He retreated to the opposite seat with effortless grace. But the momentum of his pull sent her stumbling forward—
Xia Chenchen crashed against him. Her soft lips brushed his cheek like a phantom kiss. A jolt of electricity shot down his spine, darkening his gaze. Chenchen froze, then recoiled in a panic, cheeks blazing.
Losing balance, she pitched backward. A startled yelp escaped her as she instinctively grabbed his sleeve. Bai Yeqing's brow furrowed. In one fluid motion, his arm banded around her waist, hauling her back—
Straight onto his lap.
His palm burned through her thin dress, branding her skin. Her pulse roared in her ears.
They were too close. The air thickened with tension.
His eyes—deep enough to drown in—locked onto hers. Her fingers curled into his shoulders, trembling. Her heart hammered wildly. This man was perilous. His mere presence stole her breath, unraveled her senses.
"Sir?" The partition slid open abruptly. Leng Fei's voice cut through the haze. "Is everything—"
He froze.
Ah.
The scene before him: The President. Xia Chenchen. Entangled on his lap.
His intrusion was a fatal mistake.
Meeting Leng Fei's shocked stare, Chenchen flushed crimson. "Let me go!" she whispered, squirming.
Bai Yeqing's grip tightened. "Be still," he commanded, voice icy. His glare shifted to Leng Fei. "Keep your head where it belongs unless summoned."
"Understood, Sir!" Leng Fei vanished instantly. Despite their startling chemistry, this was impossible. Worlds apart.
...
The partition sealed them in silence. Chenchen's drunkenness faded into cold clarity.
"I… apologize for my behavior." She avoided his eyes, guilt stabbing her as she glimpsed the bleeding bite mark on his neck. Her drunken rage.
"You loved him?" Bai Yeqing's question sliced through the quiet. At her confusion, he clarified, icy detachment masking something else: "Xu Yan. If you wish, I could compel him to marry you. Compensation."
"No!" The refusal tore from her. "I don't want that." Shadows clouded her eyes. "I… don't love him anymore."
"Is that so?" Skepticism laced his voice. Suddenly, his fingers gripped her chin, forcing her gaze upward.
His eyes searched hers—lingering on the frantic flutter of her lashes. Whatever he'd meant to say vanished. Instead, his voice dropped, rough and intimate: "Is pain all you recall?"
"What…?"
He leaned infinitesimally closer. "Seems I remember… more than you do."
The words hung, thick and charged.
Chenchen's mind blanked. Heat flooded her face. He remembered?The heat? The frantic touches? The whispered secrets in the dark?
She dared not ask. Shoving against his shoulders, she scrambled off his lap, collapsing onto the opposite seat. She felt his gaze like a physical touch—scorching her skin.
The climate-controlled car suddenly felt suffocating. She fanned herself uselessly. Why would he say that?!
Across from her, Bai Yeqing merely watched her fluster, a faint, enigmatic curve touching his lips. He picked up a document, feigning nonchalance.
Clearly, he mused, some memories burned brighter than pain.
...
The convoy glided into the presidential estate.
Servants emerged as the car halted. Chenchen had slumped against the window, asleep. Leng Fei moved to wake her. Bai Yeqing silenced him with a look. He scooped her into his arms again.
Leng Fei's jaw tightened. Another boundary crossed.
Bai Yeqing carried Chenchen straight to her second-floor bedroom. Xia Dabai glanced up from his homework, eyes wide.
"Whoa! Why's Xia Dabao with you, Xiao Bai?"
"..." The nickname grated. Bai Yeqing's voice brooked no argument. "Call me 'Father'."
"Sure, Father!" Dabai grinned cheekily. "Xiao Bai, did you carry Xia Dabao home?"
Bai Yeqing suppressed a sigh. Only Dabai dared this irreverence. At least the boy knew decorum in public.
"Xiao Bai," Dabai chirped, scrambling to pull back the covers, "Xia Dabao smells nice, right? Like flowers!"
Bai Yeqing arched a brow but remained silent. He laid Chenchen down gently. As her arm slid from his shoulder, her scent enveloped him—sweet, delicate, exactly as he recalled from five years ago. A scent that blurred reason.
He steeled himself, ruffling Dabai's hair. "Finish your studies."
"Okay!" Dabai bounced back to his desk. Pausing, he chewed his pencil, then swiveled, big eyes earnest. "Father? Will you marry my mom?"
Bai Yeqing stilled. "Why ask this?"
"Xia Dabao's heart is broken. That's why she drank. She liked the man marrying Aunt Xingkong." Dabai's voice wobbled. "I hate seeing her sad."
The boy saw too much.
Bai Yeqing's gaze drifted to Chenchen's restless form. His reply was cool, final: "My marriage won't heal her. Only her chosen man can do that."