Shen Chi Yan lifted the cup to Song Qi Nian's lips, his eyes carrying an unmistakable warning. With the servant still watching and not wanting to create a disturbance in the dead of night, she had no choice but to accept as he held the cup, drinking every last drop.
The servant's face brightened with a knowing smile. "Young Master and Young Madam are so affectionate with each other. I'll leave you to rest now."
Affectionate? The word echoed in Song Qi Nian's mind as she swallowed a bitter laugh. Whatever existed between her and Shen Chi Yan, affection was the last thing she'd call it.
"Need more water?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Then what are you waiting for? Go to bed."
Her chest tight with unspoken words, Song Qi Nian turned and walked silently to her room. Only when Shen Chi Yan followed her inside did she realize she'd been occupying his bedroom these past few days.
"Enjoying yourself in someone else's territory?" The mockery in his voice was unmistakable.
She turned to leave, but he blocked her path. "Where do you think you're going?"
The pretense of ignorance infuriated her. Where else would she go but to find another guest room? Did he actually expect them to share this space?
Unable to speak and refusing to use her injured hands, she could only plead with her eyes for him to move aside.
Shen Chi Yan deliberately ignored her silent request. Instead, he grabbed her by the waist and deposited her onto the bed.
When she tried to rise, his hand pressed her back down. "Don't move."
His distinctive scent enveloped her, and for a moment, she found herself distracted. But her heart pounded with anxiety at this unexpected behavior. This wasn't like him at all—hadn't he always despised her presence in his bed? What game was he playing now?
Shen Chi Yan caught her wary expression, and anger flared inside him. Was this really how terrible she thought he was?
"I hear you've been treated like royalty in my house lately," he said. "If Grandmother sees me banishing you to a guest room, you know I'll never hear the end of it."
He leaned in suddenly, their noses touching. Song Qi Nian's cheeks burned as she tried to pull away, but his hand held her head firmly in place.
"Or perhaps," he breathed, his words ghosting across her face, "you're hoping Grandmother will punish me. Is that your idea of revenge?"
The air between them grew heavy with tension. Song Qi Nian's pulse quickened—she knew all too well how Shen Chi Yan could be when he lost control, injuries be damned. She'd spent days protecting her injured fingers, terrified of losing her only means of communication. She couldn't let him lose control now, couldn't risk him grabbing her hands.
In desperation, she jerked her head back and slammed her forehead into his.
"Hiss..."
She'd been so focused on making him let go that she hadn't considered the consequences. Her forehead clearly wasn't as resilient as his—while he merely frowned, her head throbbed with pain.
"Getting brave, aren't you?" he said. "Daring to headbutt me!"
Song Qi Nian tensed, watching him closely, certain he was about to retaliate.
"Hmph. If I wanted to do something to you tonight, do you really think you could stop me?"
Before Song Qi Nian could react, Shen Chi Yan pressed her down onto the bed, pulled the blanket over her, and headed for the bathroom.
"I'm not interested in bandaged patients. Be asleep by the time I finish my shower. Otherwise..." He let the threat hang in the air, its meaning crystal clear.
It was already past midnight, and Song Qi Nian had no desire to test him further. As the shower ran in the bathroom, her mind raced. Was this another one of his inexplicable mood swings?
Thirty minutes later, when the bathroom door opened, she quickly squeezed her eyes shut. Despite her best efforts to fall asleep naturally, she'd only grown more alert. Now she could only fake it, hoping to avoid whatever consequence he'd left unspoken.
She listened as he toweled off his hair and tapped out a message on his phone. Just as she convinced herself he wouldn't actually share the bed, the blanket lifted, and the mattress dipped with his weight.
Song Qi Nian went completely still. A moment later, she found herself pulled into his arms. His skin was cool from the shower, making her shiver on contact, but she kept her eyes firmly closed, praying he'd believe her act.
She didn't realize her fluttering eyelashes betrayed her, trembling like tiny fans. Shen Chi Yan noticed but merely scoffed internally. He was too exhausted to call her out on it and closed his eyes instead.
He had to admit—her body was soft, pleasant to hold against his.
Song Qi Nian, resigned to being his impromptu body pillow, expected a sleepless night. Instead, within minutes, she drifted off against his chest.
Outside, moonlight spilled over the willow trees, lending an unusual warmth to the night.
Song Qi Nian woke to Shen Ke Qin's voice calling from outside.
"Sister-in-law! Time for breakfast!"
Still half-asleep, she opened her eyes to find Shen Chi Yan lying beside her, his face dark with irritation. He clearly hadn't slept well, radiating an icy mood. Song Qi Nian blinked in confusion, remembering the night before. Why wasn't he at work?
More knocking. "You sleepyheads! I'm coming in!"
Song Qi Nian's face drained of color. She wanted to stop Shen Ke Qin but couldn't speak. Panicked, she tried scrambling out of bed.
Shen Chi Yan, still groggy and irritable, saw her about to put weight on her injured hand. He yanked her back by the waist. "Are you trying to lose that hand?"
The door swung open.
Song Qi Nian froze.
Shen Ke Qin stood there, clearly not expecting to find her brother—shirtless, no less—in bed with Song Qi Nian curled against his chest.
Taking in Song Qi Nian's disheveled hair and mortified expression, along with her brother's thunderous face, Shen Ke Qin slapped her hands over her eyes. "Wow, getting frisky this early?"
"Shen Ke Qin!"
Catching Shen Chi Yan's murderous glare, she peeked through her fingers. "I didn't see anything, promise!"
She darted out, yelling, "Grandma! Shen Chi Yan's back! He—"
She popped back in for a moment, throwing Song Qi Nian a conspiratorial wink before thoughtfully pulling the door shut.
Song Qi Nian wanted to sink into the floor. With Shen Ke Qin's mouth, the whole house would know they'd shared a bed by now.
Noting her despondent look, Shen Chi Yan's frown deepened. "What's the matter? That ashamed of people knowing you slept with me? Remember, we're legally married."
0 Comments