Chapter 29:

Lin Qiao had just said she was a little scared of him earlier, and now she might have to say it again for the second time.

In fact, they hadn’t verbally confirmed their relationship yet. They simply knew they liked each other but hadn’t officially made it official.

With Shen Qingzhou suddenly acting like this, Lin Qiao was starting to think about jumping out the window.

Perhaps not wanting to hear Lin Qiao speak, after finishing his sentence, Shen Qingzhou started playing music loudly—Eason Chan’s “Red Rose” blared through the car. The lyrics, “What you can’t get always stirs; what’s favored dares to be reckless,” kept echoing in her ears. Helplessly, she reached out to turn off the music, but Shen Qingzhou directly grabbed her hand, driving one-handed with the steering wheel, which was extremely dangerous.

Lin Qiao tried to pull her arm back slightly. Shen Qingzhou frowned slightly and looked at her, silently warning her with his cold, stern face not to act foolishly, or else both would suffer in an accident.

Helplessly, Lin Qiao shouted loudly, “Turn off the music! I have something to say to you!”

Shen Qingzhou immediately released her hand and spoke indifferently. Lin Qiao tried hard to read his lips. It seemed to be: “Talk when we get home.”

Looking at the distance left, it wasn’t far from his place. Lin Qiao thought it would be better to talk after parking. Having a conversation while driving was inherently unsafe. Some things could wait until they got there. After all, he couldn’t possibly tie her up and drag her into the house once they arrived.

But surprisingly, that’s exactly what Lin Qiao had guessed. Shen Qingzhou drove the car into the garage, got out without a word, and immediately went to the passenger side to pull Lin Qiao out. As she resisted and tried to run backward, he simply reached out and scooped her up horizontally, pressing her against his chest as he walked toward the front door.

During the walk to the room, Lin Qiao kept trying to break free from his grip. But Shen Qingzhou wasn’t just tall—he was also very strong. After struggling a few times, she was roughly thrown over his shoulder in frustration. Her stomach was uncomfortably pressed against his shoulder as she pounded his back with both hands, shouting, “Shen Qingzhou, let me go first! You can’t be this barbaric! Listen to me!”

After entering the house, Shen Qingzhou didn’t look back as he kicked the front door shut, carrying Lin Qiao directly toward the master bedroom upstairs.

Seeing that she was about to reach the “crime scene,” Lin Qiao hurriedly cried out in panic, “Shen Qingzhou, I’m sorry! I won’t meet Qin Muyao ever again! Please spare me!”

Hearing her finally admit her mistake, Shen Qingzhou sighed in relief as he threw her onto the large bed in the master bedroom.

He roughly pulled off his tie and tossed it to the ground, then locked the door after turning on the lights and approached her, scaring her into propping herself up with both arms behind her back and scooting backward. Her beautiful, large eyes were filled with fear and caution, as if he were a beast about to attack.

“Shen Qingzhou, let’s talk properly! Don’t come over…” There had never been a moment when Lin Qiao hated the big bed more. The bed beneath her seemed endless, and she had been trying to move off it for ages without success.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t speak or rush. He shifted his gaze from Lin Qiao to the window, leisurely walking over to close the curtains. Standing there, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt while looking at her.

Lin Qiao completely panicked. As he hadn’t approached yet, she tried to escape over the bed, but when she reached the door and turned the handle, she found it locked from the inside.

She paused for a moment, then turned around to lean against the door, watching Shen Qingzhou, who had now unbuttoned his entire shirt, swallow hard.

“Ah.” Shen Qingzhou sighed, seemingly meaninglessly. He took off his shirt and threw it carelessly to the ground, then raised his hand to rub his throbbing temple before walking toward her. As he moved, he said, “Lin Qiao, I’ll take responsibility for you.”

Lin Qiao shook her head repeatedly, “No, no, I don’t need you to take responsibility. Just let me go, Shen Qingzhou. This is going too fast. We just thought we could give it a try, we haven’t even verbally confirmed our relationship ourselves yet. How did you jump straight to this point?”

