Zhong Cheng, already inside, didn't glance her way but, as always, raised the partition the moment she was seated. Watching it rise, Jiang Yi felt a flutter of nerves.

Sure enough, a moment later, Zhong Cheng spread his legs, settling into a commanding posture. "Come here," he said.

Familiar now with the routine, Jiang Yi didn't hesitate. She moved onto his lap.

Once she was settled, Zhong Cheng tilted his head back slightly. "Hold me," he instructed.

Jiang Yi reached out, her arms loosely circling his neck.

With a strong pull, Zhong Cheng's hand tightened around her waist, sending her tumbling against his chest.

Startled, Jiang Yi looked up, meeting his gaze.

Their eyes locked for a beat, two heartbeats, before Zhong Cheng leaned down, brushing two feather-light kisses against her lips.

The first kiss made her flinch back slightly. She fought the urge to retreat when the second one came. The fleeting contact, so light and quick, left her surprised.

He kept one hand on her back, pressing her against his chest, while the other idly caressed her waist, as if she weighed nothing, holding her with an air of relaxed contentment.

But against his chest, Jiang Yi could hear the rapid, uneven thump of his heart. She rested her hand over it, pondering a question that had been troubling her.

Suddenly emboldened, she looked up at him. "Why does everyone like to hold me? And…" her voice trailed off under his gaze, "...why do you do that to me?"

Silence. Utter silence. Only their eyes, locked in a wordless exchange.

Jiang Yi was the first to break. The light in her eyes dimmed, her lips forming a small pout as she looked down.

Just when she thought he wouldn't answer, he spoke. "I don't know about them, but I like you."

Jiang Yi's mind went blank. Her breath hitched, a tight, almost suffocating feeling in her chest. Then, as if a dam had burst, warmth flooded through her. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs, heat rising to her face.

I like you?

I like you?

I like you?

She looked up, her eyes wide. "You… you… you just said… you like me?"

Zhong Cheng met her gaze. "Yes." His expression remained unchanged, his eyes calm and composed. Nothing about him betrayed the fact he'd just confessed his feelings.

If it weren't for her hand on his chest, feeling the frantic beat of his heart mirroring her own, she wouldn't have believed him.

His heart was racing. And, looking closer, she noticed the tips of his ears were flushed.

A blush crept up Jiang Yi's neck, staining her cheeks crimson. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, giving her a vulnerable, almost pitiful look.

She didn't know how endearing she appeared.

Zhong Cheng, with visible effort, tore his gaze from her face, maintaining a facade of composure. "Mm."

Jiang Yi saw his Adam's apple bob. She knew what that meant. It usually bobbed like that when he wanted to do… things to her.