At midnight, Lin Mian couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his arm and begged for mercy with a whimper, and Shi Lin finally took pity on her.
After taking a shower, he didn't have a towel, Lin Mian remembered the bathrobe she borrowed from his house last time, so she took it out of the closet and handed it to him.
Shi Lin was not pretending, he directly put it on.
The soft bathrobe still had a faint scent of the girl's own unique fragrance. He gently sniffed it, feeling no aversion in his heart.
Lin Mian lay in bed covered with a duvet, only revealing a small head. Her throat was almost hoarse, but she still tried to send him away.
"Aren't you going back to sleep?"
The implied meaning was to ask him to go back home and sleep, not to stay over in her bed.
Shi Lin understood her meaning and gave her a speechless glance.
Sleeping to the point of becoming so estranged, he had never seen it before.
She had stayed over at his house for four nights, and he had never kicked her out. This woman was something else, pretending like nothing happened once she put her pants on.
He was satisfied tonight, and didn't feel like arguing with her. He thought about having an early surgery, so he turned around and went back.
Lin Mian watched him leave with a dull look. She finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyelids became heavier, and she lay down on the bed, ready to fall asleep.
"Click."
The door opened again.
Lin Mian reflexively lifted her eyelids and saw Lin wearing a bathrobe walking in, holding some kind of gift box in her hand, and casually tossing it onto Lin Mian's bed.
"Your 'master' left a gift at the door, a watch. He sure knows how to give gifts."
For some reason, Lin Mian could sense a sour and sarcastic tone in his voice.
She propped herself up to take a look, and saw a watch from a certain brand in the packaging box. It wasn't too high-end nor too low-end, just right for an intern like her to wear.
Lin Mian quite liked it, but she didn't dare show it.
She was afraid that this man would get angry again later and press her down for another round of trouble.
So she casually placed the box on the bedside table, wrapped herself back in the blanket, showing a face of exhaustion and sleepiness.
"I'm going to bed now, I still have to work tomorrow. Doctor Shi, if you can't sleep, go back to count the stars, you're here... I can't sleep."
Doctor Shi: "..."
He wanted to retort, but seeing Lin Mian's red, half-closed eyes, her disheveled hair, swollen red lips, her fair collarbone covered with bruises, she looked quite pitiful tonight.
She looks really pitiful.
Shi Lin had a moment of softness.
Forget it, he won't bother her anymore.
"Don't worry, I won't stay overnight."
He said stiffly, then turned and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Not until he heard the footsteps outside the living room disappear, the sound of the door locking "click" shut, Lin Mian finally relaxed and lay down on the bed, closing her eyes wearily.
Interestingly, she had a severe case of insomnia.
But every time he finished bothering her, she was too tired to care about insomnia and slept soundly instead.
It's really bizarre.
...
The next morning, Lin Mian was awakened by the alarm clock.
Everything was back to normal, and she had to go to work and earn money.
Lin Mian quickly finished washing up, changed into conservative clothes to cover up the marks on her body, took a few bites of breakfast, and headed to the company.
Just as she stepped out of the gate of the neighborhood, a familiar off-road vehicle stopped in front of her, the window rolled down, revealing Qin Li's handsome face.
"Mian Mian, get in, I'll give you a ride."
When Qin Li was in the country, he used to give her a ride to the company every morning, and Lin Mian had gotten used to it.
Since he was so enthusiastic, she couldn't refuse.
Lin Mian opened the passenger seat and got in.
Suddenly, a black Land Rover next to her rushed past her, almost hitting her and stirring up a gust of exhaust fumes.
Lin Mian subconsciously avoided when she saw the man's profile flashing by in the car.
The cold and exquisite face, always indifferent and clear, Lin Mian could recognize it even if it flashed by ten times faster.
Subconsciously grabbing the seat belt, she felt a bit nervous. Was he intentionally rushing past her just now? Would he be angry?
"Mian Mian, do you still like yesterday's gift?"
Qin Li suddenly spoke as he drove, catching Lin Mian off guard.
Her thoughts were brought back, and she nodded in response, "I really like it. Thank you, Master, for your generosity."
"It's just a small token of appreciation, it's not a big deal. As long as you like it."
Qin Li chuckled, glanced at her empty wrist, and asked with a hint of surprise, "Then why aren't you wearing it?"
Lin Mian subconsciously looked at her wrist and explained, "I'm going to the construction site today, I'm afraid it will get scratched."
In fact, she stayed up late last night, and the gift box was still neatly placed on the bedside table, she didn't even have time to open it.
Furthermore, there is someone like Shi Lin who is sharp-eyed and keeps staring at her, occasionally making some inexplicably sarcastic remarks. If she were to wear that watch, she might be subjected to more of his ambiguous comments.
"I see, I had almost forgotten, Cotton, you have always been thrifty and frugal," Qin Li smiled and then turned the steering wheel around a corner.
Seemingly recalling something, he changed the topic and asked, "By the way, are you in need of money?"