A Gentleman is Open-minded, While a Petty Person Sighs | Chapter 32 | The Debt of a Kiss | Novela.app

Chapter 33 - The Debt of a Kiss The snowy night in Tongcheng was silent, save for the soft crunch of fresh powder beneath their feet. Tan Junzi stood before Chang Ying, the cold air nipping at her nose, but her heart was racing with a heat that defied the winter chill. She looked at him, her expression a mix of resolve and burgeoning affection, and slowly held up three fingers. "Three times," she declared, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest. Chang Ying’s eyes crinkled as a playful, handsome smile spread across his face. "Three times a day? You really are too good to me, Junzi." "No!" she protested immediately, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of crimson that had nothing to do with the cold. "Didn't you hear me? I said from now until the Gaokao—in total—only three times." Chang Ying let out a soft, melodic chuckle. He didn't argue. Instead, he reached out with his large, warm hands and gently cupped her face. His touch was tender, his palms slightly calloused but incredibly comforting against her chilled skin. He tilted her head up, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. Then, he leaned in. He kissed her three times in rapid succession. They weren't the deep, soul-stirring kisses of a seasoned lover, but rather the innocent, fleeting pecks of a child—soft, light, and over before she could even process the sensation of his lips against hers. "Hey! That’s already three!" Tan Junzi cried out, her hands coming up to push against his chest, though her grip was weak. "Who cares? 'Enjoy the wine while it lasts,'" Chang Ying quoted with a touch of roguish charm, his eyes dancing with mischief. He was clearly enjoying the way he could ruffle her feathers. "Besides, I can always take out a loan from you, can't I? If I use up today's quota and want to kiss you again tomorrow, I'll just borrow against the future. There are always more solutions than problems." Tan Junzi huffed, trying to maintain her dignity as the Discipline Commissioner—or rather, the Sanitation Monitor, as she often reminded him. "Well, this bank doesn't approve of such predatory lending!" But Chang Ying was undeterred. He ignored her protests, his hands still framing her face, squeezing her cheeks slightly until her mouth puckered like a small, steamed dumpling. "Approval for one more!" he murmured, leaning in for another peck. "Approval for two!" He kissed her again. He was like a relentless "kissing fish," as Liu Kan had once joked. Without any sophisticated technique, he simply let his lips collide with hers over and over again. It was a clumsy, frantic, and utterly sincere display of affection. They bumped noses, their breath mingled in white clouds in the freezing air, and by the time he finally stopped, Tan Junzi felt dizzy, her lips tingling from the dozens of tiny impacts. "I’ve realized," she said, frowning as she rubbed the tip of her nose where they had bumped, "that you’re actually very suited for business." Chang Ying raised an eyebrow, still hovering close to her. "Oh? Why’s that?" "Because when it comes to taking out loans, you’re incredibly shameless." Chang Ying didn't miss a beat, adopting the posture of a local hoodlum, though his eyes remained soft. "If a man has to be polite and civil with his own wife, then he’s just a fool, isn't he?" "Hey! No swearing!" she scolded, though there was no bite in it. "Yes, Discipline Commissioner," he teased. "I'm the Sanitation Monitor! And besides, who said I was your wife?" "You are," he said simply, his voice dropping to a low, possessive register that sent a fresh shiver down her spine. As they stood there in the snow, the world around them felt small and private. Chang Ying didn't realize then that the "loan" he had so recklessly taken out on that snowy night would take him four long years to repay. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a profitable business deal at all, but in that moment, he would have signed away a lifetime for just one more kiss.