After Lin Zhishui arrived in Si Cheng, she was not sent back to the Lin Family in the Gang District.
Sheng Mingying’s attitude clearly signaled her tacit approval for Lin Zhishui and Ning Shangyu to cultivate their relationship as an engaged couple.
Naturally, long-term separation between the two would be inconvenient—especially since Ning Shangyu was such a busy man.
But Lin Zhishui was busy as well.
Since she was living in Si Cheng, she needed a private residence of her own.
She was currently occupied with picking from all the properties under Ning Shangyu’s name.
Yet, as she curled up on the large leather sofa, her finger swiped through the silver tablet’s photo album so much that it nearly smoked, but she still couldn’t find a place that truly suited her.
Every super luxurious villa in the album had been prepared with the highest specifications befitting her status in the Ning Family, yet the housekeeper, seeing her dissatisfaction, quickly brought out a new set of listings.
Lin Zhishui paused for several seconds.
She told herself she was focused on serious matters, but even so, she needed a break.
Her clear, lively eyes fluttered, her gaze spreading like ripples of water, drifting from the corner of her eyes—
And landing on the breathtaking lake view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The residence where Ning Shangyu lived was in Si Cheng’s famous Heirs’ District.
It was said that many prestigious families and influential figures chose to settle here.
His home’s architecture was unique, surrounded by the most natural water features, and accompanied by towering Luo Yu Cypress trees.
Since childhood, Lin Zhishui had felt as if she’d grown up in a giant glass house, longing for the outside world.
She was instinctively drawn to anything brimming with vitality.
The housekeeper, sensing her thoughts, said, “Does Lin Miss like Mr. Ning’s private residence?”
It was said that Ning Shangyu was a severe neat freak; his private quarters were strictly off-limits to outsiders.
Even the younger brothers in the family couldn’t stay overnight at will.
If anyone so much as disturbed the pristine, dust-free environment, they’d be scolded.
But who was Lin Miss?
She was the future Mrs. Ning!!
Soon, she could rightfully become the mistress of this very home.
The housekeeper dutifully tried to ease Lin Zhishui’s troubles in choosing a house, taking the initiative to say, “I can consult with Mr. Ning about this.”
Lin Zhishui’s gaze remained on those Luo Yu Cypress trees, lost in thought.
After a moment.
She sighed. Truthfully, she wanted to take advantage of Ning Shangyu’s absence and claim this residence she liked so much.
Unfortunately, it was his private home. If they lived together before marriage…
Well, that wouldn’t sound good for her reputation.
“No… There’s no need to ask. It’s just, I don’t really like any of the beds in these houses.”
With a casual excuse, Lin Zhishui declined the housekeeper’s enthusiastic suggestion, picked up the tablet again, and randomly chose one, bored, “This one will do.”
The housekeeper sensed Lin Zhishui’s mood.
He couldn’t just let the future Mrs. Ning make do.
After thinking it over, he decided to consult Ning Shangyu anyway, subtly mentioning, “Lin Miss seems dissatisfied with the beds in her residence…”
***
At that moment, aboard the private jet, the slow, composed conversation among the men in suits abruptly stopped.
All talk of stock markets and investment projects ceased.
The housekeeper’s suggestive message had clearly piqued their interest.
They cast furtive glances toward the main figure sitting on the luxurious leather sofa.
Recently, Ning Shangyu had been busy with acquisition negotiations in the US.
Even his personal time was tightly scheduled.
Wearing a formal suit and a pair of black, gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze never left his documents.
For three seconds, silence reigned.
Accompanying him, Ning Zhiyu and another branch member, Ning Ciyu, exchanged glances.
The two brothers were notorious troublemakers in the family.
Whenever the “Yu” generation caused chaos, it was usually Ning Zhiyu who started it, with Ning Ciyu fanning the flames.
As for the obviously manic Ning Manyu, no matter how wild she was, she willingly submitted to Ning Shangyu’s authority.
To put it bluntly, she was a diehard career fan.
Now, hearing the news about Lin Zhishui in Si Cheng—
It was as if a splash of vibrant color had been thrown into Ning Shangyu’s densely packed work schedule.
