Chapter 14

Lu Yi choked, speechless.
Right now she just felt wrecked, like, didn’t we just do it? Why are we doing it again? It was a little like being snapped back to her student days, forced to complete every stroke of her homework under a watchful eye.
Lin Jinshen crossed his arms, cold and unreadable, leaving no room for negotiation.
She tipped her head up. The blush she'd picked up from the earlier misunderstanding was slowly fading from her cheeks. She murmured, “Nobody does it like this, jumping straight to the deep end. Isn’t this the sort of thing you need to ease into?”
Two more to go: one tonight, one tomorrow night.
Every day? Who could survive that?
Lin Jinshen stared at her, frowning. “Ease into what?”
“You’re uncomfortable?”
There was no mocking in his tone, just plain confusion. After all, last night, Lu Yi’s reactions hadn’t shown any sign of discomfort.
The way he looked at her now, if she so much as hinted she was unwell, even if he said nothing, his eyes alone would demolish her argument.
“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable.”
“Alright, I get it,” Lin Jinshen said.
Lu Yi let out a quiet breath of relief: crisis averted. She stood up, smoothed down her skirt, and suggested they head out. If they stayed any longer, who knew what sort of stories people outside might spin about them.
“Let’s go,” Lin Jinshen glanced at her boredom and led the way.
“Should we? Is it okay to leave now?” She meant his work duties.
“Don’t worry. I’ll say a quick goodbye.”
Lu Yi trailed behind Lin Jinshen as they left the shadows and stepped back into the light. Lips pressed tight, she still felt rattled by what just happened, sure that everyone in the hall was convinced they’d just been caught making out in secret.
Lin Jinshen approached the event host with effortless calm and spoke quietly, “President Yan, my wife’s tired. I’ll take her home to rest, sorry to leave early tonight.”
President Yan smiled at Lu Yi and nodded, “Of course, Mrs. Lin, are you feeling unwell?”
“Just didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Alright, then get some rest.”
Lu Yi returned the smile, polite as ever.
The car was already waiting outside. The assistant had gone off-duty and caught a ride home alone.
The two of them settled into the back seat. Lu Yi, restrained by the stiff bodice of her gown, sat ramrod straight. After hours in high heels, her ankles were aching. She bent down, lifted her skirt slightly, and pressed her hands over the soreness.
Her ankles looked like pale jade, tinged with pink.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Jinshen caught her movements, and what really grabbed him tonight was the silk scarf around her neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You can take the scarf off. Aren’t you hot?”
Lu Yi turned her face away. This was, after all, the second time he’d mentioned it. There was a hint of accusation in her gaze: “I’d take it off if I could.”
She shifted up in her seat, using her free hand to press down the scarf and cover the marks scattered across her neck, faint but unmistakable, even in the dim light. More than a little suggestive.
Lu Yi’s eyes were full of blame.
This wasn’t her idea. She couldn’t even leave the house without something to hide these marks.
Lin Jinshen’s face stayed wooden. He knew perfectly well he’d put those marks there, but it had been pure instinct, not a conscious choice. And really, she wasn’t the only one marked up.
He turned his head, revealing the back of his neck.
Three fine score marks, one of them faintly scabbed over.
Lu Yi: “…”
Her handiwork from last night.
Lin Jinshen turned back, meeting her eyes in silence.
Lu Yi quietly took off the scarf. She almost wanted to hand it to him, looked like he needed it more than she did. He’d spent the whole day parading around with those scratches and didn’t bother hiding them. Didn’t absolutely everyone notice?
He clearly knew but refused to cover up.
And she could already imagine if she asked one more question, he’d fix his blank expression and say: Why hide it? We’re married. Isn’t it normal to have a sex life?
The driver was still there.
Lu Yi had some shame left, so she kept her mouth shut.
The car pulled into the garage; after saying goodbye, the driver clocked out.
