After hearing that, Yu Xi’s face turned as red as if it could bleed.

Seeing her standing there in a daze, Shen Shu couldn’t help laughing and threw his shirt into the clothes basket beside him.

When Yu Xi saw he was unbuckling his belt, she hurriedly grabbed his hand and shook her head pleadingly.

Shen Shu stopped teasing her. “Alright, you go first, and I’ll wash after you’re done.”

Yu Xi gratefully nodded and was about to enter.

But then, her arm was caught. He raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with you?”

Yu Xi didn’t understand and stared blankly at him.

Shen Shu’s smile deepened, but his face remained serious. “I made such a big sacrifice, and you’re just going to walk away without even saying thank you? That’s not right.”

Yu Xi stared at him in disbelief, her mouth opening in an “O” shape.

How could someone say such shameless things so naturally, without even a hint of embarrassment?

These financial moguls must rely on their thick skin to succeed, right?

Shen Shu slightly turned his face and lowered his head.

Yu Xi understood now. After a brief hesitation, she stopped being shy and tiptoed to peck him on the cheek.

But her steps faltered, and she fell into his arms.

Shen Shu instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, staring at her for a while before suddenly asking, “Was that intentional?”

Yu Xi quickly shook her head: No, it wasn’t on purpose!

Her face turned as red as a tomato.

Shen Shu finally let her go, and the next second, she rushed into the bathroom, not forgetting to close the door behind her.

Clearly, she was frightened.

Shen Shu, realizing he had been a little too much, laughed and shook his head, then grabbed a new shirt from the wardrobe.

Yu Xi kept washing and using some essential oil, taking a long time to finish.

When she walked outside, she suddenly remembered something Shen Shu had said. She quickly ran back to the bathroom.

“Slow down, don’t fall,” Shen Shu called after her with a helpless tone.

Yu Xi came out again holding a hairdryer.

Shen Shu paused for a moment, remembering that he had told her to dry her hair after every shower.

Yu Xi looked at him, holding the hairdryer tightly in her hands, her expression slightly anxious as though she was trying to make up for forgetting to dry her hair earlier.

Shen Shu chuckled and stood up to walk over to her. “Let me dry it for you.”

She shook her head and pointed to the bathroom.

Shen Shu asked, “Should I shower first?”

She nodded.

Shen Shu patted her head, not knowing why, but he just wanted to touch it. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

Yu Xi protested, telling him not to treat her like a child, but after imagining herself writing on a note, red-faced and arguing with him, while he sat there calmly watching her, sweat dripping as she wrote… Forget it, forget it.

Why make yourself uncomfortable?

Normally, no one could win an argument with him, let alone her, who couldn’t even speak and could only write.

Shen Shu took a quick shower, almost as efficiently as he worked.

When he was done, he came out, tilting his head as he wiped his hair. His broad shoulders, slim waist, and smooth muscles were all in perfect proportion—not exaggerated, just right.

Yu Xi was still not used to it, so she quickly turned her head away, unable to stare at him.

Shen Shu tied his sleepwear and walked over to pull her into his arms.

He reached out to gather her hair.

Yu Xi struggled slightly and typed on her phone: [Enough!]

She looked a little defiant, her expression showing some resistance.

Shen Shu smiled. “You’re getting bolder, daring to challenge me now?”

His large hand firmly grasped her waist, his fingers digging into the softest parts of her body. Held like this, Yu Xi felt weak and nearly collapsed into his arms.

He lightly pinched her ear, the delicate spot turning red with the slightest touch, like a drunken blush that was both adorable and seductive.

Yu Xi couldn’t bear to look at his expression. All she could feel was his hot breath coming in waves against her ear, making her dizzy.

As she turned her head to escape, his fingers tightened on her ear, pulling and tugging, making it even redder.

Shen Shu released her ear, then blew gently on it. “Did I hurt you?”

Yu Xi heard his soft laugh, and she realized he wasn’t blowing on her ear to help; he was teasing her.

This rogue disguised as a gentleman!

Yet, her body had no resistance to him, no matter how much she tried to put on a front.

Shen Shu’s extraordinary presence, his tall and handsome figure, made her heart race even when he simply leaned in to whisper quietly to her.

She could only imagine how she would react to something more.

Thinking about it, her face turned even redder, as though she were being blown on by a hot air blower.

His palm, pressing against her lower back through the sleepwear, radiated warmth, making her whole body heat up. What made it worse was the way he looked at her. She couldn’t bear to meet his gaze, so she averted her eyes.

Shen Shu gently pinched her chin and turned her face back to him. “Are you hiding from me again?”

Yu Xi shook her head, denying it.

He knew. He clearly knew that she wasn’t hiding; she was just embarrassed.

There was no way he didn’t understand that.

But he still said it this way, deliberately teasing her, taking advantage of the fact that she couldn’t speak.

Yu Xi’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Shen Shu didn’t expect that a little teasing would bring her to tears. This girl seemed to be made of water.

A little embarrassed, he coughed lightly, then grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears away. “I didn’t say anything. Why are you crying?”

Yu Xi was tightly held in his arms. After a moment of comforting, her eyelashes fluttered, still seeming slightly upset.

