The wound on her lip still needed ointment applied. After taking a shower, Yu Keqing stood in front of the mirror where the steam had just dissipated, preparing to dab the salve onto her wound with a cotton swab.
The next second, the cotton swab was taken by Lin Sheng. Lin Sheng gently pinched her chin, turning her face toward her. Lowering her gaze, she began applying the medicine for her. A few strands of wet hair slipped out from Lin Sheng’s hair-drying cap, adding a touch of post-bath allure and sophistication to her appearance.
The cool ointment penetrated the flesh of her lips, soothing the burning, stinging pain.
Yu Keqing froze in place, keeping her eyes cast downward. Her gaze happened to fall right on Lin Sheng’s exquisite collarbones, which still bore the residual marks of her bites. They hadn’t been left willingly, but she had left them nonetheless. Her expression became extremely unnatural, and her tense facial muscles twitched slightly.
Applying a bit of pressure to secure her chin, Lin Sheng warned, “Don’t move. I’m not finished yet.”
This kind of interaction felt exactly like a final meal before an execution, luxurious and delicious, yet undeniably the last. Once eaten, one would be dragged to the execution grounds to be beheaded. Yu Keqing truly couldn’t bear it. Shivering a few times, she reached out, wanting to take the cotton swab back.
Evading her hand, Lin Sheng said, “Go to sleep early tonight. I’ll take you over for a checkup tomorrow.”
After finishing with the ointment, Lin Sheng merely kissed Yu Keqing on the cheek and did nothing else. Escaping the bathroom as if fleeing for her life, Yu Keqing lay on the bed, completely unable to sleep. It wasn’t until the spot behind her sank down and a pair of snow-white arms gathered her into an embrace, her back pressed flush against a soft, plush bosom, that she instantly tensed up like a startled bird.
The sandalwood scent on her body smelled wonderful. Lin Sheng closed her eyes to enjoy it, letting out a comfortable sigh. “No need to be nervous. I’m not doing anything tonight, we’re just sleeping. Once your body recovers and your hands have some strength back, you can pin me down and handle me to death.”
Yu Keqing’s face instantly exploded into a scarlet blush, her entire body feeling as if it were on fire. She couldn’t believe Lin Sheng would actually utter such crude words.
In her heart, Lin Sheng had always been a high and mighty queen, elegant, beautiful, and capable of crushing anyone beneath her feet with the mere wave of a finger. Current Lin Sheng was still a queen, but she had stripped away that layer of noble, elegant disguise. She had transformed into a wanton, disastrous beauty, seductive, stirring, and dripping with sweet, fresh juices. It was entirely different. It was mesmerizing, yet dangerous. It terrified her, and she had no way to escape.
Covering her ears to play the ostrich, she pleaded in a small voice, “Don’t… don’t say any more…”
These words were far too explicit. Yu Keqing simply couldn’t handle them. Yet, Lin Sheng harbored plenty of wicked playfulness. She deliberately breathed heavily against her ear, calling her baby, sweetheart, Keke wife, little sister, and darling baby. She was truly wanton beyond measure, teasing her until her entire body turned red, even her toes flushing like radiant gems. Lin Sheng even hooked her own foot around them to tangle and rub against her.
Awkward and deeply embarrassed, Yu Keqing curled up in Lin Sheng’s rose scented embrace amidst a flurry of chaotic emotions. She didn’t even dare move her hands randomly because her hands and face were pressed right against Lin Sheng’s breasts. She had already tried her best to maintain some distance from Lin Sheng, but she was still held tightly. Lin Sheng’s hands kept wandering all over her, as if teasing her, or perhaps trying to reassure herself of something.
“You’ve gotten so thin. Eat properly for me from now on, do you hear me?” Lin Sheng nibbled on her ear in exasperation.
It felt wet, itchy, and hot. Yu Keqing couldn’t stop trembling. “I… I hear you. Let go of me.”
I beg you, I really can’t take this.
Lin Sheng was actually suffering even more than she was. Her desires had long been stirring, but considering Yu Keqing’s current physical state and the hospital checkup tomorrow, she had no choice but to endure it for now.
They should have slept in separate rooms tonight, but the mere thought of Yu Keqing made Lin Sheng’s heart itch with unbearable longing. Even if she couldn’t eat her fill, she had to keep the person right before her eyes to feel at ease.
