Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 62: New Progress in the Relationship

Min’an District, Building 5.

10:00 PM.

Qin Yuenan pulled up to the building and parked. She noticed Lin Shen in the passenger seat, his head lolling to the side, dozing off. His eyes could barely stay open.

"Wake up. We’re here."

Qin Yuenan whispered in Lin Shen’s ear and gave him a little shake before unbuckling his seatbelt. Then, she helped him out and supported him as they went upstairs.

"Which floor?"

"The fourth."

When they reached the door to Apartment 403, Qin Yuenan fumbled in Lin Shen’s pocket for his keys and held them up in front of his face.

"Which one is it?"

"Let me see."

It took Lin Shen a while to find the right key to open the door. Once inside, he leaned against the entryway wall and thanked her with a smile.

"Nan, thanks for taking me home. Drive safe on your way back."

"Do you have any honey?"

It seemed Qin Yuenan had no intention of leaving right away. After helping Lin Shen to the sofa, she went to the kitchen, found some honey, and mixed half a bowl of it with hot water.

Then, she sat down next to Lin Shen again, took a sip of the honey water to test the temperature, and only after confirming it wasn’t too hot did she bring the spoon to his lips.

"It’s not too hot. Drink up. It’ll soothe your stomach."

...

Lin Shen’s expression froze for a moment as a profound warmth suddenly enveloped his heart.

He had never received this kind of treatment when he was dating Gu Wanting.

’I never would have thought this cool, standoffish beauty was actually so good at taking care of people.’

Lin Shen lowered his head and sipped the honey water from the spoon. Warmth and sweetness instantly filled his mouth.

As it flowed down his throat and into his stomach, the sharp pain and burning sensation in his abdomen began to subside.

"Thank you."

Lin Shen thanked her softly. Seeing that his drunkenness seemed to be getting better, Qin Yuenan breathed a quiet sigh of relief and continued to feed him a few more spoonfuls.

"Get some sleep. Call me if you need anything."

Qin Yuenan placed the bowl on the coffee table. Just as she stood up to leave, she suddenly felt her right hand being gripped tightly by a large, warm, and firm hand.

"Stay with me a little longer."

Lin Shen smiled faintly.

"There’s something I want to tell you."

’Something to tell me?’

Qin Yuenan felt her heart skip a beat. Her beautiful eyes widened, filled with panic and helplessness, but also a faint glimmer of anticipation.

’What is Lin Shen going to say to me?’

’Could it be...’

Qin Yuenan didn’t dare let her thoughts go any further. Biting her lip, she wrestled with her feelings for a long moment before finally sitting back down beside Lin Shen.

She didn’t pull her hand away.

In the dim room, a warm yellow light spilled from the crack of the kitchen door, winding like a soft silk ribbon into the unlit living room.

Light and shadow flowed across Qin Yuenan’s blushing cheeks. She sat primly, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest.

Lin Shen was leaning close against her shoulder, his hand holding hers firmly.

A sense of security and happiness she had never felt before washed over her.

Qin Yuenan pressed her thin lips together, her wandering gaze nervous and helpless. Having never experienced something like this, she had no idea what to do next.

’Should I pull my hand away?’

’Or just sit here like this?’

Lin Shen didn’t seem to be in a hurry to speak. He just held Qin Yuenan’s hand, kneading it gently, carefully savoring its delicacy and softness.

’This is the first time we’ve held hands. Of course, I have to experience it properly.’

Seeing that Qin Yuenan wasn’t pulling away, Lin Shen grew more confident. He placed her hand on her own thigh.

It seemed like a casual gesture, but it was actually in preparation for his next move.

Lin Shen didn’t remove his own hand. Instead, he took the opportunity to start stroking Qin Yuenan’s shapely legs, which were wrapped in thin, black stockings.

The stockings were of excellent quality—fine and silky smooth. They were clearly a high-end brand.

Furthermore, because Qin Yuenan exercised regularly, her thighs were very toned.

They felt firm to the touch, but their lines were well-defined, and they felt amazing.

At least, Lin Shen had absolutely no resistance to this kind of athletic, well-toned thigh. His heart stirred.

Of course, Qin Yuenan noticed his mischievous little movements. Her shapely brows furrowed, and she slapped his hand away.

"What did you want to say? If you’re not going to say it, I’m leaving."

"Wait!"

Lin Shen once again pulled the rising Qin Yuenan back down next to him, then said softly in a dead-serious tone,

"Can I kiss you?"

Huh?

For a second, Qin Yuenan thought she had misheard him. It wasn’t until she met Lin Shen’s gaze for the first time that night, seeing his incredibly earnest and deep eyes, that her usually clear mind instantly grew foggy.

’Kiss?’

’He means *that* kind of kiss, right?’

’This isn’t right!’

In Qin Yuenan’s world, relationships between men and women had rules and steps.

Getting to know each other, understanding each other, falling in love...

A confession, holding hands, hugging, kissing, and then... the final step.

But Lin Shen had just skipped the first few steps and fast-forwarded to the second-to-last stage?!

This caught Qin Yuenan completely off guard, and her subconscious screamed at her to refuse.

’But... should I really refuse?’

Seeing Lin Shen’s incredibly handsome and refined face in the dim light, Qin Yuenan hesitated.

His high brow bone created deep-set eyes, his jawline was sharp, his features well-proportioned, and his face was angular and distinct.

It was no exaggeration to call it the face of a dreamboat.

Qin Yuenan wasn’t usually affected by handsome men, but through all her interactions with Lin Shen, he had become an allergen that made her heart race.

The moment he got a little too close, her brain would crash and go blank.

Qin Yuenan didn’t know what to do, so her only option was to escape.

The only way was out of sight, out of mind. She gently closed her beautiful eyes.

But little did she know that, in a man’s eyes, this was a clear "invitation to be kissed."

A half-smile played on Lin Shen’s lips. He pinned Qin Yuenan’s left hand to the sofa and leaned in...

Then, their lips met.

Qin Yuenan’s lips were thin. And because of the honey water, they were moist, soft, and still held the faint taste of sweetness.

That was Lin Shen’s strongest impression as he kissed her.

The instant their lips touched, a jolt, like an electric shock, shot through Qin Yuenan’s body.

As the warmth covered hers, she felt her mouth being enveloped, and then, her lips were parted.

Fortunately, her teeth were clenched, keeping her from being completely passive.

Seeing this, Lin Shen let go of Qin Yuenan’s hand, instead wrapping his arms around her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace.

!?

Qin Yuenan’s heart trembled, but she allowed Lin Shen to continue.

At that moment, her once-clear mind was growing hazy, and the brief shortness of breath made her feel slightly dizzy.

She had only ever felt this way once before.

But that time had been in a dream, and reality was inevitably different.

The wet, sticky feeling of a kiss was hard to imagine if you had never experienced it.

Only those who had actually experienced it knew how easy it was to get lost in the sensation, how addictive it could be.

Qin Yuenan no longer knew what to do. She could only follow Lin Shen’s lead, her left hand lightly pushing against his sturdy chest, her right hand clenched into a tight fist.

When Lin Shen felt the stiff body in his arms gradually go soft, he knew it was time for the next step.

And so, his left hand, which had been waiting for its moment, slowly slid into the space between their pressed-together chests...

!?

In an instant, Qin Yuenan’s eyes flew wide open.

’Where do you think you’re touching!?’