He stole his best friend's photos and fell for a tycoon's heir through online dating.

Lin.

Just as Lin Wanzhi was about to push open the study door to report to her parents that Xia Ruo had been picked up by President Huo, she heard conversations coming from inside.

"Ru Hai, do you think we made a mistake by entrusting Xia Ruo to Mei Hua's care?"

Lin Wanzhi's hand suddenly stopped, and she froze at the doorway—what did that mean?

"Brother Xia had an accident while on a mission back then. Before he passed away, he asked us to go to his hometown and bring the child back." Lin's father's voice was low and weary.

"Before Meihua came to help at our house, an accident had injured her, rendering her unable to have children. We were hoping to give her a child, someone to rely on..."

"But didn't you realize that Meihua doesn't like Ruoruo at all?" Lin's mother's voice was filled with suppressed urgency.

"Sigh—" Lin's father sighed, "At the time, I saw how much she liked Wanwan, so I thought she liked children."

"Oh... poor Ruoruo." Lin's mother's voice was muffled as she wiped away her tears.

"It would have been better if we had kept it in our own name."

Lin's father was silent for a moment, then his voice suddenly lowered:

"However, do you think... Xia Ruo is really Brother Xia's daughter? I don't think the two of them look alike at all."

Lin's mother paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I've worked with Brother Xia for decades, and I've never seen a woman by his side," Lin's father said in a deep voice.

"But when I arrived at the scene, Brother Xia was barely clinging to life. He didn't even finish his sentence... It was truly..."

"Should we take some time to visit Brother Xia's hometown? Maybe we can find some clues," Lin's mother suggested.

"Miss, why are you standing at the study door instead of going in?" The maid's voice suddenly rang out from the other end of the corridor.

Lin Wanzhi was so startled that she almost dropped her phone.

"Huh? I...I..."

The door was suddenly pulled open from the inside.

Lin Ruhai stood at the door with a frown.

Lin Wanzhi subconsciously shrank back, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace:

"Hey...hey...Dad, do you believe me if I say I didn't hear anything?"

"Come in first." Lin's father stepped aside, his expression carrying an unquestionable authority.

Lin Wanzhi lowered her head dejectedly and slowly moved into the study.

Lin's mother gently closed the door, sighed, walked to Lin Wanzhi, reached out and took her hand, looking at her with a complicated expression:

"Wanwan, did you hear everything?"

Lin Wanzhi raised her head and met her mother's eyes, which were filled with worry and pleading:

"...I don't know if they heard it all."

Lin's mother's fingers tightened slightly. She glanced back at Lin's father, then turned back, her voice soft and slow:

"Wanwan, you absolutely mustn't tell Ruoruo about this. We'll talk about it after your dad and I have investigated it thoroughly, understand?"

Lin Wanzhi suddenly raised her head: "But I don't want to deceive Ruoruo."

Her voice was a little hoarse, "We're best friends. If even I treat her like this, Ruoruo will be even more upset..."

Lin's mother opened her mouth, her throat tightening, unsure of what to say. She turned to look at Lin's father, her eyes filled with pleading.

Mr. Lin remained silent for a long while before turning around, walking up to Lin Wanzhi, bending down, and looking her in the eye.

"Wanwan, we promise you. It won't be long."

Besides, even if you tell Ruoruo now, it will only add to her troubles.

"Why don't we wait until Mom and Dad have investigated and everything is clear before we..." He didn't finish his sentence, but just looked at her intently.

Lin Wanzhi frowned as she considered her father's words and realized that he was right. She didn't want Xia Ruo to suffer.

"……good."

Suddenly, Lin Wanzhi remembered her doubts from when she was eavesdropping, and looked up.

"Dad, I just heard you say that Aunt Meihua had an accident before she came to our house. What kind of accident was it?"

Lin's father looked as if some unpleasant wound had been reopened; his lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes darkened.

"You don't need to know this. Go back to your room and get some sleep."

Lin Wanzhi opened her mouth, wanting to ask another question, but when she met her father's eyes, she swallowed the words back.

He turned around and walked out of the study step by step.

-

In the early morning, sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.

Xia Ruo slowly woke up from her dream, feeling that she had slept exceptionally soundly, her dream filled with warmth, and a faint taste of sweet milk seemed to linger in her mouth.

She slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the man's chest, his well-defined muscles rising and falling slightly with his even breathing, and faint red marks from when she cried last night still lingered below his collarbone.

Her gaze slid down to the man, who was only wrapped in a bath towel, the outline of his abdominal muscles faintly visible in the morning light.

She was resting her head on his strong arm, with one arm draped around his neck, her fingers unintentionally entwining the strands of hair at the back of his head, practically hanging on him.

She looked down at herself and breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness, it was still the same dress as yesterday.

Although two buttons had somehow come undone, and the neckline had slipped loosely down to the shoulders, revealing most of the collarbone and shoulder line, at least the clothes were still intact.

Memories of last night flooded back, hazy and indistinct. It seemed as if someone was holding her in their arms, gently coaxing her to drink milk.

But the milk tasted strange. She felt that when she was halfway through drinking it, something blocked her breath, and something warm and soft was repeatedly rubbing against her lips, licking and sucking them back and forth.

She was so sleepy she couldn't open her eyes, and felt like she was suffocating. Her chest felt tight, but she just couldn't wake up.

Her lips still feel numb.

Her gaze slowly shifted to the man beside her with his eyes closed, and her heart skipped a beat.

He recalled last night at the beach, when he held her in his arms and said firmly, "Don't doubt it anymore. I like you, I just like you."

Xia Ruo's heart pounded wildly.

As if guided by a ghost, she raised her hand, her fingertips gently touching his brow, sliding from the end of his brow to the bridge of his nose, following that high, straight line down to the tip of his nose, and landing on his thin lips.

She gently brushed her fingertip against his lips; the touch was so soft. No wonder the kiss felt so good.

The next second, her fingers were enveloped by a warm sensation.

He took her fingertip into his mouth. His tongue gently and slowly licked her fingertip, inch by inch, from the tip to the knuckle.

The touch was soft and warm, like a small snake coiling around her fingers. A tingling sensation exploded from her fingertips, shooting up her arm and shoulder, burning all the way to her ears.

Xia Ruo's face instantly turned red. She hurriedly tried to pull her hand back, but her fingertips had only retreated an inch when her wrist was firmly gripped by a large hand.

Zhou Siyan's eyes had opened at some point.

Dark flames surged in those unfathomable eyes, like a beast just awakened, staring intently at its prey.

He slowly pulled her hand down, kissing her from her fingertips all the way to her palm.

His tongue traced a circle in her palm; it was wet and soft, and a low, husky voice came from deep within his throat:

"My baby is touching me all over this morning instead of sleeping. Is he trying to do some kind of exercise?"

Xia Ruo's face turned as red as a boiled shrimp, and even her earlobes were tinged with a light pink.

His lips pressed against her palm, his warm breath brushing against her delicate skin, and she couldn't utter a single word.