He clearly hadn’t expected to run into her and slowly came to a stop, his brows immediately knitting together in a frown.  

The corridor was dimly lit, with only a few small overhead lights illuminating the space. The woman in plain white pajamas had appeared so suddenly, her entire body still carrying the moisture from her recent bath.  

Damp, dark hair cascaded down her cheeks, framing her fair, delicate features. Perhaps she had come out in too much of a hurry—her collar hung loosely over her shoulders, revealing her slender neck and the graceful lines of her collarbones.  

Un-dried droplets of water trailed down her sharp chin, slipping into the soft, undulating valley below, vanishing without a trace.  

With her striking beauty and alluring figure, it was likely no man could resist such a captivating woman. Unfortunately, her mind was twisted, her methods underhanded, and her words full of lies—a stark contrast between her outward appearance and her inner self.  

No matter how beautiful she was, it was useless.  

Qin Yue averted his gaze and walked past her without a glance, entering his own room.  

Seeing his reaction, Song Shixi felt the heavy stone in her heart finally settle. Being treated as invisible was far better than being watched at all times.  

The two parted ways in opposite directions.  

The night passed without dreams. Though the next day was Monday, her schedule had no morning classes, so Song Shixi slept in a little longer before getting up to wash up. The entire third floor was eerily silent—she couldn’t tell if Qin Yue had already woken up or if he was still asleep.  

Before the original host had arrived, this floor had been Qin Yue’s semi-private domain, and no one would casually come up. If not for the original host’s argument with Qin Zhiyi, coupled with the fact that Qin Yue had spent most of his recent years in Shenshi, only returning once or twice a year, Mother Qin wouldn’t have made an exception to let her move up from the second floor.  

Living alone on the same floor as Qin Yue—whether that was a good or bad thing remained to be seen.  

The good part was that they had already reached an agreement. Living on the third floor was quiet and comfortable. As long as she stayed in her room and kept to herself before moving out, no one would disturb her, sparing her from dealing with too many social interactions.  

The bad part? Her “neighbor” was Qin Yue.  

As Song Shixi brushed her teeth, her mind wandered. Halfway through, she noticed that the area where Qin Yue’s toiletries had been placed had been completely reorganized—the old items were all gone, replaced with a brand-new set.  

And the key point was, these items had been moved even farther away from where she kept her own toiletries.  

The two sets were distinctly separated, with the faucet acting as a clear boundary between them—an unmistakable gesture of keeping distance.  

Though, if she were being honest, “disdain” might be the more accurate word.  

“……”  

Song Shixi raised an eyebrow, recalling the book’s mention of Qin Yue’s mysophobia. She couldn’t help but purse her lips before moving her own toiletries further in the opposite direction.  

As if she wanted to be placed next to him in the first place?  

Gritting her teeth, Song Shixi shot a glare in the direction of Qin Yue’s bedroom as she left the bathroom before returning to her own room. After a quick freshening up, she headed downstairs.  

Just as she reached the staircase, cheerful laughter drifted over from the dining room. Song Shixi took a deep breath, steeling herself before slowly following the sound.  

The moment she appeared, the atmosphere instantly turned awkward and silent. Qin Zhiyi and Mother Qin, Zheng Huilan, who had been laughing moments ago, gradually cooled their expressions. Qin Yue merely glanced up at her before returning to his breakfast.  

Only Father Qin, Qin Boyuan, greeted her warmly. “Shixi, you’re up? Come, have a seat.”  

“Good morning, Uncle.”  

Song Shixi could naturally tell that no one at the table besides Father Qin genuinely welcomed her. Though she felt somewhat awkward inside, she maintained a calm expression, pretending not to notice as she walked to her seat.  

Just as she was about to sit down, the housekeeper, Aunt Yang, came over with a bowl of soup. To avoid bumping into her, Song Shixi took a light step back—her calf brushed against a man’s leg, the finely tailored fabric of his suit pants grazing her skin, leaving a faint itch.  

“Sorry,” she instinctively apologized, turning to glance at him.  

Today, Qin Yue wore a black dress shirt and suit pants, accentuating his icy demeanor. His expression, now darkened, was especially chilling.  

His hands resting on the table were broad and well-defined, veins faintly protruding—beautiful, yes, but Song Shixi had no doubt that if there weren’t so many people at the table, those hands would have found their way around her neck.  

At that thought, she swallowed hard.  

“Why so careless? What if someone got burned?”  

Just then, Zheng Huilan, seated across from them, frowned and scolded sharply.  

Aunt Yang, realizing she had been too hasty, quickly apologized.  

“Be more careful next time.”  

Since no one had actually been hurt, and Zheng Huilan wasn’t the type to bully others, she waved Aunt Yang back to the kitchen. Then, her lips curled into a faint smile as she looked at Song Shixi. “Shixi, why aren’t you sitting down yet?”  

Meeting Zheng Huilan’s eyes—devoid of any warmth—Song Shixi felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn’t help replaying the woman’s earlier words in her mind.  

Rather than being directed at Aunt Yang, they seemed more like a veiled warning for her.  

Innuendo, indirect accusations—if the original host had been here, she might not have even understood, instead joining Zheng Huilan in scolding Aunt Yang and making a fool of herself.  

Song Shixi smiled wryly, feeling caught between two fronts, the pressure immense.

