Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

When Liu Yunshu ran back to the side door of the banquet hall, she could still feel the lingering burning sensation on her lips.

Her fingertips brushed across the corner of her lips, and the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

She straightened her slightly disheveled skirt, took a deep breath, and then pushed open the door and went inside.

Her face returned to its docile and obedient expression, as if the romantic and ambiguous moments in the corridor had never happened.

Fu Jingming was still silently drinking in the corner when he caught sight of her coming in, and his eyes flashed with a sinister light.

However, due to Fu Yanshen's previous warning, he managed to suppress his temper.

Su Manli was holding a wine glass while entertaining Fu's mother when her eyes swept over Liu Yunshu, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.

"Auntie, Yunshu has been away from her seat for quite a while now..."

She leaned close to Madam Fu's ear, her voice low and soft:

"There are many guests tonight, and it's understandable that she's young and playful, so please don't take it too seriously."

Madam Fu's face immediately darkened, and she put down her wine cup and walked towards Liu Yunshu.

"Liu Yunshu, where did you go?"

Fu's mother spoke in a cold and hard tone, her gaze sweeping over her like a blade.

"As the future daughter-in-law of the Fu family, instead of helping with the hospitality at the banquet, you're hiding away enjoying yourself. Do you have absolutely no regard for the Fu family's rules?"

Liu Yunshu lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes. When she raised her eyes again, her gaze was as gentle as ever.

"Auntie, I just went to the restroom. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Hmph, taking so long to go to the restroom?"

Madam Fu let out a cold laugh through her nose, her fingertips almost touching her forehead.

"Don't think you can get away with anything just because you have Grandpa and Ah Shen backing you up! Jingming is soft-hearted, but I'm not easily fooled!"

Recalling how Fu Yanshen had publicly humiliated her, Fu's mother's anger burned even brighter, and her voice became shrill:

"Let me tell you, the Fu family wants a daughter-in-law who is well-educated, dignified, and generous, not someone who only knows how to play the victim and scheme!"

"Manli is a hundred times more sensible than you. If it weren't for Grandpa's insistence, why would Jingming have chosen you?"

The gentleness in Liu Yunshu's eyes faded, replaced by a clear and serene stillness.

"Marriage is a major life event, and it's usually decided by the elders. I'm already fortunate to have won my grandfather's favor. As for the rules—"

Her gaze seemed to casually sweep over Su Manli not far away, her voice still soft, yet every word clear.

"I believe my words and actions have never crossed the line. It's some people who, under the guise of 'friendship,' overstep boundaries and disrupt other people's marriages—that's what really breaks the rules, isn't it?"

Su Manli's face turned pale, and she dug her fingertips into her palm.

Madam Fu was so choked up that her face turned ashen. She raised her hand to slap Liu Yunshu—this girl dared to talk back to her in public, she was simply outrageous!

Before she finished speaking, she raised her hand and slapped Liu Yunshu across the face.

—This girl has gone too far!

Liu Yunshu had anticipated this and deftly dodged to the side.

When Madam Fu's palm struck, she missed and staggered due to inertia. She was quickly supported by the servants beside her.

She trembled with rage, her voice rising, "You dare to hide?! I'll teach you a lesson today!"

"Who is your sister-in-law trying to teach a lesson to?"

Fu Yanshen's voice suddenly rang out, not loud, but like an icicle piercing through the noise.

He had already stood a few steps away, his figure appearing tall and slender in the shadow cast by the corridor lights.

The black suit made his features appear even more solemn, and his gaze was fixed on Fu's mother's still-held hand, his eyes cold and intimidating.

Madam Fu's imposing manner suddenly softened: "Ah Shen, this girl talked back to her elders, I..."

"According to the Fu family's rules, when does it ever come to laying a hand on a junior in public?"

Fu Yanshen walked slowly closer, each step feeling like he was stepping on a taut string.

"Or does my sister-in-law believe that the word 'elder' gives her the right to beat and scold at will?"

Madam Fu felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, and forced herself to say, "I... I was just furious! How can she ever enter the Fu family with such poor manners?"

"rule?"

Fu Yanshen's lips curled into a very faint smile, his sarcasm as sharp as frost.

"The Fu family's rules are, first, to be reasonable, and second, to be prudent. If word gets out that the eldest sister-in-law is going to take action without considering the reasons, others will only laugh at the Fu family for their poor upbringing."

Madam Fu's face turned pale and then red, and she choked so much that she couldn't utter a single word.

Finally, he glared at Liu Yunshu fiercely, said "You just wait," and turned to leave quickly.

The person who had just whispered in her ear didn't even glance at Su Manli; he stood silently with his head down.

Su Manli stood there, her fingertips clenched so tightly they turned white.

As she watched Fu Yanshen calmly protect Liu Yunshu behind him, a surge of resentment welled up in her eyes.

Biting her lower lip, she turned and walked towards Fu Jingming in the corner.

Fu Jingming was drinking one glass of wine after another in silence.

Su Manli reached out and gently pressed his wine glass, her voice so soft it could melt water: "Amin, don't drink anymore, it's bad for your health."

