Without even asking, Lin Zhixia knew this was probably another mess left behind by the original owner of the body.

She didn’t dare ask about it. If she did, wouldn’t she risk exposing herself?

Seeing Xie Jingheng’s face darken to an alarming degree, his lips pressed into a thin line, Lin Zhixia quickly clutched her shoulder and exaggeratedly cried out,

“Ow! My shoulder hurts so much!”

“What if it’s fractured?”

“Don’t worry. Your bones are tough enough,” Xie Jingheng sneered.

The distraction worked. His expression visibly softened.

Lin Zhixia breathed a sigh of relief. Pretending not to hear his sarcastic comment about her being hard-headed, she sat back down, opened the container, and prepared to apply the medicine.

The moment she lifted the lid, a strong bitter medicinal smell hit her nose.

Her stomach immediately churned.

Unable to suppress the nausea rising in her throat, she began retching.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

Although he was still upset, Xie Jingheng had been secretly keeping an eye on her the whole time.

The moment he saw her retching in discomfort, he strode over.

However, when he reached her, he remembered something and swallowed the words of concern that had nearly left his mouth.

His expression complicated, fists clenched, he stared at her and asked coldly,

“What’s wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

At the moment, Lin Zhixia had no attention to spare for his emotional changes.

Seeing him standing there, she immediately shoved the white container into his hands and pushed it as far away as possible.

“No! Just take that medicine away… ugh… the smell is too strong. It’s making me want to throw up!”

Her left hand tightly gripped the hem of his shirt, nearly all her weight leaning against him.

Xie Jingheng: …

“So delicate,” he muttered in annoyance.

Yet his actions were anything but slow.

One hand quickly carried the medicine far away from her.

His other hand hovered behind her back to keep her from accidentally slipping and falling.

As the pungent smell gradually faded, Lin Zhixia finally felt she could breathe again.

She took several deep breaths, and the discomfort in her stomach slowly subsided.

After a while, she recovered enough to smile.

“Thank you. I feel much better now.”

Leaning against him, her stunning face lit up with a bright smile, she looked as though he were the only person she could rely on.

Something inside Xie Jingheng softened involuntarily.

Awkwardly looking away, he spoke a few seconds later in a stiff voice.

“Bear with it.”

Lin Zhixia was about to ask what he meant when his large hand suddenly pressed against her head, forcing her face toward the left.

Then she felt him crouch down.

His head gradually drew closer.

Warm breaths brushed against her earlobe.

Her heart instantly began pounding.

The next second, she felt her collar being pulled aside.

Cold fingertips lightly grazed the skin of her shoulder.

The sensation made her shiver uncontrollably.

“Hiss! That’s cold!”

“Don’t move,” he ordered gruffly.

“I’m applying the medicine.”

“Then just apply it. Why do you have to sound so fierce about it?”

Lin Zhixia grumbled under her breath but obediently sat up straight to make it easier for him.

Then—

His large, scorching palm settled firmly on her shoulder.

Using circular motions, he carefully massaged the ointment into the bruised skin.

His warm breath repeatedly brushed against the side of her neck.

Having never experienced such intimate contact with a man before, Lin Zhixia’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Her heart raced wildly inside her chest.

She took a deep breath and tried to ignore it.

But the man’s presence was simply too overwhelming.

No matter whether she closed her eyes or opened them, she remained acutely aware of the large hand on her shoulder and the faint scent of soap mingling with his breath.

Unable to help herself, she nervously curled her fingers together.

Her knees pressed tightly together as she sat upright and obedient, looking like a primary school student who had just been scolded by a teacher.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly intimate, a shocked voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.

“Y-You two… what are you doing?!”

Xie Qingshu cried out instinctively, frozen in place.

From her angle, her usually calm and self-controlled older brother was bent over, his head near that wicked woman’s neck.

It looked as though he were kissing her.

Xie Qingshu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

How was that possible?!

Startled, Lin Zhixia jumped and instinctively leaned closer to Xie Jingheng.

Xie Jingheng froze briefly.

Then he gently patted her shoulder and shifted his body to shield her exposed fair shoulder from view.

Turning around, he snapped coldly,

“Get out.”

Xie Qingshu was both furious and embarrassed.

“Brother, how could you kiss—”

“Xie Qingshu. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Fine. I’m leaving right now.”

Feeling wronged, she obediently closed the door behind her.

In this family, the person she feared most was her eldest brother when he got angry.

As soon as she turned around, she nearly collided with Mother Xie, who had rushed upstairs after hearing the shouting.

“Qingshu, what happened?” Mother Xie asked breathlessly.

Unable to contain herself, Xie Qingshu complained,

“Mom, do you know what I just saw? Big Brother was kissing Lin Zhixia! How could he—mmph!”

Before she could finish, Mother Xie clapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her away.

Amid hurried footsteps, Mother Xie’s scolding could still be heard.

“Have you no sense of propriety? Don’t barge into your brother and sister-in-law’s room again!”

“But—”

“They’re husband and wife. What can’t they do?”

“…”

The room was so quiet that every word outside could be heard clearly.

Lin Zhixia instantly turned bright red.

Xie Jingheng’s expression also became somewhat unnatural.

Afraid she might misunderstand and cause another scene, he quickly explained,

“I wasn’t kissing you. Qingshu misunderstood.”

Face burning, Lin Zhixia replied softly,

“I know.”

Then she immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

She wasn’t stupid.

Whether he’d kissed her or not, she would certainly know.

Silence fell between them.

The atmosphere gradually became awkwardly intimate.

Noticing her reddened earlobes, Xie Jingheng felt as though a feather had lightly brushed across his heart.

His tone softened considerably.

“Does it still hurt?”

Lin Zhixia gently touched her shoulder and smiled in surprise.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

As she withdrew her hand, her fingers accidentally brushed against his.

Embarrassed, she immediately pulled back.

Watching her retreat from him as though avoiding contact, the warmth that had just appeared in Xie Jingheng’s expression disappeared.

His features returned to their usual coldness.

Turning away, he said indifferently,

“I’m going to the study.”

“Okay!”

Lin Zhixia hurried to follow him.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Xie Jingheng paused briefly.

The chill surrounding him seemed to lessen somewhat.

Originally, they had assumed it would take only a few minutes to locate the banned books and eliminate the source of their worries.

However, the moment the study door opened, Lin Zhixia realized she had been far too optimistic.

Because…