First, then, love.

After feeding the cat and dog, He Zheng felt sticky all over.

I just ran five kilometers and I'm drenched in sweat. My T-shirt is sticking to my back and it's uncomfortable.

He crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and pulled them up.

I took off my short-sleeved shirt, tossed it onto the back of the sofa, and walked shirtless towards the master bedroom, ready to take a quick shower.

I walked to the door of the master bedroom.

The door was ajar, with a crack in it.

He Zheng pushed open the door and went in.

The bed was empty; the blanket was half-lifted, and the pillow that served as the boundary between Chu and Han fell onto the carpet.

The bathroom door was closed, but the sound of running water could be heard from inside.

woke up.

He Zheng didn't pay attention. He walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and took out a clean black T-shirt and a pair of underwear.

He walked to the bathroom door, reached out and grasped the doorknob, then pressed it down.

It can't be pressed down.

It's locked.

He Zheng frowned slightly.

He's used to being single and lives alone, so he never locks the bathroom door.

"Knock knock".

He bent his fingers and knocked twice on the frosted glass door.

"Hurry up, I need to take a shower," he shouted into the room, his voice not loud, but it was penetrating.

After shouting, the corners of his mouth turned up.

To deliberately cause harm.

The sound of water inside stopped.

A second later, Shu Yao's voice came through the door, muffled and with a hint of self-righteous arrogance.

"Wait a minute! I just washed my face!"

He Zheng glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 8:15.

"How long?" he asked.

"Half an hour!" came the crisp reply from inside.

He Zheng laughed in exasperation.

Washing your face takes half an hour? He usually takes five minutes to shower, wash his hair, and brush his teeth at most.

What exactly is going on inside? Are they performing a ritual?

He leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed.

His broad, muscular back pressed against the cold wallpaper, beads of sweat from his morning workout still clinging to his chest muscles, rolling down along the defined lines of his abs and disappearing into his black waistband.

"Okay, hurry up, the brigade has a meeting this morning," he urged patiently.

In the bathroom.

Shu Yao was standing in front of a huge dressing mirror.

A thin layer of condensation covered the mirror, and she used a dry towel to wipe out a clear area.

She changed into a champagne-colored silk slip dress. The dress was very short, just covering the top of her thighs, with two thin straps hanging on her rounded shoulders, as if they could slip off with the slightest push.

The fabric was extremely thin, clinging to her body and outlining the soft curves of her chest; she wasn't wearing a bra.

She tied her long hair up high with a hairband, revealing her smooth forehead.

She began her unwavering morning skincare routine, which was as meticulous as a delicate surgical procedure.

First, soak a cotton pad with the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and gently pat it onto your face for a full two minutes until the moisture is completely absorbed.

Then, I opened that expensive bottle of La Mer face cream, used the special small spatula to scoop out a pea-sized amount, and placed it in my palm.

Put your hands together and rub them vigorously to warm them, using the warmth of your palms to emulsify the face cream into a transparent state.

Next, press your hands onto your cheeks, forehead, chin, and neck, leaving no inch untouched.

This process is extremely time-consuming.

After applying face cream, it's time for eye cream.

She picked up a cool jade roller and gently pulled it upwards along the contour of her eye, rolling it ten times to the left and ten times to the right, her movements so gentle that she was afraid of creating a fine line.

The sink was covered with her bottles and jars.

She moved in last night and immediately took over 80% of the table space.

He Zheng's poor toothbrush cup and that yellow soap were ruthlessly squeezed into the far corner, at risk of falling into the trash can at any moment.

Time passed second by second.

He Zheng's legs went numb from standing outside the door.

He glanced down at his watch; it was 8:35.

Twenty minutes passed, and apart from the clinking of bottles and jars, there was no other sound; the showerhead and faucet were not turned on.

He lost his patience.

He walked to the door again, but this time he didn't knock. Instead, he slapped the door with his palm.

"Clap clap clap".

"Shu Yao, are you done yet? I really need to go to a meeting." His voice turned somber, tinged with annoyance.

An impatient grumble came from inside.

"What's the rush! I'm putting on sunscreen! If I go out without sunscreen and get freckles, is that your fault?!"

He Zheng gritted his teeth.

The tip of my tongue touched my back molars.

"It's raining today, it's cloudy, there's no sun." He tried to reason with the woman.

"There are UV rays even on cloudy days! What do straight men know?! Wait five more minutes!"

Shu Yao roared back from inside, full of momentum.

