Chapter 358: The Belle of Italy

Xia Ling planted a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "I think she must've been very pretty, that's why you're so good looking yourself."

Li Lei lowered his head to kiss her. "Yes, the prettiest lady in Italy back then."

She suddenly felt self-conscious. "I'm not that pretty."

He tapped her nose lightly. "My little monster, only I want to marry you, so you have to follow me and be good, alright?" He didn't want Xiao Ling to get any prettier; her admirers now were vicious, if she got any prettier, what would transpire next?

"You implied that I was ugly!" Xia Ling remarked, upset, and raised an arm to push him down.

"I never said it was a bad thing." Li Lei chuckled, letting the force of her arm push him down since it didn't hurt anyway.

Xia Ling pushed several times. He was proportionately lean, but his muscles were hard like steel. Ironically, the person who got tired was herself. "I dislike you!" She was grabbing onto his arm now, wondering if she should bite, when suddenly he got up and brought something to her.

"It's a present," he said warmly.

In front of her was a flat box, not too big, wrapped with a ribbon and adorned with roses and dried flowers. Xia Ling curiously opened the box and was hit by a wave of paralysis — laying inside the box was the title deed to the estate, and on it was her name.

"You..." She was practically reeling from shock. Half-awake, she wondered. "This house?"

Li Lei was smiling as he nodded. "This house was prepared for my future wife."

She studied the title deed in her hands, and all she could think about was the sheer magnitude of the gift. She had expected that Li Lei would get her something like a necklace or a bracelet. Never had it crossed her mind that it would be something as significant as his deceased mother's intentions. She scanned the title deed, and then the villa around her, "This... is far too extravagant. I can't accept this."

"You don't want to marry me?" She could hear his voice drop.

"No..." She hurriedly answered. Then it felt a little strange. "You're taking advantage of me!"

"Then, will you allow me to take advantage of you?" He pulled her into his arms and pressed a light kiss onto her. "If you have the confidence to spend the rest of your life with me, then accept it." His eyes were deep as the sea, and his voice was magnetic as if you could fall straight into it and never come up again.

The rest of her life with this man?

Xia Ling gazed at him in a stupor, feeling her body relaxing, yet a rejection would not slip out of her mouth. Words from before filled her mind, echoing: when a couple loves each other, two fates intertwine to become one, there's no need for you to draw the line, you have to get used to him being in your life.

"Take it, Xiao Ling." He whispered lowly in her ear as if casting a spell. "Spend the rest of your life with me."

"... Alright." The answer rushed out from her lips unknowingly.

He smiled, satisfied, and lowered his head to pull her into a deep kiss.

She felt her synapses firing as her breathing quickened, feeling his body slowly respond. "Li- Li Lei." Her voice shook, both hands on his chest, unsure if she wanted to pull him in or push him away. The last time they were together in the tea room, the tension between them had been so thick, it actually messed her up for a while, and today yet again?

She trembled slightly in his embrace, her eyes watering.

His fingertips were warm as he undid the top two buttons on her blouse, paused for a moment, and asked, "Bedroom?"

Her face glowed beet red instantly.

Li Lei barely hesitated, carrying her up into the room with urgency, and placed her onto the luxurious expanse of the bed. "Xiao Ling." There was a hoarseness in his voice this time as he undid her buttons. His fingers seemed to work like magic, and her breathing quickened yet again, her body practically melting.

"You, you can't..." She was tripping over her words now, trying to send him a glare, but it was no use.

Li Lei chuckled lowly. "I can't do what?"

A charming night indeed.

Xia Ling awoke the second day aching all over, feeling as if someone had rearranged all the bones in her body. She groaned in pain, letting last night's events slowly flood her mind... Li Lei, this was all Li Lei's fault! What kind of birthday celebration was this? It felt more like an opportunity for him to take advantage of her thoroughly!

Ah... it really hurt...

Moving was arduous, and she internally cursed herself for falling straight into his trap. Right, where was the culprit? She rolled over in bed and saw the man grinning right beside her. The pale golden sunlight shone on his unclothed upper half, illuminating his well-toned shoulders and chest. If she looked closely, she could make out faint scratches from fingernails, and those were probably her fault.

Her blush rose again at the thought.

"Like what you see?" He was smug, even pulling down the sheets to expose his waist.

"You... you shameless man!" Xia Ling covered her eyes.

He chuckled, first stretching his limbs lightly towards her, and then taking her hand to place it on his body. "You let me be shameless." He flirted back almost lazily.

Xia Ling really wanted to move her hand away, but, but... the way his skin felt was just amazing, the way his muscles were lean but not pronounced, like a leopard ready to pounce, elegant and powerful. She couldn't help but let her hand linger, before adding the other hand too.

Li Lei hadn't minded initially, but the more she went on, the more he began to grow impatient. "Are you testing me?" He suddenly grabbed her hands and flipped her over. "You're playing with fire."

Xia Ling gasped. She was at a loss as to how to respond.

Devoured yet again.

Once wasn't enough, it went on and on and on.

When they finally calmed down, Xia Ling lacked the energy even to lift a finger. Teary-eyed, she accused Li Lei. "Jerk! Shameless! I hate you!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm a shameless jerk. Hate me," Li Lei replied indifferently. After all, the deed had already been done. He felt like he owned a little kitten now, and the kitten's rage didn't bother him in the slightest, even pressing a small kiss on its forehead as consolation. "I'll bring you to shower now?"

"No!" Xia Ling was upset. What kind of person was this? After a night and half a day, how many times was this guy going to go? Everywhere was aching... Why wasn't he? Why did he have so much energy? What a loathsome man.

She was trying to suppress her tears.

"I'll sleep with you for a moment?" A satisfied Li Lei was good at talking, but he momentarily lost his focus as he trailed on. "Then at night again?"

"In your dreams!" Xia Ling refuted with the little energy she could muster. If she could, she would have suffocated him with a pillow.