usenovelonline Chapter 260 - 258: Don’t Rub
Chapter 260 - 258: Don’t Rub
’How strange...’
Mia Grant searched for the number, but couldn’t find a WeChat account associated with it.
When she tried calling back, no one answered.
She didn’t hesitate, blocking the number immediately.
Coming out of the walk-in closet, Mia carefully recalled the person’s voice.
She was absolutely certain that as long as their voice hadn’t changed, she had never heard it before.
It didn’t sound like a young person.
It was slightly hoarse, weathered by the years, but still pleasant to listen to.
Mia didn’t dwell on it, because Kian Keller walked in just then.
Seeing him leaning on his cane again, she sucked in a sharp breath and rushed forward. "Why don’t you ever listen to the doctor?"
"I’m fine." He was still insistent on saving face, unwilling to show any vulnerability.
Mia was already used to this and knew there was nothing she could do about it.
"Are you free tomorrow? Do you want to go to the temple to offer some incense?"
Mia had gotten a new beaded bracelet for him, sourced by a professional, and she planned to take it to a master to have it consecrated.
It was the first time she had ever bought something so expensive.
The memory of swiping her card a couple of days ago—and watching a seven-figure sum disappear in the blink of an eye—made her chest ache all over again.
The cost of an entire apartment, gone in a second.
Mia clutched her chest, shutting her eyes in pain.
Kian Keller turned around and saw her pained expression. Seeing her hand clutching her heart, he thought she was unwell.
The hand gripping his cane trembled, and he stepped forward to support her. "Is it your heart?"
He was about to call a doctor, but Mia quickly pressed his hand down. "I’m fine. It’s not my heart that hurts, it’s my wallet."
"..." Kian frowned.
He didn’t understand what she meant at first, not until she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a palm-sized brocade box.
"This one can’t compare to your old strand, but it’s definitely better than the one you’re wearing now."
"You can wear it for now, and we’ll get it consecrated tomorrow. Then we’ll go to the hot springs in the evening."
Leaving him to sit on the bed and admire the beaded bracelet, Mia went back to the walk-in closet to start packing.
The hot springs hotel was located in a resort, and since they had time, they could really enjoy themselves there.
As Mia picked out clothes to pack, she told him her plans so he could arrange his work schedule accordingly.
In the room, Kian Keller carefully examined the Buddha Beads in the box.
He hadn’t studied these kinds of collectible trinkets much, but he could tell the difference between types of wood.
After estimating its value, he couldn’t help but lift his gaze toward the walk-in closet.
From inside, he could hear her muttering to herself.
"Should I wear the pink one or the white one?"
"Forget it, I’ll go with black. It looks better in photos."
She was sitting cross-legged on the floor with no regard for her image, her back to him, humming a tuneless little song as she earnestly held up two dresses in front of her to compare them.
So vibrant, so full of life.
Just watching her like this, without any exchange of words or even eye contact, filled his heart with a tranquil sense of happiness.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before.
"Mia."
After staring at her, lost in thought for a moment, he suddenly spoke her name.
"Hm?" The figure on the floor turned around blankly, holding a set of pajamas. "What’s up?"
They stared at each other in silence for a long moment.
After a moment’s thought, she scrambled up from the floor, walked out with the clothes still in her hand, and stopped in front of him.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his chin slightly raised, still holding the beaded bracelet she had given him as he gazed at her silently.
Mia studied him, not understanding what he wanted.
Until he raised his hand.
Mia tilted her head, hesitated, then slowly leaned down and pressed her cheek against his palm.
"..."
She had assumed that’s what he meant.
But judging by his expression... a flash of astonishment seemed to cross his eyes.
It seemed he hadn’t expected her sudden move.
Mia felt a bit awkward herself and was about to stand up, pretending nothing had happened.
Suddenly, his fingers moved, gently stroking her slightly flushed skin, compelling her to stop.
The next second, the man cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her.
Mia’s pupils dilated in surprise.
His hands hadn’t left her face. His cool fingertips lingered on her skin, stroking it ever so lightly, again and again.
Gradually, like a contented cat, Mia obediently closed her eyes.
The room fell silent, the wet sounds of their kiss becoming clearly audible, enough to make one’s face flush and heart race.
This kiss was even more lingering and intimate than the one they shared before they last parted.
Mia’s legs grew so weak she could barely stand, and as she fell into his arms, she accidentally bumped his leg.
Startled, she snapped her eyes open and tried to pull away from his embrace, but he held her fast.
The position wasn’t very comfortable, so the man’s hands slid down, wrapped around her waist, and lifted her onto his lap.
Mia was too shocked to move. "Y-your leg..."
"It’s fine."
Kian Keller kissed her earnestly, tossing off the perfunctory reply before quickly closing in for another kiss.
Mia didn’t dare put any weight on him, trying to lift her body and shift to the side.
Sensing her constant squirming, Kian reached down, parted her legs, and had her straddle his hips.
Mia’s breath hitched. She wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, looking down at him in a panic.
"If you sit still, you won’t touch my injury."
"Oh, really?" Mia didn’t quite believe him. She carefully shifted again, trying to put all her weight on his other leg.
The next second, she felt a light swat on her bottom.
Her eyes widened as they met his.
The man watched her with a look of strained forbearance. After a long moment, he said, "Don’t squirm."
"..."
Mia was about to retort, but Kian lowered his gaze and placed a kiss on her neck, his lips traveling up her skin to linger by her ear and the corner of her mouth.
After kissing her until she was dizzy and disoriented, he finally offered an explanation.
Mia didn’t know what he said, but she vaguely made out a single word: "Uncomfortable."
When she realized what he meant, Mia’s cheeks turned crimson.
In the midst of it all, he coaxed her into helping him put on the new beaded bracelet, as if they were completing some kind of mysterious handover ceremony.
CLATTER. The brocade box fell to the floor.
Before she could look down, the hem of her dress was lifted.
With the same gentle pressure he had used to caress her cheek, his fingers began to softly trace her waist and tailbone.
The difference was the new Buddha Beads bracelet, which felt cold to the touch. As he moved, it rolled across her skin, like the eerie trail left by a venomous snake slithering across the desert.
Where his fingers passed, they also left a trail of red marks, as if they were special imprints of Sanskrit script.
Mia felt a wave of tingling numbness. After a long while, she rested against his shoulder, her every exhale brushing softly against his neck, tugging at his heartstrings.
Kian Keller glanced sideways and gave her another peck on the lips.
It made her eyelashes flutter as she shot him a reproachful glance.
But the kiss wasn’t the culprit.
It was the hand beneath her dress.
She tightened her arms around his neck and buried her head in the crook of it.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but in a daze, she heard him thank her. "Thank you. I like it very much."