Oh no! Drunk last night, I accidentally wandered into my ex-boyfriend's room.

In the dead of night, only the sounds of breathing mingled and the faint darkness outside the window filled the bedroom.

Lu Beiting pressed her down again, turning her over and over, almost fiercely taking from her several times before finally stopping, seemingly satisfied.

It was simply a warning to her not to reminisce with Wen Shuyan or discuss her private life too much.

The man lowered his head, his hot breath falling on her ear, his voice hoarse and languid, yet forceful:

"Did you hear me?"

You're not allowed to run off with any other man.

"Ugh... I heard you, I understand..."

Lin Qian was already completely defeated, her eyes were red, and she begged him while crying, until her voice was a little hoarse.

My legs could barely close.

Only when she was sobbing softly as if she were about to suffocate did Lu Beiting finally let her go. He bent down, picked up her limp body, and carried her into the bathroom.

The next morning, Lin Qian arrived at the Imperial City Airport exhausted. She had two obvious dark circles under her eyes, and even applying a layer of foundation couldn't hide her fatigue.

Besides Wen Shuyan, Chen Xiaopan, who had just been promoted from intern to full-time employee, was also with them.

Chen Xiaopan's face was flushed, and she clutched her boarding pass excitedly: "Sister Qianqian! I feel like I'm dreaming! I never imagined I could participate in such an important project, especially with Manager Wen personally leading the team! And look, business class! This is my first time flying business class!"

"Hmm," Lin Qian yawned lazily, "that's good."

I can finally catch up on some sleep on the plane.

And these past few days I've finally stopped having to take care of my husband, giving my back and mouth a break.

During the wait for the flight.

Chen Xiaopan went to the toilet.

Wen Shuyan sat down next to her, his gaze falling on her haggard face, and he frowned.

"Qianqian, why are your dark circles so bad today? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Lin Qian rubbed her sore and swollen eyes, forcing herself to cheer up: "It's okay, I'll just take a nap on the plane later."

Wen Shuyan didn't ask any more questions. He got up, fetched a glass of warm water, and handed it to her.

"Drink some hot water, it will make you feel better."

Lin Qian felt her throat was a little dry, so she took the paper cup and nodded weakly, "Thank you."

Upon boarding the plane, Lin Qian found herself sitting in the same row as Wen Shuyan.

It was Chen Xiaopan's first time flying, and she was even in business class. She couldn't help but take a lot of photos, completely absorbed in her own world, her face practically beaming with joy.

In contrast, Lin Qian's complexion was not good, and her lips gradually turned pale.

She's flown before, and she gets dizzy for a while, but she falls asleep and feels fine.

This time, however, her discomfort was particularly severe. After the plane shook a few times, she felt dizzy, had tinnitus, and even broke out in a cold sweat on her forehead, experiencing nausea.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Wen Shuyan asked anxiously, staring at her pale face.

Lin Qian felt dizzy and nauseous, and gripped the handrail tightly as she endured a wave of nausea.

Wen Shuyan immediately rang the bell to call the flight attendant. After asking in a low voice, he asked for motion sickness medicine tea, dimenhydrinate tablets, and a glass of warm water.

After taking the medicine, Lin Qian took a few deep breaths.

Wen Shuyan unwrapped a preserved plum candy from his pocket and offered it to Lin Qian, "Try it."

Old-fashioned preserved plum candy has been around for over a decade. Its salty-sweet taste helps alleviate the discomfort of airsickness to some extent.

Lin Qian, with a candy in her mouth, leaned back in her chair, feeling a little better, and whispered, "Thank you."

Wen Shuyan gave her a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

There's no need for thanks between us.

During the second half of the flight, the drug took effect, and Lin Qian fell asleep with her head down.

In her dream, she returned to the small town of Nansang, where Lin Qian was still in elementary school that year.

After her mother passed away from heart disease, she lived with her uncle's family.

Every night she dreams of her mother Lin Shuyao's gentle smile, and every night she secretly cries under the covers.

During her most difficult time, she was too embarrassed to bother her hardworking aunt and uncle, and her cousin Lin Yize was too young to understand anything and only knew how to play in the mud.

The little girl could only rub her swollen eyes from crying, slip on her slippers, and knock on the door next door.

In the height of summer, the air is sweltering, and the sound of cicadas, accompanied by waves of heat, reaches your ears.

The door opened, and young Wen Shuyan stood behind it. Although he was young, his eyes and brows already showed a maturity beyond his years and a hint of unapproachable aloofness.

He lowered his peach blossom eyes, his voice indifferent, "Why are you crying?"

