Chapter 10

“Lu Yi, let’s talk.”

Out of the corner of Lin Jinshen’s eye, he noticed her exposed pale shoulders and added, “Put on a jacket.”

“?”

Lu Yi looked down. She was wearing a camisole-style nightgown, but it wasn’t revealing—no deep V-neck or thigh-high hemline. The strapless neckline nearly covered her collarbone, and the skirt reached her knees. There wasn’t much skin on display.

His remark made it sound like she was being indecent.

Put on a jacket?

It’s summer!

“Wait a moment,” Lu Yi replied through clenched teeth.

“I’ll wait for you in the study,” Lin Jinshen said, stepping out of the bedroom.

Lu Yi wasn’t about to actually put on a jacket. Instead, she changed into a T-shirt and shorts. Puff, her cat, seemed anxious and stayed close to her feet. She patted its little head and said, “Don’t worry, Mommy will fight for your place in this house.”

“Meow.”

A sound so sweet it could melt hearts.

When she arrived, Lin Jinshen was standing with his back to her. His shirt was tucked into his tailored pants, accentuating his long legs and giving him an imposing presence, like an immovable mountain.

As Lu Yi entered, Lin Jinshen turned to face her. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere felt as formal as a subordinate meeting their superior.

No wonder she kept calling him “Mr. Lin.” Under this pressure, anyone would instinctively address him that way.

“Sit down?” he asked.

“No need,” Lu Yi shook her head.

Lin Jinshen began, “I understand that from the time we met to getting married, it’s been less than a month. We don’t know much about each other, and our living habits are quite different.”

“Since we’ll be living together, it’s better to clarify things from the start.”

Lu Yi nodded. That made sense. Better to address issues upfront than let them fester into conflicts later.

“Do you want to go first, or should I?”

“You go first.”

Lin Jinshen laid out his preferences. His lifestyle was simple: he woke up at six every morning, went for a run, had breakfast, and was at the office by 7:30. He went to bed at 11:00 p.m. and expected seven hours of uninterrupted sleep.

He had mild OCD and preferred items to be organized and orderly, detesting clutter—even a misplaced pair of slippers was unacceptable.

He could not tolerate eating in bed or any other creature climbing onto it—specifically, Puff.

“Got it. I can try to follow these,” Lu Yi said after listening.

The 11 p.m. bedtime stood out. Neither she nor her peers went to bed that early, but since it was healthy, she could give it a shot. The rest were just small adjustments, and she already didn’t have a habit of eating in bed.

Lin Jinshen was half-sitting against the desk, his long legs bent, and even in this relaxed posture, he was still at eye level with her. He nodded. “Your turn.”

“I only have one request: I want Puff to stay,” Lu Yi said, meeting his gaze. “Puff’s mother was a stray cat who died not long after giving birth. I brought her home, so I’m responsible for her.”

Maybe because of her time as a stray, Puff was very dependent on her. If she abandoned her now, the cat would be heartbroken.

Lin Jinshen’s expression remained unreadable as he deliberated before finally compromising. “Alright, she can stay. But not in the bedroom. She’ll stay downstairs, and I’ll try to coexist peacefully with her.”

“Really?”

Lu Yi’s tone was filled with genuine surprise. For once, her smile wasn’t the polite one she usually wore. This time, it was heartfelt, her eyes curving with joy that reached her face. “Thank you.”

“I said I’d try. I can’t guarantee I’ll accept her in the future.”

“That’s fine. Spend more time with her, and you’ll see how well-behaved she is. She never meows or runs around—she’s the dream cat!”

Lin Jinshen made no comment on that.

“There’s one more thing,” he said slowly. “About what you mentioned before—the marriage being a mere arrangement. I can now give you a definitive answer. It’s not. From the beginning, I wanted a normal marital relationship.”

Lu Yi listened intently, holding her breath.

“So, we’ll do everything a normal couple would do.”

“Alright, I don’t have a problem with that.” After a moment of thought, she asked, “Can I ask, what’s the expected frequency?”

Since they were setting ground rules, it made sense to address expectations clearly to avoid future awkwardness.

“I’m not particularly passionate about such matters,” Lin Jinshen replied, lifting his lashes. “Three times a week is said to be the average for healthy adults.”

She didn’t know who said that, but a three-times-a-week frequency was acceptable to Lu Yi.

