She developed a fever again in the latter half of the night. Shen Yanli stayed by her bedside, gently wiping her forehead with a warm towel. Lin Zhiyu, uncomfortable from the heat, slept restlessly. It wasn’t until dawn that her condition gradually improved.

Shen Yanli had barely slept all night. Only when morning arrived and he confirmed her fever had subsided did he finally leave with relief.

The sunny day faced the sun, the sky cloudless. Fresh buds sprouted on the branches, their vibrant green vitality spreading through the vines, long and enduring. New life emerged, with buds and young leaves reflecting each other’s brilliance.

It was dusk by the time Lin Zhiyu slowly woke. The room was empty. After fumbling under her pillow for a while, she found her phone and stared at the large, prominent time displayed on the screen.

The notification bar showed no messages from the person she wanted to hear from.

Half-closing her eyes, she let her arm fall onto the bed with a soft thud, feeling somewhat weak. “Weren’t we supposed to go eat instant noodles? Where is he?”

Pressing her right cheek against the bed, she refused to give up and tapped on his WeChat profile picture.

Lin Zhiyu: [Where]

Lin Zhiyu: [are]

Lin Zhiyu: [you]

Lin Zhiyu: [Snowball Stepping on a Snake.jpg]

–

Shen Corporation was well-trained and disciplined. This sudden investigation did not cause internal panic, and work continued in an orderly manner.

In the conference room, Shen Yanli sat at the head of the table, calmly listening to the corporate report. The spacious hall was filled with steady, organized discussions.

The vibration of a phone on the table created a faint buzzing sound, quickly drawing everyone’s attention in the serious setting.

During formal meetings, any noise unrelated to the presentation was strictly forbidden. The moment the sound occurred, the air instantly froze. People glanced around, searching for the source.

“Who’s so reckless? Little Director Shen is here turn it off immediately.”

“Xiao Xiang, is that you?”

“What about A Chen? Not him either?”

“Hurry, find it and turn it off. This is unacceptable!”

The conference room was occupied only by senior executives and assistants. Initially, everyone’s attention focused on the assistants, but to no avail. As the buzzing continued intermittently, all eyes eventually turned to Shen Yanli, who remained composed as he picked up his phone.

Shen Yanli valued quiet above all, especially in solemn meetings where any extraneous noise was intolerable.

Previously, Director Li’s assistant had been fired before the meeting even ended for replying to a message during the session. Since then, no one dared to use their phone casually in any meeting attended by Little Director Shen.

This alarming anecdote was still circulating within the corporation.

Everyone shuddered at the memory.

Yet now, Shen Yanli sat upright in his office chair, casually fiddling with his phone, his expression calm and undisturbed.

On his plain, default phone screen were message notifications from Lin Zhiyu.

The sender, receiving no response, seemed to grow impatient. Emoticons flooded in one after another. He had just opened WeChat but hadn’t had time to read everything before the stickers pushed the messages up.

The buzzing persisted tirelessly, echoing throughout the conference room.

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

This was the first time a meeting had been interrupted by incoming messages. They were puzzled but didn’t dare to speak up.

After all, the one holding the phone was Little Director Shen, seated high above. No one had the nerve to question him.

Shen Yanli scrolled through the screen as if no one else was present, unaware that Lin Zhiyu’s rapid spamming wouldn’t stop until he replied.

Amidst the dizzying array of emojis, Shen Yanli fell silent for a moment, then slowly typed on the digital interface after some thought

After receiving a reply, the other end finally quieted down, ending with a final text emoji

Bro’s so cold, there’s no one by his side.jpg

Shen Yanli’s finger, about to scroll up, paused mid-air.

Are you feeling unwell? Still running a fever?

The chat interface came to a halt at this point. Seeing no response from her, Shen Yanli considered various possibilities and was about to stand up when his phone buzzed again.

Lin Zhiyu: ……

Lin Zhiyu: It’s an emoji! Don’t you get what an emoji is?

He rested his wrist on the desk, his expression growing increasingly grave as he stared at his phone something everyone in the room noticed.

What’s with all these messages? Has the company run into trouble again?

Is it going bankrupt? Surely not?

Shen Yanli lifted his gaze and scanned the room briefly before closing the folder. His tone remained steady, betraying no abnormality. “Let’s call it a day for now.”

The moment these words were spoken, the collective relief in everyone’s eyes seemed on the verge of flooding the conference room.

Given Little Director Shen’s usual exacting standards during progress reports, if their current team’s proposal required revisions, they wouldn’t have gotten a moment’s rest for a week. But now an unexpected day off!

Everyone was overjoyed.

Operations Department: “Oh, what a shame. We didn’t even get to present our report to Little Director Shen.”

Sales Department: “Yeah, we prepared for so long. Oh, what a pity, such a pity.”

“Is that so? Then why don’t you stay and continue the presentation?”

“Ah, now you’ve piqued my interest.”

“Buddy, honestly, I’ve noticed you’re particularly nitpicky.”

“See? The moment we ask you to stay, you’re unhappy again.”

This abrupt and inexplicable end to the meeting felt more lively than usual.

The flurry of messages on his phone remained an unsolved mystery, adding yet another enigmatic tale about Little Director Shen within the corporation.

After sending the message, she waited for a long while but received no reply. Pouting in dissatisfaction, she grumbled, “What’s this! Was he lying to me? How could he deceive a sick person? Is there no reasoning with him?”

