She waited until she was sure Shen Shiyan had left the room before finally throwing off the covers to take a breath of fresh air.

Saying she wouldn’t shower was unrealistic—after all, she was drenched in sweat from staying in the suffocating covers for so long. Her clothes clung to her body, making everything feel uncomfortable.

Jiang Mian scratched her head, noticing how everything felt a bit off.

Wasn’t I supposed to make him hate me?

Why didn’t he get angry when I disturbed his work and soaked his documents?

And he even kissed and hugged her before leaving with a smile?

Jiang Mian, still holding her phone, turned to Shen Yin for advice.

Despite reading plenty of novels and watching dramas, she had a wealth of theoretical knowledge—but when it came to actually handling situations like this, she was as inexperienced as they come. In other words, she was well into adulthood but had never been in a real relationship before.

Her first hand-holding and kiss were even given to Shen Shiyan.

[Jiang Mian: How do you know if someone likes you?]

[Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Simple! See if they want to sleep with you!]

[Jiang Mian: …Can you be serious for once?]

[Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Innocent.jpg, why am I not serious? If I like a guy, I’d do whatever it takes to get him into bed, then once I’m bored, just toss him aside, hahahaha…]

[Jiang Mian: Wait a minute—have you ever been in a relationship?]

[Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: How could this fairy possibly lower herself to dating!]

[Jiang Mian: …]

She suddenly felt a surge of realization—what was she thinking, asking someone who’s never been in a relationship about dating?

If she’s being honest, she probably wouldn’t want to hear her own answer either!

Jiang Mian had no idea when she fell asleep, or when Shen Shiyan came in. She only knew that when she opened her eyes, she had somehow ended up tightly tangled in his arms.

She jolted in surprise, completely caught off guard, and quickly pulled away from him, scrambling out of the room in a panic.

Once outside the bedroom, she rushed straight to the kitchen, gulping down a full glass of water to calm her frayed nerves.

The moment she opened her eyes, she was hit with Shen Shiyan’s stunning appearance. Her heart couldn’t handle it.

Jiang Mian wasn’t fond of having strangers around her house. She only asked for the housekeeper to come once a week to clean.

But Shen Shiyan was different.

He had a severe obsession with cleanliness, unable to tolerate even the slightest speck of dust.

Last night, when he saw the mess by the door, his tolerance had already been pushed to the limit by not forcing Jiang Mian to clean it up.

So, he requested the housekeeper come early in the morning to clean the entire apartment.

Not long after Jiang Mian had gotten up, the housekeeper arrived.

The housekeeper worked efficiently. In no time, the pile of opened boxes by the door had disappeared.

Then, there were the unopened packages. The housekeeper asked, “Miss Jiang, where should I put these items?”

They’d piled up by the door, and within a few days, they had become a mess.

“Just put it in that room!”

Jiang Mian casually pointed to the room she had previously cleared out, which was specifically set up as her workspace.

The housekeeper nodded and quickly moved the boxes over.

By the time Shen Shiyan came out, the entryway and the living room had been thoroughly cleaned.

A light lemon scent filled the air, refreshing and pleasant.

Jiang Mian had originally thought about not breaking her carefully crafted image and cooking breakfast for Shen Shiyan, but as soon as she remembered her cooking skills, she gave up before even attempting.

Making breakfast for Shen Shiyan would be too time-consuming. It’d be better for her to spend that time editing a few more seconds of her video!

But her new laptop was still on its way and wouldn’t arrive anytime soon.

As she thought about that, Jiang Mian grew a bit anxious and glanced at Shen Shiyan out of the corner of her eye.

The breakfast had been made according to his preferences. Jiang Mian absentmindedly took a few bites while occasionally sneaking looks at him.

Even a blind person would be able to sense that she was looking at him.

But ironically, even though Shen Shiyan had eyes, he chose to act as if he were blind, ignoring the gaze Jiang Mian sent his way.

After breakfast, he got up and went into the living room.

Seeing this, Jiang Mian quickly set her chopsticks down and followed him.

Since it was the weekend and he didn’t have any work, Shen Shiyan sat on the sofa, watching the news.

What the news was about didn’t concern him at all as his attention was fully focused on Jiang Mian sitting nearby. He was curious to see how long she could hold out.

Jiang Mian almost wanted to write “I have something to do” on her face, because it was clear Shen Shiyan was acting oblivious on purpose.

She was genuinely feeling anxious. Editing videos was something she always did herself, and if she didn’t get it done today, she wouldn’t have anything to post later.

After waiting for a while, Jiang Mian couldn’t hold it in any longer. She called out, “Mr. Shen,” but he remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed ahead as if he were completely absorbed in the news.

The TV volume wasn’t even loud, so he had definitely pretended not to hear her!

Jiang Mian gritted her teeth and raised her voice, calling out again, but the man still didn’t react.

Oh, that’s right—last night, he didn’t allow her to call him “Mr. Shen.” What was she supposed to call him now?

Thinking about how she addressed him last night, Jiang Mian’s face suddenly flushed with embarrassment. She quickly glanced at him—did it really mean she had to call him “gege”?

The word “gege” rolled around her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Angrily, she lowered her head, her clothes wrinkled from how tightly she was twisting them.

Fine, just this once. She would borrow that title once, after all, her new computer would arrive tomorrow.

Jiang Mian gathered the courage to lift her head, but when she met his jet-black, intense eyes, her courage deflated like a balloon pricked with a pin and quickly vanished.

But Shen Shiyan only waved his hand casually and said softly, “Come here!”

The way he looked and motioned at her seemed so carefree, as if he were calling over a pet.

Jiang Mian had no desire to approach, yet thinking about the computer, she shamefully made her way over to him.

