He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

"Don't move, I'll apply the medicine gently. It will hurt a little, but please bear with it." Sang Jiuning softened her tone, her voice gentle and tender.

She bent down slightly, carefully picked up a cotton swab, dipped it in a suitable amount of iodine, and gently wiped the wound on his arm.

The whip marks varied in depth, with some areas red and broken skin, a shocking sight that made it easy to imagine how painful it must have been when being whipped.

Sang Jiuning's movements became increasingly gentle, and she was extra careful with each wipe, afraid that too much force would hurt his wound.

The moment the cool cotton swab touched his skin, it brought a slight stinging sensation, but Wen Zhaoci felt a strange excitement from this stinging sensation.

All his attention was focused on the girl in front of him.

Sang Jiuning's hair fell softly, with a few strands clinging to her smooth forehead. Her long eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow under her eyelids. Her expression was focused and serious.

Sang Jiuning blew on the whip marks, her warm breath gently brushing against his forearm skin, soft and warm.

Seeing the girl's cautious manner, Wen Zhaoci lowered her head slightly and, imitating her, gently blew air into the wound on her arm, appearing both childish and obedient.

In the quiet atmosphere, Sang Jiuning looked at his obedient yet aggrieved expression and finally couldn't help but ask softly, "What exactly happened? Why did your father hit you? You were fine, how did you get hurt like this?"

Her voice was soft and delicate, filled with suppressed heartache.

Wen Zhaoci lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the surging grievances and indifference within them. Her voice was muffled, with a barely perceptible hoarseness, like a child who had suffered grievances and had nowhere to confide in: "It's nothing. He's always been like this, from childhood to adulthood, his heart has always been biased towards his stepbrother born to his stepmother."

A few words, light as the wind, yet they contained years of grievances and disappointments.

Upon hearing this, Sang Jiuning abruptly stopped what she was doing, and a surge of anger welled up inside her.

She couldn't stand such biased elders. In her past life, whether in her mother's new home or her father's new home, they only cared about the children they had later.

She looked up at Wen Zhaoci's forlorn profile, her brows furrowed with indignation. She couldn't help but grit her teeth, speaking with unwavering protectiveness: "Your dad is a real scoundrel! He's so biased! As a fellow son, why does he treat you like this? It's outrageous!"

She grew angrier the more she thought about it: "Let me tell you, when he gets old, you might as well not take care of him. Why should you suffer so much and still have to obligely serve him? It's not worth it!"

Wen Zhaoci slightly raised his eyes, his dark pupils staring straight at the girl who was puffing up her cheeks and standing up for him.

Sunlight fell on Sang Jiuning's fair cheeks. Her brows were furrowed, and she looked like a little dumpling with its fur standing on end. She was clearly angry for him, but she was so cute that it softened his heart.

It turns out that there really are people in this world who will stand by him wholeheartedly, who will be angry for his grievances, and who will unconditionally side with him.

Wen Zhaoci's thin lips curved into a very faint smile, her voice still soft and muffled, as she obediently replied, "Okay, I'll listen to you, baby. I won't take care of him in his old age."

Sang Jiuning was angry for a few seconds, then rationally shook her head, her brows furrowed, carefully considering her words: "No, no, it seems that not taking care of the elderly is also not allowed, there are legal provisions."

She looked up at him, her tone earnest: "Let's not do anything unreasonable or illegal. When he gets old, you can give him the minimum legal allowance of a few hundred yuan a month, just as a token gesture. Fulfill the most basic obligation, without giving anything more than a token of affection. We won't owe him anything, and we won't wrong ourselves, okay?"

Seeing her earnest and serious expression, Wen Zhaoci gently replied, "Okay, I'll do whatever you say, baby."

Finally, after carefully applying the last coat of medicine and gently placing the sterile dressing on, Sang Jiuning breathed a sigh of relief, tidied up the cotton swabs and medicine bottles in her hands, and prepared to put the medicine box away.

But as she straightened up, her gaze inadvertently swept over the boy in front of her, and she froze instantly.

It was only then that she belatedly realized—

From the moment she entered the room to apply the medicine until now, Wen Zhaoci has been shirtless.

A black leather belt hung around his slender waist, its lines clean and smooth.

The sunlight fell precisely on his well-defined chest, revealing his eight-pack abs with clear, sharp lines that were firm, even, and neither exaggerated nor bulky. Every inch of his abs was just right, exuding a youthful yet sexy power.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and smooth muscle lines are so close, they seem within reach.

Sang Jiuning's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks instantly flushed, and the burning heat spread down her neck to her ears.

The visual impact of the offline performance is twice as explosive as the online one. Imagine if she showed off her abs while swimming offline...

She subconsciously held her breath, her eyes involuntarily glancing at him several times. He was absolutely stunning!

No, I can't look anymore! And I can't think about it anymore either.

She's probably really going to get a nosebleed, which would be so embarrassing!

Sang Jiuning quickly looked away, forcibly suppressing the palpitations and panic in her heart. She hurriedly packed up the first-aid kit, stood up abruptly, deliberately avoided eye contact, and changed the subject with feigned composure. Her tone carried a hint of barely perceptible panic: "Um... once the medicine is applied, everything will be fine. I'll go see what ingredients are in the refrigerator, and I'll make you lunch."

Seeing the girl's ears turn red instantly, and seeing her feigned composure and her desperate attempt to escape, Wen Zhaoci instantly understood her little scheme.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at her embarrassed and adorable appearance, and let out a very soft chuckle, his voice lazy and tender: "Mmm."

Sang Jiuning didn't dare to turn around. She rushed into the kitchen, gently patting her burning cheeks. Her heart was still pounding wildly, and she couldn't calm down for a long time.

She opened the refrigerator, looked at the neatly arranged fresh vegetables and meats inside, calmed herself down, skillfully tied on an apron, washed her hands, prepared the vegetables, and chopped and cooked them.

She learned to cook for herself in her past life.

In just over half an hour, several simple and delicious home-style dishes were served on the table. Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and braised pork with potatoes were all common home-style dishes.

Wen Zhaoci sat obediently at the dining table, looking at the table full of food that belonged only to him, his eyes filled with tiny glimmers of light.

This is his baby, and it's the first time he's cooked for him.

These were ordinary home-cooked dishes, yet they were the most delicious food he had ever eaten.

Wen Zhaoci ate with exceptional seriousness and relish, and in the end, he devoured every last bite of the entire table of food.

He had only one thought in his mind: the food his baby makes is the best in the world.

Since there were no professional classes in the afternoon, Sang Jiuning was afraid that Wen Zhaoci would be in a bad mood, so she simply sent a message to the counselor to ask for leave and stayed in the apartment to keep him company.

The two snuggled on the sofa, watching variety shows and reading books/videos. Wen Zhaoci stayed close to her the whole time, obedient and docile.

Dinner was still prepared by Sang Jiuning herself, and it was still a simple home-cooked meal, but it still made Wen Zhaoci very happy.

Soon it was nine o'clock at night, the night was getting deeper and the chill was getting stronger.

Sang Jiuning took out the ointment and carefully changed and reapplied the medicine to Wen Zhaoci, her movements still gentle and careful, as if afraid of hurting him in the slightest.

After treating all her wounds, she packed her things and said softly, "It's getting late, I should go back to my dorm."

"Don't go."