Fu Jingming abruptly shoved her away, and the wine glass slammed against the edge of the table with a "bang," splashing wine everywhere.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at her: "Don't touch me! If it weren't for you... how could I have ended up like this?"

"Uncle warned me, Grandpa's disappointed. Now even Liu Yunshu dares to give me attitude!"

Su Manli's eyes instantly reddened, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked like a pear blossom in the rain.

"Ah Ming, I didn't mean it... I just care about you too much. Seeing you being so good to Yun Shu makes me feel bad..."

She reached out and gently stroked his arm, but her fingertips secretly exerted force.

"It's all Liu Yunshu's fault... She must have stirred things up in front of Grandpa and Uncle Fu, causing you to be misunderstood!"

Fu Jingming's anger was somewhat dampened by her tears, and he scratched his hair in frustration: "Enough!"

"I have no choice but to tell you!"

Su Manli took the opportunity to get closer, lowering her voice even further, like a viper flicking its tongue.

"Amin, she doesn't love you at all. What makes an orphan girl like you worthy of Grandpa's attention?"

"Perhaps... she planned this all along, and she's eyeing the Fu family's assets!"

Fu Jingming paused.

Seeing his wavering expression, Su Manli continued to add fuel to the fire.

"I heard... she has close relationships with quite a few men in private, perhaps she's already..."

She suddenly covered her mouth, as if she had spoken out of turn, but her eyes gleamed with a sharp light:

"I... I just heard it all from other people... Ah Ming, don't take it seriously."

Fu Jingming was already seething with anger, and Su Manli's half-hearted words stirred up a flame of suspicion in his eyes.

He slammed his hand on the table, spilling most of the liquor, and growled with bloodshot eyes, "You bitch!"

Su Manli quickly grabbed his arm, feigning to comfort him, but a smug smile lurked in her eyes:

"Amin, don't be impulsive... If Grandpa hears you, he'll get angry again."

The more "sensible" she was, the angrier Fu Jingming became.

Yet, fearing Fu Yanshen's intimidation, he could only suppress his anger, his knuckles clenched until they turned white, and the sinister look in his eyes almost overflowing.

Helpless, he could only drink his sorrows away, glass after glass of wine.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After the banquet, Liu Yunshu returned to her guest room.

Closing the door shut out all outside noise.

She walked to the window and pushed it open. The night breeze, carrying the fragrance of gardenias, rushed in, dispelling the stuffiness in the room.

My fingertips lightly touched the corner of my lips, where the burning hot mark still seemed to remain.

Fu Yanshen's low, husky voice still seemed to linger in my ears—"Stay in your room tonight, I'll come find you."

She gently curved her lips into a smile, and the sly blush at the corner of her eyes was particularly vivid in the moonlight, like an elf stealing a taste of forbidden fruit in the dark.

She changed out of her evening gown and into a silk nightgown.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft, delicate glow on the hem of her skirt.

Just as I finished drying my hair, two very soft knocks came from outside the door, the rhythm steady and carrying an unmistakable familiarity.

Liu Yunshu walked to the door but did not open it immediately.

Instead, he deliberately slowed his pace, his fingertips brushing against the cold doorknob, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She pressed herself against the door, her voice soft and deliberately lazy: "Who is it? It's so late."

There was a moment of silence outside the door, followed by Fu Yanshen's low, husky voice, tinged with a hint of helpless indulgence: "Open the door, little fox."

Liu Yunshu chuckled softly before turning the handle.

The door had barely been opened a crack when it was yanked open by a powerful force.

Fu Yanshen's tall figure instantly enveloped the room, carrying with him the coolness of the night dew and the crisp scent of cedar.

He locked the door behind him and pinned her against it.

His dark eyes stared intently at her, a possessiveness so intense it seemed impossible to contain itself.

But he carefully avoided hitting her forehead, afraid of hurting her.

"Intentional?"

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against hers, his warm breath caressing her face.

With a slightly tipsy languor, it only adds a touch of dangerous allure.

Liu Yunshu looked up at him, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and the cunning in her eyes was impossible to hide.

She reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, her fingertips lightly tracing his Adam's apple: "Didn't Uncle Fu say I should be good? I've been very good."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet, like poison coated in honey, yet her eyes shone with an innocent light.

The contrast made Fu Yanshen's Adam's apple bob, and he leaned down to kiss her lips.

This kiss was more lingering than the one in the corridor, carrying a long-suppressed desire and a loss of control.

His hands were around her waist, the force so tight it felt like he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

But when she frowned, he immediately softened, his cautious demeanor a stark contrast to his usual icy exterior.

Liu Yunshu closed her eyes, her fingertips digging into his hair, responding to his kiss, her body unconsciously pressing closer to him.

The moonlight streamed quietly through the window, casting their intertwined shadows on the wall, like an ambiguous and tender painting.

After an unknown amount of time, Fu Yanshen finally released her, his forehead pressed against hers, his breathing heavy.

The flames in his dark eyes had not yet subsided, but a gentle, indulgent tenderness had taken their place.

Just then—

Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking at the door, each knock louder than the last, accompanied by Fu Jingming's low growl, barely containing his anger:

"Liu Yunshu! It's me! Open the door!"