38. She Is a Blessing

"Tara, you're here."

He called her name softly, the indifference in his eyes unconsciously dissolving into ripples of tenderness.

Just as he was about to get up, she had already walked over to him, kicked off her slippers, and sat down on the carpet beside him.

"Killian."

Tara suppressed the urge to cough and looked at him warmly and seriously. "Smoking is bad for your health."

Having said that, she immediately searched through her phone and finally shoved an enlarged photo in front of his eyes. "Look!"

Killian focused his gaze and found it was a medical image of a pair of lungs that had turned completely black.

"This person died of lung cancer because they smoked all the time!" she said with a solemn expression.

Killian’s lips curved slightly, feeling amused. "Is that so?"

"Yes, really!"

Tara withdrew her phone, covered her nose, and leaned in close. Her shimmering large eyes looked at him earnestly. "So Killian, smoke less in the future, okay?"

Having said that, as if remembering something, she lowered her head and muttered softly, "If you keep smoking, I won't let you kiss me anymore."

Killian stared at her silently for a few seconds before reaching out to rub her head.

"Okay."

After speaking, he withdrew his hand and stood up. "I'm going to brush my teeth."

As the words fell, the unfinished cigarette between his fingers was heartlessly extinguished and tossed to Little X nearby.

The sound of water soon rang out from the bathroom.

Tara looked at his retreating back with some surprise. After a moment, she couldn't help but smile.

She had done it!

Killian was truly willing to listen to her now!

As expected, being his girlfriend came with such privileges.

When Killian emerged from the bathroom, he heard the cheerful sound of the girl humming a song coming from the kitchen.

He looked toward the kitchen.

She had already put on an apron, and her beautiful long hair, which usually hung loose, was tied up, with only a few strands falling over her soft forehead.

This made her look even more gentle.

The water in the pot was starting to boil, and the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board was crisp and rhythmic.

His cold home, because of her arrival, seemed to finally possess a bit of warmth from the mortal world.

He quietly watched the girl's soft and beautiful profile, his thoughts fluttering.

Fate is sometimes unfair, but sometimes, perhaps it is just.

At least, it had given her to him.

Tara was humming as she prepared to put the pork ribs into the pot to blanch them, when she suddenly felt warmth at her back.

She was stunned and looked back. "Killian, what is it?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to hold you."

Killian spoke as he leaned down slightly, like a lazy large dog, gently rubbing his chin against her soft, fluffy hair.

A faint feeling of hunger came from her stomach.

So he's hungry,

Tara thought silently.

Amused, she turned around and stood on her tiptoes to give him a comforting kiss on the cheek.

"It’ll take a while for the food to be ready."

She looked at him warmly and spoke softly, as if coaxing a child. "Can you wait a little longer?"

Killian met her gaze.

She was likely a natural enchantress; her long, curled lashes were like little hooks, making one's heart itch.

"Tara," he called softly, his magnetic voice slightly raspy.

Tara blinked. "What is it?"

He let out a low laugh and suddenly leaned in. Using his height to his advantage, he pressed his nose against hers. "I've brushed my teeth."

Tara didn't immediately realize what he meant; she only felt her heart beating uncontrollably fast. "Hmm?"

As the sound left her lips, his large hand had already firmly clasped the back of her slender neck as he leaned down.

The water in the pot boiled more violently. The sound of the rolling water mixed with certain sounds that made one's heart race, filling the entire kitchen.

"Breathe."

After an unknown amount of time, he gently held her chin and commanded tenderly yet domineeringly.

Tara looked confusedly at his handsome, moving lips, not catching his words for a moment. "Hmm?"

This innocent look was so cute it was foul play. The thick desire in Killian's eyes gradually dissipated, and he couldn't help but pull her into his arms, leaning down to kiss the top of her soft head.

"So cute."

His voice was already pleasant to hear, but now that it was fully saturated with laughter, it was devastatingly charming.

Tara's earlobes heated up slightly, but her eyes couldn't help but stare straight at him.

"Killian."

Killian looked into her eyes, understanding what she wanted, and was joyfully prepared to accept her wonderful invitation for 'one more time.'

His lips couldn't help but curve up. "Mhm?"

To his surprise, in the next second, she spoke: "My water is boiling."

She looked at him with a hint of unnoticeable regret in her eyes. "Can you go play over there for a bit, okay?"

Killian: "..."

By the time they finished dinner, it was already past 8:00 PM.

At that time, Killian was having an online meeting. Tara, being bored, grabbed a pillow and lay on the carpet in front of the window, browsing Weibo.

Her Weibo account had been registered since her first year of high school. Occasionally, she would post some drawings she created when inspiration struck.

Over time, she had accumulated a group of loyal fans who liked and supported her work, as well as some regular clients who commissioned her.

She hadn't been online for long when she saw a familiar old fan send her a private message.

Meatier Than Succulents

: [Knock knock, Great Master Begonia! I want to commission you. You can set any price you want!

Raises paw

Please grace me with your favor!]

Seeing this familiar speaking style, Tara couldn't help but smile.

[Meatier Than Succulents] was Tara's first fan and had supported her silently for many years.

It could be said that a good portion of the three million followers her account now had was due to this fan's spontaneous promotion.

Therefore, after seeing this commission message, Tara immediately clicked to reply.

Begonia in Light Rain

: [No problem! No charge for you. You can tell me what kind of commission you're looking for first.]

Less than ten seconds after her message was sent, Meatier replied:

Meatier Than Succulents

: [Ahhh! The Great Master agreed! I'm so happy and excited! But I absolutely must pay...]

She first stated her determination to pay, and after finally wearing Tara down into agreeing, she stated her requirements:

[I want Great Master to help me draw a fanart of the male and female leads from the anime "Chronicles of Sakura Ripple" #Shy #Shy. The specific requirement is: the male lead, Lan Xingye, is gripping the female lead, Yue Sakura, by the waist and pinning her against a floor-to-ceiling window, kissing her intensely. The scale should be a bit larger; try to make the size difference and sexual tension as strong as possible. I want the kind of feeling that is better than sex without actually having sex. Do you understand, Great Master Begonia?]

After reading this set of requirements, Tara's expression was a bit complicated.

Oh no, she had agreed too soon—this was forcing her to draw something erotic!

Her expression was hard to describe as she replied with difficulty: [Understood, but it might take a while.]

Tara had never drawn anything like what she described; she really had to study it first.

Meatier Than Succulents

: [Hehe, no problem! I'm in no hurry. Take your time, Great Master. You can just send it whenever it's finished. Thank you for your hard work! #Flowers #Kiss #Heart]

After exiting the message box, Tara was faced with a dilemma.

So, how should she draw it?

Those requirements sounded very intense.

Maybe... she should find some related anime resources to watch and find some inspiration?

With that thought, Tara stole a glance at Killian, who was still in the meeting. After making sure he wouldn't come over, she clicked on her WeChat chat with Chloe:

[Chloe, help me out.]