Shen Qingzhou stopped in front of her, narrowed his eyes in thought, and said, “Oh, so the last time wasn’t confirming the relationship?”

“Of course not!” Even now, she couldn’t admit it, or else her innocence would be lost today. She wasn’t mentally prepared at all.

Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou clearly weren’t on the same wavelength. She thought one way, while he thought another.

“Then that’s great. Let’s confirm it today. Actions speak louder than words.” Saying this, he placed both hands on Lin Qiao’s shoulders, pulling her back and throwing her onto the bed again. She landed flat on the soft mattress, which bounced slightly from the impact.

Shen Qingzhou looked down at her back, casually unfastened his belt, threw it aside, and then climbed onto the bed, pinning Lin Qiao down as she tried to get up.

“Mm…” Lin Qiao let out a low groan, tightly gripping the bedding beneath her, sweating profusely as she struggled desperately, “Shen Qingzhou, don’t do this. Please, let me go…”

Shen Qingzhou lowered his head and kissed her cheek, then moved to her earlobe. Lin Qiao couldn’t stand the tickling and, while trying to avoid him, stammered, “No… I don’t want this…”

Shen Qingzhou exhaled heavily, whispering huskily in her ear, “Lin Qiao, you don’t want it, but I do.” He grabbed her hand and guided it downward. Lin Qiao felt the hardness beneath his trousers and immediately blushed.

“Shen Qingzhou, are you serious?” she cried out in distress.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t answer, responding directly with action. He held her waist and pulled her skirt up to her waist, exposing her white lace underwear to his gaze. The beautiful curve of her buttocks made his eyes narrow slightly, and he couldn’t help but rub it a couple of times.

At this moment, Lin Qiao deeply realized that Shen Qingzhou wasn’t joking. This dangerous man had decided to do something today, and the only thing she could use to resist him now seemed to be feng shui.

“Shen Qingzhou, even if you want to do it, can’t you check the date first? You said the seventh of next month is an auspicious day. Can’t we just wait until next month? It’s not lucky now…” She’d try anything to survive this crisis first, and deal with next month when it came.

Hearing Lin Qiao’s weak excuse, Shen Qingzhou let out a faint, disdainful snort and said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s not an auspicious day. People have to go against fate a few times in their lives. Don’t you think so?”

He teased her by biting her earlobe as his large hand moved from her thigh down to the girl’s most private and soft core.

Instinctively, Lin Qiao clenched her legs together and cried out, “Shen Qingzhou, you bastard! You don’t even like me!”

Shen Qingzhou found this ridiculous, “Would I do these things to someone I don’t like? You silly kid.” He separated her legs that were trying hard to stay closed, moving behind her and pressing his lower abdomen against her warm secret area. Lin Qiao struggled, her breathing quickened, her face flushed red. She managed with difficulty to turn her head to glare at him, only to meet his increasingly indulgent gaze.

Kneeling between her legs, he looked down at her and said, “Do you want to see what you look like now? I can’t stop anymore in this situation. Lin Qiao, I can apologize to you, but today, just bear with me. Anyway, you’ll be mine sooner or later.”

Lin Qiao frowned and said, “If you do this today, aren’t you afraid I won’t talk to you ever again?”

Shen Qingzhou looked away for a moment, then after a short pause, as if after deep consideration, he turned back to look at her and said, “What’s so bad about that? Do I really have to say those three words for you to agree? Then I’ll say it.”

He leaned down again, approaching her face and whispering lowly, “Lin Qiao, I love you. You don’t know how scared I was today when you were leaving with Qin Muyao. I promise you, I will take responsibility for everything I do tonight for the rest of my life.”

Hearing these words from a man she had strong feelings for, it was impossible not to be moved. But basing this emotion on having sex was another matter entirely.

At this crucial moment, saying such things was hard not to be seen as a lie told to achieve one’s goal.

Although Lin Qiao believed Shen Qingzhou wouldn’t lie about such a thing just to satisfy his desires, his unpredictable behavior still seemed somewhat absurd.

