Chapter 41: The Fall

While the man was showering, Cen Mo did indeed have a few sips of wine—just two or three, barely enough to count—but it was just enough to perk her up and help her let go of her inhibitions.

Since she had a good tolerance for alcohol, her thoughts remained perfectly clear; she was simply in high spirits, and every action she took now was entirely according to plan.

Given Cen Mo’s personality, she was not the type to sit around and wait for things to happen. Because of a slip of the tongue earlier, the man had spent a long time looking at her with an inscrutable expression. If he were to take the lead one day, wouldn't he wear her out completely?

Thinking of this, Cen Mo had been on pins and needles for some time. Why wait for a better day when she could just do it now? It would be better to take the initiative and get it over with. Besides, her relationship with Su Xingzhi was already so good that becoming more intimate was only a matter of time.

Having secretly used her phone over the past few days to brush up on some "knowledge," Cen Mo felt quite confident. It was just a sequence of steps, right? One step at a time; her comprehension skills weren’t exactly poor.

With that in mind, she proceeded, moving slowly and carefully while trying to recall the methods she had learned.

Su Xingzhi, for his part, indulged her, his hands tucked behind his head as he watched her, eyes unblinking.

The faint, clean scent of his body wash drifted toward her, mingled with his own unique fragrance. Cen Mo looked up and nibbled on his chin, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

Is it always going to be just me doing this? Wouldn’t that be too embarrassing? Didn't the internet say that at a time like this, all it takes is a little teasing and a man will...

The diligent student Cen, for the moment, felt quite bewildered and a wave of frustration washed over her.

"Are you... not in the mood?" She frowned, and after a moment, muttered softly, "Should we just forget it?"

Her waist was already firmly held, and getting away was impossible.

"Weren’t you trying to conquer me? Continue." The man’s tone carried a hint of command, and he looked at her with a half-smile.

With that, Cen Mo had no retreat. She furrowed her brows and pressed on, feeling quite annoyed. *Who’s afraid of whom?*

But after a while, she found she couldn't take it anymore. This was just too difficult! Plus, the descriptions she had read were so dry; it was nearly impossible to apply them in practice.

"Tired? Shall I take over the conquering now?" The man’s voice was gentle, and he kindly sought her opinion.

The positions were reversed. With her head resting on the soft mattress, Cen Mo blinked, not even having the chance to say anything.

How did things end up like this? She was supposed to be the one conquering... him.

However, once she thought about it, she felt a sense of relief. If he took the lead, she wouldn't have to struggle so hard to do anything. Looking at his reaction earlier, he hadn't seemed very passionate, so it should be over quickly, right? Thinking this, she felt at ease.

...

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Cen Mo was on the verge of a breakdown.

Strands of hair were plastered messily to her forehead. She felt as though she had run several eight-hundred-meter races; her face was flushed, and she had no strength left.

Weakly, she swatted at the man’s arm behind her, her voice filled with indignation: "Have you never been with a woman before? Can you just stay away from me..."

If she weren't a well-mannered person, she would have cursed out loud by now.

What happened to "quickly"? What happened to being gentle? This man acted as if he had encountered an enemy; he was biting her lips almost to the point of breaking them.

It was strange—she wasn't the one doing the work, so why was she so exhausted? Looking at the man beside her, he still looked full of energy. It was simply unfair.

As she was pulled into his arms and her cheek was kissed lightly, the man’s voice was raspy: "That’s right. I haven't. Only you."

Cen Mo couldn't handle his low voice; her ears turned red again.

Dazed, she was kissed again, the air seemingly stolen from her lungs. Unable to catch her breath, she heard the man ask, "Now, do you still want to conquer me?"

"Forget it, I don't dare, I don't dare..." Cen Mo mumbled, struggling to wave her hands.

Conquer him? If he would just let her go now, she would be eternally grateful.

"Then, do you think I’m capable now?" The man tidied her hair with deliberate slowness before asking again.

Why was he so vindictive? Turning to look at him, feeling like crying and laughing at the same time, Cen Mo nodded vigorously, almost giving him a thumbs-up. "Capable. You are very capable."

"Good. Then, not to let your praise go to waste, I’ll try a bit harder." Su Xingzhi chuckled and, like flipping a pancake, turned her over again.

Regret. Nothing but absolute, total regret.

If one had to describe Cen Mo’s current mood, it would be those words. Why on earth did she provoke this man? If she had known this would be the outcome, she should have stayed locked in her room.

And she had even foolishly come over to provoke him, claiming she wanted to conquer him? In the end, she was the one thoroughly conquered, and in every room of the house, no less.

Looking at the tables, chairs, and windowsills in the room, Cen Mo felt that all of them had lost their innocence...

She eventually drifted off into a dazed, exhausted sleep. When she opened her eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky.

