Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

"Xie Jing! That's really pointless of you! I've already gone this far, do you really need me to spell it out for me?"

Xie Jing leaned forward slightly, his lips lightly brushing against Shang Song's puffed-out cheek. "Shang Song, are you sure you've really thought this through?"

Shang Song felt a little ticklish from his rubbing, and her puffed-up cheeks shrank back slightly. Finally, she could only grit her teeth and say, "I'm sure! I've changed my mind! I've made up my mind. I don't want to have any more platonic relationships with you. I want you, I want to be with you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Jing sealed his lips with a kiss.

Xie Jing's kiss had never been so unrestrained.

It was as if they wanted to devour Shang Song whole and merge him into one.

The air was scorching hot, and people were breathing heavily.

Shang Song was quickly rendered weak and infatuated by the kisses.

As their lips met, he responded awkwardly yet passionately.

He responded by reaching out to unbutton Xie Jing's shirt, and after unbuttoning it, he haphazardly placed his hand on it as well.

His hands were so hot against her warm, jade-like skin.

It should have been like dry tinder igniting a raging fire, ready to explode at the slightest touch.

But Xie Jing's lips actually pulled away from his slightly.

Shang Song was in a daze, wanting to chase after Xie Jing's lips again, but Xie Jing's hand covering the back of Shang Song's head exerted a little force, controlling Shang Song and preventing him from moving.

Their breaths mingled, their lips touched, but they ultimately did not kiss.

Shang Song thought Xie Jing wanted his personal promise of marriage before he would continue, so he said tremblingly, "Xie Jing, do it, finish it, and tomorrow... we'll go get our marriage certificate..."

A strange darkness welled up in Xie Jing's eyes. He asked, "No way out, huh?"

Shang Songtan's hand, hidden beneath Xie Jingyi's clothes, tightened unconsciously. "An escape route...an escape route, what..."

His eyes darted around, and finally, as if he had remembered some brilliant reason to convince himself, he mustered up his courage and said, "Xie Jing, our agreed-upon six-month period is over, and I've tried very well these past six months! You are truly, truly wonderful! I love you even more than before! I know you feel the same way!"

"Yes, Shang Song, I love you, I've always loved you." Xie Jing responded almost immediately.

"So today! I'm officially informing you that the trial period has ended, the bear's experience has been excellent, and we've decided to grant the zookeeper lifetime care rights!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Jing's face remained expressionless, only his eyes gazing intently down at the person beneath him.

"Thank you for your approval, Little Bear." His hand, which had been resting on the back of Shang Song's head, slowly slid down to the back of Shang Song's fair neck, his palm warm. "Now, please allow me to inform Little Bear of his newly effective additional rights."

"What additional benefits?" Shang Song asked.

"Your right is that you will always have a way out when you're with me."

Shang Song asked, puzzled, "But didn't you say before that you wouldn't... you know... with me if we weren't married?"

Xie Jing shook his head. "I've changed my mind too. You can keep your options open, as for..."

His gaze was inscrutable as he slowly swept over the young body beneath him, encased in a custom-made suit. "It's not that I don't want to be with you; it's that I've always longed for you. I've wanted you for a very, very long time."

Shang Song felt immediately pleased. "I knew it, you just wanted to seduce me into marrying you."

He laughed, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons, his cheeks flushed with a smug pink, and his hands roamed haphazardly over Xie Jing's body. "Then I've already agreed to marry you! Hurry up, hurry up, zookeeper! Stop dawdling! A moment of bliss is worth a thousand pieces of gold!"

Seeing Shang Song's almost overflowing joy, Xie Jing closed his eyes briefly and said:

"it is good."

He lowered his head and kissed Shang Song's forehead, then followed the straight bridge of his nose, kissing all the way down to his lips that kept opening and closing, urging him on.

Xie Jing's hands also began to unbutton Shang Song's shirt.

One by one, the movements were as graceful as ever.

Shang Song's expensive custom-made suit jacket was stripped off and thrown on the ground.

The shirt was peeled off, revealing a patch of fair skin.

The air was slightly cool, and small bumps appeared on Shang Song's skin.

"Let's do it." Xie Jing's lips brushed against Shang Song's ear, gently pushing him down onto the bed. "But, Shang Song, we don't need to get married."

