The man’s long, defined fingers brushed from Ji Ying’s cheek past her ear, his thumb grazing her lips while his thin lips lingered against her jade‑like neck. He asked again in a low voice: “Hmm?”
Ji Ying squirmed at the ticklish touch, instinctively trying to move her neck away, but his palm held her still. The faint scent of alcohol on Fu Jingshen’s breath made her head spin. “What man?”
“Don’t remember?” His voice was calm, almost detached. “Do you need me to remind you?”
Only then did Ji Ying hear the displeasure in his tone. Realizing what he meant, she gave a small laugh. “Third Brother, that was just my junior.”
Fu Jingshen idly lifted her long hair from her back with his fingers. “Junior?”
“Yes.” Ji Ying nodded, explaining: “I only met him once.” She briefly recounted her chance encounter with Xiao Yang at the Yulinling entrance.
“On the same day as me?”
Ji Ying blinked, then realized. “Yes, it was. Quite a coincidence.”
“He even took your photo?”
“Yes…” Ji Ying picked up her phone from the desk and showed him the picture, smiling. “See? Isn’t it nice?”
Fu Jingshen glanced down, then scoffed. “Average.”
Ji Ying’s smile faded. She flipped the phone face‑down on the desk, unwilling to engage further. Suddenly, her long hair was gathered up, and in the next moment, a golden hairpin slid through it.
Fu Jingshen’s fingers lifted her chin, turning her face toward the round mirror on the desk. He leaned in, resting his chin on her shoulder, his deep eyes meeting her startled gaze in the reflection. His lips parted slightly. “Not half as beautiful as my wife.”
It was the cherry blossom hairpin!
Ji Ying’s lashes trembled. Whether from heat or shyness, her cheeks slowly flushed red. The air thickened with intimacy. His gaze burned into her, and Ji Ying lowered her lashes, heart pounding like a drum. Something ignited in that instant. In a blur, their positions shifted—Ji Ying was turned, her soft waist pressed against the rosewood desk. Before she could react, he lifted her onto it, her thin skirt spilling open, pale legs faintly revealed.
Papers scattered across the desk, fluttering to the floor.
Ji Ying gasped softly, but Fu Jingshen still had the composure to glance at the mess, murmuring: “Buddhist scriptures?”
“You were copying these just now?”
“Mm…” Ji Ying’s lashes trembled. “So don’t… don’t mess around—”
Her protest was cut off. His burning kiss landed on her neck, lips trailing upward, biting gently at her ear.
Ji Ying shuddered, her toes curling tight.
His breath brushed her ear as he whispered: “Amitabha?”
*Amitabha!*
Ji Ying nearly went mad. How could anyone be so bad?! She had no chance to complain—soon, all sound was drowned in their kiss.
Fu Jingshen’s large hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, his breath heavy with desire as he pried her lips open.
“Open your eyes.” He bit her lower lip lightly. “Look at me.”
Ji Ying didn’t want to, but she had no choice. His other hand slid up her slender leg, resting at the bend of her knee, her thin skirt brushing against his skin.
As his hand threatened to move higher, Ji Ying’s breath faltered, her eyes rimmed with red. “Th‑Third Brother…”
“Be good.” His voice was hoarse, almost broken. “I’ll only kiss you. Nothing more.”
Ji Ying immediately stilled, obedient, not daring to move.
Fu Jingshen leaned in again, kissing her deeply. Ji Ying’s wrists pressed against the desk, trembling under the weight of it all.
At some point, the hairpin slipped loose, clattering onto the desk. Her long hair spilled free, cascading behind her like a dark waterfall.
Only then did Fu Jingshen finally ease back. His usually cold, detached brows and eyes were now steeped in desire. His thumb brushed over the girl’s lips, reddened from his kiss.
“Yinghua.”
Ji Ying answered faintly, muffled: “…Mm.”
Fu Jingshen gazed at her delicate features. With restrained fingers, he straightened her disheveled skirt and lifted her down from the desk. “Try to accept me.”
Ji Ying’s heart raced as she heard his low, husky voice.
“I can’t wait too long.”
Ji Ying returned alone to the master bedroom. Leaning against the door, she breathed in small, shallow gulps. Even after a long while, her heartbeat still felt as though it might burst from her chest. Her fingers touched her lips—tingling, numb. They must be swollen.
She exhaled deeply, then slowly crawled under the covers, hiding her face. *When would she ever be able to calmly endure Fu Jingshen’s demands without blushing?*
Back in the study, the rosewood desk remained in disarray.
The girl had fled almost in panic. Desire still burned through him, impossible to extinguish. Fu Jingshen unbuttoned his shirt one by one, his gaze drifting idly across the scattered papers. Suddenly, his eyes froze. He bent down, long fingers picking up a slip of paper from the floor.
By late June, the temperature had risen sharply—summer had arrived in the capital.
Unknowingly, it had already been half a month since they registered their marriage. Ji Ying had begun to settle into new routines.
On weekdays, she and Fu Jingshen each went to school or work. But he was far busier, often tied up with social engagements and business, sometimes not returning until dawn.
