At the sound, he stirred.
Puzzled, Yun Xiaoran hurriedly opened the door, only to find his beautiful, aloof wife sprawled on the floor.
Shen Jin had changed into pink-and-blue pajamas. She sat on the floor, her eyes swimming with tears of pain, her dark hair falling loosely around her pretty face and over her shoulders. When she looked up, anger mingled with the fear and pain in her tearful eyes as she said:
"This is all your fault! Why did you mop the floor until it was so slippery?"
"Uh..." Yun Xiaoran awkwardly looked down at Shen Jin. Her slipper had fallen off, and her smooth, rosy foot twitched unconsciously against the pale floor. Paired with the resentment on her pretty face, it made him feel like a criminal.
"Do you have any Honghua Oil or something like that? I can help you..."
"Of course. There's a little first-aid kit right over there." Shen Jin still held out some hope, but a slight movement of her right foot sent a piercing pain through her. She abandoned the idea of moving herself and looked at Yun Xiaoran instead.
Yun Xiaoran approached in small steps, while Shen Jin watched him coming closer, panic churning inside her.
She was alone in a room with a man. Who knew what might happen? Besides, Yun Xiaoran had originally been an obsessive fan who stalked her. Now that her foot was injured, she had practically handed him an opportunity.
"Don't..." In her nervousness, Shen Jin jerked her right foot, only to aggravate the injury and nearly bring herself to tears.
"Here, wipe your tears. This might hurt a little, so bear with it." Yun Xiaoran handed her a tissue, then tried to help her up, but Shen Jin was so helpless that she could barely move.
Between the abuse from haters over the past few days, the embarrassment she had caused while drinking, and the public uproar online, she was already exhausted in body and mind. Now she had injured her right foot, too. She might well miss the finals of I Am a Singer.
It was the country's premier music show, and it could determine whether she took her career to the next level.
But now that hope had been shattered-all because of the man in front of her!
Shen Jin had trained in women's self-defense, so her fair, delicate arms were not to be underestimated. She seized Yun Xiaoran's arm and, while he stood there stunned, bared her pearly teeth and bit down hard.
"What the fu-"
Yun Xiaoran stared blankly at Shen Jin as she sank her teeth into his forearm, sucking in a sharp breath.
Was this woman part dog? With that much force, she was seriously trying to bite a chunk out of him.
Even Fu Bao, who had been licking a paw, froze at the sight of the woman and man of the house coming to blows.
Shen Jin bit harder. Strands of hair fell against Yun Xiaoran's arm, making it itch as well as hurt. Her beautiful eyes were shut, her teeth clamped down beneath her thin, closed lips.
Looking helplessly at Shen Jin, who refused to release his arm, Yun Xiaoran could only accept his bad luck.
He had wanted to shove Shen Jin away, but she was in a temper, so he could hardly get rough with her. Besides, he had mopped the floor so slick that she had fallen—what defense did he have? All he could do now was wait for her to let go, then carry her to the sofa.
Yun Xiaoran watched her face. Partway through biting him, she opened her beautiful eyes and stared at him, her gaze red-rimmed and glistening. She was clearly about to cry.
But when she discovered that Yun Xiaoran was watching her with an amused expression, Shen Jin froze, seemingly wondering why he had not pushed her away. She grew even angrier and bit harder. Seeing that she really meant business this time, Yun Xiaoran slowly began pulling his arm free.
Shen Jin had not wanted to let go, but a glance from the corner of her eye revealed a deep bite mark on Yun Xiaoran's forearm. It was even beginning to bleed.
Realizing that she had gone too far and lost control, Shen Jin slowly released his arm and murmured through tear-filled eyes:
"Now you know how much I'm hurting. Hurry up and carry me to the sofa!" Shame filled her eyes along with the tears of embarrassment and pain, but her tone remained sharp, commanding and angry.
"All right, now that you're done biting." Yun Xiaoran shook his arm, baring his teeth in pain. He would have been lying if he said it did not hurt.
"Your bite force could rival a hyena on the African savanna."
Forcing a smile, Yun Xiaoran cracked the joke to tell Shen Jin that she had not hurt him.
At his words, Shen Jin looked again at the deep row of tooth marks on Yun Xiaoran's arm. She lowered her head and grumbled:
"You're the one who made the floor so slippery. Otherwise, I wouldn't have... Ow."
Seeing the tooth marks on Yun Xiaoran's arm, Shen Jin began to regret what she had done. Having vented, her anger had subsided. With her head lowered, she reluctantly held her own flawless, sculpted arm up to his mouth.
"We may be a fake married couple, but I still can't owe you anything. Go ahead and bite."
It was Yun Xiaoran's first time examining her arm from so close. Thanks to her strict dietary standards, there was scarcely any excess flesh on it-only tender skin, with faint blue-purple veins beneath.
Yun Xiaoran said, "..."
"Forget it. That's domestic violence. Even if we're only pretending to be married, I won't forget this month for a long time."
Shen Jin nodded in satisfaction. As the National Goddess, she still had her charm. "I won't forget that a woman bit my arm," Yun Xiaoran told her earnestly.
"You..." Shen Jin glared at Yun Xiaoran, but somehow the mood had become much lighter than before.
Soon, Yun Xiaoran helped Shen Jin onto the sofa.
The previous owner of his body had smoked, though he himself rarely did, and his clothes still carried a faint scent of tobacco. Shen Jin caught the scent and found it pleasant.
"I'm going to apply the medicine now. Tell me if it hurts." Holding a cotton swab in one hand and the Honghua Oil in the other, Yun Xiaoran slowly began applying it.
Shen Jin watched helplessly as Yun Xiaoran spread Honghua Oil over her ankle. The cool sensation, together with the air brushing over her bare foot, made it tickle in a way she could hardly describe.
Watching the handsome, attentive Yun Xiaoran apply the medicine with such solemn care, Shen Jin looked both embarrassed and annoyed.
When he had almost finished, Yun Xiaoran judged that he had applied enough and said:
"You can do the rest. It won't take long. I'm heading back to the bedroom."
Yun Xiaoran handed Shen Jin the Honghua Oil and cotton swabs as though his mission were accomplished, then inspected the results of his work and nodded in satisfaction.
What... If you're helping someone, see it through to the end. Why would he stop when he was almost finished? Shen Jin stared after the retreating Yun Xiaoran, bewildered and furious.
Everything Yun Xiaoran had just done-his reactions, his actions, and the way he had handled the situation-had been perfect. Why had he left just as she was beginning to feel touched?
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