Chapter 10 The Wet Temptation

He picked up his utensils and ate dinner with his usual calm and composed demeanor, exuding his typical grace and elegance.

Aunt Ji brought over the steaming pot of fish soup and placed it in the middle of the table. The aroma wafted through the air, filling the room with the rich scent of fresh fish.

She carefully ladled a bowl of soup for Shen Jibai and placed another bowl in front of me. "Miss Jiang, you should try this. This clear fish soup is my specialty—it's really delicious!"

Distracted, I nodded absentmindedly. "Oh, okay, thank you, Aunt Ji."

In reality, I couldn't care less about how delicious the fish soup was. My mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Shen Jibai's handsome face and his muscles.

As the saying goes, you can't focus on two things at once. With my attention elsewhere, I ended up choking on my first sip of soup, nearly coughing myself to death.

Shen Jibai looked up at me, his brows furrowing slightly as he watched me tear up and sniffle uncontrollably. "Slow down. No one's competing with you for it."

I was coughing so hard that I couldn't speak, my face turning from red to purple.

Ha, the goddess-like image I'd worked so hard to craft—the pure and alluring vibe—had now collapsed completely, down to the very foundation.

"Are you feeling better?" After a while, Shen Jibai asked in a calm tone as he observed me regaining some semblance of normalcy.

"Much better," I replied weakly, utterly dejected, with no desire to continue eating.

"Then finish the fish soup and have some rice too," he instructed, before turning to Aunt Ji. "Make sure she finishes eating before you clean up."

With that, Shen Jibai stood up and went upstairs, as if nothing had happened.

I listlessly poked at the rice in my bowl with my chopsticks, overhearing Aunt Ji following him to the staircase and quietly asking, "Miss Jiang… is she okay today? She seems… different from usual…"

Of course, I wasn't okay! How could I be okay? My situation was of the utmost importance—I was determined to win over your young master Shen!

Clearly, my strategy today had been too mild!

I would return tomorrow with renewed determination!

The next evening, at 6:30 sharp, as soon as Shen Jibai's car entered the courtyard, I dove straight into the outdoor swimming pool wearing a bikini.

The large outdoor pool greeted me with a bone-chilling cold as the water enveloped my body. After all, it was late autumn in the north!

Goodness, I nearly got a cramp from the cold.

But thanks to years of swimming training, I quickly overcame the chill and adjusted myself into the perfect pose.

The floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the pool led to the private gym. According to his routine, Shen Jibai would always begin his evening with 40 minutes of cardio, and the treadmill faced directly toward the outdoor pool.

Tell me, what man running on a treadmill could resist the wet temptation of a graceful young girl?

Sure enough, as soon as I climbed out of the pool, I saw Shen Jibai striding toward me. He was dressed in simple, dark-toned sportswear, with a sleek and understated fitness watch on his wrist. Every step he took exuded raw masculine energy.

Could it be… he couldn't resist so quickly?!

The next second, an oversized towel was thrown over my head. The towel was so large that it completely enveloped my entire body.

My skimpy bikini, my water-drenched shoulders, my heaving chest from the exercise, and my lively, curvaceous figure—all of it vanished beneath the towel.

Ugh, this annoying man.

Still wrapped in the towel, I hadn't even managed to find an opening to poke my head out when his cold voice came from above me. "What season is it now? Are you not afraid of catching a cold?"

I awkwardly pulled the towel off my head, revealing my flushed face. "I was just… exercising."

"Exercising?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical. "In late autumn? In an outdoor pool?"

"Well… swimming is a great way to stay fit!" I retorted, trying to sound confident.

He crossed his arms over his chest, staring at me with an expression that seemed to see right through my flimsy excuse. "If you catch a cold, don't expect me to take care of you."

"I won't!" I huffed, wrapping the towel tighter around myself.

Shen Jibai didn't say another word. He simply turned and walked back toward the gym, leaving me standing there, dripping wet and feeling utterly defeated.

I watched his retreating figure, my teeth chattering from the cold. Why was he so difficult to deal with? Any other man would have been captivated by my bold display, but Shen Jibai… he was like an impenetrable fortress.

As I trudged back to the house, I couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "Fine, if subtlety doesn't work, I'll just have to be more direct!"

The next morning, I woke up with a sore throat and a slight fever.

Aunt Ji clicked her tongue disapprovingly as she brought me a bowl of ginger tea. "Miss Jiang, I told you not to swim in this weather. Look at you now, catching a cold."

I groaned, burying my face in the blankets. This was not how I had planned things to go.

Just as I was wallowing in self-pity, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I croaked, my voice hoarse.

The door opened, and Shen Jibai stepped inside, holding a small bag in his hand.

"You're sick," he stated matter-of-factly, placing the bag on my bedside table. "Medicine. Take it."

I blinked up at him, surprised by his unexpected gesture. "You… bought this for me?"

"Don't read too much into it," he said coolly. "I just don't want you infecting the entire household."

Despite his indifferent tone, I couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of warmth in my chest.

"Thank you," I murmured, my lips curving into a small smile.

He glanced at me briefly, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking out of the room.

As the door closed behind him, I clutched the bag of medicine to my chest, my heart racing.

Maybe, just maybe, there was hope after all.