Waaah, I'm being forced into loving my yandere wife's brain.

Lin Zhiyao hesitated for a moment, but suppressed her inexplicable hesitation and went downstairs.

There were two paper bags on the coffee table, one containing bagels and the other containing hot coffee.

"Good morning." Shen Jin raised his head and looked at Lin Zhiyao. He paused for a moment. She had changed into casual shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, the pink and black color scheme making her skin look even more radiant and fair like snow.

"You're awake? Breakfast has just arrived."

Shen Jin casually withdrew his gaze.

Lin Zhiyao paused in her steps.

That strange feeling resurfaced, and I inexplicably wondered if we were getting a little too close.

But she quickly cursed herself in her heart. Shen Jin was so good to her, how could she treat him with such a strange attitude?

They're roommates, so isn't it normal to bring breakfast as a friendly gesture? Her college roommates did the same thing.

Lin Zhiyao composed herself, walked to the coffee table and sat down. She took the bagel Shen Jin handed her, took a bite, and found it to be warm, filled with cheese and fried egg, and very fragrant.

"Thank you, Mr. Shen."

Lin Zhiyao smiled at him.

"Don't be so formal, just call me Shen Jin."

Lin Zhiyao nodded while chewing her bagel, but Shen Jin didn't touch his own breakfast, his gaze lingering on her face for a long while.

You don't look too well.

Shen Jin's tone was casual, but his eyes were serious as he slowly scanned every inch of her face. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Lin Zhiyao touched her face, feeling a little guilty.

Actually, she slept very soundly last night, but she felt like she kept tossing and turning in the middle of the night and didn't sleep well. When she woke up in the morning, her whole body ached, and her thighs were obviously irritated.

It's probably because they're not used to the new environment.

"It's... alright, I guess."

Lin Zhiyao gave a vague answer.

Shen Jin didn't let her off the hook, leaning forward to get closer: "Your face looks a little pale. What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, you should tell us as soon as possible. You just arrived in the United States, and the airport and public transportation are very crowded. There's also a recent outbreak of H1N1 flu. If you catch it, it will be much more comfortable to be prepared in advance."

His tone was concerned, not like he was asking casually.

Lin Zhiyao hadn't intended to say anything, but his questioning brought back her shame.

She had just felt a strange sense of rejection towards Shen Jin on the stairs. He was clearly showing concern for her, and she... she was such a jerk.

Moreover, Shen Jin's words made a lot of sense. If one is infected with a virus, it is best to prepare antipyretics and the like now.

"I..." Lin Zhiyao put down the bagel, hesitated for a moment, and then told the truth.

"Actually, I don't think I have a cold or anything. It's just that when I woke up this morning, I found something strange on my legs. It's like an allergic reaction or I was bitten by some kind of bug. My thigh is all red, and it hurts a bit when I touch it."

"An allergic reaction?" Shen Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of concern appearing on his face. "Let me see."

Lin Zhiyao was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, it's probably just me not used to the environment, I'll be fine in a couple of days—"

"If it's a bite from some kind of poisonous insect, it'll be more troublesome if it drags on." Shen Jin had already stood up, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Wait for me a moment, I have a first-aid kit in my room."

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and gone upstairs.

Lin Zhiyao opened her mouth, but the words "No need to trouble yourself" stuck in her throat, so she had to close it again.

Shen Jin returned quickly, carrying a white medicine box. He placed it on the coffee table and opened it, revealing various bottles and jars neatly arranged inside.

"Go sit on the sofa."

Shen Jin pulled out a tube of ointment and a pack of cotton swabs from inside, and gestured with his chin toward the sofa.

Lin Zhiyao hesitated for two seconds, then moved over and sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands on her knees, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the fabric of her cotton shorts, feeling inexplicably nervous.

Her eyelashes trembled, indicating a slight unease.

Shen Jin squatted down in front of her, a position that brought his line of sight to hers.

