The air seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second.
A fingertip with a light callus brushed against her earlobe.
Qin Nuan was completely enveloped by his powerful yet bewitching aura. Even her skin broke out in a fine layer of shivers.
Shen Shiyan’s gaze deepened.
The closer he got, the clearer that unique scent of hers became. Just like that night, it agitated his every nerve.
Subconsciously, Qin Nuan closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling even more violently.
Whatever, come what may!
Their current relationship was that of a husband and wife. The agreement had also stated that whatever he chose to do was completely justified.
Yet after waiting nervously for a long time, nothing happened.
Unable to resist, she tentatively opened one eye—only to find that Shen Shiyan had already straightened up.
With his arms crossed over his chest, he stood there as if waiting for her to open her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips and playful teasing in his gaze, watching her with leisurely composure.
Huh?
Qin Nuan froze, then instant realization dawned on her.
He had clearly been teasing her on purpose.
Her face flushed a brilliant shade of red, a mix of shyness and embarrassment, and she shot him a soft, disgruntled glare.
They had only been married for a day; why did Shen Shiyan feel like a completely different person?
When she first met him in the office, he had been cold as ice, practically a man of few words. Yet today, he protected her, helped her carry her luggage, smiled, and even teased her.
There was a much stronger sense of worldly warmth about him now.
As if knowing what she was thinking, Shen Shiyan smiled faintly down at her:
“Qin Nuan, I’m a human being too.”
“Before today, you were just my employee and someone who had mistakenly wandered into my room. But after today, you are my wife.”
The word wife rolled off his tongue for the very first time, causing Qin Nuan to pause slightly.
She suddenly realized that he seemed to be taking this relationship far more seriously than she had imagined.
An inexplicable sense of relief blossomed deep within her.
Before she could recover her wits, he pointed his chin toward the second floor and said flatly:
“It’s late, go back to sleep.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t touch you tonight. I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
Qin Nuan let out an instant breath of relief.
Embarrassed, she murmured a thank-you, clutched her mermaid body pillow, and fled back to her room as if escaping for her life.
Watching her flustered retreat, Shen Shiyan wore a meaningful look.
Night fell.
The sound of running water ceased.
Shen Shiyan walked out shirtless. Strangely enough, despite having just showered, there wasn’t even a trace of steam in the bathroom—he had taken a cold shower.
Water droplets slid down his well-defined, muscular chest, tracing the neat lines of his eight-pack abs before disappearing beneath the edge of his towel.
Casually throwing on a bathrobe, he pushed open the balcony door.
Right next door was Qin Nuan’s bedroom.
She was sleeping in his bed right now.
Gazing at that window, Shen Shiyan’s gaze grew heavy.
A rabbit that was obedient and soft, a bit cowardly, and blushed at the slightest tease.
And that glare she had given him on the sofa earlier.
Clearly soft to the core, yet insisting on putting on a fierce front with slightly pouted lips and darting glances—it only made her all the more alluring.
Yet when pushed into a corner, she would also bare her little claws. Just like how she had dealt with that scumbag ex-boyfriend: clean, decisive, and without a shred of lingering hesitation.
This little rabbit was even cuter than he had imagined.
Right now, she had already fallen into his trap.
He wasn’t in a rush. Push her too hard, and she would scare easily. Besides, it was only her first day moving in, and she was clearly nervous and terrified out of her wits.
He did want her, but he wasn’t that much of a beast.
Take it slow.
Early the next morning.
Qin Nuan blinked, stunned for a moment when she opened her eyes. It took her a beat to remember: she was married now, and she had moved into Shen Shiyan’s home.
Rushing through her morning routine and heading downstairs, she paused in her tracks the moment she saw the figure waiting for her.
Shen Shiyan was dressed in a crisp suit, wearing non-prescription glasses as he leisurely adjusted his cuffs. He had transformed back into the cold, distant, and aloof man from the office.
Startled, Qin Nuan whispered, “Morning.”
“Morning,” he nodded.
Afraid of being late, she was about to head out when he called her back.
“Ride with me today.”
Qin Nuan paused, turning back to look at him with a hint of awkwardness: “That’s not a good idea, what if someone sees us?”
Before getting married, she and Shen Shiyan had an understanding: a concealed marriage, especially at the company. Since they were going to divorce in a year anyway, making their relationship public would only bring unnecessary trouble. He had agreed to it, too.
“I’ll drop you off a bit away from the company, otherwise you’ll definitely be late.”
With that, he tapped his wristwatch: “If you’re going to walk yourself from now on, wake up earlier.”
Qin Nuan checked the time; she really was running out of time. This was an upscale district; just finding the subway station would probably take half an hour.
In the end, she got into his car.
He spoke very little along the way. Stealing a few sideways glances at his stunning, god-given profile, Qin Nuan couldn’t help muttering inwardly: The moment this guy puts on glasses, it’s like all his human warmth gets sealed away.
As the car neared the company, just as she was about to get out, Shen Shiyan suddenly stopped her.
Turning back, Qin Nuan heard him say: “Get ready, this weekend you’re coming with me back to the Shen family home.”
“Oh,” Qin Nuan replied.
Then, processing what he said, her eyes widened as she looked at him, stammering, “S-So soon?”
Although it had been discussed beforehand, she hadn’t expected it to happen this quickly. She had zero preparation for entering a wealthy household like that.
Meeting her gaze, his expression remained dead serious, without a trace of a joke.
A few seconds later, Qin Nuan dropped her head and reluctantly conceded: “I understand.”
