The Billionaire's Hidden Affection-Chapter 496 - 493 Honey, Give me a hug 1_1

He embraced her forcefully. She leaned into his chest.

A long silence hung in the air, as if time itself had stopped, leaving only his burning breath and her pounding heart.

At that moment, it wasn’t nervousness, nor panic, nor anger, nor fear. It wasn’t even the feeling of being deceived... No, none of that. She was simply astonished. So astonished, in fact, that she kept her eyes tightly shut for a long time, utterly bewildered.

How could this be?

Her mind seemed to have stopped functioning, incapable of thought, leaving her completely still in his embrace as he held her.

He made no other excessive movements. He just continued to hold her like that.

He had longed for this for so long: to hold her, just like this.

Xixi, I just want to hold you like this.

This was their longest embrace, and also the most absurd. Wan Donglin felt as if a great burden had been lifted, as if the sky falling wouldn’t even matter anymore.

The faint fragrance emanating from her—perhaps the delicate camellia scent of her skincare products, or the impeccably clean smell of her body wash. Even the rose-grey dress she wore, its silk surprisingly soft, felt like her quietness and gentleness in that moment.

This person before him was his own creation. From the con woman she once was, to the woman now naively nestling against him, her gaze was as innocent and pure as a fawn’s.

Like a Gardener watching the camellia he had meticulously cultivated bloom overnight. Everything had proceeded according to his design. The results were astonishingly effective, far exceeding his expectations.

However, when a light breeze blew her soft hair gently across his eyes, his mind suddenly raced, and heat surged through his veins.

I want more than just an embrace, darling.

An embrace is mere child’s play now.

He had longed for this moment for a very, very long time... Suddenly, he realized they had been broken up for over a year. No, to be precise, it had been one or two years since she became pregnant.

Time flew by so quickly. He wished their hair would turn white overnight. Yet, time also passed with agonizing slowness. Their tightly clasped hands hadn’t even had the chance to build warmth.

But she was just looking at him with curiosity. Her eyes were wide open, staring fixedly at him, as if in disbelief. She looked utterly perplexed, tilting her head to study him like a small child.

It was all so unexpected—so much so that she suddenly did something very strange: she reached out and removed the sunglasses from his face.

His cane had long been tossed aside. Without the sunglasses, his face was clearly visible. Everything was normal and clear.

Yes, this was Wan Donglin. The tall, imposing Wan Donglin. His comfortable shirt exuded understated luxury. His familiar gaze, usually radiating dominance, even a slight savagery, was now incredibly tender. He stared back at her, a hint of unease in his eyes, yet his gaze remained deeply fixated on her.

In his eyes, she could almost see her own reflection.

In fact, she had suspected the identity of that rough-around-the-edges guy for a long time: from the first time he delivered the wrong takeout order to the unique breakfasts he’d sent during the last three days of her hotel stay...

However, a small switch in her heart had actively blocked out that particular suspicion. How could it be him? It definitely couldn’t be.

That rough-around-the-edges guy was imposing, considerate, humorous, and most importantly, a person of good character, completely trustworthy.

He was her "Brainwashing Master"—deep down, she even worshipped him.