Chapter 63 I Will Protect You From Now On

Lin Ting's few words dealt a fatal blow to Elder Shang.

The living room fell silent once again.

Elder Shang's previously stern and fierce expression now stiffened somewhat.

Lin Ting still had a flurry of words waiting to be said, but seeing the elder's expression, she swallowed them all back.

He was already so old, and she was afraid of literally ticking him off to the point of a medical emergency.

After all, he was still Shang Moting's grandfather.

Lin Ting stopped speaking.

Elder Shang sat on the sofa for a while without uttering a single word, then stood up and walked straight out.

Qi Qingyuan hurried to follow him.

Shang Moting stood by the door. When the elder passed by him, he didn't even spare him a glance and simply left.

Shang Moting watched his retreating figure.

Qi Qingyuan walked up to his side and said, "Brother Ting, I'll go comfort Grandpa Shang. You shouldn't go just yet."

Shang Moting gave an acknowledging nod.

Qi Qingyuan hurried after the elder.

Once they left, Shang Moting turned his gaze to Lin Ting.

Lin Ting was standing beside the sofa, looking back at him as well.

The two of them gazed at each other across the distance for a moment, neither speaking.

Shang Moting walked closer, gently touched her cheek, and asked, "How did you turn into a little mute?"

Lin Ting let out a soft sigh and replied, "I had to go into battle before even eating breakfast. Now I have no energy left to talk."

Shang Moting took her hand and led her toward the kitchen. "What do you want to eat?"

"Are you going to cook?" Lin Ting asked.

"Mn," Shang Moting responded.

Lin Ting smiled and said, "Let's have noodles. I want cheese and shrimp noodles."

Shang Moting murmured assent, entered the kitchen, and took out the necessary ingredients from the refrigerator.

He washed his hands and started cooking.

Lin Ting stood right beside him, watching. "Do you need help?"

"Are you actually going to help?" Shang Moting glanced at her and asked.

Lin Ting shook her head. "I was just being polite. You definitely shouldn't take it seriously."

Shang Moting let out a hum of amusement. "Go wait outside. The cooking fumes are too heavy."

"No," Lin Ting refused, staying right where she was by his side.

"Say whatever is on your mind," Shang Moting said as he dropped the noodles into boiling water.

Lin Ting glanced at him and asked, "The Qi family is of equal social standing, and Qi Qingyuan is also an exceptionally capable and beautiful young woman. Why don't you..."

Shang Moting looked at her and said, "She is indeed very good, but there is no romantic affection between us."

"Really?" Lin Ting looked into his eyes and asked, "Did you never have any in the past, or do you not have any now?"

"There never was any," Shang Moting raised a hand and lightly tapped her on the head. "What are you imagining?"

"Ouch," Lin Ting covered her head and cried out, "You broke it, I'm dizzy."

As she spoke, she leaned toward him and slumped directly against his body.

Shang Moting let her lean on him, then gently shifted the hand she was using to cover her head and said, "I tapped you right here."

Lin Ting paused for a moment. "Ah! Ah! I told you it hurts right here."

Shang Moting smiled faintly. "I lied to you. You covered the right spot the first time."

Lin Ting: "............"

She raised her hand and gave Shang Moting a light swat.

The smile in Shang Moting's eyes deepened.

Standing beside him, Lin Ting couldn't stay still.

Every now and then she would nudge him or bump against him.

After last night, Lin Ting couldn't help but want to get closer to him.

She didn't know why it was like this, nor did she want to investigate the reason; she simply chose to follow her heart.

"How did you end up coming back from outside?" Lin Ting asked.

"There were some matters that needed to be handled," Shang Moting replied.

Going and returning—Lin Ting calculated the time and figured he couldn't have gone very far; the business probably hadn't even been dealt with yet.

"Why did you come back?" Lin Ting tilted her head and asked.

Shang Moting glanced at her without speaking.

Lin Ting raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Oh~ I get it. Were you worried I'd get bullied? So you rushed back in a hurry?"

The corners of Shang Moting's eyes crinkled with amusement.

