The next day, when Yu Xi woke up, she found it was already late, with the sun high in the sky. Shen Shu had already left.

She quickly sat up and dressed, rushing to wash up. In her hurry, she accidentally broke a cup.

When in a rush, mistakes are easy to make. She stepped on the broken porcelain pieces and cried out in pain.

“Don’t move,” Shen Shu appeared at the right moment.

Yu Xi, enduring the pain in her foot, obediently stood still.

The broken porcelain pieces were scattered all over the floor. If she moved carelessly, her foot might get pierced like a hedgehog.

Shen Shu immediately picked her up in a bridal carry and placed her on the bed outside. “Wait here. I’ll get the first-aid kit.”

She nodded, her eyes slightly red. She hurriedly wiped away the tears, feeling embarrassed to cry in front of him.

It was just a small injury, but she had a heightened sensitivity to pain. Even a slight injury could make her tear up like a leaky faucet.

When she was a child, Zhou Li would often call her “pretentious” whenever she cried at small things.

Luckily, Zhou Li lived with her mother, so she didn’t visit often. Although Zhou Hao would sometimes snatch her things, he is her brother after all and would not say anything too excessive.

Shen Shu opened the first-aid kit and carefully treated her wound, wrapping it with bandages. “I’m not very good at this. Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

He carefully disposed of the used cotton swab in the trash.

Yu Xi shook her head vigorously.

It was just a small injury, why go to the hospital?

That would be too pretentious.

Shen Shu seemed to read her thoughts. Without warning, he gave her a light tap on the head, leaving Yu Xi stunned.

Though the tap wasn’t hard, she wondered, Why did he hit me?

“If you get hurt, you should go to the hospital. You can’t take small injuries lightly. I have a friend who got stung by some bug, he thought it was just a mosquito bite, and didn’t think much of it. Later, it got infected and had to be surgically removed.” He casually told her, trying to scare her.

She looked at him, wide-eyed, as if he had frightened her.

He regretted it immediately, not liking how scared she looked.

But after thinking it over, he decided not to ruin the well-meaning lie. He took clothes from the wardrobe and helped her dress before picking her up and leaving.

It wasn’t that he was overreacting. Although he could handle basic first aid, he wasn’t a professional. The porcelain shards could vary in size, and he wasn’t sure if he had removed all of them properly. If any were left in her skin, it could lead to bigger problems.

They went to the nearby military hospital, where they saw a specialist. They walked through the VIP lane, where they only had to wait for a short while.

Yu Xi sat in the reception room, watching the crowd outside, wondering if this was considered “privilege.”

But then she thought, What privilege is this? She had to pay three times as much as others. She immediately felt a bit distressed, thinking it might have been better to just wait in line.

Only Shen Shu would spend this kind of money just to save time.

A VIP card like that, she wouldn’t even bother with. But for someone like Shen Shu, for whom time was more valuable than anything, it made sense.

A nurse brought her a cup of warm water and smiled at her. “Your husband is really handsome.”

Yu Xi’s face turned red from the direct compliment.

She couldn’t respond, so she just awkwardly smiled while holding the cup.

The nurse smiled again. “Are you here for a pregnancy check-up?”

Yu Xi froze, her face turned even redder as she quickly shook her head.

“It’s okay if you’re not pregnant yet. Nowadays, young people are focused on their careers. But you’re so beautiful, and your husband is so handsome. If you don’t have more children, it’s a waste. You’re contributing to the country!”

Yu Xi wished she could dig a hole and hide in it.

Fortunately, Shen Shu returned just then and nodded politely at the nurse. “Thank you for taking care of my wife.”

He led her out.

Yu Xi almost fled the reception room, holding his hand.

Shen Shu glanced at her in surprise, then saw her flushed cheeks. Realizing the nurses these days could be quite gossiping, he couldn’t help but smile and decided not to comment.

The doctor was an elderly gentleman, but his cheerful demeanor, rosy complexion, and sharp eyes made him look much younger than his years.

“Where does it hurt?” he asked, typing on his computer.

Shen Shu answered for Yu Xi, “She injured her foot.”

The doctor said, “Let me take a look.”

Shen Shu bent down and carefully removed her shoes, then her socks, and carefully unwrapped the bandages. His gentle handling made the doctor think it was a serious injury.

Once he had removed the last bandage and was holding her delicate foot, there was a brief pause from the doctor.

However, the doctor was a professional. He had seen it all before, and without missing a beat, he adjusted his glasses and asked, “What caused the injury?”

“Porcelain shards,” Shen Shu replied.

“When did this happen?”

“Today in the morning.”

The doctor asked a few more questions and examined the wound. “It’s just a surface wound, nothing serious. I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatory medication.”