“Since you said that, then quickly let me go. I’ll pretend nothing happened just now. Let’s be together properly, and wait until the right time before…”

Lin Qiao hadn’t finished speaking when Shen Qingzhou covered her delicate lips with his own. He deeply savored her sweetness, spreading her legs wider with his own. His long fingers moved from her core to the edge of her underwear, pushing aside the barrier that covered the entrance he longed for. He slightly lowered his pants, positioning his already hard and ready member at her entrance, which was already somewhat moist.

Shen Qingzhou held the tip and slowly rubbed against her entrance, forcing her to slightly lift her hips. His voice was low and tender, “Lin Qiao, you’re like this already. Don’t tell me you really don’t want it.”

Lin Qiao covered her face in shame and shouted, “Even if I want it, not now! Shen Qingzhou, don’t regret it if you dare to enter!”

Shen Qingzhou furrowed his brows, seemingly really struggling, but his member directly pushed into her entrance. Lin Qiao screamed and threw her head back, her long hair scattering over her shoulders, resting on her purple dress. Her skin was as white as high-quality jade, everything so delicate.

“Mm, no regrets.” He said hoarsely, placing his hand on her abdomen, trying to pull her body upward, but she tightly gripped the bedding beneath her, refusing to move.

She was in so much pain from his sudden penetration that she was covered in cold sweat, her face pale as paper. Only her lips were red as fire, seductive.

“Lin Qiao.” Shen Qingzhou called her name, but she stubbornly bit her lip and refused to speak. He tried moving in and out slightly, and Lin Qiao let out a muffled groan without crying out, only gripping the bedding tightly, enduring his gradually accelerating movements.

Seeing her furrowed brows, Shen Qingzhou gradually increased his force. Her body moved forward with his movements, until finally, during one thrust, she couldn’t help but open her mouth and let out a “Ah!”

That sound sent a thrill through Shen Qingzhou’s entire body.

He sighed in satisfaction and leaned down close to her back, gently moving in and out. Lin Qiao buried her face in the bedding. When she had to lift her head due to suffocation, the bedding was already damp.

Seeing the traces, Shen Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then gently touched her face and asked softly, “Does it hurt a lot?”

Lin Qiao’s face was pale as she said, “Not as much as my heart.”

Shen Qingzhou sighed, slowly slowing his movements, kissed her cheek, and said, “Don’t be angry. What I said is all true. Am I not good enough? Is there a better choice for you besides me?”

Lin Qiao had just mentioned feeling a bit startled by him earlier, and now she was probably about to say it for the second time.

Truth be told, they hadn’t officially confirmed their relationship verbally yet. They were both aware of their mutual feelings but hadn’t made it explicit or public.

Shen Qingzhou’s sudden move made Lin Qiao feel like jumping out of the window.

Perhaps not wanting to hear what Lin Qiao had to say, Shen Qingzhou started playing music right after he spoke. Eason Chan’s “Red Rose” blared loudly, filling Lin Qiao’s ears. The line, “What you can’t get is always stirring; those who are favored have nothing to fear,” kept echoing in her mind. Helpless, she reached out to turn off the music, but Shen Qingzhou grabbed her hand, driving with one hand on the wheel—a dangerously reckless move.

Lin Qiao tried to pull her arm back. Shen Qingzhou frowned slightly and glanced at her, his stern face silently warning her not to cause trouble, lest they end up in an accident with neither of them benefiting.

Frustrated, Lin Qiao raised her voice, “Turn off the music! I need to talk to you!”

Shen Qingzhou released her hand and calmly said something. Lin Qiao tried to read his lips—it seemed to be: “We’ll talk when we get home.”

Checking the distance, they weren’t far from his place. Lin Qiao thought it might be better to talk after parking. Having a conversation while driving was unsafe, and some things could wait until they arrived. Surely, he wouldn’t drag her into his room the moment they got there.

But as it turned out, Lin Qiao’s guess was spot on. Shen Qingzhou drove into the garage, got out without a word, and pulled her from the passenger seat. When she resisted and tried to back away, he simply scooped her up, holding her tightly against his chest as he carried her toward the door.

