reached out his arm toward him, his five fingers slightly spread and his fingertips moving slightly, as if he were waiting for him.

Le Xiao was not sure if he understood correctly, nor did he understand if this was a hint from Ye Jiming or a purely unintentional act. He did not dare to move rashly, so he just shuffled to his side, intending to walk next to him.

As he moved, he watched Ye Jiming looking at him with a mysterious smile, making him even more confused.

“Xiao Xiao, are we not holding hands?” he said, the swaying of his fingertips becoming more pronounced.

“Oh.” The guessed hint was confirmed, and Le Xiao felt a quiet sense of joy as he reached out his hand to Ye Jiming.

When their palms touched, their body temperatures and palm lines became entangled. The touch of the skin was warm and delicate, softer than the best leather in a luxury store.

Before Le Xiao could react, Ye Jiming tightened his grip almost instantly. His long fingers forcefully inserted themselves between Le Xiao’s fingers, slowly closing and intertwining with Le Xiao’s fingers almost indisputably.

His hand was much larger than Le Xiao’s. As if treating a toy, he easily enveloped Le Xiao’s hand within his own, his four fingers gently rubbing the knuckles on the back of Le Xiao’s hand, as if playing with a small and exquisite jade carving. His thumb gently brushed against the back of Le Xiao’s hand, carrying a hint of tenderness and lingering affection.

This was not their first time holding hands, nor was it even their first time with fingers interlaced. But in the past, Le Xiao had never paid attention to these unobtrusive small movements. At that time, he only wanted to shake off Ye Jiming’s hand as quickly as possible, let alone understand the various deep meanings within them.

However, this time, he understood everything. It was as if his senses had been sharpened and his mind had become enlightened.

He could not help but squeeze back firmly, using his greatest strength to pinch Ye Jiming’s hand, as if telling him that he understood.

Ye Jiming smiled with his eyes curved, looking at him with a gaze like honey or aged wine.

“Let us go. Let us observe the world and enjoy life.”

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