The bedsheet from last night, tainted with illness, had been replaced with a fresh one. Lin Zhiyu, annoyed by the sticky discomfort on her skin, had thoroughly washed herself and now lay refreshed, sprawled across the bed.

The message bar still showed no reply from the man. Lin Zhiyu clicked her tongue in irritation, knelt on the bed, and pointed accusingly at her phone. “What’s going on? How long has it been? Still no reply? Are you that busy, Shen Yanli? How many girls’ WeChat messages are you replying to?”

Just as Shen Yanli pushed the door open, his eyes fell on the young woman kneeling on the bed. Bathed in a beam of light, she wore a snow-white silk nightdress, its glossy fabric making her skin appear as smooth and lustrous as a pearl, delicate and captivating.

She had been ranting animatedly, but the sound of the door opening made her whirl around abruptly.

“!!!”

Shock flared in her eyes, freezing her in place.

“Y-y-you… why are you back?”

Shen Yanli hung his coat on the back of a chair, leisurely removed his wristwatch, and replied nonchalantly, “Finished replying to all those girls’ WeChat messages outside. Now I’m back to reply to yours.”

“!” Lin Zhiyu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He heard everything?

She swallowed nervously, feigning ignorance as she waved a hand dismissively. “What nonsense are you talking? I don’t get it, I don’t get it.”

The startled look on Lin Zhiyu’s face lingered before him. With a light chuckle, he walked into the bathroom.

Emerging while drying his hands with a handkerchief, he approached the bedside. Lin Zhiyu watched him warily, waving her hands in a tai chi-like stance to block his path. “What are you doing?”

“Domestic violence?”

Shen Yanli chuckled. “Let me check if you still have a fever.”

Lin Zhiyu: …

His palm met her forehead, the unnatural heat having already subsided. Only after repeatedly confirming she was fine did his hand withdraw with relief.

Sitting cross-legged with hands braced against her thighs, Lin Zhiyu docilely allowed him to press his forehead against hers, exhibiting the obedient compliance of someone feeling guilty.

“Have you eaten?” he asked.

Lin Zhiyu shook her head. She had been fine until he mentioned it, but now her stomach chose that moment to rumble inopportunely.

“Nothing all day?” His brow furrowed slightly.

Lin Zhiyu blinked and nodded at him ingratiatingly.

“Hehe.”

Shen Yanli sighed helplessly. “Any other discomfort? What would you like to eat? I’ll have them prepare it.”

The young lady’s energy couldn’t match his own, naturally requiring more recovery time. Remembering how she’d been moaning unconsciously with fever until midnight, Shen Yanli’s heart softened repeatedly.

He reached out and pulled Lin Zhiyu up. His freshly washed palms still carried the warmth of the water, the comforting sensation making her instinctively want to lean closer.

It was just past six o’clock – dinner time.

Shen Yanli led her downstairs.

The young mistress’s irregular meals were typically prepared on demand, but Shen Yanli’s return changed that. Unless instructed otherwise, his presence meant he’d be dining at home, and the kitchen had already begun preparing meals in an orderly fashion since his arrival.

With an empty stomach all day, Lin Zhiyu could no longer resist the aroma of food. Remembering his unconfirmed promise, she looked up before overeating to ask, “Are we still watching the instant noodles?”

Under the cool white lighting, Shen Yanli’s bone structure appeared refined as he calmly rolled up his sleeves to reveal his forearms, meticulously peeling grapes.

A tower of deep purple fruit rose in the Crystal Goblet beside him, layered meticulously. The goblet’s intricate carvings extended elegantly, refracting the fruit’s vibrant colors.

His movements were leisurely, his slender and well-proportioned knuckles distinct. Lin Zhiyu’s gaze inadvertently caught on them and couldn’t look away.

As the final grape completed the pyramid, he retrieved a wet wipe to clean his hands. Meeting Lin Zhiyu’s gaze, his voice carried tenderness. “Of course.”

His profound gaze collided with her clear eyes. Lin Zhiyu blinked uncomfortably, averting her eyes first and nodding randomly in response. “Oh, then I’ll stop eating.”

If she overate, her dress wouldn’t fit – something she definitely wanted to avoid.

He pushed the Crystal Goblet forward. “Some fruit then? Have some.”

Her gaze followed the goblet but didn’t linger on the succulent fruit, instead settling on the knuckles resting lightly against the vessel’s surface.

The unconscious tapping of his fingertips against the crystal was enough to make her dizzy.

“Zhi Zhi?” Noting her stillness, Shen Yanli called her name again, his voice feather-light.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she turned away, masking the embarrassment in her eyes.

No, no – if she stayed any longer she’d lose control. She didn’t want to feature in tomorrow’s news reports: “Last night, a certain Ms. Lin suffered explosive death from insomnia and starvation due to unattainable longing for her husband’s fingers.”

That would truly be catastrophic. Absolutely not.

Immediately, she sprang to her feet. “No more eating. I need to go choose an outfit.”

She declared this righteously without even glancing at Shen Yanli.

The girl walked away swiftly, as if avoiding something, leaving Shen Yanli alone in place. He lowered his gaze slightly to look at the fruit flesh in the cup.

After a long moment, he stood up and poured all the fruit flesh into the sink.

The man’s dark eyes deepened, and he immediately instructed: “This ”

“No need to buy it for the house anymore.”

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