Chapter 532 - 366: Breaking Free from the Shackles

Chapter 532: Chapter 366: Breaking Free from the Shackles

"Y-You’ve decided?"

Although she had been urging Lin Chen to make up his mind, the moment she actually heard his decision, she clearly tensed up.

"Yes, I’ve decided."

Lin Chen nodded, exhaled, and smiled. "You’re right. I have to go. No matter which hat I’m wearing, I have to go. It’s basic etiquette for Da Xia People."

"...Right, you’re doing the right thing," she said, forcing a smile. "Then what are you waiting for? Go on and ask Lady Marcia about her husband!"

"And you need to pack your bags, right? You can’t go empty-handed. You’ll need a change of clothes. Go back and pack!"

As she spoke, she pushed him toward the door, the force from her small hands greater than ever before.

When they reached the door, she took a step past him, intending to reach out and open it.

Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed. He grabbed her wrist, pressing forward and using his size to pin her against the side of the wardrobe.

THUD!

His knee slammed hard into the wardrobe, the pain making the corner of his mouth twitch uncontrollably. But the shocked and avoidant look on the exquisite face so close to his was like a spark, instantly igniting the emotions he had suppressed for so long.

Without giving the girl a chance to react, he abruptly lowered his head and captured her tempting, rosy lips.

"?!"

The orange-flavored lip balm had a light, sweet taste. The incredibly soft touch was even more delicious than he had imagined, causing him to lose himself almost the instant their lips met.

The girl’s soft body tensed up again for a moment, but then, bit by bit, it began to relax.

At first, she symbolically pounded his chest a few times with her little fists in protest. But after just a few seconds, her fists opened into palms that rested lightly on his shoulders, and then, without realizing it, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The temperature in the room slowly rose. Though it was only early spring, with an average room temperature in the teens Celsius, it climbed to over twenty degrees in just a few minutes. Sweat had already dampened the hair at both their temples.

Having not been intimate with anyone for who knows how long, neither of them could control the fiery emotions burning within. Just as the blaze was about to consume them both, Lin Chen managed to hit the brakes at the critical moment.

"Hoo..."

He took a deep breath, forcibly calming his impulses, his gaze fixed on the girl’s cherry lips, which were now slightly red and swollen.

She hadn’t put up any real resistance from start to finish. It seemed what she said on the island a few days ago was true.

’If I really wanted her, she wouldn’t refuse me.’

Jin Meiyan’s red lips were slightly parted as she took small, fragrant breaths. Even now, she hadn’t fully processed the shocking reality of what had just happened.

"O... Oppa... you... why..."

"Can’t figure it out, can you?"

A roguish smile played on Lin Chen’s lips, making him seem like a completely different person.

"Thanks to you, I’ve figured things out."

"Before, I was so bound by the past that I didn’t even realize it. But after opening up to you, the shackles that held me back seemed to vanish, and my thoughts have become incredibly clear."

"Erica used to complain to me a lot. She’d ask why Asians are so fond of bottling up their emotions and not following their instincts. Then I heard what you said about the current state of society in South Korea, including the changing views on relationships among young people."

"I suddenly realized something. We’re not in Asia right now, we’re in North America. We Da Xia People have an old saying: when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

"Since I’m in North America and destined to live here for a long time, I need to integrate into the local society."

As he spoke, Jin Meiyan had a strange premonition that he was about to say something very important. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she looked up at him, nervous and apprehensive.

"I’ve said it before—I’m a very ordinary man. I can’t look away when I see a beautiful woman, and I can’t resist basic temptations. That goes double for a top-tier influencer and beauty blogger, the lovely Miss Jin Meiyan."

"Since we both have feelings for each other, why should we live so miserably? What’s wrong with being a little selfish and following our hearts?"

"I like you. What about you?"

!!!!!

Jin Meiyan’s eyes widened in disbelief, and her breathing quickened.

She never would have thought that during what was supposed to be their last period of time together before parting ways, she would hear those words from his mouth.

’Am I dreaming?’

"I... I like you too, Oppa. But Erica-eonni..."

"Of course, I like her too."

"???"

Jin Meiyan’s eyes widened again. "What do you mean? Oppa, do you really want both of us?"

"Yes," he admitted with a frank nod. "Like I said, I’m just an ordinary man. I can’t resist the charms of both of you. I’m just that greedy."

"Didn’t you say that it’s popular for the younger generation in South Korean society to maintain ambiguous relationships? They even came up with a special word for it. Aren’t we in that kind of relationship right now?"

