Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 335 Pursuit of victory
Hu Xiaobei barely suppressed the urge to take An Xiaoqian right there and then managed to dry her long hair.

Then, he sat down on the living room carpet, deliberately straightening his back and trying to refocus his attention on the issue of adapting "Cultivation" into a long-form animation.

An Xiaoqian, who was half-lying on the sofa, was somewhat bored, but also eager to try it out.

Her slender fingers idly rolled up the cushions on the sofa, her bare toes tapping rhythmically in the air, as if playing a silent yet alluring melody.

At this moment, directly disturbing Hu Xiaobei's work would seem a bit willful.

Although there's no rush for this adaptation of "Cultivation of Immortals," I can continue whenever I have free time.

But she still planned to find a plausible reason for herself, and then launch a new offensive.

An Xiaoqian blinked rapidly twice, and a faint blush appeared at the corners of her eyes.

She suddenly leaned back on the sofa, closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and deliberately let out a long yawn, the last sound trembling as if she were about to fall asleep.

But she had only been "sleeping" soundly for less than a minute when her knees secretly curled up, and she slid two inches to the edge of the sofa.

When my lower back gently bumped against the sofa armrest, I deliberately made a slight rustling sound as the fabric rubbed together.

While Hu Xiaobei was looking down at the documents, she hooked her fingertips on the sofa cushion and swayed it. As if she was turning over unconsciously, her whole body tilted inward, and her hair fell down like a waterfall.

A pair of fair feet, as white as frost and snow, first lightly touched Hu Xiaobei's back like a dragonfly skimming the water. Seeing he didn't react, her toes meandered down his spine, like a kitten treading on snow, gently rubbing down little by little. The movement was like a spring stream flowing over bluestone, soft and tender.
She stopped immediately when she touched the part of his waistline that was exposed under the hem of his clothes. Her eyelashes trembled like a fluttering butterfly under her eyelids, as if afraid of attracting Hu Xiaobei's attention.

Hu Xiaobei could sense it, but he just didn't expose it.

He tapped the documents heavily with his fingertips, deliberately flipping the pages loudly, as if he hadn't noticed the action.

An Xiaoqian's ears turned as red as ripe cherries. She made up her mind and let her bare ankles slide down his thigh like a snake.

Her toes gently hooked onto his hem, climbing up inch by inch until they stopped when her toes lightly touched his lower abdomen.

"Hiss—" Hu Xiaobei finally made a "movement," but it was not the "outburst" that An Xiaoqian had expected.

Without raising his head, a suppressed groan escaped his throat. Suddenly, one hand reached down, his five fingers gently gripping An Xiaoqian's restless jade foot, his thumb caressing the sensitive skin on her arch.

An Xiaoqian froze, and through her slits, she glimpsed his fingertips drawing circles on the soles of her feet.

In an instant, an itchy sensation, like an electric current, shot from the soles of my feet to my scalp.

She bit her lower lip lightly, her shoulders trembling violently, and soft sobs escaped her throat, yet she still pretended to be asleep, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, so she's asleep!"

Hu Xiaobei's voice carried a hint of a low laugh, and a "dangerous" curve appeared at the corner of his eye. Suddenly, his fingertips quickened their pace, lightly tickling the soles of her feet.

An Xiaoqian's eyelashes were already glistening with tiny tears, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her nostrils twitched slightly. She tried to hold back for a while, but finally couldn't bear it any longer.

She chuckled, tears welling in her eyes, which slid down her cheeks and into her temples in a pitiful manner, her body twisting into a soft, pretzel shape.

She curled up and shrank into the sofa, kicking her feet wildly in Hu Xiaobei's palms, her nose reddening, her voice carrying a hint of coquettish grievance: "Hu Xiaobei, you cheated! You secretly tickled me~"

Hu Xiaobei chuckled and turned the tables on him: "Didn't you take the initiative to offer yourself up little by little, asking me to scratch your itch?"

As he spoke, he continued to gently tickle the soles of her feet.

An Xiaoqian pouted and said coquettishly, "No, I... I was just dreaming that I was stepping on cotton!"

As she spoke, she abruptly pulled her foot back from his grasp, curled up in the corner of the sofa as if in a state of fright and defensiveness, and grabbed a cushion to cover her chest, her eyelashes fluttering as she stole glances at him.

"Oh, I thought you were dreaming about playing the piano! Turns out you were just 'playing' cotton!"

Hu Xiaobei chuckled at her appearance and made a joke that she didn't understand, then stopped teasing her.

But after a while, seeing that she hadn't launched a new offensive, he wanted to turn back and take another look.

Just then, a message from An Xiaoqian lit up on his phone screen—"Are you done with your work now?"

He turned around helplessly and met An Xiaoqian's innocent and pure eyes.

She waved her phone and made a wronged expression: "I have an important question to ask the groom!"

Hu Xiaobei was instantly defeated. He put down his phone, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down: "Okay, okay, I'm done. Bride, ask away."

An Xiaoqian slid off the sofa and rested her chin on his lap. When she looked up, her hair fell down, covering half of her flushed cheek: "Xiao Bei, tell me, how can we get along better in the future?"
Hu Xiaobei felt a burning sensation in his legs and forced himself to concentrate: "Of course, we should be down-to-earth and take it one step at a time..."

"Take it one step at a time..."

An Xiaoqian drew out her words, then suddenly raised her hand, her fingertips carrying a faint warmth, and gently touched his chest: "So, are we going to try things out step by step until our wedding day?"

