Chapter 14

Lu Yi was stunned.

Right now, she felt as though she were back in her school days, being forced to finish every assignment without missing a single detail.

Lin Jinshen stood with his arms crossed, his cold expression unyielding, exuding an air of non-negotiability.

She tilted her head back, the flush of embarrassment from earlier—when they had been mistakenly seen in a compromising situation—slowly fading from her face. Softly, she said, “This isn’t right. Starting at full intensity? Something like this should be eased into.”

There were still two instances left. One tonight, one tomorrow night.

Doing this every day—who could endure it?

Lin Jinshen gazed at her, his confusion evident. “Ease into what?”

“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

There was no hint of mockery in his tone, just a simple question, as though he genuinely couldn’t comprehend. After all, last night, Lu Yi’s reaction showed no signs of discomfort.

Under his steady gaze, Lu Yi hesitated. She could tell that even if she said she was uncomfortable, his unreadable expression already carried a silent rebuttal.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable.”

“I understand,” Lin Jinshen said.

Lu Yi let out a small sigh of relief, sensing the crisis had passed. Standing up, she smoothed out her dress and said they should leave. Staying here any longer would only deepen misunderstandings among the others outside.

“Let’s head back,” Lin Jinshen said, noticing her boredom.

“Is it alright to leave now? Won’t it seem improper?” Lu Yi asked, referring to his business discussions.

“It’s fine. A simple goodbye will do.”

Lu Yi followed a step behind Lin Jinshen as they left the dimly lit area and returned to the main hall. Pressing her lips together, she still felt residual unease from earlier. It was as if the entire room believed that she and Lin Jinshen had been sneaking off to share an intimate moment.

Lin Jinshen strode toward the host, speaking in a low voice. “Mr. Yan, my wife is feeling tired. I’ll escort her back to rest. Apologies for leaving early tonight.”

The man addressed as Mr. Yan smiled at Lu Yi and nodded. “Not a problem. Mrs. Lin, are you feeling unwell?”

“Just a bit sleep-deprived,” Lin Jinshen explained.

“Alright, rest well, then.”

Lu Yi responded with a polite smile.

Their car was already waiting outside. Lin Jinshen’s assistant had already left for the night in another vehicle.

Once inside the car, Lu Yi found herself sitting stiffly, constrained by the tight fit of her dress. Her ankles ached after wearing heels for so long, and she bent down, lifting her skirt slightly to massage them with both hands.

Her ankles, pale and smooth like jade, had turned slightly red.

Her movements caught Lin Jinshen’s attention from the corner of his eye. However, what drew his gaze more was the scarf around her neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he asked, “You can take off the scarf now. Aren’t you hot?”

Lu Yi turned her head away. It was the second time he had mentioned it. A trace of grievance flickered in her eyes as she said, “Do you think I want to wear it?”

She shifted slightly in her seat, freeing a hand to tug at the scarf’s covering. The marks on her neck were evident, faintly ambiguous under the dim lighting.

Lu Yi’s gaze held silent reproach.

Did he think she wanted to wear this? She couldn’t even leave the house without it.

Lin Jinshen’s expression remained taut. He knew it was his doing. At the time, it had been an instinctive reaction, not something he consciously intended. Moreover, he wasn’t the only one responsible.

He tilted his head to the side, exposing the back of his neck.

There were three faint scratch marks there, with one showing signs of light scarring.

Lu Yi: “…”

Her handiwork from the previous night.

Lin Jinshen straightened up and met her gaze silently.

Lu Yi wordlessly removed the scarf. She felt like handing it to him instead—he clearly needed it more. After all, he’d been walking around all day with those marks in plain sight. Wasn’t he worried that everyone had seen them?

Clearly, he wasn’t. He knew, yet chose not to cover them.

If she pressed further, she could already imagine his stoic face responding, Why should I cover it? Married couples having a healthy intimate life isn’t abnormal.

The driver was still present.

Lu Yi valued her dignity, so she refrained from asking.

The car arrived at the parking lot, and the driver bade them goodnight before leaving.

“Drive safely,” Lu Yi reminded politely. Once the driver left, she and Lin Jinshen walked toward the elevator, one in front of the other.

In the silence, her attention was drawn to their reflections in the elevator’s mirrored walls. Lin Jinshen stood straight in his suit, though his tie was missing and the first button of his shirt was fastened.

Even in a private setting, his posture remained impeccable.

The contrast only deepened her impression of him as rigid and disciplined.

Yet this very man, so upright in appearance, was entirely different behind closed doors.

The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival. They unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Puff was still hiding in its cat bed, too timid to come out.

In her gown, Lu Yi couldn’t easily pick it up, so she went upstairs to change. She reached behind her back to pull at the zipper but hesitated, realizing someone else was in the room. She moved to the walk-in closet instead.

As the zipper came down, the gown slid off her body.

She removed the padding from her dress, exhaling in relief. Free from the constricting fabric, it felt like being reborn.

Carrying the dress, Lu Yi walked out of the closet, leaving it for Lin Jinshen. He passed by her, undoing his shirt cuff with one hand.

She had barely taken two steps when his voice called her back.

