166: Chapter 165 Can You Be My Model Again?

When Su Bai returned home, the living room was very quiet.

He changed his shoes, walked into the living room, and saw Lin Qiaoyou sitting on the sofa, holding a drawing board in her arms and a pencil in her hand, sketching something.

She was wearing a loose, milky-white hoodie with light gray sweatpants, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and her face was bare and clean.

Hearing the door, she looked up and saw Su Bai; her face flushed slightly.

"You're back?" she asked in a soft voice.

Su Bai gave a hum of acknowledgment and sat down opposite her.

Lin Qiaoyou lowered her head and continued drawing, the pencil scratching softly against the paper.

Su Bai leaned back on the sofa, watching her. Her fingers were fair and long, and the way she held the pencil was graceful.

She drew for a while, stopped, looked up at Su Bai, her lips moved, then she lowered her head again, only to look back up.

"Su Bai," she called him.

"Hm?"

"Can you... be my model one more time?" Her voice was so quiet that Su Bai almost didn't hear it.

Su Bai looked at her. She kept her head down, twisting her fingers around the pencil tightly until her knuckles turned white.

Su Bai smiled.

"Sure."

Lin Qiaoyou looked up, her eyes brightening.

"Really?"

Su Bai confirmed that he was serious.

Lin Qiaoyou smiled, a look of happiness, satisfaction, and a touch of shyness in her expression.

She stood up, hugged her drawing board, and walked to the balcony door.

"Then you can stay on the balcony; the lighting is good there."

Su Bai stood up and followed her over.

The balcony wasn't large; it held a few potted plants, a round table, and two chairs.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling onto the floor and warming the space.

Lin Qiaoyou set up the easel, placed the drawing paper on it, and prepared her pencils.

She sat in a chair and looked at Su Bai.

"You... you can just stand in any pose."

Su Bai leaned against the railing, one hand in his pocket, looking out the window.

The sunlight fell upon him, and his profile looked striking in the light.

Lin Qiaoyou watched him for a few seconds, then lowered her head and began to draw.

The pencil scratched against the paper, rhythmic and swift.

She drew for a while, stopped, looked up at Su Bai, and then lowered her head again.

"Su Bai, could you... take off your jacket?" Her voice was very small.

Su Bai looked at her.

Lin Qiaoyou kept her head down, twisting her fingers around the pencil.

"The last time I drew you, you were fully dressed. This time, I want to draw... something different."

Su Bai took off his jacket and draped it over the railing, revealing the white T-shirt underneath.

Lin Qiaoyou looked up, glanced at him, and lowered her head again.

"Take off the T-shirt too." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Su Bai looked at her; she was bowing her head, her ears flushed red from the lobes to the tips.

He took off his T-shirt, draped it over the railing, and leaned against it bare-chested.

Lin Qiaoyou looked up at him, her face flushed, but her eyes were bright.

She lowered her head and began to draw; the pencil scratched across the paper even faster than before.

Su Bai looked out the window, the sunlight warming his body.

The distant sky was blue with a few drifting white clouds, and the breeze carried the scent of osmanthus flowers.

Lin Qiaoyou drew for a while, then stopped and looked up at him.

"Su Bai, could you... turn around?"

Su Bai turned around to face her, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed.

Lin Qiaoyou watched him, her gaze traveling from his face to his chest, down to his abs, and then to his waist.

Her face turned even redder as she lowered her head and continued drawing.

The pencil scratched against the paper, moving quickly and with force.

As she drew, she stopped.

She looked at the lines on the paper, then at Su Bai, and back to the paper.

Her breathing became slightly rapid, and her fingers gripped the pencil so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Su Bai looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Qiaoyou shook her head and didn't speak.

She lowered her head and continued drawing, but this time she was very slow, stroke by stroke, as if tracing something precious.

After a while, she stopped again, put down the pencil, stood up, and walked over to him.

She looked up at him, her face flushed, her eyes reflecting the sunlight, her own reflection, and something else entirely.

"Su Bai," she called him.

"Hm?"

"Can I... can I touch it?"

Su Bai looked at her.

"Touch where?"

Lin Qiaoyou's face flushed even deeper. She lowered her head and tapped his chest with her finger, a quick, light touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"Here," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Su Bai didn't speak.

