When Shen Qi woke up the next morning, she felt like her entire body was in excruciating pain! So this was what it felt like—so exhausting and painful!
The moment she stirred, He Yining, who was holding her, immediately noticed.
"How do you feel?" He Yining asked, suppressing a smile as he looked at Shen Qi's sour expression.
"Aren't you in pain?" Shen Qi glanced at him sideways.
"Nope, not at all," He Yining replied with a straight face.
What? Only I'm in agony?
Not fair!
Fuming, Shen Qi grabbed He Yining's arm and brought it to her mouth, ready to bite him to vent her frustration. But as her teeth touched his arm, she suddenly couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Why didn't you bite?" He Yining asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Go ahead, bite."
"Hmph, I won't!" Shen Qi turned her head away, ignoring him.
He Yining reached out, gently turned her face toward him, and gave her lips a soft bite. "Be good, once you get through this pain, it won't hurt anymore..."
"There's a next time?" Shen Qi froze, and as she recalled the madness of the previous night, her face inexplicably flushed red.
Oh my god, if this happened every day, she'd never be able to salvage her dignity!
"What do you think?" He Yining pinched the tip of Shen Qi's nose. "If you're not feeling well today, just rest in bed all day."
With that, He Yining turned and got out of bed.
As she saw the bite mark on He Yining's neck, Shen Qi wished she could burrow under the covers and never come out. How embarrassing! What had she done last night?
When He Yining put on his clothes, he also noticed the bite mark on his neck. A satisfied smile curled at the corners of his mouth, and he gave Shen Qi a meaningful look.
Shen Qi burrowed even deeper under the covers.
Even though He Yining told her to stay in bed all day, Shen Qi still got up. The paintings she had finished yesterday were supposed to be sent to her alma mater today, so she couldn't afford to laze around.
After washing up, Shen Qi went out to have breakfast with He Yining. As they left, He Yining took the initiative to reach out and hold her hand. Shen Qi couldn't help but smile sweetly, intertwining her fingers with his as they walked out.
When they appeared, everyone's eyes immediately fell on their clasped hands. If there had been some distance between them yesterday, after one night, they were clearly inseparable now.
Han Fei's face turned even paler. He silently looked away—this scene was too heartbreaking for him. Chen Chen glanced at Han Fei with a touch of sadness, unsure of what to say.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," Shen Qi said cheerfully. "We slept a bit late last night."
Everyone thought to themselves, no need to explain! We get it! We can clearly see the marks on your necks!
Though they all understood, no one voiced it aloud, only politely replying, "Not at all."
Just then, Xiao Chun hurried over and quietly said to He Yining, "President, Miss Feng has arrived."
"She's here? Good, let her see for herself and finally give up," He Yining said indifferently. "Let her in."
Xiao Chun nodded, holding back a smile. The president seemed to be in a great mood this morning. It looked like his step-by-step plan was finally paying off. The second young mistress probably wouldn't be able to escape now.
Feng Kexin rushed in frantically, shouting as she entered, "Yining, you—"
Her words cut off abruptly as her eyes landed on their intertwined fingers. Feng Kexin stared at their hands in disbelief, wanting nothing more than to rush over and pry them apart.
"Is there something you need, Miss Feng? Here for a meal since you haven't eaten?" He Yining didn't even spare Feng Kexin a glance, his eyes fixed solely on Shen Qi.
Feng Kexin finally tore her gaze away from their hands, slowly moving it to their faces. This time, she couldn't stay calm anymore. She immediately spotted the hickeys on both their necks.
They... they... had actually...
Feng Kexin's eyes widened, and she shook her head in disbelief. "You two last night..."
He Yining finally deigned to look at Feng Kexin. "What is it, Miss Feng? Something you want to say?"
"No, impossible! You can't!" Feng Kexin screamed hysterically. "He Yining, how could you do this to me? I've liked you for so long! I gave up studying abroad for you! How could you be with this woman beside you?"
A mocking smile curled at He Yining's lips. "She's my lawful wife. If I'm not with her, should I be with you? If you came here just to question why I'm with my wife, then I suggest you take it up with the lawmakers."
Feng Kexin couldn't hold back anymore. She lunged forward, aiming to slap Shen Qi across the face. He Yining grabbed her wrist and shoved her hard. Caught off guard, Feng Kexin stumbled on her high heels and fell onto the carpet.
