Jin Chenyue received a call from his father.
He was asked if he really intended to divorce Gu Anyun.
Jin Chenyue thought of the divorce agreement she had prepared—every word and clause clearly delineated, filled with unwavering determination.
Three years had passed. Although he was busy, he couldn’t help but notice that since Gu Anyun married into the Jin family, her personality had grown colder day by day.
She wasn’t like this before. As a child, she loved to act spoiled, her words sweet as honey. Even the smallest things could make her happy for an entire day.
But now, she was like a golden canary trapped in a cage. Although he had never restricted her words or actions, she believed that bearing the title of Mrs. Jin meant she had to live meticulously and cautiously in every aspect.
This marriage had turned Gu Anyun into the perfect, flawless Mrs. Jin, but it had also stifled the once joyful and sweet girl she used to be.
This was not the outcome Jin Chenyue had wanted.
He had thought that bringing her to his side and giving her the identity of Mrs. Jin would allow him to rightfully cherish, dote on, and protect her for a lifetime.
In the end, this marriage had become shackles that trapped her.
She grew increasingly unhappy, leaving him feeling powerless.
Jin Chenyue took a deep breath and replied, “I’ve thought it through.”
Jin Fang fell silent on the other end of the line for a long time before finally sighing and asking again, “You haven’t done anything to hurt Tangtang, have you?”
“No.”
“Good.” Jin Fang was completely reassured. “Then I can rest easy. Since you haven’t made any mistakes to hurt Tangtang’s feelings, it’s just that your personal charm is too lacking for her to take a liking to you. It’s fine. If she doesn’t like someone like you, then in the future, when she meets someone she does like, I’ll personally vet him for her.”
Jin Chenyue: “…”
Is this biological father even worth keeping?
At half past midnight, a black Phantom drove into Yuexi Mansion.
The entrance door opened, and Jin Chenyue walked in, carrying a chill with him.
Nan Qiu approached, took his coat from his hands, and placed a pair of slippers at his feet.
He changed into the slippers. “Where is the young mistress?”
“She went to bed very early.” Nan Qiu stood up, hesitating for a moment before adding, “The young mistress’s violin string broke.”
Hearing this, Jin Chenyue frowned slightly. “What happened?”
“After sending Teacher Wen away this morning, she went to the music room to practice. Perhaps she was out of practice from not playing for too long, but the string suddenly snapped, cutting her finger. I wanted to change her bandage, but she refused.”
Jin Chenyue pursed his lips.
When he went up to see her at noon, they had only discussed the divorce, so he hadn’t even noticed she was injured.
He sighed inwardly and said, “Give me the first aid kit.”
…
Jin Chenyue carried the first aid kit upstairs and gently turned the handle of the master bedroom door.
The room was warmer than outside, with a small night light glowing.
Gu Anyun lay on her side, facing away from the door, fast asleep, her breathing even.
Jin Chenyue walked to the bedside, placed the first aid kit on the nightstand quietly, and then sat down beside her, leaning over.
He reached out and took Gu Anyun’s hand from under the blanket.
Her index finger was covered with a band-aid.
He gently peeled it off. The wound had stopped bleeding, but because the band-aid had trapped moisture, the skin around it had turned slightly pale.
This was not conducive to the wound’s recovery.
The man sighed softly.
Having grown up pampered and cherished, surrounded by luxury and adoration, she was accustomed to being coaxed and cared for even at the slightest discomfort. Naturally, she didn’t understand that band-aids weren’t meant to be used this way.
Jin Chenyue opened the first aid kit and meticulously cleaned and disinfected her wound…Probably due to the stimulation of the medicine, Gu Anyun, who was sound asleep, trembled and was jolted awake by the pain!
“What are you doing?!”
Her mind was still foggy, but her body had already reacted instinctively.
That delicate cry made both of them freeze simultaneously.
Gu Anyun saw Jin Chenyue’s slightly stiff, handsome face, and her muddled mind instantly cleared.
She immediately withdrew her hand, sat up, and looked at him with an unnatural expression. “When did you come back?”
“Just now.” Jin Chenyue glanced at her hand. “Give me your hand.”
Gu Anyun’s gaze dropped, noticing the cotton swab in his other hand, soaked in iodine.
The pain in her fingertip wasn’t as intense as before, but she hadn’t forgotten that sudden, sharp sting just now.
She subtly tucked her hand under the blanket, her expression cool, though her eyes darted about restlessly. “I’m fine. It’s late, you should get some rest too.”
Her series of little actions didn’t escape Jin Chenyue’s notice.
The man’s lips curved slightly, but he didn’t call her out. Instead, he asked in a low voice, “Do you want to scar?”
Gu Anyun: “?”
“Because you didn’t let Nan Qiu treat your wound in time, the cut is quite deep. Plus, you’ve been wearing a band-aid all day, so it’s healing poorly. If you don’t apply some medicine now, there’s a high chance it’ll leave a scar.”
Gu Anyun frowned, half-believing, half-doubting. “Don’t scare me. A small cut on the fingertip couldn’t possibly be serious enough to scar.”
“Is that so?” Jin Chenyue’s lips curved faintly. “Then don’t treat it. The scar will be on your hand anyway—you’ll see it yourself.”
Gu Anyun: “…”
Even if it’s just a fingertip, if it really scars, she’ll see it all the time.
Being beauty-conscious has been her unwavering persona since childhood.
“Then you…”
Gu Anyun slowly extended her hand, offering it to him. “Be gentle.”
Jin Chenyue pressed his lips together firmly, suppressing the urge to smile. “Mm.”
Gu Anyun was terrified of pain—the kind who couldn’t tolerate even the slightest bit.
Every time the cotton swab touched her wound, her fingertip would tremble, over and over, uncontrollably.
For some inexplicable reason, Jin Chenyue found himself thinking of their wedding night at this inopportune moment.
That had been an unexpected night.
He hadn’t originally planned to consummate their marriage on their wedding night. He intended to give her time to adjust to her role as Mrs. Jin after they’d spent some time together, letting things progress naturally.
But who could have guessed that Gu Anyun got drunk that night?
Her alcohol tolerance was entirely inherited from her biological father, Gu Qiaoxi—three drinks and she was out.
Her drinking behavior also took after her father, but she surpassed him. Once drunk, she’d cause one scene after another, and no one could ever keep up with her antics.
That night, drunk, she clamored to see his chest muscles.
Jin Chenyue had no choice but to show her, but then she wanted to touch them, and even picked up some tricks from wealthy women somewhere…
He had restrained himself all along, but when she suddenly lowered her head and her soft, warm lips pressed against what felt like his umpteenth abdominal muscle, Jin Chenyue lost all self-control…
But even though he tried his utmost to be gentle, she still cried from the pain.
He comforted her for a long time, but her tears wouldn’t stop. That night was a poor experience for both of them. He ended it hastily, holding her—drunk and in pain—and comforting her until dawn. Only when she finally fell asleep did he breathe a sigh of relief…
“Ouch!”
The moment the medicine-soaked cotton swab touched her wound, Gu Anyun cried out in pain and snatched her hand back.
Jin Chenyue looked up and saw the faint redness at the corners of her drowsy, beautiful eyes.
She was truly afraid.”I’ll be gentle.” His voice was low and coaxing. “Be good, just bear with it a little longer.”