Yu Xi’s mood didn’t improve during the ride. Shen Shu occasionally leaned closer to her ear and whispered something. He appeared serious but would say something flirtatious with a straight face, making her blush and feel flustered.

Yu Xi, with her thin skin, felt embarrassed and avoided looking at him. The more she tried to avoid it, the more he seemed to enjoy teasing her.

She couldn’t help but think of the saying, “Pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.”

It seemed to fit the situation perfectly.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. Wei Ling went around to open the back door for them, and Yu Xi was about to get out.

“Wait a moment,” Shen Shu stopped her and got out of the car first.

Yu Xi was still confused about what he was doing when he quickly walked over, bent down, and lifted her in his arms.

The sudden weightlessness startled Yu Xi, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Shen Shu chuckled softly and lowered his head, teasing her, “Yu Xi, why are you so timid?”

Yu Xi bit her lip. Before she could respond, he had already carried her into the lobby.

Wei Ling didn’t have time to park the car, quickly rushing over to press the elevator button.

“Go back,” Shen Shu ordered him.

“Yes, sir.” Wei Ling stood by, waiting until the elevator arrived and they were inside before leaving.

While waiting for the elevator, Shen Shu’s hand was also restless, occasionally fiddling with the lace on her skirt or gently caressing her waist, as though playing.

But when she glanced at his face, he was completely serious.

This left Yu Xi unsure whether to interrupt him or not.

Fortunately, he didn’t go too far, so she remained silent.

Finally, they reached the floor, but Shen Shu showed no intention of putting her down. He raised his hand and pressed the fingerprint lock.

Yu Xi subtly tugged at his sleeve.

Shen Shu looked at her, pretending not to understand the message in her eyes. He carried her further into the house and closed the door behind him.

This time, he mercifully let her down.

Just as she set foot on the ground, before she could even sigh in relief, he pulled her back into his arms. His strength wasn’t heavy, but there was an undeniable power in it. She was so light, he easily held her as though she weighed nothing.

Shen Shu wrapped one arm around her, using his other hand to brush away the stray hair from her forehead, then chuckled softly and kissed her heated earlobe.

He felt like he was holding a doll and asked her, “How much do you weigh? Have you been dieting behind my back? Why are you so light?”

She quickly shook her head, and with a gesture from his eyes, she showed him a sign.

He had said he learned sign language.

She didn’t expect him to actually know it.

To her surprise, he understood at once, “You’re not lying to me?”

Yu Xi signed again: [I’m not lying, I eat a lot.]

Shen Shu pointed at her nose with a teasing smile and gently pinched it, “I hope so. If you lied to me, I’ll have to punish you properly.”

His tone was unexpectedly indulgent, mixed with a helpless smile.

Yu Xi’s ears flushed again.

Shen Shu leaned down, his nose gently brushing against hers. He closed his eyes and inhaled the soft warmth of her skin, feeling a quiet sense of peace.

“I thought about you the whole time I was on my business trip. Did you miss me?”

Yu Xi froze. She hadn’t expected Shen Shu to say such words.

She hesitated as she looked at him.

His eyes were sincere, and there was no sign of deceit.

“You didn’t even send me a text. You went off and played with your friends all by yourself. You heartless thing.”

Yu Xi: “…” She didn’t do that.

Besides, why did she need to text him? Didn’t he not text her either?

Shen Shu seemed to guess what she was thinking. Even though she didn’t say anything, he smiled and explained, “The last couple of days have been so busy. I’ve been in meetings non-stop, barely touching the ground. In my spare time, I even learned sign language. I’ve only gotten four hours of sleep the past few days, and my eyelids have been drooping. I heard you went to your school, so I rushed to see you. I was afraid I might drop dead the next second.”

Yu Xi widened her eyes in disbelief.

She couldn’t bear to see others suffer because of her, as she had a soft heart by nature.

At first, she was half-skeptical, but when her eyes met his, she suddenly believed him. A feeling of guilt quietly spread in her chest.

“Don’t do that. I didn’t tell you this to make you feel bad,” Shen Shu smiled bitterly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

His tactic failed. She didn’t feel sorry for him. Instead, it almost made her cry.

“I’m fine. I’ll rest for a while,” Shen Shu reassured her with a smile.

She wiped away the tears, pointing toward the bedroom.

He laughed, “Got it. I’ll change my clothes and go rest. Do you want to join me? We can sleep together.”

It was supposed to be a casual remark about sharing a bed, but the way he said it made her cheeks flush uncontrollably.

“Not willing? Is it bad if I hold you while sleeping?”

Yu Xi nodded, then shook her head. She felt like she was about to lose her mind.

Shen Shu stopped teasing her. If he continued, she might dig a hole and crawl into it.

Besides, he was exhausted, having pushed through until now.

Before getting into bed, Shen Shu resisted his exhaustion to take a shower and change into pajamas. He had a serious obsession with cleanliness, and before getting into bed, he had to shower and change his clothes.

Once his head hit the pillow, the overwhelming fatigue rushed in, and Shen Shu finally realized how truly tired he was.

He couldn’t bother to joke with Yu Xi anymore, his eyes closing heavily.

Yu Xi waited in the living room for a while. Seeing that Shen Shu didn’t come out again, she curiously pushed the door open quietly and found that he had already fallen asleep in bed.

His sleeping face was peaceful, indicating that he was really exhausted.

She turned off the light, moved lightly, and sat down at the edge of the bed.

