30: Chapter 31 Shen Nian's Kiss and Yin Tianxue's Heartache

Yu Bo found the key in Shen Nian's handbag and opened the apartment door. He supported her as she stumbled inside and settled her onto the large bed in the master bedroom.

Just as he was about to straighten up, Shen Nian suddenly pulled hard, dragging him down. His body landed right on top of her soft, curvaceous figure.

Before Yu Bo could react, Shen Nian lifted her head, and her scalding lips eagerly blocked his. This kiss carried the scent of alcohol and a reckless determination; her lips and tongue, clumsy yet passionate, pried open his teeth, entangling and demanding.

A "buzz" sounded in Yu Bo's head. His line of defense crumbled instantly under the soft, fragrant warmth and this sudden surge of passion. He let out a low groan and instinctively kissed her back, deeper and greedier than he had in the private room. His large hands uncontrollably stroked her velvet-wrapped waist, feeling the astonishingly soft curves before sliding all the way up.

Shen Nian's body shuddered violently, a faint whimper escaping her throat. Instead of resisting, she arched her chest, meeting his touch, even guiding his hand to slide upward.

Yu Bo's breathing was heavy, his hand feeling that unusual temperature. His other hand slid down the hem of her velvet dress, reaching inside to stroke her bare, delicate thigh, feeling the astonishing smoothness and elasticity of her skin, sliding further down... exploring...

Lost in passion, the fire was lit.

However, just as Yu Bo's fingers were about to touch the edge of her lace, the image of Yin Tianxue's clear, trusting eyes flashed in his mind, like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. His movements froze abruptly, and all the surging desire was forcibly curbed at the threshold of explosion.

He took a deep breath, pushed himself up from Shen Nian, and quickly pulled his hand back, creating distance between them. His chest heaved violently, and his eyes held the lingering heat of passion mixed with the clarity of struggle.

Shen Nian was startled by his sudden withdrawal, her blurred eyes filled with the watery sheen of passion and confused bewilderment. She propped up her upper body, the shoulder straps of her velvet dress sliding off completely, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin and alluring curves.

"Yu Bo..." she said, her voice hoarse with the tremor of desire and a trace of grievance, "I've already reached this point... are you still not moved?"

Yu Bo looked at her disheveled state and her seductive, watery eyes, and his lower abdomen tightened again. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he tried to suppress the restlessness in his body, his voice low and hoarse but clear:

"You are beautiful, very beautiful. You are so beautiful and charming that any man would be moved. It is precisely because I am moved that I cannot do this."

Shen Nian froze, confused.

"In this kind of thing, the woman is always the one who suffers," Yu Bo looked at her, his tone serious, carrying a hint of self-mockery. "I could pull up my pants and deny it, but what about you? Shen Nian, you are not the type of person who can indulge yourself like this. When you wake up tomorrow, what will you do?"

"I don't need you to take responsibility..." Shen Nian turned her face away, her voice weak.

"I need to," Yu Bo interrupted, his tone deepening. "I need to be responsible for my woman, I need to be responsible for you, and even more so, I need to be responsible for... my own choices. You drank too much today, and I lost control. This is not how we should be."

He bent down, picked up the quilt that had slipped off, covered her with it again, and carefully tucked her in. "Get some good rest. I'll come to see you in a few days, okay?"

Shen Nian wrapped herself in the quilt, her body trembling slightly, not knowing if it was from the cold or something else. She didn't speak again, nor did she look at him.

Yu Bo took one last look at her, turned, walked quickly out of the bedroom, and gently closed the door.

He leaned against the cold wall of the living room, calming his still-rapid heartbeat and the residual heat in his body. Tonight, he had almost...

Fortunately, at the last moment, he had pulled back from the brink.

He found pen and paper and wrote a note: "Drink plenty of water when you wake up, there is milk in the fridge. Don't think about anything, just get a good sleep. Yu Bo."

Placing the note on the coffee table, he didn't linger, fleeing the apartment filled with temptation and danger.

The door closed, shutting out all sound.

In the bedroom, Shen Nian slowly pulled the quilt up to cover her face. In the darkness, she could clearly feel the places on her body where he had touched her, as well as... the emptiness and coldness that remained after he had stopped so abruptly.

Tears slid down silently, soaking the pillowcase.

It was late at night when Yu Bo returned to Residence Name. He moved quietly, entered the code, and pushed open the door.

Only a warm, yellow floor lamp was left on in the living room. Yin Tianxue was curled up on the sofa, covered by a thin blanket, seemingly having fallen asleep while waiting for him. Hearing the door open, she stirred and opened her sleepy eyes.

"You're back?" Her voice was soft and sticky with sleep. She sat up, the thin blanket sliding off to reveal the silk nightgown underneath.

"Hmm, why didn't you sleep in the bed?" Yu Bo changed his shoes, trying his best to make his voice sound natural.

"Waiting for you." Yin Tianxue rubbed her eyes and watched him walk closer. However, just as he approached the sofa and leaned down to kiss her forehead, Yin Tianxue's nose twitched imperceptibly, and her brows furrowed slightly.

She didn't dodge immediately, but her body stiffened for a moment. As Yu Bo's kiss landed on her forehead, she could clearly smell the lingering scent on him that didn't belong to him.

It was a mixture of high-end perfume, alcohol, and... a kind of warm body scent peculiar to a mature woman. It was faint, but to her, it was piercingly clear.

Yin Tianxue's heart felt as if it had been gently squeezed by an invisible hand; it was a bit stifling and a bit bitter. She lowered her lashes and said nothing.

Yu Bo sensed her strangeness, his heart tightening, but he maintained his composure on the surface: "What's wrong? Are you tired?"

Yin Tianxue raised her eyes and looked at him quietly, her gaze sweeping over his face as if trying to find some trace. His lips... did they seem redder than usual? His collar was also slightly messy. But these could all be her imagination, or... something else.

"A little," she finally said in a low voice, lifted the thin blanket, and stood up. "I'll go run a bath for you."

She turned and walked toward the bathroom, her steps steady, but her back looked somewhat fragile.

Yu Bo watched her back, the relief he felt from successfully "pulling back from the brink" instantly drowned by a huge sense of guilt and heartache. He knew how smart and sensitive Yin Tianxue was. She had smelled it, and she had sensed it.

"Tianxue." He called out to her.

Yin Tianxue stopped at the bathroom door without looking back.

Yu Bo walked over and gently hugged her from behind. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, greedily drinking in the familiar, reassuring, elegant fragrance on her, trying to dispel the scent of another woman that clung to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, his voice filled with exhaustion and a trace of imperceptible tremor. "Tonight... I almost did something wrong."

Yin Tianxue's body shook. She didn't move or speak, just listened quietly.