Jiang Mian hesitated for a long time as she nervously twisting the fabric of his sleeve. Her lips parted slightly as she leaned in close to the man’s ear and whispered softly—

“Gege—” (Brother)

Her delicate voice carried a hint of sultriness, sweet and alluring enough to melt bones.

Shen Shiyan felt his breath grow hotter, the heat in his chest surging uncontrollably. His gaze darkened as he fixed his eyes on the woman in his arms.

He had only wanted her to stop calling him “Mr. Shen”—he didn’t expect her to switch to something that could stir a man like this!

On the surface, he looked composed, unfazed, like a gentleman unmoved by temptation. But inside? He was already a mess.

This woman… she was definitely doing this on purpose!

His arm tightened around her slender waist as his voice dropped, husky and deep. “Hmm? What did you just call me?”

Jiang Mian was already dying of embarrassment. The moment the word left her lips, she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it.

She couldn’t believe it had actually come out of her mouth!

The man, however, seemed addicted to hearing it. His voice carried a coaxing allure. “Say it again.”

Jiang Mian’s face burned as she buried herself deeper into Shen Shiyan’s embrace, too embarrassed to face the world.

“I won’t!”

Say it again?

Yeah, right! Dream on!

He thinks he can take advantage of her? Keep dreaming!

Clearly mortified, Jiang Mian hid in his arms for a long while before finally peeking up, her face still flushed crimson.

Her shimmering eyes locked onto his. “I’m not saying it again—unless you drink your milk!”

So determined to make him drink that milk, huh?

The woman in his arms was red not just in the face but all the way to the tips of her ears. Shen Shiyan’s mood inexplicably lifted. With a chuckle, he picked up the glass of milk he usually detested.

Jiang Mian watched as Shen Shiyan let her have her way for a while. By the time he finally took a sip, the milk had cooled to the perfect temperature, its rich flavor lingering on his tongue.

She stared in shock—he actually drank it?

Wasn’t he the one who hated milk?

But before she could dwell on it, excitement took over. Eyes bright with satisfaction, she looked up at him eagerly. “Does it taste good?”

Shen Shiyan’s gaze lingered on her soft, rosy lips. Without thinking, he smirked and murmured, “Why don’t you try for yourself?”

“Huh?”

Before she could process what he meant, his handsome face descended, and a sudden warmth pressed against her lips.

Jiang Mian’s eyes flew wide open. Her mind went completely blank.

What… just happened?

Her first instinct was to push him away, but fear of punishment made her hesitate. Instead, she clung nervously to his shirt, frozen in place, barely daring to breathe.

Someone—anyone—please tell her what on earth was happening!

A mere kiss wasn’t enough to soothe the itch in Shen Shiyan’s chest—he wanted more.

Seeing the surprise flicker in Jiang Mian’s eyes, yet noticing she made no move to push him away, he took it as silent permission. His fingers pressed gently against the back of her head, pulling her closer.

Their lips met again, deeper this time. The faint sweetness of milk lingered between them, their breaths tangling together, warm and intoxicating.

Jiang Mian’s cheeks burned, her wide, misty eyes shimmering with confusion—like a lost child, utterly overwhelmed.

When Shen Shiyan finally let her go, his breath was uneven, a slow smirk curving his lips. “Tastes good?”

Good, my ass!

This was just an excuse to take advantage of her!

Jiang Mian wanted nothing more than to throw those words right back at him. But given the character she was supposed to play, she couldn’t. Instead, she had no choice but to put on a bashful act, stealing a shy, flustered glance at him.

This shameless man… He was too damn good at this. No ordinary person could possibly stand a chance against him.

Jiang Mian, oh Jiang Mian, snap out of it!

Think about the original character’s tragic fate—stay calm, whatever you do, don’t get seduced by the male lead’s good looks!

She repeated this mantra in her head several times before finally steadying her racing heart and regaining her composure.

But a role was a role, and she still had to play her part. Putting on her best act, she pouted playfully. “You’re so bad!”

Hmph! You made my heart race—I’ll make sure you don’t get off easy either!

With barely a moment’s hesitation, she made her decision. If he was going to use seduction, she’d fight fire with fire.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she turned her face and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek, then pulled back with a flustered yet defiant expression. “But I like it!”

The moment the words left her lips, a ridiculous thought crossed her mind—wasn’t this straight out of that overly saccharine scene between Ziwei and Erkang? The one so cringeworthy it had once made her shudder? And yet, here she was… actually putting it to use.

If she weren’t currently nestled in Shen Shiyan’s arms, she might have shivered on the spot. This was too much—it’s downright nauseating!

She thought she had masked her inner turmoil well, but that little flicker of disdain in her eyes didn’t escape him.

Feigning reluctance while deliberately teasing him?

Now that, Shen Shiyan mused with interest, was truly entertaining.

Shen Shiyan chuckled softly, raising a brow. “Since you like it, why not continue?”

Continue?

Just once had already been overwhelming—any more, and she might not survive it!

Jiang Mian’s expression froze instantly. She turned her head stiffly to look at him, her arms—once confidently wrapped around his neck—now slipping downward in silent betrayal.

But Shen Shiyan’s arm tightened around her waist, preventing her retreat. “What’s wrong? Don’t like it anymore?”

“I do!” Jiang Mian had no choice but to force a smile, bracing herself for the challenge.

The smile she mustered looked even more pitiful than if she were crying.

Shen Shiyan chuckled, ruffling her hair. “If you like it, then let’s do it again.”

With that, he reached for the glass of milk—still more than half full.

Jiang Mian stole a glance at the milk and nearly burst into tears.

