"That's impossible. I put a lot of sugar in it. Besides, ginger tea isn't supposed to taste bitter anyway." Ariana didn't believe him. She sat up and craned her neck over him to take a sip herself.

Before her lips could touch the porcelain cup, they instead collided with another pair of warm lips as Theodore intercepted her route. He lowered his head and kissed Ariana on the lips before separating and looking deeply into her eyes.

"It indeed isn't bitter. It's very sweet."

Ariana's cheeks turned crimson very quickly as she pushed the man away.

"Where did you learn that?" she mumbled under her breath.

“Self-taught," Theodore retorted confidently with a smirk plastered on his face.

Dissatisfied with merely one kiss, he put down the teacup, grabbed Ariana, and kissed her a couple of times until she became a puddle in his arms. She melted into his erotic gesture as she sighed against his addictive kiss.

Satiated, Theodore stroked Ariana's slender back with his big palm, waiting for her to come to her senses.

"Why do I feel like you are in an extremely good mood today?" Raising her watery eyes, Ariana gazed up at the man who kept smiling and felt confused.

Theodore didn't respond. He lowered his head and placed another kiss on Ariana's warm cheek to show his good mood through his actions.

“Are you a dog?" Ariana rapidly disentangled herself from his arms and covering her cheeks, she protested, "Would you stop?"

“You look just so delicious. I can't help it," Theodore remarked calmly.

Ariana gritted her teeth, clenched Theodore's arm, and started bitinghim.

Theodore didn't resist. He just looked at the angry woman dotingly, and gently stroked her soft hair with the other hand, as if he was grooming a kitten's fur. His expression hardly changed and he didn't seem to notice her teeth that were attached to his forearm.

This one-sided battle ended in this way. Like a punctured balloon, Ariana lost her fighting spirit. Her fight was clearly not affecting him in any way.

She let go of his arm, touched the teeth marks on it, and said awkwardly, "You're acting really strange today. Did something pleasant happen? Why are you in such high spirits?"

“am I?" As if nothing had happened, Theodore tugged down his sleeves and rubbed her head.

"Maybe I'm happy because you're by my side."

Ariana muttered coyly, "But I hardly ever see you express your feelings in such an obvious way."

Theodore cast an interrogative glance at Ariana who lifted her hand and touched his now slightly swollen lips.