Hu Xiaobei's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately grabbed her wrist: "No need to try this, things will work themselves out."
His palms were burning hot, but An Xiaoqian deliberately struggled, her fingertips tracing across his chest: "I just want to try it out, anyway, we're getting married soon."

Her eyes were sparkling, clearly more out of curiosity than genuine desire.

Hu Xiaobei took another deep breath, a suppressed sigh escaping his throat. He gently moved her hand away, but his fingertips lingered on the inside of her wrist for half a second longer: "We'll talk when you're ready." "I'm ready."

An Xiaoqian took the opportunity to grab his finger and gently blew on it.

Eyelashes fluttered gently on the eyelids, casting dappled shadows.

Her lips were almost touching his fingertips when suddenly, her tongue lightly brushed against his knuckles.

Hu Xiaobei felt a surge of heat coursing through his body, his pupils suddenly contracted, his temples throbbed, and his eyes became burning.

An Xiaoqian, being a beginner, didn't quite grasp the proper measure, so she could only awkwardly and slyly stick out her little tongue and subconsciously shrink back slightly.

But then Hu Xiaobei chuckled softly, "Why aren't you testing me anymore? Weren't you quite bold just now?"

His voice suddenly deepened, and he leaned forward, placing his hands on the sofa armrests to encircle An Xiaoqian, exuding a dangerous yet alluring aura.

An Xiaoqian leaned her back against the sofa, with nowhere to "escape": "I...I didn't."

"No?"

Hu Xiaobei raised an eyebrow, gently lifted An Xiaoqian's chin with his fingertips, caressed her burning cheeks with his fingertips, and lightly brushed her trembling lower lip with his thumb.

"Who said they were ready, and then looked at me with such expectant eyes just now?"

His fingertips were slightly cool, but An Xiaoqian felt her cheeks burning.

At this moment, she wanted to turn her face away, but Hu Xiaobei held her firmly in place, forcing her to look directly into his eyes, which were so close to hers.

Seeing the swirling passion and tenderness in his eyes, An Xiaoqian felt a mix of anticipation and trembling, a truly conflicted feeling.

"You little dumpling, do you feel like you're not attractive enough because I've been holding back?"

An Xiaoqian's eyelashes trembled slightly. She lowered her eyes to avoid his burning gaze. A large blush rose on her cheeks as he caressed her with his fingertips, spreading to the tips of her ears: "I'm just curious what you're holding back?"

Hu Xiaobei's gaze suddenly deepened as he looked at An Xiaoqian's flushed cheeks and trembling eyelashes. He suddenly straightened up and said, "I'm just restraining my desires and impulses. I just want to give you the best."

I like you, and I respect you.

We should save our physical and emotional intimacy for our wedding night, when it is a legitimate time, not now.

Looking at Hu Xiaobei's earnest expression, An Xiaoqian's eyes welled up with tears, and she emotionally reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.

Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the stray hairs on the back of his neck, her voice nasal and incredibly soft: "So, in your heart, we were already a done deal to get married?"

As she tilted her head back, her eyelashes cast a dappled shadow at the corner of her eye, revealing a sly smile, yet a tear still clung to the corner of her eye.

Hu Xiaobei was taken aback by her sudden intimate gesture, his ears turning red, but he still kept his hands on the sofa armrests, holding her in his arms.

"What? It's not too late to back out now."

Hu Xiaobei deliberately put on a stern face, but the uncontrollable curve of his lips betrayed him. His warm breath inadvertently brushed against An Xiaoqian's reddened earlobe, leaving a tingling sensation on her ear.

An Xiaoqian suddenly let out a soft "humph," let go of her arms, lay back on the sofa, covered her pretty face with a cushion, and said in a muffled voice with a hint of shyness, "I won't go back on my word, I just think you're too cunning."

Even though I've already completely smitten her, she can still pretend to be so indifferent.

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly peeked out from the edge of the cushion, her eye upturned with a triumphant smile, as if she were secretly observing his reaction.

Hu Xiaobei chuckled, brushed aside the uncooperative cushion, pulled her into his arms, gently rested his chin on the top of her head, buried his nose in her hair, and took a deep breath.

"Hey, which girlfriend did you learn these flirting tricks from? You always think of using me as a test subject."

His hand gently stroked An Xiaoqian's back through her thin nightgown. After feeling her slight shiver, his voice suddenly softened: "But you're right, I really am completely captivated by you, totally under your spell."

An Xiaoqian lifted her head from his embrace, her nose almost touching his, her eyes still glistening with tears: "Can you still control yourself now?"

She deliberately ran her fingertips lightly across his Adam's apple, but just as his gaze was about to burn, she giggled and tried to break free from his embrace.

Hu Xiaobei wasn't about to let go. He tightened his grip on her with his long arms, his chest heaving as he lowered his head and kissed her lips: "If you keep causing trouble, I'm really going to take you right here and now tonight."

He spoke with a deliberate grit of his teeth, but the doting look in his eyes seemed to overflow. He gently stroked the back of An Xiaoqian's neck with his thumb, giving it a soothing rub.

An Xiaoqian suddenly fell silent, her cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, her voice muffled: "Actually, I didn't necessarily want to test you... it's just... it's just that I'm a little greedy, I want you to like me a little more, and a little more, and a little more."

Hu Xiaobei hugged her tighter, his chin gently brushing against the crown of her head, his voice deep and firm, the vibrations of his chest transmitted to her through their close bodies.

"Sissi, I will spend my whole life proving that I love you—I hope to love you a little more every day."

His palm gently covered An Xiaoqian's hair, stroking it softly again and again.

The only sound in the living room was the gentle, tender breathing of the two as their breaths gradually merged.

(End of this chapter)