A familiar ceiling.
Su Jin opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.
She reached out to touch her phone on the bedside, glancing at the time.
It was 7:40 in the morning, a bit later than she usually woke up.
She rubbed her face and sat up in bed. On normal days, Xiao Li would already be waiting by her side with water at this time.
Sure enough, before Su Jin could say anything, a glass of water was already handed to her.
Su Jin yawned, squinting as she took the glass.
As she received the water, her hand brushed against the hand of the person offering it.
Hmm?
A flicker of confusion passed through Su Jin’s still-cloudy mind; the fingers she touched felt odd, not like Xiao Li’s.
But just up from bed, she didn’t dwell on it. Out of habit, she instructed:
“Xiao Li, pull open the curtains a bit… The room’s too dark.”
The person who’d handed her the water hesitated slightly, but still walked over to the window.
The thick blackout curtains were pulled open halfway. The morning sunlight wasn’t too bright, but it still illuminated the dim bedroom.
Su Jin squinted at the light.
Once her eyes adjusted, she lazily turned her head toward the window.
Standing there against the light was a tall figure, carefully adjusting the curtains to make sure the sunlight didn’t shine directly on her.
That wasn’t Xiao Li’s silhouette.
It was the back of a man, tall and upright.
Su Jin’s pupils shrank sharply. Her drowsiness vanished instantly.
She immediately sat up straight, the strap of her silk nightgown slipping off her shoulder.
“Lin Luan?!”
Hearing her voice, the man by the window turned around quickly.
“Miss Su Jin, I’m here.”
“You… How are you in my house?!”
Lin Luan looked a little helpless. “Miss Su Jin, we signed the contract yesterday. I’m your boyfriend now…”
“And this was your request. I must be in your room serving you before you wake up.”
Just as Su Jin reflexively wanted to say something, Xiao Li—who had been standing by the door all along—spoke up.
“Miss, he’s telling the truth. This was indeed your request.” Xiao Li bowed slightly. “But don’t worry, ever since he stepped into this house, I’ve been monitoring him. He hasn’t had any chance to misbehave.”
“……Fine.” Su Jin pressed her forehead. “Lin Luan, you go out first. I need to change.”
“Yes, Miss Su Jin.”
Lin Luan responded respectfully and retreated toward the door.
As he brushed past Xiao Li, who was standing at the doorway, he keenly sensed a gaze fall on him.
He looked up instinctively, meeting Xiao Li’s eyes.
Xiao Li snorted lightly, turned her head, and avoided looking directly at him.
Hmm?
Lin Luan didn’t quite understand.
He asked himself, from the moment he entered until now, he’d behaved perfectly, not crossing any lines—he shouldn’t have offended this bodyguard.
So why… does her attitude feel so odd?
But Lin Luan didn’t think too much. He was well aware of his own position and that he wasn’t qualified to know too much, so he didn’t ask further.
He simply closed the bedroom door behind him and waited outside for Su Jin.
Xiao Li walked into the dressing room and soon had Su Jin’s clothes ready.
“Miss, your clothes are ready.” Xiao Li’s voice was steady.
Su Jin rubbed her brows and got out of bed. She glanced at Xiao Li and casually asked, “What do you think of him?”
Xiao Li lowered her eyes, quickly tidying up the clothes as she answered:
“Punctual, cautious. For now, I can’t see any other motives, but… a bit too simple-minded.”
Hearing this, Su Jin’s lips curled in a subtle, ambiguous smile.
“Simple is just right.”
Originally, she had no special intentions toward Lin Luan—he was just a tool to deal with her father. But now, something had changed. Suddenly, she had a new idea.
She wanted to slowly taint this pure white lotus with her own hands.
***
Today was the weekend, so Su Jin didn’t have any business matters to worry about for the time being.
“Why are you still wearing Drunk Deer’s rags?”
At breakfast, she looked Lin Luan up and down as he stood beside her.
“Th-this… This is my best outfit, Miss Su Jin,” Lin Luan answered.
“You belong to me, and I don’t allow anything that belongs to me to wear someone else’s clothes.” Su Jin raised her hand. “Xiao Li, strip him.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Xiao Li stepped forward, ready to lay hands on Lin Luan.
“Wait, wait a minute!” Lin Luan hugged himself. “Miss Su Jin… I don’t have any other clothes to change into!”
“If you don’t, I do.” Su Jin sounded a bit impatient. “Xiao Li.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Li went straight up and grabbed Lin Luan’s hands, starting to undo his buttons.
“Don’t!”
Lin Luan panicked a little. He tried to come up with an excuse to stop Xiao Li but couldn’t, so he could only struggle in vain.
Crash!
He lost his balance and fell to the floor.
“Don’t?” Su Jin stood up and gestured for Xiao Li to stop.
Xiao Li got the hint and stepped aside.
Su Jin crouched down, holding Lin Luan’s chin between her fingers.
“Lin Luan, do you know what your status is now?”
“You’re something I bought for one and a half million. And now you dare say ‘don’t’ to me?”
“Everything about you belongs to me. Put simply, if I so wish, even the act of wearing clothes in front of me is something you’re not allowed to do.”
“So, don’t tell me ‘don’t,’ alright? I don’t like it.”
Lin Luan fell silent.
He’d never been treated this way before, but he had no complaints. After all, this was his job. For his sister’s sake, he could endure anything.
“Speak.”
“…Yes, Miss Su Jin.”
“Say: I’m just a little dog bought by Miss Su Jin. I apologize for resisting Miss Su Jin just now.”
Lin Luan took a deep breath. “I… I’m just a little dog bought by Miss Su Jin. I apologize for resisting Miss Su Jin just now.”
“Not bad.” Su Jin smiled with satisfaction.
Xiao Li stood to the side, her face flushing bright red.
Miss… Miss really knows how to play?
“But some things, once they’ve happened, can’t be solved with just an apology.” Su Jin stood up and returned to the bedroom, rummaging through her things.
“If apologies worked, why would we need the police? I have to punish you, so you remember never to go against my will.”
A moment later, she produced a bag and handed it to Lin Luan.
“The things in this bag are your punishment. After you take off your current clothes, put on what’s inside. Understand?”
“…Yes, Miss Su Jin.”
Lin Luan’s hands trembled slightly as he took the bag. He braced himself mentally, then opened it and took a look inside.
This is—?!
Even prepared as he was, he was still startled by what he saw inside the bag.
He… he really didn’t have any such proclivities.
Before Lin Luan could react, Xiao Li had already suppressed her own shyness and efficiently stepped forward to continue undressing him.
This time, Lin Luan forced himself not to resist.
The buttons came undone one by one, and the Kiton Suit slid off Lin Luan’s shoulders, revealing his clearly defined muscles.
He had worked at a construction site for a while, so while his muscles weren’t bulky, they were certainly firm and distinct.
Even Xiao Li was a little stunned at the sight. As a bodyguard herself, she knew that muscles like Lin Luan’s were rare among her peers.
But she quickly collected herself, preparing to undo Lin Luan’s belt.
“Wait!”
Lin Luan paused; this time, the voice didn’t come from him.
It was Su Jin who spoke.
At this moment, she was covering her face with one hand and turning her head away.
Lin Luan could see her face was as red as an apple.
Could it be… Miss Su Jin is actually…?
“Don’t, don’t undress in front of me…” Su Jin mumbled softly, completely different from her usual icy beauty.
She’s shy?!
Xiao Li and Lin Luan both froze in place, exchanging astonished looks.