“Drive safe,” Lu Yi called politely. Once he’d gone, she and Lin Jinshen headed for the elevator, one after another.
In the silence, she noticed their mirrored reflections on all four walls of the elevator: Lin Jinshen, in a tailored suit, tie-less, but with his shirt buttoned to the very top. Even with no one else around, he stood upright, stiff as ever.
Always reinforcing that uptight image.
How could someone so buttoned-up in public turn into that kind of person in bed?
The elevator stopped on their floor, they unlocked the door and entered.
Puff, the cat, was still curled in her bed, too scared to come out.
Wearing that evening dress, Lu Yi couldn’t even pick her up. She headed upstairs to change, one arm sliding around her back to find the zipper, then, sensing another presence, she headed into the walk-in closet.
She unzipped, her dress pooled at her feet.
She removed the padded inserts and let out a relieved breath. Free of the fabric’s grip, she felt reborn.
Lu Yi gathered up her gown and stepped out, leaving the closet for Lin Jinshen. He was undoing his shirt buttons with one hand, passing her in the narrow hallway.
She hadn’t made it far when he called her name.
“Lu Yi.”
She turned. Before anything else, she was met by his cool, unreadable gaze. He lowered his eyes, nudging her to look as well. Resting on the edge of the desk were the adhesive bra cups she’d just taken off.
Long fingers plucked the little things from the surface. “You forgot these.”
“…”
Flushed, Lu Yi hurried over, snatched them from his hand, and dashed out, dress and all.
Lin Jinshen had no idea what they were, just that his fingertips felt a lingering warmth. He didn’t dwell on it. He lifted his chin and continued unbuttoning his shirt.
After taking off her makeup and showering, Lu Yi went downstairs to check on Puff.
Ever since Aunt Fang learned that Puff needed to lose weight, she not only started closely monitoring the cat’s diet but also set aside a portion of its food as a post-exercise treat. With Aunt Fang at the helm, Puff’s workouts ramped up, and, for the first week in ages, the little fluffball hadn’t gained a single pound.
“It’s so weird. I never used to like cats, but Puff is adorable. I just can’t help wanting to tease her.”
So, every one of Puff’s little toys ended up with Aunt Fang.
Her chat history with Aunt Fang was basically an endless scroll of Puff photos and videos.
Between the three people living here, Puff was only intimidated by Lin Jinshen.
No Lin Jinshen downstairs tonight, Puff seized the opportunity and strutted out, and Lu Yi grabbed a cat ball for some late-night cardio.
Puff chased after the ball, and with her stamina and focus, she could go three or four rounds before tiring out.
Lu Yi kept an eye on the clock and listened for movement upstairs. Around eleven, Lin Jinshen finally left his study. As he headed back to their bedroom, he casually called out that it was time for bed.
“Okay.”
Eleven o’clock. Bedtime.
Lin Jinshen’s been honoring this routine for the past twenty years. Last night was the exception, tonight, he was definitely sticking to schedule.
Maybe it was the glass of wine before bed, but for once, night four, Lu Yi didn’t have trouble falling asleep. Grateful that she didn’t have to scramble with late-night assignments, she closed her eyes and was out almost instantly.
But her sleep was far from peaceful.
She kept drifting in and out of dreams, over and over, reliving scenes from the night before.
The kisses and embraces felt dangerously real. Lost in those tangled sensations, she blinked awake, and locked eyes with a dark, smoldering gaze.
“?”
This was no dream.
An instant later, Lu Yi’s mind went blank as her wrists were pinned, and she was swept into a wild, breathless climb to a mountaintop where no one else existed.
Her brain hadn’t caught up, but her body already responded in kind.
Maybe because it was morning, things weren’t as frenzied as they’d been at night.
When it was over, Lin Jinshen pressed his cool fingertips to her damp forehead, voice rough and sleep-heavy: “That’s the last time this week.”
“…”
Lu Yi nearly bit through her lip. So last night, when he said “got it,” he really meant reducing from three times to two, and moving one to the morning slot.
