A man’s robust, masculine presence suddenly washed over her, as if she had been completely enveloped in an instant.

Xiao Yingtao jumped in fright, instinctively wanting to pull away, but Xing Zizhou had merely been helping her undo her hair.

Once her hair bun was undone, Xing Zizhou stepped back slightly, retreating to a distance where the young woman could no longer feel that sense of danger.

The moment he stepped back, the pressure that had made the girl’s heart race in alarm disappeared.

Xiao Yingtao secretly let out a breath of relief, not even sure what she had been thinking just now. She had been around Xing Zizhou before and it had never felt like this much pressure.

Perhaps it was because the distance just now had truly exceeded what she could handle—since childhood, Xiao Yingtao had never been this physically close to a man before.

Her hair… her hair had never been touched by any man like that either.

Her face felt a little hot, perhaps out of embarrassment. Xiao Yingtao was about to say something, but when she looked up again, she found Xing Zizhou had suddenly come even closer!

Even closer—very, very close!

“Xing Zizhou…”

“You’ve gotten thinner, and your skin’s gotten darker.” Xing Zizhou felt a pang of tenderness. It wasn’t that his seductive skills were so masterful as to fluster a young woman’s heart.

Rather, seeing Xiao Yingtao’s face had suddenly stirred a tender ache within him.

After so many days apart, he truly had missed her so much. He hadn’t realized that this was what it felt like to miss family while away from home—bittersweet, yet also sweet, and more than anything, suddenly overcome with anxiety.

When you long so much to see someone, yet there’s no way to see them no matter what, your heart truly aches with anxiety, so much so that you can’t eat well or sleep well!

Although Xiao Yingtao wasn’t his family, and although she had never promised him anything, he had already come to think of her as his own.

“Hasn’t life been good these past while? Has it been hard?” He couldn’t help himself, his large hand landing on her forehead, brushing back the slightly disheveled strands of her hair.

Xiao Yingtao’s breathing grew unsteady—never, truly never, had a man been this close to her before!

Even Mu Mu, whom she liked best, had never been like this. Mu Mu would never be willing to get too close to her—the moment she got even a little near, he would silently pull away, would grow irritated.

But now, she and Xing Zizhou were far too close!

Xiao Yingtao panicked a little and instinctively stepped back, not realizing there was a tea table right behind her. As she retreated, her calf hit the table, and she nearly toppled over entirely.

“Careful!” Xing Zizhou stepped forward quickly, his large hand reaching out to catch her falling body.

Perhaps because he had used too much force without meaning to, before Xiao Yingtao could even steady herself, she found herself pressed against Xing Zizhou’s chest.

She flinched, wanting to pull away in fright, but Xing Zizhou’s heart suddenly jolted, and he was inexplicably overcome by impulse.

His long arms tightened around her, and Xiao Yingtao, soft and helpless, was locked in his embrace, unable to move much at all.

She opened her watery eyes wide in fright, both hands pressed against Xing Zizhou’s chest, her face full of disbelief.

Xing Zizhou had actually embraced her! Heavens, men and women should not touch so casually—she had never in her life been held by a man like this!

“Xing Zizhou, don’t…”

“I felt so heartsick over you.” Xing Zizhou lowered his head, his hot breath falling on Xiao Yingtao’s face, frightening her into not daring to move an inch.

“While I wasn’t by your side these past days, hasn’t life been good? Has anyone been bullying you? Why have you gotten so thin? There’s no flesh left on you at all!”

Before, this girl had seemed to have a bit of flesh on her, especially at the chest, but now, looking at it, her chest had become… had become flat!

He lowered his gaze to look at her body, and that look made Xiao Yingtao flush with embarrassment all over.

Heavens, how could he look at that part of her!

But Xing Zizhou’s gaze was truly filled with genuine concern, which left Xiao Yingtao not even sure whether she should be angry.

Xing Zizhou… surely he meant no harm? With such a caring look in his eyes, no one would think there was any ill intent.

But he was holding her right now! Held like this, it felt as if it were filled with ill intent after all!

Xiao Yingtao, who had never experienced anything between a man and a woman before, was completely stunned by his gaze and his embrace, not knowing how to respond at all.

It was only seeing him staring at her body with such a heartsick expression that she found herself inexplicably explaining: “No, it’s not that, I… I bound myself up to disguise myself as a man.”

Oh! Why was she explaining something like this to a man? This… this was simply too… too humiliating!

Xing Zizhou froze for a moment, then suddenly reached out and felt along her body.

Bound up? Could it be that this wasn’t from suffering too much hardship and growing this thin?

When his hand touched the strip of cloth binding her chest, Xing Zizhou suddenly remembered—she had been dressed as a man this whole time. Could it be that she had deliberately done this to disguise herself as a man?

Honestly, she should have said so sooner. When he had seen her “flattened” just now, he had truly felt so distressed and heartsick.

Although even “flattened,” she was still this beautiful, this captivating, it had still left him feeling somewhat regretful, after all.

This, in the future… in the future, this would be his own tender haven!

Although Xiao Yingtao herself hadn’t agreed to anything yet, in Xing Zizhou’s heart, he had already claimed her as his own.

Xing Zizhou had truly only wanted to confirm she hadn’t grown “thin,” but Xiao Yingtao was so frightened by his actions that her whole body went rigid.

“Xing Zizhou, Xing… don’t do this, don’t!” She struck his large hand forcefully, trying to push it away from her body.

Had Xiao Yingtao not struck him so hard, Xing Zizhou truly might not have realized just what part of the young woman’s body his hand was currently touching.

“I didn’t mean to—I just wanted to see, whether you were really… all right.”

Xing Zizhou froze, fine beads of sweat instantly appearing at his temples.

He truly hadn’t meant to, but having seen clearly just where his hand had landed, his palm grew warm, and he found himself utterly unwilling to let go.

“Xing Zizhou…”

“Xiao Yingtao, will you be my wife?” Xing Zizhou’s breathing grew ragged, utterly, completely in disarray!

“No… mmh—” Xiao Yingtao stared in disbelief, her eyes wide, fixed on the face now mere inches from her own.

The distance was so close she could no longer make out his features clearly, but the sensation of lips against hers was so real, too real to be ignored.

She began to struggle, but Xing Zizhou’s arms only tightened further, locking her completely in place, leaving no room for struggle at all.

“Mmh, mmh…” His hand even reached beneath the edge of her garment, trying to undo the binding on her body! Xiao Yingtao, flustered, found the situation spiraling completely out of control—even Xing Zizhou himself couldn’t seem to hold himself back.

He hadn’t meant to—it was only that after so many days apart, he had missed her so very, very much.

He truly hadn’t meant to take liberties with her, but the moment he had felt where his hand had touched just now, that earth-shattering sensation had completely overwhelmed him.

He could no longer think of anything else—he knew only one thing: he wanted her. He wanted her to be his wife!