Look at that, be careful not to strain your eyes.
Even if you strain your eyes, you won't see anything.
The night deepened gradually.
Guests returned home.
Qiao Xiguan accompanied Gu Yaoqi and Qi Huifen as they bid farewell to the guests.
Yan Xintong returned to her room and never had the face to come out again, the servants said she had been crying in her room the whole time.
But then again, the always superior Yan Xintong endured such grievances and surely couldn't accept it for a while.
The hall quieted down, Gu Yaoqi was also beat, so Qi Huifen accompanied him back to the room.
Watching them leave, Qiao Xiguan, dragging her tired body, left only some servants in the hall to clean up.
She returned to her own room, too exhausted to even move her toes, but she couldn't skip removing her makeup.
Summoning her energy, she picked up her pajamas and pushed open the connecting room's door.
The door was locked tight!
Qiao Xiguan's eyebrows furrowed tightly. What was that fussy young master up to now?!
The night was already deep.
Qiao Xiguan really didn't want to wake up the whole family.
But...
She really couldn't stand Gu Zichen's annoying habit. He clearly knew her room didn't have a bathroom but locked the door so tightly. Her temper flared up, and she banged against the door with all her might.
She didn't believe that Gu Zichen could sleep through it unaffected.
Biting her lip, she pounded hard for at least five minutes. Gu Zichen, with his hair a mess, sat in a wheelchair, his complexion miserable. He opened the door, his eyes seeming to spit fire, as if wanting to burn her alive with just his gaze.
Qiao Xiguan didn't have a good expression either. Without a word, she pushed past Gu Zichen's wheelchair and walked into his bathroom.
If the room wasn't soundproofed well, she probably would've woken the whole building with her noise.
She entered the bathroom, closed the door, showered, and removed her makeup.
After at least an hour of this ordeal, Qiao Xiguan emerged from the bathroom leisurely.
Gu Zichen wasn't lying in bed at that moment but was sitting very alert in his wheelchair, coldly observing every move Qiao Xiguan made.
"Done?" Gu Zichen's eyebrows tightened, his thin lips slightly moving.
Although he seemed to be in a bad mood, damn it, his lips inadvertently seemed irresistibly sexy.
Her face inexplicably flushed, she suddenly thought of that unexpected kiss from earlier in the night.
Unconsciously biting her lip, she raised her eyebrows, "Otherwise, what did you expect?"
Gu Zichen's face turned even colder.
"About that kiss tonight... How was it?" Qiao Xiguan's mouth curved slightly, she was doing it on purpose.
Gu Zichen's expression darkened even more, and if one looked closely, they would notice his ear contours seemed to be faintly red.
"Could it be? Was that our first intimate moment?" Qiao Xiguan, as if she had uncovered a shocking secret, asked incredulously.
Did that mean that all the years Qiao Xiguan was married to Gu Zichen, she wasn't even touched by him?!
If that thing didn't work, weren't there many other things to do?!
"Qiao Xiguan, did you really get your head smashed?" Gu Zichen glared at her fiercely.
This man, rarely uttering so many words in one go, prompted Qiao Xiguan to respond with utmost seriousness, "Yes, the impact was severe. There might still be some bruising that hasn't subsided, putting pressure on the nerves, which could cause some memory lapses. However, the doctor did say that maybe, once the bruising fully dissipates, the memory might recover."
"Fine, I'm going to sleep now," Gu Zichen seemed disinterested.
Qiao Xiguan felt that this man was truly lacking in charm; she was essentially throwing warm affection at a cold indifference.
Turning to leave, she suddenly seemed to remember something and hastened to her own room. After rummaging for an item, she returned to Gu Zichen's room.
Gu Zichen appeared ready to return to bed for sleep. Watching Qiao Xiguan's actions, his expression was clearly displeased.
Qiao Xiguan didn't pay any mind to Gu Zichen's expression; she was used to this fastidious young master's temperament and went straight to lie down on Gu Zichen's bed, closed her eyes, and slept.
Time passed—one second, two seconds, three seconds...
"Qiao... Xiguan!" he articulated each syllable through gritted teeth.
Qiao Xiguan felt that anyone with even a slightly weaker constitution might have been scared to death by that voice, laden with threat and a hellish chill.
She frowned, opened her eyes, and appeared nonchalant, "What's the matter?"
"Don't overstep your bounds!" Gu Zichen was furious at Qiao Xiguan's composure.
Of course, assuming he could jump.
"Aren't we husband and wife?" Qiao Xiguan asked him.
Gu Zichen furrowed his brow.
"Isn't it normal for a husband and wife to sleep on the same bed?" Qiao Xiguan continued to press the point, her logic seemingly flawless.
Gu Zichen's frown deepened.
"Don't be shy now. Come on up, here, sleep here," Qiao Xiguan patted the spot beside her, yawned mightily, rolled over, and resumed her sleep.
Gu Zichen clenched his fingers tightly, glaring fiercely at the woman who had taken over his bed.
After turning her back, Qiao Xiguan sneakily took out the bottle of essential oil and inspected it. Some tasks, after all, needed to be done.
With a wicked smile upon her lips, she slipped the essential oil beneath the pillow and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.
The night grew later and later.
When exactly Gu Zichen climbed into bed, Qiao Xiguan had no memory of it. She must have slept very soundly, no doubt exhausted from the long day. Qiao Xiguan's health had never been particularly robust; this must have been her limit.
She shifted slightly; the window was still shrouded in darkness. Through the curtains, a faint yellow glow from the streetlamp outside seemed barely perceptible.
She quietly took out her phone and checked the time.
It was 4:30 in the morning.
The person beside her exhaled a steady rhythm of breaths. Thankfully, her time in prison had trained her to wake once in the middle of the night; otherwise, she might be smothered to death in her sleep without even knowing it.
Sitting up a bit, she reached for the essential oil and put it aside, her delicate fingers then crept towards the person next to her.
Damn, she couldn't bring herself to do it!
Her hand hovered over the edge of his trousers, unable to go any further.
This was a killer!
She genuinely feared that Gu Zichen, the disabled young master, might chop off her hand—after all, he had worn such a murderously angry expression over just a kiss that evening. If she really touched his purity, she suddenly felt a chill at her neck, a shiver spreading from the inside out.
She wavered and hesitated for at least five minutes, maybe even ten; she didn't bother to time it. All she felt was her heart pounding non-stop, akin to the anxiety of a thief.
Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and decided to take the risk.
Her hand had just brushed something soft when suddenly, a strong hand caught hers with a frightening grip, so tight she couldn't muster any resistance at all.