014 Seeing the Prosperity as a Fleeting Dream

——When the dream fades away, she finds herself cast into a far - off corner of the world. In the prime of her youth, as delicate as a freshly - bloomed flower, she had long been the radiant center of their world. Even though the lights still blazed with the same dazzling brilliance and the laughter rang out as boisterously as ever, the spotlight no longer shone on her.

Chu Rui carried Ming Xichen back to his opulent suite on the seventh floor.

He sat on the king - sized bed, cradling her in his arms. Reaching out, he tenderly pushed aside the loose strands of her long hair that framed her face. Gazing at her lips, which had become even more enticing after the drink, he moistened his own lips with his tongue and gently brushed hers. His voice was as soft as a gentle stream, "Baby, I'll draw you a bath."

The moment he scooped her up in the private room, Chu Rui knew she wasn't drunk. For she was tense in his embrace, her body quivering slightly, and her hands clutching his neck tightly.

Over the years, Chu Rui had deciphered every one of her gestures and every glint in her eyes.

Why did she let herself sit in a stranger's arms just now in the private room? When he caught a clear look at the man's face, his heart churned with emotions that his calm exterior failed to conceal. It was as if fate was playing a malicious prank on him. The tranquil emotional haven he had painstakingly maintained for years was shattered in just two days. Everything was being unearthed, and he was thrust into their world, but there was no space for his story within it. He had become nothing more than a silent spectator.

Her childhood first love, the comic prince whose love had ended in heart - wrenching sorrow, appeared before him out of the blue, like a sudden tempest, catching him completely off - guard. His heart was like a tiny, fragile boat adrift on the vast ocean, one single wave threatening to engulf him in the abyss.

Ming Xichen remained silent. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her body against his, looking as languid and alluring as a seductive cat.

Her movements set his body ablaze. His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. His gentle eyes grew a bit misty.

Gazing at her crimson lips, he couldn't resist lowering his head to kiss her...

His body was in agony, but seeing the slight furrow on her forehead, Chu Rui's eyes were filled with profound心疼. An inexplicable bitterness welled up in his heart. Enduring the torment... he undressed her, took a deep breath, and forced himself not to linger on her exquisite form. Then he picked her up and strode into the bathroom. First, he fetched a hairpin from the cabinet and piled up her loose long hair. Then, with one arm around her waist, he let her lean against him, and with the other, he began to wash her.

Her face was pressed against his muscular chest. She closed her eyes, as docile as a kitten.

The warm water cascaded over her fair skin, and the droplets rolled and danced, like glistening dewdrops on a rose petal.

He squeezed some shower gel into his palm, rubbed it gently to warm it, and then spread it over her skin. His hands moved with the utmost gentleness, afraid that even the slightest pressure would harm or mar her.

He rinsed off the foam on her body, turned off the shower, grabbed a white towel at random, and dried her off. After that, he carried her out of the bathroom.

She was always as lazy as a well - pampered cat, her whole body limp in his arms, not stirring, not uttering a word, just closing her eyes and relishing his tenderness, his meticulous care. His care bordered on indulgence. She adored being spoiled by him like a precious gem. She was addicted to his tenderness and starved for his warmth...

He laid her on the big bed and covered her with a thin silk quilt. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Baby, I'll take a quick shower. I'll be right back."

After the bathroom door closed, Ming Xichen's eyes fluttered open slightly. Her long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, and then she fell silent once more.

Chu Rui finished his shower in a flash. He pushed open the bathroom door and stepped out, a towel slung around his waist. He walked to the bedside, lifted the thin quilt, tossed the towel aside carelessly, slipped under the quilt in a hurry, and lay down beside Ming Xichen.

Ming Xichen seemed to be fast asleep. Her warm breath fanned his face, warm and ticklish. He gently lifted her head and placed it on his arm. With his other hand, he removed the hairpin from her hair, and her long hair cascaded down his arm and onto the carpet like a waterfall.

He switched off the bedside lamp. In the darkness, he hugged the person in his arms tightly. Pressing his chin against the top of her head, he murmured softly, "Baby, I love you. I want you to promise me that you won't leave me. Okay, okay..."

A crystal - clear teardrop slipped from the corner of Xichen's eye as she slumbered...