Chapter 18

Lin Jinshen stayed frozen where he was, arms braced on either side of her, like he might be holding her close, only he wasn’t. An invisible line still divided them.
The look they shared was completely silent.
His lashes dropped. Lu Yi peeked at him furtively, and with sudden self-consciousness, yanked the thin quilt up to her chest, which probably only drew more attention to it.
“What exactly are you thinking?” Lin Jinshen deadpanned, sounding cold and inscrutable.
His tone all but said, What the hell goes on in that head of yours?
“Wait, you mean it’s just boring adult stuff, like, bedroom-rated trash?”
“Isn’t it?” Lu Yi asked, grabbing her arm, putting her right back in that posture.
Lin Jinshen’s tone didn’t change; if anything, he sounded colder and more proper. “Just now, both your hands were pressed to your chest. Sleeping in that position restricts your heart, can make you wake up with palpitations or in the middle of a nightmare.”
“So you were… helping me sleep better?” Lu Yi blinked, momentarily thrown.
“What else could I be doing?” Lin Jinshen shot back.
Like he was interrogating her soul, what did she think he was up to?
“…”
She let go of the blanket, conceding that maybe she’d overthought it. Still, not entirely her fault.
Lin Jinshen retreated, laying flat with his arms at his sides, textbook-perfect.
A no-man’s land divided the bed down the middle, each of them keeping to their own side, equally aloof, utterly nonintrusive.
Lu Yi woke up several times throughout the night. Drowsiness hit her like a tidal wave, her eyelids dropped, and within seconds, her breathing evened out into steady sleep.
Lin Jinshen, though, didn’t sleep at all.
His routine was ruined: he’d missed his ideal window, just showered, now lying stiff as a board, eyes wide open, wondering what on earth compelled him to come back tonight.
Restlessness surged in his chest, inexplicable and persistent.
Lin Jinshen pressed his brow, easing the sting in his eyes, forcing himself to keep them closed, willing sleep to come.
Suddenly, “smack”, an arm flopped over him.
Lu Yi had shifted, now facing him, curling into his side; her leg wrapped over his, her forehead nestled against his arm.
“…”
This wasn’t the first time.
Just like that morning, she’d come barreling into him, draping arms and legs alike as if she were his sultry, fragrant human heating pad.
He hadn’t exactly stopped it last time, blame it on muscle memory: the second she snuggled up, her presence seemed to seep into his skin, her scent surrounding him like an embrace come alive.
And then there was another time, maybe not morning, maybe night, he’d switched the schedule without consulting her. Still technically within their “agreement.”
But right now, Lin Jinshen gently removed her arm, set her leg down, and nudged her shoulder until she was lying flat again.
After that, he lay back, eyes shut, determined to sleep.
A few minutes later, Lu Yi rolled over again. Her leg slipped across his, her face pressed up against his arm; hot breath filtered right through his sleeve, setting every nerve beneath his skin on fire.
Softness, skin-warmth, that lightly sweet scent trailing over him… Everything in his chest seemed to glitch: wild, irregular heartbeats one moment, total suspension the next.
Expression stony, Lin Jinshen was anything but comfortable. He repeated the same routine, once, twice, three, four times.
Was sleep simply impossible?
He’d have to tell her tomorrow: her sleeping habits were, to put it politely, not ideal.
The next time she gravitated toward him, Lin Jinshen lowered his voice, fighting for composure: “Lu Yi.”
No response from Lu Yi whatsoever.
Every time she’d just settled, she’d drift back over like clockwork. It was impossible not to notice. Miserable, he finally sat up and headed to the bathroom, switching on the bedside lamp as he went.
Lu Yi, meanwhile, was dead to the world.
She slept hard, but not well, so much so that even the alarm buzzed multiple times before she was remotely aware of it. When she fumbled for the snooze, an arm reached over, shut it off, and the bedroom dropped back into silence.
Lu Yi jerked fully awake. When she opened her eyes, all she saw was a back moving away from the bed, Lin Jinshen getting up, slippers shuffling toward the bathroom.
She checked the time: 7:30. Right on cue for her own alarm.
Normally, by the time she woke up, Lin Jinshen would have wrapped up his morning run and been long gone to the office.
But today, he woke with her. Well, he only got in at two a.m. last night. Turns out, he was human after all?
After waiting ten minutes more, she heard Lin Jinshen heading to the dressing room and only then rolled out of bed, dashing for the bathroom.
As always, the sink was spotless. But the trashcan bristled with extra paper balls, had Aunt Fang missed a spot, so Lin Jinshen scrubbed again after her?
That level of compulsive neatness, honestly, next level.
Teeth brushed, Lu Yi grabbed her clothes, but paused on the stairs, eavesdropping on Lin Jinshen’s conversation with Aunt Fang, who’d just arrived.
Aunt Fang hadn’t seen him in a while; her greeting was extra warm, asking if work kept him busy, reminding him to take care of himself, after all, health is everything.