On the way to the room, Lin Qiao struggled to break free, but Shen Qingzhou was not only tall but also strong. After a few attempts, he grew impatient and hoisted her over his shoulder. His shoulder dug uncomfortably into her stomach, and she pounded his back with her fists, yelling, “Shen Qingzhou, let me go! You can’t be this野蛮! Listen to me!”

Shen Qingzhou entered the house, kicked the door shut without looking back, and carried her straight to the master bedroom on the second floor.

Seeing that they were nearing the “crime scene,” Lin Qiao panicked and cried out, “Shen Qingzhou, I was wrong! I won’t see Qin Muyao again! Please spare me!”

Hearing her finally admit her mistake, Shen Qingzhou sighed in relief as he tossed her onto the large bed in the master bedroom.

He roughly tore off his tie and threw it on the floor. After turning on the light and locking the door, he walked toward her. Terrified, she propped herself up with her arms and scrambled backward, her beautiful eyes wide with fear and vigilance, as if he were a beast about to attack.

“Shen Qingzhou, let’s talk this through. Don’t come any closer…” Never before had Lin Qiao hated a large bed so much. The bed beneath her seemed endless; no matter how much she moved, she couldn’t get off.

Shen Qingzhou remained silent and unhurried. He shifted his gaze from Lin Qiao to the window, strolled over to draw the curtains, and stood there watching her as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

Lin Qiao was彻底慌了. Seizing the moment before he approached, she scrambled across the bed trying to escape. But when she reached the door and turned the handle, she found it locked.

She froze, turned around, and leaned against the door, swallowing hard as she watched Shen Qingzhou, who had now fully unbuttoned his shirt.

“Ah.” Shen Qingzhou sighed inexplicably, took off his shirt, and tossed it aside. He rubbed his throbbing temples and walked toward her, saying, “Lin Qiao, I’ll take responsibility for you.”

Lin Qiao shook her head repeatedly. “No, no, I don’t need you to take responsibility. Just let me go. Shen Qingzhou, this is moving way too fast. We both thought we could give it a try, but we haven’t even made it public. We haven’t even confirmed it verbally ourselves. How did you jump straight to this?”

Shen Qingzhou stopped in front of her, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, and said, “Oh, so last time wasn’t confirming our relationship?”

“Of course not!…” Even if it were, she couldn’t admit it now, or else her innocence would be lost here today. She was completely unprepared mentally.

Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao were clearly on different wavelengths. She thought one thing, while he thought another.

“Well, that’s good. We’ll confirm it today. Actions speak louder than words.” As he spoke, he placed his hands on her shoulders, pulled her back, and tossed her onto the bed. She landed face-down on the soft mattress, causing the bed to shake slightly.

Shen Qingzhou looked down at her back, casually undid his belt, tossed it aside, and leaned over her, pressing her down firmly as she tried to get up.

“Mmm…” Lin Qiao groaned under his weight, gripping the sheets tightly beneath her. Cold sweat covered her forehead as she struggled desperately. “Shen Qingzhou, don’t do this. Please, let me go…”

Shen Qingzhou lowered his head and kissed her cheek, then moved to her earlobe. Lin Qiao squirmed from the ticklish sensation, avoiding him while stammering, “No… I don’t want this…”

Shen Qingzhou let out a deep breath and whispered hoarsely in her ear, “Lin Qiao, you may not want it, but I do.” He grabbed her hand and guided it downward. Lin Qiao felt the firmness beneath the fabric of his trousers, and her face flushed bright red.

“Shen Qingzhou, are you serious?” she cried out, on the verge of崩溃.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t respond with words but answered her with actions. He held her waist, pulled her skirt up to her hips, and exposed her white lace panties. The curve of her bottom made his eyes narrow slightly, and he unconsciously gave it a gentle squeeze.

At this moment, Lin Qiao deeply realized that Shen Qingzhou wasn’t joking. This dangerous man had decided to do something today, and the only thing she could use to refuse him now seemed to be feng shui.

“Shen Qingzhou, even if you want to do this, you should check the date. Didn’t you say the seventh of next month is an auspicious day? Let’s talk about it next month, okay? Today isn’t lucky…” Desperate times called for desperate measures. She needed to escape this situation first and deal with next month later.

