Though overwhelming sleep threatened to pull her under, Lin Zhishui summoned a faint spark of will to bite his jaw weakly and say,
“You bad man, you’re poisoning me…”
A mouthful of bad things.
Ning Shangyu let her bite him like a grindstone, not pulling away, and smiled slightly.
That smile struck Lin Zhishui’s heart like a brand.
Until noon the next day, even though he was gone, the lingering image in her slowly clearing mind was:
Did Ning Shangyu laugh at her last night?
Lin Zhishui wasn’t sure if she’d misheard.
Wrapped in the blanket, exposing only her pale white shoulders, she sat in bed for a long time.
Half an hour later, she quickly washed up.
Since she wasn’t going out, she didn’t bother changing into proper clothes.
Her long black hair loose, she deliberately picked out one of Ning Shangyu’s black silk shirts from the wardrobe.
It was oversized enough to wear like a nightdress, just covering her legs perfectly.
She slowly went downstairs.
There was hardly anyone home except Xi Yan, who came in carrying a stack of files.
Seeing her dressed in Ning Shangyu’s personal clothes and unadorned face, making her look cold and expressionless, he immediately looked away.
He didn’t dare look for even one more second, placing the documents on the coffee table.
Meanwhile, Ning Shangyu himself was sitting on the long sofa.
Perhaps without any plans to go out today, he was unusually casual—no tailored suit, just a shirt and black trousers, neat and unadorned.
Even so, his tall, commanding figure and handsome face drew attention effortlessly.
Lin Zhishui paused to admire him briefly.
She lightly circled around the armrest, then leaned forward, almost draping herself over the back of the sofa, close to him.
She softly murmured, “Shangyu.”
Ning Shangyu’s gaze shifted sharply, locking with her frank, clear glass-like eyes.
Upon waking, Lin Zhishui wasn’t so drunk as to lose memory of last night’s drunken moments.
Those passionate scenes remained vivid in her mind, and for a few seconds, the fiery taste still lingered in her throat.
But now she called him simply by his given name, dropping the surname naturally.
In moments, Ning Shangyu’s expression returned to normal.
He lifted his long, muscular right hand to pinch her chin, as if to kiss her.
Lin Zhishui turned her face away slightly, holding her breath and complaining softly, “You never respond to me.”
“Isn’t this a response?”
Ning Shangyu teased, trying to kiss her pretty lips, raising a sharp brow, signaling her to come closer.
Lin Zhishui refused, keeping her distance, almost nose-to-nose with him.
Soon Ning Shangyu laughed, clearly amused, “You call me but don’t want a kiss? Do you want me to kiss somewhere else?”
“I’m just calling you normally,” Lin Zhishui said seriously, her tone teasingly coy, “If I didn’t call, then who would let me tear apart the Ning family name and swallow that long, long word at the bottom?”
She had undone Ning Shangyu’s suit trousers—that was what she meant by tearing apart.
And what did she swallow?
From his deepening amber gaze, she knew he understood perfectly.
Her lips pressed together briefly, then suddenly asked, “How was your experience last night?”
Her curiosity was strong, asking first thing after waking.
Ning Shangyu’s gaze grew heavier, yet his voice remained calm: “Average.”
“Average???”
Lin Zhishui instantly lost composure.
Her hand, smoother than lamb’s jade, reached across the sofa to clutch his neck, “You still poured me drinks when it was average?!”
The next second, his surprised, slightly parted lips captured hers, sucking on her tongue for a while.
Before her heartbeat could speed up, Ning Shangyu ended it unilaterally, seemingly pleased by her morning reactions.
A clear smile appeared in his eyes, “This taste is nice.”
“…No fair taking advantage like that.”
Lin Zhishui only realized afterward, pressing her tingling tongue that was still wet and warm, then released her grip and stood to leave, shooting him a glare.
That soft, harmless look didn’t faze Ning Shangyu, who continued leafing through the documents.
About ten minutes later, Lin Zhishui returned.
This time, she didn’t stand behind the sofa but sat boldly on his lap, holding a silver-white notebook.