Suppressing her intense desire, she patted Yu Keqing’s back and said, “Either sleep like this, or don’t sleep at all. Take your pick.”
Dizzy and overwhelmed, Yu Keqing silently swallowed all her emotions and closed her eyes in resignation.
Having taken a nap in the afternoon, compounded by the current situation, she had thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep. Yet not long after closing her eyes, drowsiness washed over her. She couldn’t tell if it was due to the influence of their mingling pheromones or the cough medicine she had taken after dinner.
Lin Sheng, however, did not sleep. The main lights in the room had been turned off, leaving only the nightstand lamp casting a warm, dim yellow glow, allowing her to see the hazy sleeping face of the person in her arms.
Quiet and peaceful, with faint breathing.
The light scent of sandalwood brushed against her chest. Lin Sheng curled her toes, suppressing the pooling heat within her as she lamented in her heart, damn it, even she had a day like this.
She lowered her head to brush against Yu Keqing’s lips, carefully avoiding the wound. If she kept recklessly biting and kissing without any regard, the injury on them would never heal. Yu Keqing would suffer, and her own heart would ache terribly too.
Some things were already done, and regretting them now didn’t mean a damn thing. From now on, she would just treat Yu Keqing well. She wanted to make Yu Keqing utterly inseparable from her, so that she could only stay obediently by her side for the rest of her days.
This was the first time Yu Keqing had stepped outside since being locked up. The weather outside was beautiful; a glance upward revealed a blue sky and white clouds.
She wore a simple, loose, light coffee colored shirt paired with light-colored jeans. She wore no makeup or jewelry. She had always been like this, plain, ordinary, with nothing striking about her.
In the past, Lin Sheng had been particularly disdainful of her inability to dress up, complaining that she was too embarrassing to present in public. Consequently, she never took her to any grand occasions. Despite being married for so long, Yu Keqing had never even been to Lin Sheng’s company. Lin Sheng wouldn’t allow her to go, deeming her an embarrassment. There was only one reason Lin Sheng would ever bring her along out of the house, occasions where Wen Man was present.
Xiaobao pressed close to her, her eyes filled with worry.
Lowering her head, Yu Keqing smoothed her daughter’s ponytail. Not wanting her daughter to worry about her, she softly asked about what Xiaobao had been chatting about with the classmates she had recently reconnected with.
Xiaobao had many close classmates in Mang City, a few young girls usually walked to and from school together. After Lin Sheng restricted her freedom, even Xiaobao hadn’t been allowed to contact anyone from her past. It was only yesterday that Lin Sheng finally agreed to let Xiaobao have her phone back.
As expected, Xiaobao’s attention was successfully diverted. She rattled on about so many things. Yu Keqing mostly nodded and listened quietly, occasionally asking a few questions to prompt Xiaobao to keep talking.
Listening from the side, Lin Sheng noticed that while Xiaobao was usually quiet, she became incredibly talkative and expressive in front of Yu Keqing. When she got excited, she resembled a chirping little sparrow.
When it came to her, Xiaobao wouldn’t speak unless absolutely necessary. Even when she did, it was reluctant and huffy. Lin Sheng knew exactly why, but she didn’t care. The person she cared about most in her heart was Yu Keqing. As for this little tot Bao’er throwing a few tantrums, she could be magnanimous enough to humer her.
“Mommy, I want to eat the hand-pulled rice made by the landlady grandma.”
Xiaobao leaned into Yu Keqing’s embrace while casting stealthy glances at Lin Sheng beside them. She was deliberately saying this for Lin Sheng to hear, refusing to let her and Mommy go home was truly too wicked.
Yu Keqing’s smile was a bit strained. The bitterness welling up from the depths of her heart was forcefully suppressed. Go home? She wanted to as well, very much so.
Once they arrived at the hospital, even though it was the weekend, all the examinations went through with a green light. The hospital leadership accompanied them the entire time, acting thoroughly respectful and deferential toward Lin Sheng.
Most of the checkup results were manageable and wouldn’t immediately threaten her life. However, Yu Keqing’s constitution was weak, and because her emotions had been constantly strained, numerous minor ailments had cropped up. If these minor issues weren’t intervened with in time, they would accumulate and eventually turn into a severe illness.
