Chapter 59: Living Together, Sweet Intimacy

She slept without dreams.

That night, Wen Yinong slept exceptionally well.

Back in Toulouse, living alone in that small apartment, she had often been jolted awake by nightmares in the night. And once awake, she could never fall back asleep.

But tonight was different.

She didn't know whether it was because their lovemaking before bed had drained her strength, or some other reason—she only felt as if her whole body had sunk into a warm, deep sea, held up by some soft yet steady force, floating and sinking.

Nothing to think about, nothing to fear.

She slept straight through until broad daylight.

As consciousness gradually returned, the first thing Wen Yinong felt was warmth.

Warm breath brushed the top of her head, steady and long; a long, powerful, arm-like object lay across her waist, its palm resting loosely on the bare hollow of her lower back. A body temperature that wasn't hers seeped through her skin, warming her into utter languor.

Then, her hearing revived.

A steady heartbeat came from beside her ear—thump, thump. Deep and strong, regular as a metronome, it pulled her own heartbeat into the same rhythm.

Before long, Wen Yinong muzzily opened her eyes.

The first thing that met her gaze was an expanse of cool white skin, the firm musculature of a male animal outlined by the morning light in shadows of varying depth. The black snake tattoo on his chest lay dormant, some of its danger faded, replaced by a trace of laziness—as if, like its owner, it was still asleep.

Wen Yinong blinked, her eyes quietly scanning around.

She discovered that the tip of her nose was pressed lightly against the man's collarbone, her breath invaded by that familiar, crisp scent of rime frost. Her legs were tangled around his long legs, her arms wrapped around his lean, narrow waist.

The position was intimate beyond belief—her whole body curled softly into his embrace, like a kitten snuggling against its mother.

Wen Yinong's mind went blank for a moment.

Then she remembered last night's wild entanglement.

Within seconds, her cheeks burned hot, shyness and sweetness warring in her heart.

Lifting her head, she saw at once the man's hard-edged jawline.

Morning light slipped quietly in, a narrow band of pale gold falling across that deep, sculpted face, lending it an unexpected softness.

Taking advantage of the fact that Mo Shaoshang was still asleep, Wen Yinong secretly studied him.

As she looked, her heartbeat quickened of its own accord.

Realizing it was already getting late, Wen Yinong quietly shifted back, trying to slide out of his arms. But the moment she moved, her body felt as if it had been run over by a truck—a certain place ached with a soreness too embarrassing to name.

Left with no choice, she bit her lip, forced down the discomfort, and lifted the arm lying across her waist bit by bit, then carefully moved it aside.

The man's arm was heavy; it had pressed on her all night. Once she moved it away, a faint red mark appeared on the skin of her waist.

Ambiguous and intimate.

Wen Yinong noticed the mark and her face grew hotter. Then she steadied herself, braced a hand on the bed, and slowly inched toward the edge.

However, the moment her bare feet touched the floor, a great force surged from behind.

She was hauled back, her back crashing into a scorching chest. The arm she had moved clamped around her again, tighter than before, as if to embed her into his body.

Wen Yinong gave a soft cry, and before she could react, a kiss landed on the tip of her nose.

"Where are you going?"

The man's voice came from above her head. Probably because he hadn't fully woken, it sounded hoarse and low, thick with nasal resonance. It burrowed into her ear, setting off waves of tingling tremors.

The heat in Wen Yinong's cheeks climbed higher. She explained softly, "I have things to do later, so I want to get up."

At that, Mo Shaoshang slowly lifted his eyelids and stared straight at the girl in his arms.

Morning light fell on her face. Her eyes were bright, her pupils dark, and his own reflection faintly visible within them. Her little face was flushed, charmingly rosy; on her fine, snow-white skin bloomed red plum blossoms of varying depth—all kiss marks he had left last night.

Such a pure, innocent face—clearly as guileless as an angel in a church mural, ignorant of the world—yet her body was so lush and alluring, her responses in bed so fatally seductive: passionate, bewitching, wanton, like a born succubus, every inch of her skin tempting one to sin.

Mo Shaoshang's gaze slid downward, sweeping over her slender neck, her rounded shoulders, and the faintly pink-flushed skin of a body he had thoroughly adored.

