Chapter 28

There was no resistance from him as our lips met. And as I pulled off his shirt, flashbacks of our first night together rushed through my mind, making me feel bashful. My hands trembled as I reached to unbutton his pants.

"See… you are a pervert," Zai said mockingly, and I jerked my hand away. He grabbed my wrist, pulled my hand back down while kissing me tenderly, then pressed my palm against the bulge in his pants and whispered, "Don't stop now."My face was burning.

We spent the next hour together in bed, with me taking the lead. After two rounds, Zai picked me up and set me down in the chair near the bed.

"You still have to work tomorrow," he commented. It sounded more like he was talking to himself than to me. Then he left the room to take a shower.

About fifteen minutes later, he came out with his hair dripping wet and wearing only swimming trunks."You should shower too," he mumbled before heading outside, his expression pained.

I work tomorrow... It hadn't occurred to me—maybe Zai was just being considerate. Did he notice how tired I was? Is that why he's been less handsy lately? I should ask him...

After showering and changing into my swimsuit, I stepped outside and saw Zai speaking quietly to one of the staff members. The moment he looked at me, he ended the conversation and walked straight over.

"You're so gorgeous," he said, cupping both my cheeks and staring at me with soft, affectionate eyes.

"So are you," I replied shyly, before I could come up with something wittier.

Zai rolled his eyes, then lifted me into his arms, princess style, and carried me to the pool.

"Can you swim?" he asked on the way.

"Yes," I replied.As soon as I said that, he dropped me into the deep end of the pool.

I panicked and flailed until I eventually floated back up to the surface."Zai! You jerk!" I screamed.

He jumped in beside me with a huge splash, sending water into my face. When he surfaced, he just smiled and said,

"Oops."

I splashed him, shouting, "Oops?! You definitely did that on purpose, you ass—"Before I could finish, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into another kiss.

The stars were out, and it was cold when we left the pool. Towels were waiting for us, folded neatly on lounge chairs. When we returned to the room, clothes had been laid out on the bed for us: a long white sundress for me and a white T-shirt, black jeans, and a white zippered hoodie for him.

I folded my earlier clothes into the shopping bag. Zai put our bathing suits in plastic bags and tucked them into a backpack he had stashed under the bed.

"You... really planned out everything," I noted.

He pulled a long velvet jewelry box from the bag's side pocket."Do you want to go home tonight, or stay here?"

My eyes locked onto the box."I think we should leave... Someone's probably looking forward to visiting in the morning. Plus, I'm sure it'd cost a fortune to stay here overnight—with the whole place shut down."

Zai turned toward me, held out the black box, and said,

"Snowe, will you marry me?"

My face heated instantly."We're already married!" I said, flustered.

""Things are different on Earth—and on Infaniya too. I know we've already made our vows, but… having a real wedding makes it official. Even they'd have to acknowledge it then. Besides, I want to give you a wedding. I don't want you to miss out on that just because you're with me."

My heart was flipping in my chest as I opened the box. Inside was a platinum lariat necklace, delicate but bold, holding three snowflake-shaped pendants. Each one shimmered with a heart-shaped pink diamond at its center. The craftsmanship was stunning, but it wasn't just the beauty—it was the meaning. Only recently had I told him my favorite color was pink… and that snow wasn't just my name—it was my most cherished childhood memory.

"You... must hate social events like that," I whispered, tearing up again.

Zai stood and helped me clasp the necklace around my neck.

"Yeah… I find weddings annoying. But I care about you, and I thought it was something you might want. Plus, it's different if it's my wedding. That's something I can actually look forward to."

I stared at him in silence, heart racing, overwhelmed by everything this moment meant. Then it hit me—

"Oh!" I suddenly remembered, laughing through a sniffle.

"I never answered you properly. Yes. Yes, I'll marry you. Again and again, if you keep asking."

He chuckled, stepping close enough that our foreheads touched. His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then it's a deal. You're mine. And I'm yours."

"I always have been," I said. "Who else am I going to marry?! There's no way anyone else could be this good to me! You ruined it for everyone else."

