Yin Tianyu’s head spun; everything before her became hazy. She stumbled and, unable to discern the direction, knocked over a glass bowl containing colorful beads on a dresser.

The beads rolled everywhere, and the glass bowl shattered into pieces.

She stared blankly at the disaster at her feet for a long while before regaining her senses, putting down her shirt, and picking up the scattered beads one by one.

A sharp piece of glass embedded itself painfully into her moving toe, causing her to cry out softly as she stared in a daze at the blood seeping out, staining the collar of her shirt, ironically merging with the lip print.

Li Xiangsi’s lip print, stained with her blood—when Bai Chen saw it, whose mark would it appear to be?

Oh God! What was she thinking?

The absurd thought in her mind made her want to laugh, but the sharp pain in her toe made her want to cry.

No, she couldn’t cry.

She took a deep breath, forcing back the tears that threatened to escape.

“Tianyu, what’s wrong?”

A hurried voice suddenly called out from behind her, and she froze in place. After two seconds, she forced a smile and turned around.

“It’s nothing; I accidentally knocked over the glass bowl.”

“Are you okay?” Lu Bai Chen frowned, casually tying his bathrobe, then walked over with large strides. Upon seeing the messy glass shards and the blood-stained shirt on the floor, his breath hitched.

“You’re bleeding?” He immediately scooped her up and placed her on the bed, away from danger. “Where are you hurt?” He examined her from head to toe and finally noticed the sizable wound on her delicate big toe.

“Lie down.” He pushed her back down, resting her jade-like leg on his knee, then grabbed a tissue and pressed it against the wound. Seeing that the blood wouldn’t stop for a moment, he simply took her foot and shoved the big toe into his mouth.

“Bai Chen! What are you doing?” She struggled in shock.

“Don’t move.” He firmly locked her delicate foot with both hands.

“But…” She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “My foot is dirty.” Her protest was tiny and weak.

He ignored her, continuing to suck on her injured toe, and each time he did, it felt like a gentle whip striking at her heart.

No…

Yin Tianyu pressed her right fist against her lips, desperately resisting the sob that threatened to spill out.

Don’t be so good to her; she couldn’t handle it.

Tears began to spread wildly in her eyes, and she helplessly lowered her gaze.

“Does it hurt?” He had stopped sucking at some point and leaned beside her, his fingers teasingly brushing against her damp eyelashes. “Crying over such a small wound, are you a bit too delicate?”

She wasn’t crying because of the pain, nor did she care about the slight hurt; she was… she was touched and heartbroken! Touched by his concern, and heartbroken that he was so concerned.

But he would never understand.

She reluctantly pulled up the corners of her lips and raised her eyes.

What met her gaze were two deep, bright eyes, sparkling with teasing starlight, yet hiding complex thoughts she couldn’t comprehend.

“The bleeding has stopped; I’ve put on a Band-Aid.”

“Mm.”

“Though the wound is a bit large, it’s not deep. It should heal in a couple of days.”

“Mm.”

“If you’re afraid of pain, just walk less these two days and obediently stay in bed.”

“I’m not afraid of pain.” She caught the humor in his words and shot him a defiant glare.

That expression seemed displeased but more like a spoiled child; Lu Bai Chen couldn’t help but smile, but it was only for an instant before his smile quickly faded.

She stared in surprise at his furrowing brows.

“I listened to your broadcast today,” he suddenly interjected.

She was taken aback.

“So you fell in love with me on your mother’s birthday. I always thought—!”

“Thought what?”

He didn’t answer, only gazed deeply at her, his eyes slowly dimming. “I’m not as good as you say.”

“What?”

He lowered his eyes, seemingly avoiding her gaze, and after a long pause, looked up with a self-deprecating smile. “In your broadcast, you praised your husband to the heavens; aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you for tooting your own horn?”

“I was speaking the truth.”

Lu Bai Chen held his breath, and after a while, let out a bitter laugh.

What should have been the lightest whisper felt like a thunderclap in spring, startling him profoundly.

The expression on her face made it seem as if he were the gentlest man in the world, the most considerate husband, but in reality, he wasn’t.

He was just a jerk who would use her as a stepping stone to pursue fame and fortune. If she weren’t the daughter of the Yin family, he wouldn’t…

“Daphne.” Whenever his heart was most shaken, he would always call her that. “Listen to me.”

She suddenly tensed.

What did he want to say? Did he really want to propose a divorce? Was he disregarding his political future? Was Li Xiangsi really that charming?

Yin Tianyu straightened her upper body, gripping Lu Bai Chen’s arms tightly, as if afraid that if she loosened her grip, he would abandon her.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

“Bai Chen, I…” She couldn’t let him say it, couldn’t give him the chance to confess his affair. “How about we go on a trip?”

“A trip?” He was taken aback.

“Yeah, let’s travel!” She nodded eagerly. “You promised me last year; you said you would take me to Italy, but it never happened. We have to go this time.”

He frowned, hesitating. “But it’s the session of the Legislative Yuan; I have to attend meetings every week. Isn’t it inappropriate to go abroad—”

“I want to go right now!” She interrupted him desperately, never having insisted on something so stubbornly before. “Just take a leave of absence, Bai Chen, just ten days, or even a week. Let’s go to Italy, okay? I really want to go to Italy.”

She wanted to leave Taiwan, wanted to take him far away from here. If she could separate him from Li Xiangsi, perhaps he would realize that he didn’t truly love that woman, that it was just a fleeting infatuation.

Then, maybe she would still have a chance to keep him—

“Please, let’s go on a trip, okay?”

She pleaded with him, lost in her own thoughts, adrift in the depths of his enigmatic eyes.