The longer she held his stare, the faster her heart raced. Eventually, she abruptly turned away, her neck flushing red as she looked elsewhere.

Zhou Ye took in all of her adorable reactions, then resumed flipping the skewers in front of him. After a while, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

His heartbeat was racing so fast that he couldn't quite understand what was happening to him.

He hadn't done any vigorous exercise, yet his body felt strangely exhilarated. Just sitting quietly with her made him so happy.

He hoped this time could be stretched out, ideally lasting his entire life.

Above them, the stars twinkled, and the cool mountain air surrounded them. As he watched the glowing red coals, he exhaled and spoke up.

"Come sit a bit closer."

Xia Yao turned her head and saw that Zhou Ye was still focused on the barbecue grill in front of him.

There was about an arm's length between them, and she felt that the current distance was just right. Yet, her heart fluttered so intensely for him that she secretly wanted to move closer.

So, the girl shifted her stool slightly closer and sat quietly beside the boy.

The charcoal in the grill crackled, occasionally emitting a sound like cracking ice. The fire cast a warm red glow over their faces and arms.

After a while, he removed his gloves and, with his well-defined fingers, gently pressed her head down onto his shoulder.

Xia Yao didn't resist at all. She caught the scent of the beef skewers from him, then placed her hand on his thigh, resting her head against him, and softly asked, "Zhou Ye, if you hadn't come out with me today, what would you be doing at home?"

The skewers had changed color, and he picked up a bottle to sprinkle seasoning evenly over them. In the firelight, the boy's features looked deep, his nose bridge high and straight, his face clean and handsome.

"If I didn't go out, I'd be studying at home, playing some games, maybe watching a movie in the evening, and doing some strength training."

"Mm." She paused before asking, "Do you ever have trouble sleeping? What do you do when you can't sleep?"

"If I can't sleep, I probably go out for a night run..."

Zhou Ye didn't say the rest. He didn't want her to think he was a perverted guy.

"These should be ready. Do you want to try some?"

After a while, Zhou Ye changed the subject and took the skewers off the coals. Just as Xia Yao reached for one, Zhou Ye held one up to her lips.

"Blow on it first, it's hot."

Xia Yao hesitated for a moment, then puffed her cheeks and blew on the meat several times before taking a cautious bite.

As she chewed, her cheeks puffed out like a little goldfish. He watched her for a long time, holding the skewer and feeding her until she finished the entire piece.

He had never imagined he would do something like this one day.

Zhou Ye had seen his friends in relationships before. Watching them obsess over their girlfriends, always chatting or video calling when they had a moment, he couldn't understand it at all.

The world was so vast, with so many interesting things to do. Why cling to one girl? What was the point?

He set the finished skewer aside and picked up another, wanting to keep feeding her.

"Have another one."

Xia Yao wasn't much of a fan of barbecue, but Zhou Ye had made so much that it would be a waste not to eat it.

Finally, she took the skewer from his hand and held it to his lips.

"You eat."

Zhou Ye looked at her delicate fingers holding the skewer, then at her face, confirming that his girlfriend was feeding him. He bit into the meat.

It wasn't much, and he swallowed it down in a few bites.

"I want more." He looked at her, his face actually a bit red, though it wasn't very noticeable in the surrounding light.

The girl, with her gentle nature, patiently fed him again. Zhou Ye had a good appetite and ate it all. When the meat was gone, he pulled her into a kiss.

Soon, he felt himself getting hard again, straining against his pants.

It was so uncomfortable that Zhou Ye had no choice but to suppress his urgency and softly suggested, "Let's go back to the room?"

Xia Yao thought he had eaten enough and was ready to sleep, so she nodded and responded quietly.

"Mm."

To their right, a woman had been glancing their way multiple times that night. She had checked in next door to them and immediately noticed Zhou Ye.

She rarely saw such a handsome guy. He was tall, had a good build, and from the visible lines of his arms, she could tell he was muscular under his clothes.

Her grill was empty. Ever since she saw him, she had been thinking about how to seduce him that night.

Young guys like him were usually full of energy, and his innocent-looking girlfriend probably had no idea about his needs.

She thought he wouldn't be able to resist a mature woman giving him a satisfying bl0wjob, then sneaking out for a wild romp in the night, which would be thrilling for him. He probably didn't know any better.

Even if he had feelings for his girlfriend, it wouldn't matter. If they could become regular partners, that would be great. He seemed like he'd be high quality.

With these thoughts, the woman turned and casually looked back, just in time to see him stand up and lead his girlfriend back to their room.

If she missed this chance, there might not be another one tomorrow. The woman thought about her approach and followed them.