Chapter 45: The Game Begins

After no one spoke, the air suddenly grew cold. Monica leaned against the kitchen counter and glanced over his shoulder, confirming that there was no movement in the living room before turning her gaze back to him.
"Why?" Why plays this game? Why make such a bet? The two have had many bets of all sizes, but she faintly feels that he is particularly serious this time.
"You can understand it as me being less patient now." This ambiguous game is indeed interesting to play, but the closer he gets to her, the more he can't help but want more. The abyss of love and desire in his heart is endless, and there is no way to fill it except with her.
Steven brushed a strand of hair that fell in front of her ear, his fingers slid down, caressing her delicate and fair earlobe, and his fingertips brushed against the edges of the earring pendant.
"The rules of our agreement still apply. If you don't want to, I won't force you, and I won't actively reveal our relationship."
"So, what are you going to do this month?"
"Keep it a secret."
"But as long as I deny my answer, you can't possibly win this game."
"Yes."
She paused for a moment. "So, you're gambling with me?"
"Yes," he replied. "Do you remember what I said to you when we went to the movies together and I said it to you after the movie?"
She blinked, memories flashing like scenes from a movie.
"Don't say things so definitively, Monica. Why are you so sure that you won't fall in love with me?"
The clock on the wall ticked slowly, hammering the stagnant air between the two. She lowered her gaze and pondered for a long time before looking up at him.
"I'll play this game with you, and you have one month."
"I don't know what you're going to do, but my life won't change, so don't expect any special treatment from me during this month because of this game."
It's not so easy to make a captive princess willingly stay in the dragon's territory forever.
"Alright," Steven spoke slowly.
"During this month, I only have one requirement. If the feeling comes, you can't resist me."
She frowned, "What do you mean?"
"For example," he held her hand, gently covering her palm, and when Monica tried to pull her hand away, he tightened his grip.
"You don't actually dislike me, especially my body, you have realized that yourself, haven't you? For the past two weeks, you have been avoiding me, not because you are really angry, but because you are afraid that if you get close to me again, you will completely succumb--"
Interrupted by hitting the nail on the head, Monica blushed and interjected, "You're talking nonsense"
His lips were pressed by his finger, and he slightly leaned down, touching her forehead. "Look at me, baby." His breath was light, falling on.
On her lips, a tingling itch arose.
Monica looked into those dark, intense eyes, feeling a sudden and uncontrollable attraction wash over her.
"Can you, do it?"
Facing one's desires is the first step.
Seeing her remain silent with clenched teeth, Steven chuckled softly, leaned down, cupped her face, and kissed her, "Then our game officially begins."
Lily was lying on the table, half-awake and dazedly startled. She felt a dryness in her mouth and got up in a daze, stumbling towards the source of light in the kitchen.
As her footsteps neared, in the midst of the silence, she suddenly heard very low gasps.
Moisture and disarray, mingled with the faint sound of kissing saliva.
She vaguely thought she was hallucinating, leaned in, and saw Steven and Monica kissing against the wall.
An intimate, wet, and hot embrace, with movements that were all too familiar to be a first.
"Oh my god..." She retreated to the wall again, startled and whispered to herself, "Am I dreaming?"
She pinched herself hard, the pain confirming her reality, so she leaned against the wall again and secretly looked into the kitchen.
She hadn't seen it wrong; they were still kissing.
Words can be twisted and turned, but the language of the body when filled with emotions never lies.
Half-opened eyes, Steven's gaze remained fixed on Monica, completely different from the coldness at the dinner table.
Monica held onto his waist, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her ears turning red, but she never pushed him away.
There was definitely something going on between them, and it seemed like it had been going on for a long time.
Then why were they pretending to have a bad relationship?
Lily’s intoxicated brain couldn't quite figure out this relationship, she slapped her cheeks, and stumbled back. She would decide when she was sober.
The next day, Monica woke up from her sleep. She glanced at the time, buried her head back into the covers, and stayed in bed for a while before slowly getting up, lifting the blanket, and walking barefoot to the window, pulling the curtains open with force.
The sunlight outside instantly poured in fiercely, illuminating every corner of the bedroom.
Just like any other day, it felt like nothing had changed.
What happened in the kitchen last night seemed almost like a dream? What exactly did Steven want to ask her? And what would he do this month?
As Monica stared out the window lost in thought, her phone rang. She turned back to the bedside table, swiped to answer, "Hello, Lawrence?"
"Monica, are you free today?"
Siena Art Gallery
Lawrence Liang had been waiting at the entrance, and when he saw Monica approaching, he waved at her with a smile on his lips, "Over here."
He was wearing a collar coat today, paired with a pair of black leather boots, giving off a rebellious air that suited an artist.
"Sorry for not informing you in advance." Lawrence led her towards the venue, "This is an exhibition of one of my former mentors, I just found out this morning that I could get an extra VIP ticket, and I immediately thought of you. It's fortunate that you happen to be free, otherwise, this ticket would have gone to waste."
The ticket inspector saw Lawrence Liang and nodded, allowing them to enter. Monica followed Lawrence into the gallery.
He greeted her with a smile and nodded as Monica entered, calling out "Mr. Lawrence Liang."
As the staff saw Monica's figure, they approached Lawrence curiously and mysteriously, asking, "Mr. Lawrence, is she your girlfriend?"
Lawrence made a gesture of silence and smiled, saying, "Still working on it, keep it a secret for me."
"Don't worry!"
The venue was clearly carefully arranged, with soft light emanating from the top chandeliers and photos on the walls framed in glass, arranged in order according to the theme, constantly attracting people to stop and look.
As Lawrence introduced to her, he exclaimed, "I still remember, before I went abroad, I told you that one day I would have my own photography exhibition. Now my dream is about to come true. Next month, the works displayed here will be mine."
"Congratulations." She sincerely wished him well, saying, "At first, your family didn't agree with you pursuing photography, but you persisted, and this is your deserved reward."
As the topic of family opposition came up, a faint smile faded from Lawrence's lips, and he changed the subject, saying, "Yeah, it was tough, but it's all in the past now."
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, and after browsing for a while, Lawrence received a phone call.
He lowered his voice and responded for a moment, then hung up and showed Monica a helpless smile.
"Sorry Monica, News Weekly arranged an interview for me this afternoon. It was originally scheduled for four o'clock, but their staff arrived early. Can I trouble you to wait for me a while? I've already booked the restaurant for dinner."
"It's okay, you go ahead, and I’ll just browse around here."
Lawrence took a few steps, then remembered something and turned back, saying, "This is for you."
He took off his work ID from his neck and hung it around her neck. Instead of retracting his finger, he shook the strap and showed her the pattern on it.
"My work ID, it ensures smooth access for you here. If you have any questions, just call me."
"But won't calling me affect your interview?"
"No, it won't." Lawrence looked down at her, smiling gently, "You're my most important guest today."
As Lawrence left, Monica wandered around the venue for a while, feeling a bit bored, so she sent him a text message and went to sit at a nearby café.
Outside the door was the car of News Weekly, with a familiar logo. She looked at the logo and absentmindedly took out her phone, searching for something.
The latest interview video caught her eye, with an unusually high number of views. The cover featured a man she was all too familiar with, still kissing her last night, until both were breathless.
Recalling those intimate moments, her heart skipped a beat.
Come to think of it, she rarely saw Steven's work side. What could it be like? She clicked into the video.