Volume 1, Chapter 4: Not Particularly Close, But We Have Slept Together

Ning Yu felt her scalp tingle instantly, and she dared not contemplate the matter any further.

Li Shiyan sat down on the sofa, his long legs crossed casually.

"Uncle, why are you here?" Lin Haoyu was visibly excited upon seeing Li Shiyan. The arrogant and cocky demeanor he had displayed while on the phone with his friends vanished completely, replaced by a look of utter submissiveness.

This uncle of his, though bearing a different surname and merely a doctor, was a figure whom neither the elder nor the younger branches of the Lin family dared to provoke. He had always been cold and distant toward the younger generation.

Unsurprisingly, Li Shiyan merely tilted his head, offering no reply.

Lin Haoyu, long accustomed to this, felt no discouragement. He turned to Ning Yu, attempting to ease the awkwardness. "Xiao Yu, why are you just standing there like a statue? Come over here."

Ning Yu forced a smile and sat down by his bedside. "Father said you were ill, so he asked me to come and see you. What happened?"

Lin Haoyu’s smile stiffened, and a sudden sense of guilt washed over him. He brushed it off, saying, "It’s nothing, just an old ailment."

Afraid that Ning Yu might discern the truth, he immediately shifted the focus back to Li Shiyan, introducing him with a cheerful grin: "Xiao Yu, I forgot to introduce you. This is my uncle."

With that, acting like a matchmaker, he leaned toward Li Shiyan, obsequiously saying, "Uncle, you don’t often return to the main residence, so you two haven't met. This is my fiancée..."

Before Lin Haoyu could finish, Li Shiyan’s icy gaze settled on Ning Yu, who was standing beside him, as if he had no idea who she was.

"Xiao... Yu?"

His tone was flat and devoid of emotion, yet it made Ning Yu’s heart tremble.

Seeing Li Shiyan respond, Lin Haoyu’s eyes lit up, thinking his uncle had finally deigned to notice him. Eager to seize the opportunity to impress, he clung to the topic. "Yes, exactly! Xiao Yu, Ning Yu, the second daughter of the Ning family. You must have met at the ward door just now."

Li Shiyan smiled, his voice slightly hoarse: "We have met."

In his heart, he sneered—met? They had been in bed together just yesterday.

That smile felt like a strike to Ning Yu’s heart, instantly stirring a surge of guilt. She tightened her grip on her handbag strap and gave a polite, perfunctory nod toward Li Shiyan. "I did indeed meet Dr. Li at the door just a moment ago."

Seeing Li Shiyan smile, Lin Haoyu grew even more emboldened. He draped an arm around Ning Yu’s waist. "Xiao Yu, why are you still calling him Dr. Li? We are getting engaged soon; we’ll be family. Call him Uncle, just like I do."

Li Shiyan’s gaze fell coldly upon Ning Yu’s waist, his eyes darkening.

Ning Yu trembled instinctively. Hearing Lin Haoyu’s urging, she dodged his gaze and called out in a soft, delicate voice: "Uncle."

Li Shiyan raised an eyebrow calmly, offering no response.

Lin Haoyu hurriedly smiled, making excuses for her. "Uncle, you aren’t familiar with Xiao Yu, so you don’t understand her. She’s just introverted and well-behaved. It’s her first time meeting an elder like you, so she’s a bit shy. Please don’t hold it against her."

"Introverted and well-behaved?" Li Shiyan let out a scoffing laugh. "Indeed, I couldn't tell."

Well-behaved? Was she "well-behaved" when she clung to his waist and demanded more, time and time again? Was she "well-behaved" when she was with him in the car? Was she "well-behaved" when she dared to give herself to him at eighteen?

He knew Ning Yu’s nature better than anyone.

The moment those words left his lips, Ning Yu knew that while she might hide her true self from others, she would never be able to deceive Li Shiyan. A headache began to throb behind her temples.

