That evening, Shang Yushang got off work on time and headed home. After dinner with the old madam, accompanied by his beloved little one, the couple returned to their room.
Shang Yushang began going through some company matters, while He Changning sat beside him, typing away at his manuscript. The two of them chatted idly while working in sync.
He Changning’s long, elegant fingers flew over the keyboard with incredible speed. Whenever Shang Yushang looked up from his work, he was greeted with the captivating sight of his beloved so focused and beautiful. A small smile unconsciously curved on his lips, and even his normally cool eyes softened.
“Changning, do you have any plans to go out soon?” Shang Yushang asked, nearly done with his own tasks.
“Mm, I have a meeting set up to talk about the publication of My World 1.”
“When is it?”
“Not set yet. It depends on the other party’s schedule—they’re from an overseas publishing house.”
“Got it. Make sure to bring Xiao Liu and Thirteen with you when you go out.”
He Changning lifted his head from the screen and looked at Shang Yushang. “Something going on?”
Shang Yushang smiled faintly—clever little thing, he gets it right away. “There might be something. I’m not sure yet, but just in case. I’ll feel better if you bring them with you.”
He Changning knew he meant well. Sure, he was a grown man and not exactly some fragile damsel who needed guarding—but if it gave him peace of mind, then there was no harm. “Alright, I will.”
Lately, he’d been feeling unusually sleepy—perhaps from too much time hunched at the keyboard. His body felt lazy, and the second he touched the bed, he’d be out like a light. And his appetite was wild lately, constantly craving whatever Aunt Qin made. Maybe it was the intense work hours catching up to him, and his body was reacting to the overload.
After finally finishing that day’s manuscript, He Changning yawned and stretched. “Ahh, finally done. Jianzhi, are you done with your work today?”
Shang Yushang chuckled at the childish tone in his lover’s voice, tidied his papers, and shut down his computer. “What’s wrong? Tired?”
“Mm. Wrote a lot today. I’m wiped. Let’s just wash up and go to bed.”
“Sure,” Shang Yushang said as he walked over and scooped He Changning up into his arms. “Come on. Hubby will give you a bath.”
He Changning shot him a teasing look. This shameless wolf—if he didn’t get his hands on him at least once a day, he’d be itching all over. “You sure you can wash me clean from head to toe?”
“Baby, just wait and see.”
After filling the tub with perfectly warm water, Shang Yushang stripped He Changning down and placed him gently in the bath.
He Changning pushed at him, his cheeks flushing a rosy red. “Jianzhi…”
Shang Yushang’s eyes darkened, desire pooling in their depths. “Changning… I swear, I could devour you whole.”
He Changning panted softly. “You’ve already ‘devoured’ me more times than I can count.”
Shang Yushang bent down and pressed a kiss to his lips and brow, his voice low and doting. “And I’ll never get enough… not even in a lifetime.”
Faced with Shang Yushang’s sweet talk, He Changning never quite knew how to handle it. But his mouth was never willing to admit defeat, always pushing back with a sassy retort or two.
“And why is it that only you get to ‘eat’? I want a piece of you, too.”
Shang Yushang chuckled, his deep, velvety voice brushing against He Changning’s lips.
“Baby, whatever you say goes. Eat me any way you like—my body and soul are yours to command.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he scooped up the little guy into his arms, grabbed the bath towel from the side, wrapped him up tightly, and strode back to the bedroom. He laid He Changning on the big bed, his still-damp body pressing down over him in one smooth motion.
The bedroom was soon filled with a symphony of moans and rhythmic sounds that didn’t fade until midnight. The two lay tangled on the bed, catching their breath in the lingering heat of their passion.
Surprisingly, He Changning wasn’t totally out cold this time, though his limbs felt like jelly. Sticky sweat mixed with other fluids clung to his skin, making him squirm uncomfortably. His voice came out low and hoarse.
“I’m all sweaty. Feels gross. I need a shower.”
Shang Yushang tightened his arms around him, pouting like a spoiled kid.
“But I haven’t had enough yet… I don’t want to get out.”
He Changning sighed inwardly—there was really no winning with this man. His strength made him impossible to fight, and when He Changning tried to argue, he just ignored it completely. Most of the time, he’d get pinned before he even had the chance to refuse. So he’d learned to conserve his energy just to survive the “ordeal.” What he really didn’t get was how this guy had so much stamina. Seriously—was he a monk for thirty years or something?
That question had been bugging He Changning for a while now, but he never had the energy to ask—he usually passed out before he could. But tonight he was still awake, so he finally spoke up.
“Jianzhi, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
Shang Yushang nuzzled against his back. “What is it?”
“Have you… never been with anyone before me?”
Shang Yushang kissed down his spine, his lips planting soft, lingering blossoms of red along He Changning’s back.