His eyes were dark, his breath hot as it brushed against Shang Song's left earlobe as he reiterated the latest rights he was offering:

"From now on, you will have countless six-month periods to observe me."

"If I do anything wrong or poorly, tell me."

"I will change and learn."

"If one day I truly disappoint you, you are free to leave me."

"What we said before about not letting you leave after we did it was just to scare you."

"Don't be afraid."

"You always have a way out."

These words stunned Shang Song, who was extremely excited.

He looked at Xie Jing, who was lying on top of him, his large hand caressing his waist, about to unbutton his pants, and his mind went blank.

He suddenly shivered, and Xiao Songsong collapsed.

"etc!"

Shang Song suddenly grabbed Xie Jing's hand. "Xie Jing! What do you mean?! I already said we were going to get married! Why did you say we didn't need to get married? Why did you say I could leave you? And what about giving me a way out at any time?!"

Xie Jing paused.

He grabbed Shang Song's waistband, and Shang Song grabbed his hand.

Both of their shirts were disheveled and open, their clothes in disarray.

Xie Jing just stared at Shang Song quietly, without saying a word.

Xie Jing remained silent, and Shang Song instantly exploded.

"Because of Zhou Yun! Right!" Shang Song felt incredibly wronged. "It's all because of that lunatic! You're scared! You feel guilty because you hurt me, so you gave me this pathetic right to leave you, isn't that it?!"

He shoved Xie Jing away abruptly, sat up abruptly, and almost shouted, "But that was an accident! That day! If I hadn't been holding that incredibly heavy fruit basket, I wouldn't have lost my balance at all! I could have dodged it! I'm quite agile!"

Xie Jing was already kneeling on one knee by the bedside when he was pushed, and he swayed, the forced calm in his eyes shattering silently.

He lowered his eyes, his gaze unfocused.

Much later.

"Could you have dodged it?" he suddenly repeated in a low voice, giving a self-deprecating laugh. "Shang Song, but you didn't dodge it."

Xie Jing...didn't dodge either.

His right hand, almost unconsciously, rose up and pressed against his left abdomen through the already disheveled cotton shirt.

All of Shang Song's anger and grievances suddenly dissipated when he saw Xie Jing's subconscious action.

The louder he yelled just now, the more panicked he is now.

He almost immediately reached out and covered Xie Jing's hand, which was unconsciously covering his left abdomen.

"Stop pressing..." He tried to pull Xie Jing's hand away. "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you, I..."

Xie Jing then realized his actions. He looked down at his left abdomen and saw the two hands clasped together.

He then looked at Shang Song, whose clothes were disheveled and whose eyes were brimming with tears, looking as if she were about to collapse.

All these years, just this one moment.

He suddenly felt very tired.

An indescribable weariness.

It felt like something was screaming and pounding wildly inside his body.

They've been ravaging the land for far too long.

It's been far too long.

So much so that every inch of his flesh, already overburdened, was screaming – enough, let it end here.

He slowly withdrew his right hand from Shang Song's grasp, and then gently wiped away Shang Song's tears.

"Don't cry, you didn't hurt me. I'm not in pain," he said.

Xie Jing is so gentle right now.

Shang Song looked at him, somewhat stunned.

Xie Jing didn't look at Shang Song again, but lowered his eyes and began to stiffly straighten the shirt that he had just unbuttoned.

Then, he gathered his disheveled cotton shirt and carefully smoothed it out.

Throughout the entire process, he did it very slowly and with great focus.

Rather than tidying up their disheveled clothes, he was more likely trying to sort out his own chaotic thoughts.

Once their clothes were somewhat tidy, Xie Jing raised his eyes again and looked at Shang Song, whose eyes were still red.

"Lin Zhou," he asked, "how much did I tell you?"

Shang Song opened his mouth, but then felt he didn't know where to begin.

Xie Jing didn't seem to care much about the answer to this question.

Without waiting for Shang Song's reply, he said, "Never mind, you'll find out eventually anyway."

"Only when you know everything will these past six months truly... yield results."

Shang Song panicked: "Xie Jing! I don't need to know anything to make a decision! I know a lot! More than you think! I can tell you right now, I..."

Xie Jing shook his head, interrupting him, "Let me finish speaking before you decide..."

"To leave or to stay?"