Hearing Lin Qiao’s weak excuse, Shen Qingzhou let out a faint, dismissive snort. “It doesn’t matter if it’s not an auspicious day. In life, you sometimes have to defy fate a few times. Don’t you think?”

He nibbled her earlobe flirtatiously as he spoke, his large hand sliding between her thighs and settling directly on her most intimate and soft core.

Lin Qiao instinctively clamped her legs together and exclaimed, “Shen Qingzhou, you jerk! You don’t even like me!”

Shen Qingzhou found this absurd. “If I didn’t like you, why would I do these things? Silly girl.” He parted her tightly clenched legs, pressed himself between them from behind, and his hardened lower abdomen pressed firmly against her warm, secret place. Lin Qiao struggled, her breathing rapid, her face flushed. With great effort, she turned her head to glare at him but met his increasingly captivated gaze.

Shen Qingzhou knelt between her legs, looking down at her. “Do you want to see what you look like right now? There’s no turning back now. Lin Qiao, I can apologize to you, but today, just indulge me. After all, you’ll be mine sooner or later.”

Lin Qiao frowned. “Aren’t you afraid that if you do this today, I’ll never speak to you again?”

Shen Qingzhou averted his gaze for a moment, then turned back as if after careful consideration. “What’s wrong with that? Do I have to say those three words for you to agree? Fine, I’ll say it.”

He leaned down again, close to her face, and whispered, “Lin Qiao, I love you. You have no idea how scared I was today that you would leave with Qin Muyao. I promise you, I’ll take responsibility for everything I do tonight for the rest of my life.”

Hearing these words from a man she deeply admired, it was impossible not to be moved. But if this心动 was built on the foundation of having sex, that was a different matter.

Saying such things at this critical moment made it hard not to see them as lies meant to achieve a goal.

Although Lin Qiao believed Shen Qingzhou wouldn’t lie just for physical desire, this unconventional behavior still felt somewhat absurd.

“Since you’ve said that, let me go now. I’ll pretend nothing happened today. We can be together properly and wait until the time is right to…”

Before Lin Qiao could finish her breathless sentence, Shen Qingzhou covered her lush lips with his. He kissed her deeply, his legs spreading hers wider. His slender fingers moved from her core to the edge of her panties, pushing aside the barrier that hid the entrance he desired. He partially lowered his trousers and pressed his already eager hardness against her entrance, which was surprisingly somewhat wet.

Shen Qingzhou guided the tip, rubbing against her entrance, forcing her to raise her hips slightly. His voice was low and tender as he said, “Lin Qiao, you’re already like this. Don’t tell me you really don’t want it.”

Lin Qiao covered her face in shame and yelled, “Even if I did, not now! Shen Qingzhou, if you dare enter, don’t regret it!”

Shen Qingzhou frowned, seeming genuinely troubled, but his lower body pushed directly into her entrance. Lin Qiao screamed and threw her head back, her long hair cascading over her shoulders and onto her purple dress. Her skin was as pale and smooth as fine jade, everything about her exquisitely beautiful.

“Mmm, no regrets,” he said hoarsely, placing his hand on her lower abdomen and trying to lift her body slightly. But she clung tightly to the sheets beneath her, refusing to move.

The sudden intrusion had left her in pain, covered in cold sweat, her face as pale as paper. Only her lips remained temptingly red like fire.

“Lin Qiao,” Shen Qingzhou called her name. She stubbornly bit her lip and refused to respond. He tried moving in and out gently, and Lin Qiao let out a muffled groan but didn’t cry out. She merely gripped the sheets tightly, enduring his gradually quickening rhythm.

Watching her furrowed brows, Shen Qingzhou gradually increased his intensity. Her body shifted forward slightly with each thrust until, during one particularly deep entry, she couldn’t help but let out a soft “ah.”

That sound sent a wave of satisfaction through Shen Qingzhou.

He sighed contentedly, leaned down close to her back, and continued moving gently in and out. Lin Qiao buried her face in the sheets. When she finally had to lift her head due to lack of oxygen, the sheets were already damp.

