31: Chapter 32: Overbearing Passion.

Yin Tianxue's body trembled, but she did not move or speak, just listened quietly.

"Shen Nian had too much to drink, and her emotions were a bit out of control. I was also... a bit out of control." Yu Bo held her tighter, as if only then could he gain some strength. "But we didn't... In the end, I stopped. I ran back."

He chose to confess part of it. Concealment and deception would only make the rift deeper.

Yin Tianxue remained silent. She could feel the strength of his embrace and hear the lingering fear and sincerity in his voice. He said "almost," he said "I stopped," he said "I ran back." This must be the truth, or at least the truth he was willing to admit.

However, the dull pain in her heart did not disappear immediately just because of his confession. She could imagine the scene: a beautiful single female founder, hazy with drunkenness, full of charm, and her man right there, almost "losing control."

"Why?" she finally spoke, her voice very soft, devoid of emotion. "Why 'almost'?"

Yu Bo was silent for a moment, then hugged her tighter: "Because she is attractive, because she was fragile at the time, and also because... I overestimated my willpower, or rather, I underestimated the... temptation in that situation. Tianxue, I am a man, not a saint. But I am very clear about what is most important."

He turned her body around, cupped her face, and forced her to look into his eyes. In his gaze, there was guilt, unease, but more than that, determination and deep affection.

"What's most important is you, our home, and the future we planned together. Any 'accident' that could destroy all this is not worth it. So, I stopped, and I came back. Do you believe me?"

Yin Tianxue looked into his eyes, which reflected her somewhat pale face. She could see his struggle, his regret, and his determination. Believe him? After smelling another woman on him and hearing his confession of "almost"?

She thought of their daily life together, and how he always looked at her with eyes full of tenderness and cherishing.

"I believe you." After a long time, Yin Tianxue nodded slowly, her voice a bit dry. "I believe you stopped, and I believe you didn't..."

Yu Bo felt a sense of relief, but a huge wave of guilt surged up even more fiercely. He pulled her tightly into his arms: "I'm sorry, Tianxue, for making you uneasy. I promise, there won't be a next time. I will handle my relationship with Shen Nian properly and keep it purely professional. If she has any other ideas, I will explicitly refuse."

Yin Tianxue leaned in his arms, feeling his strong heartbeat. She believed his promise, but the thorn in her heart didn't seem to be completely removed. Once trust develops a crack, it takes time to repair, and requires more effort from both sides.

"Go take a shower first." She gently pushed him away, her tone returning to its usual calmness, but deep in her eyes, a trace of lingering sadness remained. "You... have someone else's scent on you, and I don't like it."

Yu Bo's throat tightened, and he nodded: "Okay."

He walked to the bathroom, took off his suit jacket tainted with Shen Nian's scent, and threw it directly into the laundry basket. As the warm water washed over him, he scrubbed his body vigorously, as if wanting to wash away all the absurdity and traces of the night.

Outside the bathroom door, Yin Tianxue leaned against the wall, listening to the sound of running water inside, and slowly slid down to the floor, hugging her knees tightly.

She believed him, really. But believing didn't mean she wasn't hurt or afraid. That woman named Shen Nian was like a stone thrown into the calm lake of her heart; the ripples she stirred up might be harder to calm than she had imagined.

Yu Bo finished his shower quickly and came out, wearing only a bath towel, his hair still dripping. Seeing Yin Tianxue sitting on the floor, his heart ached, and he walked over and scooped her up into his arms.

"The floor is cold." He carried her toward the bedroom.

Yin Tianxue didn't struggle, leaning quietly against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

Placing her on the bed, Yu Bo lay down behind her, hugging her tightly from behind, leaving almost no space between them.

"Tianxue," he whispered in her ear, his breath hot. "I love you. Only you."

Yin Tianxue didn't respond, but amidst his scalding confession, her body trembled almost imperceptibly. She could feel the deep affection in his words, and also the near-paranoid possessiveness and unease in his embrace.

Yu Bo felt her trembling, and the thorn named "guilt" and "lingering fear" pierced deeply into his heart. He knew that verbal assurances seemed pale in the face of tonight's "accident." He knew the thorn in Yin Tianxue's heart could not be easily removed by a few "I love yous."

He knew he needed a more direct, more domineering way to dispel the unease in her heart, to confirm his ownership, and to cover up the scent he had picked up tonight that didn't belong to her.

He suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips, which were slightly parted in surprise. This kiss was no longer gentle; it was full of unquestionable plunder and aggression, carrying a force that was almost punitive, prying open her teeth, driving straight in, and crazily seizing the sweetness in her mouth, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

"Mmm..." Yin Tianxue instinctively wanted to push him away, but Yu Bo's arm clamped around her like iron tongs, while his other hand savagely tore open the ribbons of her silk nightgown. The cool air hitting her skin made her shiver, but the next second, his scalding large hand covered her, his calloused fingertips bearing irresistible force, igniting clusters of flames on her delicate skin.

He kissed her deeply and urgently, his hands moving chaotically, filled with an impatience to prove something, to soothe something, or perhaps... to declare something. He stroked her slender waist, gripped it, and then moved upward...

Yin Tianxue initially struggled under his domineering and slightly rough offensive, but soon, that familiar scent, that bone-deep intimate contact, and the instinctive desire easily ignited deep within her body, submerged her like a tide. Her reason gradually blurred, and the stinging pain and unease in her heart seemed to be temporarily pushed into a corner by his intense demands and possessiveness.

She gave up resistance and even began to respond to his kiss awkwardly, her arms unconsciously wrapping around his neck. She could feel the tension and heat of his body, and could sense in his movements a possessiveness different from usual, tinged with a hint of panic and urgency.

Yu Bo noticed her softening, but his movements did not become gentle because of it. He needed to possess her more thoroughly and leave deeper marks on her. He left her lips, his scalding kisses trailing down her graceful neck, lingering on her delicate collarbone and soft chest, leaving behind ambiguous red marks. At the same time, his hand continued to reach down to her most...

"Mmm..." Yin Tianxue let out an irrepressible moan, her body instantly tensing, only to melt into a pool of spring water under his continuous exploration and kisses. All thoughts were cast to the winds, leaving only the most primal sensations and the overwhelming tide he brought.

Under his stormy offensive, Yin Tianxue almost lost the ability to think. She could only passively endure, occasionally letting out broken sobs and moans. Her body was possessed by him, and her thoughts were occupied by him; the slight resentment and unease in her heart caused by Shen Nian seemed to be shattered into pieces during this intense encounter.

Yu Bo leaned down and kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes, but his movements did not slow down in the slightest. He panted in her ear, his voice hoarse and sexy, carrying an unquestionable dominance: "You are mine, Yin Tianxue. From head to toe, from inside out, you are all mine. Do you remember that?"

Yin Tianxue looked at him with blurred eyes, unable to form a complete sentence, only able to nod wildly, her body honestly responding to him, sinking into the both painful and ultimate pleasure he brought.