The alarm blared.
Lin Jinshen’s alarm. Six a.m.
He sat up, looking, at last, like an actual human being. “There’s still time. Go back to sleep if you want.”
Lu Yi clutched the comforter to her chest. “Seriously? You don’t think you owe me some kind of explanation, springing this on me at six in the morning?”
Lin Jinshen hadn’t bothered getting dressed yet, just standing there in Zimmerli boxer briefs, his long legs fully exposed, sleek muscles and athletic lines all on display.
The way he bent to grab his clothes, downright dangerous.
Lu Yi’s resolve wavered; tough to keep up the scolding act when, honestly, she’d just enjoyed herself too.
Lin Jinshen straightened up and looked down at her, meeting her gaze with that deep, even-toned voice: “You’re the one who started it.”
“…”
So he was just dumping all the blame on her?
“I couldn’t help myself.”
Apparently, that was reason enough.
After a few days under one roof, Lu Yi was starting to get a handle on Lin Jinshen’s personality.
He was blunt, straightforward, not one to play word games. If things fell within his idea of “reasonable,” he kept to the rules and did what needed to be done.
Before marriage, even a brush of his hand was always careful, polite. If he came too close, he’d step back immediately.
Post-wedding? He did what he wanted, no hesitation, zero hangups.
Lin Jinshen headed into the bathroom to wash up.
Lu Yi shut her eyes, exhaustion settling in, and tried to catch a bit more sleep.
The 5 a.m. “exercise” nearly made her oversleep, she rolled out of bed without even opening her eyes, racing through a quick shower to salvage her morning.
All through the next morning, she fought off sleep, barely alive even after coffee, which earned her no end of teasing from her coworkers.
By lunch, she was finally starting to feel human again.
Yu Qian messaged her with some industry gossip: Apparently, at last night’s party, a pair of lovebirds couldn’t hold it in and got hot and heavy in a dark corner, right in the middle of the gala, things got pretty steamy.
“…”
Yu Qian: [What is it with young people these days, so full of energy! Youth really is wasted on the young. The world’s their bedroom, huh.]
[You think they couldn’t afford a hotel room, or is it just for the thrill?]
[I can’t, everyone’s making wild guesses. Someone even suggested your husband. Please, Lin Jinshen? As if!]
[…]
Last night had already been mortifying enough.
But nothing beat your best friend showing up to spill the latest gossip, only for you to realize you were the main character in said gossip.
Lu Yi explained: It wasn’t what it looked like. The necklace got caught on her dress, and all they were doing was untangling it, nothing more.
Yu Qian: [And how do you know exactly what happened? Were you there?]
Lu Yi replied with a “marching toward execution” meme: [Ever considered the possibility that…I was the one involved?]
Text just couldn’t capture Yu Qian’s level of wicked glee, she immediately switched to voice chat. For twenty solid seconds, all Lu Yi heard was exaggerated cackling, the kind that leaves you gasping for air.
Yu Qian: [So who was the guy?]
Lu Yi: [Lin Jinshen.]
This time, she got a whole minute of laughter in response.
Loud enough to hurt her ears.
After Yu Qian recovered, she snarked: [You realize if the Hong Kong tabloids had caught you, the headline would’ve read, ]
[‘Midnight Kisses: Mr. Lin Caught Locking Lips With Married Woman, So Scandalous!’]
Lu Yi: [……]
With the exhibition deadline looming, everyone on the team was hustling to get their tasks done. She’d already confirmed that Xin Qi’s work wouldn’t be appearing, which was a pity, but she’d managed to pick out pieces by other artists, negotiating with them one-on-one. Most days, she had to visit the site to oversee progress and make sure nothing went sideways on opening day.
Yu Qian brought news that Xin Qi had finally replied.
“He said he’s already sold most of his paintings. If we want to display them, he’ll have to track down the buyers.”
Whether that was an excuse or the truth was anyone’s guess.