"Exactly..." Lin Haoyu, suspecting nothing, was in the middle of explaining when he saw Ning Yu rub her brow. "What’s wrong, Xiao Yu? Are you not feeling well?"

"It’s nothing, just a bit of a headache." Ning Yu could hardly explain her allergic reaction to Lin Haoyu, so she gave a vague excuse.

To her surprise, Lin Haoyu, determined to seize the chance to get closer to Li Shiyan, said enthusiastically, "Perfect! Uncle is a doctor. Xiao Yu, why don’t you let Uncle take a look at you? After all, we’re all family!"

Ning Yu: "That won't be necessary."

Li Shiyan: "Alright."

Lin Haoyu: ??!! Throughout the entire Lin family, who didn't know that this uncle was not to be trifled with? People barely dared to have a verbal disagreement with him, let alone command him to provide medical care.

Moreover, Ning Yu had only met him today; there was no way Li Shiyan would agree. He had only asked to butter him up and keep the conversation going.

He actually agreed??

Lin Haoyu was caught completely off guard.

Before Lin Haoyu could react, Ning Yu waved her hands dismissively. "It’s really not necessary, Haoyu. I’ve just been smelling the disinfectant for too long and feel a bit dizzy. I’ll just go to the restroom."

"Alright, go ahead." Lin Haoyu didn't dare to truly trouble Li Shiyan, so he took the excuse to back down gracefully.

As soon as Ning Yu left the ward and was out of the man’s sight, her whole body relaxed, and she headed toward the restroom.

Lin Haoyu looked in the direction she had gone. "Uncle, what do you think?"

Li Shiyan rarely deigned to speak, but he replied: "Not bad."

A nice face, a nice body—everything was nice.

"She is indeed not bad. Obedient, well-behaved, and sensible. It’s just a pity she’s too conservative and refuses to take things further. If I didn't actually like her, I would have replaced her long ago," Lin Haoyu sighed.

Li Shiyan looked at him coldly, mocking: "Should I award you a prize for your deep devotion?"

Lin Haoyu’s face turned ashen.

Li Shiyan rubbed the smooth Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist and asked nonchalantly, "Was last night... satisfying?"

Meeting Li Shiyan’s gaze, Lin Haoyu froze. He realized that since he was part of the hospital staff, how could he not know the ins and outs of his hospitalization last night?

Lin Haoyu felt a sudden surge of guilt, embarrassed and humiliated, his face turning red. "Uncle, let me explain... Xiao Yu is too old-fashioned, and I’m at an age full of youthful vigor. I’m a man with normal physiological needs, so you can’t blame me entirely. Yunyun was willing, and she promised me she would never let it leak. Besides, she and Xiao Yu are family, and since they’re family, what does it matter? In ancient times, sisters serving the same husband was perfectly..."

Before Lin Haoyu could continue, a single look from Li Shiyan’s cold, pitch-black eyes silenced him. He dared not speak another word.

To his surprise, Li Shiyan asked with an indiscernible tone: "Since they are family, it doesn't matter?"

Not even the elders of the Lin family dared to spout such nonsense under the weight of Li Shiyan’s oppressive gaze.

Terrified of his uncle, Lin Haoyu shrank back. "Y-yes... yes."

Li Shiyan’s lips curled into a faint arc. "Then you had better remember those words well."

He stood up. "If there is a next time, I will break your legs for your father."

Lin Haoyu nodded tremblingly. "I... I understand. It won't happen again."

...

Ning Yu had chosen the most remote restroom, just wanting a moment of peace.

As she finished washing her hands and turned to step out of the women’s restroom, she saw a tall figure standing at the entrance.

Nearly six-foot-three, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, the man stood there, blocking her path.

The familiar scent of his pheromones washed over her, and her heart tightened. She forced herself to look composed. "Dr. Li..."

"Out of all the options, you chose this piece of trash?" Li Shiyan dropped the words without a hint of mercy. "If your eyes are failing you, come to the hospital sooner."