His thoughts stirred; his Adam's apple bobbed.

An indescribable heat surged in his lower abdomen, setting his insides itching.

Then his long fingers tilted up that captivating little face; his thin lips drew close to hers, parted, and gently bit down.

Neither too light nor too heavy.

Just enough to make her feel a fine, itching pain, and to leave her wanting more.

His other hand caressed along her bare, slender back, the calloused fingertips unhurried—sliding slowly downward while kneading in a soothing rhythm, sometimes circling, sometimes grinding.

He kneaded until Wen Yinong's whole body trembled faintly.

Mo Shaoshang had always been an excellent kisser. Combined with his familiarity with her body and her preferences, most of the time a kiss alone could leave her intoxicated, as if every bone had been drawn out of her, melting her into a puddle of spring water.

Kissed into a daze, Wen Yinong's arms wound around his neck of their own accord, and she kissed him back in a muddle.

Her soft tongue stretched out—and was immediately entangled, caught.

...

Looking up, she met a pair of blue-black eyes.

The man's eyes surged with dark currents, churning with undisguised desire for her.

"..." Realizing what he intended, Wen Yinong flushed crimson and said in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

They had done it so many times last night that her back still ached and her legs were weak. He couldn't possibly still want to...

Mo Shaoshang kissed the tip of her nose and said, "I want you."

Wen Yinong: "..."

Wen Yinong's eyes went wide. She moved her lips, about to accuse this man of knowing no restraint and demanding endlessly, when dense kisses fell like raindrops on her earlobe, the side of her neck, her nape.

Hot, wet, soft lips—light as mist, thin as gauze—maddening and addictive.

At the same time, the man's firm musculature pressed tight against her back, brazenly caressing her tender body...

Wen Yinong's breathing fell into chaos.

Fortunately, before things spun completely out of control, reason gained the upper hand.

Her mind cleared. Face red and eyes wet, she firmly pressed down on the man's rampaging hand and scolded in embarrassment, "I have things to take care of soon—I have to get up! C-can't you just hold back a little?"

At her words, Mo Shaoshang's movements paused. His fingers caught her chin, and he looked at her, saying in a low voice, "You were instigated against me, misunderstood me, left me, fled to Toulouse without a word, and made me endure more than two whole months of longing and unease. Wen Yinong, I've held back long enough."

Hearing this, the guilt in Wen Yinong's heart welled up again.

A little guilty, she fell quiet, then reached out to hug him, pressing her cheek softly against his, and said gently, "It was all my fault before. Don't be angry anymore."

Mo Shaoshang turned his head and kissed her cheek, then closed his eyes, his high-bridged nose grazing tenderly across her face. His voice was low and hoarse: "I'm not angry with you."

How could he bear to be angry with her? One look from her and his whole heart shuddered and pounded wildly—there was no room left for sulking.

"I'm only angry with myself," Mo Shaoshang said calmly. "I didn't give you enough security. I didn't build trust and an emotional foundation with you at the start of our relationship. That was my negligence."

Hearing this, Wen Yinong pressed her lips together and said, "Stop taking the blame for everything. How is any of this your fault? It was obviously because I didn't know your difficulties that I misunderstood you... And all the unpleasant things are over now. From now on we'll be together, always together."

Mo Shaoshang smiled. "Mm."

After a while, Wen Yinong thought for a few seconds. Then she tentatively kissed his sharply defined jaw and continued in a negotiating tone, "So, let's get up first, have breakfast, and go out together?"

At this point her ear tips grew hot. She paused, and when she spoke again her voice dropped a few notches, as if terribly embarrassed: "As for... that, you can hold it in for now. If you really have nowhere to vent your energy, you can go exercise. There are dumbbells on the living room balcony that I use for working out..."

Mo Shaoshang stared at her without speaking.

The bedroom fell quiet.

Wen Yinong felt a little nervous. She looked at him, her dark, glistening eyes blinking twice, pleading.

After a moment, he finally spoke again: "What do you need to go out for?"

"To pick up my cat from the pet boarding shop." Hearing him ask, Wen Yinong quietly sighed in relief, knowing she was safe for now. The corners of her mouth curved up involuntarily. "I was away for two months, and my mom always complained about my cat shedding, so I sent her to boarding."

