Ni Sitian's heart skipped a beat when she heard the bathroom door close.

She slowly sat up, her head bowed, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt.

She suddenly understood why Xu Tingchuan hadn't consummated their marriage three months prior.

It wasn't because he was apathetic, but rather because every time they got a little close, she would unconsciously resist, only then realizing she was his wife, and slowly convincing herself to comply.

Xu Tingchuan, being such a perceptive and insightful person, must have noticed this long ago. However, his pride wouldn't allow him to force her; he was giving her time to adjust to his intimacy.

After Ni Sitian figured this out, she turned to look at the bathroom, her brows furrowing slightly as she bit her lip.

Should she explain to him that she wasn't unwilling? How should she put it?

The sound of running water filled the bathroom, and Ni Sitian's brain raced as she thought about how to phrase her words to him when he came out.

About ten minutes later, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Ni Sitian clenched her fists, stood up reflexively, and walked towards the bathroom door.

But the bathroom door didn't open immediately as she expected, and her courage deflated like a balloon with each passing second.

When the bathroom door opened, she looked up abruptly, and upon seeing his bare upper body, she instantly lost the ability to speak.

She had always known that Xu Tingchuan had a good figure, with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and long legs. Even in ordinary clothes, he looked as exquisite and stylish as in a fashion magazine photo.

However, in her memory, Xu Tingchuan was always busy with work and had no time to exercise, so she thought he just had a good frame. Little did she know that his body had beautiful and smooth muscle lines and distinct muscle texture.

Moreover, his skin was very fair, a kind of radiant white, with a slight reddish tinge, perhaps because he had just taken a shower, giving him a clean and tidy appearance.

Ni Sitian's gaze seemed fixed on his body, forgetting why she was standing at the bathroom door waiting for him to come out.

Xu Tingchuan glanced indifferently at Ni Sitian standing in front of him, then walked past her and headed towards the bedroom.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Ni Sitian finally came to her senses, quickly turned around, grabbed his wrist, and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry... I just now..."

Xu Tingchuan glanced at Ni Sitian holding his hand, moved his wrist, and withdrew his hand. Before Ni Sitian could speak, he said indifferently, "To avoid catching a cold from you, I'll sleep in the next room tonight."

Ni Sitian was stunned, somewhat unable to believe what she was hearing. Was this the prelude to him getting angry and wanting to sleep in separate rooms?

"You're not fully recovered yet, you should get some rest." Xu Tingchuan walked to the second bedroom, opened the door, and didn't look at her again before closing it.

Ni Sitian stared blankly at the door to the second bedroom, momentarily unable to react.

After a while, she felt a little wronged, turned around and went into the master bedroom, deliberately slamming the door shut.

Then I turned off the lights, lay down on the bed, and in a fit of pique, pulled the blanket over my head to cover my face and closed my eyes to sleep.

But after a long time, she still couldn't fall asleep. She slowly pulled the blanket down, turned over to face Xu Tingchuan's pillow, and felt a little depressed.

She never imagined that her slight, unintentional display of resistance would lead them to the point of having to sleep in separate rooms.

Of course she knew that the main fault lay with her, but he was being too inconsiderate, going straight to the second bedroom. Did she expect her to swallow her pride and beg him to come and sleep with her?

Ni Sitian felt that her grievances were a bit dramatic, so she sniffed, bit her lip, and said in a huff, "It's better if you don't come to sleep. I can take up such a big bed by myself and sleep however I want!"

As she spoke, she moved herself to the center of the bed, spread out in a starfish shape, and then closed her eyes.

But after a while, her mind was still clear, and she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Xu Tingchuan lay on the bed in the second bedroom, one hand behind his head, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time.