Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 155

Chapter 155

Jessica’s POV

“你能把面粉和糖递给我……”

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I stumbled over the last few syllables, my tongue feeling like it was trying to perform gymnastics in a space far too small.

Meiling, my friend and unofficial linguistic drill sergeant, paused her task of whisking eggs to look at me. Her eyes sparkled with that specific brand of mischief she saved for my lessons.

“Jess,” she called, her voice rich with amusement. “You just asked me to pass you the flour and the… chest hair.”

I froze, the wooden spoon in my hand mid-air.

“What? No. I said sugar. Táng.”

“You said xiongmáo,” she corrected, her shoulders shaking as she let out a bright, melodic laugh.

“Very similar if you aren’t paying attention to the tones, but I don’t think Aaron wants chest hair in his stir-fry.”

I groaned, leaning my forehead against the cool marble of the kitchen island.

“Oh, Meiling, I’m tired. My brain is officially fried. Can we try another time? I need to finish dinner before Aaron gets back, and at this rate, we’ll be eating at midnight.”

I pushed off the counter and walked toward the cabinet to grab the actual sugar, the kind that didn’t involve a trip to a barber.

“Of course,” Meiling said, wiping her hands on her apron. She caught my eye and gave me a playful, mock-serious look.

“But next time, I’m not letting you off the hook so easily. We’re going to have a full class, no distractions. You need to be able to order more than just dumplings and water.”

I saluted her in weary agreement. “Yes, ma’am. I promise.”

As Meiling went back to helping me prep the vegetables, I found myself drifting into the quiet of my own thoughts.

It had been a little over a month since we arrived in China, and if I were being honest, I still woke up some mornings wondering if it was all a very elaborate, very beautiful dream.

I’d been terrified of the move. The idea of living in a nation where the language felt like an impenetrable wall had kept me up for nights back in the States.

But Aaron, in his usual thorough fashion, had bridged the gap before we even landed.

He’d hired a dedicated security detail, but they weren’t just muscle. My lead guard, Zhang, doubled as a tutor and a human translator for Adrian and me.

Even Aaron knew the language to a surprising extent-enough to navigate business meetings and late-night grocery runs.

His guidance and his steady presence had turned what could have been a nightmare into a seamless transition.

We had settled in Suzhou, a city that felt like a well-kept secret despite its size. It wasn’t one of the sprawling, neon-soaked hubs that foreigners usually flocked to.

Suzhou felt out of touch with the global noise in the best way possible. Here, the ancient canals and meticulously kept gardens set a different pace for life.

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Chapter 136

People formed on der af on self-improvement, and The Collection growth of dar comin

There was no secuion with the weight, an uting and comment by the opry

or who had the most money.

1 aired the cfare the sheer derfication of the people it was beautiful place.

Despite the dense population, the streets fein orderly, and there were so few people smggling at the ways I was used to sering back bome

Everyone seemed to have a purpose, whether it was the artisan k-weavers or due tech engineers at the industrial park.

The locals were friendly, almost protective of an once they realized we were trying to learn their ways and respect their

Aaron’s reputation helped, too. Even though he wasn’t a household name here like he was in the West, he carried himse with a gravity that people instinctively respected.

He moved through the city with a quiet confidence that matched the local temperament.

Life was the very definition of good.

Aaron had already secured a building for the expansion of his sports empire, a massive structare currently reverberating with the sounds of interior construction.

And I wasn’t just sitting on the sidelines. With Metling’s help. I’d hunched my own anonymous blog. It was my space to write, to share my thoughts on art and life in this new world, and it was growing faster than I ever expected.

It felt like we were finally breathing.

Of course, there were moments-usually in the middle of the right-when my mind would drie toward the horizon.

We knew there was a storm coming. We knew we couldn’t hide forever, and that the family back home wouldn’t just let a man like Aaron walk away.

But in the quiet of a Suzhou evening, that felt like a problem for another life.

I was reaching for a bottle of soy sauce when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist.

The heat of him pressed against my back instantly made the rest of the room disappear.

I didn’t need to turn around to know it was him; his cologne, a musky scent of cedar, blended with the ginger and garlic in the air, lulling me into a state of pure calm.

I leaned my head back against his shoulder, my eyes closing as relaxed into his hold.

“You’re home early,” I whispered, the words hitching as I felt the warmth of his lips graze the shell of my ear.

“I missed my favorite person,” Aaron murmured, his voice rough with exhaustion and something softer beneath it.

He didn’t stop there. He trailed a row of slow, lingering kisses down the curve of my neck, each one slow enough to unravel my concentration completely.

The steam from the pans swirled around us, but all I could feel was the heat of his body against mine.

“Aaron…” I breathed, trying to find a shred of composure as I turned in his arms to face him.

“Meiling is still here.”

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10:35 Fri, Feb 20 D

Chapter 155

“I am indeed,” Meiling’s voice drifted over from the other side of the kitchen island, dry and filled with amusement.

Aaron didn’t pull away. If anything, he tightened his hold on my waist, pulling me flush against him.

He shot her a playful, unbothered smirk, the kind that told me he knew exactly what he was doing.

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“Meiling is part of the furniture at this point,” he muttered, his lips moving against the sensitive skin of my throat, sending a fresh wave of heat through me.

“She won’t mind.”

A pointed, loud cough erupted from across the kitchen, forcing us to break the spell.

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