"Since we both have feelings for each other, why not try seeing where it goes? Just like with me and Erica. Oh, no, to be precise, I haven’t really spent much time with her either. These past few weeks have been too busy. I’ve wronged her in that respect."

"But I’ve only ever kissed her. Now, you’re both at the same stage. It might sound a bit narcissistic, but why not try competing for me fairly?"

Jin Meiyan blinked her beautiful, big eyes, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Pfft-hahaha! Oppa, you’re not supposed to spell out an ambiguous relationship! It’s a tacit understanding, an exchange of glances, something you both just know. No one lays it all out on the table like you just did. That’s not ambiguity anymore; it’s a confession."

"Oh, is that so..." He scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled. "I’m not Korean, so how would I know your customs? In that case, just take it as a confession."

"Anyway, I’ve made my choice. Now it’s your turn to make yours."

Jin Meiyan looked up at his face with a complicated expression, seeing nothing but sincerity in his eyes.

After a long moment, she sighed softly, stood on her tiptoes, and pecked him lightly on the corner of his mouth.

"I used to hate getting involved in other people’s relationships more than anything. I can’t believe I ended up becoming the kind of person I despise. I really don’t know what’s so great about a scoundrel like you that makes me unable to leave."

To be honest, the two of them had never publicly announced their whale-watching plan. If she had been determined to leave, she would have been long gone instead of dragging it out until now.

Or perhaps, filming the whale-watching video was just an excuse. From the very beginning, she was just putting pressure on herself.

Only now did she realize that she was the one who was most unwilling to leave.

She had only been here for two weeks, yet she had fallen for a man who was already in an ambiguous relationship with another woman. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated with herself for being so weak-willed.

But that’s just how feelings are. They come so suddenly, giving you no time to prepare.

"When the time comes, we’ll go visit Erica together. Andre, too. He was a contestant on the same show as us, so her father must know him."

"As long as the three of us show up together, things won’t be so complicated. It’ll just be a simple visit from friends."

He held the girl’s soft, pliant waist tightly, greedily inhaling the enchanting fragrance of her hair.

’The thought that the girl in his arms was a goddess desired by tens of thousands of men in South Korea sent an uncontrollable impulse surging through him. He wished he could transform into a knight and charge into battle right then and there.’

But that kind of plot only happens in Korean comics and Japanese dramas. They had just confessed their feelings for each other. If he moved on to the next step right away, his intentions would be far too obvious and would make the girl feel insecure.

He admitted that he was a scumbag now, that was true, but he wasn’t so much of a scumbag that he couldn’t control his basic instincts.

Perhaps it was because he had finally voiced his hidden thoughts, but he felt the restraints that had been holding him down disappear completely, leaving him feeling much lighter.

’No wonder people in North America like to be so direct,’ he thought. ’It certainly feels good, but it lacks the subtle beauty of the Asian way. I guess each has its pros and cons.’

"Go... together?"

Jin Meiyan nodded thoughtfully. It was indeed a good idea.

Out of guilt toward Erica, she decided to hide their relationship for the time being. After all, Erica’s father had just been injured and hospitalized. Revealing their affair now would only make it look like she was taking advantage of the situation.

When she shared this concern with Lin Chen, he nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Same thing I was thinking. Looks like we really are on the same wavelength. Could this be the so-called telepathy?"

"Telepathy my foot! We only just met a few days ago and don’t know much about each other. How could we have telepathy?"

"Oh really? I don’t believe you. Why don’t you try guessing what I’m thinking right now?"

Lin Chen gave a mysterious smile, staring at her stunning face without another word, but his gaze slowly drifted down to her tempting lips.

Jin Meiyan’s breath caught, and her heart, which had yet to calm down, instantly started racing again.

She knew it was wrong to do this now, but she couldn’t control the emotions she had suppressed for so long. She took the initiative, stood on her tiptoes, and offered up a sweet kiss.

Fortunately, they both exercised restraint and didn’t take things any further.

After they had each taken a shower and come out, the amorous atmosphere in the room still hadn’t dissipated.

Lin Chen coughed twice and averted his gaze, not daring to meet hers for fear of igniting another spark.

He hurried over to the dining table, logged onto his computer, and found his old chat window with Lady Marcia from the show’s backend system.

As he hit the enter key, both of their hearts were in their throats.

"She probably won’t reply that quickly. Lady Marcia is a president, a very busy person with a lot of work to handle every day. We’ll have to wait patient—"

DING!