"Feng Kexin, I'm warning you seriously. Shen Qi is my wife, the second young mistress of the He family. If you dare lay a finger on her, I'll pluck every hair from your body and dump you on the busiest street in H City. This is my first and last warning. Don't test my limits or my patience, or I'll make the entire Feng family pay." He Yining spoke calmly, but every word carried immense pressure, weighing down like a mountain.
Even those uninvolved felt the heavy tension.
Just then, Xiao Xia rushed in from outside. "President, the eldest young master of the Feng family is here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Manlun's figure appeared from outside.
"President He, my apologies. My sister was too impulsive," Feng Manlun said as he hurried in. Glancing at He Yining and Shen Qi, his eyes lingered briefly on their necks before quickly looking away. "I'll take her back now and make sure she learns her lesson."
"Brother!" Feng Kexin shouted.
"How dare you call me that? What did I tell you?" Feng Manlun's face was pale and weary from his recent surgery. As soon as he heard that Feng Kexin and He Yining were both on Nanshan, he knew something was wrong. Ignoring his own discomfort, he rushed over to prevent her from angering He Yining and causing real trouble.
Before Feng Kexin could respond, Feng Manlun continued, "President He, rest assured. From now on, Kexin won't appear before you again, disturbing your happiness with Miss Shen. Please, considering we've known each other since childhood and the cooperation between the He and Feng families, let her off this once."
After saying this, Feng Manlun immediately turned to Shen Qi. "Miss Shen, I'm very sorry. Kexin didn't mean to target you. I believe you're a kind girl who can forgive a lost lamb willing to admit its mistake, right?"
"Brother Manlun!" He Yining shot Feng Manlun a warning look, signaling him to stop.
Feng Manlun ignored the warning and continued looking at Shen Qi. "Miss Shen, could you, for my sake, forgive Kexin's recklessness?"
Shen Qi sighed. "I'm fine. But I hope I won't hear such words again. Yining and I don't need an outsider meddling in our lives."
Feng Manlun finally breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded at He Yining and Shen Qi. "Thank you both for your magnanimity. I'll take Kexin and leave now. Farewell!"
Dragging the reluctant Feng Kexin away, Feng Manlun quickly left.
Watching their retreating figures, Shen Qi inexplicably felt a sense of relief.
Once outside the resort, Feng Kexin shook off Feng Manlun's grip. "Brother, why are you groveling to that woman?"
Feng Manlun gave her a cold look. "I can't let you destroy the Feng family."
"What are you talking about? I don't believe He Yining would ruin the Feng family over her! What good would that do the He family?" Feng Kexin protested defiantly. "Brother, why are you so afraid of He Yining? You two were once called the two young masters of H Province!"
"It's not fear; it's reality." Feng Manlun gently ruffled Feng Kexin's hair. "He Yining isn't the same person anymore. The He family isn't what it used to be. Back then, He Yining was just the second young master of the He family; now he's the president of the He Corporation. That's a huge difference. And I'm still just the eldest young master of the Feng family. Understand?"
Feng Kexin bit her lip. "I still don't believe he'd do anything to the Feng family over Shen Qi. We're the top family in H Province!"
"Before, maybe not. But now, it's hard to say." Feng Manlun said seriously. "He Yining is serious this time."
"I don't believe it!" Feng Kexin screamed. "How could He Yining like that country bumpkin?"
"It seems I need to take some action. I warned Shen Qi before, but it looks like she didn't listen. No matter, I'll just create some trouble for them." Feng Manlun's eyes darkened. "Kexin, go abroad for a while. Leave the rest to me."
"I don't want to go abroad!" Feng Kexin was on the verge of tears.
"Be good, listen to me. If you want He Yining, you need to disappear for now. Come back when their internal conflicts arise." Feng Manlun patted her shoulder gently. "I'll make sure you get what you want."
"Really?" Feng Kexin looked at him doubtfully.
"Definitely." Feng Manlun lightly tapped her nose. "You're my only sister. Who else would I help if not you?"
Feng Kexin finally broke into a smile.
After sending Feng Kexin off, Feng Manlun dialed a number. "Where is He Yinqi now?"
After hearing the response, Feng Manlun's eyes narrowed sharply. "Send the girl I arranged to He Yinqi. Make sure he believes she's the one He Yining is looking for. I refuse to believe that once she appears, He Yining can stay devoted to Shen Qi."