After the nearly violent entanglement in the office, once the intense waves subsided, an unusual calm settled in.
An unspoken understanding quietly formed between Yu Sheng and Shen Yunmian.
There was no explicit agreement—physical need became the most direct bond connecting them.
At first, this relationship was strictly confined to late nights and specific spaces.
In the top-floor apartment at Jingshui Bay, the city lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows shimmered like a sea of stars, while inside only a dim wall lamp glowed, shadows flickering over entwined bodies. Or in the private lounge of Shen Yunmian's office, where soundproof doors shut out everything from the outside world.
The process was usually silent and efficient, carrying an unspoken directness—purely about fulfilling physical needs.
Yu Sheng found that stripping away emotional entanglements and basing the relationship purely on physical attraction unexpectedly gave her a release and a way to relax under her daily heavy workload.
No need to think about the past, no need to worry about the future—just sink into desire for a moment, then part ways once reason returned.
Clear boundaries. Clean and decisive.
Shen Yunmian, meanwhile, was like the most devout believer, carefully following these unspoken rules.
She never initiated, only approaching when Yu Sheng showed tacit permission or need.
Her kisses were restrained and gentle, her movements carrying a humble eagerness to please, as if silently expressing a devotion she could not put into words.
Another ordinary late night, the lingering warmth of their entanglement not yet gone.
Yu Sheng leaned against the headboard, while Shen Yunmian lay quietly beside her, her breathing not yet fully steady.
Silence spread through the room.
Outside, the city lights flickered quietly.
"…Sheng Sheng, it's late." Shen Yunmian paused, observing Yu Sheng's expression before cautiously continuing, "Can I… stay until tomorrow morning?" Afraid of being rejected, she quickly added, "In the morning… I can make you breakfast. That pan-fried buns you said you liked last time—I've learned how to make them."
Yu Sheng was slightly surprised but didn't answer immediately.
Her gaze lingered on Shen Yunmian's pleading face for a few seconds. It seemed she wanted to say something, but in the end she only gave a faint "Mm," which counted as permission.
Then she turned over, facing away, pulling the blanket higher.
Just that simple sound made Shen Yunmian's heart feel as if it had been lightly struck.
She didn't dare disturb her, quietly lying down and turning off the bedside lamp.
That first overnight stay became a permitted opening.
From then on, Shen Yunmian stayed at Yu Sheng's apartment more and more often.
She always found just the right excuse.
Each silent permission nudged that invisible boundary outward, little by little.
At six-thirty in the morning, Yu Sheng's biological clock woke her. She rubbed her temple and stepped out of the bedroom, only to be greeted by a familiar aroma of food.
She looked toward the open kitchen in slight surprise.
Shen Yunmian was standing at the stove, barefoot, wearing Yu Sheng's slightly oversized white shirt, busy cooking. The bottoms of the pan-fried buns in the skillet were golden, while millet porridge bubbled gently in a clay pot beside it.
Morning light streamed in, casting a soft glow over the scene.
"You're awake? The buns will be ready soon."
Shen Yunmian turned back, her face carrying a trace of morning laziness.
Yu Sheng stood there in a daze, looking at the scene—familiar yet unfamiliar.
A long time ago, it seemed she had been the one in the kitchen, and Shen Yunmian the one coming out of the bedroom.
She said nothing, simply nodded and went into the bathroom.
The hot water washed over her body, making her realize more clearly that a kind of daily infiltration had already begun—and she didn't seem to have much will to resist it.
By the time she came out, breakfast was neatly arranged on the table.
"Try it. See if it tastes like the one you mentioned." Shen Yunmian handed her chopsticks.
Yu Sheng picked up a bun and took a bite. The taste was surprisingly similar. She ate quietly, the warmth in her stomach easing some of the morning's stiffness.
Shen Yunmian sat across from her, sipping her porridge in small mouthfuls, her gaze drifting toward Yu Sheng again and again.
This kind of daily interaction felt more like real closeness than the intense entanglements of the night.
As the days passed, when the passion of the night faded, the routines of the day began to quietly fill in.
Shen Yunmian's presence was no longer confined to the bedroom.
Another late night—almost eleven. The light in Yu Sheng's study was still on.
She stared at the complex project data on her computer screen, brows furrowed, fingers tapping the desk unconsciously.
The study door opened softly, and Shen Yunmian walked in with a glass of water, her steps light.
