Not the Ears?

William was silenced by Valentina's words for a moment, and then he said, "In my heart, you are not superficial at all." Valentina replied frankly, "Well, that's the reality." Then, she glanced at William's face twice. "Thank goodness, if it wasn't for your face I wouldn't have lived under the same roof with you when we were in the God Armed Alliance." She spoke about being attracted to beauty so blatantly, it got William laughing helplessly, "Then I should really thank my parents for their genes." "Indeed, you should thank them." William then asked, "What if you meet someone more attractive than me? Hmm?" He stared intently at her, not missing any of her reactions. Valentina didn't even look at him, "Didn't I just talk about it?" William took a deep breath to comfort himself, his self-consolation had reached its peak, "Even though it was not true..." Not true? Valentina looked at him, trying not to laugh. He really knew how to comfort and flatter himself, making himself feel better. Valentina, suppressing the corner of her mouth from smiling, “How do you know it wasn't true?" She sipped her soup leisurely. "You’ve seen so many excellent men, yet in the end, you chose me. Isn't that a clear explanation?" Valentina huffed lightly, shaking her head slightly. Upon hearing her slight hum and seeing her scornful glance and reaction, William found her irresistibly adorable. He reached out to caress her face. Valentina, who was sipping her soup, turned her head to avoid him. Though, she failed to completely dodge his advance, as the pad of his thumb brushed against her soft, pale cheek. William had a gaze as warm and inviting as a thermal spring, enough to drown a person. He wanted to say something, but his throat itched, leading him to turn and cough twice. Valentina looked at him, "Has your cold not gotten better?" William replied, "There's been a pileup of business matters at the company. These past few days have been quite busy, leaving no time to take care of my health, but don't worry, it's not serious." Ever since Grey left, William's feet had been tied to a mountain of company affairs, effectively grounding him until he could find time to see Valentina today. Valentina set down her bowl, playfully commenting, "No wonder you're on your best behaviour." He not only maintained a certain distance from her but also kept his mouth shut. William wanted to retort but realized there was no need. This way, he could freely and unconventionally misbehave, couldn't he? With a chuckle, he poured her another bowl of soup, saying, "Drink a little more." Valentina said, "I'm full. You drink. I'll give you acupuncture." "Alright." The robot pulled out a needle case from its abdomen and said, "sweetheart." Valentina commanded, "Shut up." Suppressing his amusement, William took off his overcoat and suit jacket, unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt to expose the nape of his neck. William suggests, "You can use this robot. I'll send another one to Augus as compensation." Valentina, who was giving him the medical treatment, paid no attention to him. After a while, she said, "Working sick, cooking sick. "It seems that not only those who are more attractive than you but those who are younger and stronger than you also need to be considered." "I will take care of my health though my physical fitness has always been stronger than others, so you don't have to worry." Valentina was annoyed. "What does your physical fitness have to do with me?” "Of course, it has something to do with you, and only you." A pang of pain hit him at the back of his neck, causing William to furrow his brows without daring to retort. It wasn't that he couldn't tolerate the pain, but he was worried it would upset her. "Mr. Felton, you catch a cold every now and then, doesn't this signify poor health?” "Every now and then? This is at least after a gap of two years. The last time I caught a cold was when Grey returned to the country to find you.” That time, he had deliberately doused himself with cold water all night, but of course, he couldn't tell her that. "So it was purely a coincidence that you fell ill then?” He didn't say, but Valentina took the initiative to ask. Why discuss physical fitness? It's all messed up now. William didn't respond but reached out to pick up the chicken soup from the table, took a sip, and evasively said, "Seems like too much ginseng has been added." Upon hearing this, Valentina snorted, "Humph." Being confronted with his humiliating past, William didn't feel embarrassed. He took the opportunity to justify himself, "So, my health is really good. I hardly catch a cold even once over the years." Valentina quickly withdrew the needle and sat down again. William reached out and caught her hand, holding it in his own, thumb softly stroking the back of her hand. She instructed, "If there's nothing else, go back and rest early." William hummed in acknowledgment. But his eyes remained fixed on Valentina. Valentina looked at him, "What are you up to?" William confessed honestly, "I want to kiss you, but I'm afraid of passing my cold to you. You've been lying in bed for so long, your immunity is lower, and your resistance is not as good as before." For over half a year, Valentina had been in bed while William gave her at least a morning and a goodnight kiss daily. Now, they were separated for so many days, and when he finally found some free time today, he could only look, not kiss. Valentina instructed, "Then endure it." William was speechless. How ruthless. William slightly stood up, sat next to Valentina, and then hugged her. His chin rested on her thin shoulder, speaking lightly, "If I can’t kiss, a hug is always okay." He tightened his arms, lowered his head slightly, and lightly smelled her scent. His face was leaning against her ear, nuzzling affectionately, and a thought struck William. Suddenly, Valentina's ear fell within his line of sight. Fair and delicate, petite. He swallowed. William's mouth was a bit dry. As he lifted his chin and turned his gaze towards her ear, Valentina noticed his movement. She didn't know what he was trying to do, so she didn't pay him any mind. His warm breath grazed past her. Still unsure of what he planned to do, he then pressed his lips against her ear. A smirk crept onto his face, like a sneaky fox after a successful hunt. He moved his lips away from her ear, rubbing his nose affectionately against it. His chin fell back onto her shoulder, as his high nose continued to press against her ear. “It won’t harm in this way,” he said. This way won’t be contagious as well. His lips were incredibly close to the back of her neck, his breath pouring onto the space between her neck. Valentina's brow furrowed slightly, and she twisted her neck as if to break free from him. But William held her tightly. A hint of displeasure flashed through her eyes. "William!" The change in her tone startled William. He asked with a hint of confusion, “Is it not okay to kiss your ear?” "No," replied Valentina, her tone still a bit irritated. And then she pushed him away. "What's the matter?" William asked, failing to understand her. Valentina raised her hand and touched her neck. Her ear, once pale and clean, was now slightly red. "It’s nothing." Her tone was back to normal again. Seeing him looking at her, confused, she could only say, "It's a bit itchy." "Itchy?" William's expression shifted slightly, eyes filled with a touch of curiosity and exploration as he looked at her neck. Valentina stared at him sharply, "What are you looking at?" William appeared as if he had discovered something, his gaze became ambiguously enigmatic, smiling he said, "I was not looking at anything." Seeing his smile, Valentina ousted him straightforwardly, "Stop giggling and get lost."