Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Joel walked quietly, and Primrose followed, leaning her head against Joel's broad shoulder. Neither of them spoke, but both could vaguely sense the gentle heartbeat of the other.

A sweet, elusive sensation enveloped the space, making the sun-drenched journey feel warmer and gentler.

By the time Joel carried Primrose back to the hotel, she still remained in a dreamy state, not fully escaping that unfamiliar emotion. Joel carefully carried Primrose into the bathroom and helped her wash her feet. The cool water slowly awakened Primrose as it trickled down. She lifted her head to look at Joel, their gazes meeting tenderly, filled with unexplainable emotions.

"Take a shower, sweetie. I'll wait for you."

Joel lightly kissed Primrose's forehead and left. She mechanically picked up her clothes and entered the bathroom. The warm water enveloped her, dissipating the haziness within her, yet Primrose remained absentminded, thinking about the warm words Joel had spoken earlier.

The sincerity of his words had touched Primrose's heart deeply.

After Primrose finished her shower and stepped out, Joel also smiled and walked into the bathroom. Primrose wiped the water off her hair and dried it. When her hair was completely dry, Joel stepped out. He picked up the hair dryer from Primrose's hand, accidentally brushing against her soft hands, causing her to flinch as if she had been burned.

Joel chuckled at her innocent reaction, leaning in closer to the petite Primrose.

"What's wrong? I just wanted to help you put away the hair dryer."

Primrose blinked as Joel exited the bathroom, wearing only a towel wrapped around his hips. This allowed her to see quite clearly his well-defined, sturdy, and healthy six-pack abs. The droplets of water on his chest slowly dripped downward, gliding over his abs and disappearing beneath the edge of the towel that obscured her view. Primrose involuntarily swallowed her dry throat.

"You, you, why aren't you wearing clothes? Aren't you, aren't you afraid of the cold?"

Primrose stammered with embarrassment and averted her gaze from Joel. Joel's initial intention was indeed to help Primrose, but after witnessing her cute reaction, he understood what was on her mind. He continued to approach Primrose, bringing them so close that only an arm's length separated them.

"Oh, so you like to watch it, huh? You don't like a hot guy like me?"

Joel whispered into Primrose's ear, his warm breath tickling her ear and neck and making her blush deepen. She tried to shy away, but Joel caught her and held her hand, placing it gently on his firm abdomen. He let her fingertips graze over his abs little by little. The warmth and elasticity of his muscles gradually numbed the sensation in Primrose's fingers.

"Sweetie, be honest for a moment. Do you like it?"

"Why are you suddenly so shy? It's not the first time you've seen it."

Joel tenderly kissed Primrose's hair, his hand tracing a path up her alluring collarbone and lingering on the jutting warmth of her Adam's apple. Joel's hands were still slightly cool from his recent shower, yet his skin radiated an unusual warmth that made Primrose want to withdraw her hand and escape. This situation was too stimulating.

Joel found great amusement in teasing Primrose, and at this point, he had no intention of letting go. He directly placed her hand on the white towel wrapped around his hips, speaking into Primrose's ear with a seductive yet playful tone.

"Do you want to pull it down? I can help you."

Primrose thought about the rather explicit scene from earlier in the morning. Her face had turned as red as a ripe tomato, making it look as if it could be plucked at any moment. She wanted to say something, but her mouth felt dry, and her tongue was tied. In the end, all she could do was repeatedly shake her head, feeling a bit dazed.

"Sweetie, you're getting cuter day by day."

Joel's laughter resonated in her delicate ears, like the deep, resonant tone of an ancient instrument that intoxicated the soul. Primrose's mind had already come to a standstill.

Joel carefully kissed Primrose's lips, gradually sensing the softness of her lips. Then he enveloped her in a deep and passionate kiss. Joel's skin, both cool and warm, pressed against Primrose's, and even the thin layer of fabric couldn't prevent her from becoming entranced. She could only respond to Joel's kiss with a mixture of hesitation and eagerness.

Joel was delighted by this reaction. Their tongues danced together, and the intimate sounds of their connection echoed around them—sounds that wouldn't be appropriate for young ears. Primrose's hands tightened gently on Joel's chest, while Joel's hand rested on her waist, gently caressing.

Primrose's gaze grew even more intoxicated, her mind completely lost as she pulled away from the passionate kiss. She shrank into Joel's embrace, burying her face in his warm body because she couldn't face him at that moment.

"Sweetie, are you satisfied? We can continue if you're not."

Joel playfully teased Primrose with the same deep tone, and Primrose, annoyed, punched his chest. Joel feigned pain, letting out a pretend yelp, before gripping Primrose's hand and sighing.

"Don't punch me; everything is yours. Instead, you can touch them whenever you want."

Joel again took Primrose's hand and gently guided it over his well-defined chest, his warm skin sending shivers through her fingers. Primrose tightly closed her eyes, unable to reply, a mix of shyness and anger welling up inside her.

"You're shameless. You're teasing me."

Normally, Primrose maintained an image of a beautiful, somewhat arrogant, and carefree young woman. But every time she got close to Joel, she reverted to the appearance of a bashful teenage girl with a flushed face. This contrast in her personality was also part of Primrose's allure, drawing Joel in and making him want to be close to her every day.

"Haha, so what do you want to do to punish me?"

Joel's voice was teasingly lacking, and Primrose bit her lip for a while without being able to respond. She grew annoyed and stamped her foot, only then remembering what she had intended to say.

"Hmph, I'm not staying with you anymore. I want to go find Nancy."

Joel wasn't joking either. He stood up, calmly putting on his clothes right in front of Primrose, who felt both stunned and embarrassed, turning her face away.

"Don't disturb the romantic atmosphere of your friend and her boyfriend, sweetie. We can also create a sweet scene together."

Primrose ignored this, pretending not to hear, and grabbed her phone to call Nancy and ask where she was. Nancy quickly answered that she was in her room and suggested that Primrose come over if she had time to spare.

"Do you want to have dinner? I'm a bit hungry."

Primrose felt that it wouldn't be appropriate to enter Nancy's room at this moment, so she responded with a somewhat disengaged remark. Nancy didn't inquire further and promptly agreed. She also told Primrose to wait a moment while she finished getting ready.

After hanging up the phone, Primrose tilted her head to look at Joel. She initially wanted to remind him to dress more properly, but she noticed that he had already put on his clothes neatly some time ago. Her words were choked in her throat. Seeing Primrose's chest heaving as if she had run out of words, Joel leaned in, his hand gently brushing her hair as he advised.

"Aren't you hungry? Finish getting ready quickly, and then we'll go eat."

At this moment, Primrose remembered the task at hand. She gave Joel a glance and then seriously began to apply simple makeup. Her movements were both swift and meticulous, and in no time, she was satisfied with her beautiful and alluring appearance in the mirror. Full of enthusiasm, she grabbed her bag and headed out.

"Let me help you carry that."

Joel wanted to help Primrose carry her bag out of habit, but Primrose merely glanced at him, pursing her lips slightly, before coldly turning away. It was evident that she hadn't yet let go of the incident from earlier. This dismissive attitude left Joel with no choice but to shrug and follow Primrose, with her walking ahead and him trailing behind, as they went outside to find Nancy and Brian.

Every time they got close, Primrose treated the moment as if it were nonchalant, disregarding it as if it were just air, which made Joel truly feel helpless and unsure of how to respond. However, the next time there was an opportunity, he would still playfully tease and provoke her until her face turned red and her ears pink, because Primrose's embarrassed demeanor was truly adorable.