Chapter 304: I Like You More Now

Watching Su Yuqing’s knowing response, a slight smile touched Chen Mo’s lips. An instant later, his warm lips, carrying his unique, fresh scent, gently and cherishingly covered hers.

The next moment, the affectionate kiss deepened into a true adults’ kiss.

“Mmm…” A soft whimper escaped Su Yuqing’s throat, like the contented sigh of a small animal, tinged with a slight tremor from the overwhelming sweetness of the moment.

The kiss was gentle and lingering, carrying with it a sense of peace now that everything had fallen into place, and a deep, profound love.

Chen Mo’s kissing technique seemed to have improved considerably with all his recent “practice.”

Su Yuqing’s body went completely limp in his arms. She could only cling weakly to his shoulders, passively accepting this breathtaking sweetness.

But now, she had learned to respond, rather than simply being at the mercy of Chen Mo’s advances.

Feeling her willing and gentle response, the tenderness in Chen Mo’s heart nearly overflowed.

He gently pressed forward, his movements tangling playfully with her clumsy yet incredibly sincere responses as they exchanged breaths.

The unique, light sweetness that was hers alone spread between their lips, so wonderful it was intoxicating.

Time lost all meaning in that moment.

The only sound in the bedroom was their mingling breaths, which gradually grew more rapid and heated.

Within their chests, pressed tightly together, two hearts pounded like drums, gradually falling into sync.

Affection surged in the silent tangle of their lips and tongues, more fervent and direct than any words could ever be.

After what felt like an eternity, when both of them were breathless, Chen Mo reluctantly and slowly ended the long, lingering kiss.

His forehead rested gently against hers, their noses touching, their heated breaths mingling.

Both were panting slightly, cheeks flushed crimson, their eyes hazed over with passion.

Su Yuqing’s lips were slightly swollen and red from the kiss, glistening like dew-kissed rose petals, making them all the more alluring.

“Yuqing…”

“Hm?”

“You look so beautiful right now.” Chen Mo’s voice was raspy, laced with the unique magnetism that follows passion. He gently cupped her feverish cheeks, his thumb lovingly caressing her swollen lips.

Chen Mo had often jokingly called her the campus belle and praised her beauty.

But back then, Su Yuqing never took it to heart.

But at this moment, this unrestrained praise, spoken to her face in the throes of passion, pierced straight to the depths of Su Yuqing’s heart.

Being praised for her beauty by the one she loved was, for any woman, a great pleasure.

This direct praise made the blush on Su Yuqing’s face instantly spread to the tips of her ears and down her neck.

This wasn’t shyness—it was exhilaration!

She opened her hazy eyes, her long lashes fluttering like tiny fans, and a sweet, irrepressible smile curved her lips.

As Su Yuqing met Chen Mo’s deep, passion-filled gaze, she was stirred to action. She suddenly cupped his cheeks and launched an assault of her own.

Feeling this assertive assault from Su Yuqing, who was usually the passive recipient of his affections, Chen Mo was surprised, but he also found a different kind of pleasure in it.

‘He liked this assertive side of Su Yuqing, too. In fact, he much preferred her having a will of her own, rather than just passively following his lead.’

After a short while, Chen Mo, who had been on the receiving end, chose the perfect moment to launch a teasing counterattack.

The two only called a temporary truce when Su Yuqing slowly pulled away.

“What’s wrong? Not used to it?” Su Yuqing asked, her heart stirring as she saw Chen Mo staring at her blankly.

‘If Chen Mo doesn’t like me being proactive, then I’ll have to be more reserved in the future.’

“Of course not.” Chen Mo smiled, taking her small hand and gently caressing the delicate skin on its back with his thumb. “I’m just so happy. You’ve changed so much. I liked you before, but I like the you who is brave enough to be herself now even more.”

Her heart was touched once again by his words. It felt as if she were being filled with the sweetest, thickest honey, so much so that she momentarily found it hard to breathe. All she could do was squeeze his hand tighter, her eyes brimming with an overflowing happiness.

…

After enjoying their sweet intimacy in the room well into the afternoon, the two finally straightened their slightly disheveled clothes, composed themselves, and walked out of the room one after another.

Meanwhile, the living room had already been completely transformed.

Chen Xi and their grandparents had done an extraordinary job decorating. Streamers and balloons adorned the space, the coffee table was piled high with snacks and drinks, and the air was thick with a festive birthday atmosphere.

The invited guests—Zhao Yuanyuan, Huang Mao, Zhou Hao, and others—had already arrived and were chatting animatedly with Chen Xi and the grandparents.

“Well, well! Have our two main characters finally finished ‘catching up on their sleep’?” Zhao Yuanyuan was the first to spot them, her voice drawn out in a tease as her smiling eyes swept over the couple.

Grandpa and Grandma watched with beaming smiles, not saying much.

‘But in their hearts, they were wondering when they would be able to hold a great-grandchild.’

“Yuanyuan!” Su Yuqing’s heart, which had just calmed down, started racing again. She cried out in feigned annoyance and quickly hid behind Chen Mo, drawing a wave of good-natured laughter from everyone.

“Old Mo! Happy birthday!” Zhou Hao and Huang Mao were the first to call out their wishes. Zhao Yuanyuan, Lin Yu’an, and the others also smiled and handed over their gifts.

“Brother Mo, happy birthday…” “Happy birthday, brother-in-law.”

Lin Yuxi and Li Mingyu had come over together. Hearing Li Mingyu call him “brother-in-law,” Su Yuqing shot him a surprised look.

‘She had no idea who had taught him to say that.’

Since Li Fengzhi and Li Gang were still at work, they hadn’t arrived yet.

But with so many people there, the house was already more than lively enough.

Being with a group of young people made Grandpa and Grandma feel younger in spirit themselves.

Back in the old district, life for the two of them had become dreadfully dull, so they really enjoyed being around young people.

Since Grandpa and Grandma were quite open-minded and youthful in spirit, there wasn’t much of a generation gap, and everyone found it easy to chat happily together.

Having not seen them for a while, Chen Mo and Su Yuqing noticed that the atmosphere between Huang Mao and Zhao Yuanyuan was distinctly different.

Although they weren’t standing particularly close, the natural familiarity when their eyes met and the occasional hints of shyness revealed a subtle harmony between them. It seemed they hadn’t just regained their former rapport but had even taken a step forward.

Through some tactful, indirect probing, Chen Mo and Su Yuqing confirmed their suspicions: the relationship between the two was steadily warming up.

Lately, they had been going out frequently—to the movies, to arcades—nurturing their relationship through shared hobbies.

Hearing this good news, Chen Mo and Su Yuqing couldn’t help but exchange a smile, their eyes filled with happiness and well wishes for their friends.

As friends who had watched the two of them go from being awkward around each other to growing closer, seeing them finally on the verge of getting together filled Chen Mo and Su Yuqing with a special sense of fulfillment.