The thirty-year-old male lead, who has no appetite.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes again?"

His tone was brimming with indulgence.

"And where did you dig up these clothes?"

As he spoke, he pulled Si Jiu into his arms, guiding her feet onto the tops of his own.

"I... you left them in the bedroom the night before last," Si Jiu whispered. She couldn't help but try to peek toward the door, but Xie Yu firmly pressed her head against his chest.

Lin Yang’s voice trembled. "You... you two..."

"Go back and get dressed properly." Xie Yu slipped his own slippers onto her feet and turned her around by the shoulders.

Si Jiu glanced back with difficulty. "But..."

"Be good." He leaned in and planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

That voice, murmuring right against her ear, was absolute torture.

Si Jiu suppressed the urge to rub her ear and obediently headed back to the bedroom to change.

Her goal had been achieved, anyway. Lin Yang’s expression was truly priceless.

Though, Xie Yu’s gaze felt rather dangerous; she couldn't help but feel a phantom ache in her lower back.

As Xie Yu turned around, Lin Yang’s fist swung toward him. With a flash in his eyes, Xie Yu didn't dodge. He took the punch to the face while simultaneously driving his own fist into Lin Yang’s stomach.

Lin Yang doubled over in pain.

Xie Yu leisurely wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were cold as ice, yet his lips curled into a smirk.

"You don't hit a man in the face. Wanwan loves this face of mine. What would I do if you ruined it?"

Lin Yang was so furious he lost all reason; his rage even numbed his sense of pain.

He straightened up, grabbed the lapels of Xie Yu’s bathrobe, and yanked hard. "How dare you touch her! How dare you!

"What right do you have?

"I have loved her for five years, and I never dared to touch her.

"I was afraid even holding her hand or hugging her would be too much. She is the person I have cherished in the depths of my heart!

"And you dare... you actually..."

Xie Yu paused, then became even more displeased.

Yet, this displeasure didn't stem from Lin Yang. It was the realization that this had been her first time.

That night, he had only been conscious for a brief moment.

That bastard had been too rough.

Damn it.

"Don't you find your own words disgusting?"

He sneered, making no move to resist or break free from Lin Yang’s grip.

Even as Lin Yang shook him back and forth, he should have looked disheveled, but instead, he only looked more striking—so much so that he seemed the truly overbearing one.

"In what capacity do you say these things? Because you are Wanwan’s brother-in-law? Ha..."

As Si Jiu dressed, she watched the real-time feed sent by the system and giggled. "Xie Yu is truly calculating."

He had even subtly leaned in to ensure Lin Yang wouldn't miss, and had used his own teeth to cut his lip when the punch landed.

The system completely agreed: [Who isn't?]

Across the way, Lin Yang, incited by Xie Yu, lost his mind and swung another heavy punch.

This time, Xie Yu wasn't about to take it for nothing. He leaned back, letting the fist whistle through empty air. He skillfully broke free from Lin Yang’s other hand, but then, as if losing his footing, he fell backward and slammed into the shoe cabinet with a loud thud.

Lin Yang lunged forward, grabbed the lapels of the fallen Xie Yu, and raised his fist.

Xie Yu tilted his chin up, revealing a cryptic smile.

"Lin Yang, stop right there!"

Lin Yang froze. He blinked as the expression on Xie Yu’s face vanished in an instant, only for Si Jiu to rush over and shove him aside, causing him to stumble.

"A-Yu, are you alright? Oh, you’re bleeding."

She watched as Si Jiu nervously helped Xie Yu up, her voice filled with heartache, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears. "Does it hurt? Oh no... you're bleeding."

Xie Yu replied with a weak voice, "It's nothing, it's nothing. It doesn't hurt. Be good, don't be afraid."

Lin Yang nearly vomited blood.

He realized, a beat too late, that he had been played by this snake, Xie Yu.

Si Jiu struggled to support Xie Yu. "Are you okay? Can you stand?"

Xie Yu wore an innocent expression. "I need a kiss from Wanwan to be able to stand."

"Damn it! You..." Lin Yang’s roar was cut short, as Si Jiu kissed Xie Yu without a moment’s hesitation.