Ning Qiuxiu’s eyes widened, and for a moment, she forgot to resist.

Her lips were nibbled and rubbed by his, and the slight dryness of their skin made the sensation even more pronounced.

A strange feeling spread from her lips, stimulating her brain, making her want to close her eyes and indulge.

It wasn’t until he wasn’t satisfied with just a light taste, and his wet tongue tentatively pried open her lips, that Ning Qiuxiu was jolted awake by the warm breath.

As he prepared to advance further, her mind finally cleared.

Instinctively, Ning Qiuxiu bit his lip. He winced and let her go.

Immediately, Ning Qiuxiu jumped off him.

What just happened!

Zhan Qingyue covered his eyes with one hand, his face slightly red, panting lightly. His lip was bitten and bleeding.

“You, you, you, you rest well,” Ning Qiuxiu stammered, pulling the blanket over him, covering even his face.

Even after she returned to her room, Ning Qiuxiu’s heart was still pounding, her limbs weak, and her face burning red.

It was so thrilling!

Though it wasn’t the first time—she had initiated a kiss before—but the feeling was completely different.

Last time, she treated it like a scene in a drama, thinking he was handsome, so she boldly kissed him.

This time, being the one kissed, the feeling was… how to say… very subtle.

It even made her want to continue.

Zhan Qingyue waited until she closed the door before uncovering himself.

Ning Qiuxiu had not only thoughtfully covered him but also turned off the lights, a full-service experience.

In the dark, Zhan Qingyue touched the spot where he was bitten and winced in pain.

He chuckled helplessly.

This little wildcat runs pretty fast.

The next day, Ning Qiuxiu was still thinking about that passionate kiss, wondering how Zhan Qingyue would explain it.

But he acted as if nothing had happened all morning, which made Ning Qiuxiu itch with frustration.

“…” This jerk completely forgot what he did yesterday!

She prided herself on her self-control, not being swayed by his looks.

In other situations, another woman might have taken him to bed, gotten pregnant, and then showed up with a child, creating quite a dramatic scenario.

In the morning, Zhan Qingyue went for his rehabilitation exercises.

Ning Qiuxiu stayed home reading scripts. The Zhan family’s house had a good location with plenty of sunlight.

Sitting on the tatami by the floor-to-ceiling windows, basking in the winter sun while reading scripts and memorizing lines, was pure bliss.

She had read the novel “School Bully” three times.

Unlike the typical domineering CEO falling for a beautiful girl story, this was a strong female lead story.

The heroine was both strong and beautiful, while the hero was more passive, occasionally acting like a “domineering CEO.”

This kind of unconventional story was quite refreshing.

Even though the script had been significantly altered, it remained exciting and true to the original.

Ning Qiuxiu felt that, whether as a reader or an actress, this drama would be very engaging.

She was just worried about acting with Song Chu.

Calling him “Son” every day might make her develop a maternal affection for him.

As a professional, Ning Qiuxiu took her script seriously, analyzing her character’s thoughts and actions.

Occasionally, she had good ideas and would jot them down.

While engrossed, she heard an engine outside.

Her room faced the front gate, so she could easily see any commotion.

Stretching her neck, she saw a white SUV drive into the yard.

That wasn’t their car, so there were guests.

When the car stopped and the doors opened, Ning Qiuxiu was surprised to see Lin Xitian and her mother, Zhan Qingyue’s aunt, Zhan Yuexi.

Ning Qiuxiu found it interesting that the Zhan family names were so elegant.

Zhan Qingyue’s father was Zhan Tangxi, and his aunt was Zhan Yuexi.

The names were a bit tongue-twisting but very poetic.

She had met Zhan Yuexi when Zhan Qingyue woke up.

Unlike the naive Lin Xitian, Zhan Yuexi had the demeanor of a true lady, elegant, dignified, and kind, making Ning Qiuxiu feel a bit self-conscious.

They were probably visiting Zhan’s grandfather.

As Ning Qiuxiu was about to look away, she saw Zhan Qingyuan get out of the front seat.

Oh, so they were bringing him back.

Ning Qiuxiu remembered the call from the other day.

Was Zhan Qingyuan hiding out at his aunt’s house lately?

She became interested.

Previously, Zhan Qingyuan had acted on impulse for love, leaving Zhuosen to Zhan Qingyue and running away.

Although Zhan Qingyue didn’t say much, it was clear he was upset.

He even withdrew his investment from Ji Weiliang, taking very firm actions.

Now, with the brothers meeting again, they might even fight.

It was quite possible.

Thinking about this, Ning Qiuxiu’s quickly got up from the tatami mat.

She needed to go downstairs—if a fight did break out, she could try to mediate.

Zhan Qingyue was still recovering and was as fragile as a paper doll.

Even a slight push from her could hurt him, let alone a man of Zhan Qingyuan’s size.

The Zhan family had no one but women and the elderly who couldn’t handle such a situation.

No, she really wasn’t being nosy!

Ning Qiuxiu put on a show of being busy, pasted a “strong” sticker on herself, and took a cup to pretend she was going downstairs to get water.