When Shen Shu slept, he was unusually quiet. His brow was relaxed, and the sharpness in his usually cold features softened.

Yu Xi stared at him for a while before she couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his brows.

She thought he was deep asleep, but to her surprise, he opened his eyes at that moment, looking at her with a playful smile. “What are you doing? Did you really think I was asleep? You’re sneaking a touch?”

Yu Xi, embarrassed, stood up to leave, but his hand suddenly grabbed hers.

Shen Shu applied a bit of pressure with his hand, pulling her into his arms.

Through the silk blanket, Yu Xi could feel the cool, smooth texture. Shen Shu’s hand, however, was warm. When it rested on her back, it felt like fire—hot and burning, like a branding iron.

“Have you taken a shower?” he asked, his thumb brushing over her lips.

She nodded.

“Then let’s sleep together,” Shen Shu said, pulling the blanket back and drawing her in, holding her close.

In that confined space, they lay together, hand in hand, skin against skin. The surroundings were utterly silent. Yu Xi lay awake in the dark, staring at Shen Shu, her palms slightly sweating.

Shen Shu held her waist with one arm, still exhausted, but his hand instinctively slid lower. Yu Xi blushed and pressed his hand down.

Shen Shu chuckled. “Alright, I won’t touch.”

He was indeed too tired to do anything else.

Shen Shu closed his eyes again, and soon, his steady breathing resumed.

However, this time, Yu Xi didn’t dare to touch him again. Who knew if he was truly asleep or pretending… His hand was still resting on her waist, a clear presence.

At first, she shifted uneasily in his arms, but soon closed her eyes too.

She didn’t sleep soundly though, waking up again later in the night.

Shen Shu still held her, his grip tight, as if afraid she’d escape.

Yu Xi blinked, feeling her hand go numb. But she didn’t dare to move too much for fear of waking him, so she quietly massaged it with her other hand.

Just then, Shen Shu also woke up and noticed her uncomfortable expression. “What’s wrong?”

Yu Xi was too embarrassed to say anything, shaking her head. But Shen Shu still noticed, quickly moving his hand off her arm. He said, amused but also a little frustrated, “Why didn’t you say anything when I was pressing on you?”

He took her hand and gently massaged it in his palm, occasionally blowing on it.

His warm breath brushed over her palm, soothing her face as if a feather lightly touched her, causing an itch in her heart.

No one had shown her this much care since she was young. She couldn’t quite explain the feeling, but her eyes were a little misty.

Shen Shu did care for her, didn’t he?

Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to learn sign language? Even if it was just for convenience in communication, this thoughtfulness was rare.

After all, neither her father nor mother would go as far as to learn something that didn’t directly benefit their everyday lives. They might even think it was a waste of time.

Or perhaps… deep down, she had always known that they resented her.

They resented her for being mute and bringing shame upon them.

Yu Xi held onto Shen Shu’s hand tightly.

Shen Shu paused, looking at her with a soft voice. “What’s wrong?”

She gestured to him clumsily: [Don’t blow, it doesn’t hurt, go to sleep.]

He was probably much more tired than her.

“It’s fine, my sleep quality is good. Four or five hours is enough. I’m a bit awake now,” he said, pulling her closer, his lips against her ear. “I’m not sleepy now, I want to do something else.”

Yu Xi blinked.

The girl didn’t quite understand, and Shen Shu chuckled, pinching her nose. “Why are you so silly?”

Seeing the ambiguous smile in his eyes, Yu Xi finally realized what he meant. Her face turned even redder, and she squirmed uncomfortably.

“Don’t move around,” he said, pressing down her restless hands and feet, half-joking, but with a warning tone. “Don’t make me turn into a beast.”

She immediately froze, looking at him with innocent, pleading eyes.

She probably didn’t know that this wouldn’t soften a man’s heart but would only stir his desires. Shen Shu used to think he had good self-control, but now he felt he couldn’t manage at all.

When she looked at him with those pure, clear eyes, he couldn’t take it.

But he had to restrain himself. After all, he had sensed before that if he rushed things, she would be afraid of him.

In truth, he was a bit afraid of seeing her every day. He wasn’t used to being too intimate with anyone; the best relationship was one that was neither too close nor too far.

Yet, when he worked, he couldn’t help but think of her, rushing to return as soon as he finished his tasks.

“How about a kiss?” he asked, seeking her opinion.

Yu Xi almost wished he hadn’t asked. Her head nestled into his solid chest, her breath uneven, and her body trembling slightly.

He pushed aside her damp hair, lifted her chin, and kissed her.

Moonlight quietly filtered through the sheer curtain, bathing the room in a soft glow. Yu Xi felt like she was immersed in gentle light. In the dimness, Shen Shu’s eyes shone brightly, filled with a smile. His kiss was light, but the low, heavy breaths landed on her neck, sending a chill through her, making her freeze.

Fortunately, he only tasted it lightly, like tasting a delicate dessert. The cream was soft and fragile and would be crushed if it was a little rough.

So, he only tasted it lightly.

“Go to sleep,” he said, patting her.

She wasn’t sure if he was serious, so she looked at him carefully.

Shen Shu smiled, a little helpless. He had always been rational, and to others, he was the epitome of calm and trustworthy.

When did his credibility with her become so low?

He had his arms around her waist, but after recalling what had just happened, he hesitated for a moment and then withdrew them.

Then came the long, quiet night.