Song Qi Nian could hardly believe her ears when Shen Chi Yan mentioned they were "legally married." The words felt surreal coming from his mouth.
At least he acknowledged their marriage, she thought wryly.
Glancing at the clock, she tensed - it was already past nine. The old lady was known for her clockwork routine: bed at ten, up at six without fail.
Before Song Qi Nian and Shen Ke Qin moved in, breakfast at the estate was served promptly at seven. The old lady had pushed it to eight afterward, a small kindness to let them sleep in. But now, with the clock showing half-past eight, Song Qi Nian couldn't linger in bed any longer. She bolted upright.
She rushed to the bathroom, then stopped dead in her tracks.
A new problem presented itself. Shen Ke Qin had been helping with her morning routine lately, but now that she'd left... Song Qi Nian stared at her injured hand, then at her toothbrush. Maybe if she was careful enough…
She reached for the toothbrush hesitantly, fingers hovering over it. Just as she was about to grasp the toothpaste, a hand appeared in her vision - elegant, long-fingered - and took the brush from her.
She turned to find Shen Chi Yan beside her, already applying toothpaste to her brush. "Open your mouth," he said simply.
Song Qi Nian blinked, stunned. Was he really offering to...?
"Hurry up!" His tone carried a hint of irritation.
She knew well enough that Shen Chi Yan barely took care of himself, let alone others. Without further hesitation, she opened her mouth. He inserted the electric toothbrush - not exactly gentle, but not harsh either.
As she stood there, letting him brush her teeth, Song Qi Nian found herself staring at him, bewildered. Who was this man, and what had he done with Shen Chi Yan?
Was this sudden kindness real? Song Qi Nian wondered. Had something finally shifted in him?
"Keep staring at me like that and I'll pull your teeth out."
She quickly dropped her gaze, submissive in an instant.
Shen Chi Yan observed her compliance, remembering how she used to challenge him at every turn. Which version was genuine, he wondered - this quiet, agreeable woman, or the one who drove him to frustration?
After finishing with her teeth and having her rinse, he practically shoved her out of the bathroom.
Downstairs, everyone she passed wore knowing smiles that made her want to sink into the floor.
"Well, well, Sister-in-law, finally joining us!" Shen Ke Qin bounded over, grinning. "Sleep well last night?"
Song Qi Nian's face burned. There was no good way to respond to that.
The old lady came to her rescue. "That's enough - let her eat her breakfast in peace."
She was just finishing her meal when Shen Chi Yan finally made his way downstairs.
"Grandmother..." he started.
The old lady's response was frigid, making it clear she hadn't forgiven him.
Despite it being a workday, Shen Chi Yan showed no signs of leaving. The old lady noticed this and, glancing at Shen Ke Qin who was absorbed in her phone, said evenly, "Ke Qin, time to apply medicine to Nian Nian's hand."
"Oh... Isn't Dr. Ouyang coming?"
"Dr. Ouyang has other commitments today. You'll handle it."
"Me? Are you certain?"
"It's just applying medicine," the old lady said dismissively. "What's so difficult about that?"
Shen Ke Qin caught her grandmother's meaningful look and immediately understood. She grabbed the first aid kit and pulled Song Qi Nian to the sofa.
"Sister-in-law, I may be new at this, but don't worry. I might not have done it before, but I've watched it being done plenty of times. I won't hurt you."
Song Qi Nian trusted her. Despite her playful nature, Shen Ke Qin had proven dependable. After all, she'd been lost without Ke Qin's help these past few days.
Shen Ke Qin picked up the scissors and started cutting the gauze around Song Qi Nian's fingers. But her privileged upbringing showed - she clearly had little experience with such tasks.
Trying to copy what she'd seen others do, she cut carelessly and nicked Song Qi Nian's wound.
Song Qi Nian flinched in pain.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Sister-in-law! I've never really used scissors before..."
Song Qi Nian managed a weak smile.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I'll be more careful now," Shen Ke Qin promised, patting her chest. As she spoke, she stole a glance at Shen Chi Yan.
He sat there in his white T-shirt, supposedly reading a magazine. But his furrowed brow betrayed his distraction.
A mischievous glint appeared in Shen Ke Qin's eyes as she "accidentally" caught Song Qi Nian's wound again.
Song Qi Nian wanted to retract her earlier assessment of Shen Ke Qin's reliability.
After several such "accidents," Shen Chi Yan slammed the magazine shut with a bang. He fixed Shen Ke Qin with an icy glare. "Put those down! Get out!"
"No way! I need to finish applying Sister-in-law's medicine!"
Shen Chi Yan strode over, his expression dark. "Give me the scissors."
Shen Ke Qin didn't hesitate, quickly passing the scissors to Shen Chi Yan. He took them and settled beside Song Qi Nian.
The old lady exchanged a knowing look with Shen Ke Qin as they watched.
Song Qi Nian hadn't expected Shen Chi Yan would end up tending to her wounds. When his cool fingers brushed against hers, she couldn't help but tremble. The contact sent tingles through her entire body.
His face remained unreadable, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. As he carefully cut away the gauze, layer by layer, her fingers were slowly exposed.
The stitches had left ugly scars that looked like dark lines crawling across her once-delicate hands. When Shen Chi Yan's eyes fell on them, Song Qi Nian tried to pull away. No woman wanted the man she cared for to see her flaws, even if they were just on her hands.
But Shen Chi Yan caught her wrist. "Don't move."
"Poor Sister-in-law's beautiful hands," Shen Ke Qin said softly. "We can't let these scars stay! But isn't it odd? The other fingers aren't so bad, but the ring finger..." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! Brother, you've never bought Sister-in-law a wedding ring in all these years, have you? A ring would hide those scars!"
The room went dead silent.
Despite her usual boldness, Shen Ke Qin still feared her brother. Right then, her phone rang. "Brother, I'll leave the rest to you. Lin Miaomiao's waiting for me!"
She was gone before he could respond.
The old lady's eyes were on the TV, but her words were meant for Shen Chi Yan. "You two never had a proper wedding. It's been three years - maybe it's time?"
Song Qi Nian went still, barely daring to breathe. She half-expected Shen Chi Yan to snap and take the scissors to her fingers.
He remained silent until he finished bandaging her hand. Then he looked at her with a cold smirk. "Is there any point in us having a wedding now?"
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