An Ruo couldn't take a bath because of her injuries, but she still had to serve the man, waiting until he was washed and in bed before she could catch her breath. Just as she was about to grab a pillow and head to the sofa, the man leaning against the headboard suddenly spoke: "Sleep in the bed tonight."
An Ruo quickly shook her head. "I sleep terribly; it's better if I take the sofa." If she accidentally bumped into his leg in her sleep and hurt him, that wouldn't be good.
The man reminded her again, "Sleep in the bed." Given her tendency to sleepwalk, as long as she was in the room, she'd end up sprawled on him anyway. If she slept in the living room, she'd sneak back on her own, so it was better to have her in the bed to save her the trouble.
Since he insisted, An Ruo didn't refuse anymore. She lifted the silk quilt and squeezed in unceremoniously. "Don't worry, Master Shen, I won't sleepwalk tonight."
Shen Xiaoxing hummed in response, lying down and feeling the warmth beside him, which brought him some relief.
An Ruo pressed the remote, and the room suddenly went dark. "Master Shen, goodnight!" She said goodnight to him every night, but he always ignored her, leaving her with just his back.
Thinking back on the day's events, An Ruo drifted off to sleep, and in the darkness, the steady sound of her soft snoring filled the room.
The man opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly sat up. He turned on a dim nightlight, lifted the quilt, and got out of bed. His feet moved freely on the carpet, his steps steady and strong.
He found the first-aid kit, took out some ointment for external injuries, and returned to the bedside. Rolling up the girl's pajama pants, he saw the gauze on her knee, and his gaze deepened.
She really didn't know how to take care of herself. When she applied the medicine, she did it hastily, and the gauze was crooked. He could have told her, but he could only watch silently, unable to speak.
After lying down, he couldn't fall asleep for a long time, tossing and turning with the image of the scrapes on her fair, smooth skin in his mind.
Carefully, he peeled off the gauze, squeezed out the ointment, and gently applied it to the wound. The girl murmured and turned over in her sleep. Shen Xiaoxing froze immediately, waiting until she settled into a comfortable position and was still before continuing to apply the medicine.
There were also scrapes on her palms and arms. As he applied the ointment, the scene of her rushing over to grab him flashed through his mind...
After finishing, Shen Xiaoxing put the first-aid kit back in its place, returned to bed, and tucked the girl in. Leaning against the headboard, he stared at her sleeping face, momentarily lost in thought.
She rarely smiled, but when she did, two dimples appeared on her cheeks, just like his mother in his memories—especially the look between her brows... it was really similar.
Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder: had he saved her that day out of compassion, or because she looked like his mother, making him unable to resist being kind to her?
---
Under the cover of night, a flashy red sports car screeched to a halt with a drift sound.
Shen Tingfeng bent down to get out of the car, tossed the keys to the butler, and swaggered into the living room with his hands in his pockets, whistling carelessly.
Shen Yu was holding a newspaper, and Fang Yingxue sat beside him, talking about something. When Shen Tingfeng walked in, they turned their attention to him.
"Idling around all day, just hanging out with those worthless friends!" Seeing his son's demeanor, Shen Yu was furious. "When will you take yourself seriously, take the Shen Group seriously?"
Fang Yingxue wasn't happy. "Enough, the boy just got back, and you're already picking on him." She looked at Shen Tingfeng and asked, "Tingfeng, how did it go?"
Shen Tingfeng pulled out the medical report He Su had given him and tossed it on the table. "Relax, that medicine will make his leg recovery very slow, and he'll never see the light again."
"Is this person you found reliable?"
"Mom, rest assured. He Su is my man; he wouldn't dare disobey my orders."
Fang Yingxue sighed. "Now the old man has found that bastard a wife, clearly trying to guard against us."
Thinking about how Shen Tingfeng had defended An Ruo during the day, she added, "You should have let me teach that girl a lesson today. She needs to know who's in charge in the Shen family, so she doesn't keep protecting that bastard in the future."
Shen Tingfeng crossed his legs, a smirk playing on his lips. "Mom, don't rush. Sister-in-law is new here and doesn't know the rules of the Shen family. I'll teach her slowly."
Shen Yu folded the newspaper. "Send word to have our people keep a close eye on them. If this girl gets pregnant with the Shen family's heir first, given Dad's intentions, it'll be hard for our branch to get the Shen Group inheritance."
At the top of the stairs, Shen Xingrou crouched at the corner, eavesdropping on their conversation, deeply worried about Shen Xiaoxing's safety.
---
An Ruo had a very pleasant dream. She was lying in a castle made of cake, with a bed just as soft, and candy, chocolate, and all kinds of sweets flew into her mouth on wings.
But one piece of milk candy took a detour and flew away. She chased it vigorously, but it playfully dodged back and forth, making her grind her teeth in frustration.
Suddenly, she leaped and finally caught the fragrant, sweet milk candy. It smelled richly of milk, and she smiled, taking a big bite—
"An Qing!"
The man's booming shout snapped An Ruo back to reality!
Startled by the sudden noise, she opened her eyes, her glass-like orbs blinking. Looking up, she found herself clinging to the man like an octopus, with clear bite marks on his arm.
"Uh..." An Ruo jolted awake, laughing awkwardly as she sat up. "Good morning, Master Shen... Did you sleep well last night?"