"Thank you." Hu Lei spoke as she climbed onto the bed after her shower. Zhong Feng who was lying down while tapping on his phone looked up at her in question.

"I know you do not like social gatherings. I am happy that we had fun together." She smiled with heartfelt happiness, until her eyes turned into crescents.

Zhong Feng put his phone on the nightstand and raised his body to a sitting position, pulling her into his arms. She adjusted herself and sat on his thighs with her legs astride. He pulled her by the waist until her generous bosom was plastered against his chest.

"You do not need to thank me, Xiao Lei. Between you and me, there is no need for such words." He spoke in a low voice with a hint of sadness.

Hu Lei did not understand that sadness. "What is wrong?" She lifted her hands to touch his face in a gentle caress.

Zhong Feng leaned into the coolness of her hands, his eyes closing as he savoured the touch and the moment. He also did not know why he was feeling a little melancholy. Perhaps it was her gratitude which made him feel like there was distance between them. Or perhaps it was because she seemed so happy about such a mundane evening.

He pulled her head to rest on his shoulder in a hug. "I love you, Hu Lei." He whispered in a low, almost imperceptible voice. However, he knew that Hu Lei had heard it.

She did not speak. But her face turned into the crook of his warm neck, and the arms which she had placed over his shoulder tightened. She remained unmoving, still. A little while later, Zhong Feng felt moisture on his skin.

Hu Lei did not know what had gotten into her. In her heart, she had understood that Zhong Feng cared for her and even loved her. However, hearing him say it, it broke yet another wall in her heart. Tears flowed unbidden from her eyes, and her heart seemed to ache so much.

At first, the tears were silent, like calm rivulets. Then, the flood gates opened as her heart experienced unknown turbulence. She sobbed into his neck. The tears were of happiness because of the care and love that Zhong Feng had shown her. She had never felt more warm and embraced as she did when she was with him.

She also could not suppress her fear of losing this. In the past, she had never cared about life or death because she had no one. Her father was always around, but they both knew the risks of their lifestyle. They did not dwell on the attachments of familial relationships too much.

They had a mutual understanding they would be together until one of them inevitably died. Therefore, even if Hu Lei was heartbroken about her father's death, she had long been prepared. Their life could not have ended in any other way.

She could not prepare for losing Zhong Feng like that. If she had learnt anything over the years, it was that her happiness was fleeting. The more she felt his love, the more afraid she got. This was especially true because of her deteriorating mind. The fact that she had been talking to her alter ego in her mind earlier was evidence that she would lose it sooner or later.

"Do not think too much." Zhong Feng spoke interrupting her spiralling thoughts. "There is no need to dwell on other things. If anything comes, we will deal with it together. Your husband will always be by your side."

Hu Lei thought that the words were too cheesy. However, she still understood his point. She had always depended on careful planning and obsessing over every detail in life. She never did anything without being sure that it would work out. That is how she had remained alive for so long.

Perhaps it was time she began living life instead of waiting for her calculations to be perfect. With these thoughts, she released Zhong Feng and used the collar of her night shirt to wipe her face.

Then, she kissed him. She kissed him with everything she had. Her arms pulled him closer and closer, like she could not get enough of him. She kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Her feelings could be tasted on her plump lips and her tongue which shyly crept into his mouth.

When she backed away breathless, Zhong Feng looked at the little face and the red eyes and nose. Even though her face had been messed up by her crying, she was the most beautiful thing to him. Still, he could not help smiling.

"You look like a certain reindeer." He teased, lifting a hand to pinch her nose.

"How can you ruin a good moment? You are lucky that this goddess is willing to look at you." She responded with haughtiness, but she turned her face from him in embarrassment.

He caught her chin in his hand and turned her back to him. This time, he kissed her. Unlike Hu Lei, he was not shy or hesitant in his actions. Moreover, his kiss was domineering, possessive and overwhelming. One hand caressed the spine of her back while the other tugged on her thick black hair. The kiss became endless as their tongues tangled, making them impossibly close.

Zhong Feng did not break the intimate connection as he turned their bodies. Hu Lei's back was pressed against the bed, and Zhong Feng's weight was pressed on her small frame. The position made her vulnerable, but she had never felt safer. She spread her thighs further, allowing him to be even closer.

When he tugged lightly on her nightshirt, she reached for it, raised her flexible back and puller it over her head. His dark eyes gazed on the body which had been revealed with a scorching intensity. Hu Lei felt shy, but there was pleasure in her eyes.

Zhong Feng lowered his head and kissed her with renewed intensity. His warm lips kissed downwards, past her neck and her delicate collar bone. When his mouth and hands reached the soft and bountiful chest, Hu Lei could almost not bear the sensation. Her hands became restless, and her nails dug into his strong back as she cried "Ah-Feng, Ah-Feng" repeatedly.

With those soft moans, the tight leash that Zhong Feng always kept on himself was released.