“Physical intimacy is one thing, but what about general interaction? How many hours a week do you think is reasonable for us to spend together?” he asked, his deep-set eyes giving him a focused, intense look.

“…”

Was he setting a KPI for their relationship? Would there be penalties if they failed to meet it?

After some consideration, Lu Yi tentatively suggested, “Instead of weekly hours, how about we set aside half a day each weekend to have a meal together?”

“Alright,” Lin Jinshen agreed without hesitation.

His quick agreement made Lu Yi regret suggesting it. Why not just once a month? That would’ve been better.

“Anything else?”

“To be decided later.”

“…”

The first “family meeting” was officially concluded.

Lu Yi thought to herself that even her work meetings weren’t this stressful.

Relieved that Puff could stay, she said, “That’s all, then. You can take a shower now. I’ll take Puff downstairs.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Lin Jinshen got up and brushed past her.

Lu Yi stayed behind, gathering Puff’s little bed and litter box. To reward her cat for braving its first night alone downstairs, she broke protocol and gave her a cat treat.

As she crouched down to play with Puff, she noticed the luggage Lin Jinshen had brought back and remembered something she forgot to clarify in the meeting.

Was he expecting them to start their “normal” marital duties tonight?

—

In the bathroom.

Lin Jinshen lathered his face and turned to the mirror to shave.

The steam from his earlier shower fogged up the mirror. On the sink, their belongings were neatly arranged: her colorful bottles and jars on one side and his monochromatic black-and-white essentials on the other. The division was clear and orderly.

It was evident that Lu Yi wasn’t someone who left things lying around. Her skincare products and towels were meticulously organized.

This recent business trip to Shanghai for the KS acquisition hadn’t gone smoothly. Other firms were vying for the deal, making the timeline unpredictable.

Jiang Xun had mentioned that Lu Yi had asked when he’d return home, with a tone that sounded genuinely concerned and eager for his return.

Eager?

He hadn’t noticed.

She seemed perfectly content with just herself and her cat.

It was almost as if he was the unnecessary addition.

When Lin Jinshen finished his shower and returned to the bedroom, it was empty. Lu Yi was still downstairs, sitting cross-legged with her arms wrapped around her knees, playing with Puff.

It was nearly 11 p.m.

“Lu Yi.”

His voice boomed from upstairs like a low-frequency speaker.

Startled, Lu Yi looked up, locking eyes with Lin Jinshen from the second floor. He’d just showered and was wearing long-sleeved pajamas—buttoned all the way up to his neck.

For a moment, it struck her as the exact style her father might wear, except her father wasn’t even this conservative about buttoning his collars.

She thought about how earlier, he had told her to wear a jacket. The memory struck her as amusingly out of place.

To her, he seemed more anxious about whether or not it would happen tonight than she was.

“I’m coming up,” Lu Yi said, standing after sitting too long and waiting. Her legs had gone numb, so she moved carefully. When she reached the bedroom, Lin Jinshen was already in bed. He had taken the left side, leaving the right side for her.

She lifted the blanket and got in.

Lin Jinshen checked the time: 10:50. He turned off the lights and lay down.

Lu Yi clutched the edge of the blanket and asked, “Are we doing it tonight?”

“…It’s late. Let’s get some rest,” he replied, his voice carrying an unusual pause.

Relieved, yet suspicious, Lu Yi couldn’t help but think this might be a stalling tactic. Maybe he was incapable, but wanted to appear otherwise—words were easy, but actions could be delayed.

What three times a week? More likely, he couldn’t even manage once.

This thought helped her relax.

Lu Yi wasn’t used to sharing a bed. The sudden presence of another person—a man she wasn’t familiar with—made her restless. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, while the man beside her, with his steady and light breathing, had clearly drifted off.

She glanced at her phone.

Eleven o’clock, sharp.

It was so precise it made her wonder if his body had an internal switch that toggled on and off at specific times.

The only benefit of her insomnia was that she slept heavily the next morning. She hadn’t even noticed when Lin Jinshen had gotten up. By the time she awoke, he was already gone. His side of the bed had been neatly smoothed out, making it seem as though he had never been there—as though last night had been nothing but a dream.

After washing up, Lu Yi went downstairs to feed Puff the cat.

When Puff saw her, it meowed incessantly, as if voicing grievances. She scratched under its chin. “Be good, okay? Mommy’s going to work to earn your food.”

