Chapter 200 - Not Pretending Anymore
Rebirth of a Fashionista: This Life Is Soo Last Season
On the sofa, Sheng Jiaoyang was completely surrounded by Shen Zhining.
His body exuded pheromones.
There was a creamy sweet taste in her mouth, which made him deepen the kiss. How he wished that he could eat her in one mouthful.
After being separated for a few days, he was like a beast that had just been released from his cage. After starving for so long, he wasn’t willing to let go of his prey so easily.
He pressed her down on the sofa and kissed her for a long time.
As soon as she was released, Sheng Jiaoyang questioned in an accusatory tone, "Are you also this passionate towards others?"
Shen Zhining licked his lips and nonchalantly replied, "I have no feelings for others."
Sheng Jiaoyang was speechless.
She didn’t know where her glasses were. Her hair was dishevelled and her eyes were misty. Furthermore, her ruddy complexion and slightly swollen lips made her appear all the more appetising in Shen Zhining’s eyes. He really wanted to devour her whole.
"You ate a piece of cake earlier?" He pressed his forehead against hers.
"Mhmm." She indescribably felt a bit guilty.
"Looks like you’ve had a good time these last few days. What did you do?"
"I read books, drew paintings, watched TV with my grandfather, played games with Xiao An and Xiao Hu…"
"You’ve said so much, but none of that was about me."
Sheng Jiaoyang blinked. "There is, I hadn’t finished my sentence yet. I missed you every day."
Shen Zhining’s lips slightly twitched. "You missed me but forgot about me? You haven't sent me a single message."
"I was afraid that I’d disturb you…" Sheng Jiaoyang’s voice trailed off. Even she couldn’t believe her own words.
As if to vent his anger, Shen Zhining bit her lip and slightly bruised it. Only two words came out of his mouth, "Little liar!"
"That hurts!" Sheng Jiaoyang cried in an aggrieved tone.
Shen Zhining licked the spot that had just been bitten by him. Afterwards, he started another round of passionate kissing.
Sheng Jiaoyang was like a delicious pastry that melted in his mouth.
"I…I’m…almost out of breath! " Sheng Jiaoyang pushed Shen Zhining away and gasped for air.
Shen Zhining stood up with a satisfied expression.
"I'm going to get my clothes." Sheng Jiaoyang was afraid that he’d kiss her for the third time, so she quickly slipped into the cloakroom.
When she came out with her pajamas, she saw Shen Zhining sitting on her bed.
She paused her steps and asked, "It's already late, aren’t you going back to rest?"
Shen Zhining looked up at her. "Are you driving me away?"
"No!” Sheng Jiaoyang firmly denied. She didn’t dare to answer with a yes.
"Then, go ahead and wash up." Shen Zhining lowered his head and went on reading the book in his hand.
Sheng Jiaoyang pouted. This guy! He’s occupying my bed again!
She took her time and when she came out, Shen Zhining was still awake, seemingly waiting for her. She immediately felt alarmed. Why is he still awake? What’s he scheming this time?
When Shen Zhining saw her, he placed the book on the bedside table beside him and leaned against the bedhead. His gaze was fixed on her slowly approaching figure.
As expected, he has an ulterior motive! Sheng Jiaoyang was a little nervous. She feigned calmness as she walked to the other side of the bed, lifted the blanket, and lay down. Her hands were placed on top of the blanket.
"Good night, Zhining." Without looking at him, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
"Why are you lying so far away? I've warmed the blanket up over here for you,” Shen Zhining said, his voice tickling her ear.
I've warmed the blanket up over here for you…
Sheng Jiaoyang felt goosebumps rise on her arms. It was unlike Shen Zhining to say something like that, but he’d just said it! Moreover, he’d said it so nonchalantly!
"Or…" Shen Zhining leaned closer to her and asked, "Are you afraid that I'll eat you?"
Sheng Jiaoyang grudgingly opened her eyes and looked at Shen Zhining, who was propped up on his side, staring at her. "Zhining, you flew all the way here today, so you must be exhausted. Let’s rest early and talk tomorrow, alright?"
"No."
Sheng Jiaoyang wanted to roll her eyes at him. Why does Demon King Shen like to torment her?
But, she knew him well. He was someone who could be persuaded by reason, not cowed by force. He’d torment her more if she went against him. She racked her brains and thought about how to deal with this situation. She then softly whimpered, "But, I'm tired!"
"I have to fly back tomorrow."
Sheng Jiaoyang’s eyes widened in surprise. "You just arrived today, yet you have to fly back tomorrow?"
"What, you can’t bear to part with me?" he teased while raising an eyebrow.
"Yup, I was really happy that you could make it back to celebrate my birthday."
