First, then, love.

"Okay, I'll watch it with you."

On the phone screen, these five words lay alone in the WeChat chat box.

Shu Yao stared at the screen for a while, then let out a long sigh of relief.

My heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled back into my stomach.

Although this man was an unromantic caveman, he kept his word and his promises were as good as his bond.

If he agrees to only watch a movie tonight, then her frail little bones will at least be able to escape this ordeal and save her life.

*

into the night.

Temperatures plummeted, and Wuhan welcomed its first snowfall of the year.

At first, it was just ice shards mixed with raindrops hitting the French windows, making a soft "rustling" sound.

By 8 p.m., the rain had stopped, and the snowflakes had grown to the size of coins.

Like torn cotton wool, it was swept up by the gale and pelted down.

Outside the window, snow was falling heavily, and the wind was howling. The entire city was shrouded in a cold, biting white.

Inside, the underfloor heating is on 24 hours a day, making it warm and cozy, even a little hot.

Shu Yao started decorating the living room early in preparation for tonight's "truce agreement".

She dug out the XGIMI 4K projector that she had bought but had been gathering dust in the cabinet, plugged it in, and adjusted the focus on the huge projection screen in the living room.

The coffee table was pushed aside.

On the large, soft cashmere carpet were several cushions, and on the small cart next to it were strawberries, cherries, potato chips, and two cans of chilled soda water.

After doing all this, she clapped her hands in satisfaction.

Nine o'clock in the evening.

The security door clicked open from the outside.

He Zheng strode in, exuding a chilling aura and covered in snow, with a thin layer of snow on his shoulders.

As soon as you enter, the cold air is instantly dispelled by the warm air inside.

He changed his shoes and casually took off his windbreaker and hung it in the entryway.

He was wearing only a thin, black, tight-fitting long-sleeved T-shirt underneath, the fabric clinging to his full chest muscles and outlining his sharp muscle lines.

"The preparations are quite thorough."

He Zheng immediately noticed the scene in the living room.

His dark eyes swept over the projector, then over the woman sitting cross-legged on the carpet, a half-smile playing on his lips.

That little devil, to keep an eye on him, we even moved all our eating, drinking, and relieving ourselves equipment onto the carpet.

"Of course, you promised, we'll only watch a movie tonight."

Shu Yao sat on the cashmere carpet, clutching a cushion warily, her peach blossom eyes fixed on him as if guarding against a thief.

He Zheng chuckled softly.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Without saying much, he strode back to the master bedroom.

Twenty minutes later.

He Zheng came out of the bathroom.

He changed into a pair of gray cotton sweatpants and a black T-shirt.

He walked into the living room, took a long stride, stepped over the carpet, and sat down behind Shu Yao.

His broad back rested against the edge of the sofa, and his two long, muscular legs were casually spread apart.

"Come sit over here," he patted the empty space in front of him, his voice low and hoarse.

Shu Yao hesitated for a moment.

But seeing his expressionless face, he still obediently moved over.

She sat with her back to him between his legs, her back gently resting against his hard chest.

He had just finished showering, and his body temperature was burning hot.

The heat radiated through Shu Yao's thin silk pajamas, making her back tingle.

A complex smell permeated the air.

A minty-scented shower gel with a hint of woody fragrance.

It smells like aftershave. A few days ago, Shu Yao specially bought a bottle of her favorite Bulgari Darjeeling Tea and gave it to him, forcing him to use it.

The two flavors blend together, fermenting into a masculine aroma bursting with hormones in this enclosed space heated by underfloor heating.

It penetrated into Shu Yao's respiratory tract in every possible way.

She shifted her body somewhat uncomfortably.

"Don't move."

He Zheng's strong arms reached out and wrapped her tightly in his embrace from behind.

Her chin rested naturally on the top of her head.

"What movie? Start it," he commanded.

Shu Yao picked up the remote control and pressed the play button.

She chose a classic old Hong Kong film, "A Moment of Romance".

It was starring Andy Lau and Wu Chien-lien.

The plot is simple and cliché: a gangster who lives a life of crime and on the run falls in love with a rich heiress who has been well protected since childhood.

People from two different worlds, in extreme conflict and tension.

The plot has a strange overlap with their current situation.

However, He Zheng wasn't a gangster; he was the captain of a special police unit that caught gangsters.

The movie begins.

The image quality is somewhat rough, with a film-like texture unique to the 1990s.

On the screen, Andy Lau is riding a heavy motorcycle, the engine roaring furiously as he weaves through the neon-lit streets of Hong Kong.

The lights were off in the living room.

Only the light and shadow projected onto the wall by the projector flickered between light and shadow.

The light reflected back and shone on the two overlapping figures.

At first, He Zheng was indeed very well-behaved.

Although his strong arms were wrapped around her, his hands were clasped obediently in front of her stomach, without touching or moving inappropriately.

His chest rose and fell steadily, and his breathing was even.

They seem to be really watching the movie intently.

Shu Yao's anxious heart slowly calmed down.

She relaxed her body, completely surrendering her weight to the man behind her.

He reached out, took a cherry from the small cart next to him, and popped it into his mouth.

"Do you want some?" she asked vaguely, holding up a cherry and offering it to him.

"I don't want it, it's too sweet," He Zheng turned his head away and avoided it.

He doesn't like eating this kind of sweet fruit; he only likes eating meat.

Or perhaps he simply preferred the woman in front of him, who exuded a delicious aroma.

Time passed by, second by second.

The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, and the wind was blowing so hard that the glass curtain wall was trembling slightly.