She was strong, but not strong enough to string up a grown man. “The Zhou family are nothing but bullies, throwing your weight around! I'm calling the cops! I'll have you arrested—ah!” The words were barely out of her mouth before a sharp slap sent her stumbling. “Shut your mouth!” Mr. Wang thundered. “You have the nerve to call the police? You're the one who spoiled him rotten, letting him run around causing trouble all day!” Stunned by the blow, the woman collapsed to the ground, wailing. “I can't go on! How could you side with an outsider against us? Your own family! Following you has been the worst luck of our lives…” Elder Shi waved a dismissive hand. Mrs. Shi and the second Shi daughter-in-law stepped in, coaxing the pair away with a gentle but firm insistence until the wailing mother and son were gone. Mr. Wang was drowning in regret. He never should have brought his brainless wife and that useless brat to the Shi family's party. His company's survival depended on a loan from Hengtai Bank. Now that he'd offended the Zhou family, he was finished. Mr. Wang scraped and bowed, a desperate smile plastered on his face. "Second Master Zhou, Second Madam, it’s our fault. We failed to discipline our son properly. Please, you're both bigger people than this. Don't stoop to his level. I swear I'll beat him black and blue when we get home and teach him a lesson he won't forget!" "It's alright. He's just a child," Lin Yuxi said, her tone far more gracious than Zhou Yanjing's as she handed the toy gun back to him. "And children are fragile. You shouldn't hit them too hard. A few light taps should be enough." Mr. Wang was speechless. The drama by the pool finally drew to a close. Once the brat and his family were gone, the crowd of onlookers dispersed. Ling Yaqiong turned on Zhou Yanjing, her tone sharp. "How old are you? And how old is he? Aren't you ashamed of yourself, bullying a little kid?" "Why would I be ashamed?" A lazy smile played on Zhou Yanjing's lips. "It's not like it's my first time being a bully." Ling Yaqiong was about to say something to Lin Yuxi—after all, this whole mess had started because of her. But before she could open her mouth, Zhou Yanjing raised a hand and summoned one of the Shi family's servants. "Go get Yuxi's coat." Lin Yuxi's shawl was soaked through. In the cold evening air, it was as if she'd been submerged in the pool herself. The servant quickly returned with Lin Yuxi's overcoat and a hand warmer. Ling Yaqiong didn't say anything more. "Alright, you two should head home early." Lin Yuxi had always been the type to have ice-cold hands and feet. Wrapped in her cashmere coat, clutching the hand warmer as she sat in the heated car, she only just began to feel a little warmth seep back into her body. But it was a superficial warmth. In the few short steps from the car to their front door, the wind had already stolen what little heat she’d gathered, leaving her hands chilled once more. As they stepped inside, Zhou Yanjing took her coat, his fingers brushing against hers. He frowned. "Still ice-cold after all that time in the car?" Before Lin Yuxi could react, he had enveloped her hand in his warm, dry palm. She stared down at their joined hands, silent. Zhou Yanjing called to Chen Sao, telling her to draw a bath and make some ginger tea for Lin Yuxi. Only after giving the instructions did he turn his attention back to her. "Your other hand." Lin Yuxi looked up at him. When she didn't move, he reached out and gathered her other hand into his as well, cupping them both between his palms to warm them. "Don't you know how to fight back when people push you around?" he asked, his tone deceptively casual. "If I hadn't been there today, were you just going to let them walk all over you?" Lin Yuxi lowered her gaze. "If you hadn't been there, I would have pushed him into the pool myself." Zhou Yanjing scoffed, her plan sounding like something out of a grade-school scuffle. "And what happens when his parents come after you? How would you get out of that?" "I'd push him in, scream for help, and then, when people show up, I'd 'heroically' jump in to save him. Would they dare yell at the person who just saved their son's life?" Zhou Yanjing sneered. "A Pyrrhic victory. You'd hurt yourself more than him. That kid is a lot tougher than you are." "What else was I supposed to do?" Lin Yuxi retorted. "String him up like you did? I can't exactly lift him." "If you can't handle it yourself, don't you know how to call for backup?" Zhou Yanjing said. "Just come find me. I'm not dead yet. You think I'd let anyone walk all over you?" She knew he had a silver tongue, but she couldn't stop the flutter in her heart at his words. Lin Yuxi went to her room and took a hot bath. She felt much better. When she came out, Chen Sao had already prepared the ginger tea. The sharp scent of ginger hit her, and Lin Yuxi immediately turned her head away. "Just have a little," Chen Sao coaxed. Lin Yuxi resisted. "I don't want to. I already took a hot bath, I won't catch a cold." Zhou Yanjing approached. He'd shed his jacket, and his tie and watch were gone. With the top three buttons of his shirt undone, he radiated a casual, languid air. "What's wrong?" Chen Sao was quick to tattle. "It's all ready, but she won't drink it…" Zhou Yanjing shot Lin Yuxi a look. She silently lifted the bowl and took a few sips, her brow knitting tighter with each spoonful, her expression pained as if she were drinking poison. "Is it really that bad?" Zhou Yanjing raised an eyebrow. "Let me try." Chen Sao quickly offered, "There's more in the pot, I'll get you a bowl." "No need." Zhou Yanjing leaned in and took a sip directly from Lin Yuxi's spoon. "It's just ginger. It's not that bad." Lin Yuxi couldn't comprehend how he could be so dismissive. *It's just ginger.* As if ginger wasn't the sworn enemy of all mankind. "Then you drink more of it." "It was made for you. If I drink it, is my immunity going to transfer to you?" With that, he gave her cheek a light pinch. Lin Yuxi had just bathed, and her cheeks and lips were flushed a healthy pink. Her skin was fair and clear, smooth and soft to the touch. He seemed to like the feel of it. When he finished, Lin Yuxi froze for a moment. It had been a long time since they had shared such a small, intimate gesture. She lifted her eyes and met his downward gaze. *An illusion,* she thought. *It has to be.* Or maybe it was just the warm light of the room that made his eyes seem so gentle. "Zhou Yanjing…" Lin Yuxi began. Instead of pulling his hand away, the backs of his fingers traced the delicate line of her jaw, slowly gliding downward. She had changed into her sleepwear after her bath, and his fingers brushed against the skin of her slender neck, down to her elegant collarbones, and the pale curve of her shoulder. Zhou Yanjing's voice was a low, casual murmur. "Hm?" His gaze followed the path of his fingers, tracing every inch of her smooth skin, the slow pace sending a faint tremor through her. The air between them thickened, charged with a soft, unspoken intimacy. He was so close she could smell the cool, woody scent of his cologne, a fragrance that curled around her senses. Her mind suddenly flashed back to other nights—hot, tangled nights when this impeccably dressed man would shed his suit to reveal the aggressive, powerful body beneath, all raw, wild desire. By day, Zhou Yanjing was all lazy nonchalance, but in bed, he was a force of nature. His arms would lock around her, crushing her against him until not an inch of space remained. He would whisper her name, "Xixi…," his voice a tender caress against her ear. And then he would turn cruel, demanding, "Be a good girl. Call me 'husband,' and I'll give you what you want." But as Lin Yuxi looked at the handsome, sharp features of the man before her, a wave of unfamiliarity washed over her. It had been so long since Zhou Yanjing had touched her. No one knew how much she missed this intimacy. Zhou Yanjing's fingers combed through her hair, still slightly damp from the bath, and tucked it behind her neck. His brown eyes were half-lidded as he asked, "What was it you wanted to say?"