Lin Qian's eyes were red as she sobbed softly, "Mom... is gone. Mom will never smile at me again..."

Wen Shuyan: "Want some candy?"

Kobayashi Asahi nodded vigorously, her voice thick with nasal resonance: "Mmm!"

An old-fashioned preserved plum candy thus fell into her mouth.

Salty and sweet.

Wen Shuyan looked at her with his eyes down for a long time, then whispered a comforting voice: "Eat a piece of candy and you'll feel better."

"Um... thank you, Brother Shuyan."

From then on, Lin Qian clung even more to Wen Shuyan, genuinely regarding him as her own good older brother.

He would share any good food he had with her, and patiently teach her the problems she didn't understand. When bullies in the village harassed her, he would stand up for them.

But then he left without saying goodbye.

When Lin Qian knocked on the door again, he was already gone...

Lin Qian slept very soundly, not only because of the effects of the medicine, but also because she and Lu Beiting had exercised too much the night before.

Wen Shuyan turned his head and looked at the woman, who was sleeping soundly with her head turned to the side, completely unguarded.

Her skin was very fair, and a few strands of hair, damp with sweat, clung messily to her smooth forehead and cheeks.

The man's eyes darkened slightly, and he couldn't help but reach out and tidy up the two messy strands of hair on Lin Qian's forehead.

The gentleness in Wen Shuyan's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a dark and gloomy expression.

So what if she has a boyfriend?

Aren't we not married yet?

-

Lin Qian's discomfort gradually dissipated after the plane landed in City C.

She opened her phone and immediately sent Lu Beiting a short message: "[Landed.]"

This business trip is packed with activities; in addition to winning over target clients, I also need to attend an industry summit.

After a full day of meetings, Lin Qian felt completely drained. Dragging her legs, which felt like they didn't belong to her, she returned to her hotel room, wishing she could sleep until the end of time.

Before parting, Wen Shuyan reminded him, "We live on the same floor. If you need anything, remember to come find me immediately."

Lin Qian nodded politely: "Okay."

Chen Xiaopan silently watched the two of them and scratched her head.

Why do I always feel that Manager Wen treats Sister Qianqian very differently?

That kind of meticulous care goes beyond what a typical boss would show to his subordinates, doesn't it?

-

At 9:30 p.m., Lu Beiting called me on video.

Click to connect, the screen lights up, and what comes into view is Lu Beiting's appearance after taking a bath.

Water was dripping from the man's short, dark hair, and droplets slid down his sharply defined jawline.

The black bathrobe was deliberately loosely tied, revealing a large expanse of firm, muscular chest with clearly defined muscles, and on it... there were several light pink scratch marks left by Lin Qian last night, ambiguous yet arrogant.

Lazy, seductive, and full of aggression.

Lin Qian's cheeks flushed slightly. "What are you doing?"

On the other side of the screen, Lu Beiting casually wiped his hair, his dark eyes locking onto her through the screen.

"Is it illegal for my boyfriend to check up on me?"

We agreed before I went on the business trip that I would video call him every day.

"Turn the screen," Lu Beiting commanded in a low voice, "Let me see if there are any strange men hiding in the room."

"!!!"

What does he mean?

Lin Qian turned the camera around and glared at him angrily:

"Do you see me as the kind of woman who would cheat?"

Lu Beiting chuckled softly, his dark eyes fixed on the screen, his deep voice coming through the phone, becoming even more magnetic.

"Baby, I miss you."

Lin Qian's anger subsided considerably. "Oh, is there anything else? If not, I'll hang up."

Lu Beiting: "Why did you hang up?"

Lin Qian: "Because I need to get ready to take a shower and go to bed."

"Don't hang it up, put it in the bathroom," Lu Beiting ordered. "I'll watch you wash it."

???

Lin Qian took a deep breath, already wanting to curse.

Lu Beiting looked down at the screen. The woman's angry expression was incredibly vivid, just like a cat with its fur standing on end, so cute that it made one's heart itch.

Just then, the doorbell rang twice.

Lin Qian said to Lu Beiting on the screen, "Wait a minute, someone is knocking on the door," and then placed her phone on the stand on the table.

The door opened.

Wen Shuyan stood at the door of the room, wearing an ordinary white shirt. The top two buttons of the shirt collar were not fastened, revealing his prominent Adam's apple and his collarbone.

There was an indescribable sense of abstinence.

He was carrying a bag of fresh strawberries, and his voice was clear and pleasant.

"I happened to see it downstairs, so I bought it. Qianqian, I remember that strawberries were your favorite fruit when you were little."