When she reached the bottom, Zhan Qingyuan and others were just coming through the front door.

Lin Xitian saw her and cheerfully said, “Sister-in-law, you’re not filming today?”

— To outsiders, entertainers were either singers or actors; they often referred to acting as “performing.”

“No, with the New Year approaching, the schedule is lighter,” Ning Qiuxiu smiled and added a polite nod to Zhan Yuexi, “Aunt.”

“Hmm.” Zhan Yuexi returned the smile politely.

Just then, Old Master Zhan came back with Miaomiao.

Miaomiao, being lively and cute, was favored by Old Master Zhan, who had elevated Miaomiao from a pet to a buddy.

The dog followed Old Master Zhan everywhere, living a pampered life.

When Miaomiao saw strangers, it sniffed around without fear.

“Take it away,” Old Master Zhan instructed the butler.

The butler, sensing the mood, quickly led Miaomiao away.

Zhan Yuexi and Lin Xitian greeted Old Master Zhan.

Zhan Qingyuan, who had been silent, dryly called out, “Grandfather.”

Zhan Qingyuan had lost weight and looked quite haggard, suggesting his pursuit of dreams hadn’t been easy.

“Hmm, it’s good you’re back,” Old Master Zhan approached with a neutral expression. “Don’t just stand there; come and sit.”

With guests present, Ning Qiuxiu helped serve tea and heard Old Master Zhan say, “Have the people been brought back?”

“……” Zhan Qingyuan remained silent.

“To abandon the family business for a woman,” Old Master Zhan, despite his restraint over the phone, couldn’t hold back his anger. “If your elder brother hadn’t woken up, were you planning to leave me, an old man on the brink of the grave?”

“……” Zhan Qingyuan knew he was at fault and remained silent.

Seeing this, Zhan Yuexi quickly stepped in, saying, “Dad, I’ve already said what needed to be said. He’s back now, realizing his mistake. Please, let’s not say more.”

Old Master Zhan obviously wanted to continue his lecture but stopped himself.

The atmosphere became quiet.

Unable to stand the silence, Lin Xitian asked Ning Qiuxiu, “Where’s my big cousin? Isn’t he home?”

“He’s out for a walk and rehabilitation,” Ning Qiuxiu explained.

Zhan Qingyue was still in recovery, and his daily routine included rehabilitation exercises.

Although he was going out for a walk, it was really a practice in climbing stairs, which was still a significant challenge for him.

“How’s his leg? Is the recovery going well?” Zhan Yuexi asked.

Ning Qiuxiu replied, “The doctor is optimistic. In a couple of months, he should be able to move around normally like us.”

Zhan Yuexi nodded and looked at Ning Qiuxiu with a smile, saying, “Qiuxiu, even though it might sound distant, thank you for taking care of Qingyue all this time.”

Despite the Zhan family being a wealthy and prestigious family, with many women eager to marry into it, the men of the Zhan family didn’t have much luck with relationships.

Zhan’s grandfather lost his wife early, Zhan’s mother abandoned her husband and children to run off with her so-called true love, and now Zhan Qingyuan was also troubled by a woman…

Zhan Yuexi had heard from Lin Xitian about Ning Qiuqiu’s past and was always a bit wary of her, thinking that her intentions in marrying Zhan Qingyue were not pure.

However, even if her intentions were questionable, Ning Qiuxiu’s care for Zhan Qingyue was undeniable.

And Zhan Qingyue, who was usually very discerning, had accepted her, indicating that Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t as bad as Zhan Yuexi had thought.

Zhan Yuexi just hoped Ning Qiuxiu would be well-behaved.

Any more trouble would be too cruel for their family.

Ning Qiuxiu could probably guess what Zhan Yuexi was thinking and said, “Qingyue is very easy to take care of; it’s not hard at all.”

Zhan Qingyuan: “…”

Why did he feel like he was being insulted?

“Such a lively gathering,” at this moment, Zhan Qingyue returned and said upon seeing so many people in the living room.

“Cousin!” Lin Xitian happily went up to him, holding his arm. “Wow, you can really walk now! After sitting for so long, how does it feel to suddenly be able to walk?”

Zhan Qingyue said, “Like wearing Tebu shoes.”

Tebu, an extraordinary feeling?

Lin Xitian: “…”

That analogy was unbeatable.

However, her attention was soon drawn to the wound on Zhan Qingyue’s upper lip. “Cousin, what happened to your lip? Did something bite you? It’s quite a big wound.”

Zhan Qingyue’s gaze lightly swept over the people in the living room, especially lingering on Ning Qiuxiu for a moment.

Hearing Lin Xitian’s question, he replied, “Yes, I was bitten by a mosquito last night.”

Ning Qiuxiu: “???”

Nonsense, you’re the mosquito.

“How big must that mosquito be?” Lin Xitian’s eyes widened, momentarily forgetting it was winter and there were no mosquitoes.

Zhan Qingyue chuckled softly, “Yes, very big. It even gave me sleep paralysis.”

Ning Qiuxiu: “…