Chapter 14: A Neck-Clutching Kiss

Julian signaled right, and the black Bentley slowly pulled over to the side of the road.

Clara opened her small bag, only to realize she hadn't brought her wallet today.

She turned to Julian, palm facing up. "Can I borrow some cash? Just a few hundred will do."

Julian simply handed her his wallet.

It was a classic Hermes crocodile leather wallet—cold in color, sharp in lines, and exquisite in texture, perfectly matching its owner's temperament.

Clara took a few bills from the compartment and stepped out of the car.

Julian sat in the car, his gaze following her. He saw her walk toward a roadside stall selling lotus seed pods, squatting down to talk to the vendor with a smile.

It was an old man in simple clothes with a weathered face, who shook his head repeatedly after hearing what she said. Clara smiled and said a few more words, then stuffed the money directly into the old man’s thin, withered hands.

The old man looked down at the bills in his hand, his eyes suddenly turning red, and he bowed repeatedly to thank her.

Clara moved aside and reached out to pick up the bulging large bag on the ground.

She didn't lift it on the first try.

She quietly took a breath, tightened her core, and tried again—the bag remained heavy on the ground.

The old man stood up shakily. "Young lady, let me, let me lift it—"

A slender hand reached out from the side, lifting the bag with ease.

"Is this bag part of it too?" Julian asked.

"Mm-hmm," Clara nodded.

Julian took one bag in each hand and turned to walk toward the car.

Today he was wearing a black casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the lines of his muscles tightening clearly as he exerted force.

Passers-by turned their heads one after another, watching the noble and handsome man carrying two old burlap bags toward the black Bentley.

Clara held a bundle of lotus flowers that the old man had insisted on giving her and followed behind Julian. As she walked, she suddenly felt an impulse and quietly stepped on his shadow stretched out by the streetlights.

Julian seemed to sense something; his footsteps paused, and he turned back.

Clara was caught red-handed, but she didn't hide. She playfully stuck out her tongue and tilted her head at him with a smile.

The lotus is not as beautiful as the face.

A poem Julian had accidentally read in his youth suddenly surfaced in his heart without warning.

Back in the car, Julian asked, "Why buy so many lotus pods?"

Clara’s fingertips brushed over the petals in her arms. "Fresh lotus seeds are delicious—sweet and tender."

"You can't finish this many. They won't be fresh if you leave them for two days; it wasn't necessary."

"Actually... I just couldn't bear it." Her gaze drifted gently out the window. "That old man is so old, and sitting there with those lotus pods, who knows how long it would take him to sell them all. If I buy them all, he can go home early."

She turned back, her eyes bright under the streetlights, and smiled brightly. "Using a little money to let an old man go home early to talk and chat with his family—it’s worth it, right?"

Julian’s gaze rested on her eyes, and it felt as if something had hit his heart very lightly. It was like a spring tide—unknown where it came from, yet quietly overflowing the banks.

After a long pause, he gave a low response, his voice possessing a softness even he hadn't noticed:

"Yes, it’s worth it."

Clara pulled out her phone. "What’s your WeChat? I'll add you."

The corners of Julian’s lips curved slightly.

She finally remembered to add him on WeChat.

He recited a string of numbers and added, "It’s also my phone number."

Clara lowered her head, entering the numbers one by one, and smiled. "Okay, I'll transfer the money to you."

The spring tide retreated abruptly, and the secret joy that had just sprouted in the depths of Julian’s heart vanished instantly.

He looked straight ahead, his tone as heavy as the night outside. "You certainly keep the accounts clear."

"Huh?" Clara froze for a moment, then instinctively explained, "Didn't the prenuptial agreement say that both parties' assets are independent..."

Julian didn't speak.

The atmosphere in the car grew cold bit by bit.

Clara’s finger hovered over the screen, feeling a bit unsure. "Then... do you want it or not? If you don't, I won't—"

The words 'give it' were stuck in her throat. Not giving it seemed bad too? After all, she had said it was a loan at first.

Julian, however, heard it differently—as if she wouldn't add him if he didn't want the money. Feeling a blockage in his chest, the word escaped his lips: "I want it."

Once the word was out, the stifled feeling became even heavier.

Clara murmured softly, "Why are you so awkward..."

The awkward man heard her, closed his eyes, and started the car without a word.

When they got home, Clara went into the bathroom to shower.

Julian sat on the sofa outside and opened WeChat.

There was a new friend request from 【Clary】.

He clicked 'Accept' and his finger uncontrollably clicked on her profile picture.

It was a very casual daily photo of her sitting in the family greenhouse, holding a bouquet of pink peonies and smiling sweetly at the camera.

Julian’s finger instinctively landed on that smiling face.

The next second, a WeChat message popped up.

He clicked in and saw that Clary had initiated a transfer of 50,000.

In the bathroom, Clara was lying in the bathtub looking at the transfer that hadn't been accepted yet, and was just about to type.

Julian’s reply popped up on the screen, just a "?".

Clara sent back a kitten-covered-in-question-marks emoji.

【Julian】: What’s this transfer for?

【Clary】: Paying you back.

【Julian】: It’s too much.

【Clary】: The extra can count toward household expenses.

Separated by a single wall, Julian gripped his phone tightly.

For the first time in his life, he felt humiliated by money.

Clara Jiang, you're something else.

When Clara came out after her shower, she was drying her hair when she saw Julian practically brush past her and go straight into the bathroom.

She instinctively turned around.

Such a hurry?

...Does he need to pee?

In the bathroom, Julian took a cold shower to barely suppress the urge to "strangle" a certain someone.

When he came out again, the bed was empty. He turned around and saw Clara in the walk-in closet, standing on her tiptoes trying to place a bag on the upper shelf of a cabinet.

She was just a tiny bit short.

Just as she was about to give up, a hand reached from behind her and placed the bag on top.

Clara turned and looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks."

She was still smiling.

Why was it that his heart was in a mess while she could still smile at him so purely and innocently?

The bundle of emotions Julian had accumulated for a week—the irritability, the frustration, the restraint, and the impulses—all reached a breaking point at this moment, completely breaking through the cage of his reason.

He suddenly lowered his head, clutching her neck, and kissed her without warning.

Clara’s eyes widened, and before she could react, her vision was filled only with his handsome features right in front of her.

The next second, a large hand covered her eyes.

Darkness descended, stripping away her sight, yet magnifying all her other senses infinitely.

His aura and body heat pressed over her overwhelmingly.

This kiss carried obvious emotion—heavy, fierce, and even somewhat out of control.

It felt like an invasion, yet also like a release.

A sharp pain came from her lips, and she instinctively tried to hide back, but after retreating only half an inch, she was clamped by the back of her neck and pulled back into his embrace.

He lowered his head and kissed her again.