“Shi Ning.”
Qin Heye leaned over, his hands braced on the bedside, inching closer. Shi Ning was enveloped instantly by his sheer presence, her body pressing back into the mattress beneath her. His potent presence now fully consumed her, threatening to crush her and as she met his gaze, his dark eyes burning with an intense, consuming fire, brimming with danger.
Panic flared within her. She raised a hand, pressing it against his chest, a desperate barrier. “What… what are you doing?”
He halted, his deep eyes still locked on hers. “Do you know what it means to ask a man to give you a bath?” he asked, his voice a low, raw rasp.
“I know.” His gaze felt like it could devour her; she couldn’t hold it also . She turned her head, a blush creeping up her neck, and whispered, “Anyway, we are husband and wife, so… well, it’s also to fulfill the obligations of husband and wife.”
Qin Heye’s eyes reddened, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Are you sure you want it?”
Girls should be reserved! This thought flashed in her mind , but Shi Ning, her face aflame, gripped his chest, a flicker of anger in her eyes. This small, frustrated action, like a light tickle, elicited a soft hum from him.
Did he enjoy being tickled? Shi Ning glared, a mix of shame and fury simmering within her.
Qin Heye’s gaze remained steady. “You’re not afraid of not being able to leave the room for seven days, but I’m afraid of all the suffering you will have to endure for it .”
“Qin Heye!” Shi Ning cried, punching his chest in outrage. “I don’t want to sleep with you at all! I’m just used to taking a shower every day!”
“Hmhm.” Qin Heye chuckled, then scooped her up horizontally, turning towards the bathroom.
Shi Ning continued to pound his chest, yelling, “Put me down! I don’t want you to bathe me! I would rather…” She almost blurted out that she’d prefer Shen Xizhou, but the words caught in her throat. Such a declaration would undoubtedly enrage Qin Heye and disgust herself. No. She quickly rephrased, “I don’t want you to touch me even if it’s dirty!”
Qin Heye ignored her protests, carrying her into the bathroom. He surveyed the space, then gently placed her on the washbasin. “Wait for me here.”
Shi Ning stared after him as he turned and left, utterly bewildered. Where was he going?
Moments later, Qin Heye returned, clutching a small, pink plastic stool—the kind Aunt Zhang used when peeling vegetables. He spread a bath towel on the floor, placed the stool on it, and then carefully lifted Shi Ning, settling her onto the small pink seat.
He took down the shower head, adjusting the water temperature with practiced ease. “Spread a bath towel and sit down to take a bath, so you won’t slip.”
Shi Ning, speechless, finally managed to say , “…Thank you for your thoughtfulness.” He had truly unlocked a new bathing posture for her.
Qin Heye handed her the shower head, his gaze deep and serious. “He is not worth it.” Then, with an abruptness that left Shi Ning reeling, he left.
Inexplicable! Shi Ning thought, utterly confused. “Help me get my pajamas!” she called out, a blush rising. “And underwear, from the left cabinet.”
Soon, Qin Heye reappeared with her pajamas, his fingers hooked through the underwear she’d specifically requested—white with playful bunny prints. He looked at her, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. “It’s different from your style last night.”
Last night’s choice had been black, lacy, and full of cutouts—a style Shi Ning actually disliked for its lack of breathability and discomfort. But she had worn it, foolishly believing it was appropriate for Shen Xizhou. The memory of her past foolishness sparked fresh anger within her. “Get out!” she snapped.
“Call me if you need anything. I’ll wait for you outside.” Qin Heye gave her one last, profound look before closing the door.
Shi Ning watched his silhouette through the frosted glass of the bathroom door. He leaned against the doorframe, engrossed in a phone call, his voice a low murmur about work. His presence, both visible and audible, was a constant reassurance, a silent promise that he was there, simply because he feared she might fall and needed him.
An unfamiliar sense of safety settled in Shi Ning’s heart.
She undressed and began her seated shower. The mist swirled around her, and with it, lines of online comments began to scroll:
[Wow, Shi Ning has a great figure! She is good-looking, with a perfect figure, cold white skin, and she is still running!]
[Oh, she is still pink~]
[There is no way to be a straight woman. Give me a Chinese medicine to make me gay! Bend to 368 degrees!]
Shi Ning’s jaw dropped. Could she really type a censor in the barrage?
[Hey, why is it mosaiced? But the imagination is richer! I love it more, so lustful that the big tongue of the Black and White Impermanence slips out.]
[No wonder Qin Heye loves Shi Ning to death, with this top beauty and superb figure. If it were me, I would die under the peony flowers for beauty, and I would be romantic as a ghost.]
[Shi Ning took the initiative to ask Qin Heye to give her a bath, but he refused? With such a beauty, he refused? It doesn’t fit his character of imprisonment and forced love.]
[Qin Heye has always respected Shi Ning. He hasn’t touched her in the past three years. Even last night, it was Shi Ning who forced him to do it. He couldn’t help it.]
[Qin Heye just told Shi Ning that he was not worthy. Wouldn’t he think that Shi Ning was so active in devoting herself to get a divorce and steal secrets for Shen Xizhou?]
Shi Ning frowned. “Qin Heye really thinks of me like this?”
[Qin Heye is not wrong. Shi Ning is such a person who steals her husband’s secrets for Shen Xizhou, is determined to get a divorce, has beautiful appearance, and is stupid and bad.]
Shi Ning pouted, speechless. Well, that’s how the character was written in the book. Before the online comments, she would have indeed followed this character’s path, serving merely as a foil for the tragic lives of the male and female protagonists. But now, armed with these spoilers, she absolutely would not adhere to the plot! She would change her life!
[It’s strange to say, Qin Heye respects Shi Ning so much, and would rather DIY with Shi Ning’s clothes than touch her. How could it develop to imprisonment and forced love in the end?]
[Did something happen in between?]
Shi Ning was just as curious. She scrolled through the comments for a long time, but they offered no clear explanation. After all, she and Qin Heye were simply supporting roles, and their story wouldn’t have much detailed description.
After dinner, Shi Ning relaxed in the living room, munching on potato chips and watching cartoons. Her phone rang. She picked it up, and Mu Tiantian’s playfully high-pitched voice, naturally coquettish, spilled through the receiver.
“Little Ningning! You haven’t come out to play with me for seven days! Do you still have me this little darling in your heart ?”
Mu Tiantian was Shi Ning’s best friend since childhood.
Shi Ning glanced at her foot. “My husband won’t let me go out, so I’ve been very well behaved these days.” It had been seven days since she sprained her foot. Qin Heye had been working from home, and every time she so much as thought about leaving, he would swoop in and carry her to her room upstairs . Today, with her foot feeling much better, he’d finally gone to the company.
“What???” Mu Tiantian’s voice cracked in disbelief. “You said your husband won’t let you go out?”
“Yeah.”
“Your husband Shen Xizhou?”