Volume One, Chapter 123: The Atmosphere Is Perfectly Set
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Hearing Jiang Yu’s words, Su Muyue could not help letting the corners of her lips curve upward as she allowed him to take her hand.
She had not refused him!
Jiang Yu’s heart leapt with joy.
In the stillness of the deep night, the two of them walked slowly into the residential compound, hand in hand.
A little farther in, the contrast was striking. Outside, the streets had been ablaze with lights and filled with traffic, yet once they entered the compound, everything fell quiet.
Along the way, Su Muyue softly introduced Jiang Yu to the various facilities there.
There was a park, a gym, even a supermarket.
The atmosphere was warm and tender.
The distance from the main gate to their homes was not far. No matter how slowly they walked, they would eventually arrive.
Chatting as they went, they soon reached the building.
Inside the ascending elevator, the two fell silent. The only thing that remained was the handclasp neither of them had released.
The elevator soon arrived.
They stood outside the doors.
Su Muyue looked at Jiang Yu and pointed to the apartment on the left. “You live on the left. I live on the right.”
“All right.” Jiang Yu nodded.
At that moment, their joined hands finally parted.
Yet after letting go, both of them felt an inexplicable sense of loss.
After a brief silence, Su Muyue said quietly, “Then I’ll head back.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Yu nodded. He watched Su Muyue walk toward the right, then turned and headed left himself.
But turning away only made him feel worse. For some reason, taking that first step seemed impossibly difficult.
At last, after two seconds of mental preparation, Jiang Yu managed to move forward.
Just as his foot touched the ground, a gentle voice drifted over from behind him.
“Xiaoyu, good night.”
Jiang Yu turned around and smiled. “Good night.”
Then he turned away again, and the smile on his face was replaced in an instant by hesitation.
Should he do something? But he had always preferred being passive.
Now that they lived so close to each other, there would surely be another opportunity, wouldn’t there?
Yet the mood had already reached this point. Who knew whether they would ever have such a perfect chance again?
Jiang Yu drew a long breath, then abruptly turned around—only to discover that Su Muyue was looking at him too.
Their eyes met. They simply stood there, silently gazing at each other.
“Is there something you want to say to me?” Su Muyue asked, looking at Jiang Yu with unusual seriousness.
Jiang Yu gathered his courage and walked toward her.
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These few steps were much quicker than the ones before.
As he walked, he felt his heartbeat growing faster and faster. In barely two steps, he had reached Su Muyue.
As though she had sensed what was coming, a faint flush spread across the tips of her ears, and a trace of anticipation appeared in her eyes.
Jiang Yu parted his lips slightly. His heart seemed to have leapt into his throat, and he struggled to force the words out.
“I want to hug you. May I?”
At those words, Su Muyue’s face suddenly began to burn for no reason. Even her voice changed from its usual cool reserve, becoming—if one had to find a word for it—sweet and soft.
“You may.”
Those two unequivocal words fell into Jiang Yu’s ears like a bottle of strong liquor, filling him with immense courage. He opened his arms, intending to embrace her.
But before he could do so, Su Muyue had already slipped into his arms.
All Jiang Yu could do was tighten his embrace.
The moment he held Su Muyue, his heart began pounding even harder, while her body trembled faintly against him.
Moonlight spilled through the windows between the buildings, bathing the embracing pair in its silver glow.
It was a scene worthy of a painting: two people holding each other beneath the moon.
They remained locked in each other’s arms for quite some time.
Su Muyue’s forehead came just level with Jiang Yu’s nose, allowing him to clearly catch the faint fragrance drifting from her hair.
At the same time, Su Muyue could distinctly feel the hot breath Jiang Yu exhaled.
The warmth made her feel a little lost. His broad chest felt exceptionally comfortable and safe, and she could not help burrowing a little deeper into his embrace, tightening the arms wrapped around his waist.
That small movement eased some of Jiang Yu’s nervousness, and the corners of his lips lifted involuntarily.