“Lu Yi.”

She turned around, meeting his calm gaze. He lowered his eyes, directing her attention to the small items on the dresser.

There, casually placed, were her recently removed bra inserts.

With his long fingers, he picked them up and said, “You forgot these.”

“…”

Flustered, Lu Yi snatched them from his hand and hurried away, clutching the dress tightly.

Lin Jinshen didn’t give them a second thought, though his fingertips still felt the faint warmth. Without dwelling, he raised his head, unbuttoning his shirt.

After removing her makeup and taking a shower, Lu Yi went downstairs to check on Puff.

Aunt Fang, upon learning that Puff needed to lose weight, not only strictly monitored its diet but also set aside a portion of food as rewards for post-exercise activities. Under her plan, Puff increased its activity level, and its weight remained stable over the week.

“It’s strange. I never liked cats before, but Puff is just too adorable. I can’t help but want to play with it,” Aunt Fang remarked.

As a result, all of Puff’s toys were entrusted to Aunt Fang.

Even Lu Yi’s chat history with Aunt Fang was filled mostly with photos and videos of Puff.

In this household of three, Puff was only afraid of Lin Jinshen.

With Lin Jinshen absent from the downstairs area, Puff boldly ventured out. Lu Yi took the opportunity to grab a cat toy ball and initiate an impromptu night training session.

Puff chased the ball enthusiastically but, with its limited stamina and focus, could manage only three or four rounds.

Lu Yi kept an ear out for the sounds upstairs and remained mindful of the time. At almost 11 PM, Lin Jinshen emerged from the study room and, on his way back to the bedroom, reminded her it was time for bed.

“Alright.”

Eleven o’clock—bedtime.

Lin Jinshen adhered to the routine he’d followed for over twenty years. Last night had been an exception, but tonight he had no intention of breaking his usual habits again.

Perhaps it was the wine she had before bed, but Lu Yi, for the first time in four nights, didn’t suffer from insomnia. Relieved that she didn’t have to stay up finishing work, she closed her eyes and drifted off quickly.

But her sleep was restless.

She kept dreaming, and it felt as though she had returned to the previous night.

The kisses and embraces in her dreams were startlingly vivid. In a haze of sensations, she blinked her eyes open and met a pair of deep, shadowy eyes.

“?”

It wasn’t a dream.

In the next moment, Lu Yi’s mind went completely blank as her wrists were pinned down. She was pulled into a state of inescapable surrender.

Her head was still groggy, but her body had already been awakened ahead of her thoughts.

Perhaps because it was morning, it didn’t feel as reckless as it had the night before.

When it was over, Lin Jinshen pressed his fingertips against her damp forehead, his hoarse voice tinged with fatigue from a lack of sleep. “This is the last time for the week.”

“…”

Lu Yi nearly bit her lip in frustration. So, when he said he understood last night, did that mean he’d reduced the frequency from three times to two? And now it was in the morning?

The alarm rang.

It was Lin Jinshen’s alarm—6 a.m.

Lin Jinshen got out of bed. At this moment, he actually seemed human as he said, “There’s still time. You can keep sleeping.”

Lu Yi hugged the blanket tightly against her chest and said, “At this hour, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Lin Jinshen hadn’t dressed yet, wearing only Zimmerli boxers. His long legs, no longer concealed by suit pants, were fully revealed—taut muscles and sleek lines exuding a sense of strength.

When he bent down to pick up his clothes, he looked dangerously sexy.

Her tone, initially demanding, faltered. After all, she had enjoyed herself earlier too.

Lin Jinshen straightened up, meeting her gaze from his standing position while she sat on the bed, his voice deep: “You were the one who threw yourself at me.”

“…”

So he was putting all the blame on her?

“I couldn’t resist.”

Fair enough.

After a few days of interaction, Lu Yi had developed a general impression of Lin Jinshen.

He was direct, honest, and didn’t beat around the bush. Within reasonable boundaries, he did what was expected of him.

Before marriage, he was respectful to the point of being overly polite. If they got too close, he would even step back.

But after marriage? No hesitation. If he wanted to do something, he did it—without any psychological burden.

Lin Jinshen went into the bathroom to wash up.

Lu Yi, still drowsy, closed her eyes and shifted her position, planning to go back to sleep.

The 5 a.m. “exercise” had almost made her oversleep. Without fully opening her eyes, she dragged herself out of bed and quickly took a shower.

The whole morning, she felt groggy. Even coffee didn’t help, and she became the subject of teasing from her colleagues.

By lunchtime, she finally perked up a bit.

Yu Yin sent her a message, saying she’d heard some gossip within their circle last night. Apparently, at a banquet, a couple had lost control of themselves and started passionately making out in a secluded corner.

“…”

Yu Yin: [What’s with these young people these days? So fiery and full of vigor. Must be nice to be young. The world is their bed.]

[Do you think they couldn’t afford a room, or was it just more thrilling this way?]

[Hilarious! Everyone’s guessing who it was. Someone even mentioned your husband’s name. Come on, Lin Jinshen? As if!]

“…”

Last night had already been embarrassing enough.

Now it was even worse—her best friend gossiping with her about a scandal, only for her to realize she was the subject of the gossip.