Lu Yi spent the day scouting for a suitable venue, constantly out in the field.

This time, the requirements were high: the exhibition hall needed to fit within a limited budget, be the right size, and accommodate the logistics of transporting the exhibits.

In the afternoon, Yu Yin sent her a recommendation for a small, niche, artsy café and invited her to visit it together. After finalizing the venue, Lu Yi entered the address into her GPS and drove over.

Yu Yin had brought a heap of equipment: tripods, one camera suited for photography, and another for vlogging. She was gathering material for her usual social media updates, and Lu Yi acted as her temporary photographer. They took several photos to post on various platforms.

After leaving the café, they headed to a restaurant nearby for dinner.

The restaurant had an artsy ambiance as well, but while the presentation was appealing, the food wasn’t. Neither of them ate much.

Yu Yin didn’t bother recording the rest, shutting off her camera as they chatted normally. Inevitably, the topic veered toward Lu Yi’s married life.

Yu Yin already knew Lin Jinshen was back.

She also knew Puff was allowed to stay but only under the condition that it lived downstairs.

Her curiosity, however, was piqued. “So, you two didn’t do it on the first night?”

Having grown up together, Yu Yin had always been acutely aware of Lu Yi’s beauty. She’d been a school beauty all her life, undeniably so. Even as a woman, Yu Yin found herself drawn to her. Such a stunning beauty was now lying beside him, and yet he seemed unaffected.

Either he was hiding something, or he had…issues.

Yu Yin’s voice was loud enough to draw attention, making Lu Yi lower her head in embarrassment. “Could you keep it down?”

Yu Yin crossed her legs and leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Seriously, though—don’t you think something’s off?”

Lu Yi hesitated. There was something, but she rationalized it. “Well, last night was pretty late—eleven o’clock. That’s his bedtime. And he just got back from a business trip, so he must’ve been tired.”

Yu Yin raised her brows, her expression clearly showing she wasn’t buying it.

Lu Yi couldn’t argue further.

“Wanting to do it and being able to do it are two separate things,” Yu Yin said. “With someone as gorgeous as you, even if he were tired, he’d at least steal a kiss, wouldn’t he?”

“Mark my words,” Yu Yin concluded. “He’s hiding something, and it’s only a matter of time before he slips up.”

“…”

Lu Yi sipped her tea, trying to end the conversation. To her, adapting to sharing a bed with him was a bigger challenge. If her insomnia continued, she felt she might go insane.

They parted ways around nine. Aunt Fang sent a message saying she was heading home and had fed Puff before leaving work.

When Lu Yi arrived home, the house was dark. She turned on the lights and saw Puff waiting by the door. Lin Jinshen still wasn’t back.

She exhaled in relief, responding to Puff’s meows with a gentle “Good kitty.”

But just as she took off one shoe, she heard the sound of the fingerprint lock. Her hand froze mid-motion. She turned to see Lin Jinshen entering.

Their eyes met.

“Just got back?”

“Just got off work?”

They spoke simultaneously, then nodded simultaneously, making the moment even more awkward.

Lu Yi moved aside slightly to give him space, trying to appear calm as she continued changing shoes. The entryway was spacious, yet when Lin Jinshen walked past her, the air seemed to condense.

Their shoulders brushed.

Her heart, already tense, jumped.

Moments ago, Puff had been by her side, but as soon as Lin Jinshen appeared, the cat bolted back to its little nest like a mouse seeing a cat, leaving only its eyes visible as it cautiously observed him.

Their slippers were a matched set—one pink, one blue. She had no idea who had prepared them.

After changing his shoes, Lin Jinshen crouched down to align them neatly. His gaze shifted briefly to hers, and in less than a second, he straightened the thin strap on her high heels.

“…” She couldn’t help but think he had some mild obsessive tendencies.

Standing up, Lin Jinshen asked, “Have you eaten?”

“Yes. You?”

“I have.”

The good thing was the obligatory small talk was over. The bad thing? What else could they even say?

And how were they supposed to get through another night of sharing a bed?

Walking further in, Lin Jinshen removed his jacket, tugging at the Windsor knot of his tie. Midway, he seemed to think of something and turned back.

Lu Yi, lost in thought, nearly bumped into him.

His deep gaze settled on her face. “Are you showering first tonight, or am I?”