From the heat in his gaze, she had a sinking feeling… This wasn’t just about “one more time,” was it?

Jiang Mian instinctively resisted, her hands pressing against Shen Shiyan’s chest in an attempt to push him away. But just as she moved, a sharp pain surged through her chest.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, her heart still ached—each throb more intense than the last. Her fingers trembled, and before she knew it, she had accidentally knocked over the glass of milk.

The white liquid spilled across the table, soaking several neatly stacked documents. The rest dripped from the edges, splattering onto the light gray carpet in little milky blossoms.

Silence.

Both of them froze, their eyes following the cup as it rolled to the floor.

Had she… just ruined Shen Shiyan’s documents?

This was it—my chance!

The male lead was bound to explode with anger. And if she played her part right, this might just be the final straw that pushed him to break up with her!

Jiang Mian stole a glance at him. His expression was unreadable, but the way his lips pressed into a firm line made it clear—he was on the verge of losing his temper.

Perfect. Time to strike first.

Before he could react, she burst into tears.

“Waaah! My chest hurts so much—I suddenly couldn’t breathe! My hands went weak—I didn’t mean to spill it!”

She sniffled dramatically, playing the pitiful card with all her might.

Come on, Shen Shiyan… just say the words: let’s break up!

Shen Shiyan’s brows knitted together. Surprisingly, he wasn’t angry about the ruined documents. Instead, his focus shifted—something about her condition felt off.

He vaguely recalled that on the very first day she woke up, she had collapsed from pain and remained unconscious for an entire day.

“Chest pain?”

His tone carried a trace of doubt as he studied her carefully.

Jiang Mian was thrilled inside—but on the surface, she continued to cry pitifully, nodding through her tears. “Mmm… it hurts so much!”

Shen Shiyan lowered his gaze, his dark eyes locking onto hers as if trying to determine whether she was telling the truth—or just weaving another lie.

Jiang Mian was genuinely in pain.

The earlier kiss with Shen Shiyan might have been an act, but the sharp ache that followed was all too real. Her complexion paled as she clung to him, still shaken.

If possible, she’d really love to kiss him again—just to make the pain disappear entirely.

Seeing him remain silent, she let her tears build until they overflowed in fat, glistening drops.

With a huff, she demanded, “So? Am I more important, or is your work more important?”

Her eyes widened in barely contained fury, daring him to answer. If he so much as considered saying “work,” she would absolutely throw a fit on the spot.

Shen Shiyan found her reaction almost amusing. It was just a few wet documents, yet she was acting as if the sky had fallen. He haven’t even said anything yet, he thought to himself.

Instead of getting angry, he raised a brow and asked calmly, “Your chest doesn’t hurt anymore?”

Jiang Mian had braced herself for an outburst, only to be caught off guard by his unexpected response.

For a brief second, she froze.

Then, recovering quickly, she tightened her arms around his neck and whimpered, “It still hurts~”

“Should we go to the hospital?”

The hospital?

No way, no way—not even if you kill me!

Jiang Mian shook her head violently in his arms, her body tensing as if ready to bolt. Lifting her head, she finally mustered some rare defiance.

“I’m not going to the hospital!”

She glared at him with the fierce determination of someone willing to fight to the death if he dared take her.

It wasn’t that she had always feared hospitals—at least, not before.

But ever since those other memories settled in her mind, fear had taken root.

Those cold, merciless nurses… Every time the original owner of this body had an episode, they had restrained her and jabbed needles into her.

Jiang Mian hadn’t personally experienced it, yet the memories were vivid—so real they had fused with her own, making her feel as if she had lived through it.

The fear of hospitals. The terror of needles.

Her resolve wavered instantly. Gone was her earlier stubbornness, instead, she clung to Shen Shiyan, her voice pitiful.

“A kiss will make it better… I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

Shen Shiyan: “…”

The moment “hospital” was mentioned, she had tried to wriggle out of his embrace.

Seeing no other option, Shen Shiyan sighed and gave in—carrying her straight back to the bedroom.

The pain in her chest still lingered, aching dully. The mere touch of their bodies wasn’t enough to bring relief, she needed something more immediate, something like a quick fix.

Shen Shiyan gently placed her on the bed, but his arm still wrapped around her, holding her close. She blinked up at him, her gaze stubborn.

“Let go.”

Jiang Mian hesitated for a long moment. Rather than enduring the pain any longer, why not take a bolder approach and ask for a kiss? After all, it wasn’t like they hadn’t kissed before.

Shaking her head, she clung tightly to his neck, her ears flushed with a soft pink hue, and said in a sweet, coaxing tone, “Kiss me, and I’ll feel better.”

One kiss, and the pain would vanish.

Shen Shiyan remained unmoved, causing Jiang Mian to frown. Fine, if he wasn’t going to take the initiative, she would!

Seeing her chance when Shen Shiyan made no move, Jiang Mian suddenly tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his. Before he could react, she quickly withdrew and burrowed under the covers, muttering defiantly, “You kissed me earlier, so I’m kissing you back!”

Shen Shiyan stared at the woman hiding in the covers like a shy turtle. He couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. It was silly to pull her back out just for another kiss—it felt almost childish.

“Get up!”

Jiang Mian stayed hidden under the covers, silent and unmoving, and Shen Shiyan took her stillness as shyness.

Shen Shiyan said, “I’ll be busy outside. Take a shower and then go back to sleep.”

I’m not showering, you’re dirty enough for both of us!

Jiang Mian stayed buried in the covers for a long time, the heat making it hard to breathe, her damp bangs sticking to her face.

^_^