Lu Yi explained that it wasn’t like that. It was just that her necklace had gotten caught on her dress, and they were trying to untangle it.

Yu Yin: [How do you know so clearly? Were you there?]

Lu Yi sent a grimacing emoji: [Is there a chance that…I was the person involved?]

Yu Yin, feeling that text couldn’t convey her full level of mockery, switched to voice messages. Twenty seconds of exaggerated laughter later, she asked: [Who was the guy?]

Lu Yi: [Lin Jinshen.]

This time, the laughter lasted sixty seconds.

It was so loud it hurt her ears.

After laughing, Yu Yin joked: [Do you know what the tabloids would write if Hong Kong media caught this?]

[‘Mr. Lin’s Late-Night Passionate Kiss with a Married Woman is Amazing!’]

Lu Yi: “…”

Under the pressure of the exhibition deadline, each team member was handling their assigned tasks diligently. Lu Yi confirmed that Xin Qi’s works wouldn’t be featured. Though regretful, she selected other pieces from various teachers, negotiating with them individually. She also kept a close eye on the construction progress at the site to ensure everything would go smoothly on the exhibition day.

Yu Qian brought some news, saying Xin Qi had finally responded.

“He said most of his paintings had already been sold. If we want to exhibit them, we’ll have to contact the buyers.”

It wasn’t clear if this was an excuse or the truth.

Yu Qian comforted her, saying that Xin Qi was notoriously difficult to deal with. It wasn’t surprising to fail. The fact that he even replied was likely due to the effort she’d shown by visiting him over the weekend.

Lu Yi thought back to that day. They hadn’t exchanged many words.

That afternoon, however, Yu Qian informed her that Xin Qi had contacted them directly. He’d found a buyer who was interested in their exhibition and was willing to loan the purchased pieces for display—only for display, not for sale.

The buyer left their contact information and signature: Selene.

A colleague mentioned the name seemed familiar, though they couldn’t recall from where. They were certain it wasn’t the first time they’d seen it.

Lu Yi, however, recognized it instantly. That was her WeChat username and English name. She hadn’t told her colleagues about it before.

Her colleagues’ vague recollection was likely from when they’d added her on WeChat but later renamed her in their contacts.

“Was it a man who called?”

“Yes, but he said he was Selene’s assistant. He said to contact him for anything related to the artwork.”

“Oh, okay.” Lu Yi responded.

“Why don’t you look happy? Shouldn’t you be excited?” A colleague nudged her and handed her the buyer’s photos, asking her to select three pieces.

Among the six images, Lu Yi recognized one she had seen that night—a dreamlike and enchanting moonlit scene. There were also two new works, one depicting a tranquil village under moonlight and a barefoot child carrying a bucket along a dirt path, moonlight gently caressing him like a mother’s tender touch.

She reluctantly picked three pieces after discussing it with her colleagues. They all agreed on the choices.

Back at her desk, Lu Yi pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Lin Jinshen. After hesitating for a moment, she asked:

Selene: “Did you buy Xin Qi’s paintings?”

Minutes passed without a reply. Lu Yi glanced at the screen, then returned to admiring the six paintings. Her phone buzzed. He had replied.

Pioneer: “Yes.”

Selene: “Why?”

She thought they had agreed to keep their lives separate.

Pioneer: “You mentioned that his work was good and worth collecting. So I bought them as an investment for the family.”

It made sense.

Lu Yi, with her expertise, knew Xin Qi’s talent meant his works would likely increase in value over time. Buying them now was a sure profit.

But she still felt uneasy.

Selene: “Was that the only reason?”

Pioneer: “What else would there be?”

She knew how eccentric Xin Qi could be. A man who chose to live in a remote village for months, solely to capture the sun and moon in his paintings, wasn’t someone easily swayed by fame or fortune. If he didn’t care to exhibit his work, he certainly wouldn’t sell it lightly.

Lu Yi asked how Lin Jinshen had managed to buy the pieces.

His explanation was straightforward. Someone obsessed with painting didn’t care for money or fame but might be moved by opportunities. He offered Xin Qi the chance to study under a master teacher, one who had long stopped accepting students. To make it happen, he enlisted his uncle’s help.

This wasn’t something money alone could achieve.

Lu Yi realized that what her aunt had mentioned at the banquet that day was related to this.

She hadn’t thought of it at the time.

The effort and thought put into acquiring these six paintings must have been substantial.

Why had he done it for her?

They were only a couple on paper, with their respective obligations clearly outlined and legally binding.

Lin Jinshen didn’t need to go to such lengths.

Or was it because they’d slept together? Did he feel obligated to compensate her? As inappropriate as it sounded, it did feel somewhat like a transactional gesture—rewarding her after their night together.

Lu Yi thought it and said it.

It might have been ungrateful, but she preferred their relationship to remain clear-cut.

Pioneer: “Is that what you think?”

Pioneer: “If so, why would I be the one giving it to you?”

Pioneer: “I was the one who made the effort.”

“…”

Lu Yi stared at the three messages, suddenly doubting her comprehension of Chinese.

Was he implying she should be rewarding him?