For three consecutive days, her role as accompanying guest was limited to wandering within his line of sight during the day, occasionally discreetly counting the number of suppressant syringes missing from the small safe.
One or three at a time… When only one was left, Lin Zishui was secretly shocked. Such a high-intensity workload still couldn’t suppress his lower body?
The next day, even that last syringe disappeared.
That morning, the villa was filled with Los Angeles’ famous financial investors and a group of suited gentlemen. Seeing so many people, Lin Zishui limited her activity area to the staircase, separating the glittering, power-woven world downstairs from her quiet sanctuary.
Occasionally, when she wanted juice, she would slowly come down.
Passing by unintentionally, she happened upon Ning Shangyu and a handsome Chinese-American man in a suit standing on the open balcony. His tall, upright figure was striking, his posture extremely proud, facing the brightly lit meeting hall below as if looking down on it…
The three glass walls surrounding the hall made it look like a giant fish tank, sunlight casting colorful reflections.
Inside, the polished elites chatted and debated, unaware that at this moment…
They were being watched by the very top of the power chain.
Lin Zishui’s peripheral vision caught the scene. Her skirt swayed past her ankle and paused briefly. From a long distance, when Ning Shangyu’s unruffled gaze locked on her, her back unaware, she had already taken the stairs.
She loved the coolness and the view from the bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling window, lazily lying on the sofa in a half-turned position, reluctant to wake from a midday nap.
As the door opened, footsteps disturbed Lin Zishui, who turned over unconsciously.
Then she lay on her back, her rose-colored classical dress having slipped halfway down to her waist, exposing the delicate, pale side of her hip. The original finger marks had finally completely faded.
Her eyelashes tightly shut, after a while she vaguely sensed a cold touch on her ankle holding her down.
The feeling was real, unlike a dream. Lin Zishui’s mind registered this and she trembled, opening her eyes to suddenly see Ning Shangyu close before her.
The sunset’s last golden light wrapped his sharp, handsome features, intensifying his aggressive aura.
Lin Zishui, like the rosebud on her skirt, still half-asleep, blinked drowsily, meeting his gaze, unaware of the situation.
Until Ning Shangyu, like a carnivorous beast, bent down, first sniffed the petals, then grazed his high nose twice more.
Lin Zishui almost instantly lost all support, her whole body limp on the sofa. Her slender neck tilted back, softly trembling as she sucked in fresh air, slowly realizing what he was doing. She tried to struggle but clearly felt Ning Shangyu’s warm breath across her snow-white skin.
And his nose was so sharp, just brushing it almost made her faint.
The distant sunset finally melted like amber.
The window was cloaked in darkness. Lin Zishui’s fingers instinctively grabbed his jet-black short hair. Her inherited translucent eyes were scattered, not knowing where to look, her entire focus on one spot.
Finally, she inexplicably thought of the Ning Shangyu who never bowed to power or desire.
Yet here he was, bowing beneath her rose skirt…
This utterly absurd thought made Lin Zishui shudder. Her pale fingertips tensed for a moment, then completely relaxed.
Minutes later, Ning Shangyu’s face—arrogant and handsome at countless social events—finally pulled away, but still like a beast sniffing her, from her waistline upward to the reddening cheeks and ear: “Want this one, or that one?”
He still remembered what he said before the trip in the study.
Lin Zishui tiredly opened her wet lashes, staring at Ning Shangyu’s flawless nose, doubting life from the rubbing, feeling pleasure mixed with an urge to vent, pursing her lips briefly before softly tapping him: “This one’s a bad thing.”
“If you want it and get it, it’s still a bad thing?” Ning Shangyu’s expression hidden in the dark, betrayed his businessman nature—never to lose out—as he kissed her finger, his voice slow and low, “Then what’s a good thing? Miss Lin, be clear. Do you want me to…”
Lin Zishui could guess which part he was referring to and quickly covered her mouth. Her palm was apparently kissed again. Compared to Ning Shangyu’s calm composure, her one-sided cold shoulder these days immediately collapsed, voice trembling: “Ning Shangyu, you can’t bully me like this.”
He insisted. When he was about to kiss her again, a cautious yet hesitant knock sounded at the door.
It was the secretary, reminding him the time had come.
The atmosphere froze for several seconds. Lin Zishui was still panting, chest heaving. After regaining some strength, she pushed him away with her palm, suddenly recalling he was going downstairs to meet a group of more cunning elites.
Immediately, her fingers clumsily grabbed Ning Shangyu’s tie, pulling him back, using a corner of her skirt to wipe the suspicious wet trace on his nose.
Ning Shangyu chuckled lightly, teasing that she thought too much, but didn’t stop her.
Thirty seconds later.
When he finally left, Lin Zishui’s legs gave out, too nervous to stand, sweat beads appearing on her pale forehead. Until that moment, she never imagined Ning Shangyu would get serious.
Without warning, without even a greeting.
Lin Zishui couldn’t think further.
The thought made her sweat wildly. Her knees trembled as she walked to the bathroom, forcing her body temperature down with cold water.
When she finally collapsed onto the bed, she felt utterly exhausted.