A cat?

Mo Shaoshang raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

Wen Yinong watched his reaction and suddenly grew nervous. Hesitantly she said, "You... you're not allergic to cat fur or anything, are you?"

Mo Shaoshang shook his head.

"You scared me." Wen Yinong patted her chest and exhaled. "I thought you wouldn't be able to live with Taozi."

Mo Shaoshang raised his hand and gently pinched her cheek. "Your cat must be as cute as you."

Two red clouds floated onto Wen Yinong's cheeks. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling sweetly: "From now on, we'll be a family of three. Mr. Mo had better get along well with Ms. Taozi the cat."

Amused by her, he laughed, his palm stroking her cheek. "All right."

*

The pet boarding shop sat in an alley in the old part of the city. Its storefront wasn't large; the hand-painted sign was adorable—a plump orange-and-white cat.

Wen Yinong pushed the door open. Wind chimes jingled, and a smell mixed of cat food and disinfectant rushed out to meet her.

The shop owner was a young woman with a ponytail.

Wen Yinong was clearly a regular. Seeing her, the owner immediately smiled and greeted her warmly: "Teacher Wen, here to pick up Taozi?"

"Mm, just got back to the country yesterday." Wen Yinong smiled. "Sorry to trouble you."

"Sure thing, one moment."

With that, the owner went to the back to fetch the cat, while Wen Yinong stood at the counter and began filling out forms.

Just then, a tall figure followed her in. The doorframe was too low, and he instinctively ducked slightly.

Wen Yinong caught sight of him from the corner of her eye and felt awkward. She quickly said, "This shop is a bit small. Why don't you... wait for me outside?"

"No need," Mo Shaoshang said lightly.

Wen Yinong hadn't been exaggerating—the boarding shop was small in area with a low ceiling, genuinely tiny. So tiny that Mo Shaoshang's presence was magnified infinitely within it.

His expression calm, he stood beside a row of cat trees, utterly out of place with everything around him.

A ragdoll cat lying on the counter seemed to sense a source of danger. Animal instinct made it rise, ears flattening back, staring at the excessively enormous "intruder."

Mo Shaoshang looked back at the ragdoll, expressionless.

Man and cat gazed at each other in silence.

Before long, the owner came out carrying a white-spotted British Shorthair.

Seeing the tall man who had suddenly appeared, she froze, her steps visibly halting.

Intimidated by the razor-sharp aura about Mo Shaoshang, it took her several seconds to squeeze out a smile and ask, "Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Ah, he's my boyfriend," Wen Yinong explained in a small voice.

"Oh!" The owner understood at once, a flash of "so that's how it is" crossing her eyes. She said nothing more and smilingly held out the kitten in her arms.

Taozi was a white-spotted British Shorthair—fluffy, plump, with a round little cat face, just turned two this year.

After two months apart, from Wen Yinong's perspective the kitten had gained a little circle of weight. Her coat was glossy, her nose wet and black, the picture of health. Clearly, the owner had been conscientious and taken excellent care of Taozi.

"Tao!" Wen Yinong called softly, reaching out with a smile. "Haven't seen you in so long—did you miss your big sister?"

Little Taozi meowed, her small tail held high, swaying leisurely.

Just then, Mo Shaoshang stepped forward half a pace.

Taozi sensed something. Her two little ears shot up, her round eyes widening, fixed on the man before her.

Wen Yinong thought Taozi was afraid of him and quickly scratched under her little chin to soothe her: "It's okay, it's okay. Big brother isn't a bad person, big brother is very gentle—don't be scared."

Who would have guessed that the next second, the slits in Taozi's pupils would round into black circles? Her fluffy body leaned forward slightly in Wen Yinong's arms, her little nose twitching nonstop, as if identifying some scent.

Mo Shaoshang stopped, eyelids slightly lowered, quietly watching the cat in the girl's arms.

Taozi sniffed again.

Then the plump little cat did something that left Wen Yinong dumbfounded: she actually stretched out both front paws onto Mo Shaoshang's arm and, meowing in the sweetest, cloying voice, raised her round little head to nuzzle straight into his palm.

