Unbuckle His Belt

The night was calm and peaceful in the small villa, the moon barely visible in the sky, with only a few stars scattered across the dark expanse. A warm breeze gently blew, carrying with it the faint scent of the night.

On the white round table in the garden lay a bottle of medicinal wine.

Qiao Xi and Huo Xingzhou sat leisurely on the swing chair in the courtyard, the soft creaking of the chair accompanying their quiet conversation.

She poured a glass and set it in front of Huo Xingzhou. "Try this, it's Ba Zhen wine," she said, her voice light.

Ba Zhen wine was made from a blend of herbs such as Angelica, Atractylodes, Rehmannia, and Ginseng. It was said to replenish energy and blood, and regulate the spleen and stomach.

They had made a pact in the countryside to drink medicinal wine once they returned to Haicheng.

Tonight was the perfect occasion for it.

Huo Xingzhou took the glass and drank it in one go. He paused for a moment, savoring the taste before saying, "It's not the same as the Ba Zhen wine I used to drink. Did you alter the recipe?"

"Is it?" Qiao Xi frowned slightly. She poured herself a glass and took a sip.

There was a faint, salty taste.

She wasn't very experienced with medicinal wines and murmured, "Maybe it's because I let it steep for too long. Mr. Huo, you should drink less. Aged wine can be strong and intoxicating."

"It's fine," Huo Xingzhou replied, leaning back against the long garden chair, his voice lazy.

He took another two sips, and his cold, jade-like features seemed to glow with a gentle flush, his eyes just a little red at the edges. He appeared both noble and restrained.

Qiao Xi couldn't help but lose herself in the sight.

Turning his head, Huo Xingzhou noticed her eyes, swollen like walnuts, and let out a soft laugh. "Why did you start crying when they did? Were you moved too?"

Qiao Xi smiled softly. "I cried because I was happy."

"Happy?" He raised an eyebrow.

Qiao Xi sat obediently beside him, her voice gentle. "Because Mr. Huo showed me that good people get their just rewards."

Huo Xingzhou didn't speak for a moment, but his thumb brushed lightly across her cheek, his hand warm against her skin.

"Qiao Xi, don't give a man the 'good person card,'" he said, his voice rough as if strained.

She nuzzled into his hand, asking softly, "Why?"

"Because," he said, his voice lower now, "I might... not want to be a good person anymore."

Qiao Xi looked up at him, her heart racing as she saw her reflection in his eyes. It felt as if something had ignited inside her, a fierce warmth flooding through her veins.

The silence stretched on for a while, heavy with unspoken words.

She shifted slightly, trying to create some space between them. But the swing chair creaked, and from the corner of her eye, she saw that he had already noticed. He was looking at her with a smile that was more teasing than reassuring.

"Little doctor, what did you add to the wine?" His voice was darker now, less controlled, more indulgent.

The heat that was building inside him was familiar to her. She could feel it in the way his breath had quickened, in the way his eyes had darkened.

The wine... something about it felt off.

"I didn't add anything," Qiao Xi said, bewildered.

The night air felt thick with heat. Even in her strapless dress, her palms were slick with perspiration.

Suddenly, Huo Xingzhou leaned toward her, his body closer than before. The chains of the swing chair rattled, and she found herself lying back on the long chair, her back pressed against the cold metal.

She instinctively shivered, but he was quick, removing his jacket and placing it under her back.

"Is it still cold?" he asked, his gaze looking down at her.

Qiao Xi shook her head, her breath coming out in little gasps.

She was burning with heat now.

Her anxiousness seemed to reflect in her eyes, which were misting over, and she looked up at him.

Huo Xingzhou leaned closer, one hand bracing himself beside her while the other began to undo the buttons of his white shirt.

One.

Two.

"Mr. Huo!" Qiao Xi couldn't help but speak out, her voice faltering. "What... what are you doing?"

"I'm going to make you think about what you added to the wine," he murmured, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was more like a punishment. His heated breath sent shivers down her spine.

The kiss was intense, almost suffocating, and her body responded in ways she couldn't understand. The heat between them was so overwhelming that she felt like she might burn up if she didn't cool down.

Her body was on fire, and the more she tried to resist, the stronger the pull became.

The scent of the wine, the salty aftertaste, lingered on her tongue. Her mind was a haze of confusion and desire. She couldn't stop herself from wanting more, even though she knew it was wrong.

