Chapter 381: Secret

Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Secret

Seeing him looking so lost and flustered, his eyes still shut, she couldn’t help but chuckle. "Hey, open your eyes~"

Frost Shaw slowly opened his eyes, and when he met her teasing smile, he flusteredly sat back down.

’My mind is racing. She... she... L-L-Lily Hart just kissed me! That wasn’t my imagination, was it? It definitely wasn’t!’

Frost Shaw took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.

He tried to calm himself for a while, but it was no use. ’What do I do? What do I do?’ Frost Shaw quietly peeked up at her.

’She’s so composed, acting like nothing happened. She’s just resting her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkled in a smile as she watches me.’

Frost Shaw suddenly felt like an innocent maiden who’d been trifled with.

"Want some more?" Lily Hart asked, raising an eyebrow at the pile of desserts and pastries on the table.

Frost Shaw shook his head. Suddenly, he decided to do something bold.

He stood, leaned his upper body across the small, round wooden table, braced one hand on its surface, and wrapped his other arm around her neck.

He leaned in, instinctively closing his eyes, and kissed her. Lily Hart’s eyes flew wide open. She felt her face burst into heat as her heart began to race.

’Oh, so the boy knows how to take the initiative...’

Afraid he wouldn’t get another chance if he missed this one, Frost Shaw slowly, instinctively, deepened the kiss.

CRASH... The small wooden table, unable to bear the weight, tipped over, sending the desserts and pastries scattering across the floor.

The two of them were completely unfazed. In that moment, the only thing in their world was each other.

After a long moment, Frost Shaw slowly pulled away.

He hadn’t realized it during the kiss, but now Frost Shaw felt his entire body burning up. Too embarrassed to meet her eyes, he started fumbling to clean up the mess on the floor.

Frost Shaw crouched down, first setting the small wooden table upright, then picking up the scattered pastries one by one.

Lily Hart commented out of the blue, "Not a bad kisser, but you still need more practice."

"Huh?" Frost Shaw looked up, his expression bewildered. ’She’s critiquing my kissing now...?’

’More practice... but who would I practice with...?’ A realization dawned, and Frost Shaw’s eyes lit up.

His sparkling eyes were fixed on Lily Hart, but her gaze was drawn to his glistening lips, his prominent Adam’s apple, and the crimson tips of his ears.

She smiled slightly. ’Ah, it’s so fun to tease him.’

Frost Shaw realized she was teasing him and silently lowered his head, but he couldn’t suppress the smile creeping onto his lips.

It felt like fireworks were going off in his chest—PEW PEW PEW, FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH—a magnificent display.

As Frost Shaw slowly finished cleaning, his mind was racing. There was a question he desperately wanted to ask, but he didn’t quite have the nerve.

Once everything was clean, Frost Shaw sat back down on his small wooden chair and stammered, "L-Lily Hart... why?"

"Why what?" Lily Hart asked, confused.

"Why did you kiss me?" Frost Shaw forced the question out, his heart pounding with nerves.

’The mood was just right, so I felt like taking a bite. I didn’t really think about why. It was a total whim.’

But facing Frost Shaw’s earnest, probing gaze, she found she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it was just a whim.

When Lily Hart didn’t answer right away, Frost Shaw thought he had his answer, but he quickly composed himself.

’It’s okay. I must be the first person Lily Hart has kissed here.’

’Well, the first one here, at least. The first one out of the group with Roman Rowe.’

’I’m so happy~’

His thoughts easily satisfied, Frost Shaw continued, a bit shyly, "If you want to... again... I’m available anytime."

Lily Hart nearly burst out laughing. She wanted to say yes but felt she shouldn’t, so she just put on a serious face and nodded, fighting to keep a smile from her lips.

The air was quiet for a moment before Frost Shaw broke the silence. "So, which shop are you planning to visit next?"

Lily Hart ticked them off on her fingers. "I’ve already been to the clinic, the bathhouse, the hotel..."

’Oh~ so she went to the clinic first,’ Frost Shaw thought to himself.

He finished the list for her. "So that leaves the hot pot restaurant, the factory, the hardware store, and the kitchen?"

"Ah, that’s right," Lily Hart nodded.

Frost Shaw asked, sounding a little reluctant to see her go, "Are you going now? Or maybe a little later?"

Lily Hart looked at him.

Frost Shaw quickly waved his hands in a fluster. "No, no, no! I didn’t mean to rush you! I was just asking... in case you were busy..."

Lily Hart laughed.

This made Frost Shaw even more frantic. He had a gut feeling he’d said the wrong thing. "Th-then, do you want to eat? These? Which one do you want? I’ll open it for you!"

Lily Hart shook her head. "I’ve had too much sugar. I’m craving something salty to balance it out."

He immediately shot to his feet, wiping his hands on his pants. "I’ll go downstairs and get you some spicy strips, or some other snacks."

Lily Hart smiled and agreed, "Okay."

Hearing that, Frost Shaw scrambled downstairs, disappearing like a gust of wind. Lily Hart brought a loose fist to her lips to hide a secret smile.

Soon, a set of footsteps rapidly approached. Without even turning around, she knew it was Frost Shaw.

Frost Shaw returned, carrying a huge bag of snacks, which he dropped into her lap with a THUD. "Just pick whatever you want to eat."

Lily Hart looked down. ’Good grief, did he grab two of every single snack in the convenience store?’

She randomly picked out a small bag of snacks and was about to open it when Frost Shaw took it from her.

"Let me open it," Frost Shaw said. He carefully tore open the packaging and handed the snacks inside to her.

Lily Hart started to eat. Frost Shaw rested his chin in his hand, watching her from the side. ’She’s beautiful even when she eats.’

The atmosphere grew quiet, but neither of them felt the least bit awkward.

After Lily Hart finished her snack, they sat in comfortable silence for a while longer. When she finally stood up to leave, Frost Shaw immediately got to his feet, insisting on walking her out.

The hallway wasn’t particularly long, lined with rooms on both sides. The rooms’ occupants were all presumably busy with their own tasks. The two of them walked down the hall, one behind the other.

Frost Shaw was walking slightly ahead when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Lily Hart nearly bumped into him and stared blankly as he turned to face her.

"Wha—" Lily Hart had barely gotten a word out before his lips were on hers.

She instinctively closed her eyes, receptively enjoying the kiss. A stray thought drifted through her mind: ’This boy is a fast learner.’

When Frost Shaw pulled away, her expression was still a bit dazed. This time, it was his turn to hide a smile. He couldn’t resist reaching out and giving her cheek a little squeeze.

"S-sorry," he said, his tone surprisingly sincere. "I just... suddenly wanted to."

But his kiss had been anything but hesitant. Lily Hart just hummed softly in response, not minding at all.

’In fact, deep down, she rather liked it... the spontaneity.’

She snorted lightly. "Let’s go. What are you still standing here for?"

Emboldened, Frost Shaw took her hand in his, though his own was trembling slightly. He asked tentatively, "Can we... have one more?"

Lily Hart chuckled, then stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Frost Shaw couldn’t hold it in anymore. He turned his head away to laugh, then looked back at Lily Hart and pulled her into a hug.

Lily Hart stuck out a single finger and easily pushed him away. "Alright, alright, don’t get carried away now~"

After a pause, she added, "Um, about us kissing..." Before she could finish, Frost Shaw raised his hand as if taking an oath.

"I’ll keep it a secret! I swear I won’t tell anyone. It’ll be our little secret!" Frost Shaw declared, quick on the uptake.

He knew Lily Hart had probably just acted on a whim. Maybe it was just the mood, maybe it was just...

Regardless, his feelings for Lily Hart were his own.