Mo Shaoshang neither dodged nor responded, letting the kitten rub back and forth against his arm.

Only after a good while did he take the kitten into his arms, raise a hand, and, imitating what Wen Yinong had done earlier, scratch under her fluffy chin with a fingertip.

Taozi's eyes immediately narrowed to slits, her throat rumbling "purr purr," her little tail held even higher. Her whole body pressed against him, as if she wished she could hang off him.

Off to the side, Wen Yinong watched this scene, stunned, her eyes wide. "Taozi is usually so aloof—she never lets strangers touch her..."

"I'll say! Last time a male college student came into the shop and wanted to pet Taozi because she was cute—she nearly took a swipe at him," the owner chimed in, just as astonished. "I'd have thought Taozi and your boyfriend were old friends."

"Looks like she really likes you." Watching the kitten squint and purr in the man's arms, Wen Yinong curved her lips, a thread of delight in her voice.

Wonderful.

Earlier, she had worried Taozi would get jealous and compete for affection with this new "uninvited guest" in the household.

Mo Shaoshang lowered his eyes to the fluffy little thing in his arms, the corner of his mouth curving into a shallow arc, and stroked the fur along her back.

Taozi grew even more content, her little paws kneading the man's arm over and over—clearly treating him as a mother cat, happily making biscuits.

"Her name is Taozi?" Mo Shaoshang asked lightly.

Wen Yinong nodded. "Mm!"

"Taozi really is cute," he said carelessly, his gaze landing on the girl's lovely profile. "Takes after her owner."

"..." Wen Yinong's ears warmed at that, and she couldn't help urging, "Let's go, quickly."

The owner still had a business to run.

Him standing there in that tiny shop, such a huge presence—he was totally in the way.

Mo Shaoshang said nothing more and, carrying Taozi, turned and walked out.

The owner watched the two humans and one cat leave, waving with a beaming smile: "Come again!"

*

After leaving the boarding shop, as they walked, Wen Yinong suddenly slapped her forehead—only now remembering that the cat food at home was running low.

She glanced at the time on her phone, then at the tall man beside her holding a cat in one arm and a cat carrier in the other hand. After hesitating, she ventured, "I want to stop by the supermarket for cat food and canned food. Why don't you go home and rest first?"

"Together," Mo Shaoshang said.

Wen Yinong paused, opened her mouth to say something, then silently swallowed it back down.

The supermarket Wen Yinong frequented was right downstairs from her home—well stocked, pet-friendly, just a five-minute walk.

She usually came alone, pushing a little shopping cart, wandering leisurely for half an hour—both exercise and a way to pass the time.

But today, there was someone beside her.

A mixed-race man over 1.9 meters tall, with deep-set features and a noble bearing, cradling a round little fat cat in his arms.

From the very first second they walked into the supermarket, Wen Yinong noticed the strangeness around them.

The cashier lady's barcode-scanning visibly slowed; the stock boy was distracted, placing an entire crate of drinks in the vegetable section.

An old lady pushing her cart past them kept looking back even after walking several steps away.

The old man, seeing his wife's transfixed stare, was thoroughly annoyed. He tugged at her and huffed, "What are you looking at? Keep moving."

"That young man is so tall, and so good-looking," the old lady marveled. "Is some celebrity filming a movie?"

The old man scoffed. "Filming what movie? Look at the cat in his arms—fat as a ball. Who goes around filming with a fat cat?"

"Oh, true, and I don't see any cameras..." The old lady paused, then couldn't help sighing in admiration, "But he really is handsome."

The old woman's voice wasn't quiet, and Wen Yinong heard every word clearly.

Slightly embarrassed, she snuck a glance at the man beside her.

He pushed the cart, his expression unchanged, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Um..." Wen Yinong lowered her voice, "Those aunties and grannies don't mean any harm—they're just chatting."

Mo Shaoshang gave a faint "mm." "I know."

"Supermarkets are just like this—crowded, all kinds of people," Wen Yinong added. "You've definitely never shopped in a supermarket yourself before, so if you feel uncomfortable, that's normal. Don't force yourself."

"I'll get used to it," Mo Shaoshang said.

Wen Yinong's gaze flickered.