Shen Shu didn’t mind. He squeezed her chin and kissed her.

His breath overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, and at the same time, he pushed her backward. With that gentle push, her knees went weak, and she fell into the sofa.

Shen Shu followed, positioning his long legs between hers, with one knee bent and pressed into the sofa.

He remained in that position, leaning toward her.

Yu Xi felt trapped between the sofa and him, unable to move, awkward and helpless.

Her hands pressed against the sofa behind her, and the cushion sank deeper, pulling her down with it.

She began to regret—why was this sofa so soft?

Shen Shu didn’t give her a chance to dwell on her thoughts. This time, there were no lengthy teases or foreplay; it was an overwhelming, storm-like kiss.

Their lips collided, sometimes so intensely it hurt, but she could only whimper softly in resistance.

Shen Shu noticed her reluctance and pulled back slightly. His long fingers slipped into her hair, pulling her face back to him. “I know my limits. Yu Xi, don’t be afraid. Don’t you like it?”

Her face flushed, and she couldn’t say she didn’t like it, but she didn’t want to nod either.

It was pride that held her back.

Shen Shu smiled, as if seeing through her thoughts. “Really don’t like it?”

He wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger, tugging it slowly, tightening it just enough that her scalp tingled, as if a small hammer was beating on her heart.

The sensations echoed, leaving her shaken.

If this were a battle, she would have already dropped her armor, defeated and softened by him.

Every time she tried to pull away, he would force her face back, kissing her hard, making her breathless, her eyes filled with tears, her body aching as if ants were gnawing at her.

A teacup fell to the floor, and the water splashed, dripping down the edge of the table.

The deep red carpet soaked up the spill, spreading like fire igniting in the damp heart.

Yu Xi’s vision blurred with tears, and she turned her head to look out the window. The night was deep. The tree shadows outside the window swayed, their shapes twisted and crossed, casting scattered patterns on the iron railing, merging with the night.

The room was dim, and only then did she realize that he had turned off the lights.

Actually, she liked his eyes—deep, dark, like a quiet well. When he leaned close to her, those eyes would gaze down at her as if seeing into her soul. When he pressed her firmly into the sofa, their fingers intertwined, the pressure between their knuckles so strong it hurt.

She winced from the pain, but it wasn’t just pain. With his enthusiasm rising, she could only bite her lip and endure, turning her head to the side. Her vision was filled with the deep brown sofa, sinking down as her gaze followed.

Late in the night, it started snowing again.

Yu Xi was awoken by the sound of snowflakes hitting the window.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked outside.

The sky was dark, and it was probably already past midnight. The moon was hidden behind clouds, and the stars were lost in the inky blackness.

The room was unlit, and only the faint glow of street lamps filtered through the window.

But that light was also dimmed by the fog.

Yu Xi suddenly felt a bit cold. She turned to look at Shen Shu, who was still asleep.

Because of their intense actions, the brown-red blanket was half on the floor, the other half bunched up under him, wrinkled and disheveled.

After hesitating, she decided not to disturb him. She quietly got out of bed, grabbed an extra blanket from the cupboard, and covered herself, sighing in relief.

In his sleep, Shen Shu wrapped his arms around her. Yu Xi stiffened, but he only held her, not doing anything else.

Her tense heart relaxed.

She was so tired. Her arms were sore, swollen, and a little painful. Maybe it had been too much, and now it was uncomfortable, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.

Thinking this, she glanced back at Shen Shu.

He was lying on his stomach, facing her with one arm under his head. His nose was high, his eyebrows long and elegant, naturally carrying an air of cold nobility, especially when his eyes were closed.

His appearance was flawless. Whether he was angry with a stern face or smiling faintly, he always caught people’s attention. His face had a magnetic quality that naturally gained people’s affection and trust.

What they say about “royal bloodlines and extraordinary bearing” probably described him.

Yu Xi could understand why Yu Chen liked him. A person like him was hard not to like.

She leaned closer, trying to count his eyelashes, wondering why they looked so thick. But just as she was getting closer, Shen Shu suddenly opened his eyes.

Caught in the act, she froze, staring at him.

At first, Shen Shu’s gaze was sharp, naturally wary of anyone approaching him. When he saw it was her, his expression softened.

Seeing the startled look on her face, he smiled teasingly. “Were you spying on me?”

Yu Xi had planned to shake her head, but feeling guilty, she couldn’t.

Shen Shu patted the empty space beside him. “Come here.”

Yu Xi hesitated before moving closer.

Shen Shu pulled her into his arms, lifting the blanket to cover both of them.

Pressed close, she could hear his strong heartbeat. Maybe it was because of him, but her heart was racing too, uncontrollably.

“It’s not dawn yet. Why are you awake so early? Go back to sleep, sleep with me for a while.”

She became embarrassed again at his words, “Sleep with me for a while,” but seeing the playful look on his face and the way he was teasing her, she felt a little irritated. She decided not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered.

However, after only a few seconds of holding out, when he kept staring at her, her face uncontrollably turned red.

Shen Shu laughed loudly, shaking his shoulders as he did.

Yu Xi felt defeated and a bit annoyed. Why did he always have to tease her like this?