On weekends, Ji Ying finally had time to visit Yulinling, or occasionally return to the Ji residence for family dinners. Unfortunately, weekends seemed meaningless to Fu Jingshen—he was still endlessly occupied.
Looking around the vast apartment, empty except for herself, Ji Ying summed up her feelings in one word— Freedom.
She and Chen Yu resumed planning the Huizhou trip they had left unfinished in April.
That time, Ji Ying had left in a rush, leaving Chen Yu alone in Huizhou. Following Fu Jingshen’s advice, Chen Yu consulted the local Hongxing Tea Factory.
The negotiations went smoothly.
The manager was enthusiastic, explaining in detail the sources of their teas. From the information gathered, Ji Ying learned that Hongxing mainly did local business in Huizhou. Competition among tea factories was fierce, with several large ones nearly monopolizing the market, leaving Hongxing struggling to survive.
Moreover, Chen Yu discovered that most tea factories in Huizhou bought fresh tea leaves from farmers at low prices, then resold them at high margins.
But Hongxing was different. Its owner was a villager himself, aware of the hardships of tea picking, and refused to press the farmers’ prices too low. Naturally, this drew resistance from other factories.
Hearing all this, Ji Ying felt deeply moved. In this era, honesty itself had become a kind of crime. She began to consider cooperating with Hongxing. Chen Yu relayed this idea to the owner, who was delighted and invited them back to Huizhou for further talks. So this trip was certain.
Ji Ying’s pale fingers circled a date on the calendar—next Saturday.
Ji Ying rested her chin in her hand, wondering how to tell Third Brother about this news. After all, leaving the Ji residence had always been nearly impossible for her—she didn’t know if he would try to restrict her too.
Suddenly, her phone lit up with a message. She lowered her gaze. It was from Xiao Yang, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
[Senior, good news! I won the gold prize in the photography competition with the photos from last time!] [Happy.jpg]
Ji Ying pressed her lips into a small smile. [Congratulations.]
Xiao Yang: [Senior, most of the credit for this award goes to you. I’d like to treat you to dinner. Do you have time tonight?]
Ji Ying: [Thank you, but dinner isn’t necessary.]
Xiao Yang: [Senior, don’t be so polite. I even got prize money from this competition. I must treat you to at least one meal.]
At this point, even Ji Ying, slow as she was, couldn’t help but suspect his intentions. Her lashes trembled, and her memory drifted back to that night. The man pressing her against the desk, kissing her again and again. Without that layer of intimacy in her life, she wouldn’t have believed it.
Ji Ying had always been decisive in matters of affection. She tapped the screen and replied: [Sorry, tonight I already have plans with my boyfriend.] [But congratulations again.]
After sending, the screen showed [The other party is typing] for a long time before his reply came. [Senior, is your boyfriend the man who picked you up last time?]
Ji Ying: [Yes.]
She couldn’t bring herself to say “husband,” nor did she want the news of her marriage at twenty to spread across campus.
After a long while, Xiao Yang finally sent one last message: [You two suit each other well.]
Ji Ying replied with a simple “Thank you,” then exited WeChat and checked the time.
It was already evening, and today Fu Jingshen had said he would come home for dinner.
Seeing it was about time, Ji Ying called Auntie to come cook. She then opened WeChat again, found Wen Yue, and sent a message: [Yueyue, do you know how to make a man quickly agree to your request?]
Wen Yue replied instantly: [Sleep with him.]
Ji Ying: “……”
Suddenly, the conversation felt impossible to continue.
Of course, Wen Yue knew that she and Third Brother hadn’t consummated their marriage yet. She sent another line: [What do you want to ask your Third Brother for?]
Ji Ying: [I want him to agree to let me go to Huizhou.]
Wen Yue simply called her directly, speaking lazily: “Yingying, how can you still be so timid even after marriage?”
“He’s not your father. Whether he agrees or not, so what?”
Ji Ying puffed her cheeks, a little indignant. “Still, we’re husband and wife. Whatever we do—”
“Everything between husband and wife should be discussed, right?”
“Pfft.” Wen Yue suddenly burst out laughing, dragging her voice playfully:
“Hey, Yingying, does that mean even when you two go to bed, you’ll have to discuss it first— ‘Can I make love to you?’”
Ji Ying: “……”
Expressionless, she said: “Yueyue, I recorded that.”
Wen Yue replied carelessly: “Then send it.”
Ji Ying: “I already sent it to my eldest brother.”
“Yingying!!!”
Ji Ying chuckled. “Just teasing you.”
“But I’m serious, Yueyue.” Ji Ying straightened her tone. “I want Third Brother to agree to my request. Do you have any good ideas?”
“Of course I do.” Wen Yue answered mysteriously. “A woman who acts spoiled always gets her way. Just act cute with your Third Brother, show him some affection, and everything will fall into place.”
Ji Ying parted her lips slightly. “…Act spoiled?”
At home, she had acted spoiled before—but mostly with her father and brothers. To do that with Fu Jingshen now…? Forget it. Better to show diligence instead.
