She blinked sleepily at him. After a few seconds, she tipped her head up and kissed him, soft and certain. “...Okay.”
His movement roughened her voice into a low hush; she barely whispered, but he heard it like a bell. Excitement spilled out of him. He leaned down to meet her lips, his hand sliding up her waist—
“Be good. I won’t let you down,” he murmured.
“Shen Siyan, it hurts...” she whimpered.
“Hm?” His voice was just as hoarse as hers, but gentle. “It’ll pass. Just a little while.”
They tumbled together for most of the morning before finally disentangling. When they sat on the sofa, both still drowsy, she let out a lazy yawn. “Are you done?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Shen Siyan scooped her up and brushed his fingertips along her cheek. “We eat now. You can sleep more later.”
She shot him a look and yawned again. Truth was, she hadn’t slept enough that morning—but later...
“What, daydreaming about me again?” he teased when he saw her flush, a soft laugh in his throat. “Don’t bother. You don’t have to imagine. You’re mine now. What you want, I can give.”
Her face reddened further. “I wasn’t daydreaming.”
“Not daydreaming—remembering,” he corrected with a smug smile.
“Shen Siyan!”
“I’m right here, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead.
By the time they reached the dining room the table was piled with the things she liked—more like lunch than breakfast. They ate, and afterwards she sent him off to prepare the medicinal herbs while she stretched out on the chaise lounge to watch.
When he turned back to look at her again, she had already slipped into sleep. He washed and then, with infinite care, carried her back to bed. He sat watching her for a long time before he couldn’t help himself—he climbed in and held her until he slept.
...
YT Research Institute.
The crash echoed like a pistol shot. Shi Qing stared blankly at the shattered glass sprawled across the floor. For a moment she was frozen; then panic flared and she glanced around frantically.
No one was there. She had only just walked in and somehow broken something important—if anyone found out, she could be fired.
A poisonous idea crept into her mind.
She found Sang Lin a few minutes later and looped an arm through hers with practiced familiarity. “Sang Lin, there’s an experiment in that lab I don’t know how to do. Could you come take a look for me?”
“Where?” Sang Lin asked.
“Just that one.” Shi Qing pointed.
“Okay.” Sang Lin started off, then stopped and looked back. “Aren’t you coming?”
“I’ll be right back—just need the restroom first.”
“Fine.”
Ten minutes later Shi Qing led Sang Lin to the lab. “Teacher, could you come too? I’m still clumsy—what if something goes wrong—ah! How did this break?”
She feigned shock and stared at Sang Lin and the pieces on the floor.
Fu Yuanming frowned. His gaze was sharp. “What happened here?”
This sample had been made by Si Yu himself; they had planned to study it. How could it disappear before they’d even begun?
“Sang Lin, explain,” Fu said, voice clipped. “This was Si Yu’s—our data haven't been analyzed yet. Who broke it?”
“It wasn’t me.” Sang Lin’s calm denial had a familiar coolness Shi Qing would have envied.
Shi Qing widened her eyes in horror, playing the part of the innocent perfectly. “But it wasn’t me either. I stepped out for a moment—teacher, you know that.”
Sang Lin’s face tightened for a second, then relaxed—she’d just admitted she’d been taking photos on her phone before entering the lab, out of curiosity. A violation of institute rules, but it could be useful.
Fu Yuanming’s expression hardened. “Check the surveillance.”
Shi Qing’s voice dropped. “Teacher—don’t you remember? The CCTV in that lab is broken. They’re sending someone to fix it right now.”
Without footage and without eyewitnesses, who could prove who had done it?
“Really?” Fu turned to Sang Lin. “Show me the photos.”
Sang Lin looked sheepish. “I’m new here... I was just curious and filmed a little. I won’t do it again, I promise.”
Fu sighed. “We’ve warned you about phones. Fine—this time I’ll let it go. But a second offense and you won’t be working here.”
“Thank you, teacher.” Sang Lin’s contrition sounded genuine.
Shi Qing dared a small smile. Sang Lin had unwittingly earned her a perfect scapegoat: she’d filmed before entering, so the break couldn’t have happened while Sang Lin was inside. No video, no witnesses—who could pin it on Shi Qing if she denied everything?
Fu skimmed the video on Sang Lin’s phone and frowned. It showed the sample already broken before Sang Lin entered. Before that, only Shi Qing had been in the lab.
Fu’s eyes darkened. “Shi Qing, are you sure no one else came into that lab?”
Shi Qing forced a casual tone. “I don’t know, teacher. Maybe someone slipped in after I left and before Sang Lin came in.”
Fu Yuanming rubbed his forehead. “You two get back to your work. I’ll have someone investigate this more thoroughly.”
“Yes, teacher.” Shi Qing fled as if the floor were suddenly on fire.
Left alone, Fu picked up the phone and called Shi Wan. “Wanwan, that batch of samples you made was smashed.”
There was nowhere for outside creatures to get into the lab—no mice, no moths. Someone had to have broken it. Whether it was deliberate or an accident, he didn’t know.
“Have you found who did it?” Shi Wan’s voice was cool, level—no hint of surprise.
“Not yet.”
Fu decided not to mention Shi Qing’s involvement until he had proof. “If someone confesses that would be best. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Do that.”
“Wanwan, are you with someone?” Fu asked, recognizing another voice over the line.
Shen Siyan had come up with a bowl of fruit and sat beside her, and the presence of a man’s voice set his temper alight. His mood soured instantly.
“Just a friend,” she said, ending the call.
“What friend?” Shen’s disappointment was audible. “You’ve never introduced me to your friends.”
She stayed silent for a beat, feeling oddly wounded by his sulk. “I have a lot of friends. I’ll introduce you when there’s time.”
“Really?”
She nodded and got up. “Wait here. I’m just going to grab something.”
“All right.”
When she left, Shen Siyan picked up her phone and slipped out with it.