Shen Qingzhou noticed the moisture and hesitated. He gently touched her face and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Lin Qiao, pale-faced, replied, “Not as much as my heart hurts.”

Shen Qingzhou sighed and slowly eased his movements. He kissed her cheek and said, “Don’t be angry. Everything I said is true. Am I not good enough? Do you have a better choice than me?”

Lin Qiao, her eyes red with委屈, said, “You are very good, but…” She was cut off as he suddenly quickened his pace, causing her to moan softly. “Ah… no… you…”

Shen Qingzhou kissed her earlobe and coaxed, “It’s not ‘no,’ it’s ‘yes.’ Say it again,乖.”

Lin Qiao bit her lower lip, ignoring his shameless flirting. She never got to finish her sentence. What she wanted to say was, even if you’re good, no one likes to be forced.

Yes, who likes being forced to do something they don’t want to do? Even if it’s something they like, being forced to do it prematurely can breed resentment.

She didn’t know when it ended. When she woke up again, she found herself lying in Shen Qingzhou’s arms. The wall clock told her it was already past three in the morning. Recalling everything that had happened felt like a nightmare.

She moved slightly and extricated herself from Shen Qingzhou’s embrace. She gazed at his sleeping face for a moment, wondering if she should slap him.

In the end, she did nothing. She carefully got out of bed.

Her body felt clean and refreshed; he must have cleaned her while she was asleep. Swallowing her bitterness, Lin Qiao picked up the clothes he had folded and placed at the head of the bed for her and dressed quietly.

Since the underwear beside the clothes was new and still had its tag, Lin Qiao guessed Shen Qingzhou must have gone out in the middle of the night. She walked to the door and tentatively turned the handle—to her surprise, it opened.

She glanced back at the tall figure lying on his side on the bed, her mind filled with images of their疯狂事. The place between her legs still ached faintly from his roughness. She felt resentful and unwilling, yet somehow not completely disheartened or disgusted. This realization made her feel deeply ashamed. Unable to stay another second, she closed the door behind her and left.

What she didn’t notice was that Shen Qingzhou, with his back to her, opened his eyes the moment she closed the door and sat up.

He quickly walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and watched as her slender figure soon appeared at the front gate. Finally, he felt a twinge of regret.

Shen Qingzhou sighed, went downstairs in his pajamas, and quietly followed her, silently seeing her home.

He didn’t drive and didn’t want her to know he was there. He felt that she probably preferred to be alone right now. If he showed up again, things might get worse.

He was right. If he went out to escort her home now, she would find it even harder to face him and would feel even more embarrassed. He had already made enough mistakes; it was best not to add to them.

And so, Shen Qingzhou followed Lin Qiao all the way home. She didn’t take a taxi, so he walked behind her the entire time. Fortunately, it was very late, and there were few people on the street. Otherwise, someone might have called the police upon seeing a man in pajamas尾随 a girl in the middle of the night.

Lin Qiao didn’t notice anyone following her all the way home. After returning, she took another shower, then quietly went to her room and slipped into bed. Even then, she couldn’t sort out the chaotic thoughts from her journey back.

She unconsciously bit her right thumb, her nose tingling with unshed tears.

Actually, it wasn’t that big of a deal… She could just treat it as if she’d been bitten by a dog. Shen Qingzhou… he was, after all, a man. How much rationality could you expect from a man in such matters? This was reality, not an idol drama. Nothing was perfect, right?

But still, her heart felt heavy. How was she supposed to face him? How should she handle their relationship?

Just as困惑 as her, Shen Qingzhou stood outside the Lin residence smoking. Dressed in thin pajamas, his black hair messy, he stood expressionlessly amidst the swirling smoke, occasionally glancing at Lin Qiao’s window.

The light in her room remained off; she was probably already asleep.

Recalling his actions, Shen Qingzhou gradually felt a sense of guilt return. It was this guilt that had kept him from showing himself when he followed her home.

Was he afraid?

Actually, he just wanted to turn his uncertainty into certainty, to mark Lin Qiao as his own and settle everything.