The man turned his head, his eyes falling directly on her dazed face. "This is your life, your world. It's unfamiliar to me, true—but I promise you, I'll adapt to it and blend into it as fast as I can."

Hearing his words, a sweet current welled up in Wen Yinong's chest, her heart warm. She said nothing more.

The two of them headed for the pet food aisle together.

In a moment, Wen Yinong turned into a familiar row of shelves with practiced ease. Her gaze swept around, but her brow gradually furrowed. She crouched down and rummaged through the bottom shelf, then stood and scanned the upper shelves back and forth, muttering under her breath, "Strange, why is it gone..."

Mo Shaoshang stood nearby holding Taozi. Seeing this, he frowned slightly. "Can't find it?"

"Mm." Wen Yinong stood on tiptoe and reached for the top shelf again, but still didn't see the familiar packaging. Instantly deflated, she said, "The cat food Taozi has always eaten—it used to be right here."

As she spoke, she looked around and spotted a stock clerk in a red vest restocking not far away. She hurried over.

"Excuse me, could I ask—has the Guanling brand chicken-flavor cat food been moved somewhere else?"

The clerk, a young man in his early twenties, checked his handheld terminal and shook his head. "That one's been out of stock these past few days. The supplier is restocking; it'll probably take another two or three days to arrive."

"Ah..." Wen Yinong was stumped. She turned back to look at the tall figure by the shelves, and the plump little cat in his arms.

"Is there a cat food with similar ingredients?" she asked. "My cat is a picky eater."

Hearing this, the clerk pointed to the neighboring rows of shelves: "Another brand has similar flavors—both grain-free with high meat content. You could try it."

Wen Yinong thanked him, went back, and crouched in front of the shelves, picking up bag after bag to read the ingredient lists. Her brow knit slightly as she murmured, "This one's crude protein is too low... this one has added flavor attractants... this one's ingredients are fine, but it's salmon flavor—I don't know if Taozi will eat it..."

Mo Shaoshang stood beside her for a while, shifted Taozi to his left arm, and then crouched down too.

He picked up a bag of cat food, flipped it over, and studied the ingredient list.

Wen Yinong noticed, slightly startled, her gaze drifting over involuntarily.

This man holding a bag of garish cat food looked incongruous no matter how you sliced it. Yet his expression was utterly serious and focused, as if reviewing an important document.

"Meat content is insufficient," he said, putting that one back and picking up another. "This one's carbohydrates are too high."

Wen Yinong was quite surprised. "You don't even keep cats—how do you know all this?"

"Looked it up just now," Mo Shaoshang answered, his eyes still on the ingredient list.

She was baffled. "Why would you look that up?"

"You care about cats; I care about you," Mo Shaoshang said lightly. "Love me, love my cat."

Wen Yinong froze for a moment, and then an indescribable softness surged through her heart. She pressed her lips together, the corners of her mouth curving up, and lowered her head to keep choosing cat food.

In the end, Wen Yinong settled on another brand's chicken-breast cat food.

She put two bags of cat food into the cart, grabbed a few cans, and picked up a large bag of cat litter along the way.

Mo Shaoshang stayed by her side the whole time, pushing the cart and holding the cat, occasionally reaching out on his own to help when she stood on tiptoe for the high shelves.

Watching him like this, Wen Yinong suddenly felt a little dazed.

This man—not long ago, he had stood at the top of the Mo Corporation tower overlooking the entire city, signing contracts worth hundreds of millions at a stroke. Now here he was in front of a supermarket shelf, earnestly comparing which food a cat should eat.

He had clearly changed so much, yet somehow nothing about him had changed at all.

Only at this moment did Wen Yinong discover something quite magical about this man.

It seemed that no matter what desperate situation he found himself in, he would never show even the slightest trace of wretchedness.

Forever powerful and composed, calm and unhurried.

This version of him stirred her heart even more than his former untouchable, jade-noble image.

After leaving the pet section, the two wound their way around the supermarket and somehow ended up in the children's toy aisle.

Wen Yinong noticed a row of plush toys on the shelf and suddenly remembered something. Her voice turned tense and blurted out, "Right—what about Silvio? And your other pet snakes?"

"Professionals are taking care of them," Mo Shaoshang said, casually rearranging the goods in the cart, his tone flat.