Just as she was about to drift off, something struck her. Lin Zishui slowly got up and locked the door.
She didn’t know if Ning Shangyu was busy with work all night and had no time to continue bullying her, or if it was the lock’s doing. Until dawn, she lay safe and sound in bed.
After yesterday’s experience, she suddenly felt extremely unsafe being alone in the room. So she got up as soon as she woke.
While Xi Yan dutifully prepared her breakfast, Lin Zishui’s watery gaze swept around but saw no sign of Ning Shangyu. She walked out to the terrace to watch Los Angeles’ golden sunrise.
She rarely went out in the port area; everything seemed fresh to her.
Just as her mood began to lift, Lin Zishui received a call from Cui Daiyun. She looked slightly surprised but answered gently, “Uncle Cui, is something the matter?”
“Little Zishui, I want to tell you something…” Cui Daiyun had struggled for a long time. He knew the Lin and Qin families were competitors in medical research. But after Qin Wanyin invited him and visited twice, emphasizing that her team only researched new suppressants for sexual addiction—without harming Lin family business—and even swore an oath…
Cui Daiyun’s once unwavering heart began to waver. He wanted to ask Lin Zishui’s attitude, whether she would reject his cooperation with Qin Wanyin on this project as a Lin family scientist.
Silence stretched long on the call.
Until Cui Daiyun’s focus peaked and Lin Zishui’s lightly reddened lips parted calmly: “Uncle Cui, my mother hates betrayal most. Even if you meant no change of loyalty, she understands your passion for research, but secretly working with the Lin family’s competitor… if this news leaked, how would the other uncles in the team see you?”
Cui Daiyun was used to burying himself in technical work and was stubbornly conservative in thought. He clearly couldn’t grasp the complex interests of the business world.
He was speechless, feeling dizzy and off balance.
Lin Zishui continued, “Uncle Cui, you know a lot about this. Maybe you can do me a favor.”
Her words were like a lifesaving pill, Cui Daiyun immediately brightened. “What favor?”
Lin Zishui couldn’t say explicitly yet. She had the most detailed report data on Ning Shangyu’s suppressant, which might help her introduce Cui Daiyun to the Ning family’s research team.
But before that, she needed to stop Qin Wanyin’s poaching plans.
After two seconds of silence, Lin Zishui’s voice dropped so low it was emotionless: “Uncle Cui, please immediately reject Qin Wanyin’s invitation and wait for my message.”
“Okay.”
The call ended. Lin Zishui exhaled softly but silently clenched her phone. After a while, she nonchalantly turned to leave the terrace and enter the house.
Then she suddenly saw Ning Shangyu in a black bathrobe leaning against the glass door, freshly showered, appearing without her noticing.
Los Angeles’ weather was superb, and the sunrise’s amber light perfectly framed his handsome face.
Lin Zishui was slightly stunned, hair brushing her cheek as she quietly stood still.
Ning Shangyu said two words: “Come in.”
She didn’t know when Xi Yan and the secretaries had disappeared, as if the place had been cleared. The luxurious, spacious living and meeting rooms were utterly empty, only light and shadow falling on her lowered face and body…
Lin Zishui tried to walk toward the dining table, but halfway was intercepted. Ning Shangyu lazily sat on the sofa, casually tugging her skirt with a slight pull.
He easily pulled her closer.
Lin Zishui’s limbs refused to obey. Growing more nervous as she saw him, she thought of the feel of his nose brushing her.
Ning Shangyu’s eyes radiated a soul-eroding pressure. Though he was in the submissive position, his palm slowly gripped her slender waist and lifted her up. His tall body leaned backward as his lips issued one word: “Up.”
Up.
The tone wasn’t loud, just two simple words like amber melting into glass beads, rolling straight onto her chest, causing the snowy skin to flush red.
She was already sitting in Ning Shangyu’s arms and still had to go up…
Her trembling eyes traced the line of her exposed chest beneath the open robe, then along her jawline up to his face.
Ning Shangyu’s hand loosely cupped her waist without loosening his grip, his deep eyes plainly conveying a patient invitation for her to take the initiative:
To sit on him.
Lin Zishui clearly understood his meaning but stiffened like a doll missing its winding key, nerves straining as her pale fingers clutched the robe’s fabric.
After a few seconds, Ning Shangyu teased, “Not brave enough?”
Brave?
Lin Zishui thought. Yesterday, they had already used his nose in the upstairs bedroom when no one knew, and they’d already had intimate contact with his face—first with him bowing down.
What was there to be afraid of?
With that thought, her courage grew. Her pale lips bit down, she lifted her waist, and like silky skin exuding a fresh sweetness, she leaned down over Ning Shangyu.
Trying to imitate the tutorial…
But just two or three seconds in, she regretted it on the spot: “I… don’t want to do the practical lesson anymore.”
Lin Zishui’s trembling knees pressed against the sofa cushion. She was just about to scramble away in panic, but Ning Shangyu, completely blocking her view, suddenly pressed her back down.
Even her cry changed.
Like honey stirred in a clear glass, almost dripping with juice:
“Ah!”