For the rest of the week, the two of them lived a low-key, hidden newlywed life.
Shen Shiyan was extremely busy, frequently coming home very late—sometimes failing to even catch her before she went to sleep—though she rather enjoyed the peace and quiet. They still hadn’t shared a bedroom, and he maintained the utmost respect for her.
Yet the stark contrast in their identities occasionally added a hint of illicit thrill to their daily routine.
On Thursday during the departmental meeting, with an important client present, Shen Shiyan came by to sit in and observe.
When he arrived, everyone stood up to chorus, “Good morning, President Shen,” and Qin Nuan joined in.
Offering a faint acknowledgment, Shen Shiyan took a seat at the very back, idly twirling a pen between his fingers.
As Qin Nuan glanced over inadvertently, her heartbeat suddenly went haywire—just last night, these exact hands had meticulously traced her lips.
He hadn’t had any business engagements last night and had come home early.
She had been stir-frying dinner in the kitchen. Ever since getting familiar with the place, she had taken to grocery shopping and cooking her own meals every day.
Stunned upon seeing him, she realized he hadn’t mentioned coming home for dinner tonight, so she hadn’t prepared a portion for him, feeling a slight pang of embarrassment.
Suddenly, a stray lock of hair slipped loose, tickling her lips. With both hands coated in cooking oil, she couldn’t move to fix it.
Stepping forward, Shen Shiyan naturally tucked the loose strand behind her ear.
Then, somehow, his fingers drifted downward to rest upon her lips.
Qin Nuan’s breathing hitched as she lifted her gaze to meet his.
Gently caressing her, he began to trace her lips back and forth over and over again. His long fingers seemed charged with static, occasionally pressing down with a light, teasing touch.
Her face exploded into a brilliant crimson, her tender lips rubbed to an even deeper, more vibrant red. The atmosphere turned instantly intoxicating.
His gaze deepened as he leaned down slowly. She clearly saw the simmering desire in the depths of his eyes, yet for some reason, she didn’t dodge away. Instead, fluttering her eyelashes a few times, she closed her eyes.
Right as his lips were mere fractions of an inch away from hers, the pressure cooker in the kitchen suddenly hissed, followed by the faint smell of burning food.
Shocked back to her senses, Qin Nuan violently shoved him away and bolted back into the kitchen with a blushing face.
A low, resonant chuckle drifted from behind—deep and magnetic, rolling right out of his chest and straight into her ears, making her feel even more mortified.
He almost kissed me…
Lost in her daydreams, Qin Nuan only snapped back to reality when Zhao Meihua gave her a sharp poke.
It was her turn to present.
Everyone in the meeting room was looking at her—including Shen Shiyan.
In public, he maintained his cold, tight-lipped, and stern facade. Li Yue wore a standard polite smile, though she couldn’t help feeling like there was a hidden meaning behind it.
Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Qin Nuan hurriedly stood up to give her report.
Before the meeting even concluded, Shen Shiyan had to leave early on business. The moment he walked out, Jiang Yiwu immediately pulled a long face and reprimanded her harshly, while Zhang Lin let out a cold snort, casting a hostile glare her way.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Qin Nuan let out a sigh as she stepped out of the meeting room.
Daytime boss and subordinate, nighttime husband and wife, all while keeping it a secret.
It was genuinely too thrilling.
In the blink of an eye, Saturday arrived.
True to their agreement to return to the Shen household, Shen Shiyan came home in the afternoon to pick her up.
Upstairs, Qin Nuan was busy changing her clothes.
It was her very first time returning to the Shen family home as his wife; she needed to look presentable at the very least.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Looking up, Shen Shiyan paused for a single second. Then, he leisurely and thoroughly looked her over from head to toe, his gaze growing heavier by the fraction.
Qin Nuan was wearing a nude-pink dress today. She had applied light makeup, her hair loosely swept up with a few natural strands framing the sides of her face. The fair, straight legs exposed beneath the hem of her dress made her look both pure and exquisitely charming.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he offered a compliment: “You look gorgeous.”
Feeling a bit awkward, Qin Nuan finally let out a breath of relief upon hearing those words.
With everything ready, he proactively stepped forward and took her hand.
The Shen family estate was situated halfway up a mountain on the outskirts of the city. Sitting in the car, Qin Nuan felt like they had entered a sprawling private manor, complete with a grand fountain, right up until the vehicle finally halted in front of a cluster of opulent, majestic Chinese-style villas.
Shen Shiyan got out first. Sitting inside the car, Qin Nuan couldn’t fight off her rising nervousness.
Based on what Shen Shiyan had told her beforehand, today’s trip was bound to be far from simple. A wealthy family of this caliber was completely outside anything she had ever encountered before.
Would she end up embarrassing Shen Shiyan?
Just as anxiety began to claw at her, her small, chilly hand was suddenly engulfed in a warm clasp.
Startled, she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes.
Those ink-dark eyes carried an inexplicable, calming anchor of strength.
“With me here, you don’t need to be afraid.”
“I’ll protect you.”
Just two simple sentences allowed Qin Nuan’s erratic heartbeat to finally settle back into place.
Holding his hand, she stepped out of the car and tucked her arm into the crook of his elbow.
A servant stepped forward to open the main doors.
Reaching out, Shen Shiyan gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his voice softening a fraction:
“Are you ready?”
Taking a deep breath to push down all her anxieties, Qin Nuan nodded.
“I’m ready.”
Yet she knew deep down that this trip was unlikely to be smooth sailing.