She lowered her eyes and tapped the screen, “I want to introduce a scientist to you… Cui Daiyun. Here’s his medical background and research profile.”
Ning Shangyu glanced over but stopped on her profile.
Caught staring, Lin Zhishui felt a little uneasy and quietly added, “You can take him as part of my dowry. If you put Cui Daiyun on Ning family’s core scientific research team, no one will doubt your fairness.”
A legitimate reason all planned out.
Ning Shangyu smiled, “Then should I reciprocate by picking a betrothal gift from the family for you?”
“Sure.” Lin Zhishui tilted her head in thought, then picked someone slightly more familiar, “Give me Ning Zhuoyu.”
Ning Shangyu repeated, “Ning Zhuoyu?”
Lin Zhishui had just picked randomly.
Zhuoyu was a bit mischievous but skilled at mixology and liked driving her around for wild nights.
If he couldn’t bear to part with him, then the adorable purebred poodle who loved dyeing his hair naturally would do.
If all else failed…
She’d just grab any other Ning family younger brother with the character ‘Yu’ in his name.
Seeing Ning Shangyu still silent, Lin Zhishui moved closer, her naturally large, crystal-clear pupils shining with expectation, “Think it over, Shangyu?”
After a long moment, Ning Shangyu looked away from her glassy eyes, his tone flat, “There’s no precedent for special recruitment to the Ning scientific core team.”
The light in Lin Zhishui’s eyes dimmed.
In front of him, her fingers began slowly rubbing her slender wrist.
The bright red bruises from last night’s belt binding were still there.
Her constitution made even the slightest injury stand out, and without ointment, they wouldn’t fade easily.
They were undeniable proof of Ning Shangyu’s mischief.
Lin Zhishui frowned and rubbed her wrist again, as if feeling deeply wronged.
Ning Shangyu observed her leisurely before finally adopting an official tone, “Let Cui Daiyun join through the normal assessment process.”
Lin Zhishui immediately smiled, leaning in to kiss his flawless handsome brow.
Her lips, damp with moisture, brushed lightly against his reluctant mouth.
Her voice was soft and sticky, “I knew it. I knew the wise and mighty Mr. Ning wouldn’t disappoint me.”
“Now it’s Mr. Ning again?”
Ning Shangyu chuckled lightly inside.
He patted her buttocks gently but firmly.
Having achieved her goal, Lin Zhishui no longer clung to his lap.
She carried the silver notebook back upstairs to the study to relay the news to Cui Daiyun, who was far away in the port district.
She intended to inject her own faction into Ning family’s core scientific research team.
Cui Daiyun, seen through the video call bathed in daylight, looked slightly surprised at the calm Lin Zhishui.
She sat like a sacred jade statue, her appearance still familiar but suddenly grown up… no longer fragile enough to be broken by a gust of wind or rain.
Falling silent, Cui Daiyun took some time to compose himself before asking,
“Are you asking me to help… develop a new kind of medicine for Ning’s research?”
“Yes,” Lin Zhishui replied quietly, “Uncle Cui, since Qin Wanyin has already approached you, I won’t hide it—she wants to research the same kind of medicine as Ning. This concerns me.”
“Concerns you?”
Lin Zhishui smiled faintly, calmly, “Qin Wanyin wants to replace me in my current position.”
She was crystal clear about Qin’s ambitious schemes.
The Qin family had already offered incomplete original data as a ‘favor’ to Ning.
If they could completely solve Ning family’s troubles,
they would become like a small mouse at the bottom of the food chain, using painstaking effort to uncover rivals’ talents and develop precious medicines.
They would easily dominate and surpass many noble families relying on Ning.
The little mouse would transform into a noble phoenix perched atop the branches.
The two families were already at odds.
Once Qin Wanyin ascended, her first move would likely be to strike at the Lin family.
Since discovering Qin family’s true rise to power, Lin Zhishui suddenly felt…
she had come to Sicheng with a sky-falling marriage contract, naïvely trying to build a relationship with Ning Shangyu as fiancés, feeling all alone at times.