She gasped against his lips, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "It's... deer blood," she whispered, almost as if in a trance.

The salty taste... it was deer blood!

No wonder Jiao Jiao had given her such a meaningful look before leaving.

She had added deer blood wine to the Ba Zhen wine.

Huo Xingzhou pulled back, his eyes dark with an unreadable expression. "Qiao Xi," he said, his voice now low and commanding, "Next time, just say what you want. No need to do it this way."

His hand moved quickly, unbuckling his belt, pulling it halfway free.

Qiao Xi panicked and grabbed his wrist. "It wasn't me... Why are you unbuckling your belt?"

"Because I'm hot," he muttered, his kiss trailing along her lips, down to her jaw, and the nape of her neck.

The metallic sound of his belt clinking against the chair echoed in the silence.

Qiao Xi squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look at the intense desire in his eyes.

Just as things were about to progress further, the phone on the white round table began to buzz.

Huo Xingzhou reached for it and silenced the call, but within moments, it rang again.

Qiao Xi, her voice barely above a whisper, said, "Mr. Huo, please answer it." She reclined slightly against the chair, her hands covering her skirt, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and desire.

Huo Xingzhou bit his lip, his jaw tight as he grabbed the phone with a firm hand. His entire posture was one of restraint, his body tense as he stood and walked toward the room.

He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the caller ID before he answered.

"Hello," he said coldly.

Qiao Xi, watching from the terrace, could see him through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the bedroom. The normally composed man was now disheveled, his shirt undone, his belt hanging loosely, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of his muscular waist.

He looked... captivating.

But something about him was different tonight. His voice, when he spoke, was even colder than usual, and she could almost feel the simmering anger beneath his calm exterior.

Who could be calling him like this, at such a moment?

After a while, he hung up the phone, his expression neutral once again.

He turned to look at Qiao Xi on the terrace. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Alright," she responded, her voice soft.

But inside, she couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of relief and disappointment.

...

Meanwhile, at the Su family's house, chaos was unfolding.

Su Weiwei was crying hysterically, slamming her fists against her belly as though blaming the unborn child.

"Bastard! Bastard! Why won't you just fall out already?" she screamed in desperation.

"Weiwei, stop! You're hurting yourself!" Zhao Yuzhen rushed to stop her, her face filled with concern. "The child is innocent."

Su Weiwei shoved her away, her eyes filled with hatred.

"This is all your fault! You're the one who insisted on bringing that village girl here to take my place! If I'd married Huo Xingzhou, I'd be the CEO's wife by now! Was that your plan all along?"

Her voice was sharp, cutting through the air as she screamed in frustration.

Zhao Yuzhen tried to explain, but Su Weiwei was beyond reason. Grabbing her by the hair, Su Weiwei slapped her across the face repeatedly.

"I hate you! I hate Qiao Xi! Make her give my place back to me!"

Her cries were raw, filled with anguish and bitterness.

Slap!

Su Heng's face was dark with fury as he slapped Su Weiwei across the face.

"Are you awake now?"

Su Weiwei crumpled to the floor, her face streaked with tears.

Su Heng looked at her coldly. "You're pregnant with Huo Beiting's child. Let it go. Besides, Huo Xingzhou's legs are useless. What's there to be jealous of?"

"Why does a village girl get a better life than me?" Su Weiwei's voice was filled with resentment.

"If only I had married Huo Xingzhou back then..." she thought, her mind consumed with jealousy.

Su Heng's voice was icy. "You'll have to accept it."

He turned to Zhao Yuzhen, whose hair was a mess and whose face was swollen from the slaps. His tone softened slightly.

"Yuzhen, don't fight with Weiwei. Tomorrow, go apologize to Qiao Xi. There's no overnight enmity between a mother and daughter. Let the families move on normally from now on."

He gave Zhao Yuzhen a rare, approving look. "She's your daughter, which makes her my daughter as well."

Zhao Yuzhen's gaze darkened. She could feel the weight of his words.

Su Heng wanted her to bow her head to Qiao Xi, but she had no choice but to obey.

"Alright," she said, her voice filled with resignation.

Su Weiwei sat on the floor, her eyes dark with malice.

She wouldn't let Qiao Xi get away with this.

Once she found out the truth, she'd make her suffer.