Volume 1 Chapter 9: Temptation and Counter-Temptation  

Qin Ya carried over a fruit platter.  

Shi Jianchuan had already tidied up the dining room and kitchen.  

He stood by the sink washing dishes, his sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up, revealing his toned forearms.  

A blue apron was tied around his waist.  

His figure was so perfectly proportioned it was almost explosive.  

Qin Ya stood outside the kitchen, her eyes never leaving Shi Jianchuan.  

She watched him openly while popping strawberries into her mouth one after another.  

She really wanted to whistle, but unfortunately, she didn’t know how.  

“Had enough of looking?”  

Only then did Qin Ya hug the fruit platter and trot over. “We’re married—what’s wrong with looking?”  

She said it with absolute confidence.  

Shi Jianchuan frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Qin Ya casually fed him a strawberry.  

“I just washed them. Super sweet—try it.”  

Like she was presenting a treasure, her hand naturally reached toward Shi Jianchuan’s lips.  

Her fingers were just a hair’s breadth away from touching his mouth.  

Shi Jianchuan almost lost control, the urge to lean in overwhelming.  

For a fleeting moment, his gaze was dazed, lost.  

But he quickly snapped out of it, tilting his head slightly to avoid her hand.  

“Just leave it there. I’ll eat it later.”  

Qin Ya nearly laughed in frustration. Was she poisonous? Why was he dodging her like this?  

Hugging the fruit platter, she stomped away. But after a while, she came back. “Fine, don’t eat it. I don’t even have enough for myself.”  

Shi Jianchuan stood before Qin Ya, the light in his eyes darkening, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together.  

Ya-Ya was unbearably cute.  

He wanted to kiss her to death.  

After her bold declaration, Qin Ya sat on the couch and ate several more large strawberries.  

Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed, her gaze flickering toward Shi Jianchuan’s direction.  

When he finally emerged from the kitchen, she eagerly followed him.  

Still holding that fruit platter.  

“Even though you made me mad, I’m magnanimous enough to save some for you.”  

Okay, fine—she was just too full to eat any more.  

“Hubby, hold out your hand.”  

Qin Ya’s voice softened again, those two words like hooks—once heard, they made you want to offer up everything.  

Shi Jianchuan obediently extended his hand.  

Unlike Qin Ya, who had been pampered since childhood—her delicate skin bruising at the slightest touch, marks lingering for days—Shi Jianchuan’s hands bore obvious calluses, a thin layer covering them, with faint scars visible on his fingers.  

Qin Ya placed the remaining strawberries one by one into his palm.  

With the last one, her fingers seemed to accidentally brush against his hand.  

Smooth, cool, still damp with water droplets.  

For Shi Jianchuan right now, even the slightest contact was like drinking poison to quench thirst. His body tensed uncontrollably.  

Qin Ya noticed.  

Like a mischievous imp who’d succeeded in her prank, she flashed him a bright grin. “Eat up, then let’s go to bed early.”  

If Shi Jianchuan didn’t want to touch her, she’d make sure he had no choice.  

She would test his boundaries bit by bit until he fully accepted her.  

She was utterly obsessed with Shi Jianchuan—the more he concealed himself, the more she craved him.  

Shi Jianchuan’s gaze was heavy as he slowly ate the strawberries, one by one, right in front of her.  

His eyes never left her.  

Qin Ya felt slightly uneasy, as if she’d been targeted by some large predator, her back tingling with cold.  

Surely Shi Jianchuan wasn’t that petty—would he really get angry over something like this?

Or was he really so disgusted by her that he couldn’t even tolerate the slightest contact?

But from their interactions over the past few days, even if Shi Jianchuan didn’t like her, he didn’t seem to despise her that much.

Countless thoughts raced through Qin Ya’s mind.

“Let’s go, time to sleep upstairs.”

Shi Jianchuan turned his back to Qin Ya and headed up the stairs first.

Qin Ya’s eyes sparkled, her mind suddenly empty except for a few words.

Go! Upstairs! To! Sleep!

Even if she couldn’t do anything, just getting an eyeful would be satisfying. And if she could indulge her hands a little, that would be even better.

Qin Ya quickly followed, making a beeline for the master bedroom.

“Honey, do you want to shower first, or should I?”

Bathrobes—ah, she was ready!

Actually, she wanted to say that if they wanted to save water, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

But she was afraid that if she said it out loud, Shi Jianchuan would kick her out immediately, and she’d be the one left embarrassed.

Qin Ya hadn’t forgotten that she had used all sorts of underhanded tactics to force Shi Jianchuan before, which had led to their divorce. She couldn’t repeat the same mistakes this time.

Shi Jianchuan walked past her and entered—the small room next to the master bedroom.

He even closed the door right in front of her.

Qin Ya: ???

Hah, she was so angry she laughed.

What was she even expecting?

They were already on the verge of divorce—did she really think they could just sleep together like nothing had happened?

Once she realized this, Qin Ya deflated entirely.

Unwilling to give up, she knocked on the door. “Aren’t you sleeping in the master bedroom?”

Fortunately, Shi Jianchuan hadn’t gone so far as to lock the door—it opened with a light twist.

In that short time, Shi Jianchuan had already changed.

His bathrobe was wrapped tightly around him, making it obvious who he was guarding against.

Still, no matter how modest the bathrobe was, it couldn’t compare to a shirt and suit. A small patch of skin peeked out near his neck.

Qin Ya really felt like a pervert, finding even his collarbone attractive.

Shi Jianchuan opened the door but made no move to invite her in. “Is there something else?”

Qin Ya smiled sweetly, her eyes curving. “Honey, since we’re not getting divorced anymore, why are we sleeping in separate rooms?”

Shi Jianchuan replied, “You have amnesia. The things you say now aren’t very credible.”

Qin Ya widened her doe eyes. “How could that be? I’m perfectly clear-headed right now. I might have amnesia, but I’m not stupid. I still feel like I really like you.”

Just not as obsessively as before her amnesia.

One thing Qin Ya still couldn’t figure out was why she had wanted to divorce Shi Jianchuan before. Had she suddenly grown a conscience and decided to let the poor man go?

Shi Jianchuan’s pupils trembled slightly, his fingers tightening around the doorknob.

Avoiding her gaze, he calmly analyzed, “Before your amnesia, we were already heading for divorce. Once you remember…”

His heart clenched painfully, the words stuck in his throat.

Qin Ya frowned. “I’m still me—I just don’t have my memories. It’s not like I’ll turn into a different person once I remember, right?”

Shi Jianchuan said, “Maybe.”

Qin Ya was puzzled. “I liked you before, and I still like you now. How could that change?”

Shi Jianchuan pressed his lips together and didn’t respond.

“Men—honestly, there’s just no reasoning with you.”

Qin Ya was getting impatient. She squeezed her way in front of Shi Jianchuan, her shining eyes locking onto his. “I’ll prove it with my actions.”

Qin Ya spoke very earnestly.

“Shi Jianchuan, good night, sweet dreams.”

Qin Ya waved at Shi Jianchuan, her smiling eyes bright and beautiful.