“Your health matters more than anything, do you understand?” Lu Shijing began lecturing her seriously.

“I understand,” Gu Nansheng replied obediently, instantly sitting up straighter.

“Then why weren’t you eating properly?” His expression became even more severe.

“I was eating properly,” she defended herself weakly. “I just wasn’t used to the environment on set at first.”

“Was the environment that bad?” he asked immediately, clearly unwilling to let the matter go.

“It really wasn’t that bad, honestly.” Gu Nansheng nearly wanted to smack herself. She had practically dug her own grave with that explanation. Now she had only made him worry even more.

“Was filming this drama exhausting?” The sternness in his eyes gradually softened into heartache. “Can’t you choose an easier role next time?”

“Okay, okay, I know,” she coaxed gently. “Don’t worry so much.”

Only after Gu Nansheng repeatedly promised that she would eat properly, take good care of herself, and absolutely never lose weight like this again did Lu Shijing finally stop lecturing her.

He sighed helplessly.

Every time she acted spoiled with him, all of his anger vanished completely.

Lu Shijing gathered the bowls and chopsticks before turning toward the kitchen sink.

Gu Nansheng secretly let out a sigh of relief.

She quietly walked up behind him and wrapped her slender arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his back. Lu Shijing remained focused on washing the dishes as though unaffected by her actions.

But after a while, he noticed her hands becoming increasingly mischievous.

Her cool fingertips slipped beneath the hem of his T-shirt, slowly tracing across his chest, his abdomen, then further downward inch by inch, every movement deliberate and teasing.

Standing on tiptoe, she leaned close and kissed the side of his ear softly.

Almost instantly, the pale skin along his neck flushed red.

Her lips brushed lightly against his ear as her slightly husky voice whispered beside him, intimate and dangerously tempting.

“Should we… continue?”

The restraint in Lu Shijing’s eyes finally shattered.

He abruptly turned around, lifted her onto the kitchen counter in one smooth motion, and crushed his lips against hers before she could even react.

The kiss was fierce and overwhelming, leaving her no room to breathe.

One of his hands pinned both her wrists above her head while the other slipped beneath her clothes, deftly unclasping her bra.

A misty sheen quickly filled Gu Nansheng’s eyes.

Her gaze became dazed and unfocused, soft sounds escaping helplessly from her lips. At some point, her hair had completely fallen loose around her shoulders, making her look irresistibly disheveled and alluring.

Lu Shijing lowered his head against her chest and bit her lightly in frustration.

“Ah… that hurts,” she complained softly, shooting him a lingering look filled with teasing charm and breathtaking seduction.

Without another word, Lu Shijing carried her straight into the bedroom.

Gu Nansheng was tossed onto the soft mattress, and he immediately leaned over her, kissing her deeply once again.

The dim light spilling in from the living room blurred everything around them while uneven breathing slowly filled the room.

Gu Nansheng begged him for mercy countless times until her voice became completely hoarse.

By the end, she could no longer remember how many times he had tormented her.

Perhaps because the exhaustion from the past two months finally overwhelmed her after she relaxed, she eventually fell asleep without even realizing it.

Looking at the faint tears lingering at the corners of her eyes and the marks scattered across her body, guilt finally rose within Lu Shijing.

He knew he had truly lost control tonight.

But they had been apart for far too long.

The inability to see her or even properly contact her during those months had nearly driven him mad with longing. She had no idea how irresistible she was to him, yet she still insisted on provoking him over and over again.

At three in the morning, Lu Shijing carefully carried her sleeping body into the bathroom and gently cleaned her up.

She was so exhausted that she remained asleep the entire time.

After changing her into fresh pajamas and tucking her beneath the blankets, he finally lay down beside her.

Almost instinctively, Gu Nansheng curled herself into his arms like a spoiled kitten. Her arms wrapped around his waist while her cheek rubbed softly against him.

“Lu Shijing…” she murmured sleepily.

A faint smile finally appeared on his handsome face as he gazed down at her quietly for a long while.

“You little troublemaker… at least you remembered to come home.”

She had no idea how desperately he had missed her.

The next morning, Gu Nansheng was awakened by the ringing of her phone.

Without opening her eyes, she fumbled around the bedside table for quite a while before finally grabbing it. Without even checking the caller ID, she immediately rejected the call.

A minute later, the phone started ringing again relentlessly.

Even burying herself beneath the blanket could not block out the noise, so she finally answered with obvious irritation.

“Hello?”

Her voice was hoarse and sleepy, clearly carrying the frustration of someone dragged awake far too early.

“Oh my god, sweetheart, what exactly were you doing last night? Your voice sounds completely wrecked. Hurry up and confess!”

The moment she heard the voice, Gu Nansheng instantly recognized her best friend, Lin Manqing.

The two of them had grown up together since childhood. Their relationship was so close they could practically share everything in life, except for Lu Shijing, of course.

“I caught a cold,” Gu Nansheng answered weakly.

Lin Manqing snorted immediately. “Please, who are you trying to fool? Why didn’t you tell me you were back? We haven’t seen each other in forever! Get over here right now, your big sister misses you.”

“Disturbing someone’s peaceful sleep should be punishable by death,” Gu Nansheng muttered resentfully while keeping her eyes closed.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a naughty dream? Hahaha!”

Without hesitation, Gu Nansheng hung up on her.

A few moments later, her phone chimed with a message notification.

Lin Manqing had sent over a location pin for a private upscale restaurant.

Gu Nansheng lay motionless on the bed for a while, allowing her thoughts to empty completely.

Every bone in her body felt sore and weak. Last night had truly been excessive.

Then she noticed a pinned message from Lu Shijing.

“Breakfast is on the table. Remember to eat. I had to stop by the university. Call me after you wake up.”

Warmth instantly spread through her chest.

She immediately dialed his number, and he answered after only two rings.

“You’re awake?” His low, pleasant voice came through the phone.

“Mm, just now.”

Gu Nansheng rolled over while clutching the blanket, only to hiss sharply from the soreness in her body.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Shijing asked immediately, concern obvious in his voice.

“My whole body hurts. My waist hurts, my knees hurt, even my mouth hurts…” she complained dramatically one grievance after another.

Lu Shijing coughed awkwardly.

He knew perfectly well that he had indeed gone too far the previous night.

“I’ll be gentler next time,” he said quietly, his ears warming slightly.

Gu Nansheng nearly burst out laughing.

Serves him right for refusing to let her go no matter how much she begged last night. Now she was going to make him feel guilty enough to spoil her properly.

“Did you eat breakfast yet?” he asked again.

To Lu Shijing, her eating habits had now become the single most important issue in the world.

“Not yet. I’ll eat soon. I’m going out later, Manqing asked me to meet her.”

Knowing how rarely the two best friends had time to see each other, Lu Shijing asked softly, “Are you still coming home tonight?”

“Yes.” Gu Nansheng paused briefly before adding in a gentler voice, “I want to stay with you.”

Her words instantly brightened his mood.

The corners of Lu Shijing’s lips lifted into a faint smile.

“Alright. Come home early, and be careful.”

After ending the call, Gu Nansheng finally dragged herself out of bed to get ready.

But the moment she saw herself in the mirror, she froze.

Faint red marks covered nearly every visible inch of her body.

She had no choice but to apply several layers of concealer before barely managing to cover them.

After hurriedly eating a few bites of breakfast, she put on a hat and mask before driving toward the restaurant Lin Manqing had sent her.