She placed it beside Yu Sheng's hand—not too close, not too far. "Drink some water."
Her voice was gentle, but seeing Yu Sheng's tightly knit brows, she couldn't help asking, "Are you stuck on the floor area ratio calculations for the south district?"
Yu Sheng looked up from the tangled data, rubbing her temples. "Mm. The planning bureau's new guidelines are a bit vague. Different calculation methods give very different results."
Shen Yunmian walked over, keeping an appropriate distance, pointing lightly at a few key parameters. "Maybe try a different approach. Don't aim for the extreme value—take a moderately conservative figure and focus on designing the follow-up compensation mechanism. I remember the 'Xingyao Plaza' project had a similar issue before…"
Yu Sheng looked at the screen thoughtfully, her tense expression easing slightly. She had to admit that Shen Yunmian's business instincts often gave her unexpected insights.
"That makes sense. I'll try it." Yu Sheng picked up the glass and took a sip.
Seeing that she was listening, Shen Yunmian said no more. She quietly moved to the sofa, picking up a financial magazine to read.
The study was filled only with the sound of typing and the occasional rustle of pages.
This kind of presence—woven into both work and daily life—became more frequent.
They seemed to grow accustomed to it, each busy with their own things, not disturbing each other.
Yu Sheng turned a page of the report, her gaze still on the paper, speaking as if casually, "Next Wednesday night, there's a charity gala. I need a female companion."
Shen Yunmian's hand paused mid-turn. She looked up suddenly at Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng's expression remained calm.
"Alright." Shen Yunmian suppressed the stir in her heart. "Do I need to prepare anything?"
"No. Qingyu will arrange the dress."
Yu Sheng looked up, her gaze calmly sweeping over her. "Attend as the president of Shen Group."
"Okay."
With the identity of Shen Group's president, it meant this was only a necessary accompaniment for a business occasion.
But even so, being able to stand side by side in public still gave Shen Yunmian a subtle sense of joy.
This kind of infiltration was slow and silent.
The toothbrushes placed side by side on the bathroom sink, the few changes of clothes hanging in the wardrobe, the ingredients stocked in the refrigerator… Shen Yunmian's traces seeped quietly into every crevice of Yu Sheng's life, like warm water.
Yu Sheng was not unaware.
She clearly sensed this "pushing boundaries step by step" and understood the intention hidden behind it.
Reason told her she should stay vigilant, yet she chose to acquiesce again and again. She realized she had begun to get used to the warmth of another person beside her when she woke up in the morning, and to the companionship and help during late-night work.
This habit made her uneasy, yet she was unwilling to break it.
She told herself this was just mutual benefit—maintaining the status quo didn't seem so bad.
As for Shen Yunmian, she carefully managed this stolen time within the boundaries that had been tacitly allowed.
Every overnight stay, every breakfast shared, every exchange at work—each was like a puzzle piece, slowly filling the vast emptiness in her heart.
She didn't dare to ask for more, only hoping these days could last a little longer.
The sudden ringing of a phone shattered the carefully maintained silence.
Yu Sheng's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as her gaze drifted lazily to the screen—it was her mother, Wen Jing.
She adjusted her breathing before answering, "Mom."
"Sheng Sheng," Wen Jing's gentle voice came through the receiver as always, "have you eaten? Have you been working late again recently? I saw the weather forecast says it'll get colder next week—you need to dress warmer, don't always rely on being young…"
The rambling concern flowed like warm water, soothing Yu Sheng's tense nerves again and again.
Yu Sheng patiently responded, "I've eaten. I know, Mom."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Wen Jing sighed. "Sheng Sheng, it's been a while since your divorce. Have you thought about what you'll do next? I'm just thinking—even if you don't consider marriage anymore, shouldn't you at least think about having a child? A woman only has these few good years. I'm still in good health now, I can help take care of the child…"
Here it comes again.
"Mom, I really don't have the energy to think about that right now. There's a pile of work at the company—I barely have time to sleep, how could I have the energy to have and raise a child?" She paused, softening her tone with a hint of reassurance. "Don't worry about me. You and Aunt Ji'er should just enjoy life. I'll take care of myself."
Wen Jing heard the resistance in her voice and ultimately didn't press further.
After a few more comforting words, Yu Sheng hung up.
The moment the screen went dark, the room returned to silence, but the irritation and confusion she had forcibly suppressed surged back like a tide.
She tossed the tablet aside casually, letting it land with a dull thud, and pressed her fingers hard against her throbbing temples.