He looked at her, his tone soft, with a hint of reassurance and coaxing, "Roll up your trouser legs."

Lin Zhiyao's ears suddenly felt hot.

The legs of the lounge shorts only reach mid-thigh; if you roll them up... your entire thigh will be exposed.

"It's just a little bit of red, maybe not..."

"Let me take a look. If it's not serious, I won't touch it."

Shen Jin's voice was gentle but firm, and his eyes looked at her with no other meaning than pure concern.

Lin Zhiyao bit her lip, and finally raised her hand to slowly roll up both pant legs to near her hip bones, revealing a small patch of reddish skin on the outside of her thighs.

It was even clearer in the morning light; that patch was indeed redder than the surrounding area, with a faint pinkish hue, and the skin felt slightly warm.

Lin Zhiyao felt that her face was probably even redder and hotter than before, and her eyelashes were trembling even more violently.

Shen Jin's gaze fell on the red mark, but he didn't make a move immediately.

He looked at it for a few seconds, then unscrewed the ointment, squeezed a little onto the cotton swab, and moved slowly and deliberately.

"It might be a little chilly," he said.

The cool cream felt refreshing and soothing on her slightly hot skin as the cotton swab slid gently across her leg.

The moment the cotton swab touched her skin, Lin Zhiyao trembled slightly, "Mmm..."

Her almond-shaped eyes widened suddenly, and she quickly bit the inside of her lip to prevent herself from making any more strange noises.

Shen Jin asked her again if she was feeling unwell.

Lin Zhiyao quickly shook her head, her face turning even redder.

Shen Jin considerately didn't ask any more questions, lowered his head and continued his work, using a cotton swab to spread the ointment evenly in circles, with very light pressure, like a feather brushing against it, but this was like scratching an itch through a boot.

It brought a strange, tingling, itchy sensation.

The sensation traveled from the skin of her thighs all the way to her tailbone, and then climbed up her spine. Lin Zhiyao subconsciously gripped the sofa cushion tightly, her fingernails almost digging into it.

She dared not look down, afraid that it would reveal the burning sensation on her face.

Perhaps to prevent her from moving around, Shen Jin pressed his fingers through a small piece of cotton swab onto the soft flesh on the side of her leg, while his thumb and the base of his hand pressed against the inside of her knee.

The hand was large, almost covering half of her leg. The warmth of the palm emanated from the cotton swab and ointment, making Lin Zhiyao's breathing become shallow.

Her mind was a jumbled mess; she didn't know what to think, yet she couldn't help but think about many things.

Over the years, she has gotten used to being alone. When she was young, her parents divorced, and she was taken in foster care on both sides in rotation. But both sides had new families and new children, and she was caught in the middle, like an extra piece of luggage, being tossed around.

Perhaps influenced by her childhood experiences, she always huddled in the corner of the last row of the classroom when she was in school. During breaks, while others went to the convenience store in twos and threes, she would lie on the table and pretend to be asleep.

She lived in a four-person dorm in college, and she couldn't join in her roommates' late-night chats, so they stopped including her much.

Not to mention the boys, she hadn't even exchanged more than ten sentences with her male deskmates.

So the enthusiasm and cheerfulness she showed when we first met were all an act. I just felt that she had been withdrawn for so long, and now that she was in a foreign country, she was determined to start anew, change her personality, try to be more outgoing, and make some close friends.

So... so this distance is normal, right?

Shen Jin is a good person; he only helped her apply the medicine out of concern. His words and actions weren't excessive, and perhaps people are more open-minded in foreign countries? They're not so strict about maintaining distance between men and women.

The cotton swab suddenly changed direction, moving from the side of her leg to the back, and the tingling sensation intensified slightly.

Lin Zhiyao couldn't hold back. She was very sensitive, and tears quickly welled up in her almond-shaped eyes. She kicked her leg slightly.

"Mmm..."

She made a slightly embarrassed sound.