Husband With Benefits-Chapter 811: Should I?

Lily stared down at the guy sprawled face down on the couch, his nose pressed awkwardly against the cushions. Could he even breathe like that? He hadn’t moved an inch since collapsing there half an hour ago, and she wasn’t sure whether she should wake him or just let him be. He’d stumbled into the kitchen pantry earlier—so maybe he’d been hungry. But if he hadn’t eaten anything since last night, did that mean he’d passed out from exhaustion or was simply being lazy?

How was she supposed to wake him? Tentatively, she called his name, "Cai? Cai?" Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, but the only response she got was a faint, muffled snore. She frowned, leaning in a little closer.

Alright, time to raise the stakes.

"CAI?" she called out more firmly, "Wake up! Your breakfast is getting cold. Do you want it now, or are you planning to sleep through the entire morning?"

Still nothing—well, almost nothing. This time, he rewarded her efforts with a low, groggy grunt.

Lily rolled her eyes. She muttered under her breath, "Were you a pig in your last life or something? All you do is snort and grunt."

Just as she turned to leave, satisfied he was a lost cause, something yanked at her wrist. She let out a startled squeal as she lost her balance, tumbling backward. The next thing she knew, she landed squarely on top of him, her face inches from his, her heart racing in surprise.

He muttered, his voice groggy but amused, "Maybe I was a horse. They snort and grunt too, you know."

Lily turned her head to look at him, incredulous. He still hadn’t opened his eyes, not even now. But somehow, he had already rolled over so that he was lying face up now. She squirmed, trying to push herself up, but his arms were firmly around her, keeping her trapped against him.

"Cai! Let go of me!"

But he just grinned lazily, eyes still shut, clearly in no hurry to comply as he shook his head," "Its so cold. I like snuggling." Just as she was about ready to scream in his ears to let her go, he opened his eyes and smiled up at her," What a pretty face to wake up to."

She glared at him and pinched his arm," Let go of me."

He raised an eyebrow and slowly loosened his arm," Okay okay. I am letting go. Though, let me clarify that I am not doing this happily. Letting you go is not what I want to do. What I want to do is flip you over, bury my head in your soft cushions that I can feel against my chest and sleep..."

Lily felt a thrill go through her as she realized the meaning of his words and tried to keep herself from blusing as she pushed at him, "Let go of me... you beast!"

Lily pushed herself up quickly as soon as he loosened his hold, slipping from him as if his arms were fire, cheeks burning despite her best efforts to stay calm as she straightened her clothes, while trying to avoid looking at him.

Cai, meanwhile, stretched lazily, his eyes following her every movement with a mixture of amusement and something else she couldn’t quite place and so, she did the best thing under the circumstance. Run into the kitchen.

Without a word, Cai stood up and followed her into the kitchen, letting the scent of food lead him there, only to see her already setting up the table. With a smile, he raised one finger and said," I’ll be right back in a minute!" and raced to the bathroom to freshen up.

On his return, he found a plate of pancakes and another side dish of scrambled eggs and toast in front of a place setting. But nothing else while she stood staring at him, her arms crossed in front of her.

Cai looked up from his seat, raising a brow at her standoffish posture. "Not joining me?"

Lily swallowed, her throat tight. "No," she said, her voice a little sharper than she intended. She cleared her throat and tried again, more controlled. "I think it’s better if we... maintain some boundaries. Since I am a housekeeper, I should not be eating with the guest."

Cai paused, blinking up at her with an expression caught between surprise and curiosity. "Boundaries?"

"Yes, what just happened...," she gestured vaguely toward the couch, still avoiding his gaze, "that was inappropriate. You might find it funny, but I’m here in a professional capacity, and I think it’s best if we keep things... professional. You can tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best to fulfill my duties, but we should maintain our distance."

The air thickened with silence.

Cai didn’t move and simply stared at her.

Slowly, he set the fork down and leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest, mirroring her stance.

"So," he said quietly, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of something far more serious than before, "you want to remain professional?"

Lily nodded, though there was a slight hesitation. "Yes."

He tilted his head, considering her for a moment longer. Then, his lips quirked into a slow, almost mischievous smile. "Okay. We can do that," he said, his voice smooth but carrying a note of challenge. "But I have a few conditions."

Lily stared. Conditions? What conditions? But even as she felt apprehensive, she nodded her head. She could try and comply with his conditions or atleast get an understanding.

"What are your conditions?"

"Full Transparency. If you want me to treat you as nothing more than the housekeeper, you need to give me some answers."

Lily felt her stomach drop. What answers did he expect her to give, when she herself had no answers and only questions...

"What do you want to ask?", Lily asked apprehensively, fearing some thing... And as he asked the question, she realized that her fear had been valid...

"Why did you ditch me, Lily?"