Yu Qian tried to comfort Lu Yi, saying Xin Qi was notoriously difficult in the art world; it was normal if they couldn’t get his work. At least he responded, probably out of respect for her rushing over that weekend.
Lu Yi remembered that day; they’d barely exchanged a handful of words.
But that very afternoon, Xin Qi had reached out to Yu Qian, posing as a buyer. He expressed interest in their exhibition and agreed to lend his collection, but only for display. Not for sale.
Buyer left their contact info and a signature.
Selene
My coworker said the name looked familiar, like they'd seen it before, but couldn’t remember where, just that it definitely wasn’t their first time seeing it.
But Lu Yi knew full well, she’d seen that signature plenty. It was her WeChat handle, her English name even, but she’d never told anyone at the office.
Her coworker probably recognized it from a hazy memory after adding her on WeChat, but once people changed the notes, it all blended together and no one remembered anymore.
“Was it a man who called?”
“Yeah, but he said he was Selene’s assistant. For anything about the exhibition pieces, just contact him.”
“Oh, okay.” Lu Yi nodded.
“You don’t look very happy, did you celebrate so hard you forgot?” Her coworker nudged her, then pulled up the photos the buyer sent over for her to pick three pieces for the show.
Six in total.
Among them was one she’d seen that night, a dreamy, enchanting scene under the moonlight. There were also two likely to be Xin Qi’s latest: quiet villages by moonlight, a barefoot child with a bucket on a ridge, the soft veil of moonlight brushed over him like a mother’s gentle hand.
Lu Yi painstakingly chose three, discussed it with her coworker, and they were both in agreement.
Back at her desk, she pulled out her phone and opened the chat with Lin Jinshen. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked: [Did you buy Xin Qi’s paintings?]
Minutes passed with no reply. Lu Yi looked back at her screen, appreciating all six paintings again. Suddenly, her phone buzzed with his message.
Pioneer: [Yeah.]
Selene: [Why?]
She thought their work lives didn’t overlap.
Pioneer: [That night you said his work was great, worth collecting. So I bought it as, let’s say, an investment for the family.]
Which… was true.
Lu Yi had trained in this field, her taste and judgment for art sharp as ever. She believed Xin Qi would soon be a rising star, his work’s value would only grow with him.
Right now, buying in could only turn a profit.
Still, the whole thing made her uneasy.
Selene: [That’s the only reason?]
Pioneer: [Is there another?]
Lu Yi knew how strange Xin Qi was. The type to live in some remote village for half a year, climbing mountains at dawn and dusk, obsessed with painting the sun and moon. He didn’t care about fame or money. He wouldn’t show at exhibitions, much less sell his work easily.
Lu Yi didn’t press further, she just asked how he’d managed to buy them.
Lin Jinshen’s answer was simple. Xin Qi only cared about painting; money and fame meant nothing to him. But if someone could offer something he wanted, like a chance to study with his favorite master, who, according to Lin Jinshen, hadn’t accepted new students in ages, well, that was different. So he’d asked his uncle for help.
This wasn’t something money alone could buy.
Lu Yi realized what her aunt was hinting at during the dinner, it was about this.
She hadn’t thought about it at the time.
All that work, just for these six paintings.
But why buy them for her?
They were only married in name. Every duty, every expectation, was spelled out in black and white, legally binding.
Lin Jinshen didn’t owe her this.
Or… was it because they’d slept together, and now he wanted to make it up to her? Even if that sounded wrong, it almost felt like a tip, a reward after the fact.
Lu Yi couldn’t help thinking that before texting it, too.
Maybe it sounded ungrateful, but she wanted things between them to stay clear.
Pioneer: [Is that really what you think?]
Pioneer: [If so, why would I be the one giving it?]
Pioneer: [I did all the work.]
“…”
Lu Yi stared at those three messages, suddenly unsure if she still recognized Chinese.
Was he saying she should be the one giving him something?