Not long after he had left, he received a call from the domestic help at the house.

She said his grandfather had brought Qi Qingyuan over.

Lin Ting edged even closer, their bodies pressing together. "Coming back in such a rush, you were so nervous about me, weren't you? Were you worried I'd get bullied, or were you worried that after listening to your grandfather, I wouldn't play with you anymore?"

Shang Moting dished out the cooked noodles, clearly catching the faint, pleasant fragrance lingering on her body.

He could also feel the warmth of her body.

Lin Ting continued, "After all, I haven't agreed to the CEO's proposal from last night yet. If I happened to run away, all of the CEO's efforts from last night would go completely to waste."

With all the noodles dished out, Shang Moting turned off the stove.

Then he leaned down, scooped her up with one arm supporting the backs of her legs, and sat her up on the kitchen counter beside them.

Lin Ting gasped in surprise, instinctively grabbing the fabric of his shoulders. "You..."

Shang Moting placed his hands on either side of her, keeping his gaze level with hers, and looked directly into her eyes. "Would you run?"

Lin Ting met his gaze for two seconds; the aggressive desire in his eyes made her want to flee.

Lowering her gaze, she said, "Why would I run? If your grandfather had come today to force a marriage, I might have run. But he came to drive me away, and said such unpleasant things. I refuse to let him get his way."

Shang Moting looked at her crimson lips and asked, "Then what if he really tries to force a marriage in the future? Will you run?"

Taken aback by the question, Lin Ting blinked. "CEO Shang, you actually dare to imagine such things? Your grandfather currently wishes nothing more than for me to vanish from this world."

The corners of Shang Moting's lips curved upward, and he raised a hand to caress her cheek.

"Don't worry," Lin Ting patted his shoulder. "I'll protect you from now on. I can support you too."

Hearing her words, Shang Moting raised his left eyebrow slightly.

He looked at her bright, sparkling eyes.

A moment later, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her.

Lin Ting's body stiffened, her ears turning fiery red in an instant.

She sat in a daze for a few seconds before slowly closing her eyes.

Her body also gradually relaxed.

The hand Shang Moting had resting on the back of her head inched forward until his fingers brushed against her burning ear.

While kissing her, his thumb gently stroked the contour of her earlobe.

Her already blushing ears turned even more intensely crimson.

With every stroke against her ear, Lin Ting's breathing would hitch slightly.

And her body would press even closer to Shang Moting.

Discovering this reaction, Shang Moting continuously engaged in this "teasing."

It wasn't until Lin Ting couldn't help letting out a soft, whimpering moan that he slowly released her.

Lin Ting panted lightly, looking at Shang Moting with a dazed and hazy expression.

Though her eyes were fixed on him, her focus seemed unfocused.

Her eyelashes were dampened by the moisture welling in her eyes.

Shang Moting swallowed hard, leaned in again, and kissed her eyelid.

Lin Ting closed her eyes for a second, still too stupefied to fully recover her wits.

"Did getting kissed make you silly?" Shang Moting asked with a smile.

Lin Ting blinked her eyes, then glared at him fiercely. "You're the silly one! I'm just not used to this! You wait! I won't let you off the hook!"

Shang Moting chuckled.

Lin Ting pushed against his chest, making him back away. "Step back a bit, I want to get down."

Shang Moting, standing right between her legs, took a step back.

Lin Ting hopped off the counter and touched her burning face. "Why is it that I'm the only one whose face turns red?"

Shang Moting pinched the tip of her ear.

Meanwhile, at the kitchen entrance, Wei Zhishu was staring at the messages in their group chat.

Three minutes ago, Qing Qingyuan had sent a message: [Met with Lin Ting, she is extremely difficult to deal with. Initiating backup plan.]

Wei Zhishu was in no mood to reply.

He only knew they had far more pressing matters at hand right now.

Leaving halfway through and coming back was one thing; stopping to cook a meal before leaving was another.

But the two of them actually started making out right in the kitchen...

Wei Zhishu felt a sudden pang of sympathy for his own single status.