She added with a smile, “It’s not just me who worries, Sir. Madam worries about you too. She asked me to make you some of your favorite dishes and bring them over. Food outside just can’t compare to home, right?”
Lu Yi was genuinely impressed,
Aunt Fang had taken her suggestions from yesterday and spun them into “from Lu Yi, with care.”
And she was still going: “Madam might be too shy to say it, but she does hope you’ll come home more often…”
Lu Yi coughed loudly, making some noise as if she were just coming downstairs.
“Understood. I appreciate your effort,” Lin Jinshen replied, his voice low and rough around the edges.
“Your voice sounds off, are you sick?”
“No, just didn’t sleep well.”
“I told you, you really have to take care of your health! It’s miserable being under the weather.” Aunt Fang’s concern was heartfelt.
After a simple thanks, Lin Jinshen changed his shoes and headed out.
When she finally heard the front door click shut, Lu Yi came down at a leisurely pace, greeting Aunt Fang.
Aunt Fang beamed. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“I’ll skip it, running late already. I’ll eat at the office.” Lu Yi poured out cat food for Puff, calculated the time it’d take Lin Jinshen to reach the elevators and the lobby, clapped her hands, said bye to Aunt Fang, and headed out herself.
At work, Lu Yi felt all her colleagues’ gossipy eyes zero in as soon as she walked in. Before they could pile on, she held up a hand, smiled lightly, and said, “Happy to talk shop; as for personal stuff, that’s off limits.”
No matter how her coworkers tried, she kept her professional game face firmly in place.
Lu Yi always struck people as gentle and easygoing, but there was still that polite distance. Frankly, at work she was a great colleague, outside, they might as well be strangers.
At six on the dot, she clocked out and left.
When she reached home Friday, Madam Xu called right on schedule: “Have you eaten yet?”
“I ate.”
“At home or out?”
“At home.”
Madam Xu knew they had a housekeeper and asked, “How’s the new auntie working out? Isn’t just one person a bit much for a big place? I can help you find another.”
“We’re rarely home these days. One is plenty. Aunt Fang is great, and her cooking’s fantastic.”
But what Madam Xu heard was: “Jinshen doesn’t stay home much, does he? Have you two even seen each other since that wedding dress fitting?”
“...We have,” Lu Yi replied, setting her water glass down. Puff, her sneaky little cat, crept over the moment she picked up the phone and started quietly sipping from her glass. Lu Yi waved her hand in feigned annoyance, but a minute later, Puff hopped right back up and kept drinking.
She’d picked up this trick online: cats hate drinking plain water, but they’re obsessed with whatever’s in your cup. Chase them off a bit, and they’ll drink even more.
Lu Yi grinned at her own mischief, chatting as she mentioned how Lin Jinshen had stopped by on opening day.
“But what about you? Have you dropped by his office to see him? Your dad told me he’s been pouring himself into the KS acquisition, and his whole team is on edge. Have you shown him that you care?”
“…”
Lu Yi fell silent, which, as far as Madam Xu was concerned, meant no.
“Aren’t you free this weekend? Make the first move and visit him!” Madam Xu continued, “He already made time to see you, right? There’s nothing strange about you visiting him in return.”
“Got it.” Lu Yi promised she’d go if she had time.
Madam Xu’s tone turned serious: “Tomorrow at lunch is perfect. Go have a meal together! If you’re feeling shy about going alone, I’ll go with you.”
“No need!”
“I’ll go, I’ll definitely go tomorrow.”
Lu Yi added, “Mission received. I’ll send you photo evidence for your inspection, boss.”
Madam Xu burst out laughing, grumbling like Lu Yi was still her mischievous little girl: “Don’t just humor me, mean it. Go for real, and do it properly, not just for show.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
When she was little and her dad was working overtime, Madam Xu would take her to stay at her grandparents’. She’d picked up their dialect and could still speak a bit herself.
After hanging up, Lu Yi had no choice but to turn to Aunt Fang for help.
Aunt Fang was overjoyed, she thought Lu Yi had finally come to her senses and said she’d been waiting to hear that.
The next morning, Aunt Fang prepared several dishes, packed them neatly in thermal containers, and wiped each one clean. Five containers in total. Lu Yi hesitated, “Is this too much? There’s no way he’ll finish all that by himself.”
“But it’s for the two of you! You’re already going all that way, don’t run back and forth for nothing.”
That part hadn’t been in Lu Yi’s plan.
Aunt Fang took the initiative, carrying three containers and helping load them in the car.
“Thank you, Aunt Fang. You should finish early today, take a break, you work so hard.”
“It’s nothing, really. You hardly give me any work to do, but the pay’s not bad. If I didn’t help out, I’d feel useless. At least I can still be of some use.”
Lu Yi buckled up. “Don’t say that. Well, I’ll head out now.”
“Go on, go on.”
She had already messaged Lin Jinshen to coordinate, after all, this was meant to be a thoughtful visit, not a surprise, and she didn’t want to come all this way for nothing if he’d made other plans.
