Chapter 346: Urgent

The reward wasn’t quite what she expected. Su Yuqing’s eyes fluttered open in surprise, meeting Chen Mo’s smiling gaze.

"You have to give out rewards a little at a time," Chen Mo explained, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.

Pretending to be upset, Su Yuqing playfully tapped his chest, but she couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips. "Cunning."

"If you’re that eager, we can do it now," Chen Mo offered, a small smile playing on his lips as he looked at Su Yuqing.

"You’re the eager one," Su Yuqing retorted, a rare comeback.

As she spoke, she placed her hand on Chen Mo’s chest and instantly felt his rapid heartbeat. "It’s beating so fast."

"Let me check yours, then." Not to be outdone, Chen Mo reached for her.

A blush instantly spread across Su Yuqing’s face, but thankfully, the darkness of the night concealed her bashfulness.

But she didn’t stop his hand as it moved toward her chest.

Instead, it was Chen Mo who suddenly stopped just before making contact.

It was a sign of his respect. But in the next moment, Su Yuqing boldly took his hand and pressed it against her chest—a sign of her love.

As his hand was enveloped in softness, Chen Mo could clearly feel the thumping of her heart against his palm.

Beneath their palms, two hearts pounded in a similar, frantic rhythm. Both claimed they weren’t in a rush, but their heartbeats told a different story.

As the boat moved further and further from the shore, the hustle and bustle of the main campus road was completely swallowed by the gentle sound of the water.

The breeze at the center of the lake was cooler than on the shore, carrying the unique freshness of the water and chasing away the last trace of summer heat from Su Yuqing’s temples.

She took a deep breath, her chest filling with a sense of freedom and serenity.

The lights on the shore gradually merged into a string of pearls against the vast, black velvet of the night. Their reflections rippled on the satin-smooth water, casting fragmented light that danced and flowed beside them.

Chen Mo set the speed to the lowest gear, and the small boat glided almost silently across the water’s surface.

There was no one else in sight.

As far as the eye could see, there was only moonlight, the distant glow of lights, rippling water, and the beloved girl in his arms.

This was truly a world that belonged to them and them alone.

Su Yuqing nestled against his shoulder and resumed her singing, her voice so low it was like a whisper, nearly lost beneath the gentle lapping of the water.

"The whole world is quiet now," Chen Mo murmured, gently rocking Su Yuqing in his arms.

"Mhm," she responded, her voice soft and sweet. She boldly raised a hand, her fingertips gently tracing the strong lines of his profile.

Chen Mo’s eyes instantly darkened.

That fleeting kiss from before seemed to have lit the fuse of a deep-seated desire.

The utter privacy and beauty of the moment fanned that desire to its peak.

He said nothing, only lowered his head, his gaze locked on her parted lips.

This time, the kiss was anything but fleeting.

As his lips met Su Yuqing’s, the overwhelming tenderness instantly deepened into a passionate kiss that explored and lingered.

Su Yuqing’s heart skipped a beat before hammering wildly in her chest.

She didn’t pull back. Instead, she responded with burgeoning skill and ardor, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled herself deeper into a whirlpool of misty sweetness and the scent of her beloved.

Time lost its meaning in this tiny space in the heart of the lake.

The small boat drifted aimlessly.

The evening breeze gently brushed against the canopy. The brilliant lights on the distant shore blurred into the background, and the sound of the water became their only music.

They exchanged breaths and shared each other’s warmth, completely lost in the long, intoxicating kiss, as if trying to make up for the sweet moment that had been interrupted on the bench a thousand times over.

After what felt like an eternity, the boat bumped gently against something—a buoy, perhaps, or some floating debris. The slight, irregular jolt finally caused them to part, breathless, though their foreheads remained pressed affectionately together.

Su Yuqing’s cheeks were flushed, not from shyness, but from the heady blush of passion. Her lips glistened alluringly in the moonlight, and her eyes were misty, the emotion swirling within them deeper than the lake itself.

Chen Mo watched with a low chuckle, then held her tighter, resting his cheek on the top of her head as his gaze drifted out toward the boundless lake and starry sky.

He tightened his embrace, as if holding the world’s most precious treasure, and pressed a reverent kiss into her hair.

This small sanctuary, far from the noise of the world, was filled to the brim with their pure, sweet love.

Only the wind and water at the heart of the lake bore witness.

Chen Mo held Su Yuqing, feeling the palpable softness and heartbeat in his arms. Both were immersed in the tranquility of the lake’s center and the afterglow of their earlier passion.

The evening wind kissed the water’s surface, bringing a cooler, dew-laden air. It stirred the stray strands of Su Yuqing’s hair, brushing them gently against the side of Chen Mo’s neck and sending a pleasant tingle down his spine.

"It’s getting a little chilly," Su Yuqing murmured, snuggling deeper into his arms. Her voice was husky and languid with contentment, like a kitten’s purr.

"Mhm." Chen Mo noticed immediately, tightening his arms to completely encircle her and warm her with his body heat.

He lowered his head, his chin brushing the top of her hair, which smelled faintly of flowers. "Want to drift a little longer before we head back?"

"Okay," she agreed meekly, her fingertips tracing idle circles on the fabric of his shirt. She savored the peaceful feeling of being rocked by the waves, in a world that belonged only to them.

A silent sweetness filled the air as the earlier thrill settled into a deeper sense of belonging.

The boat continued to drift and turn slowly with the current. The lights on the far shore seemed all the more brilliant against the night, yet possessed a distant, hazy quality.

Su Yuqing watched quietly, her eyelids gradually growing heavy. Her body completely relaxed, and she leaned almost all her weight trustingly against Chen Mo.

The lingering fatigue from two full and exciting days of campus life melted away in the absolute safety of his embrace.

After an unknown amount of time, they realized the current and the gentle breeze had pushed their boat to a shallow shoal on the far side of the lake, a good distance from the dock.

"Huh? Where are we?" Su Yuqing became more alert, sitting up slightly to look curiously at the shore.

In the moonlight, she could see a deserted, gentle slope covered in lush grass and trees, with a few large boulders resting at the water’s edge.

Chen Mo got his bearings by the moonlight. He could tell they weren’t too far from their starting dock; they had simply drifted in an arc around the center of the lake.

"It’s nice over here. Want to get out and take a look?"

"Sure. It looks really quiet. There’s probably no one around."

Chen Mo was happy to oblige. A smile touched his lips. "Okay."

He moved gently, using an oar to carefully part the weeds in the shallows as he slowly guided the boat toward a soft, earthen bank.

Chen Mo was the first to step nimbly onto the shore. Once he had his footing, he turned back, took a firm hold of Su Yuqing’s wrist, and half-lifted her steadily out of the boat and onto the dry grass.