Mu Tingshen did not take Shen Xingling back to Mu Family Manor; instead, he brought her to Wanhe Xingcheng, an upscale residential complex in a prime location in the city center.
It was already past ten at night when they arrived. After entering, he carried Shen Xingling to the master bedroom, gently placed her on the bed, took off her shoes, set them by the bedside, and tucked her in.
Mu Tingshen went to the living room and called the butler, Uncle Li, to inform him that he and Shen Xingling would not be returning that night. It was too late to call Elder Mu, so he left it at that. After hanging up, he took a bottle of honey from the kitchen cupboard, boiled some water, spooned honey into a cup, added the hot water, and stirred it thoroughly.
He tested a drop of the honey water on the back of his hand; the temperature was perfect.
Carrying the cup into the master bedroom, he set it on the nightstand and leaned over Shen Xingling. Looking at her flushed, delicate, and beautiful face, he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. His heart began to race.
Regaining his composure, he called her name and helped her sit up.
"Shen Xingling, wake up and drink this honey water before you go back to sleep."
"Oh, no... I want to sleep," Shen Xingling grumbled, her brows furrowed and her lips pouting in annoyance. She kept kicking at the duvet.
Mu Tingshen sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Be good, drink the honey water, or you'll have a headache in the morning."
As if she understood, she opened her mouth. "Ah..."
Mu Tingshen held her up and brought the cup to her lips. Shen Xingling raised her hands to hold the cup, though he continued to support her. Once she finished, he wiped her mouth with a tissue.
He realized too late that this was a mistake. As he wiped her face, he "frightened" himself. The makeup had come right off onto the tissue.
Mu Tingshen sat on the living room sofa, opened his phone, and began searching through various browsers: "How to remove makeup?" "How to remove makeup without damaging the skin?" "How to remove makeup thoroughly?"
He then called Jun Hao and told him to buy some makeup remover products.
Jun Hao, answering the phone, stammered, "I thought you said you weren't working late tonight?"
An hour later, Jun Hao arrived at Wanhe Xingcheng with a bag of supplies and left immediately after dropping them off.
After studying the products for a while, the President began dabbing makeup remover onto cotton pads and gently wiping Shen Xingling’s face. Twenty minutes later, he had successfully finished removing his young wife's makeup.
Seeing her restless—constantly kicking the blanket or rolling around—he worried about leaving her, so he decided not to go to the guest room and instead slept on the sofa in the master bedroom. It was another night for the President on the couch.
By late night, Shen Xingling had finally settled down. In the dead of night, the city, the stars, and the moon all fell into a dreamless sleep.
...
The horizon gradually began to brighten as if someone had painted a layer of pink over the pale blue sky, with countless golden rays hidden beneath. Sunlight streamed through the curtains and fell across Shen Xingling’s face.
Slowly, the warmth awakened her from her sleep. She didn't want to open her eyes yet; she sat up lazily and stretched comfortably. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Mu Tingshen sleeping on the sofa across from the bed.
*Huh, why is he sleeping there instead of the bed?*
*He looks so well-behaved when he sleeps!*
*I have an urge to pinch him!*
The next second, Mu Tingshen opened his eyes.
"Have you seen enough?"
Shen Xingling blinked, flustered, and looked away. "Who... who was looking at you? If you weren't looking at me, how would you know I was looking at you?"
"Admitting it now?" Mu Tingshen felt an inexplicable sense of joy as he watched her shifty, avoidant gaze. "Since you’re awake, get up. We're going home."
"Home? This isn't home? Where are we?"
"Wanhe Xingcheng. You were dead drunk yesterday, so I brought you here."
"Oh."
*I'm done for, I'm done for! How did I get so drunk? I hope I didn't do anything embarrassing!*
"What are you thinking about? Get up and wash your face."
"Got it."
Shen Xingling followed Mu Tingshen to the bathroom. Without a word, they both reached for their matching toothbrushes and cups, each squeezing their own toothpaste. The air between them was thick with an awkward silence.
She looked up at the mirror and felt a sudden shock. "Did you remove my makeup?"
"Is there anyone else in this room besides me who would remove it for you?!" The implication was clear: only he, Mu Tingshen, was allowed to do such a thing.
*Fine, you removed it, you removed it! Why are you acting so strange today?*
It was the first time anyone had ever removed her makeup, let alone her new husband. A wave of warmth washed over her heart.
Mu Tingshen recalled the previous night. She had been a handful, and she had even slapped him. *Woman, do I treat you so poorly?* She had kept calling his name while tossing and turning, completely restless. *Sigh.*
"What's wrong with you today?"
"Nothing. Just spent the whole night taking care of a little wild cat, and I even got scratched for my trouble." He turned around and leaned toward her.
*Oh no!*
*I actually hit Mu Tingshen last night? Oh heavens! I hit him!*
Shen Xingling took a half-step back, trying to be serious. "Um, Mu... Mu Tingshen, this doesn't count as domestic violence, right? At most, it was just a little spat between husband and wife."
Mu Tingshen’s lips curved into a faint smile, and he gave a slight nod. "Hmm. A little spat. Hurry up and finish washing!"
Shen Xingling sighed. *Thank goodness. That scared me to death—I thought he was going to give me a taste of my own medicine.*
A moment later, his low voice reached her ears. "What, did you think I was going to commit domestic violence against you? Don't worry, that will never happen. I promised I would be a good husband to you."
"How could I think that? I would never think that, right? Hubby~"
That single word, "Hubby," went straight to Mu Tingshen's heart.
...
After they finished getting ready, Mu Tingshen drove Shen Xingling back to the Mu Family Manor. By the time they arrived, breakfast was already over.
As they stepped into the living room, they heard two deep, booming voices.
"Move your horse, move your horse! Your cannon is gone!"
"Hey! Checkmate. Bye-bye."
It was Elder Mu playing Chinese chess against Elder Jiang. Neither was willing to give an inch; in chess, there are no take-backs. Chess was a pleasure, but the game was a battlefield.
Elder Jiang, Jiang Zhiyuan, had served in the military since his youth alongside Elder Mu (Mu Zhoucheng) and Shen Xingling’s grandfather, Shen Ci'an. Later, both Elder Mu and Shen Ci'an left the military for business to spare their families from worry. Years ago, on the battlefield, Elder Shen had taken a bullet for Elder Mu. He had suffered a heart injury and, after struggling through treatment, barely survived. He had spent his life working in the business world, only to pass away in his forties.
"Damn it! This Ukyo Tachibana keeps stealing my kills!" a voice shouted with a hint of indignation.