How adorable.
Su Muyue, usually so distant and cool in public, actually had such a charmingly sweet side.
Perhaps noticing the amusement in his smile, Su Muyue loosened her arms around Jiang Yu’s waist slightly, then gave him a hard pinch to express her displeasure.
Feeling the little gesture from the beauty in his arms, Jiang Yu could not help laughing.
Then he suddenly noticed the surveillance cameras on both sides of the stairwell.
Only now did he remember that an upscale residential compound naturally had security cameras. With them watching through the monitors…
Jiang Yu shifted slightly. “How about we continue this hug in the apartment? There are cameras here.”
Hearing him, Su Muyue raised her head. When she saw the cameras on either side, her face grew even redder, and she immediately buried it back against his chest.
Jiang Yu could not help finding it amusing. He had never expected this young lady to be so easily embarrassed.
He could only lower his hand slightly and place it around her slender waist.
At first, he had merely wanted something firm to hold onto so he could carry her back to the apartment. But once his hand settled on her waist and he felt its softness and delicate smoothness through the silky fabric, his thoughts began to wander.
Feeling the heat of his palm against her waist, Su Muyue’s body trembled faintly as well.
No, there were cameras watching.
Suppressing the heat rising within him, Jiang Yu asked, “What’s the password to the apartment?”
Su Muyue lifted her head, her face full of shyness, and whispered the password so softly that he could barely hear it. Then she buried herself in his arms once more.
Jiang Yu could do nothing but hold her by the waist, open the door, and carry her inside.
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At that moment, a stream of indignant muttering came from the compound’s central security room.
Someone had been enjoying the drama through the surveillance cameras, only for it to suddenly end!
…
Once inside, the two of them still remained locked in the same embrace.
No one knew how much time had passed when Jiang Yu suddenly heard a rumbling sound. Feeling the arms around his waist tighten, he could not help laughing.
“Are you hungry?”
Su Muyue lifted her head. Her bright eyes held both embarrassment and a hint of grievance as she gave a soft little hum.
“What do we have to eat? I’ll make some late-night food.”
At his words, a trace of clarity returned to Su Muyue’s eyes. “There should be something in the refrigerator. I asked my assistant to buy some groceries and put them in there beforehand.”
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow.
Groceries bought in advance? Could this little lady have planned all of this from the start?
Noticing his look, Su Muyue’s eyes took on a touch of indignation. She released her arms from around his waist, looking like a child caught doing something naughty and now too embarrassed to admit it.
“I was hungry.”
The corners of Jiang Yu’s lips rose. “I know. I’ll cook.”
He went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Since eating too much in the middle of the night was not ideal, he simply made tomato-and-egg noodles.
“Dinner’s ready. Go wash your hands and eat.” Jiang Yu carried the noodles to the dining table.
Su Muyue had already been sitting there waiting. When Jiang Yu took the seat opposite her, she said nothing. She merely stood up and moved to sit beside him.
Seeing what the young lady had done, Jiang Yu could not help laughing again.
She had already caught the fragrance of the noodles. The moment she sat down, she eagerly lifted the bowl.
But as soon as she picked it up, she hurriedly set it back down and let out a sharp hiss.
“Did you burn yourself?” Jiang Yu asked nervously, taking her pale, delicate hand in his.
Su Muyue gave a small, aggrieved whimper.
“Be careful. You…” Jiang Yu looked up and began to scold her, but at that very moment, their eyes met once again.
He could even see his own reflection in her dark eyes. Without realizing it, his lips grew dry and his breathing quickened.
Su Muyue sensed the change in him. The flush that had faded from her cheeks returned, and another trace of anticipation rose in her eyes. Her long lashes began to tremble faintly.
The ambiguous atmosphere surged back between them.
The moment was perfect once more.
If he did not say it now, when would he?
Jiang Yu bit the tip of his tongue. Hesitation led only to defeat.
He composed his expression and made it serious.
“Xiaoyu, I li—”
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