Even though the air conditioning in the room was set to the most comfortable temperature, Cecilia Gu still felt sweat trickling down her back. It wasn't just the warmth in the air—it was the heat radiating from the person beside her, making her heart race.
It wasn’t only his body heat that she felt, but also the subtle scent of his cologne and the unmistakable allure of his presence.
Cecilia realized her nose was barely an inch from his chest. The fresh, clean scent from his shower lingered between them, slipping into her senses without warning.
The masculine aura surrounding him made Cecilia’s ears burn with embarrassment.
Feeling the tension in his arms, Charles Yin glanced down at her, his long, narrow eyes glimmering with mischief. There was an irresistible charm in his gaze that words couldn’t describe.
If any other woman saw Charles Yin’s expression right now, she’d probably be driven crazy, screaming with excitement.
But Cecilia was too caught up in her own daze to notice this rare, captivating side of him.
Though she tried to keep her body stiff, Cecilia still couldn’t help but press closely against Charles Yin.
Now, she didn’t dare move. Any slight shift would bring her even closer to his striking, well-built body.
Cecilia held herself rigid for a while, but soon realized she couldn’t keep it up much longer.
But she was too embarrassed to move, afraid she might accidentally bump into him.
Just as she was struggling with all sorts of anxious thoughts, Charles Yin’s slightly weary voice suddenly came from above her: "The chairman and his wife from Korea were extremely upset this time. I went to explain what happened today, but unfortunately I waited for ages and never got to see them. Their assistant came out and told me that the Korean side seems very disappointed in us. Grandma Yin was furious about it."
Charles Yin’s words instantly drew Cecilia’s attention. Her body unconsciously relaxed a little.
He continued, "This contract means a lot to Yin Enterprises. It’s not just about hundreds of millions of dollars in annual trade. The most important thing is, if we can work with the Korean company, Yin Enterprises will finally have a foothold in Korea and be able to compete with companies like Samsung."
Cecilia was so absorbed by Charles Yin’s words that she even forgot about pretending to sleep. Unable to help herself, she asked, "What if it fails?"
"If it fails, all of Yin Enterprises’ other projects in Korea will be affected. You know how many branches we have there—fashion, cosmetics, hotels, IT, finance, and construction all have divisions in Korea. If this deal falls through, those subsidiaries will suffer too." Charles Yin’s voice was low and steady. Even though the situation was unfavorable, he remained calm and collected.
Hearing him speak, Cecilia unconsciously relaxed, softly leaning into Charles Yin.
Feeling her gentle embrace, Charles Yin’s heart skipped a beat. His arm instinctively tightened, pulling Cecilia’s whole body closer, enveloping her in his warmth.
Cecilia felt his arm tighten around her waist. Just as she was about to come to her senses, Charles Yin didn’t give her a chance to pull away and continued, "That’s why Grandma Yin and I have been planning for so long. But I never expected things to fall apart at such a critical moment. Grandma Yin just said, if I can’t handle this incident well, I might not be able to keep my position as CEO."
"How could that happen?" Cecilia blurted out, lifting her head in surprise. At that moment, Charles Yin’s perfect jawline—one that drives women crazy—appeared right in front of her eyes.
Even after a long day, a faint shadow of stubble on his jaw only made him look more rugged and masculine, adding to his undeniable charm.
"How could it not happen, my dear wife? Do you even realize how much pressure your husband is under right now?" Charles Yin chuckled softly, speaking to her as if they were just any ordinary married couple.
After saying this, Charles Yin lowered his head slightly, and for a moment, his gaze met Cecilia’s.
In that instant, both of them seemed to freeze, caught up in the moment.
Charles Yin noticed a hint of worry in her dazed, dreamy eyes.
Was she worried about him?
The thought made Charles Yin unexpectedly happy.
Meanwhile, Cecilia was completely mesmerized by the deep, gentle look in his eyes.
Demon! Big demon! Gorgeous demon man!
That was the only thought running through Cecilia’s mind at that moment.
Seeing the look in his eyes grow darker, Cecilia quickly lowered her head, dodging Charles Yin’s gaze. Flustered, she stammered, "I... I’m just your contract wife. How could I possibly know so much?"
Even though it was Charles Yin who first brought up the word 'contract,' at this moment, he found himself hating that term for the first time.
If you were just my contract wife, why would I...
Cecilia snapped back to her senses and tried to escape, but his arm tightened around her again.
Annoyed, Cecilia looked up, only to meet his tired eyes.
