Chapter 236: Sudden Palpitation

Li Fengzhi looked at Chen Xi and his wife and said with a sigh, "For parents, as long as our children are happy, that’s all that matters.

The most we can do is keep an eye out and see if our child has found the right person. Chen Mo seems like a fine young man. I have no objections, so it all comes down to Yuqing’s own choice.

As for me, I’ll respect whatever Yuqing decides. I won’t try to force her hand in any way."

Hearing this, Chen Xi and his wife immediately looked at each other and smiled. The most critical issue was settled. Now, things would be much simpler for the two kids.

Back at home, Su Yuqing and Chen Mo immediately dashed to their rooms to shower.

After all, they were uncomfortably sticky with cake frosting.

After showering and changing into casual clothes, the two emerged into the living room, feeling refreshed.

"Should we go back and help? The house is so big, and it’s a huge mess. It must be tiring for Mom and the others to clean up," Su Yuqing said, a little worried.

"I just texted my mom and asked," Chen Mo replied with a smile. "She said they’ve already hired a cleaning service. Your mom and Uncle Li have already gone home."

"Oh, I see." With that, Su Yuqing finally sat down to rest, relieved.

She had been the star of the show today. Although it didn’t seem like she’d done much, the happiness was coupled with deep mental exhaustion.

Seeing her sprawled out on the sofa, Chen Mo smiled, walked around behind her, and began to gently massage her temples.

"What’s the matter? Tired out after just one day as the birthday girl?"

"Well, you have to accept everyone’s well-wishes and return their kindness," Su Yuqing said with a smile, her eyes closed. Her voice was tinged with a lazy huskiness.

Chen Mo fell silent, his fingertips circling her temples even more gently. He could feel the softness of her hair and the faint thrum of her pulse beneath her skin.

Gradually, Su Yuqing’s breathing grew long and even, like a tranquil stream on a spring afternoon. The last bit of strength supporting her body seemed to melt away.

Chen Mo slowly stopped, looking down at her.

She had fallen asleep without even realizing it.

The soft light of the living room spilled over her, casting a warm halo around her sleeping face.

Su Yuqing’s head was tilted slightly against the back of the sofa. A few still-damp strands of hair clung playfully to her smooth temples and cheek.

Chen Mo studied her face. Her eyelashes were so thick and long. Drooping peacefully now, they cast small, fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyes, which seemed to tremble faintly with each steady breath.

Her eyes, usually so full of life and laughter, were closed, all her defenses lowered, revealing a pure, almost infantile tranquility.

The bridge of her nose was elegant, and her nostrils flared slightly with each breath, a rhythm that strangely tugged at his own heartbeat.

His gaze slid uncontrollably downward, resting on her slightly parted lips.

Her lips were a natural, healthy shade of pale pink, like freshly bloomed petals. Relaxed in sleep, they were parted just enough to offer a glimpse of the small, pearly teeth within.

The corners of her mouth were turned up in a subtle, unconscious smile, as if she were reliving the day’s sweetness in her dreams.

As he watched, Chen Mo found his head uncontrollably drawing closer to her face.

Her gentle breath ghosted past her lips. That warm, uniquely scented wisp of air silently brushed against Chen Mo’s heart as he drew near, sending a tingling flutter through him.

All the sounds of the world faded away, leaving only her soft breathing and the sound of his own heart, beating louder and stronger in his chest.

Chen Mo’s eyes were glued to her soft lips, as if drawn in by an invisible magnetic force.

A powerful, primal urge seized him without warning—the urge to lean down, to touch, to taste the warmth and sweetness that was just inches away.

The thought was so clear, so searing, that it made his fingertips tingle. His Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

The air was thick with an indescribable tension—sweet, intimate, and tinged with a youthful innocence.

The girl’s defenseless sleeping face was so pure and beautiful, like fragile crystal, while the desire surging in the boy’s heart was like a tide about to burst its banks.

He could clearly feel the heat rushing through him—the most primal instinct for closeness and possession toward the person before him.

And yet, in the split second before impulse could become action, something deeper quelled the rush of youthful fervor.

He saw the lingering trace of exhaustion in her features and remembered the energy she had put into every smile today.

A powerful feeling of protectiveness and affection welled up in his heart. ’She’s sleeping so peacefully beside me, trusting me completely,’ he thought. ’How could I possibly disturb this calm?’

The urge to kiss didn’t vanish, but it was enveloped by a gentler, more restrained power.

Chen Mo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the clamoring desire in his chest. The heat in his eyes gradually settled, replaced by a deeper focus and tenderness.

He gazed at her sleeping face, and in the end, simply brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek with the utmost care, his movements so delicate he seemed afraid to wake her.

He smiled to himself. It was a smile that held both the raw thrill of a young man’s first love and the steady, appreciative warmth of an adult.

He straightened up, tiptoed to the side, and picked up a light blanket. Gently, he draped it over Su Yuqing, covering not just her sleeping form, but also that surging, beautiful, and forcibly suppressed impulse.

’It wasn’t that he didn’t dare to kiss her. It was that he had already decided on the perfect moment for their all-important first kiss.

He wanted the memory of their confession to overlap with the memory of their first kiss.’

After covering Su Yuqing with the blanket, Chen Mo glanced at the time and decided to carry her to her bed.

’Tomorrow’s Monday. If she doesn’t sleep well, she won’t have any energy for her classes.’

As Chen Mo slowly lifted Su Yuqing into his arms, her breathing remained steady at first. But soon, the feeling of being suspended in the air woke her.

Realizing she was being carried, Su Yuqing didn’t dare open her eyes and could only continue to feign sleep.

’It was just like the first day she had come to Chen Mo’s house, when he had carried her to her room.’

A wave of nervousness, excitement, and shyness washed over her, bringing a flustered blush to her cheeks.

Chen Mo naturally noticed this, but he didn’t let on. He gently placed her on the bed, removed the blanket he’d put on her, and tucked her in under the covers. After murmuring a soft "Good night," he quietly left the room.