But his intense possessiveness had made him overlook the fact that Lin Qiao was also a person with feelings, someone who wouldn’t appreciate being forced.

Now, he probably truly had no excuses left.

Shen Qingzhou kissed her earlobe and whispered, “Not saying no to me, but saying yes. Say it again, be a good girl.”

Lin Qiao bit her lip tightly, ignoring his shameless teasing. She didn’t get the chance to say the second half of her sentence. What she wanted to say was, even though you are good, no one likes being forced.

Yes, who likes being forced to do something they don’t like? Even if it’s something you like, being forced to do it earlier might make you hate it.

She didn’t know when it stopped. When she woke up again, Lin Qiao found herself lying in Shen Qingzhou’s arms. The wall clock told her it was already past 3 a.m. Recalling what had happened earlier, it felt like a nightmare.

Slightly moving her body, Lin Qiao got out of Shen Qingzhou’s arms. She gazed at his sleeping face for a while, thinking whether she should slap him.

In the end, she did nothing, carefully getting out of bed.

Her body was fresh and clean, probably because he had cleaned her up while she was asleep. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Lin Qiao picked up the clothes he had folded and placed at the bedside, and quietly put them on.

The underwear next to the clothes was new, still with the tag on it. Lin Qiao guessed that Shen Qingzhou might have gone out in the middle of the night, so she walked to the door and tentatively turned the doorknob, and surprisingly, the door actually opened.

Looking back at the tall, long back figure lying on the bed, Lin Qiao’s mind was filled with the crazy things he had done with her. The area between her legs still ached from his brutality. She felt resentment and unwillingness toward him, but surprisingly, there was no hatred or disgust. This realization made her feel deeply ashamed, and she couldn’t stay another second. She turned around, closed the door, and left.

What she didn’t notice was that Shen Qingzhou, who had his back to her, opened his eyes the moment she closed the door and sat up from the bed.

He quickly walked to the window, pulled open the curtains, and watched the slender figure appear at the gate. Finally, he felt a bit regretful.

Shen Qingzhou exhaled and directly went downstairs in his pajamas, silently following behind her, quietly sending her home.

He didn’t drive, nor did he want her to know he was there. Because he thought, she probably wanted to be alone now. If he appeared again, the situation might get worse.

In fact, he was right. If he went out to send her home now, she would be even more unable to face him, feeling even more ashamed. He had already made too many mistakes; he shouldn’t continue making them.

Thus, Shen Qingzhou followed Lin Qiao all the way home. On the way, she didn’t take a taxi, so he kept walking behind her. Fortunately, it was already very late at night, and there were not many people on the road. Otherwise, if someone saw a man in pajamas following a girl late at night, they might call the police.

All the way back home, Lin Qiao didn’t realize someone was following her. After returning, she took another shower, then quietly went back to her room and crawled into bed. At this point, she still couldn’t sort out the chaotic thoughts from her journey back.

Unconsciously, she bit her right thumb, her nose tingled, but no more tears came.

Actually, it wasn’t that big of a deal… Just pretend, just pretend she was bitten by a little dog. After all, Shen Qingzhou… he’s a man. How rational can a man be in such matters? This is reality, not a romantic drama. There’s no such thing as a perfect person, right?

But still, her heart felt heavy. And how should she face him now? How should she handle their relationship?

Meanwhile, Shen Qingzhou, equally confused, was standing outside Lin’s house smoking. He was wearing only thin pajamas, his black hair disheveled, expressionless, standing in the swirling smoke. Occasionally, he would glance at Lin Qiao’s window.

There, the light remained off. She was probably already asleep.

Recalling his actions, Shen Qingzhou gradually regained a sense of guilt. It was precisely this guilt that kept him from appearing in front of her again when he followed her back.

Was he afraid?

Actually, he just wanted to turn his uncertainty into certainty, marking Lin Qiao as his own, letting everything settle.

But his intense possessiveness seemed to make him overlook the fact that Lin Qiao was also a person, with feelings, who wouldn’t like being forced.

Now, he was probably truly, inescapably, at fault.