Ning Ruyu’s eyes seemed to say, “Tsk, this little daughter raised by the Lin Family is something else.”
Ning Ciyu’s eyes also wrote, “She’s definitely no pushover.”
“Since big brother took over the family business, so many well-matched, eligible young ladies have been eager to make a move. Yet, this little one from the Lin Family hasn’t even officially married in, and since she can’t use the identity of Mrs. Ning to check up on him, she’s using this ‘picky about beds’ excuse to assert her presence.”
After all, everyone in the family knew that Ning Shangyu had a notorious case of sexual abstinence.
His secretary always carried a special injection developed just for him by the family.
All because, for him, power came first, and in private, he was extremely restrained!
Ning Manyu’s mind had barely conjured the words “troublemaker,”
When Ning Shangyu, after a moment’s silence, considered Lin Zhishui’s high standards for beds in a strange city.
Without avoiding the others, he suddenly instructed Li Jin, who stood by steadily awaiting orders, “Send her the bed from the top of Taiping Mountain.”
The bed at the Taiping Mountain residence was custom-made to fit Ning Shangyu’s sleep habits, physique, and muscle relaxation needs.
Even though he rarely set foot in the Gang District, no one else had ever qualified to lie on it.
See? Just a little “picky,” and even the bed gets shared!
Ning Manyu, like a caged and irritable lion, couldn’t help but make some “noise,” the word “troublemaker” in her eyes instantly growing a hundred times bolder.
Lin Zhishui was branded a troublemaker from afar, though she had no idea that it all began with her lingering gaze at that… oversized, black velvet bed atop Taiping Mountain.
The next day, that very bed was airlifted by Ning Shangyu’s secretary to her new residence.
Her new home was a standalone Western-style house with a garden, triple-layered smart security, and several housekeepers and servants.
The three-story building was spacious, decorated with classic porcelain paintings and auction pieces, with excellent lighting.
When the sun shone in, it was like a golden fishtail brushing across the wooden floor.
Lin Zhishui didn’t let the secretary accompany her.
She climbed the spiral staircase to the master bedroom alone.
The two floor-to-ceiling doors were wide open.
Where the new bed should have been, the massive black velvet bed now dominated the space.
Such imposing presence—truly reminiscent of Ning Shangyu himself.
Lin Zhishui strolled over, lowered her eyes for a few seconds, as if discovering a new amusement. She reached out a finger to touch it.
The velvet felt exquisite, and, as if under some strange spell, she thought of Ning Shangyu’s hands—soft yet strong.
The next moment, her finger pressed down, watching the slight indentation in the black velvet.
Suddenly, she snapped out of her daze.
It was all Ning Shangyu’s fault for teaching her physiology so thoroughly that night—she’d absorbed it all too well…
Lin Zhishui’s thick lashes trembled, and then, out of nowhere, she wondered, How could one person possibly sleep on such a huge bed?
She usually slept very properly—no issues there.
Why send such a big bed…?
Could Ning Shangyu be implying something else?
No way.
Lin Zhishui pondered.
Though she hadn’t known him long, he didn’t seem like the type to send a bed as some kind of suggestive hint.
But since she’d chosen this place, and the bed had been delivered—
There was no reason not to sleep in it.
Lin Zhishui decided to lie down, treating it like a second new amusement, curiously measuring the width of the bed with her slender frame.
Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a dusting of gold into the room, silently landing on the nape of Lin Zhishui’s neck.
After measuring, she pressed her forehead against the soft pillow, her jet-black hair spreading out, revealing a slender and pale profile.
Before she knew it, she’d fallen asleep.
Late into the night, she was woken by Lin Xiguang, who finally replied to her earlier message.
Lin Zhishui occupied only a quarter of the bed, lying quietly like a delicate doll.
As her phone vibrated with a notification, she stirred, her eyes fluttering open.
She blinked for a moment, then fumbled for her phone under the pillow.
Opening the chat with Lin Xiguang, the last message still read, [You’re such a little brat.]
Now, a new reply had appeared, [You’re the brat yourself.]
