Too embarrassed to show such a mess to Yang Feng, she was prepared to throw it in the trash, when Yang Feng came up from behind her, settling his head on her shoulders.

"What is it?

" He asked her, his eyes trailing to the dessert in front of him.

"Nothing.

" She hurriedly said, covering it with her body, inching it towards the trash can.

Yang Feng saw what she was about to do and grabbed the plate, suppressing the urge to laugh at the pudding.

"Let's leave the desserts to me next time.

"

Zhao Lifei felt her cheeks become inflamed, her eyes going anywhere but her own creation. She used to aspire perfection above all, specifically to be a flawless housewife for Zheng Tianyi, but after what he had done to her, she no longer cared about the status. If there was anything in this world she could never tackle, aside from that stubbornness of hers, it was baking. Even if she followed the instructions to the tee, there was always a problem somehow.

"Give it to me, I need to throw it out.

"

Yang Feng quirked a brow, placing the plate anywhere but in her hands. This was the first time she baked for him, he was not going to let it go to waste like this.

"I don't think so.

"

"You'll get food poisoning if you eat that.

" She reached for the plate but he held it high above her head, way out of her reach. She jumped for it, grabbing onto his upper arm to stabilize herself, but he leaned his body away, making her walk in circles.

"Love, give it up. You're never gonna touch it.

"

"That's because you're too large,

" She blurted out, not realizing the hidden meaning attached to such words.

Yang Feng's eyes darkened at her words, resisting the urge to kiss her. If he did, he feared he would accidentally drop the plate. The things her kisses did to him…

He decided it was better to just deceive her with the oldest trick in the book, raising his head towards the door, a feigned surprise expression on his face.

"Ruqin, what are you doing here?

"

Zhao Lifei perked up at the mention of Qinqin, her embarrassed face lighting up as she turned around, anticipating the presence of her best friend, only for her eyes to land on the modern and large foyer.

Her brows came together, forming slight creases on her forehead. She turned around.

"Where did Qinqin go—

" She gasped when she saw he had gobbled at least half of the custard pudding, still in the midst of eating it. She reached for it, but he finished the last bite in one fell swoop.

"Spit it out!

" She hissed, reaching up to squeeze his cheeks but he grabbed her wrists, holding her in place while he ate it and swallowed it like it was nothing.

"You're gonna get sick from it, Yang Feng!

"

He bent down to peck her lips,

"It was delicious.

"

"It was undercooked and the caramel was overcooked!

"

"I like bitter things better.

"

She recalled his disliking towards bitter melon and knew he was not being truthful.

"Don't lie.

"

He loosely hugged her, pressing her head to rest on his chest, a low chuckle rumbling from within.

"It's the truth.

"

Zhao Lifei did not believe him but was too content in the hug to even care. She buried her face further into his shirt, rubbing her cheeks on the incredibly soft material, melting into him when his hands ran up and down her back, the comforting gesture soothing her.

After a while of comfortable silence where the two just held each other, he spoke up.

"My grandfather's birthday is coming up very soon.

"

Zhao Lifei already knew what he was going to ask of her.

"I'm not going with you,

" She bluntly put it.

Yang Feng was a bit disappointed but masked it.

"Alright, I'll spend the night with you.

"

Zhao Lifei opened her mouth, wanting to tell him of her grandfather's plan, but she did not want to spoil it. Her grandfather was a very low key man who did not like his secrets to be revealed. She wasn't sure if this was a secret, but just to be on the safer side, she decided to keep her mouth shut.

"No, you should go.

"

"But—

"

"I'll be fine.

"

Yang Feng looked at her, his eyes, black like ash dancing in the wind, filled with worry and concern for her. He did not want to leave her alone, but he also could not miss his grandfather's birthday celebration. He wanted to formally introduce Zhao Lifei.

"Are you sure?

"

Zhao Lifei felt guilty for misleading him and slowly nodded,

"Positive.

"

Yang Feng studied her face for a prolonged period, watching as something flashed within her eyes before disappearing.

"Alright.

"

He cupped her face and tilted it up for a loving kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed, shivering when she tasted the bitter caramel upon his lips. Their kiss started off slow and sensual, cherishing each other before it became more heated, lust driven, while the majority of it was filled with love.

He pulled her body flush against him, enjoying the soft curves of her body pressing against his firm one, hungrily kissing her, before his tongue dove into her mouth, hot and swirling, marking every corner of it as his.

He leaned back to allow her to catch a breath of air while he kissed the corner of her mouth, moving to her jaw, nipping the area before kissing a path to the jugular of her neck, the same spot where his mark was. It was beginning to fade, so he ensured it didn't by sucking, licking, and biting the area, only to kiss it after.

She tilted her head back to give him better access, lost in the passion, pleasurable sounds escaping her lips, only for it to be muffled when his mouth crashed against hers again. He hooked his arms under her knees, picking her up, her legs on either side of him as he carried her up the stairs. Closing the door behind him, he tossed her onto the bed.

He marveled the beautiful sight of her sprawled out raven locks, slightly hooded eyes, on cloud nine, as her lips were parted for him.

He swooped down, kissing her deeper, harder than ever, swallowing her cries with his grunts of approval as her hand began to travel across his spine, her fingers studying his muscles that clenched beneath her touch until they settled on his upper back. She would be the death of him, that much he already knew.

They kissed for a while until she was practically begging for air, which he finally gave her. He changed their position so that her head laid on his suddenly bare chest as the shirt had been tossed elsewhere during their intense session.

Yang Feng played with the ends of her hair, watching as she struggled to fight the sleep taking over her eyes. She was being lulled to sleep by his rhythmic heartbeat and when he lovingly kissed her forehead, her eyes closed as she lost the fight.

He pulled the blanket to cover her small form that molded perfectly against his. After making sure she was as warm as she possibly could be, he rested his hand on her lower spine, the tenderness in his eyes was hard to miss in the dark room.

Usually, he would easily fall asleep knowing she was safe in his arms, but for some reason, there was a heavy weight on his chest, a confession at the tip of his throat. In the dead of the night, where the entire city was asleep, the sky cold and lonely, the moon tucked behind thick veils of white smoke, he whispered,

"I love you.

"

He looked at her sleeping face, his eyes soft and nothing like the cruel man he was before his fate collided with hers.

"Never leave me. I can not bear such terrifying thoughts,

" his other hand came to gently caress her cheek.

"I've always wondered, why is it that I can't keep my hands off of you? Your face, your laugh, the way your eyes crinkle when you smile, the very image of you is burned in my mind.

"

"You...You make me feel alive, the happiest I've ever been in ages. You have always been the one to make me the happiest ever since you tumbled your way into my life eighteen years ago… How could you leave without saying goodbye?

"

He stared at the ceiling.

"I...I can't lose you again, never. No matter who dares to come in between us, I'll slay them. Every one of them.

" He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing a horrible storm would soon rock their world, leaving a horrible scar behind.

In a low and hoarse voice, he pleaded to her sleeping consciousness,

"Stay with me and I will give you everything your heart desires. For you, my darling, I would part the mountains, split the sea, and cause havoc on Earth just to have you.

"