Wen Yinong breathed a sigh of relief. After a pause of a few seconds, she sighed again and said with feeling, "What happened to your family really was too sudden."

As she spoke, she hesitated, her sidelong gaze flitting up to study him tentatively.

Mo Shaoshang was pushing the cart forward at an unhurried pace. The supermarket lights were a cold white, shining on his face and rendering his features ever more sculpted—handsome as a deity.

Just then, noticing the girl's gaze, Mo Shaoshang turned to look at her. "Something you want to say?"

Wen Yinong bit her lip with the tip of her teeth. After hesitating again and again, she couldn't hold back: "All of this... does it have something to do with Pei Xizhou?"

The moment the words landed, Mo Shaoshang's steps halted.

His face turned cold at visible speed, thin lips pressing together, gaze frigid. Every trace of warmth vanished from him, leaving only a bone-deep, murderous ruthlessness.

Wen Yinong inwardly cursed: disaster.

She seemed to have brought up precisely the one thing she shouldn't have...

Mortified, Wen Yinong cleared her throat and was about to say something, anything, to change the subject, when the man before her parted his lips and spoke.

"Baby."

When he spoke again, his expression had already returned to calm. He reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair the wind had tousled behind her ear, his movements tender, his voice very soft. "These things have nothing to do with you. You don't need to learn the truth behind them, and you mustn't blame yourself or grieve over them."

"So I guessed right?"

Wen Yinong's brow knit slightly as she looked up at him directly. "Pei Xizhou used me to throw you into disarray, and that's how he got the chance to strike at the Mo Corporation?"

Mo Shaoshang gazed deeply at her and said nothing.

In that instant, the suspicion in her heart was confirmed, and Wen Yinong suddenly understood everything.

Back when her grandfather was hospitalized, Pei Xizhou, as his attending physician, had shown her family a warmth beyond any normal doctor-patient relationship—solicitous, attentive, caring in every way. At the time she had thought him gentle and kind, naturally warmhearted. Looking back now, she realized with a chill that it had all been a scheme.

Pei Xizhou had drawn close to her step by step, close to her parents, then exploited countless information gaps to feed her the false signal that "Mo Shaoshang is a member of the Saint organization"—so that, in her terror, she wouldn't dare verify it with him, and instead turned and fled, hiding away in Toulouse.

She deduced that her flight to Toulouse had only been the first step of Pei Xizhou's plan.

His second move was perhaps to strike while Mo Shaoshang chased after her to Toulouse, his entire mind roiled and shaken by her—seizing the opening to make a move against the Mo Corporation...

As these thoughts turned over in her mind, it was as if a giant boulder had dropped out of nowhere onto Wen Yinong's heart, crushing her until she could hardly breathe.

If only she had trusted him a fraction more back then, if only she had been a little calmer, there never would have been such a terrible misunderstanding between her and Mo Shaoshang.

And the Mo Corporation might have escaped this catastrophe.

But to shake a commercial empire as colossal as the Mo Corporation could never have been Pei Xizhou's doing alone.

Coupled with the half-century of entangled grudges between the Mo family and the Saint organization—didn't that mean there was another mysterious, unimaginably powerful force behind Pei Xizhou?

So the question arose again.

Why would Pei Xizhou cooperate with the Saints? Wasn't he the orphaned son of a family friend, raised by the old master of the Mo family? Why repay kindness with vengeance?

Countless fragments churned and collided in Wen Yinong's mind, like a jigsaw puzzle knocked apart. She could make out some vague outlines, yet no matter how she tried, she couldn't assemble the full picture. It was as if something lay behind a veil—flickering in and out of sight, within reach yet hopelessly far.

The supermarket bustled with people coming and going. Customers pushing carts passed by them; children crying, promoters hawking, background music over the loudspeakers—the noise boiled like a pot of porridge.

But Wen Yinong heard none of it. She heard only her own heartbeat, thud after thud, heavy and deep.

Above her head.

Mo Shaoshang's gaze rested on her face, and suddenly the corner of his lips curved into the faintest smile. "Teacher Wen is very clever."

For some reason, Wen Yinong's nose suddenly stung.

