When they arrived at Jiuxi Bay—their marital home—Shen Yunmian helped Yu Sheng out of the car and upstairs.
Yu Sheng's steps were unsteady, almost leaning into her arms. Her soft, warm body carried a faint scent of alcohol mixed with her own natural sweetness, causing Shen Yunmian's body to tense slightly without realizing it.
"You'll feel better after a shower," she said in a low voice, softer than she noticed.
Yu Sheng nodded drowsily.
Shen Yunmian helped her into the bathroom and adjusted the water temperature.
Yu Sheng stood there with hazy eyes, as if unsure what to do.
Shen Yunmian hesitated, then stepped forward to help her take off her coat and unzip her dress. Her fingertips inevitably brushed against her delicate skin at times, making the air between them grow thick and ambiguous.
Yu Sheng seemed uncomfortable, frowning slightly, letting her handle everything.
Steam filled the space, blurring the mirror—and the rigid boundary between them.
Drunk, Yu Sheng was especially compliant. With her eyes closed, she let herself be handled, occasionally letting out soft, comfortable murmurs.
It reminded Shen Yunmian of when they had first married—Yu Sheng had been just as obedient.
Shen Yunmian's hand paused for a moment. Then, after drying her with a towel, she carried Yu Sheng to the bed.
The moment Yu Sheng touched the pillow, she curled up like a lazy cat. Shen Yunmian stood by the bed, watching her for a while, her expression complex. In the end, she poured a glass of warm water, carefully helped her up, and fed it to her bit by bit.
Yu Sheng swallowed unconsciously, very obedient—just like the version in her memories.
Shen Yunmian was briefly distracted. When she came back to her senses, she laid Yu Sheng down properly.
After finishing everything, she went to the bathroom for a quick shower.
The sound of running water made her thoughts drift.
She thought that Yu Sheng had truly been hurt this time, which was why she had acted so out of line. She should be more understanding and accompany her wife through the pain of losing their child.
If Yu Sheng really liked children that much, they could have another one.
When she returned to the bedroom, Yu Sheng was already asleep.
Shen Yunmian paused beside the bed, seeming to hesitate, then finally lifted the covers and lay down on the other side.
Only a dim night light remained in the room, its soft glow outlining Yu Sheng's peaceful sleeping face.
She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.
After some time, Shen Yunmian felt a warmth against her chest in her dream.
In the dream, Yu Sheng walked toward her with a gentle smile, her eyes glistening, her voice soft and sweet: "Yunmian…"
She leaned into Shen Yunmian's arms and tilted her face up for a kiss.
Shen Yunmian instinctively tightened her arms and lowered her head to kiss those soft lips.
The kiss deepened and lingered, their bodies pressing closer, the warmth rising, their breathing growing uneven…
Just as Shen Yunmian was immersed in that beautiful dream, she suddenly woke up, the warmth in her arms so real it was startling.
Yu Sheng had somehow rolled into her embrace and was sleeping soundly on her arm.
Shen Yunmian looked at the woman beside her. Damp strands of hair clung to her flushed cheeks and slender neck. The bath towel had loosened slightly, revealing delicate collarbones and a stretch of smooth, fair skin.
Under the warm lighting, the scene was filled with silent temptation.
Shen Yunmian's heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
She had always prided herself on being calm and self-controlled, yet at this moment she felt her throat go dry.
Their sex life had always been regular, almost rigid—usually once a week.
But ever since Yu Sheng had refused a few times before the miscarriage due to her mood, and then with the arguments and separation, they hadn't been intimate for a long time.
For some reason, she suddenly really wanted to kiss her wife in her arms.
As if possessed, Shen Yunmian lowered her head, slowly moving closer to those lips within reach.
Just as she was about to touch them—
Yu Sheng suddenly snapped her eyes open!
The haze of alcohol instantly faded, replaced by sharp clarity and icy coldness.
Her gaze was like a blade dipped in frost, crashing straight into Shen Yunmian's eyes filled with desire and slight shock.
The air froze instantly.
Shen Yunmian's movement stiffened midair, embarrassment and awkwardness flooding her.
Yu Sheng abruptly turned her head away; her lips only brushed against her burning cheek.
The next moment, without thinking, almost instinctively, she raised her hand and struck!
"Smack!"
The crisp sound of a slap rang especially harsh in the quiet bedroom.
Though the force wasn't strong due to the alcohol, the humiliation was overwhelming.
Shen Yunmian's face was knocked to the side, and the fading finger marks on her cheek seemed to sting again.
Being slapped twice in a row, an unprecedented sense of humiliation and anger surged through her.
Shen Yunmian abruptly sat up, almost growling, "Yu Sheng! What exactly do you want?"
Yu Sheng also sat up, her chest rising and falling violently with anger and agitation.
Thinking that even after being reborn she still couldn't get a divorce and had to maintain a superficial harmony with Shen Yunmian made her feel suffocated with anger.
Alcohol amplified her emotions; the grievances and disgust accumulated over two lifetimes erupted completely at this moment.
"What do I want?" Yu Sheng sneered, her voice trembling with anger. "Shen Yunmian, besides going through the motions like a block of wood, what else can you do? Sleeping with you is even more boring than hugging a doll! Your skills are absolutely terrible!"
Shen Yunmian's face instantly turned ashen, her voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, "You're utterly unreasonable!"
"Yeah, I am unreasonable."
Yu Sheng continued to stab at her weak points: "So don't touch me again. If you can't hold back, go find someone else. You, President Shen, have plenty of people throwing themselves at you anyway. From now on, we'll just be a superficial couple—sleep in separate rooms, and stay out of each other's business."
Every word was like a poisoned blade, stabbing fiercely into Shen Yunmian's heart.
That realization was even harder for her to accept than the slap.
Yu Sheng looked at her expression—as if she'd been struck by lightning, a mix of shock, anger, and disbelief—and felt a twisted sense of satisfaction rise within her.
Shen Yunmian's chest heaved violently, the anger in her eyes nearly bursting out and consuming her.
She stared at her as if truly seeing this wife for the first time. In the end, all the anger and humiliation condensed into a deeply suppressed breath.
She suddenly turned and slammed the door with a deafening "bang."
After the loud crash, the bedroom fell into complete silence.
Yu Sheng sat alone on the messy bed, her tense nerves finally relaxing.
She slowly let out a breath and rubbed her aching temple.
Although the process had been intense, the goal had been achieved.
She lay back down, pulling the blanket over herself.
The air still seemed to carry Shen Yunmian's anger, but she felt an unprecedented sense of ease.
Good. Tonight she could finally sleep peacefully.
Yu Sheng turned over, closed her eyes, and quickly sank into deep sleep amid the exhaustion after alcohol and emotional release.
Meanwhile, in a speeding car, Shen Yunmian gripped the steering wheel tightly, her face dark enough to drip with gloom.
Yu Sheng's humiliating words echoed in her mind like a curse, stimulating every sensitive nerve.
She finally understood—Yu Sheng wasn't throwing a tantrum. She truly despised her.
So much so that she would use the most vicious words to draw a clear line between them.
—
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