“Rubbing your nose?”
Ning Shangyu’s nose brushed lightly, almost imperceptibly, along Lin Zishui’s fingertip, catching the lingering scent of her fresh floral bath, tinged with a rich sweetness.
His gaze turned dangerous as he followed the scent upward—from the base of her finger to her wrist.
“You really understand the content in the tutorial?”
Lin Zishui’s neck, exposed beneath her robe, seemed to flush a delicate rose color.
For a long ten seconds, she was speechless—obviously overwhelmed by his handsome appearance.
Only then did she dare wildly suggest he use his nose, without truly knowing the practical process involved.
Ning Shangyu glanced at the computer screen, raised his right hand, and abruptly ended the video call.
Then, unhurriedly, he clicked open a folder.
His memory was astonishing—he quickly found the small video she had pointed out.
Lin Zishui’s trembling gaze drifted upward, dull realization dawning on her that her lack of experience had limited her imagination of sex.
The “rubbing with the nose” in that tutorial…
Was Ning Shangyu simply lying back on the bed to imitate, while she would have to actively straddle his face.
The explicit scene in the video was suddenly paused.
The study fell silent for several seconds, as if even a slightly heavier breath could be heard clearly.
Until Ning Shangyu asked in a calm voice, “Are you brave enough to sit?”
Lin Zishui’s waist instinctively went weak but was caught by his powerful arm muscles, like a small confused animal ensnared in a trap, increasingly threatened by his breath.
Her eyelashes trembled; her heart and soul were easily captured by his single sentence.
She tried hard to suppress the panic.
Just being this close, seeing Ning Shangyu’s clearly defined brows and sharp, high nose under the light—so sharp, so aggressive…
Just a glance was enough to make her lose herself, let alone actively straddling him.
Perhaps the silence lasted too long.
Suddenly, Ning Shangyu flipped her over and pressed her down onto his knee.
He lifted her robe and, with a punishment-like slap on her buttocks, each strike made her body tense sharply, her heart trembling with heat.
Ning Shangyu kept his eyes fixed on the porcelain-like contours of her side profile, his brows slightly furrowed.
The controlling desire emanating from his very bones erupted completely, slapping down several more times like a torrential storm.
“Ning Shangyu!”
Though this wasn’t Lin Zishui’s first time being punished by him, this time she was clearly innocent.
Yet the force was far stronger than before.
She shouted with a broken voice, already soaked through.
Her eyes widened slightly as she glared at him, only to see the culprit’s tendons tightening with restrained breath.
Drops of water fell and soaked the luxurious black silk fabric of his trousers on his knee, the color rippling deeper like waves.
Ning Shangyu sensed it first.
His tone deepened, almost teasingly ambiguous: “Miss Lin, this is a punishment.”
The meaning was clear: punishment for not studying the tutorial seriously and daring to tease him.
Lin Zishui suddenly fell silent.
Though she swallowed back words accusing him of great wrongdoing, the resentment deep within her soul surfaced in her watery eyes, silently shouting: bad man, bad man, bad man!
She had been kind-hearted, worried whether his injections might harm him!
But no good came of it…
Instead, she had actively leaned into Ning Shangyu’s palm and received a painful spanking package. Truly unjust!
Justice equaled Ning Shangyu.
Earlier, he had ended the video meeting without cause.
Fifteen minutes later, the Rong family’s team began pressing him, clearly the core content of tonight’s negotiation was crucial.
Lin Zishui saw him plainly hard as a rock, yet expressionless as he carried her back to the master bedroom.
Nothing happened.
He maintained his upright posture and threw her onto the soft, fluffy bed.
His long hand reached in, fingers closing, “Sleep first. Tomorrow you accompany me on a business trip.”
Lin Zishui’s robe was half undone, revealing her chest.
Snow-white skin sometimes slipped from between his fingers, and even breathing grew a little hurried.
“No.”
She meant no sleep.
Or no accompanying him on the trip, or no to his serious yet violent way of touching her… Countless unsaid things hovered at her slightly parted lips.
But Ning Shangyu was pressed for time. He merely gave a proud laugh, meaning clear, withdrew his hand, and flicked her.
This time, not the forehead, but that little place even redder and more embarrassing than the mole at the corner of her eye.
Lin Zishui immediately went limp in the bedding, gasping sharply. Even after Ning Shangyu’s tall figure left and casually closed the two master bedroom doors, in the pitch-black darkness, both her chest and buttocks still burned with the real sensation, her highly sensitive skin unable to calm down for a long time.
Only when the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window began to lighten did Lin Zishui realize why Ning Shangyu wanted her to sleep first.
The “tomorrow’s business trip” meant catching a private jet at six sharp in the morning.
