After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

After a long while, An Ning seemed to have made a decision and lowered her eyes.

"He...is very busy."

"Just because you're busy doesn't mean you can neglect your own son?"

Lu Xiyan's tone was slightly mocking, as if he was somewhat displeased with her making excuses for her ex-husband.

After treating the minor cuts on his hands and applying bandages to the deeper ones, Anning looked up and gazed at his handsome face.

"west Yan, I know you have feelings for me, don't you?"

She smiled slightly, her fingertips tracing his palm. "Many things aren't what you think, but I'll tell you everything later."

Her eyes were gentle and misty as she gazed at his perfect features and asked softly, "Are we, in a sense, back together now?"

This answer is very important to her.

This way she can decide whether to move forward or backward.

Lu Xiyan stared into her eyes for a long time, then suddenly looked down at her hand that was lightly clenched in his palm.

He gently pinched her fingers with his fingertips, and after a moment, he softly murmured "Mmm".

He never denied that he loved her.

From the moment she returned to Jinghai and they met at the hospital, his reason told him that he should hate her.

But instinctively, I still care about her every move and every little thing she does.

When he learned that she was divorced and had a child, he could only use intense hatred to take revenge on her, to make her feel his presence, and to keep them entangled in hatred.

When he saw her ex-husband appear, he realized that his hatred stemmed from the fact that he had been loving her all these years, while she had already moved on.

His hatred, in the final analysis, stemmed from her pleading.

He begged her to love him one more time.

He had considered letting go of himself and her, and that they would no longer be entangled with each other.

However, in those life-or-death moments, he saw his own heart clearly—he was terrified of losing her.

Four years of separation could take half his life, but a lifetime of separation by death would take it all away.

Since that's the case, let's get back together.

"peaceful."

He spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "Are you serious this time?"

An Ning looked up and noticed that his eyes were red, as if he had been bullied.

Lu Xiyan stared into her clear eyes, "I was twenty-four when I was with you. We were together for two years, but I waited four years for you to turn back."

He gently stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips. "I'm thirty this year. I'm past the age of being head over heels in love. I don't have much patience left to wait."

"If you don't want me again next time, I will never wait for you again in my life."

His harsh words were the same as four years ago; they were clearly threats, but they carried a pleading tone.

An Ning felt a tightness in her chest. Looking at Lu Xiyan's reddened eyes, her tears fell before his.

"Western Banquet..."

She choked back tears, "I think I really owe you an apology."

I'm sorry for hurting you so deeply.

She knelt down in front of him, took his hand, and placed it against her cheek. "I'm sorry, that's true, but I also truly love you."

The moment tears streamed down her face, she stood up, leaned on his shoulders, and kissed his lips.

As their lips met, tears streamed down their faces, a bitter, salty taste filling the air.

She awkwardly kissed him, without skill, with tenderness and ingratiation.

A slender hand suddenly slipped through her hair and pressed against the back of her head. The next moment, the man took the initiative and kissed her burning lips.

The gentle yet domineering kiss quickly overwhelmed An Ning, making her legs weak and causing her to almost collapse against him.

Suddenly a hand slipped onto her waist, and then her feet were lifted off the ground.

Lu Xiyan kissed her as he carried her to the bed.

An Ning's heart was racing, her face was burning, and as she took a breath, she stared at Lu Xiyan's smooth jawline, her eyes misty.

She was placed on the soft bed, and the man bent down, kissing her lips and then her ear.

As if his overflowing longing had nowhere to go, he bit the red mole on her ear, and whispered words escaped from his lips.

"Ningning..."

"Ningning..."

His hot breath sprayed on her ear, and Anning's shoulders trembled, her whole body shaking.

Lu Xiyan's deep voice, like a whimper of grievance, yet also like an outpouring of love, caressed her earlobe, tickling her heart.

Anning wrapped her arms around his neck and raised her chin to kiss the mole on the bridge of his nose.

The sound of his heartbeat was deafening, overflowing from his mouth.

Every fiery kiss he landed on her body was like a blazing fire, burning away her very essence.

......

I was woken up again by my phone ringing.

Anning slept soundly, and in her half-asleep state, she heard her phone ringing; it was her phone's ringtone.

My body instinctively reached for my phone, but as I moved, I found my hand firmly held in someone's palm.

A bare arm encircled her waist, and long, slender fingers slipped between her fingers, holding her hand tightly in their palm.

An Ning tried to move, but found she couldn't move backward. The body pressed tightly against her back was burning hot, and his even breathing warmed her neck. She could also smell his pleasant fragrance.

An Ning smiled slightly. No wonder she slept so well; it turned out she had long relied on the warmth of being held in his arms.

The phone was still ringing, and before Anning could pull her hand away, that slender hand reached out and touched the phone first.

A caller ID popped up on the screen, and a hoarse, languid voice sounded from behind me.

"A man? Who is he?"

The vibrations from her chest traveled through Anning's back. Anning looked up and said, "It's a colleague."

Taking the phone from his hand, Anning answered, "Engineer Han? What's up?"

"Ms. An, are you resting at the hotel, or are you out?" Han Lei asked on the other end of the phone. "A few of my colleagues and I are planning to go out for dinner, and we were wondering if you'd like to come with us?"

"Dinner?" Anning glanced at the time; it was already past seven in the evening!

She and Lu Xiyan spent the whole day in bed together when she got back in the morning!

"Yes, let's go together?" Han Lei invited warmly. "My colleague found a restaurant with local flavor."

An Ning turned her head and glanced at the lazy man behind her, seemingly wanting to ask for his opinion, but he kept his eyes closed and gently nuzzled her shoulder with his nose, looking like he didn't want to go.

"No, Mr. Han, I'll rest at the hotel," An Ning politely declined. "You guys go ahead."

"Miss An, are you feeling unwell? Would you like me to—"

Before the other party could finish their concerned words, a slender finger abruptly hung up the phone.

"So verbose."

The lazy voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Anning found it amusing. "He's just concerned."

The man behind her suddenly opened his eyes, one hand grasping her slender waist, his fingers sliding down, a sly glint in his clear eyes.

"Do you need it?" he threatened in a low voice. "Hmm?"

"No, no!" An Ning quickly surrendered, stopping his mischievous hands. "I don't need anyone's concern except for you."

If Lu Xiyan showed some mercy last time, this time he really went all out.

Anning couldn't take it again, so she quickly begged for mercy, "How about I take you to eat something delicious?"

Her pleas for mercy pleased Lu Xiyan, who grabbed her wrist with his other hand and smiled beautifully.

His fingers touched the ribbon on her wrist again, and he asked, "Why do you always wear this?"

Before An Ning could answer, he grabbed her wrist and lifted her into the air.

Seemingly scrutinizing her ribbon, An Ning was about to withdraw her hand when Lu Xiyan gently flicked his finger, untying the bow and letting the ribbon slip from her wrist.