Shen Zhining smiled. He turned over and propped his hands on her sides. He pressed his body on top hers, separated by the blanket. He looked into her eyes and whispered, "Now that you know I'm leaving, are you unhappy?"
"Mhmm." Sheng Jiaoyang nodded. She must play the ‘girlfriend’ role properly and send Demon King Shen away, so she had no choice but to follow along.
Shen Zhining’s lips curled upwards. "Since you’re so reluctant to part with me, I have no choice but to stay with you."
"…" What?
This isn’t right! Demon King Shen was supposed to say, “But, I have no choice, there are only two elders at home, so I have to go back to accompany them." Then, she could magnanimously reply, “If that’s the case, you should go back. Remember to say hello to your grandparents for me." After that, they’d go to sleep, and she’d send him away in the morning. Everyone would be satisfied!
However, Shen Zhining’s answer wasn’t within her expectations, which caught her by surprise.
Shen Zhining took in the subtle changes in her expression. As expected, this little liar was deceiving him again.
A light flashed within his eyes. He pinched her cheek and smilingly asked, "Now that you know I'm staying, you’re so happy that you don’t know what else to say?"
Demon King Shen, could you please play your cards logically?! Sheng Jiaoyang was helpless, but she squeezed out a smile. Her eyes curved into crescents as she exclaimed, "Haha, I'm so happy!"
"What a fake smile! Is this how you act when you’re filming? The director approves of your acting skills?" Shen Zhining directly exposed her.
"I-I’m not acting, I’m expressing my true feelings. I couldn’t be more honest even if I tried!" Sheng Jiaoyang quibbled.
Shen Zhining smiled. He lowered his head, the bridge of his nose almost touching hers. "Whether that’s true or not, I can tell better than you."
Sheng Jiaoyang's heart skipped a beat. On the one hand, she felt that her acting was flawless, but on the other, she suspected that Shen Zhining had truly seen through her. Yet, she still had her doubts, feeling that he was just bluffing. After all, there were no traces of displeasure in his eyes, and he didn’t seem angry.
"Little liar, which part of what you said is the truth?"
His whispers echoed in her ear. It seems that she couldn't get away with it this time.
She made a final struggle. "I'm really happy that you can stay here to accompany me."
The smile on Shen Zhining's face disappeared. He remained in the same position and stared at her quietly.
Sheng Jiaoyang also stopped smiling. His gaze wasn’t hostile, but it gave her more pressure. The faint disappointment contained in the recesses of his eyes inexplicably tugged at her heartstrings.
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologise to me. I just want to ask you one thing," he paused for a moment before adding, "Did you willingly become my girlfriend? Think it over carefully before answering me."
He wasn’t blind. He could feel her attitude towards him, and it became all the more apparent after spending more time together.
Sheng Jiaoyang earnestly thought about it before saying, "If I didn't want to be your girlfriend, even if you forced me, I’d find a way to free myself."
Shen Zhining had been paying close attention to her expressions and could see from the way she’d spoken that those words came from her heart. But, once doubts arose, it was difficult to dispel them. "But, you don’t have a place for me in your heart."
"I…" Under his gaze, she couldn’t say those perfunctory words.
She pursed her lips and said, "Zhining, since we’re having this talk, I want to tell you my honest thoughts."
Shen Zhining got up and lay down beside her, listening to her attentively.
"I’ll admit that at first, I was afraid of you so I reluctantly became your girlfriend. Maybe in your eyes, I didn’t stay locked in that dark room for long, but I’ll never be able to forget the dreadful feeling I felt back then for the rest of my life. Even now, I still occasionally dream of myself being locked away in the dark."
Shen Zhining turned to look at her, noticing her pursed lips and trembling eyelashes. Seeing this, his heart tightened. If she hadn’t told him, he wouldn’t have known that that incident had left such a negative impact on her. So, he now couldn’t get a place in her heart because she was afraid that he’d treat her like that again?
To date, Shen Zhining only had one regret, but now, he had another.
If he’d known that he’d regret it, he wouldn't have done it.
Grandfather Yang's words seemed to echo in his ears. Zhining, you’ll regret this!
Suddenly, Shen Zhining’s throat felt completely dry.
"I should hate you, but all you did was worry about Grandfather being cheated. How could I hate someone who cares so much about Grandfather? But, your methods scare me. I’ll always be unsure whether it’s right to be with you. I can't imagine what life will be like in the future. However, Lina’s words woke me up. If you don't try, you'll never know. If you don't try to take a step, you can only stay where you are. From then on, I really wanted to go out with you, and even to the outside world, I admitted that I had a boyfriend. "
Sheng Jiaoyang took a deep breath. She knew that Shen Zhining was looking at her, but she didn't turn around because what she was about to say was cruel. Sheng Jiaoyang didn't know what expression to face him with, so she chose to avoid looking at him. Only then could she speak from her heart.