Then he kissed me—not in a heated, desperate way, but with something gentler. Slower. Reverent. The kind of kiss that said thank you and I'm safe with you all at once.

He hugged me and spun me around.

"Exactly as planned! You can't live without me." I punched his arm lightly, causing him to laugh.

It was around 1 a.m. when we finally left. I fell asleep during the car ride home, and Zai carried me to bed so I could sleep until it was time to leave again for work.

I felt groggy on the ride there, but I tried my best to hide it so Zai wouldn't feel bad.

"Are you staying today?" I asked as soon as we arrived.

"No... I still have some things to take care of."

I frowned. He leaned over and kissed me, instantly replacing my frown with a smile.

"I'm going to be busy for a while... but as soon as you get a break, you can join me.By the way, which one is better—the beach or a lake?"

"Um..." My sleepy brain was struggling to switch topics or make decisions.

"Do you prefer being inside or outside?" he added.

"Inside... beach," I replied. He nodded.

"All right. See you when you get off."

"Wait, no! That's not how you say bye! You have to kiss me and say you love me."

Apparently, I was too tired to filter my thoughts. But Zai complied without hesitation.

"I love you," he whispered as our lips parted.

My whole body melted.I'm wide awake now!

I worked harder than ever, finishing two new recordings. Mark was in today to tell me we'd be shooting a music video over the next month. I was asked for my input on the theme, and then Mark made a phone call and left.

"We don't have any more songs to record today, so go home and rest," Richard told me. "We'll contact you when it's time to start filming." He walked off with his team. Lisa patted my shoulder and asked,

"Is it okay if I text you?"

I nodded, and she smiled.

Zai was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, already looking toward the door before I even called him. He caught the attention of everyone leaving the building—and even a few people passing by on the sidewalk.

"You ready to go home?" he called out. I nodded, trying to ignore all the strangers watching us.

As soon as I was within reach, Zai spun me around by my waist and pulled me into an embrace. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone snap a photo. I was going to complain, but my mind blanked the moment I saw Zai's face.

He gently set me down so we could walk to the car.

"You two are so cute!" Lisa yelled after us.My embarrassment exploded, and I started walking faster.

I was about to open the passenger-side door when Zai stopped me.

"You're driving us home today."

WHAT?!He held the driver's door open for me and waited until I sat down before closing it. I was still in shock when he got in the passenger seat and pecked my cheek.

"Okay, first adjust the seat until you're comfortable."

I did, sliding it forward until my feet could reach the pedals.

"Buckle your seatbelt and make sure you can see clearly in all the mirrors. Only use your right foot to press the gas and brake—your left foot rests on the footrest."

I followed his instructions.

"There's a backup camera, but you should always turn and check your surroundings too. The smaller pedal is the gas, the other is the brake. Hold the brake and push the engine start button."

The car was much louder than expected when it turned on.

"Good..." Zai stroked my thigh, then tugged gently at the hem of my skirt. "Don't be so nervous."

"You're not helping!" I answered, my voice trembling.

He removed his hand and smiled, continuing patiently.

Pulling out of the lot was harder than I imagined—mostly because of my nerves. I knew I'd have to drive on the highway to get home. Zai never raised his voice, not even when I slammed the brakes or almost pulled out in front of another car right after he told me to wait.

Somehow, we made it home safely. But I was too scared to drive the speed limit, so we were passed by multiple cars—some honking, some shouting curses from their windows.

I was exhausted by the time we arrived.

"I think you did well," Zai noted.

"Oh, shut up! That was terrifying! I was so worried I'd wreck your car!"

He chuckled. "Don't worry about that. I only care about teaching you how to drive—not the car."

That actually eased my stress.

"Do you work tomorrow?" he asked.

"Oh, no! I've got a few days off!" I replied eagerly.

He turned away and got out of the car without another word. I thought he'd say more... Confused, I followed after him.

"Welcome home, guys! What's for dinner?" Valin greeted.

"Quiet," Zai snapped, sounding irritated.

Valin mimed zipping his lips, and then Zai turned to me with a sweet smile."Let's go upstairs."

He's acting weird...

"Okay..." I said hesitantly, following him up to our room.