"Oh! I remember. I was lectured during the preparation of the wedding." Xue Lin recalled. "I want to know more about them. May I go to their main house?"
Ge Chen agreed. "Of course, you can. Iâll tell grandmother. She will certainly be happy."
After that, both of them became silent and Ge Chen kept feeding her. Xue Li slowly chewed rice and vegetables.
Like this incident in the mountains, if she gets into trouble in the future, she wonât hesitate to leave Ge Chen. He can always find another woman and have a family with that woman â just thinking that she felt her heart throb.
âI think those who sacrifice for their loved ones, they are the bravest.â She chuckled in her mind while thinking.
Xue Lin kept her usual poker face. So, Ge Chen didnât know what she was thinking. She gazed at Ge Chen. He was carefully separating the fish bones.
âHeâs wasted on me. Iâm no match for this man. He deserves someone better.â She has an unusual expression on her face.
Thinking of Balthazarâs curse. Xue Lin nervously said, "And, there is another thing I want to know. Did that investigators find a man with half of his face burnt?"
Ge Chen remembered someone with that description. "There was a person. His burnt mark was old. He was a fugitive. He had some scratch marks."
"Thatâs great." She was relieved to hear that Balthazar was dead. She was never been this happy to hear that someone died. âSince heâs dead, the curse would be lifted too. If he wanted the curse to last for eternity, he had to sacrifice his soul but his soul was sacrificed long ago.â
"Did you know him?" Ge Chen asked curiously seeing her relived.
"He was the one who took Puja to the dark path. It wasnât her fault." Xue Lin didnât want him to know that incident five years ago. She didnât feel like telling him that. She wanted to remove this incident from her memory.
"Are you saying that she was possessed?" Ge Chen was surprised that she knew so much about being possessed by spirits.
"Yes, by the time she was possessed, her soul was already out of her body." Xue Lin said. "After I recover, I want to meet her family and tell them that she was innocent."
"Thatâs a good idea. But, you have forgotten one thing."
Xue Lin was thinking of how to talk to Pujaâs parents. Upon hearing his words, she looked at him. "What thing?"
"About my reward." He said.
"Oh right, I have to cook Italian pasta for you. I did not forget that." She lied. She did forget but he just reminded her.
Ge Chen put down the bowl of rice and spoke in a serious manner, "Iâm not talking about cooking. Iâm talking about another reward."
Seeing him so serious, she subconsciously became serious. "I donât remember promising you another reward."
"No, itâs a reward for rescuing you."
Xue Lin was speechless. "...I didnât know you like extorting from people."
"You are my wife. What is mine, is yours. If I extort from you, you wonât lose anything." Ge Chen showed her logic.
âIf I give you my virginity, how will it come back to me? Such lie!â Xue Lin didnât tell him that. However, she could understand that he had done more than enough for her to give him a reward. Moreover, he saved her life. She finally agreed. "Alright, what do you want?"
Ge Chen blurted out, "A kiss on the cheek."
Xue Lin immediately reacted, "Wha- why?! Why not something else?"
"Iâve worked so hard to look for you. This is the least you can give to me." Ge Chen coolly said. His pair of grey eyes flashed in amusement.
"Huu..." she pouted.
Ge Chen coaxed her, "Come on, one kiss..."
"Huu..." she narrowed her eyes and thought about it.
Ge Chen inched closer to her and seductively said, "One small kiss..."
Xue Lin almost agreed to him. She suddenly realized that he was trying to trick her and backed her head away. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Iâm seducing you." He said so casually as if it was nothing.
"What?! Why?!" Xue Linâs face flushed in embarrassment. Since she has a pale face, it becomes vivid red when she blushes. She looks very cute and seductive when she does.
Ge Chen gulped and innocently blinked. "Am I not allowed to?"
Xue Lin exclaimed, "Of course not!"
Ge Chen used logic to win, "But Iâm your husband. Iâm the only one who has the right."
âDamn! Heâs got a point!â Xue Lin couldnât look at him in the eyes and looked down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Come on..." he said again.
Xue Lin could hardly say, "Only one... kiss."
Ge Chenâs face brightened up. "Okay."
"A small one." Her voice was lower than a mosquitoesâ buzzing.
"...Sure." He wanted a long kiss but if he teased her more than this, she might run away.
Xue Lin slowly moved closer. She still didnât look at him. When his face was close enough, she quickly planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
It was a slight touch but Ge Chenâs whole body jerked. He felt electricity run through his body. He suddenly felt hot and hungrily looked at Xue Linâs red lips that almost lost its color. He wanted to taste those cherry lips.
It was the first time she kissed him because she was pressured by him. He has now experienced a kiss from a woman for the first time. His motherâs kiss doesnât count in an adult relationship.
He closed his eyes. He chanted the Buddhist script about self-control in his mind. He didnât want to scare her away with his forceful act.
âThis is harder than I thought.â He thought. It felt like he created a trap for her but fell on the trap himself before she did.
He once thought that he could control himself around her since he was never sexually deprived. But, having the woman he desired right beside him every day made it difficult for him.
âSelf-control... self-control... self-control...â