“Please rebandage the wound. I’m worried it might get infected,” Shen Shu said.

His tone was firm, carrying the natural authority of someone in charge. The doctor instinctively followed his advice and nodded, “Alright.”

He cleaned the wound and applied the medication.

On the way back, Shen Shu carried Yu Xi.

It was the first time Yu Xi had been carried like this, and she felt a strange sensation in her heart, but a quiet joy grew from the bottom of her heart.

Shen Shu’s back was broad and firm. Leaning against it, she felt secure, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

If only his hand weren’t so awkwardly placed on her lower back.

Shen Shu reminded her, “Be more careful next time.”

She bumped her chin gently against his shoulder, signaling that she understood.

Shen Shu smiled. “Good girl.”

It was such a simple phrase, yet it made Yu Xi’s ears burn. She couldn’t help but playfully tap him.

After tapping him, she realized the action seemed a bit too playful, and her ears turned even hotter.

Her slender arms were still draped across his chest, and the playful gesture was even more evident.

She shyly lowered her head.

But where could she hide it? The only place she could bury her face was in the crook of his neck.

Her hair was soft, with strands of fine flyaways brushing against Shen Shu’s neck.

It felt a little ticklish to him, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Instead, a tender warmth spread through his heart.

Although the winter wind was cold as it blew against them, he was bundled up in a thick scarf, and she was wrapped tightly like a little rice dumpling. Nestled completely against his back, her small frame shielded from the biting wind by his tall figure, neither of them felt the chill.

On the contrary, the closeness between them gave rise to an inexplicable warmth.

Even through his coat, Shen Shu could feel the soft pressure against his back. Though he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by mentioning it, he endured the sensation in silence.

When they finally got into the car, Shen Shu removed his scarf and carefully took off her gloves. “The New Year is almost here. In a few days, I’ll go with you to visit your parents,” he said.

As he spoke, Shen Shu recalled how he had only visited her family once, back when they had first met for their blind date. Since then, his busy schedule had prevented him from making the time, and he realized now how impolite that was.

Yu Xi wasn’t sure at first if he meant visiting the Yu family or the Zhou family.

Noticing her confusion, Shen Shu clarified, “I see Uncle Yu quite often. I’m referring to your parents.”

So, it was the Zhou family.

Yu Xi suddenly thought of the dim, cramped old apartment less than forty square meters in size and felt a wave of embarrassment.

“Is it inconvenient?” Shen Shu asked.

She quickly shook her head. [I’m just afraid you won’t be comfortable. My family isn’t very presentable.]

He laughed at her concern, leaning slightly toward her as he gazed at her with amusement. “And just how presentable do you think I am in your eyes?”

Yu Xi was momentarily stunned by the question.

In the next moment, Shen Shu leaned closer, his sculpted lips curving into a faint, enticing smile.

He moved slowly, transmitting a growing warmth that seemed to scorch her. His actions gave her plenty of time to react, as though gauging her response.

But Yu Xi had no idea how to respond. Frozen in place, she made no move.

Taking advantage of her stillness, he tilted her chin and began to kiss her lightly, brushing along her lips before deepening the kiss. His tongue gently pried her lips apart and slipped past her teeth.

The kiss was sensual, slow yet passionate. His low, husky breathing lingered in her ears, leaving her body weak and powerless.

Their breathing intertwined, indistinguishable from one another. She couldn’t help but loop her arms around his neck, but he gently pressed her back against the seat.

Yu Xi blinked at him in confusion, but Shen Shu simply smiled and leaned closer again, as if playing a game of cat and mouse with her.

She couldn’t figure him out—was he the composed, serious Shen Shu, or the playful, teasing Shen Shu?

He was both captivating and dangerous. She wanted to escape yet found herself irresistibly drawn to him, as though she were addicted.

The sensation was overwhelming.

Their current posture was equally overwhelming. She tilted her head to look up at him, while he leaned down to meet her gaze. His long arms were braced on either side of her, and his eyes glimmered with a faint, gentle smile.

Yet amidst her dizziness, that smile seemed deep and enigmatic, leaving her breath unsteady.

She couldn’t figure him out.

Their eyes locked, exchanging glances in the charged air. As Shen Shu’s lips curled into a smile, he leaned closer again and said, “You still haven’t answered. How presentable do you think I am?”

Due to their proximity, her hand brushed against his cool trousers, the smooth texture sending her heartbeat racing.

Unnoticed, the zipper of her coat had already been undone. Beneath it, she wore a thin knit camisole layered over a slip dress, light and semi-sheer.

With a flick of his finger, he hooked the strap of her camisole, lifting her petite body partially into his arms.

“Am I presentable like this?” he asked.