Chapter 272: Sweetness and Shyness

Because their relationship had changed, the more private the setting, the more easily intimate gestures could stir feelings they found hard to restrain. This was also why Su Yuqing was so shy.

At Chen Mo’s touch, Su Yuqing’s body gave an almost imperceptible tremble, like a resting butterfly suddenly disturbed.

She didn’t pull her hand away immediately, but she didn’t respond either. Her fingertips just curled slightly, betraying the fluttering in her heart.

Her gaze remained fixed on the flowing streetscape outside the window, but her small earlobes began to visibly redden, looking like ripe little cherries, especially striking in the golden halo of light.

Chen Mo’s palm was broad and warm, carrying a reassuring strength and an undeniable presence.

He didn’t make any further moves, just let his hand rest gently over hers. The pad of his thumb, with extreme restraint, brushed almost imperceptibly against the smooth back of her hand, like the caress of a feather.

Yet this subtle touch was like an electric current that shot through Su Yuqing’s entire body.

She finally couldn’t help but turn her head and glance quickly at Chen Mo.

The afternoon sun outlined the handsome features of his profile. His deep eyes were focused on her, filled with undisguised tenderness and a hint of a teasing smile, as if he was enjoying the sight of her shyness, which he had caused.

A deeper blush instantly spread across Su Yuqing’s cheeks.

She subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Chen Mo held it more tightly, though still gently.

"You’re my girlfriend now, you can’t run away," he said in a low voice. In the quiet car, his voice was exceptionally clear, carrying an alluring, magnetic quality.

Hearing Chen Mo’s words, the strength in Su Yuqing’s struggle instantly vanished.

She lowered her eyelids, the shadows cast by her long lashes trembling slightly in the sunlight. She didn’t dare look at him again, but she also stopped trying to pull her hand away.

She let his warm, dry palm envelop her cool hand, feeling the extremely slow, reassuring caress from the pad of his thumb.

That subtle touch was like a small pebble tossed into a calm lake, sending sweet ripples spreading one after another across her heart.

A silent tension filled the air.

The driver was focused on the road, not noticing the romantic scene reflected in the rearview mirror.

Outside the window, the sunlight was bright. The streets, pedestrians, and vehicles, all with sharp outlines, sped backward.

But inside the car was a small world of their own, cool and filled with secret heartbeats.

In the silence, the sound of their breathing became clearly audible, intertwining.

Chen Mo shifted his fingers slightly, lacing them with hers.

The gesture was more intimate than simply covering her hand, carrying a sense of declaration and possession.

Su Yuqing’s heart gave a violent lurch, then began to race wildly.

She could clearly feel the shape of his knuckles and the almost searing heat where their palms met.

A dizzying sensation, a mixture of immense sweetness and shyness, washed over her.

She couldn’t help but secretly raise her eyes to look at him again.

Chen Mo was looking ahead, sunlight dancing on the tips of his thick eyelashes. A satisfied, gentle smile played on his lips.

He seemed to sense her gaze and turned his head slightly, his deep eyes capturing hers once more.

This time, Su Yuqing didn’t look away.

She mustered her courage and met his gaze. Although her cheeks were still burning as if baked by the sun, a shimmering, watery smile bloomed in her eyes, full of the unreserved dependence and sweetness of first love.

She even tried to carefully, ever so slightly, squeeze his interlaced fingers in return.

This tiny response made the smile in Chen Mo’s eyes deepen instantly, like a deep pool into which sunlight had been poured.

He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, silently conveying the reassurance of ’I’m here’.

They didn’t speak, yet it was as if they had exchanged countless sweet nothings.

The taxi drove smoothly along the bright city streets of the afternoon, passing through familiar lanes that looked somewhat bleached by the sun.

In the back seat, the two of them simply sat in silence, fingers interlaced, feeling the warmth where their palms touched and the resonance of their pulses.

Whenever the car turned, Su Yuqing’s body would uncontrollably lean gently toward Chen Mo. Their shoulders would touch for a moment before quickly separating, and each subtle contact brought a new flutter of emotion in the cool car.

The journey home seemed to stretch on forever, yet also felt like it was over in a flash.

Silent words of love flowed through the car. Every heartbeat, every brush of their fingertips, every meeting of their eyes, silently narrated the love song that had just begun in this moving, secret space, gently enveloped by sunlight.

Awkwardness, sweetness, nervousness, anticipation... all the flavors of a first love were being savored and left to quietly ferment during this journey home.

Not until the car slowly came to a stop in front of the familiar apartment building did the driver’s "We’re here" awaken them from their sweet cocoon.

They released their clasped hands at almost the same time. The warmth of the other person and a faint sheen of sweat lingered on their fingertips, and their faces both held a lingering blush and a trace of awkwardness at being interrupted.

"Thank you," Chen Mo said as he paid. His voice was tinged with an almost imperceptible hoarseness.

A wave of heat from outside rushed in as the car door opened.

He got out first. The bright afternoon sun made him narrow his eyes slightly, then he turned naturally and offered his hand to Su Yuqing inside the car.

Su Yuqing ducked her head as she got out. The scorching air instantly enveloped her, but it was no match for the heat on her face.

She looked up at Chen Mo, who was standing in the sunlight. He was watching her with gentle eyes, a look that would make anyone unconsciously relax.

This time, Su Yuqing didn’t hesitate. She placed her hand gently into his palm.

Hand in hand, they walked toward the home that now held a completely new meaning, a home that belonged to the two of them.

The lingering thrill of their interlaced fingers in the taxi still seemed to be clearly branded on their touching skin.

The moment they stepped inside, the clamor of the outside world was completely shut out, leaving a quiet space that belonged only to the two of them.

The air seemed to still hold the scent from before they left, but something was different.

"We’re finally back." Chen Mo set down the luggage and naturally reached for her hand.

But like a startled fawn, Su Yuqing quickly bent down to change her shoes before he could touch her, her movements slightly flustered.

"Mm... yeah. I’m going to go water the flowers on the balcony. They look a little wilted," she said, practically fleeing to the small balcony.

Chen Mo’s hand froze in mid-air. He was stunned for a moment, then broke into a laugh.

He understood. In the privacy of a space with just the two of them, the immense sweetness of their newly confirmed relationship and the shyness that came with it made her feel even more flustered than she had been on a crowded bus.

The change in their status would take a little time to get used to.