Boundary - Chapter 4

“How can anyone go back to sleep like this?” Gu Yetong muttered to herself as she dried her hair with a blow dryer, her gaze flickering through the mirror to the man sitting on the beige chaise lounge behind her in the dressing room.

She was convinced that her sleep deprivation was causing her to hallucinate, because the man behind her, who still wore his usual expressionless face, seemed unusually… satisfied.

Don’t overestimate yourself, she thought, shifting her focus back to the mirror, where her flushed face stared back at her. She knew she was beautiful—her almond-shaped eyes, bright and lively beneath her dark, willow-like brows, paired with full, red lips, gave her a striking, yet refined allure. To appear more authoritative and professional, she kept her hair short, just above her ears, which only accentuated her delicate, heart-shaped face and fair complexion.

But the body beneath her robe, which had just been thoroughly explored by the man behind her, often left her feeling uneasy in the male-dominated business world.

“They all want to possess you, to pin you down, rather than work with you as equals or take orders from you,” her best friend, Yue Ruolin, had once pointed out bluntly.

Though not all men were beasts, there were always those lingering gazes that made her skin crawl. That’s why, in her daily work life, she opted for neutral-toned pantsuits to downplay the attention on her enviable curves.

And Jin Nanting? What did he want from her?

She had never believed that he was interested in a woman like her, even though she was certain that his true affections didn’t lie with her gentle and graceful sister either.

Perhaps, like those other men, all he wanted was her body, the satisfaction of dominating her.

The only difference was that their relationship was legally binding—they were husband and wife. And she still maintained her career and independence.

At least, for now.

Gu Yetong set down the blow dryer, feeling the heat from their earlier passion slowly dissipate.

“Help me dry my hair too,” her husband’s voice broke the silence. She hadn’t even noticed when he had moved behind her.

She wanted to snap at him, to tell him not to treat her like a maid, but when she turned around, she found him already bending down, his head lowered, waiting for her.

Jin Nanting was tall—even in slippers, she only reached his shoulders. On a normal day, she would have to stretch her arms to barely touch the top of his head. But instead of calling her over, he had come to her, bending down in a posture that made him seem like a large, obedient dog begging for her affection.

Once again, Gu Yetong silently scolded herself for underestimating her influence over this man, yet her hand moved almost involuntarily.

During their intimate moments, she had run her fingers through his hair, but never like this—calmly, almost tenderly. She discovered that his hair was surprisingly silky, and when dried, it had a slight wave to it. The contours of his skull were as sharp and defined as his brow and nose.

As she focused on exploring this unfamiliar part of Jin Nanting’s body, it dawned on her how little she actually knew about him. She was familiar with his handsome face, his firm chest, and his burning…

At the thought, her cheeks flushed again.

Unbeknownst to her, the subtle changes in her expression had not escaped the man’s watchful eyes, and they had ignited a certain heat within him as well.