Lin Qiaoyou waited for a moment, and when no refusal came, she looked up into his eyes.

She reached out and placed her hand on his chest, her palm against his skin, fingers slightly curled.

Her hand was small, soft, and cool against his chest, like a leaf fallen in the wind.

Su Bai looked down at her hand; it was trembling.

Lin Qiaoyou's hand slid slowly down from his chest, passing over his abs and waist, before coming to a stop.

She looked up into his eyes.

Su Bai reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear; she closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering.

Su Bai lowered his head and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and warm, carrying the faint scent of pencil graphite.

She didn't know how to kiss; her lips were pressed tight, and her body was as stiff as a board.

Su Bai wasn't in a rush; he kept his lips against hers, brushing them gently and slowly.

Her lips slowly relaxed, parting slightly.

He moved his hand from her face to her waist, pulling her closer.

Her body pressed against his, and through her thin hoodie, he could feel her heartbeat—fast, like a drum being beaten.

Su Bai picked her up; she was light, much lighter than she looked.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest like a cat that had found its nest.

Su Bai carried her through the living room, into her bedroom, and placed her on the bed.

The bed wasn't large, covered with a soft pink quilt printed with small white flowers, and the pillows were arranged neatly.

Lin Qiaoyou lay on the bed, her hair spread across the pillow, her milky-white hoodie fanned out against the pale pink sheets like a flower blooming in spring.

She looked at Su Bai, her eyes reflecting the sunlight, her own reflection, and something else.

"Su Bai," she called him.

"Hm?"

"Did you close the door?"

Su Bai glanced back; the door was open.

"No."

He walked over to close it, then returned and lay down beside her.

Lin Qiaoyou turned on her side to face him, reaching out to touch his face, tracing from his cheekbone to his chin, and from his chin to his lips.

Her fingers were cool against his lips, like a leaf fallen in the wind.

"Su Bai, do you like me?" she asked in a soft voice.

Su Bai looked at her.

"I do."

Lin Qiaoyou smiled, a look of satisfaction, peace, and something indescribable in her expression.

She leaned in closer.

Su Bai rolled over and pressed her down.

Lin Qiaoyou closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering, her hands gripping the sheets until her knuckles turned white.

Su Bai lowered his head.

Her skin was fair and smooth, glowing in the sunlight.

Lin Qiaoyou's breathing became rapid; she bit her lip to keep from making a sound.

Su Bai buried his face in her neck, his lips brushing against her skin as he kissed from her neck to her collarbone, and then to her shoulder.

She moved her hands from the sheets to embrace his back, her nails digging into his skin; it stung a little, but he didn't move.

After a long time,

Lin Qiaoyou's face was flushed, her eyes half-closed, and her lips slightly swollen.

Su Bai's hand patted her back gently, rhythmically, slowly and softly.

"Su Bai," she called him.

"Hm?"

"Will you still be my model in the future?"

Su Bai looked at her.

"Of course."

Lin Qiaoyou smiled, burying her face back into his chest and rubbing against him like a spoiled cat.

The two of them lay there, neither speaking.

The sunlight outside the window shifted from one side to the other, painting a golden rectangle on the floor.

The clock on the wall ticked on, beat by beat.

"Su Bai, do you know? When I was drawing you just now, my heart was beating so fast."

Su Bai looked down at her; her face was buried in his chest, revealing only half of it, her ear flushed red.

"How fast?" Su Bai asked.

Lin Qiaoyou thought for a moment.

"Faster than it is now."

Su Bai smiled, and Lin Qiaoyou smiled too, burying her face deeper.

"Su Bai."

"Hm?"

"Can you come to my room more often in the future?"

Su Bai looked at her.

"Why?"

Lin Qiaoyou didn't speak; she traced a heart shape on his chest with her finger.

Su Bai understood and didn't ask again, his hand patting her back gently.

Lin Qiaoyou's breathing slowly became light and even, and her fingers stopped tracing circles, just resting on him.

She had fallen asleep.

Su Bai watched her; she was sleeping soundly, her brows relaxed, the corners of her mouth turned up, as if she were having a pleasant dream.

He reached out to pull the quilt up, covering her exposed shoulders, and closed his eyes.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on both of them, warming them.

Holding the person in his arms, he soon fell asleep.