The gentle sound of running water echoed through the room.
Ning Shangyu stood before the wide mirror that reflected the entire bathroom.
He squeezed out hand soap with meticulous care.
Lotus-scented foam traced the defined lines of his hands, winding along his knuckles and veins.
The misty air seeped into his skin, highlighting the faintly raised blue veins that stretched along his slender arms, like mountain ranges extending into the distance…
He turned the faucet to full blast, switching to cold water.
The rush of water grew louder and more intense.
Because of his severe obsession with cleanliness, Ning Shangyu washed each finger carefully, one by one.
Under the bright lights, his muscular arms looked powerful and vigorous, exuding an overwhelming masculine presence.
The blazing white light shone through the grand, wide-open glass shower door.
Suddenly, it seemed to spill out into the room.
Lin Zhishui, nerves taut, sat at the edge of the bed.
Her knees were pressed tightly together and trembling unconsciously.
She tried to suppress the feeling Ning Shangyu had called “needing him,” but the more she tried, the less she could control it.
Even the corners of Lin Zhishui’s eyes and brows were tinged with shyness.
Her gaze dropped, and she suddenly noticed the deep blue Heavenly Magpie Velvet sheet beneath her was wrinkled from her touch.
Her right hand slackened for a moment, and the scene of her reaching out to grab Ning Shangyu flashed through her mind.
What a bad hand!!!
How dare it occasionally disobey her brain’s commands.
Of all the things it could grab, why did it have to reach, so eagerly and precisely, for the hand Ning Shangyu offered?
The bathroom door closed without warning.
Perhaps he hadn’t bothered to soften his movements; the door slammed shut with a heavy thud, startling Lin Zhishui.
The spacious master bedroom fell silent.
Ning Shangyu, freshly washed, approached.
The faint, clean scent of hand soap lingered around him, brushing lightly across her face as he drew near.
Lin Zhishui was so startled her breath caught.
She didn’t know what to do and stared blankly at Ning Shangyu.
He was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and chest.
The moment he appeared above her, he blocked out the lamplight completely, casting a shadow over her.
At the same time, his low and clear voice fell upon her, “What are you so nervous about? Relax.”
How was she supposed to relax? Lin Zhishui’s anxiety only intensified.
Tonight, it wasn’t just her right hand that had grabbed Ning Shangyu to keep him from leaving—her whole body refused to obey her mind, as if conspiring to switch to a new master.
The moment Ning Shangyu gave the order, her eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably.
Ning Shangyu didn’t move, but she did, as if eager to learn.
Lin Zhishui’s face and ears burned.
Instinctively, she tried to retreat, forgetting she was sitting on the bed’s edge.
Without support, she fell back onto the bed, her skirt rippling like water, one corner flipping up to reveal the skin of her ankle.
Ning Shangyu didn’t offer a helping hand. Instead, he stepped forward, closing in.
“Tsk, Miss Lin’s thirst for knowledge is truly impressive.”
Lin Zhishui tried to reply, but the words caught in her throat.
She could feel Ning Shangyu’s knee press against the edge of the bed the next second, an overwhelming sense of pressure radiating from him.
Lin Zhishui grew even more anxious and blurted out, “Can you turn off the light?”
Maybe the darkness would shield her.
But Ning Shangyu’s aura was far too strong; it could shatter any barrier with ease.
He said in a low voice, “Do you turn off the lights when you study at home too?”
Lin Zhishui raised her brows, thinking, how is that the same?
Ning Shangyu’s long fingers landed on her slender shoulder and neck.
At this moment, he played the role of an earnest mentor, generously allowing her to experience his exceptional massage skills firsthand.
So much so that, without a word, his natural aura descended, and in that instant, Lin Zhishui’s mind recalled the Gang District’s endless rainy season—only now did she experience such a vivid, direct lesson.
Ning Shangyu gazed at her calmly.
The Lin family had raised her with such care that even her soul seemed spotless, unable to withstand the slightest disturbance.
He could only start gently, then gradually intensify.
In the end, his breath seemed to sink through Lin Zhishui’s skin.
Tears quivered in Lin Zhishui’s eyes.
Suddenly, she wanted to push Ning Shangyu away, but her fingertips lost strength, sliding down his arm wrapped tightly in a suit.
When she reached his wrist bone, she instinctively grasped the faintly throbbing vein there.
