28: Chapter 28 Ji Guangli Takes the Initiative

Ji Guangli was equally unable to calm down.

She could sense Cao Kun's presence behind her. His scorching body heat seemed to transmit through the air, and the sound of his breathing felt as if it was right beside her ear.

The fresh, masculine scent belonging to him drifted faintly from within the quilt, intertwining with her own fragrance, creating an intimacy that made her heart flutter.

Her eyes were tightly shut, yet sleep eluded her. Her body was slightly tense with nervousness.

A thought she had never had before, one too embarrassing to voice, quietly surfaced.

If... if he really came closer and held her... what would it feel like?

This thought made her cheeks burn, yet it carried a secret yearning.

Time passed slowly in silence and torment, each second feeling exceptionally long.

Both of them were awake, yet neither spoke, as if both were waiting, or enduring.

After what seemed like an eternity, Cao Kun's endurance had almost reached its limit. If this continued, he felt he truly would be worse than a beast.

He took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and softly called out. His voice sounded exceptionally clear, and exceptionally intimate, in the quiet room: "Guangli... are you asleep?"

For the first time, he did not call her 'boss,' but addressed her directly by her name.

Ji Guangli's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

He called her "Guangli"... This form of address made her heart flutter.

"No," her voice sounded somewhat dry.

"I... I can't sleep," Cao Kun's voice was low and hoarse, carrying obvious restraint and a certain emotion.

"Why can't you sleep?" Ji Guangli asked, following his lead, her heart beating even faster.

Cao Kun turned onto his side, facing Ji Guangli's back. Though he couldn't see clearly in the darkness, he could picture her graceful silhouette.

He gritted his teeth, deciding to follow his heart and speak some truth, even if it might anger her: "I can't sleep because I'm thinking of you."

"You... you scoundrel! Am I not right here?" Ji Guangli chided, but her voice held no real anger; it sounded more like a coquettish complaint.

"I mean it," Cao Kun grew a bit bolder, inching forward an almost negligible amount.

"I smell your scent... it's so nice. I can't sleep. I... I want to bury myself in your embrace, to smell you properly..."

This was almost blatant flirtation and coquetry. After saying it, even he felt his face flush, thinking Ji Guangli would surely kick him off the bed in anger.

However, the expected anger did not come.

Ji Guangli fell silent for a moment. Just as Cao Kun was growing uneasy, she suddenly turned over as well. In the dim light of the night lamp, her eyes were startlingly bright, gazing directly at Cao Kun. Her voice was more serious and earnest than ever before.

"Cao Kun, do you love me?"

This question struck Cao Kun's ears like a thunderclap.

Love?

These past few days of being together, from the initial desire for revenge, to being drawn to her, feeling heartache for her, standing up for her, feeling joy for her...

A tumult of emotions surged within him.

Looking into her serious eyes, without a moment's hesitation, the answer escaped his lips, resolute and decisive.

"Yes."

Instantly, Ji Guangli's eyes brimmed with complex emotions: relief, gratitude, resolve, and a touch of desperate courage.

As if having made an immense decision, her voice was very soft, yet crystal clear.

"Good. Cao Kun, today... I give myself to you."

Cao Kun was completely stunned, overwhelmed by immense shock and ecstasy.

He hadn't expected Ji Guangli to be so direct, so brave.

This wasn't a momentary impulse. He saw in her eyes a firmness born of careful consideration.

In truth, Ji Guangli had indeed thought about this for a long time.

She liked Cao Kun, perhaps more than just liking.

She was 29 years old, had struggled too long amidst reality and pressure, was accustomed to disguising herself with coldness, and had almost forgotten what it felt like to be loved and to love.

Cao Kun's appearance was like a ray of sunlight cleaving through her thick shell.

She wasn't sure what the future held, where this relationship would lead, but she was certain that at this moment, she loved the man before her. She didn't want to suppress it anymore, didn't want to oscillate between hope and fear anymore.

She was afraid that if she let timidity cause her to miss this today, she would regret it deeply in the future.

Life was short. She wanted to live for herself once, to be brave for this flutter of her heart once.

The moment Ji Guangli's words fell.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Successfully completed the mission: Help Ji Guangli, make her genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart!]

[Mission Reward: Comprehensive Physical Enhancement, Mastery of Combat]

The system's notification tone abruptly rang in Cao Kun's mind. The warm flow brought by the reward instantly swept through his entire body, strengthening every inch of his muscles and bones. Countless exquisite combat techniques were imprinted deep into his consciousness.

Cao Kun was momentarily dazed.

The mission was completed?

Ji Guangli hadn't become the general manager yet? How was it completed?

But then, he suddenly understood!

So that was it!

The key to making Ji Guangli genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart was never about the position of general manager. That was merely part of the external achievement and source of pressure.

Beneath her icy, hard shell lay a heart that was lonely, starved for love, and yearning for genuine care.

What she needed wasn't a position or money, but someone who could see through her disguise, treat her as an ordinary woman who needed to be loved, and love and cherish her wholeheartedly.

Cao Kun's careful attentiveness these past few days had slowly melted the ice in her heart.

And just now, his unhesitating declaration of love, and the moment she finally mustered the courage to respond to these feelings and decided to entrust herself to him—that was the true moment when she shed all her burdens and felt joy, contentment, and happiness from the depths of her soul!

Therefore, the mission was completed.

Ecstasy surged in Cao Kun's heart, but at this moment, no system reward was more important than the person before him.

He looked at Ji Guangli. Her eyes still held tension and shyness, but more than that, they held unmistakable deep affection and trust.

She had taken the initiative to take the most crucial step forward. Now, the remaining path should be led by him.

The reward filled his entire body with energy, but all his attention was focused on Ji Guangli.

"Guangli..." he called softly, no longer hesitating. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek, his fingertips feeling the fineness and slight warmth of her skin.

Then, he lowered his head and tenderly yet firmly kissed her lips.

Ji Guangli's body trembled slightly, then relaxed. She responded to him with a clumsy yet passionate ardor.

Her arms unconsciously encircled his neck.

The night lamp was dim, casting an amorous atmosphere throughout the room.

Clothes slipped away quietly. Hurried breaths intertwined with soft, fragmented sounds.

The initial clumsiness was soon replaced by a surging tide of passion. Though shy, Ji Guangli was exceptionally proactive and bold, as if wanting to release all the emotions and heat accumulated over her twenty-nine years to this man she had chosen.

Cao Kun, feeling the softness and warmth of the body in his arms, responded to her clumsy yet fervent exploration, his heart filled with tenderness and love.

In this ordinary hotel room in the City of Luo, two lonely hearts yearning for love finally shattered all barriers completely and clung tightly to each other.