Ji Qingtang frowned and leaned back to dodge him. “President Shen, do you realize you’re being hilariously serious right now?”
Her wording was respectful, but her tone was full of disdain.
Shen Jinyu was unbothered and asked in return, “Am I?”
Ji Qingtang couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge him. She turned her head away, propped her elbow on the car window, and rested her half-turned face on her hand as she instructed, “I’m going to take a quick nap. Wake me when we get there.”
The moment she finished speaking, Shen Jinyu reached out and pulled her shoulder, guiding her to lean against his.
Ji Qingtang froze for a moment, then shifted her body and simply found a comfortable position to lean into his embrace. Closing her eyes, she said:
“Shen Jinyu, you’re not completely devoid of humanity after all. Although you have a mouth that only knows how to find fault in others, you do have a heart capable of self-reproach. Congratulations, that’s worthy of praise.”
The corners of Shen Jinyu’s lips curved upward slightly. He lowered his head a little and said, “I’m capable of more than just finding fault.”
“Hm?” Ji Qingtang didn’t react in time.
Shen Jinyu said nothing. His lips brushed close to her ear, grazing against it almost imperceptibly.
The warm breath reached her, sending waves of tingling sensations through her. Ji Qingtang’s lashes trembled uncontrollably twice. Once she realized what he meant, she braced herself to sit up.
Shen Jinyu pulled her back in one motion, back to his usual composed demeanor. “I won’t tease you anymore. Get some sleep.”
Ji Qingtang closed her eyes and muttered under her breath, “You sneaky dog.”
Shen Jinyu didn’t show whether he heard her or not, but he didn’t say anything more.
The car drove smoothly along the elevated highway, and Ji Qingtang soon fell asleep.
But before long, she felt her neck growing uncomfortable. She squirmed restlessly in Shen Jinyu’s arms, searching for a more comfortable position.
Shen Jinyu looked down at her, his voice unconsciously softening. “What’s wrong? Uncomfortable?”
Ji Qingtang furrowed her brow, too lazy to answer him. With her eyes half-closed, she tilted sideways and rested her head on his lap, then closed her eyes again and drifted quietly back to sleep.
Shen Jinyu looked down at her. He saw her curled lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyelids, her delicate nose, and the color of her lips that made it impossible for him to tell whether she had reapplied her lipstick.
He turned his head to look further down. The qipao she wore displayed her figure to full advantage.
Her calves were slender, and where the side slit rose higher, fair skin was revealed—a sight visually tempting enough to provoke sin.
Shen Jinyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. One hand tugged at his tie, while the other, which had been resting on her shoulder, slowly moved downward until it settled on her soft, slender waist.
Suddenly, the image of her dancing surfaced before his eyes.
Lively. Alluring. Provocative.
…
The car came to a stop in front of the fountain at Changlan Residence.
Shen Jinyu called out softly, “Qingtang, wake up.”
Ji Qingtang’s brow was furrowed tightly as she murmured, “Don’t bother me.”
Shen Jinyu seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He raised his hand and gently rubbed her head. “We’re home. Go back inside and sleep.”
Ji Qingtang had a terrible temper when waking up, and being roused from a deep sleep made her even angrier. She reached out and smacked Shen Jinyu directly across the chin and side of his face with a sharp “smack.”
Shen Jinyu let out a soft hiss and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at her sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened, and after a few seconds, he let out a laugh of exasperation.
The driver heard the sound and instinctively glanced in the rearview mirror, thinking to himself that while rumors outside said Mrs. Shen kept her husband on a tight leash, the truth might still need verification.
Shen Jinyu didn’t call her again. He planned to simply carry her inside. But just as he lifted her head from his lap, he heard her mutter as if talking in her sleep:
“What’s the matter? You only served as my human cushion for a moment and already you’re unwilling? I’ve been playing along with you all day long…”
His tone even sounded a bit aggrieved.
Shen Jinyu helped her up. “Wide awake now?”
Ji Qingtang leaned against the back seat, still bleary-eyed, blinked twice, then closed her eyes again.
Shen Jinyu got out of the car, walked around to the other side, opened the door, and leaned down to gently pat her head. “Come on, the big bed at home is more comfortable than the back seat.”
Ji Qingtang reluctantly opened her eyes.
“Move aside, let me get out.”
Shen Jinyu leaned forward, wrapped his arm around her waist, slid his other arm beneath her knees, and lifted her out of the car.
From inside the car to outside, from sitting to being suspended in midair—Ji Qingtang snapped awake considerably.
Shen Jinyu glanced down at her. Seeing her hand tightly gripping the shirt over his chest, her eyes dazed as if she’d just woken from a deep sleep, she was, for once, not yelling at him to put her down.
Ji Qingtang pressed her lips together, seeming to find his embrace quite secure, and relaxed her body, loosening her grip on his shirt.
Shen Jinyu noticed her subtle movements and said, “Just like a child—throwing a tantrum when you can’t wake up, refusing to get out of the car. I wonder who you learned that from.”
Hearing this, Ji Qingtang pouted. “I was raised spoiled, that’s how. At that dinner before our marriage, I already told you—I have a bad temper, I’m willful and domineering. The biggest benefit of marrying me is that I’m easy on the eyes. Who told you to grit your teeth and marry me just so you could push the Oriental Tangchun project overseas?”
Shen Jinyu carried her through the door, and the lights turned on automatically.
Ji Qingtang frowned and shielded her eyes from the light, then tilted her head up to look at him. “You didn’t actually think I was joking back then, did you?”
Shen Jinyu said nothing. At the time, his mind had been completely occupied with securing the Ji family’s investment; he hadn’t cared at all whether she was joking.
Ji Qingtang thought she’d guessed right and let out a chuckle. “Shen Jinyu, I’ve realized that you, this shrewd businessman, can be really dense sometimes.”
Shen Jinyu stopped walking. “We’re home. Get down.”
Ji Qingtang immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and said with complete confidence, “In your dreams! I’ve done you a great favor—how do you plan to repay me?”
Shen Jinyu looked down into her eyes. “Half a plate of drunken shrimp—didn’t that make it into your stomach?”
Ji Qingtang met his gaze without a hint of guilt and kicked her legs. “Hurry up! Hurry up! Carry me upstairs.”
Shen Jinyu loosened his arms slightly, and her arms immediately tightened around his neck.
He let out a soft sigh and carried her up the stairs as he said, “You really were raised spoiled.”
Ji Qingtang gave a proud “mm-hmm,” then heard Shen Jinyu continue unhurriedly, “At least half of that is my fault.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, okay? Forget about spoiling me—if you’d just be a little less sharp-tongued on a regular basis, I’d already be grateful.”
After saying this, Ji Qingtang thought it over carefully.
This sham husband of hers—aside from being shrewd, sharp-tongued, and a bit possessive—didn’t seem to have anything that was truly hard to tolerate.
After all, a man who had money, good looks, and skill in bed all at once wasn’t easy to find.
They entered the bedroom, and Shen Jinyu set her down on the bed.
Ji Qingtang lay back on the bed and let out a contented sigh. “Now this is comfortable.”
Shen Jinyu removed his wristwatch as he said, “Go take a shower first, or you’ll fall asleep again in a minute.”
Ji Qingtang shifted to her side, propping herself up on one elbow with her palm cradling half her face. “I’ve already slept, so I’m wide awake now. I won’t be able to fall asleep for a while.”
Hearing this, Shen Jinyu turned to look at her, his gaze sweeping over her without any attempt to hide it, and said with a meaningful tone:
“Not sleepy anymore? Perfect timing—let’s do something else.”