Don’t keep pressing—
She struggled weakly, her breath tinged with a pitiful plea for mercy.
“It’s only been a minute.”
Ning Shangyu’s face seemed a bit unfeeling, but his tone was unhurried, “You’ll get used to it.”
That’s how massages are—painful and numb at first, but it gets easier after a while.
Lin Zhishui knew he was right, but tears were about to spill from her beautiful, glassy eyes, as if a few blinks would send them rolling down.
Ning Shangyu’s lesson dragged on, minute after minute.
At first, Lin Zhishui’s pleas were ignored, so she could only passively endure.
She wanted to beg again.
Ning Shangyu never paused, his tall figure looming more dangerously over her.
Gradually, her eyes grew dazed, and she couldn’t help but lean toward his chest.
The distance between them blurred into something warm and ambiguous.
Her breath was light and sticky as she murmured, “Ning Shangyu…”
Lin Zhishui didn’t know what to say—she just instinctively wanted to call his name.
She could feel Ning Shangyu’s entire palm, the heat of his blood seeping through the fabric, almost overwhelming her.
Lin Zhishui vaguely sensed something.
This time, she wrapped her hand around Ning Shangyu’s wrist, as if silently urging him, and called his name again, her voice trailing off in a sob.
But Ning Shangyu didn’t move.
He simply soothed her nerves with just the right pressure, asking, “Does that feel good?”
“Mm.”
Better than in her dreams.
Lin Zhishui nodded honestly.
The next second, she heard Ning Shangyu ask, “Have you thought it through?”
Lin Zhishui didn’t react at first and blurted out in confusion, “Thought what through?”
Ning Shangyu was never one to repeat himself, but tonight was an exception.
He spoke lightly, “Have you decided whether you want to try a marriage with me?”
Lin Zhishui wanted to answer, but her mind had gone sluggish.
She couldn’t remember if she nodded or made a sound.
In any case, with Ning Shangyu’s careful, selfless guidance—
She finally let the secret she’d hidden in her heart for so long spill out along with her tears.
Lin Zhishui was drenched in a light sweat.
Her dress was a mess, tossed onto the carpet.
Ning Shangyu had just thrown it there.
Lin Zhishui lay on the deep blue Heavenly Magpie Velvet sheet.
She lifted her eyes under the light, her gaze shimmering with moisture.
“When does it start?”
Ning Shangyu was caught off guard by her sincere and direct question, turning to look at her slowly.
He still stood by the bed, his tall frame wrapped in a perfectly tailored black suit.
Except for a few creases on his sleeve left by her fingers, there was no trace of what had just happened.
At that moment, Ning Shangyu lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on Lin Zhishui’s delicate shoulder blades.
Her skin glowed like warm jade, tinged with the faintest blush, trailing down…
So slender.
The air was still for a moment.
Ning Shangyu bent down, suddenly close, but only reached out with two fingers to lift her chin an inch.
“Now isn’t the right time.”
Lin Zhishui parted her lips slightly.
“Why not?”
Ning Shangyu didn’t answer.
He watched her calmly for a moment, then let go and walked back into the bathroom.
This time, the door did not remain grandly open.
The sound of rushing water grew even louder.
Ning Shangyu took off his suit and, facing the wall, stood under the shower.
He turned the water to the coldest setting, letting it run down his tightly muscled back.
He stared expressionlessly at the white tiled wall.
As he raised his hand under the bright lights, a stark black minimalist tattoo—over 20 centimeters long—was revealed, running from his wrist to the inside of his forearm.
Against his pale skin, the tattoo looked striking, emanating a forbidden and mysterious danger.
Ten minutes passed.
Lin Zhishui lay on the bed, too lazy to move, but her mind kept spinning.
No matter how she thought, she couldn’t figure out why now wasn’t the right time.
Just as her frustration peaked—
Her phone chimed with a notification.
Lin Zhishui thought it might be A Yang or her mother.
But when she reached for it, she saw a new message in her WeChat notifications: Shen Linshu had sent her a friend request.
Lin Zhishui’s fingertip hovered over the screen for two seconds.
She didn’t add him right away.
Instead, she took a screenshot and opened her chat with Lin Xiguang, sending it over:
[Jiemu, is this another one of your obsessive suitors you can’t shake off?]
Chuchai was Lin Xiguang’s childhood nickname.