This time, she deliberately circled around the chair and sat down from the other side. Just then, Zheng Huilan suddenly stood up as if she had noticed something, exclaiming, “Ayue, what happened to your hand?”  

Qin Yue had only been using his right hand earlier, but now, as he reached for a spoon to scoop some soup, both hands were exposed.  

At her words, everyone immediately turned to look at Qin Yue—Song Shixi was no exception. Sitting right beside him, she had a clear view: there was a deep bite mark on the webbing between his thumb and index finger. The wound was severe, and now that it had started scabbing, it looked especially gruesome and conspicuous.  

How much must that hurt?  

Song Shixi couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.  

In the heat of the moment yesterday, she hadn’t been able to control the force of her bite. But when the doctor treated his wound, she had watched the whole process—it hadn’t seemed nearly as bad as it looked now.  

The more she thought about it, the guiltier she felt. This was the first time she had ever hurt someone, and she couldn’t help but feel nervous and uneasy. But then again, if he hadn’t covered her mouth and pressed down on her chest, making it impossible for her to breathe, she wouldn’t have bitten down so hard in the first place.  

With that thought, her guilt gradually faded, though her gaze remained somewhat evasive.  

Her subtle reactions didn’t escape Qin Yue’s notice. He narrowed his eyes, almost entirely guessing what was going through her mind. The corner of his lips curled into a faintly mocking smile as he lowered his hand back under the table and said calmly, “It’s nothing.”  

The moment he spoke, he keenly noticed someone visibly exhaling in relief.  

Hah. So she does know fear.  

“It looks like a bite mark, and it’s quite deep. How is that ‘nothing’?” Zheng Huilan, distressed over her son’s injury, frowned with worry. But upon closer thought—who could have bitten him?  

And from what she had just seen, it definitely looked like a woman’s bite…  

At this realization, Zheng Huilan’s expression shifted from concern to sparkling curiosity. “Ayue, tell me the truth—are you seeing someone? No wonder you left without a word yesterday and didn’t come back until midnight. So it was because…”  

Before she could finish, a violent coughing fit abruptly cut her off. She immediately shot an annoyed look in its direction.  

Song Shixi, choking on a mouthful of porridge, had turned as red as a boiled lobster. It took her a long moment to recover.  

“Here, drink some water.”  

Qin Boyuan personally poured her a glass. Song Shixi took it with both hands and gulped down a large mouthful before finally feeling like she could breathe again.  

The whole ordeal left her looking rather disheveled, but she kept her head lowered, avoiding Zheng Huilan’s gaze. Good heavens, she really hadn’t meant to interrupt her interrogation about Qin Yue’s love life—but that was only if it didn’t involve her!  

This was too absurd. Too terrifying!  

“Be careful when you eat. Are you alright now?” Zheng Huilan had lost a prime opportunity to grill her son, and though she was annoyed, she still asked perfunctorily.  

Song Shixi quickly shook her head. “I’m fine.”  

With that, Zheng Huilan turned her attention away and persisted in questioning Qin Yue. “Ayue?”  

“Brother, am I getting a sister-in-law?”  

Qin Zhiyi, hearing Zheng Huilan’s speculation, knew the bite mark couldn’t be ordinary. Curious, she joined in with a smile.  

Qin Yue’s gaze flickered toward Song Shixi, whose head was sinking lower and lower. His dark eyes narrowed slightly.  

She didn’t seem the least bit interested in clinging to him—if anything, she looked like she wanted to sever all ties with him immediately.  

Once a seed of suspicion was planted, it took root and sprouted uncontrollably, like weeds in the spring wind.  

For now, he suppressed it and turned slightly toward his beloved younger sister, his expression softening uncharacteristically. “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s nothing like that.”  

But despite his words, he offered no explanation for the bite mark.  

Seeing his reluctance to speak, Zheng Huilan didn’t press further—though her face still betrayed unmistakable delight.  

“If there is someone, just bring her home. Your mother and I aren’t old-fashioned. As long as you like her, we’ll support you.”  

Qin Boyuan, unusually, chimed in. Looking at his outstanding son, who had rarely given him any trouble since childhood, his eyes were full of pride. But then, thinking of his prolonged single status, he couldn’t help but sigh.  

“I heard the Xu family recently welcomed another daughter—now they have both a son and a daughter. I wonder when we’ll get to hold a grandchild.”  

Zheng Huilan clearly knew about this too and smiled in agreement. “Exactly. Ayue, you need to hurry up. With Zhiyi and Yanxing, we don’t have to worry about her. Once you’re married, your father and I can finally rest easy.”  

“Mom!”  

Qin Zhiyi, still young, blushed slightly at the teasing remark. But at the mention of Li Yanxing, a soft, expectant gleam flashed in her eyes.  

Compared to her, Qin Yue remained completely unruffled, sipping his soup expressionlessly without responding.  

His silence made it difficult for the others to continue the topic, and the table fell into rare quiet.  

Only then did Song Shixi, who had been keeping her head down like a quail, dare to pick up her spoon again. Afraid of choking once more, she ate with extra caution this time.  

The rest of the meal passed without further conversation. Just as they were about to finish, Zheng Huilan seemed to remember something important and turned to Song Shixi.  

“Oh, Shixi, Auntie Tian’s youngest son invited you to a movie this Saturday. What do you think?”