He Zheng closed his eyes.

Okay, he admits defeat. Trying to explain skincare logic to a woman is like having a debate.

He could only continue to lean against the wall and wait.

The sweat slowly evaporated on my skin, leaving me feeling sticky and extremely uncomfortable.

He has a slight case of mysophobia; not showering after morning exercise is worse than death for him.

Just as he was about to kick down the door.

"Click".

The sound of the door lock turning rang out.

Immediately afterwards, the bathroom door was opened.

A fragrance, mixed with warm, humid steam, like a pink cloud, wafted directly onto He Zheng's face.

It smells so good, so delicious!

He Zheng subconsciously held his breath, his brows furrowing slightly.

Shu Yao stood at the door.

She was looking down, holding a tube of lip balm in her hand, carefully applying it to her lips.

"Alright, alright, you're begging me like this. Here you go, hurry up and wash yours..."

She looked up as she complained.

The words stopped abruptly in his throat, as if they had been abruptly cut off by an invisible hand.

Their eyes met.

The distance was extremely close, less than half a meter.

Shu Yao's eyes widened suddenly, her pupils contracting slightly.

What came into view was a wide, solid, and oppressive wall of flesh.

He Zheng was shirtless.

His pure bronze skin gleamed with a healthy glow that exuded power under the bright bathroom light.

Full pectoral muscles, well-defined eight-pack abs, and a prominent V-line.

The sweat hadn't completely dried, and a few beads of water clung to her collarbone, dangling precariously.

With each breath, his chest rose and fell slightly, and male hormones, like a tsunami, instantly overwhelmed Shu Yao.

Shu Yao's mind went blank with a "buzz".

She lived for twenty-four years, and although she had slept with men, she had also been in relationships.

Gu Jinzhi was a refined and elegant scholar who always wore a well-fitting shirt. She had never been so close to or so directly confronted an adult male body.

It's too savage, too impactful.

My breath stopped instantly, and my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, then began to beat wildly at an uncontrollable frequency.

Blood rushed straight to the top of the head.

Shu Yao's face turned bright red at a visible speed, the redness spreading all the way to the base of her neck and the tips of her ears.

The lip balm in her hand fell onto the floor tiles with a "thud" and rolled to the side.

He Zheng stood still, his dark and deep gaze also fixed on Shu Yao.

His eyes instantly darkened, becoming unfathomable.

She had just washed her face, wasn't wearing makeup, and her skin was fair and radiant with a natural pinkish hue.

The champagne-colored silk slip dress was slightly damp from the moisture in the bathroom and clung tightly to her body.

The silky fabric followed the soft curves of her chest, extending downwards and outlining her slender waist.

Two thin shoulder straps accentuated her delicate collarbones.

She wasn't wearing a bra.

He Zheng's gaze lingered on the two faintly visible protrusions for a second before quickly shifting away.

His Adam's apple bobbed heavily, producing a clear swallowing sound.

My breathing became heavy and labored involuntarily.

This woman is an absolutely deadly enchantress.

Wearing such clothes and wandering around at home is a huge test for this vigorous young man.

The two of them blocked the bathroom doorway, neither willing to back down.

The atmosphere instantly became sticky, ambiguous, and dangerous.

Shu Yao was the first to react.

She suddenly took a step back, instinctively crossing her hands to protect her chest.

Her eyes darted around nervously, but she dared not look at his body.

"You...you...you're being a pervert!"

She stammered her accusation, her voice trembling, her finger pointing at his chest, her fingertips shaking.

"What are you doing wandering around the house so early in the morning without any clothes on!"

She bit her lip, trying to use anger to mask her panic and pounding heart.

He Zheng looked at her, who looked like a frightened rabbit.

A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

Instead of retreating, he took a step forward.

His tall figure closed in instantly, forcing her back to the edge of the sink, her lower back pressed against the cold marble countertop, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

He Zheng lowered his head.

An oppressive shadow enveloped her, and the salty smell of sweat mixed with his unique masculine scent filled her nostrils.

He placed his hands on either side of her body on the table, encircling her within the area of ​​his chest.

They were so close that she could feel the burning heat emanating from his chest.

He Zheng tilted his head slightly and brought his lips close to her ear.

His voice was deep and husky, with a hint of mischievous teasing.

"A legally married couple, in their own home."

He raised an eyebrow, his deep eyes fixed on her flustered gaze, and asked in return.

"Who are you wearing this for?"