On the other side of the living room, Shen Yunmian sat by the window in a single armchair, appearing focused on a thick hardcover book—but the page hadn't turned in a long time.
From the moment Yu Sheng's phone rang, her attention had been completely drawn away.
She had caught fragments of the conversation, especially Wen Jing's final probing words about a "child," which pricked her heart like fine needles.
She cautiously observed Yu Sheng from the corner of her eye.
She saw the slight frown when she answered the call, the tired way she leaned back into the sofa and rubbed her temples afterward, and the unspoken low pressure radiating from her.
She could feel Yu Sheng's resistance, and it made her already uneasy heart even more restless.
After a long time—so long it felt like an eternity—
Shen Yunmian finally seemed to make up her mind. She put down the book she had been using as a prop, the soft snap of it closing sounding unusually clear in the silence.
"Sheng Sheng…"
She spoke tentatively, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.
Yu Sheng lifted her eyes lazily at the sound.
Her gaze was a little unfocused, carrying a trace of impatience at being interrupted, but more than that, a deep exhaustion.
That look made Shen Yunmian's heart skip a beat. She took a deep breath, as if gathering all her courage, and carefully yet clearly voiced the thought she had rehearsed countless times:
"If… if you really want a child…"
She paused, the silence long and agonizing. "…I… I can give birth."
The moment the words fell, the living room plunged into dead silence.
Yu Sheng froze completely, her eyes widening slightly in shock, even wondering if she had misheard.
She asked instinctively, her tone full of undisguised astonishment: "Don't you dislike children?"
That single question struck Shen Yunmian heavily in the heart.
She remembered too clearly—over the years, whenever Yu Sheng had subtly brought up the topic of children, her own face had always shown unmistakable indifference, even faint impatience. Her reasons had always been cold and sufficient—"career growth phase," "no energy," "don't like noisy kids."
Shen Yunmian felt her heart tighten under Yu Sheng's astonishment. She shook her head quickly, her expression turning unusually serious, almost like a vow:
"That's different."
She emphasized, her voice rising slightly with emotion. "If it's our child, I'll like it."
She bit down heavily on the words "our," as if trying to draw a line between this and all her past indifference.
"… "
Yu Sheng was momentarily at a loss for words.
She simply looked at Shen Yunmian quietly, her gaze filled with scrutiny and inquiry, as if trying to see through her eyes into her heart—whether these words came from genuine realization or a deeper obsession.
Under that penetrating silence, Shen Yunmian grew flustered, her palms damp with sweat.
She didn't dare meet Yu Sheng's gaze for long, lowering her eyes slightly. Her thick lashes trembled like butterfly wings, casting a faint shadow beneath them.
But she still forced herself to continue, trying to wrap this shocking proposal in a layer of "rationality" to make it more acceptable:
"And from a practical standpoint, we… both need an heir. A child carrying both our blood could inherit and integrate both the Yu Group and the Shen Group in the future, avoiding many unnecessary conflicts and internal struggles. This… is a win-win choice."
After saying this, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, lowering her head completely, not daring to look at Yu Sheng again.
Yu Sheng remained silent for even longer.
To Shen Yunmian, every second of that silence felt like torture.
Finally, Yu Sheng spoke. Her voice was calm, as if stating an unbreakable boundary:
"Shen Yunmian, you need to understand one thing." She paused deliberately, making sure every word was clear. "Even if I agree to this proposal, it will only go this far. I won't remarry you because of this child."
That sentence pierced straight through Shen Yunmian's faint, hidden hope.
She kept her head lowered, trying to hide the embarrassment rising in her eyes, forcing out a bitter smile. "I know."
Yu Sheng looked at her—at the way she endured everything in silence, burying all her emotions deep inside—and felt an inexplicable trace of irritation flicker across her chest, like a feather brushing lightly—painless, yet impossible to ignore.
She averted her gaze, no longer looking at Shen Yunmian's restrained expression, and picked up the tablet from the sofa again, her fingers sliding aimlessly across the cold screen, unable to take in a single word.
Silence filled the living room once more.
But this silence was completely different from before.
The air was filled with an invisible standoff, a complex, indescribable tension.
A proposal had been made. A boundary had been drawn.
At this moment, two hearts that had once been closely connected yet deeply scarred stood across an invisible gulf in the quiet night, each carrying unspeakable contradictions and struggles, gazing at each other from afar.
—
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