Her pride-and-joy biological clock had failed. Not only could she not get up in the morning, but she wanted to bury herself in the quilt and sleep for another day. Enduring the discomfort, she moved her limbs and sighed softly, cursing the man a hundred times over in her heart.

Break up. They absolutely had to break up. This life was impossible to live.

What time was it last night? She couldn't remember exactly, but it was definitely the early hours of the morning. Her eyes had been unable to stay open, and she had fallen asleep right in the bathroom.

Leaning weakly against the headboard, Cen Mo glanced over. The space beside her was empty; Su Xingzhi was not in the bedroom.

Unable to vent her frustrations, she sighed gloomily and climbed out to put on her slippers.

When Su Xingzhi walked in, he saw the empty bedroom, the quilt tossed aside in a messy heap.

He raised an eyebrow and placed the tray he was carrying on the table. He reached over to test the sheets; the spot where the woman had slept was still warm. She hadn't been gone long.

He had woken up earlier than Cen Mo, and seeing her sleeping so soundly, he hadn't had the heart to wake her. She had truly been exhausted last night.

But where could someone who had been fast asleep just moments ago have gone? He had been downstairs the whole time and hadn't heard the front door open, so he was certain she hadn't left.

Thinking this, Su Xingzhi left the room to search for her.

The bathroom was empty, there was no one in any of the other rooms, not even on the terrace downstairs. Only then did he start to get worried, heading straight for the swimming pool on the top floor.

Sure enough, in the center of the azure water, a slender figure was swimming. The woman was wearing a pale pink swimsuit, which made her skin look snow-white, like a little mermaid. She was swimming along grumpily, with only her head above the water.

So, she had run here the moment she woke up to express her dissatisfaction?

He found it amusing. Removing his shirt, Su Xingzhi jumped into the water.

Hearing the splash, Cen Mo knew he had followed her. She immediately ducked her head and paddled away with a clumsy doggy paddle.

Even though she had learned the freestyle, in moments like this, she instinctively reverted to her old habits. Of course, she didn't get very far before the man caught up to her from behind.

"What's wrong?" He pulled her toward the edge of the pool and asked with a smile.

Cen Mo didn't answer, turning her head away with an arrogant air.

In truth, she hadn't planned on swimming when she first woke up, but after wandering around and seeing the pool, she felt like getting in. It was partly out of spite, but mostly it was an act of avoidance, because she felt too ashamed.

Trying to conquer and being conquered instead—that sort of thing really damaged her image...

She had thought he wouldn't be able to find her here, but within a few minutes, he had caught up.

She sighed, feeling it was all quite tiresome. She gripped the edge of the pool, trying to climb out, but he pinned her in place. She flailed a few times, but to no success.

"Are you angry, baby?" Su Xingzhi quite liked seeing her like this. Although she didn't realize it, her cheeks were slightly puffed out, making her look a bit like an angry little pufferfish.

He knew better than anyone that his lack of restraint would tire her out. But in the heat of last night, he doubted anyone could have controlled themselves.

He held her and coaxed her for a while. The pool water was temperature-controlled, so even though the weather had turned cold, it remained warm. Soaking in it felt like being in a hot spring; it was quite pleasant.

Cen Mo had only been sulking a little, and by now, her anger had mostly dissipated. She turned to look at him and issued a stern warning: "We must set a rule. At most twice a week. Any more than that, and we're breaking up, understand?"

"Fine, as long as you're happy." Su Xingzhi agreed easily, pinching her tender earlobe, then suddenly chuckled softly. "But, Momo, I can be certain that I wasn't the only one who enjoyed last night."

At this, Cen Mo’s ears and cheeks turned bright red. As if her secret thoughts had been laid bare, she remained silent for a long time.

After a while, she said, "How about... three times a week?"

The man shook his head and whispered something in her ear.

Cen Mo was instantly annoyed again: "Why are you pushing your luck? What do you mean 'every day,' every day..."

Before she could finish, he picked her up and carried her out of the pool, wrapped her in a towel, dried her off, and brought her back to his bedroom.

How did the scene end up back here? The sheets were freshly changed. Cen Mo sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling gloomy and exhausted.

For the first time, she was actually looking forward to going to work. How wonderful work was; work made her happy...

The bad luck was that today was Saturday, and she still didn't have to go to work.

Fortunately, seeing that she was truly tired, the man was considerate enough not to do anything else, letting her get some rest.

Cen Mo curled up in the quilt and, for the first time, slept soundly through the day, not waking up until the sun had set. She sat up, dazed, looking around. Why was it so dark?

She didn't even know what time it was.

A while later, she was carried to the bathroom. Only after washing up did she feel clear-headed. As she noticed him helping her put on a coat, she asked blankly, "Are we going out?"

"My mother called and asked us to come over for dinner." Su Xingzhi tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and planted a kiss on her cheek.