She wanted to cry, but constrained by the public setting, she could only force down her tears and wrestle her emotions under control, squeezing out a few muffled words: "It's all my fault. I'm sorry."

The clamor around them seemed to fall silent in that instant.

Looking at the girl's reddened eyes, Mo Shaoshang felt an inexplicable wave of panic rise in his heart.

In the depths of those blue-black eyes, the gloom and cold ferocity utterly vanished in a second, replaced by intense tenderness and doting. He reached out and pulled the red-eyed girl into his arms, holding her tight, his lips brushing her flushed ear tip as he murmured, "Silly girl, it's not your fault. Don't apologize."

Who knew that hearing this would only deepen Wen Yinong's guilt—her tears spilled over, beyond control.

She buried her head deep in his chest and cried soundlessly.

His fingertips touched the wetness at the corner of her eyes. Mo Shaoshang's heart stirred; he lowered his head and kissed the tears away with his lips, his voice dropping lower: "If you keep crying, I'm going to kiss you."

"..." Wen Yinong was speechless. Her face heated, and in embarrassment she raised a hand to hit him.

Just then, out of nowhere, a familiar voice came from behind the two of them—trembling with shock—

"Nongnong? Mr. Mo Shaoshang? What are you two doing?"

In a fraction of a second, Wen Yinong felt as if struck by lightning.

Her face drained white with fright. Inch by inch, she lifted her head from Mo Shaoshang's embrace and looked toward the source of the voice in disbelief.

A middle-aged couple stood not far away, staring at them with uniformly shocked and suspicious expressions.

It was her dear Ms. Shen Yulan and Mr. Wen Zhenhua.

Wen Yinong: "............"

-----------------------

Author's note: Momo: So happy, officially meeting baby's parents!

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Random red packets~ A bonus chapter will drop this afternoon at 18:00 (0808)~

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A new story pitch, "Wildfire Kisses Me," is up on my column page—part of the "Mountains and Rivers" series, launching this year. Interested readers can add it to their collections early~

Synopsis:

On the eve of her police academy graduation, 22-year-old Shu Jiayu traveled a thousand miles from Beicheng to Heyuan City.

Heyuan—the border line.

Various powers entrenched themselves there; all walks of life mingled. The boundary between daylight and darkness blurred like monsoon fog.

Late at night, she slipped into an abandoned factory building.

Backlit, a tall man leaned against the wall with lowered eyes, long fingers idly toying with an unlit cigarette.

Dim light fell from the side, carving stark angles of light and shadow across his face—three-dimensional brow bones, a straight nose bridge, a jawline cold and hard as if chiseled.

Even in his most relaxed posture, nothing could hide that extreme pressure—roguish yet razor-sharp.

Like a blade that had been sharpened and seen its share of blood.

The instant their eyes met, Shu Jiayu was locked in place by his gaze, her breath seizing.

His eyes fell on her, cold and unruffled, examining her from head to toe with seemingly no emotion at all—as if verifying a serial number that had to be absolutely correct.

After a moment, the man spoke: "Shu Jiayu?"

Almost by reflex, she straightened her back: "...Yes."

"Hello. I'm Chen Wenzhou." The man stepped forward a few paces and said evenly, "Pleased to meet you."

Shu Jiayu's heart hammered violently.

She had heard the name "Chen Wenzhou."

Captain of the National Security Special Police Unit, the anchor of the entire system, supreme commander of this operation—her direct superior.

And at the same time...

The husband assigned to her by the organization, her fake-marriage partner during her undercover posting at the border.

*

Meeting Shu Jiayu for the first time, Chen Wenzhou felt a headache coming on.

The mission was brutal, a nine-in-ten chance of death, the danger index off the charts—why on earth would the higher-ups assign him a quiet, pretty little girl?

Meeting Chen Wenzhou for the first time, Shu Jiayu was exceptionally on edge.

To live day and night with a man like this, playing the most intimate of married couples—just thinking about it made her legs go weak with nerves.

Later, after months of living together,

Shu Jiayu often found her cheeks flushing, her eyes growing moist, her legs going inexplicably weaker still.

And Chen Wenzhou finally learned what it meant for love to sink into the bones—life and death, utterly unable to stop.