Chapter 3

Halfway through the family dinner, I went to the bathroom.

I’d barely turned the corner when a hand clamped over my mouth and pinned me to the wall.

Shen Yi looked aggrieved. “Xiaoxue, have you forgotten our agreement? Why were you helping Shen Jibai against me just now?”

What?

I stared at him, utterly baffled.

Had the original woman made some secret deal with him?

“That, um… agreement. Remind me what it was?”

He tapped the tip of my nose in fond reproach. I nearly threw up on him.

“You little minx. Pretending you’ve forgotten? Didn’t you say you were marrying my brother so we could work together from the inside and take the family fortune?”

“Don’t worry. Once I’m the Shen family’s heir, the first thing I’ll do is marry you.”

Oh, please. You did become the heir in the book—but the woman you married was my stepsister!

What a pair of scumbags.

I decided to play along.

“Yi, darling, I only did that to earn your brother’s trust. Of course I’m still on your side.”

“Then I’ll wait for your good news.”

He patted my cheek and finally left.

I let out a breath, then looked up—and found someone standing there.

Half of Shen Jibai’s body was shrouded in darkness. Deep shadows lay across his sharply defined face, hiding his expression.

His thin lips parted. His voice was cold enough to kill.

“Miss Lin. Won’t you come and have a word with me, too?”

I shivered, my heart leaping into my throat.

Help.

Just… how much had he heard?

I went over, ready to lean against him and sweet-talk him a little.

But the jerk didn’t even wait. He walked off with his assistant!

Now I was upset, too. I shouted after him, “Shen Jibai, you’re just leaving me here? Does your wife mean anything to you?”

The assistant looked petrified. Perhaps he’d never heard anyone dare call the mighty Mr. Shen by his full name like that.

Shen Jibai was much calmer. He stopped and turned, his lips curving in mockery. “So Miss Lin does remember whose wife she is?”

That shut me up. My nerve deserted me.

We were spending the night at the estate.

I’d just helped Shen Jibai back to our room when he discreetly withdrew his hand and felt his way to the sofa on his own.

Eyes lowered, he said flatly, “I’ll sleep here tonight.”

Our second day of marriage, and he was already leaving me to sleep alone?

“Absolutely not!”

“Honey, come cuddle.”

I sidled up to him, tugged at his arm, and buried my face against his neck, nuzzling him.

Yesterday he’d at least half yielded to my advances. Today he was a model of restraint, unmoved no matter how sweet or cute I acted.

That was all right.

Cute didn’t stand a chance against sexy.

I took a shower and changed into a black slip dress.

When I came out, Shen Jibai was already lying on the sofa with his eyes closed.

He seemed tired. His breathing had settled into the soft sounds of sleep.

All right, then.

I’d be merciful and let him off tonight.

Barefoot on the carpet, I lifted my skirt and approached, slowly slipping into his arms. I wrapped myself around his waist and went to sleep.

As I drifted off, I thought I felt him move and heard a low, hoarse sound.

When I woke the next morning, I was in bed, nestled in the soft covers.

Shen Jibai was nowhere to be seen.

There was a knock. I opened the door to find Shen Yi.

His gaze landed on my neck and suddenly darkened. For a long time, he said nothing.

I did my best to produce a gentle smile. “Yi, darling. What brings you here so early?”

He snapped out of it. “Tomorrow, Shen Jibai and I are competing for the same project. Steal his presentation slides and help me win.”

Well, calling you a lowlife certainly wasn’t unfair.

“Don’t worry, Yi. Consider it done!”

Before leaving, he fixed me with a dark, unreadable gaze. “I’m suddenly rather glad he’s blind…”

Huh?

It wasn’t until I went to wash up that I saw myself in the mirror, my loose curls giving me a languid, alluring air.

None of which was the point!

I leaned closer. There was a very obvious love bite on my collarbone!

I distinctly remembered that it hadn’t been there before bed.

Well, well.

Shen Jibai really was hiding a wild streak. His mouth said no, but his body clearly had other ideas.

Men.