All the inside information she had was shared only by others on a whim.
Such a long-term situation was detrimental to her precarious position.
Lin Zhishui needed Cui Daiyun inside Ning’s core research team to gain information before the sharp-sensed Qin family.
After another long silence, Cui Daiyun asked seriously,
“Little Zhishui, do you truly love this engagement?”
Lin Zhishui blinked, puzzled as if she didn’t understand the question.
Cui Daiyun’s expression on the screen was steady and kind.
Though not quite fatherly, he sincerely cared for her growth.
“Your mother married your sister into the Jiangnan Chu family; I’m not surprised.
But I never expected her to be willing to send you away just after you turned eighteen…”
His words trailed off.
Lin Zhishui understood his meaning.
Not just him.
Many in the Lin family probably felt the same confusion.
If Sheng Mingying had truly been willing to send her away, she would not have left her uneducated in sex and relationships, but instead taught her deeply, as she did her sister.
Lin Zhishui lowered her gaze and smiled, “Uncle Cui, I don’t reject this engagement.
Though young and inexperienced, my wish to help my mother share the family burden is sincere.
Please don’t treat me like a child anymore.”
She was healthy and well past adulthood…
And beyond that boundary, only Ning Shangyu didn’t treat her like a child.
At least, not during their intimate moments.
Lin Zhishui’s real bodily responses made her feel she had truly grown up.
With Ning Shangyu verbally agreeing to let Cui Daiyun join the team, things were halfway there.
Lin Zhishui temporarily set the matter aside and didn’t ask frequently about the progress.
Her daily focus was on when the bruises on her spanked buttocks would fade.
Every time she showered and saw them,
she couldn’t help but recall that night’s scenes.
After a few days sleeping on the master bedroom’s black velvet bed, Lin Zhishui felt it might be a bit loose—probably some parts had been loosened by Ning Shangyu’s forceful impact.
One clear weekend morning, waking groggy, she saw the man dressing by the bed and blurted out her thoughts softly, “If it really collapses, wouldn’t it be better to replace it early before we both lose face?”
Ning Shangyu asked, “If we replace it now, won’t we still lose face?”
Lin Zhishui frowned and considered, “We can find an excuse and say…”
Ning Shangyu, now at the last step of tying his tie, bent over with a commanding gaze, silently signaling her to help.
Lin Zhishui’s fair fingers rested lazily on the blanket.
She softly said, “I don’t know how.”
“Wasn’t this part of your socialite etiquette lessons?”
Ning Shangyu’s attire was severe and formal, but his long, bony fingers lazily toyed with his dark tie, the tip swinging near his wrist—looking as dangerous as his leather belt.
Distracted for a moment, Lin Zhishui candidly replied, “No.”
Ning Shangyu’s gaze returned to her slender, pale fingers and said, “I’ll give you a chance to learn.”
Lin Zhishui felt a burning heat spread over her skin from his desire transmitted through the distance.
Though she didn’t know which word triggered Ning Shangyu’s reaction, she deliberately asked slowly, “Learn to tie a tie like you do, and then tie someone to the headboard?”
“To teach you how to tie a tie unwillingly, and you want to learn that?”
Ning Shangyu’s expression remained unchanged but his eyes shone with conquest.
He imitated her slow tone and asked, “Want me to teach you right now?”
Lin Zhishui had already seen his strict schedule before bed last night.
She knew his bodyguards and secretaries were waiting outside.
So Ning Shangyu had no time for on-the-spot lessons…
What could she do?
Her lips just curved when she was about to retort.
He continued slowly, “Teaching you won’t break this bed.
But if you want to replace the bed as you wish, we can finish that quickly.”
Lin Zhishui’s eyes widened in shock.
Clearly, Ning Shangyu always followed through on his words.
Refusing to help him with his tie or learn would only lead to her being firmly pinned under the covers.
Her nightdress slid up, revealing snow-white skin that flushed red from the close contact.
The next moment, he was serious.
With arrogant force, he charged at the huge black velvet bed.
Determined to destroy it completely!