CHAPTER 540: CHAPTER 540: MO CHUXI, I LIKE YOU! [2]

Although the sketch was pressed beneath Yan Xinxin’s profile, with just a slightly closer look, he could clearly see what she had drawn.

It was a pencil sketch.

And the person in the drawing was him.

Perhaps it was because the light of the setting sun was partially blocked, Yan Xinxin’s soft brows furrowed slightly. Her small mouth shifted lightly, and she slowly opened her drowsy eyes.

The first sight greeting her was the man’s features, as gentle as a spring breeze.

He was crouching in front of her, his tall and upright figure seemingly carrying the magnificent hues of the sunset on his back. The backlighting softened the sharp contours of his face.

Yan Xinxin’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

As she awoke fully, it was as though she had become a part of a bustling crowd, but her gaze landed only on him.

This heart, it seemed, beat solely because he existed.

"Tired?"

He parted his lips, his magnetic, deep voice breaking the silence in the air.

Yan Xinxin jolted in surprise, snapping back to reality.

"None of your business."

She turned her head to deny him.

Seeing Mo Chuxi still crouched beside her, Yan Xinxin deliberately turned her back to him, scrambling to gather up her sketch.

But the moment she reached out, Mo Chuxi pressed down on her hand.

"Who did you draw? Can’t I take a look?"

"I already said, it has nothing to do with you."

Yan Xinxin pulled her hand away forcefully, hurriedly stowing the completed sketch away.

He had appeared so abruptly; she hadn’t prepared herself to face him.

"Yuan."

Mo Chuxi called softly.

The simple utterance of two syllables stopped her in her tracks as she turned to leave.

"Stay with me for a moment."

His voice, carrying a trace of pleading, dropped softly as he reached out and grabbed her slender wrist, pulling her forcefully toward him.

Caught off guard, Yan Xinxin stumbled backward. Just as he wished, she fell directly into his embrace, landing squarely on his lap.

Yan Xinxin clutched the sketch tightly in her arms, her cheeks burning as she tried to rise. But her waist was held firmly in place.

"Let me go!"

"Was the cake bought for me?"

He ignored her struggles and protests, reaching out to pick up the box of sea salt cake.

"No, no, it wasn’t... it wasn’t bought for you..."

"In my memory, Yuan never lies."

"I’m not..."

"You’re my Yuan."

Mo Chuxi interrupted her, his voice resolute and unwavering, his deep gaze locked onto her flustered, tear-streaked face.

Yan Xinxin tightened her grip on the sketch, her brows furrowed deeply, her small lips pressed into a hard line.

Under the twilight, his lingering gaze fell on her delicate profile, his hand lifting to gently brush against her cheek.

"If the cake wasn’t bought for me, then it must be for yourself. How about Brother Xi feeds it to you?"

"..."

Rendered speechless, Yan Xinxin stared at him in shock as he scooped up a dollop of frosting and brought it to her lips. His refined features were adorned with an indulgent and warm tenderness.

Yan Xinxin parted her pink lips slightly, wanting to say something, but the words never surfaced. Without realizing it, she opened her small mouth and accepted the frosting he offered.

It was sweet.

So sweet.

But for some inexplicable reason, as it slid down her throat, it felt bitter... so bitter, and sour.

She suddenly felt a deep ache within her heart.

Their wedding had been ruined. The baby was gone. He had gripped her hand and stabbed himself...

She had bled, and his heart had been wounded.

But now, thinking about it calmly, it was their wedding that had been destroyed, and he hadn’t been happy about it either. The baby had been his too, and the loss hurt him just as much.

She had been ignoring him, treating him coldly—yet in truth, it was tormenting her as well.

Mo Chuxi scooped up another bite of cake and brought it to Yan Xinxin’s lips. She chewed it slowly, her tongue detecting a salty hint of tears.

She couldn’t hate him anymore. She truly couldn’t hate him anymore.

This was her Brother Xi from childhood, the man who had been her first love and had stirred her heart.

Yan Xinxin bit her lip gently, suddenly turning her head. In an instant, her lips—coated with frosting and tears—pressed firmly against Mo Chuxi’s thin lips.

He froze, his mouth tasting the mix of bitterness and sweetness, a complexity that filled his chest completely.

Yan Xinxin parted her lips, her tear-filled eyes gazing at Mo Chuxi as she finally found herself unable to contain her innermost thoughts.

"Xi! I don’t hate you anymore! I like you! I really like you!"