She propped herself up on the bed, wearing only a thin undergarment, her hair falling smoothly over her shoulders, her expression growing increasingly cold: "You still mind after all."

Shen Tangning, being such a meticulous person, naturally knew that revealing the secret room in Chi Jingyu's bedroom had aroused Chi Yanhui's suspicion.

But she did it anyway, because she wanted to take that step and try to truly accept Chi Yan, but she never expected things to develop to this point.

A hint of self-mockery crept into her heart. Though she felt suffocated inside, she maintained a calm demeanor and spoke in a conciliatory tone: "If you have reservations about this, we can sleep in separate rooms for a while. I'll have Xueqing prepare all the necessary supplies. As for Mother, I'll explain..."

She fell silent abruptly before she could finish speaking, as Chi Yan took two or three steps forward and gripped her shoulders tightly. She swallowed her words instinctively and looked up at him with some surprise.

The smile on his face vanished, his eyes were tinged with a faint red, and his gaze held a hint of stubbornness: "Of course I mind, I not only mind, but I'm also insanely jealous of Chi Jingyu, so jealous I'm almost going crazy!"

Shen Tangning frowned, and paused when she heard the second half of the sentence.

She had never seen Chi Yan like this before. He stared intently at her, a turbulent undercurrent brewing in his eyes, his dark pupils seeming to want to devour her whole.

"When we were facing Chi Jingyu before, my Prime Minister told him to stay away from you without hesitation, but now I'm suddenly not so sure. From what he says, you two seem to be the closest of friends..."

His eyes suddenly dimmed, his tone was strained, and the curve of his lips was more painful than crying. "You know what, Aning? I'm not sure... if I'm the third party who came between you two?"

Her pupils constricted involuntarily, and she was quite taken aback. How could he think that?

"Chi Yan, you—" Just as she was about to explain, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. Chi Yan bit her as if in revenge, and she couldn't help but gasp.

It wasn't a gentle, intimate bite; his bite was rather forceful. Shen Tangning's brows furrowed tightly, and she was about to push him away when Chi Yan released her bite first, his tone filled with gritted teeth:

"You're calling me Chi Yan now, does that mean you're going to divorce me tomorrow?"

Even though Shen Tangning was in pain, she couldn't help but twitch her lips upon hearing this: "Are you...?"

She swallowed back the words "there's something wrong with your brain," stared at Chi Yan's wet eyes, and suddenly fell silent.

His eyes were suddenly filled with moisture, and the area around them was red, reminiscent of a lake on a late spring morning.

The water shimmered, with a fragile, hazy quality.

Shen Tangning's heart skipped a beat at an inopportune moment, and she was somewhat annoyed.

Even though she was the one who got bitten, why did he look more aggrieved than her?

Chi Yan bent down and hugged her tightly, his breath on her neck, his voice muffled and tinged with confusion: "But Aning, you are clearly my lawfully wedded wife..."

As if something had inadvertently brushed against her heart, Shen Tangning's eyes trembled, and she suddenly felt that she was somewhat wicked.

She slowly raised her arms to embrace Chi Yan, her tone slow but firm: "You're right, I am your wife, and no one can change that."

Chi Yan persisted, "What about Chi Jingyu?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Shen Tangning's eyes: "Why do you have to bring up such unlucky things at a time like this?"

Chi Yan choked, but couldn't help but curl up his lips, his tone still resentful: "Then why did you just say you wanted to sleep in a separate room from me?" He paused, his tone somewhat sarcastic, "You've even considered things from Mother's perspective. Shouldn't I be glad I married such a considerate wife?"

A lump formed in her throat, and she felt as if she had shot herself in the foot. She had assumed that was what Chi Yan thought, which was why she spoke up first.

"I...I was confused for a moment."

Chi Yan smiled with satisfaction, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

Now that he knows Chi Jingyu has no place in her heart, he can relax and teach her a lesson!