Chapter 107 — He Treats You Poorly, Doesn’t He?

Dressed in an oversized, pure white bathrobe, the petite woman stood by the bedside with her hands on her hips, hair tousled, eyes wide with anger, locked in a silent standoff with Cheng Yishu, who faced her squarely.

Outside, the sun had climbed high in the sky, but the curtains blocked its rays from entering the room. Inside, the air conditioning was set so cold that Lin Xiaowen suddenly sneezed.

“Achoo…”

Frowning, Lin Xiaowen rubbed her chilly nose, while Cheng Yishu showed no interest in prolonging their standoff.

“Even if you don’t admit it, I know!” Cheng Yishu said with a hint of frustration.

“Fine, then leave. I definitely won’t stop you! Let’s see if there’s a camera pointed at you when you walk out like that!” Lin Xiaowen snapped.

“You…” Lin Xiaowen’s anger rendered her speechless, stammering.

“You… think I don’t dare? I’ll leave right now! Move aside!” She grabbed the hem of her bathrobe—which nearly dragged on the floor—jumped off the bed, and braced herself to shove Cheng Yishu over.

But Cheng Yishu didn’t even twitch. Barefoot, Lin Xiaowen’s feet slipped on something sticky, and before her brow could fully furrow, she tumbled down.

“Ah…”

“Thud!”

Lin Xiaowen squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Why doesn’t it hurt?’ she thought, half-opening her eyes to sense the surprisingly comfortable surface beneath her.

“Lin Xiaowen, are you here to relive the scene with me?” Cheng Yishu’s voice was a mix of resignation and amusement as he lay beneath her, eyes closed and groaning softly.

Lin Xiaowen snapped to attention, placing her palms on Cheng Yishu’s chest and suddenly lifting her face.

This moment felt so familiar.

Her long hair, messy and falling across Cheng Yishu’s face, made him itch repeatedly. The space between them was so close, almost touching.

That familiar scent of cold sandalwood—whether from Cheng Yishu himself or the bathrobe she wore—wafted between them.

She knew this was the scent she had longed for in dreams, the scent that belonged only to Cheng Yishu.

While Lin Xiaowen’s mind wandered, Cheng Yishu had already opened his eyes. The expression on the woman above him—so full of infatuation—made the corners of his lips curl with pleasure.

“Comfortable?” he asked.

“Huh?” Lin Xiaowen blinked, bewildered.

“What?”

Cheng Yishu’s smile broadened as he whispered,

“I’ve been lifting weights lately. It’s going well… How do my muscles feel?”

Lin Xiaowen blinked again, her gaze falling on the hand she still rested on his chest before finally realizing what Cheng Yishu meant.

Like a spring, she withdrew her hand from his body, cheeks flushed as she mumbled,

“Why don’t you ever tidy up your room? You throw things everywhere… If you can’t finish the banana, don’t just toss it on the floor!”

Glancing at the culprit—a half-eaten banana—Lin Xiaowen sat on the floor, pouting. Then she looked at her dirty feet with utter disdain.

Cheng Yishu propped himself up and said,

“Can’t help it. I’m not good at this stuff. No one’s cleaned this room for several days… Da Lingzi is still at the hospital…”

“Why don’t you ask the hotel staff to clean then?” Lin Xiaowen retorted.

“Please, in our line of work, have you ever seen an artist let strangers clean their space?”

Cheng Yishu stood, bent over, and naturally lifted Lin Xiaowen into his arms again, causing a flicker of confusion within.

“Hey, you…”

Lin Xiaowen widened her eyes, calling out,

“What are you doing? I’m not hurt… I can get up myself…”

But Cheng Yishu didn’t even glance at her. Under her surprised gaze, he carried her toward the bathroom.

From this angle, Cheng Yishu’s jawline was perfectly defined in Lin Xiaowen’s view, stubble clearly visible, a faint shadow tinged his chin.

His skin, slightly sun-kissed, suited his role even more. His lowered eyes carried a soldier’s cold sharpness.

For some reason, at this very moment, Cheng Yishu reminded Lin Xiaowen of Si Dong.

Si Dong was usually gentle and warm like spring, but once dressed in his uniform, he transformed into a tall, upright soldier like a sturdy pine or cypress.

The large washbasin was cool white porcelain, stocked with men's toiletries.

Cheng Yishu gently set her down on the counter, steadying her as she sat.

Lin Xiaowen let him place her small feet into the basin.

He then turned on the warm water and carefully tested the temperature with his hand.

The faucet’s flowing water sounded crisp in the quiet bathroom, and Cheng Yishu silently, methodically applied soap to her feet and began washing them one by one.

His slender fingers glided over her fair soles, causing Lin Xiaowen to feel ticklish. She gently pulled away and whispered in a faint voice,

“I can do it myself!”

“Almost done,” Cheng Yishu said without looking up, his tone calm, as if performing a routine task.

After turning off the faucet, he grabbed the towel he usually used to wash his face and softly dried her feet.

Her pale, nearly translucent instep, the small toes slightly curled in shyness, looked even more bloodless against the white porcelain sink.

A thin aura of tension surrounded Cheng Yishu, growing more intense.

Though silent and expressionless, Lin Xiaowen could feel it.

So she carefully asked,

“What’s wrong with you?”

Cheng Yishu forcefully tossed the towel onto the washbasin, startling Lin Xiaowen.

Still not looking at her, he tightened his grip and lifted her up again.

Startled by his haste, Lin Xiaowen instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered,

“What’s really going on? You…”

It had barely been a month since they last met, but why had his temperament changed so strangely?

“It’s not like I asked you to wash my feet… Why are you angry now?” Lin Xiaowen muttered in protest but held him tighter, afraid he might lose control and throw her out.

Cheng Yishu strode back to the bedroom and gently laid Lin Xiaowen on the bed.

Just as she quietly exhaled in relief, he asked in a low voice,

“Does he treat you badly?”

Lin Xiaowen froze for a moment, her breath catching slightly.

Then Cheng Yishu pressed on,

“He treats you badly, doesn’t he? You’ve been unhappy these days, haven’t you?”

Lin Xiaowen stared blankly at him. Cheng Yishu’s gaze burned into hers—filled with guilt, anger, but above all, pain.

She opened her mouth, wanting to assure him she was fine and didn’t need his worry.

But her throat tightened, and no words came out.

Only silent eye contact passed between them.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, breaking the heavy silence.

Cheng Yishu closed his eyes briefly, then looked at Lin Xiaowen with only tenderness in his voice.

“I’ll get it.”

Lin Xiaowen nodded slightly, feeling a weight lift.

Gathering his complicated emotions, Cheng Yishu opened the door, only to find an unexpected visitor standing there.

Cheng Yishu froze for a moment, then, clearly displeased, raised his voice,

“Why is it you?”