“Why are you asking that?”
“Just curious.”
“I’ve never been with anyone else. I’m a pretty conservative guy, you know. My body belongs only to my spouse.”
As he spoke, his hand traced down He Changning’s abs.
Feeling the little one was about done for the night, Shang Yushang stopped teasing and scooped him up for a proper shower.
The warm water instantly relaxed He Changning’s exhausted body. It felt heavenly.
While gently washing him, Shang Yushang said softly, “Changning, you have to believe me—our bodies belong only to each other.”
Eyes half-closed, He Changning soaked in the pampering.
“And that’s why you keep turning our bed into a battleground every night, huh?”
Shang Yushang responded shamelessly, “What can I say? You’re just too irresistible. I’ve held back for thirty years—and now that I’ve finally had a taste, I need to make the most of it.”
Grinding his teeth, He Changning muttered, “You damn pervert. I’m practically dying here, and you’re just getting started?”
Shang Yushang replied in all seriousness,
“You’re not going anywhere, baby. We’ve got a whole lifetime ahead of us. When you’re sixty, I’ll still be treating you to a round a day.”
At that, He Changning suddenly felt his future go pitch black.
Could he still back out of the marriage now? Or maybe just run away? Because if he had to spend the rest of his life being wrung dry every night… He really, really might just cry.
Screw this… my life is over.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of a café, Yin Hao had just met with Lin Jingxian.
“Miss Lin, you truly have the grace and poise of nobility. For someone like me to have the fortune of meeting you—it’s a blessing beyond measure.”
Lin Jingxian basked in the compliment, preening like a peacock.
“Mr. Yin, you’re quite the gentleman yourself—elegant, capable, a rare young talent. I’m glad we had this chance to meet.”
Yin Hao sneered inwardly. What’s so great about her anyway? Just a pretty face who knows how to dress up for the spotlight. But for the sake of his own interests, he had to play nice.
“You’re too kind, Miss Lin. What really matters is that we’re on the same page, working toward a common goal. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Lin Jingxian, in turn, looked down on upstarts like Yin Hao. If he didn’t have some value to her plan, she wouldn’t lower herself to be in the same room, much less talk to him.
“Mr. Yin, you’re absolutely right. Since we share the same goal, let’s work together.”
She extended her hand.
Yin Hao shook it with a smile. “Looking forward to our partnership.”
The moment she pulled her hand back, Lin Jingxian discreetly grabbed a handkerchief under the table and wiped it hard, her face full of distaste.
“Well then, since we’re friends now, I assume you wouldn’t mind sharing what you know with me?”
Yin Hao took a sip of his coffee. “Of course.” He paused, gathering his thoughts.
“He Changning is the son of my dad’s first wife. Graduated college at twenty. He doesn’t go out much, doesn’t really have friends—basically stays home all day doing nothing. Kinda arrogant, and pretty scheming. Since marrying Shang Yushang, he’s gotten quite a bit—mostly gifts from the old lady of the Shang family. He’s still living in their old house and rarely leaves. From what I hear, he and Shang Yushang are very close.”
Lin Jingxian raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”
“Yeah, that’s about it.”
She let out a sarcastic laugh. “Tch. You really don’t know him at all, do you?”
Yin Hao frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean, Miss Lin?”
“What do you think it means?” Her smile turned cold. “What you see is only the surface. There’s another side to He Changning—one you people clearly have no clue about.”
“What other side?”
“Do you read online novels at all?”
“No, not really my thing. What’s that got to do with He Changning?”
“It’s got everything to do with him. He’s the person behind the screen name Qingshui Zhunián—one of the hottest web novel authors in recent years. He has thousands of fans. His book My World 1 is already published. I heard an international publisher is even in talks to buy the overseas rights.”
The bombshell hit Yin Hao like a freight train. His eyes widened, and it took him a good ten minutes just to process what she’d said. Even then, he still couldn’t fully believe it.
“You’re serious? All of that is real?”
“You think I’ve got nothing better to do than make this up?” When she’d first discovered this side of He Changning, she’d been just as shocked. But the more she learned, the more jealous she became. He wasn’t just good-looking—he was actually talented. A guy like that staying by Shang Yushang’s side? It was only a matter of time before the two fell deeply in love. That was something she absolutely couldn’t allow. The plan had to be pushed forward—no more delays.
Now armed with this new info, Yin Hao felt completely duped.
“That scheming little rat! After everything the Yin family’s done for him, this is how he repays us? There’s no way I’m letting him off this time.”
Deep down, he knew what really upset him: the more outstanding He Changning was, the more he himself looked pathetic by comparison. That constant sense of being overshadowed, of being second-best—it gnawed at him. The urge to destroy He Changning’s shining image was growing stronger by the second.
