Chapter 43.2

But she had forgotten—since the moment he sat down, control was no longer hers. At some point, his shirt had come off, revealing a lean, toned physique. His muscles weren’t overly pronounced but exuded a raw strength in their smooth contours.

He half-knelt on the bed, his broad frame blocking the light above her. The red of his pajama bottoms added a touch of devilish allure.

“Then let’s consider the rest complimentary.”

“?!”

Blushing furiously, Lu Yi protested, “That’s coercion!”

“Who’s coercing who here? I still have the transfer record you sent me,” Lin Jinshen countered, effortlessly pulling her back beneath him as though she were a small chick.

He brushed aside the stray strands of hair on her forehead and softly called her name:

“Lu Yi.”

“This is our wedding night.”

His voice was so tender that it caught her off guard, his words like quicksand drawing her in.

But the warmth lasted only a second. Before she could process it, he revealed a sharp, predatory grin—ready to devour her whole.

By the second round, Lu Yi raised her hand in surrender, rejecting the “complimentary services.” But instead of stopping, he carried her to the bathroom for another shower.

“Your stamina’s poor. You need to build endurance. Starting tomorrow, join me for morning runs.”

Even in her half-asleep state, Lu Yi found the strength to refuse, pressing her hand against his mouth. “You’ve crossed a line!”

They were just married.

Yet he was already planning for her to wake at six to run? Could he not act more human?

Lin Jinshen held her close, pried the hand from his lips, and toyed with her fingers as she drifted into sleep. When she let out a soft, unconscious hum at his touch, his heart softened.

The night stretched on endlessly.

In that moment, Lin Jinshen realized one thing: he wanted to give her the entire world.

—

The banquet lasted until late into the night.

Those who could stay this long were the ones who were always up for fun, the type who could even make drinking games exciting. Ji Changming was having a streak of good luck tonight, sweeping the table and laughing so hard his face hurt.

“Thanks, brothers, for going easy on me. I’m eternally grateful,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Yu Zeheng, leaning back lazily, tossed over some chips and remarked, “You didn’t win that much. Is it really worth this reaction?”

“It absolutely is! I almost never win against you guys. Let me bask in this rare moment,” Ji Changming said as he scooped up the chips. “Thanks to Brother Shen’s blessing, may my luck continue!”

“Don’t bother praying—Brother Shen’s busy right now,” someone teased from the side.

Ji Changming shot him a look. “What are you talking about? Don’t make it sound shady.”

“What’s on your mind? Check his Moments yourself,” the friend retorted, rolling his eyes and yawning sleepily.

Ji Changming chuckled. “What a joke. My Brother Shen doesn’t even have a Moments…”

“Wait.”

Everyone at the table paused, putting down their cards to pull out their phones and open WeChat.

Among the flood of updates in their feeds, a new post from an account with an icy avatar stood out.

It contained two photos: one of a marriage certificate, and another from the wedding earlier that day. In the second photo, Lu Yi was wearing her wedding dress, holding a bouquet, her gaze resting somewhere off-camera. Her eyebrows were arched in a soft smile, and the timing of the shot was impeccable. Though the photography lacked finesse, the subject’s beauty was undeniable, rendering words unnecessary.

There was no caption, just a small bride emoji.

The post was timestamped at 3 a.m., an hour that felt like a horror story for someone who usually went to bed by eleven.

“???”

Posting about one’s wedding is normal for most people—after all, it’s a major life event.

But this was Lin Jinshen. Since joining WeChat, he had acted as though the Moments feature didn’t exist.

Ji Changming stared in disbelief. “Is this WeChat trying to notify me that my Brother Shen actually uses Moments?”

“Are we sure it’s him? Could it have been his wife who posted it?” Gu Yu suggested after checking the post.

Yu Zeheng glanced over. “Not likely. That’s not her style.”

If Lu Yi were even a little bit playful, it might have been possible. But they all knew her personality.

“So it really was him?”

Yu Zeheng raised an eyebrow but didn’t confirm.

Once the post went live, it stirred up a swarm of lurkers. Some liked it, some left their congratulations—but who was still awake at three in the morning?

Ji Changming: [Sister-in-law looks stunning! Who took the photo?]

The angle didn’t seem professional, and if a photographer had produced something like this, they probably wouldn’t get hired again.

Lin Jinshen: [I took it.]

Ji Changming stared at those three words, inexplicably sensing a hint of pride. He chuckled and was about to comment that the photo only worked because of his sister-in-law’s beauty when Yu Zeheng beat him to it.

Yu Zeheng: [She’s beautiful, but your photography skills leave much to be desired.]

It wasn’t meant to nitpick—it was a fact anyone with eyes could see. The photography was mediocre at best. Would it have hurt to use a photo taken by a professional?

Lin Jinshen: [Do you have someone to photograph?]

Ji Changming, ever the instigator, burst into laughter and prodded, “Heng-ge, is Brother Shen implying you’re single?”

Gu Yu rested his chin on his hand, silently enjoying the banter. Watching people roast each other was far too entertaining.

