At night, the darkness stretched endlessly. The seaside villa was brightly lit, radiating warmth like a crystal ball, dispelling the thick darkness around it...
The bathroom door opened, and An Ruo stepped out from the swirling mist. The man was leaning against the headboard, reading a book—it turned out to be the same *Harry Potter* that An Che had been reading!
She walked over with a light laugh. "How come you've taken a liking to this kind of book too?"
"Getting to know my brother-in-law's interests, so I can find common ground with him." The man looked up at her, a teasing smile in his eyes as if he were asking for a reward. *Look how hard I'm working to win over your little brother—praise me, come on, praise me!*
An Ruo avoided his gaze and chuckled softly. "You don't need to win him over."
Given everything he had done for An Che, it wasn't like the boy was foolish enough not to appreciate his kindness.
Shen Xiaoxing watched her meaningful smile. In truth, his efforts to please An Che were ultimately for her happiness. If it made her happy, what wouldn't he do within his power?
But right now, he wanted to please her in other ways—like...
The man's burning gaze fell on her collarbone. He swallowed hard and naturally closed the book. "Done with your shower?"
"Yeah."
Unaware of the desire in his eyes, An Ruo bent over to tidy the bedding. From that angle, a glimpse of her cleavage was exposed...
She never wore a bra to sleep. Back when they first got married, during their tentative phase, she had been proper and fully dressed before they were intimate. Her mind had stayed on high alert at night, fearing the man might suddenly give in to his primal urges!
But now it was different. They were legitimate, lawful spouses, and as their relationship grew closer, An Ruo was slowly adapting.
It wasn't just him staring openly at her chest—even a flash of her neck or a stretch of her calf could immediately stir a reaction in him!
To him, it was pure physical temptation!
Shen Xiaoxing squeezed his eyes shut, suppressing the fervor within. His voice was low and slightly hoarse. "Come to bed."
He patted the edge of the bed, signaling for her to slip in quickly.
An Ruo was replying to messages. They had a group chat with the director, various crew members, and Song Weiwei among others. The director was reminding everyone about tomorrow's flight—since time was tight, they had set it for nine in the morning.
Seeing her so engrossed in chatting, the man felt a flicker of displeasure. "Who are you talking to that's more enticing than this handsome man?"
"Almost done..." An Ruo was typing on her phone when she heard this and turned to give him an odd look.
His expression darkened. He was never good at sweet talk, and her reaction made him cough awkwardly before pulling the covers over himself and lying down.
Watching him get embarrassed over his own flirtatious remark, An Ruo quickly finished her reply, lifted the blanket, and climbed in.
Before she could mention the business trip, a pair of strong arms reached out, pulling her by the waist into the bed.
Then, a torrent of kisses rained down on her...
"Mmph..."
An Ruo clutched his pajama top. The man was unusually passionate tonight, his heavy breaths hot against her face, and she could barely keep up.
"Mmph... Shen, Shen Xiaoxing, wait..." She pushed him away, catching her breath before speaking slowly. "I need to tell you something."
His voice was thick with desire, his dark eyes fully consumed. "Tell me after."
Given his stamina that could last until dawn, would she even have the energy to talk by the time he was done?
How did this man, fresh out of a plane crash, with disabled legs and just-recovered eyesight, still have so much vigor!
An Ruo pressed her hand against his chest and said seriously, "No, I need to say it now."
Seeing her insistence, Shen Xiaoxing reluctantly suppressed the beast clawing to break free from his gut and panted heavily. "Go ahead."
"I have to go on a business trip to Yucheng tomorrow. The duration is uncertain."
Shen Xiaoxing was momentarily taken aback. "When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow at nine in the morning."
Why a sudden business trip? Hadn't Gu Chao given him a heads-up?
"Our company is launching a new product soon. We've found a spokesperson, and the ad production is quite meticulous, so we're thinking of shooting on location."
Noticing his expression darken, An Ruo, thinking he disapproved, quickly added, "But I'll try to come back as soon as possible."
"Do you have to go?"
"Yes. I'm the lead on this project."
The man ran a hand through her hair, his eyes thoughtful, then bent down to place a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you off tomorrow."
Hearing this, she knew he had agreed to the trip!
A smile lit up her face. "You're okay with it?"
The man pursed his lips. "I'm your husband, not your boss. Would it matter if I said no?"
Though, if he wanted to, it would only take a phone call.
But he saw the anticipation in her eyes and didn't want to disappoint her. He decided to treat it as giving her a break, letting her have some fun.
Sensing his disappointment, An Ruo patted his chest reassuringly. "I'll bring you back something good to eat."
She used the same comforting words she used for An Che.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Am I that easy to please?"
Biting her lip, she suddenly grabbed his collar, lifted her head, and pressed a kiss to his thin lips.
Shen Xiaoxing cupped the back of her head, deepening this rare, initiated kiss. Fine, he admitted he was a bit easy to please.
"Leaving just like that doesn't sit well with me," he said hoarsely. "As compensation, you'll have to work a little harder tonight."
An Ruo's face was already flushed crimson. She pushed at him coquettishly. "No... I have a lot to do tomorrow."
If he ran wild all night, would she even be able to get out of bed the next day?
"Aren't you going to make it up to me before you leave?"
The man deliberately put on a pitiful expression, and An Ruo was stunned. Was this the same bloodthirsty, ruthless tyrant known for crippling people at the slightest provocation?
How was he starting to look more like a poor, abandoned puppy now?
She bit her lip lightly. "Then... let's finish early and rest."
"As you command!"
...
The next day, An Ruo was still asleep when the man got up.
He turned off her alarm and, when the time was right, softly woke her from her dreams.
An Ruo yawned. "Why are you up so early?"
"To help you pack." Shen Xiaoxing tilted his chin toward the suitcase, where clothes and personal items were neatly arranged.
She was stunned. "You prepared everything for me?"
"Yeah."
"So... you even handled the underwear?" As she said this, An Ruo wished she could crawl into a hole.
The man raised a mischievous brow. "We've been intimate so many times. No need to be this shy, right?"
"..."
"See? I wasn't embarrassed while packing."
How could he say that with a straight face?
"Take a look. Is there anything else you need?"
Wrapped in her pajamas, An Ruo crouched in front of the suitcase and checked carefully. The clothes were chosen to match her wardrobe, and her skincare and cosmetics were all there. She couldn't help but marvel.
This man was so meticulous he could even distinguish her skincare products from her makeup.
No wonder she always caught him watching her whenever she did her skincare routine in front of the mirror.