Lin Zishui had barely slept all night, half-dreaming, half-awake, like a delicate doll packed into a transparent glass box and taken away. She had changed from the black velvet king-size bed in the living room master bedroom to the pristine white bed of the jet cabin lounge.
When she woke from a haze, it was already noon.
She sat up, long hair loose, wrapped in a blanket.
Her fingers first pulled open a little of her collar, revealing several clear finger marks on her chest turning into bruises.
She looked under her skirt—prints on her snowy white buttocks were even more distinct.
All because she had been too startled last night and forgot to apply ointment.
These marks could be used as evidence against Ning Shangyu, but it would take ten days or half a month before they faded completely.
Lin Zishui closed her eyes and could only accept this reality.
Still, her temper needed to be vented.
So when an hour later she got off the plane and arrived at Beverly Hills, she carried herself with restraint, tilting her delicate chin slightly, never once giving Ning Shangyu or his accompanying bodyguards a proper glance.
After arriving at the luxury villa, Ning Shangyu—who had obsessive cleanliness—showered before business and shortly came downstairs in a perfectly tailored, elegant suit.
His cool gaze swept past Lin Zishui, who lay on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the scenery without looking at anyone.
He then entered the meeting hall.
Ten minutes later.
Xi Yan emerged from the meeting hall and walked over to the red velvet sofa respectfully.
“Miss Lin, Beverly Hills has many beautiful sights and famous antique jewelry shops. How about I accompany you for a stroll?”
Lin Zishui turned her head to look at him.
After a while, she shook her head.
She was lazy and obviously a bit tired from the flight.
At the moment, she didn’t have the energy to go shopping or sightseeing.
Xi Yan continued, “Shall I get you a glass of juice?”
“Not thirsty.”
Lin Zishui softly declined, but seeing him stand there like he’d been assigned a mission, she suddenly said, “I want to see something.”
Xi Yan thought whatever she wanted to see was fine, as long as she didn’t keep saying no, “Please go ahead.”
“Could I see the suppressant injections that Ning Shangyu usually takes?”
Lin Zishui asked politely, every word gentle but leaving no room for refusal.
“And some report data. I want to look at those.”
These were internal Ning family secrets.
Even thinking about sneaking a peek could endanger oneself.
But Lin Zishui’s status was special…
Xi Yan dared not delay and quickly brought a small safe over to her.
Lin Zishui lowered her eyes and picked up a syringe.
The glass contained an icy blue liquid that gleamed under the natural sunlight like a dangerous flame, as if even a slight spill could ignite a vast blue fire.
She studied it for a long time, then turned slightly to Xi Yan and asked, “Does this have side effects?”
Xi Yan answered very strictly, “When it was first developed, there were some side effects causing the mind to fall into deep sleep alongside the body’s desires. But with the Ning family’s massive investment in medical research over the years, this suppressant has been continuously improved and no longer harms Ning Shangyu’s body.”
Lin Zishui had seen similar trial signs in the Lin family’s research report.
Some rare addiction sufferers use large amounts of sedatives to suppress overwhelming desires, which eventually forces their brain nerves into a forced sleep.
If Ning Shangyu, that ruthless ambitious man, hadn’t developed this…
Fortunately, the Ning family’s own R&D team had solved this dangerous problem.
In reality, Xi Yan concealed that the suppressant still risked eventual failure.
He only told Lin Zishui what he could, adding, “Unfortunately, the Qin family’s original data was incomplete, which caused Ning’s top scientists to be unable to develop a truly effective drug to completely cure Ning Shangyu’s sexual addiction.”
Lin Zishui looked up, stunned, while Xi Yan subtly hinted, “Qin Yian has loyally served the old master for years and has undeniable merits… that’s why he has survived within Ning’s power for so long without being expelled.”
Lin Zishui was extremely sharp and slowly began to savor his words.
Her fingertips traced the cold glass of the syringe to the needle, lightly pricking her fair skin, awakening her to the truth.
No wonder Qin Wanyin acted so familiar with Ning’s offspring, was so brazen to cause trouble, and could borrow the old master’s influence.
This was the family’s bargaining chip.
After a moment, she smiled faintly at Xi Yan.
“If I’m right, Qin Yian definitely wouldn’t have lost his head and used this to repay favors, but Qin Wanyin is probably extremely unwilling.”
Xi Yan smiled as well.
Lin Zishui gently put the suppressant back into the safe, pressed firmly to close it, returning it intact to Xi Yan.
Lin Zishui spent the whole day and night studying the report data Xi Yan sent her.
It was very comprehensive, even copying the Qin family’s original data to her.
By nine o’clock at night, the meeting hall was still brightly lit.
Lin Zishui, following a normal healthy schedule, showered and changed into a comfortable robe, then randomly chose a bedroom with a great view on the second floor to sleep.
She didn’t care that Ning Shangyu stayed up until late and where he rested.