“…”

It wasn’t just this group who saw the post. Lin Yumou, who prided herself on her quick scrolling reflexes, also spotted it immediately.

Her initial reaction was the same as everyone else’s—she suspected Lu Yi had posted it. But then she remembered her sister-in-law’s reserved demeanor and realized there was only one possibility.

It had to be him.

Lin Yumou stared at the post with a solemn expression. It was hard to believe this came from her older brother—the same man who usually wore a stern face, whose mere silence could terrify her into tears.

Something was off. Way off.

If her parents weren’t already asleep, she would’ve sent them the post to ask if they’d noticed any other strange behavior from him lately. Based on her extensive experience reading novels, this had all the signs of someone being possessed.

Since she couldn’t show it to her parents, she sent it to her childhood friend, Fu Yanli: [This was posted by my brother. Can you believe it?]

Fu Yanli: [I believe it.]

[WeChat accounts are very hard to hack.]

[Go to sleep.]

“…” Lin Yumou frowned: [You’re not asleep either.]

Fu Yanli: [You woke me up with your message.]

Lin Yumou: [Sorry, I’ll let you sleep.]

…

Lin Yumou slept until 11 a.m. During that time, Mrs. Qin entered her room several times to wake her up for breakfast. Each time, she answered half-heartedly and went back to sleep. Mrs. Qin, accustomed to this, simply pinched her cheeks affectionately before leaving.

When Lin Yumou finally got up and washed, it was just in time for lunch. Coming downstairs, she bumped into Lin Jinshen. Her first instinct was to turn around and retreat upstairs, but after only a couple of steps, he called her back. Resigned, she greeted him, “Morning, brother.”

“Do you know what time it is?” Lin Jinshen asked.

Lin Yumou drooped her head. “11:30.”

She knew this was just the prelude. Soon, she’d be pulled aside for a one-on-one lecture. In the past, distance had shielded her, but now, face-to-face, he was ready to settle accounts.

With his sharp memory, Lin Jinshen listed every mistake she’d made since the start of school, recounting them one by one. Lin Yumou bit her lip, tears threatening to spill, looking as if the world were about to end.

It was clear—he hadn’t been replaced. This was definitely the real him.

“Mom, Dad!”

Lu Yi walked over and saw this scene.

Mrs. Qin turned and smiled. “Ah, Lu Yi, you’re up! Were you exhausted yesterday? Come wash your hands; lunch is ready.”

“Okay,” Lu Yi replied.

After answering, she immediately noticed the tense atmosphere on one corner of the sofa. Lin Yumou stood with her hands twisting together nervously, while Lin Jinshen sat on the sofa, his face stern.

Lin Yumou tilted her head slightly, giving Lu Yi a pleading look: Help me. Please, help me.

Lu Yi wasn’t planning to intervene, but seeing how close to tears Yumou was, she couldn’t just ignore it. She gathered her courage and called softly, “Husband.”

When Lin Jinshen turned to look at her, Lu Yi’s mind went blank. After a pause, she blurted, “I’d like some water. Could you get me a glass?”

“…”

Lin Yumou squeezed her eyes shut, despairing internally: Sister-in-law, isn’t this distraction tactic a bit too clumsy?

But the next second—

“Warm or chilled?” Lin Jinshen asked.

“Warm, please,” Lu Yi replied with a slight smile.

“Okay.”

Lin Jinshen got up and walked to the kitchen island to pour water.

Lin Yumou exhaled deeply in relief. While she no longer doubted that this was her brother, she began to suspect she might have been adopted.

Why was he so blatantly biased? They both woke up late, but why was the treatment so different?

“Time to eat,” Mrs. Qin called once all the dishes were served.

Since they were scheduled to leave the island the next day, the rest of their time was free for leisure. The resort offered various water activities, including yachting, surfing, and snorkeling, all supervised by professional instructors.

“Sister-in-law, what do you want to do? Let’s go yachting together, okay? We can even fish or go diving!” Lin Yumou suggested.

Lu Yi had no plans, so she nodded in agreement. “Sure.”

Mrs. Qin didn’t intend to join the younger crowd and simply said, “Perfect. Jinshen knows how to drive the yacht. You all have fun.”

“…Big Brother’s coming too?”

In Yumou’s memory, her brother’s life revolved entirely around work. He never participated in their activities.

Lu Yi, however, was more curious about his ability to operate a yacht. “You know how to drive a yacht? You never mentioned that during our last trip to the islands.”

“I got certified in college,” Lin Jinshen explained briefly.

“Are you coming?” Lu Yi asked.

“Yes.”

Lin Yumou: “?”

Lin Jinshen put down his bowl and chopsticks, grabbed a napkin to dab at his lips, and said, “After all, today, I’m at your service.”

The words carried an undertone only the two of them understood.

Lu Yi had already forgotten last night’s events—actions driven by her exhilarated state at the time. Hearing him mention it now, her ears turned red with embarrassment. She lowered her head and focused on her food, determined to eat an extra two bowls to avoid further conversation.