The man absentmindedly reached out, gently running his fingers through her hair, teasing it again and again, his actions growing more akin to petting a cat or dog.

Jiang Mian silently enjoyed the moment for a while, but the man didn’t speak.

She turned her head awkwardly to look at him, only to find that he was still focused on the TV, as if calling her over was solely to pet her.

It was incredibly frustrating!

Jiang Mian let out a huff and called his name, “Shen Shiyan.”

Shen Shiyan narrowed his eyes, noticing that her boldness had grown overnight—she didn’t address him as “Mr. Shen” anymore, but used his full name.

He ignored her, and the person in his arms began to get upset, turning her head away as a protest, refusing to let him continue stroking her hair.

Perhaps the man had gotten used to the comfort of the action, and when he suddenly felt the absence of her hair beneath his hand, he broke his focus on the screen, his eyes landing on Jiang Mian’s puffed-up cheeks.

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Mian puffed out her cheeks even more, deliberately looking away and giving a cold hmp.

She was definitely angry, and clearly so.

But just a second later, the man pinched her chin and turned her face back toward him.

“Are you pouting at me?”

Yes, that’s right! I am pouting!

Jiang Mian really wanted to reply boldly, but reality didn’t allow it. She blinked, her eyes full of grievance, “I’m not!”

Her eyes were already red. Was that really “not” pouting?

Shen Shiyan had seen many women put on a facade in front of him, and he’d encountered more than a few like Jiang Mian. However, she was the only one who didn’t annoy him.

That was why he kept her by his side—to see what tricks she would try next.

“Tell me, what do you want to do?”

“I want to borrow your computer!”

“For that?” The man wasn’t too happy. It seemed like all her tears and fuss were just for a computer.

Was she following Ji Zishen’s advice, thinking she could get some kind of secret from his computer?

If she wanted something, she could’ve easily taken it when he wasn’t around. So why ask him in person?

Jiang Mian didn’t know about all his assumptions. She huffed in frustration and stared at him. “What else could it be?”

“My computer is broken. The video I shot yesterday afternoon needs to be edited today and posted tonight!” Jiang Mian explained, “I just need it for editing. I promise I won’t snoop around your stuff!”

In fact, she wasn’t at all interested in anything to do with Shen Shiyan.

If it weren’t for maintaining her character, she’d have long packed up and left.

After repeatedly assuring him, she finally received Shen Shiyan’s permission.

“Alright, but don’t mess with anything else!”

Jiang Mian raised three fingers in a pledge. “I promise I won’t touch anything. If you don’t believe me, you can just watch me while I work!”

True to her word, Jiang Mian did nothing but focus on editing her video.

She sat in front of the computer almost the entire day. By the time she was done, her back ached and her body was sore, before could she sent the edited video to Shen Yin.

After seven or eight hours of filming, editing had condensed it down to just over an hour. Once Shen Yin watched it, she sent Jiang Mian a thumbs-up.

Jiang Mian, having stared at a screen all day, felt dizzy and exhausted. She didn’t want to look at anything anymore, so she quickly showered and collapsed into bed, falling fast asleep.

The next morning, before her alarm even went off, the man beside her got up.

Suddenly, she felt the space beside her empty. Half-awake, she turned over and opened her eyes to see the man’s broad, strong back at the edge of the bed. Those perfect back muscles—who wouldn’t be stirred by such a sight so early in the morning?

At first, Jiang Mian thought about going back to sleep, but then, the pain in her chest returned, quickly spreading to her nerve endings. She woke up fully, her face showing a pitiful look.

She just wanted to sleep in a bit, but even that felt impossible—was there no justice in this world?

The pain was unrelenting, and Jiang Mian had no choice but to get up, wincing as she moved to the edge of the bed.

Shen Shiyan was in the middle of putting on his shirt when he suddenly heard a faint rustling sound behind him, followed by a soft “Mr. Shen.”

He turned around and found himself face-to-face with Jiang Mian’s sleepily fluttering eyes. “How come you’re awake?”

Jiang Mian stood up from the bed, finally able to stand tall, her height giving her a half-head advantage over the man. “Can I help you with your buttons and tie?”

Before Shen Shiyan could answer, Jiang Mian took the initiative.

She had no choice—she was in so much pain, and if she touched him, even just a little, it made her feel better.

Shen Shiyan wasn’t used to being served, but he didn’t reject her.

Fine, considering the dark circles under her eyes, he’d let her do it this once.

Jiang Mian, not accustomed to assisting others, managed to fumble with the buttons—one was crooked—and couldn’t tie the tie either.

Even though Shen Shiyan tried to teach her, her clumsy hands almost made things worse. She was too forceful and almost choked him with the tie.

The man suddenly coughed, and Jiang Mian hurriedly let go, her gaze full of nervousness as she looked at him. “Are you okay? I… I didn’t mean to, this is my first time—”

She really had no experience!

Shen Shiyan’s face darkened in anger, but when he heard her mention it being her “first time,” his anger diminished. “I’ll do it myself.”

Jiang Mian didn’t insist any longer and obediently watched him, though the pain in her chest still lingered painfully.

Her eyes lingered on Shen Shiyan’s lips, and she considered—perhaps she could take this opportunity to kiss him?

Unfortunately, she never found the chance.

As he was about to leave, without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her voice soft as she said, “I can’t bear to see you go.”

She looked just like a little wife unwilling to let her husband leave for work.

Since she woke up, this clingy woman had stuck to him, following him wherever he went.

“Be good, let go.”

Jiang Mian shook her head. “Kiss me, and I’ll let go!”

Shen Shiyan: “…”

=^_^=