Lin Zhishui always called her that so affectionately, but she knew her sister was busy—especially after her arranged marriage—so she rarely reached out unless it was important.
Unless there was an exception.
Lin Zhishui felt that Shen Linshu had been overly attentive at dinner, even using the excuse of being Lin Xiguang’s schoolmate, and now he was adding her on WeChat late at night. She guessed:
She and Shen Linshu barely knew each other—just two brief encounters—so he was probably scheming something with her sister and trying to get to her through Lin Zhishui.
After thinking for a bit,
She typed another message, [You really attract all sorts of people.]
Lin Zhishui was extremely cautious around strangers, completely unaware of the truth…
Shen Linshu had already approached Lin Xiguang once with a pitiful story.
The reason was simple: years ago, she’d said her little sister wouldn’t accept an international marriage.
So now, could she accept a business marriage?
He’d gone on, saying Lin Zhishui was like a little fairy who’d fallen from the sky, and to put it bluntly, he’d be willing to be her doormat for life.
Lin Xiguang, of course, had mocked him, “If you can’t even control yourself, who can you serve? Do you even know how?”
After Lin Zhishui turned off her phone, she lay back down.
At least an hour had passed.
She lifted her head slightly and, from the corner of her eye, glanced at the brightly lit bathroom.
Is Ning Shangyu still showering?
So slow!!
Looks like after marriage, they shouldn’t share a bathroom at the same time.
Lin Zhishui compared herself to him, the corners of her pale pink lips lifting.
She thought she showered much faster.
Then, she pressed her face back into the soft pillow, not knowing which one Ning Shangyu usually used.
She breathed in the cool cedar scent, a bit like the smell on Ning Shangyu’s suit.
She had thought that her first night away from the Gang District, sleeping outside, would leave her restless.
But Lin Zhishui boldly claimed the master bedroom’s big bed for herself, too lazy to find another room.
She planned to discuss with Ning Shangyu when he came out, maybe ask him to sleep in the next room.
Yet, lulled by the sound of running water, she drifted off without realizing it.
When she woke again—
The sky outside the window was already bright.
Lin Zhishui’s body still carried lingering traces of last night’s comfort, as if the warmth had never faded.
Groggy, she sat up, clutching the covers.
Her pale toes touched the cold floor.
Suddenly—
She sensed something was off and froze for a few seconds.
Lin Zhishui didn’t move.
To clear her mind of random thoughts, she frowned slightly, trying to distract herself.
She glanced up and saw, outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window—
—A lake. Along the lakeshore, a lush expanse of trees grew, vibrant and full of life, as if adding a splash of color to the cold, pristine luxury villa.
Just as she calmed down—
Ning Shangyu entered, pushing open the door.
He carried a heavy wooden tray with hot milk and fish porridge.
As he walked past the window, the pale golden sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on his black silk robe, the collar slightly open, revealing the sensual lines of his chest.
“Awake?”
Ning Shangyu set the breakfast on the nightstand.
Clearly, he’d calculated her sleep schedule precisely.
Lin Zhishui glanced at his long, defined wrist, unable to stop herself from recalling last night.
Yet now, in broad daylight—
Her heart skipped a beat.
Alright, seeing him in person made her feel even more awkward.
She fumbled for something to say, “The trees outside are beautiful. What are they called?”
“Falling Feather Cedars.”
Falling Feather Cedars?
Such a lovely name, and the trees were beautiful too.
Lost in thought, Lin Zhishui’s gaze returned to him.
Ning Shangyu stood by the bed, not in a hurry to leave.
She couldn’t tell if he was waiting to watch her eat breakfast.
The atmosphere in the spacious master bedroom became suddenly quiet.
Lin Zhishui suddenly spoke, her tone secretive, “Ning Shangyu, can you come a little closer?”
“Tsk.”
Ning Shangyu, who had been looking down at her, now leaned in.
Lin Zhishui wrapped herself tightly in the covers.
Her pale fingertips hooked onto something, and as he approached, she quickly and accurately slipped it into the cool pocket of his robe.
“This is my answer.”
Ning Shangyu paused for a few seconds, then, right in front of Lin Zhishui, reached into his pocket.
His long, defined fingers fished out her “answer.”
He met her gaze slowly.
Lin Zhishui’s eyes widened, her pupils as clear and bright as ever, as if she’d done something perfectly open and honest.
Ning Shangyu understood at once—
She had agreed.