CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 101: IT’S SNOWING

His fingers involuntarily tightened, his cold and stern face seemed coated with frost. After the smart door lock recognized his face, it clicked twice and opened the door.

The little female on the bed slept soundly, wrapped in a light scent of fruit wine.

In the darkness, the smoky gray beast eyes flickered like two lanterns floating in the air, staring unblinkingly at the person asleep on the bed.

Ruan Li slept for a long time, gradually awakened by the intense gaze. As she opened her eyes, she saw those ghostly eyes and almost got startled.

It wasn’t until she vaguely recognized Zhe Ye that she somewhat complained, "Zhe Ye, why are you sitting at the side without turning on the lights?"

With a click, Ruan Li reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. Zhe Ye’s somewhat cold expression clearly appeared in her vision.

"You don’t look too well, was the banquet too exhausting?" Ruan Li asked considerately.

"No." The man’s voice was somewhat cold and rigid as he opened the food box, taking out the insulated box holding the sobering soup for Ruan Li.

"Drink it while it’s hot. You had some fruit wine, drinking some sobering soup will make you feel better."

Ruan Li drank the sobering soup in one gulp, it seemed like honey was added, making it taste sweet.

"What time is it now, is the banquet over?"

"Yes, it’s over, ten o’clock at night."

Ruan Li got out of bed, glanced at herself only wearing lace leggings, and said to Zhe Ye a bit shyly, "I want to change clothes, Zhe Ye, would you mind turning around first?"

"Okay." The man obliged and turned around, the sound of clothes rustling amplified several hundred times in her ears.

His gaze darkened a bit.

"Alright, ready now." Ruan Li’s bright voice rang out.

"Let’s go home." She casually took Zhe Ye’s hand, checked if nothing was left behind in the room, and walked out.

But she quickly noticed the man’s silence, so she secretly glanced at him several times, wondering if the banquet had exhausted him, hence the silence.

Until Zhe Ye lifted his gaze, catching Ruan Li’s peering eyes.

He pressed his throat, asking somewhat hoarsely, "What’s wrong?"

Ruan Li thought he must be too tired, even speaking made his voice hoarse, with his body exuding a rich scent of alcohol.

Ruan Li shook her head, "Nothing, let’s go back quickly." She pondered in her heart about making a bowl of sobering soup for Zhe Ye after returning home.

However, it took a long time for the aircraft to stop.

Ruan Li asked in confusion, "Are we home?"

Zhe Ye suppressed the sparkling flicker in his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse, "No."

The cabin door opened, Ruan Li curiously asked, "Where have we stopped?"

She poked her head out and saw the big sign "XX Hot Spring Hotel" instantly reddening her face, quickly glancing at the man and then at the hotel entrance.

"Zhe Ye, this..."

The man’s ear roots turned faintly red, obviously being inexperienced in doing such things for the first time, "Hmm, this is a very famous couple’s hotel."

He had seen recommendations on the Star Network before, always planning to bring Ruan Li for a visit.

Ruan Li weakly smiled, hooked onto Zhe Ye’s hand, lightly scratching his palm with her fingertips, whispering, "Have you already reserved a room?"

Suppressing the itch in his throat, the man’s ash-gray eyes reflected Ruan Li’s shy face, "Yes."

Ruan Li extended her index finger, curling it to hook the man’s finger, gently leading him forward, "Let’s go then."

The man allowed her to gently pull his hand in front, the sound of military boots clicking crisply on the pavement.

Clearly, no sobering soup was needed tonight.

In the steamy hot spring pool, the moonlight softly tipsy, the white delicate hands wrapped in a circle around the tan neck, claw marks fell on the old-scar-covered muscular back, in the misty fog, like falling petals of peach blossom.

A wet wolf tail encircled the female, leaving mark after mark exclusive to it.

The surface collapse of W Star fortunately only caused a few Beastman injuries, Shi Jue performed excellently on this dispatch mission and his military rank was promoted to Colonel.

Late autumn, early winter.

The temperature of S Star has recently plummeted, making Ruan Li reluctant to go out, the sub-zero temperatures all day make her prefer to curl up under the indoor heating rather than bundle up like a dumpling to run outside and freeze.

Zhe Ye straightened his uniform, walked behind the sofa, bent down, and lifted Ruan Li’s chin.

Ruan Li turned her head and planted a kiss on his lips.

The man’s eyes half-lowered, gazing at her pink lips, seemingly dissatisfied with the brief one-second kiss.

Ruan Li tapped his chest, "I’ll reward you with another one when you come back."

Zhe Ye’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down, suppressing in his throat, "Okay."

Shi Jue fixed his outfit, hurriedly jumped downstairs two or three steps at a time, "Ruannuan, I want one too."

He cheerfully ran up to Ruan Li, squeezed Zhe Ye to the side, lowered his head, his green eyes eagerly fixed on her in anticipation.

Ruan Li also planted a light kiss on his lips.

"Come hurry, the awards ceremony can’t be late," Ruan Li urged the two to leave.

The TV broadcasted the Empire’s official channel’s live coverage, while Ruan Li cuddled a lazy little fox, watching on the sofa.

Xi Han leaned lazily against Ruan Li’s shoulder, his eyes half shut, intently gazing at her slender neck.

Bai He picked up a cup of hot tea, the aroma wafted abundantly, even Ruan Li found it alluring.

"Twenty more days until the New Year, Ruannuan, is there any gift you want?" Bai He asked.

Ruan Li hadn’t thought about this, she pondered for a moment, realizing she didn’t have any special desires, "Anything nice would do."

Bai He lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, "Okay, I understand."

Xi Han caressed her face, "I will definitely give Ruannuan the most special gift."

Ruan Li nonchalantly shrugged him off, "Okay, the ceremony’s about to start. Let’s watch the broadcast."

Xi Han lifted his eyes, glanced uninterested at the broadcast, lightly huffed, his fingers entwined in Ruan Li’s long hair.

The little fox lifted its eyelids slightly, seeming to watch the broadcast in its half-drowsy eyes too.

Bai He fiddled with the Smart Brain, murmuring, "Ruannuan, it’s going to snow today."

Ruan Li asked curiously, "When?"

"Probably around ten o’clock."

Ruan Li turned to look outside the floor-to-ceiling window. The dim light didn’t allow her to see if it was snowing, but the bare branches in the yard swayed in the wind.

The broadcast played stirring music, shocking Lu Mufeng’s face appeared, cold wind fiercely blowing, a black hat brim tightly clamped, the cloak slightly fluttered, the seamless uniform precisely outlined his strong tall figure, unbelievably fluid jawline like a blade, cold stern brows and eyes as if stained by frost and snow that wouldn’t melt.

The camera zoomed in on his face.

A crystal snowflake silently landed on his thick eyelashes.

It’s snowing.

The first snow of the year.

Ruan Li murmured.