Lin Jinshen had Jiang Xun coordinate with her and told him to greet her when she arrived.
When she reached the parking garage, Lu Yi sent a message: [Assistant Jiang, I’m here.]
She snapped a photo of her parking spot to make it easier for him to find her.
Jiang Xun jogged over. He spotted Lu Yi from afar and hurried up to greet her: “Hello, madam.”
“I brought a lot of food. Would you mind giving me a hand?” Lu Yi said, popping the trunk to reveal five neatly lined thermal containers.
Jiang Xun bent down and grabbed four, two in each hand, leaving her just one to carry.
“This way, please. President Lin’s private elevator leads straight to his office.”
“Thank you.”
In the elevator, Jiang Xun said earnestly, “Madam, you really take great care of President Lin. He’s been completely swamped lately, so busy he sometimes even skips lunch.”
Lu Yi nodded, feeling a little guilty.
Jiang Xun went on, “President Lin hasn’t really been home these past weeks. If he isn’t at the office, he’s crashed at a hotel. Other than me, he hasn’t had anyone around.”
He really stressed the “anyone”, hoping Lu Yi would feel reassured that, though the boss hadn’t been home, he also wasn’t getting up to anything shady.
Lu Yi picked up on the hint and smiled. “I get it. I trust him.”
Jiang Xun grinned shyly and seized the chance to show his loyalty: “Don’t worry, madam. I’ll keep an eye on President Lin for you.”
“...Thank you for that.”
They reached the correct floor, straight to the President’s office.
Lin Jinshen had several assistants, but since Jiang Xun had sent the heads-up, everyone paused their work and warmly greeted Lu Yi in unison. The welcome was almost overwhelming.
“You all get back to work, don’t mind me,” Lu Yi said, uncomfortable with the attention. She knocked on his office door, heard a “Come in,” and went inside, Jiang Xun following with four containers.
Lin Jinshen was still busy at his desk. At the sound, he looked up and met Lu Yi’s eyes.
She noticed he was still tied up with work and instinctively asked, “Want me to wait until you’re done?”
“Five minutes.”
“Alright.”
Lu Yi set the containers out on the coffee table. It was her first time in his office, her first impression was that it was huge and a bit empty, all cool colors and sharp metal accents, as chill as their place in Chengxi Garden.
Jiang Xun excused himself once he’d set everything down.
Lu Yi began opening up the containers, hearing the quiet rustling of documents from the desk. Unhurried, she laid out the dishes, plenty of variety, some Lin Jinshen’s favorites, some hers.
Almost five minutes later, she heard a chair scrape. Lin Jinshen stood up and walked over.
Lu Yi looked up and handed him a bowl and chopsticks. Her eyes dropped, she recognized his tie. The one she’d given him.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t wear other brands?”
“All my other ties are at home. I’ve already worn the ones here. This one was all I had left.” Lin Jinshen took the bowl and, stretching out his long legs, sank into the armchair across from her.
The missing tie? Just say the word, Jiang Xun could have a whole stack delivered from home in no time.
Lu Yi gave him an extra glance. It suited him, honestly. No need to call him out on the little things.
"Aunt Fang made this?"
"Yeah."
"Thank her for me, will you?"
"…"
The two of them sat face to face, eating in near silence, struggling to find even scraps of conversation.
They’d done this before, of course. By unspoken agreement, they sat down to eat together at least once a week. In the beginning, they’d forced themselves to chat a bit. These days? Every dinner felt like this one.
Without exception.
Instead of bonding, it just threw their awkward marriage into sharper relief.
"How long will you be buried in work this time?" Lu Yi asked, tossing out a token show of concern.
Lin Jinshen looked up. "If things go well, I should be done within two weeks."
Lu Yi nodded. "That’s not too bad."
"Mhm."
Something was off with Lin Jinshen’s throat. He forced down two bites of rice, swallowing them with water. No appetite, but manners won out, he kept at it for a few more mouthfuls.
Lu Yi noticed his voice sounded even rougher than this morning. Worse, actually. His normally pale skin was flushed a feverish red, definitely not the healthy kind, either.
She’d nearly finished eating when she set down her utensils, studying him out of the corner of her eye. A hunch struck. On impulse, she lifted a hand and pressed the back against his forehead.
The heat hit her instantly, one second was all it took, and she pulled away with her answer.
Lin Jinshen jerked back as if scalded. His face, already pink, deepened to crimson, a look of affronted pride if she’d ever seen one. He glared, voice ragged: "What are you doing?"
And that scent tormented him all over again, his body’s memory flickering to life in a way he hated. Like something sticky he couldn’t shake, he instinctively tried to put space between them, out of caution, maybe even fear.
If self-control failed, some drastic measures might be required.
Lu Yi didn’t get it. He hadn’t seemed remotely shy in bed.
And now she so much as touched his forehead, you’d think she’d ruined his spotless reputation.
Lu Yi frowned, her voice soft: "You have a fever, you know that?"
Weird.
He was fine last night. How’d he end up like this by morning?