She still didn't have him in her heart.
He didn't expect to occupy a place in her heart tonight. He believed in taking things slow, letting feelings accumulate over time. Eventually, she would recognize his sincerity.
By the time they finished eating, it was nearly midnight.
Edmond asked Fang Yi to help Lily with her bath. While Lily was still thinking about the roses, Fang Yi shared a piece of news with her, sounding rather regretful.
"Actually, the master prepared another gift for you, but it's too late now to show it."
Lily asked what it was, but Fang Yi remained mysterious.
"The master didn't tell you, so he must have rescheduled it. If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise. You just have to wait and see."
Lily was intrigued but frustrated. How could she sleep with her curiosity piqued? In fact, she didn't sleep at all that night.
Edmond left the master bedroom to Lily and went to the guest room next door. After showering, he saw Fang Yi leaving the master bedroom.
"How is she?" he asked.
Fang Yi knew exactly what he was asking about, having been instructed specifically.
"Aside from the visible injuries, the madam has no other wounds. I was careful to avoid them while helping her bathe."
Relieved, Edmond went downstairs for a glass of water and heated a cup of milk for Lily before heading back upstairs. He knocked on the master bedroom door.
"Come in," Lily's voice came through the door.
Edmond entered, scanning the room until he spotted her. Lily was sitting in a lounge chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of red wine. As he approached, she drank most of the wine in one gulp.
Edmond's face darkened, and he strode over to her.
"Drinking wine right after leaving the hospital?" He placed the milk on the table and took the wine glass from Lily, his voice filled with worry and reproach. "You're not healed yet, and you're drinking like this?"
The wine had a strong aftertaste. He wouldn't drink it this way himself, yet she dared to.
Before he arrived, Lily had already drunk half a glass. Now, with the rest downed, she had finished a full glass. She wasn't drunk yet, but she was far from sober. Seeing Edmond made her feel awkward.
This place had everything except her clothes. She was wearing only a bathrobe, nothing underneath. Fortunately, Edmond's bathrobe was large enough to cover her completely even while sitting. But it was still embarrassing.
Lily avoided his gaze, explaining the wine's presence. "I saw it on your shelf, already opened, so I took it."
Edmond crouched in front of her, gently turning her face to look at him. "Why are you drinking? Are you unhappy?"
Red wine wasn't meant to be consumed like this. She clearly had something on her mind.
Why was she drinking? Lily's face flushed. How could she explain that she needed liquid courage? Unsure how to respond, she remained silent. Edmond didn't push her. Instead, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, bending down to adjust the covers.
Lily, mistaking his closeness for a kiss, felt her breath catch. "Turn off the lights!" she exclaimed.
Edmond intended to tuck her in before turning off the lights but, seeing her tense, he obliged and turned off the light.
The room plunged into darkness. As Edmond's eyes adjusted, he felt her arms around his neck, her body pressed against his, her lips warm and wet on his.
He froze, his mind blank for a moment. When he came to, his arms were already holding her close. His body trembled with the intensity of his feelings, but his last shred of control made him gently push her away and switch on the bedside lamp.
The room brightened instantly. Looking into her eyes, glistening with unshed tears, Edmond's voice was hoarse. "Lily, there's no rush."
With the alcohol emboldening her, Lily spoke her mind. "No rush? This afternoon, you insisted I come over tonight. And then, roses, gifts, the roses downstairs to make up for not proposing, the ones on the bed for the wedding night, right?"
She kissed him again, pulling him towards the bed, eager to end the torturous night. "Hurry up. I've drunk to get brave. You'll be done in five minutes anyway, right? I'm so tired."
Edmond had been about to order her to sleep but froze at her last words. "Five minutes... What do you mean by that?"
Lily pulled him onto the bed, fumbling with his clothes, muttering, "You'll finish in five minutes."
Edmond: "??????"
People said that Edmond, the crown prince of the Zhou family, had a good life.
His mother, Guan Ling, came from a modest background but was exceptionally beautiful. Her stunning looks caught the eye of the powerful Zhou family patriarch, leading to a marriage right after she graduated from university.
This relationship was famously tagged with two labels: "Cinderella marries into a wealthy family" and "May-December romance." Though Zhou lavished Guan Ling with affection after their marriage, few believed in their union's longevity. Zhou was notorious for his wandering eye, and Guan Ling was his third wife.
It was widely speculated that Guan Ling married him for his wealth, but just a year after giving birth to their son, she filed for divorce. Insiders claimed she discovered Zhou was keeping a mistress. She didn't make a scene, just presented the divorce papers, asking only for custody of her son and nothing more. Zhou, unwilling to divorce, only signed when she threatened to jump from the building with their son in her arms.
She took her son abroad, decisively. Zhou pursued her, showering her with money, property, and even entire vineyards because she loved wine. It was said he truly loved her.
For thirteen years, she stayed away, during which Zhou never remarried and had few public flings. He never visited his son abroad until Guan Ling's death, when he brought the fourteen-year-old Edmond back to China.
Many believed Edmond's success in acquiring the Jingxiu Group at twenty-eight was due to his mother's legacy and his father's guilt. In truth, it was quite the opposite.
Guan Ling's legacy and Zhou's guilt were burdens for Edmond. When he first returned to China, it was the peak of the Zhou family's internal strife. As Guan Ling's son, Edmond was seen as a threat by Zhou family members who feared he might be groomed as the heir. They schemed against him, while Zhou, thinking it was for the best, turned a blind eye.
When he was vulnerable, Edmond struggled to find his footing in the Zhou family. As he grew, Jingxiu Group fell under the control of his eldest brother and uncle. By the time Zhou tried to protect him, he lacked the power and means. His only significant act was to ensure Edmond's survival by sending him abroad for training after a car accident orchestrated against him.
Despite everything, Edmond never severed ties with Zhou, perhaps due to this one act of protection.
Outsiders saw Edmond as the master of Jingxiu Group, controlling much of Jiangyu's economy. But his journey was far from smooth; he clawed his way up through adversity. Emerging from a sinister past, he carried a heavy aura of menace.
During the two years he wrested control of Jingxiu, Alistair noted the palpable scent of blood around him, his face hardening into a menacing mask. Alistair advised him to cultivate calmness, fearing his demeanor was too intimidating.
Initially, Edmond paid little mind. But one day, when he saw Lily and noted her fear, he reconsidered. She had fled from him as if he were a ghost. From that point, he heeded Alistair's advice, slowing his pace of life, taking up hobbies like calligraphy, chess, cooking, fishing, and climbing. These pursuits mellowed him, though he wasn't entirely calm, he rarely lost his temper.
Especially around Lily, he was always composed, never showing anger in front of her.
But now, faced with her words:
"You'll be done in five minutes."
"Just five minutes, and you're finished."
"..."
Five minutes? Who started this rumor? Who told her? Why was this even a topic of discussion? And why such humiliation? If this got out, Alistair might laugh his teeth out.