Ji Ying was still pondering when Wen Yue suddenly remembered something. “I’ve got a draft to finish. I’ll hang up now. Waiting for your good news~”
Just then, Aunt Wang arrived to cook, greeting Ji Ying warmly. “Madam, you said at noon you wanted shrimp. So I went out this afternoon and bought some—still lively and fresh.”
“Is sir coming home for dinner today?”
Ji Ying nodded, then had a sudden idea. “Aunt Wang, how about I cook with you today?”
“Oh, dear.” Aunt Wang quickly waved her off. “That won’t do. Madam, you’re too precious. Not only sir, but even the old master also said you must never be made to suffer.”
“I’m not suffering.” Ji Ying smiled. “I just want Third Brother to taste my cooking.”
“I’ll just help with the small tasks, alright?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Aunt Wang nodded. “Madam, then just steam a shrimp and egg custard. It’s simple and won’t hurt your hands.”
Ji Ying agreed with a smile. She had never cooked before—her mother hardly let her into the kitchen, let alone prepare food. Aunt Wang even cracked the eggs for her; Ji Ying only needed to stir them. Coincidentally, just as she was stirring, the front door opened. Fu Jingshen stepped inside, immediately catching sight of Ji Ying at the dining table, mixing eggs.
“Yinghua?”
At his voice, Ji Ying looked up, smiling brightly. “Third Brother, you’re back.”
Fu Jingshen set down his laptop bag and walked over. “You’re cooking?”
“Mm.” Ji Ying’s eyes curved as she smiled. “I thought you worked so hard, so I wanted to do something to reward you.”
Fu Jingshen stood still for a moment in silence. Then suddenly, he lowered his head, lifted her delicate chin, and looked into her eyes. “Do you have something to ask me?”
Ji Ying: “……” She pulled his hand away, embarrassed. “Can’t I just cook for you?”
Fu Jingshen chuckled softly. “It’s not that you can’t.” His fingers brushed her cheek, lips curving faintly. “It’s just that your eyes are too easy to read.”
Ji Ying froze in place, almost petrified. Annoyed, she stood up without a word, carried the egg custard into the kitchen, set it on the stove, and turned back—only to see Fu Jingshen already heading into the bedroom. She followed him in and closed the door.
Fu Jingshen was unbuttoning his suit jacket. After half a month of living together, Ji Ying had come to know his habits: if he weren’t going out again that day, he would shower and change as soon as he got home.
Ji Ying spoke: “Nothing tonight?”
Fu Jingshen looked at her, removing his jacket, and asked again: “Do you have something to say?”
Ji Ying didn’t answer. Instead, she stepped forward, her slender fingers tugging at his tie. “Third Brother, let me help you.”
Fu Jingshen raised his brows lightly but didn’t stop her, allowing the girl to tilt her head up and undo his tie. She was clearly used to this—her delicate hands moved with practiced ease.
“Who did you usually help at home?”
“Father,” Ji Ying replied. “Eldest Brother wasn’t often around.”
The tie came loose. Fu Jingshen glanced at her hesitant hand lingering at his collar, lips curving. “Not going to continue?”
Ji Ying bit her lip, paused, then continued downward, unfastening his shirt buttons.
One by one, the buttons came undone, revealing his strong chest. Ji Ying’s movements slowed, fumbling over a single button for ages. She began to retreat, wanting to pull her hands back, but his firm grip held her in place. “Continue.”
Her long lashes trembled. Holding her breath, she kept unbuttoning. From chest to abs, until the shirt was fully open. She turned her face aside, not knowing where to look.
Fu Jingshen removed his shirt right in front of her. He trained regularly—even after marriage, he still rose early each day to exercise. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, every muscle line perfectly smooth, radiating strength.
At such close range, the sight overwhelmed her. Ji Ying instinctively stepped back, bracing against the wall—only to be caught by his hand.
Fu Jingshen stepped closer, his gaze like a fine net, capturing her completely.
“Third Brother, you should go shower…” she murmured, unable to bear the pressure.
“Didn’t you have something to say?” He advanced another step, leaning down, forcing her into the corner.
Ji Ying shook her head nervously. “…Nothing to say.”
“Really nothing?” Fu Jingshen asked again, lips curving faintly. “Miss this chance, and there won’t be another.”
“Actually…” Ji Ying’s eyes flickered with hesitation. She raised a finger. “There is a little something I want to discuss.”
Fu Jingshen answered casually: “Mm.”
“I want to go to Huizhou again next Saturday.”
Fu Jingshen: “That’s all?”
Ji Ying nodded firmly. “Mm! That’s all.”
Fu Jingshen chuckled softly, agreeing with ease. “Alright, that’s fine.”
Ji Ying’s eyes lit up. *So easy?*
But the next moment, her slender wrist pressed against the wall was caught in his hand. Startled, she looked down—only to see Fu Jingshen guiding her hand to the buckle of his belt.
His deep gaze fell into hers. “Help me unfasten it first.”