After weighing her options for a good while, Ling Chuxia decided to wake him up.
Ling Chuxia gently bent down, her cheek slowly approaching, her hand reaching out carefully, intending to lightly push Shi Che's shoulder. But just as her hand was about to touch Shi Che's shoulder, his hand suddenly lifted, and in the next moment, it firmly grasped Ling Chuxia's wrist.
His grip was strong, his five fingers clasping Ling Chuxia's delicate wrist as if he intended to crush the bone.
Ling Chuxia felt a sharp pain radiate through her wrist, causing her to draw in a sharp breath, her elegant eyebrows knitting together in pain.
Shi Che, at some unknown point, had opened his eyes. His dark brown eyes resembled two deep, unfathomable pools, impossible to invade.
He seemed to frown slightly, as if nothing had happened. He slowly released her wrist.
Ling Chuxia, raised with tender skin and flesh, found her wrist already reddened from Shi Che's unmeasured grip. However, she couldn't worry about the pain, only anxiously exclaimed, "You, you woke up? Did I wake you?"
Since he had stormed off in anger a few months ago, Ling Chuxia noticed that her fear of him seemed to have grown another layer.
A hint of panic unconsciously surfaced in Ling Chuxia's eyes, her gaze flickering, unable to meet his eyes, her rosy lips tightly pressed, her whole demeanor appearing somewhat uneasy.
Shi Che didn't acknowledge her words. His dark eyes casually swept over her reddened wrist, something flashed in them briefly, and then it vanished.
Shi Che remained silent and ignored her. The soundproofing of the house was excellent, and the thunder and lightning outside couldn't be heard at all inside. The bedroom was eerily quiet.
Ling Chuxia gradually felt the air become stifling, possibly due to Shi Che's presence.
She lowered her eyelids and snuck a peek at Shi Che. Though his face was expressionless, the frown on his brow still lingered; he still seemed uncomfortable.
Observant as always, Ling Chuxia took the lead to break the silence.
"Young Master, are you feeling unwell? Why don't you rest in bed?"
Ling Chuxia and her elder sister Ling Yunshu had been adopted by Mrs. Shi since they were young. Ostensibly, they were raised as noblewomen, but in reality, Mrs. Shi adopted and cultivated them with the sole purpose of grooming a Young Madam for the Shi Family and a child bride for Shi Che. Of course, even though they grew up together, they certainly weren't childhood sweethearts. After all, he was the exalted young master, while she was merely...
Ling Chuxia couldn't find the words to describe her situation. After all, this was the twenty-first century, and who still entertained the notion of child brides? Yet, she was deeply grateful to Mrs. Shi.
Without Mrs. Shi, she and her sister would have grown up in that orphanage, alone and helpless, lives adrift like duckweed with no prospect of the current comforts, wealth, and honor.
Since childhood, Ling Chuxia addressed Shi Che as "young master," and even now, as his wife, she hadn't changed her form of address, still maintaining her respectful demeanor.
Shi Che continued to sit quietly, motionless, his gaze deep, lost in unknown thoughts.
Ling Chuxia bit her lower lip lightly, feeling increasingly anxious. Every time Shi Che remained silent, she couldn't help but feel afraid, for she completely failed to understand his thoughts, worried that with one careless mistake, she'd offend him and provoke his anger again.