After dinner, Shen Shu put the dishes in the dishwasher and washed his hands in the bathroom.

When he came out, he saw Yu Xi sitting on the sofa, watching a movie with great focus. She had already showered and changed into a pink and white pajama set, with her bare feet resting on the edge of the sofa, her toes painted a soft pink.

Her eyes were fixed on the TV, and she was holding a bag of candy. Several translucent candy wrappers were carelessly tossed onto the table.

Shen Shu walked over and bent down to ask, “Don’t you like the sunlight? Why did you draw all the curtains?”

He had noticed this when he first came home.

Yu Xi hesitated for a moment before typing on her phone: [I have a fear of heights, and the house is too big. It scares me.]

Shen Shu was taken aback, never having expected this reason. He apologized, “It’s my fault for not considering this. If you don’t like it here, we can move somewhere else.”

Yu Xi quickly shook her head: [It’s fine.]

Today, she had seen how busy he could get. Such a small matter didn’t deserve to take up his time. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal.

If she were to bother him with such a small matter and it reached the ears of the Yu family, they would surely think she was being unreasonable.

Yu Qing would definitely ridicule her, calling her “pretentious.”

“Do you like this candy?” Shen Shu picked up a semi-transparent candy wrapper, unfolded it, and gently smoothed out the creases with his long fingers.

His hands were too beautiful—broad palms, long fingers, with slightly raised veins.

Rather than looking fierce, they gave off the charm of a mature man’s masculinity.

A faint scent of cedar mixed with a hint of burning tobacco entered her nose. It was sharp and tingling, invading her senses unexpectedly.

The intensity of it came suddenly and without warning, overwhelming her in an instant.

Her heartbeat quickened, and she took a deep breath to calm herself, hesitantly glancing at him.

It was then she realized, without her noticing, Shen Shu had gotten very close to her.

Yu Xi reminded herself to stay calm, but she couldn’t hide the slight panic in her eyes.

Shen Shu looked at her with amusement, thinking she resembled a frightened little deer, like a prey suddenly encountering a hunter, staring at him helplessly.

Perhaps it was because the surroundings were too dim, but he felt as though there was a fire burning inside him, desperate to be released.

The movie was still playing—an old black-and-white comedy from the last century.

Maybe because she couldn’t speak, Yu Xi enjoyed watching these silent films. On the screen, two hosts were on the floor, laughing, yet the surroundings were eerily silent—so quiet it was almost surreal.

Yu Xi stared at Shen Shu, her hand tightly gripping the candy bag.

The plastic wrapper had crinkled under her grip.

She couldn’t quite explain why she felt so nervous at this moment, but it seemed like something might happen, and her heart was uncontrollably racing.

Shen Shu turned his attention back to the movie. “Do you like watching these?”

He smiled after asking, then quickly forgot she couldn’t speak.

His long fingers rested on his knee, tapping lightly, like he was keeping a beat.

Yu Xi noticed that he wore silver rings on his index and middle fingers—one was a hollow design, the other a plain silver band with no engraving.

They weren’t wedding rings, but they were striking, making his fingers appear even longer, slightly tense, strong, with a hidden sense of power.

It was hard to imagine what it would feel like to be touched by these hands.

Yu Xi never thought of herself as someone fascinated by hands, but at this moment, she felt a strange stirring in her chest.

She felt a little off, her face flushing in the dark.

It was a good thing the light had been turned off earlier. Otherwise, she wasn’t sure how she’d explain it.

She sighed quietly in her mind.

Instinctively, she unwrapped another candy and popped it in her mouth. Suddenly, she felt the urge to eat something, hoping it would calm her racing heart.

She wasn’t sure why she was sitting beside him on the couch, watching a silent film. It would have been better to watch a movie with sound… at least then she wouldn’t be lost in such wild thoughts.

But she couldn’t speak, and they couldn’t talk, making the situation even more awkward and bizarre.

“Is it delicious?” Shen Shu suddenly asked her in the dark.

Yu Xi froze for a moment before nodding.

If she didn’t nod, it would be hard to explain why she kept eating.

“Can I try some?” He asked, his gaze fixed on her eyes.

The fleeting light on the screen reflected on his face, making his sharp features appear even more handsome, exuding an indescribable sensuality.

His eyes were calm, but they seemed to be hiding something, like he was restraining himself.

Yu Xi’s heart was in chaos, as if it had lost all rhythm. After a while, she hesitantly handed him the candy bag.

Shen Shu didn’t take it. In the dim darkness, he let out a soft chuckle.

Yu Xi felt even more uneasy, not understanding why he laughed.

But after a moment, she thought she might understand why he was laughing. After all, why would he ask if he could have the candy? Unless… he didn’t want candy at all…

Her thoughts were still a mess when a sudden tall shadow completely enveloped her.

Shen Shu placed one hand on the edge of the sofa behind her, causing the leather seat to sink slightly.

By the time she realized what was happening, she was trapped between the sofa and his body.

He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her lips with an almost tangible intensity.

At that moment, Yu Xi understood completely what he wanted.

The air around him felt slightly cool, yet there was a strong sense of intrusion. Yu Xi felt her skin burning, yet she couldn’t move.