"I lent you my chest for comfort today. Now it’s your turn to lend me a hug." Charles Yin said softly, "I won’t touch you. I just feel too lonely and want to hold someone who feels the same way."
Cecilia could hear the exhaustion in his voice. He must have had a rough time with the chairman and his wife today.
He’d stood with her for so long at the company, already worn out, and then rushed off to apologize to the chairman after dropping her off...
Thinking about all this, Cecilia really couldn’t bring herself to push him away.
A satisfied smile appeared on Charles Yin’s lips as he tightened his embrace a little more. "Let’s sleep! We’ll get up and eat something later."
Before Cecilia could reply, she heard the steady sound of breathing above her head.
He fell asleep that quickly? He must really be exhausted.
Once Charles Yin was asleep, Cecilia finally relaxed.
Maybe it was the sense of security in his arms, or maybe she was just worn out from the day, but Cecilia soon drifted off to sleep herself.
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Feeling the softness and gentle breathing in his arms, Charles Yin’s smile grew even wider.
When Cecilia woke up again, it was pitch dark.
She was alone in the big bed.
No wonder she woke up—his embrace was gone.
The smile on Cecilia’s lips froze.
Cecilia, what are you thinking?
You and Charles Yin are just two lonely souls, holding each other for a little warmth.
Don’t hope for too much. Those things... you shouldn’t even dream about them.
Cecilia turned on the light, got dressed, and climbed out of bed.
Soon, a maid knocked on the door. "Young Madam, dinner is ready. Would you like to eat now?"
"Yes, I’ll be right down," Cecilia replied. After sleeping all afternoon and barely eating at noon, she was definitely hungry after everything she’d been through.
Cecilia went to the bathroom to wash her hands, only to glance up and see her own messy face in the mirror—
What happened? How did she end up like this...?
Suddenly, Cecilia snapped awake, remembering she’d put on a full face of makeup that morning.
She’d cried so hard at noon that her makeup was a mess—red, green, and purple all smudged together.
Oh my god, did she really sleep all afternoon with a face like this?
Worst of all, Charles Yin—the notorious clean freak—actually held her and slept with her looking like a walking disaster?
Staring at herself in the mirror, Cecilia was utterly speechless.
The maid knocked again outside. Cecilia didn’t have time to mourn her pitiful appearance, so she quickly removed her makeup, washed her face, and applied some refreshing skincare.
That’s when she realized—the skincare products in the bathroom were the exact same set she used at home.
The Yin family really is loaded.
No matter where she went, everything she used was just like home.
Rumor had it this skincare set was custom-made by a world-class expert just for her.
The Yin family had bought dozens of sets in one go, money was no object.
After calming herself down, Cecilia looked up at her reflection again.
Thankfully, she didn’t look quite so messy anymore.
Cecilia headed downstairs and was instantly greeted by the delicious aroma of dinner.
The villa in S City wasn’t as big as the one in N City, but it felt even more refined.
As soon as Cecilia sat at the table, she saw Charles Yin reading the newspaper intently. For a moment, she wasn’t sure what to say.
Her eyes swept over today’s tableware—a set of cloisonné dishes with golden filigree. Gold and blue, the most regal colors.
Cecilia was instantly captivated by the tableware, unable to resist picking it up and admiring it.
She thought it was almost a waste to use something so beautiful—like a work of art—as everyday dishes.
"Those dishes are custom-made, priced at a hundred thousand each." Charles Yin said, still looking at his newspaper, but the words were clearly meant for Cecilia.
Cecilia was confused at first, then realized he was talking to her.
"Ah..." Cecilia replied simply, not sure what else to say.
After everything that happened today, things between them felt even more awkward.
Both distant and close.
She knew she should have pushed him away, but when he hugged her—twice—she just couldn’t do it...
Just then, all the dishes were served. Charles Yin put down his newspaper and said to Cecilia, "Aren’t you hungry? Why aren’t you eating?"
Cecilia snapped out of her thoughts, picked up her spoon, and started sipping her soup.
This flavor—it was unmistakably from the villa... Cecilia’s spoon paused.
"I was worried you wouldn’t like other chefs’ cooking, so I brought the chef from home." Charles Yin answered casually.
A gentle warmth spread in Cecilia’s heart.
He did all this without saying a word.
Was it because he felt sorry for her after Lin Xiaoya humiliated her in front of everyone, or because she cried so hard?
No, he probably just felt sorry for the child in her belly, right?
After all, he didn’t marry her because he loved her.
"Mm." Cecilia responded softly, speeding up as she drank her soup.
Even if it was just for the baby, she should be grateful, shouldn’t she?