Lin Xiguang, [Let me ask you, dear sister, how did you figure out that Shen Linshu, that beautiful, slick Chinese-American guy, is pursuing me? Was it with your innocent little face?]
Lin Zhishui typed out word by word, [Mm, I relied on your face.]
The Lin Family was known for producing beauties.
Although Lin Xiguang resembled their mother more, the sisters did share some features.
If you looked closely, you’d find Lin Zhishui’s lighter-colored pupils and naturally gentle brows set her apart from her universally-adored sister.
Having been overly sheltered since childhood, Lin Zhishui was like a blank sheet when it came to love between men and women—never thinking to apply such things to herself.
Two minutes later, Lin Xiguang sent a voice message, her voice light and amused, [Eighteen years… I’ve turned down no less than a hundred admirers for you. Well, now you’ve grown up, which means you’re fully responsible for your own life. This time, you can turn him down yourself.]
A hundred admirers?
Lin Zhishui thought she hadn’t even met a hundred people before turning eighteen.
Her gaze fell on the last sentence again—she’d have to turn down the “notorious flirt” Shen Linshu herself.
In the dead of night—
Wasn’t this just like having a nightmare?
As her finger slipped, she accidentally tapped into her WeChat chat with Ning Shangyu.
She even sent over a period by mistake, thanks to her speed.
It was too late to retract it.
Tonight, Lin Xiguang was online despite her busy schedule.
Ning Shangyu, too, was online amid his own mountain of work.
Since she’d already disturbed him, she might as well disturb him for another minute.
At this moment, Lin Zhishui felt like a miniature doll in a music box.
At the sight of his question mark, she seemed wound up, her fingers moving as if with a will of their own, [Mr. Ning, your bed is too big… I had a nightmare!]
Ning Shangyu took a few seconds to reply, [Lin Miss, what are you going to do about it?]
Lin Zhishui hadn’t expected him to toss the question back so nonchalantly.
She paused, then slowly typed, [At home, Aunt Qin and the others would always take turns sleeping with me.]
Since coming to Si Cheng—
She hadn’t brought her pre-marriage dowry: her three fairy godmothers.
After sending this message, it was like dropping a stone into the sea.
Lin Zhishui waited with her eyes open for a while, thinking perhaps Ning Shangyu had gone back to being “busy with a thousand affairs.”
She sighed inwardly, pretending she was busy too—busy lying on this oversized bed, pulling the covers up to her face, hiding everything below her delicate nose.
Her eyelids had barely closed for a minute when the blanket was gently pulled down.
Lin Zhishui, slow to react, suddenly sat up.
In the next instant.
Her gaze locked onto Ning Shangyu, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
He must have entered the house while replying to her message.
Under the soft, warm light of the bedside lamp, his dark, custom suit seemed edged in gold, like a god tearing through the night.
This “god” leaned over the edge of the bed, and with a low chuckle said, “So, Lin Miss isn’t picky about beds, but about people.”
For a moment, Lin Zhishui was at a loss for words.
Her pure eyes remained fixed on Ning Shangyu, not straying for a second.
Perhaps it was the late hour, but the scene felt like the opening of a secret movie you had to sneak off and watch in your room…
Ning Shangyu’s long fingers casually pinched her fair chin.
Lin Zhishui, sitting upright, let him lower his face, his high-bridged nose brushing her cool cheek like a dragonfly skimming water.
Even his breath seemed to fall lightly at the corner of her lips.
Was this the beginning of mutual understanding before marriage?
In Lin Zhishui’s widening eyes, his handsome face was reflected.
Her fingers nervously clenched the black velvet sheets, their ivory quality standing out.
As she breathed in his scent, Lin Zhishui was keenly aware—
That just this much was enough to make her instinctively push him away.
Because they were facing each other, one sitting, one standing.
In the dim light, her trembling fingers clutched his arm.
Ning Shangyu’s physique was clearly well-trained—every muscle perfectly defined, brimming with life.
She froze.
Seconds ticked by.
Lin Zhishui’s fingers did not let go.
Ning Shangyu’s captivating eyes remained fixed on her.
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