He kept one hand on the back of the sofa, his thumb lightly resting there, relaxed as he asked, “Yu Xi, do you know what I’m going to do?”

His tone was slow and teasing, giving her enough time to react as he moved closer.

But at that moment, Yu Xi felt like she was being tortured slowly, wishing it would happen faster.

How should she respond? Nodding seemed wrong, shaking her head felt just as wrong.

She felt a little frustrated, as if he was bullying her.

She was slow to catch on and timid, and while she was still confused about what to do, Shen Shu’s patience finally ran out. He pulled her by the waist and wrapped her in his arms.

With a slight lift, she was placed on his lap.

He tilted his head back, his eyes directly on her face. “Kiss me.”

It was like a huge thunderclap, and Yu Xi suspected that she had heard it wrong.

Her gaze hesitated as it fell on his face, but he appeared nonchalant, as if it was just a small request.

Perhaps her dazed expression amused him. Shen Shu let out a low laugh.

Yu Xi didn’t know why he laughed, but the sound made her ears burn with a blush. Fortunately, the light was off, so he couldn’t see it.

Otherwise, she would have no idea how he would tease her again.

It seemed like he really enjoyed mocking her, even though sometimes she couldn’t figure out where his sense of humor came from.

Yu Xi was petite, her figure delicate and slender, her waist soft and barely a handful. With him gently gripping her waist, she felt uneasy all over, unable to move.

The way she was sitting was a little dangerous.

Even she, who wasn’t very quick-witted, understood what was going on.

In truth, she was quite scared. Though Shen Shu didn’t seem like a rough person, his build was so different from hers that she feared she couldn’t handle it.

And people are always afraid of the unknown.

It cannot be denied that Shen Shu is a very charismatic man. Although he appears gentle and reserved, with politeness ingrained into his bones, Yu Xi can still feel the intense aura he exudes—a presence that is impossible to ignore.

Seemingly displeased by her slow reaction, he reached out and lightly flicked her lips before pinching her chin.

Yu Xi instinctively pressed her hand against his shoulder, but he swiftly supported her waist. His tone was languid and indifferent. “Sit tight.”

Yu Xi’s ears reddened again, and she bit her lower lip.

Shen Shu did not rush. As if savoring the moment, his hands traced her waist slowly. With a serious expression, he asked, “Are you a dancer?”

Her waist was indeed slender, but it wasn’t just delicate. It carried a sense of supple strength. It narrowed towards her sides, with no excess fat.

It was hard not to feel something when his large hand gently caressed her.

What’s worse, he seemed so at ease, almost as if he were teasing her.

Yu Xi wasn’t sure whether he was truly teasing her or had other intentions. Her mind was a mess.

Fortunately, the phone rang at that moment. He let go of her and reached for the phone he had placed on the coffee table earlier.

Yu Xi jumped up in a hurry, retreating to the room.

As she reached the door, she stopped and, on a whim, turned around to look.

Shen Shu placed the phone to his ear as he walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the city.

“…Alright, I got it. Please send me the AC company’s information again later…” His tone was flat, and the occasional passing streetlight illuminated his handsome face, now etched with a cold, inorganic indifference.

Gentle, yet icy.

The warmth and passion from earlier seemed like a mere illusion.

Yu Xi felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, waking her up.

She bit her lip and curled up under the blanket, wrapping herself tightly.

After about half an hour of phone calls, Shen Shu returned and seemed to stop just behind her.

“Yu Xi, are you asleep?”

She ignored him, keeping her eyes tightly shut. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to say to him and felt embarrassed. Pretending to be asleep seemed like the best option.

“Are you really asleep?” He leaned down from behind her, his hot breath instantly surrounding her. At the same time, the cool mint scent from his lips brushed against her ear. “Then I’m going to kiss you.”

Yu Xi shuddered slightly.

It was barely noticeable, but Shen Shu caught it.

He had only been testing her, not expecting her to fall asleep so quickly. As expected.

Yu Xi was debating whether to continue pretending to sleep when she was suddenly pulled out of the blanket and into his arms. His voice was dangerous. “You were pretending to sleep?”

His arms were strong, and Yu Xi instinctively pushed against his shoulder.

“Am I scary?” His gaze was cold.

Yu Xi hesitated before shaking her head.

Shen Shu gave a light laugh, his words insincere. “Not honest.”

Yu Xi bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.

Shen Shu raised an eyebrow and carefully examined her from top to bottom. With a little force, he effortlessly lifted her into his arms and made her sit on his lap. “Continue.”

“?”

His free hand casually patted his leg, his tone firm. “Kiss me.”

His grip was so strong that Yu Xi couldn’t move. She had no choice but to remain in his lap.

The powerful aura of masculinity surrounding him made her cheeks flush.

His gaze remained fixed on her lips, showing no intention of letting her off easily.

She felt she had no way to escape and leaned down, brushing her lips against his.

Then, she pulled away.

Her eyes met his, as if asking: [Is that enough?]

Shen Shu’s expression was odd, half-smiling as he looked at her. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “Yu Xi, have you never been in a relationship?”

What he really wanted to say was, “You call that a kiss?”