With her current physical state, she could no longer afford to fall seriously ill again. Even a common cold or fever could potentially claim her life directly.
Yu Keqing was well aware of her own physical condition, so her reaction remained very placid when the doctor explained this.
Lin Sheng’s expression, however, turned utterly dark. On the car ride back, she kept a sullen face, remaining entirely silent.
Both of them tacitly kept these matters from Xiaobao, ensuring she wasn’t present to hear them. Upon returning home, Yu Keqing sent Xiaobao to go play with Tuantuan.
Only she and Lin Sheng were left in the living room. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s getting late, Man’er…”
Before she could finish, she was yanked into Lin Sheng’s arms and held in a crushing embrace. Soon, a sensation of wetness spread across her neck.
She froze. Was Lin Sheng… crying? But why?
In the evening, Wen Man brought her daughter, Wen Ning, over for dinner.
Yu Keqing initially wanted to use an excuse to hide in her room and not come out, just as she had done ten years ago. This was what Lin Sheng used to demand, and she had to comply every single time. At first, she hadn’t understood why, but later she realized Lin Sheng simply wanted to be alone with Wen Man. An eyesore of a third wheel like herself naturally shouldn’t appear.
Back when Wen Man was with Professor Jiang, Lin Sheng had already acted that way. Now that the two had divorced, Lin Sheng was bound to be even more unscrupulous.
Seeing that she had no intention of heading downstairs, Lin Sheng worriedly asked, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
As she spoke, she reached out her hand to check Yu Keqing’s forehead for a fever. Yu Keqing had run a fever twice before, and Lin Sheng felt a lingering fear whenever she recalled it.
Yu Keqing shook her head. She had already been tactful to this extent. Lin Sheng ought to be satisfied. If she still wasn’t satisfied, she should just let her leave with Xiaobao.
“Then why are you…” Lin Sheng finally realized something, and the remaining words died in her throat.
After a moment, Lin Sheng spoke with great difficulty, “If you don’t want to go down, you don’t have to. It’s fine to take a good rest. But if Man’er doesn’t see you, she will definitely ask.”
What exactly did Lin Sheng mean by this? Yu Keqing smiled bitterly. It was wrong if she appeared, and it was wrong if she didn’t. The thing Lin Sheng cared about most would always be Man’er’s feelings.
“Can I… go down?” She very sensibly sought Lin Sheng’s permission.
When these words reached Lin Sheng’s ears, they were interpreted in an entirely different light. Lin Sheng nodded and brought her downstairs together.
Wen Man and her daughter were already in the living room chatting with Xiaobao.
Seeing them come downstairs, Wen Man’s eyes immediately landed on Yu Keqing. She instantly rushed over, snatching her away from Lin Sheng’s grip, her eyes filled with genuine, undisguised worry.
“Look at you, how do you look even more haggard than a few days ago? You’ve lost so much weight, and this wound on your lip…” Wen Man was heartbroken, her rims turning red. She turned to glare at Lin Sheng, blaming her, “Stop messing around, will you? Keqing can’t handle your torment.”
Lin Sheng glanced at her hand, her brow furrowing slightly before she removed Wen Man’s hand from Yu Keqing’s wrist.
She could no longer tolerate anyone having physical contact with Yu Keqing, not even Wen Man.
Yu Keqing offered a strained smile, comforting her friend, “I’m really fine. It’s rare for you to visit today, and you brought Ningning along too. Let me cook a few dishes you used to love. It’s been so long, I don’t even know if you still like them.”
Seeing how poor her complexion was, and having heard from Xiaobao that she had just returned from the hospital this afternoon, Wen Man couldn’t bear to let her cook. She hurriedly declined and pulled her over to sit on the sofa.
The moment they sat down, Yu Keqing pulled her hand out of Wen Man’s grasp. She even quietly shifted her body to the side, maintaining some distance from Wen Man. Seeing Lin Sheng approaching and walking directly toward her and Wen Man, she pursed her lips tightly and relinquished the middle seat to Lin Sheng.
Lin Sheng naturally took her seat, separating Yu Keqing from Wen Man. However, her body leaned heavily toward Yu Keqing’s side, resting her arm across Yu Keqing’s waist in a semi-embracing posture.
It became a struggle for Wen Man to even say a single word to Yu Keqing.