CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: I’M NOT A BEAST, HONEY

Sophia understood what he meant, so she said nothing as she made her way from downstairs to the room.

She didn’t know how to begin.

Earlier, Faye brought her back, and she guessed he must have heard all the caring words spoken.

"The person who brought me back earlier, we had dinner at his place, Hugh and the others came too. He’s my teacher’s son; from elementary to high school, we were always in the same place. He takes good care of me, and I always call him brother. I don’t like him."

She stood at the entrance, watching the man changing his shoes in front of her, and blurted out everything in one breath.

"Mm." Zane finished changing his shoes and placed a pair of slippers in front of her, helping her change shoes.

"Weren’t you angry? Why aren’t you saying anything?" Sophia, like a tool, was absorbed in this matter, letting him assist her in changing her shoes.

"Not angry."

"Oh come on, who was just shouting on the phone ’wife’ and saying ’I love you’? That’s clearly..." Sophia stopped mid-sentence, quickly holding back.

The word ’jealous’ seemed not very fitting for them, and she forcibly choked it back.

After changing her shoes, he stood up.

Only then did Sophia realize, she had been talking non-stop, yet he had been helping her change shoes!

She was stunned.

The sense of oppression grew stronger as he stood up.

A person of 1.66 meters standing before someone 1.9 meters felt like a little kid, cornered at the entrance with nowhere to hide.

"Stay away from those men, or I don’t mind making our relationship public." Zane’s tone was indifferent, but the invisible pressure was stifling her.

As if saying: This plot is quite suitable for you.

Really wishing he would scold a few words, it would be less tense.

"I got it." She felt she was already pretty far from them.

"Then don’t be mad; I brought back some flowers for you."

Sophia felt like she was coaxing a child.

Zane’s gaze swept over the flowers she was holding with difficulty, and his dark eyes suddenly became clear.

Sophia adjusted the flowers and pushed them into his arms, then ran back to the room.

He froze in place; this was the second time she had given him flowers.

The first time was by accident; the second time she picked them specially.

He smiled, holding the flowers as he walked towards the coffee table in the living room.

After showering, she put on the pajamas that had dried today, holding her neck as she walked out, her brows furrowed, and hissing sounds escaping from her mouth.

"What’s wrong?" Zane, who was placing the flowers in the vase, looked at her and stopped his movements.

"The flowers snagged me by accident; where’s the hotel’s first aid kit?" She was searching the cabinets.

"Sit there." Zane motioned her to sit on the couch with a nod of his chin.

She met his always inscrutable dark eyes and obediently listened, going to wait in the single-seat sofa.

She was so tired that she lay across it, her feet hanging on the edge, and picked up her phone, only to see 99+ messages in the group chat.

She opened the start page, a screenshot sent by Hugh.

Zane’s moments, did Zane post again?

It was a picture of winter plum flowers; Sophia tilted her head to look at the flowers next to her, and then at his caption: "Beautiful."

[Sophia, is your husband grinning ear to ear?] Cheryl Shaw.

[What’s the big deal about giving some flowers?] Sophia.

[Let me inform you, winter plum flowers have a wonderful sentiment: "At first sight, you’re the captivating glimpse, in a dream, you’re the southern bough. In reuniting, you’re unexpected, best come back unscathed. Even if separated by mountains and seas, I’ll always guard you from unseen places."] Cheryl Shaw.

[Sophia, you’re great, you’ve got him in hand!] Kai Jacobs.

[Really...] Sophia gently put away her phone, looking at the scattered plum flowers on the table.

[What the boss means by beautiful could be his mood being beautiful, or a person being beautiful, but definitely not the flowers being beautiful!]

Again, the wrong gesture?

No wonder he wasn’t mad anymore.

Still pondering over this, he appeared.

"Where’s the injury?" He held iodine that he had found somewhere in his hand.

"I’ll do it myself." Sophia quickly got up, but Zane was a step ahead, sitting at her side, trapping her between the sofa and him.

Suddenly, the temperature around her side waist surged, the scorching heat soon spreading all over her.

Even through two layers of thin ice-silk shirt, she could feel the warmth of his body; indeed, it was boiling hot.

She swallowed hard, moving inward, Zane moving inward with her, seemingly thinking Sophia was making space for him.

"Lie down." His words didn’t carry much emotion, more like a command.

Enthralled, Sophia lay down, turning her head toward him, revealing a perfect swan neck and faint scratches.

Zane picked her collar and peeked in, his fingertips inadvertently brushing her tender skin, an electric current swept across, and her body tingled all over.

Scared, Sophia’s fingers tightened, clutching her clothes tightly.

The scratch ran from her neck downward, hooking her collarbone. The wound wasn’t big, just a red streak with slight blood, stinging a bit painfully.

"The flowers are beautiful, I really like them." he said.

"Mm."

As soon as the words were spoken, she felt a coolness at her clavicle.

He unbuttoned the top three buttons single-handedly, pulling the shirt aside to her round shoulder, revealing a black strap and the faint snowy mound.

He paused, his gaze lingering on the porcelain-white skin, his eyes becoming murky.

Sophia’s collarbone was beautiful, the swan neck very elegant, even she liked it, let alone men.

"Wouldn’t it be better if I did it myself?" she muttered, trembling with a plea.

Zane scoffed, noticing her awkwardness, "Believe me, your husband isn’t a beast, I won’t take advantage, relax."

He retracted his thoughts, opened the iodine, dabbed the cotton swab, and carefully applied it for her.

"Those winter plums, I picked them on the way back from dinner, not deliberately."

She broke the ice, trying to loosen up, also not wanting him to misunderstand.

Who would have thought, she was even more nervous after speaking.

Like the saying "there’s no silver in this place," she inadvertently applied it to herself.

"Mm, I know." Zane.

The wound was quickly done, but he didn’t intend to get up, instead placing the iodine aside, continuing to sit, starting to prune the winter plum branches...

Yet Sophia was still squeezed into the sofa by him, getting up was like asking for more contact.

There seemed to be no room to escape, help...

She could only lie still, opening her phone to seek help.

She took a photo from this angle and posted it in the group.

[Want to leave, how to get out?]

[What strong arm muscles, what solid chest, sister, you’re blessed!] Kai Jacobs.

[Don’t leave, stay put.] Hugh Irving.

[Which direction should I pray to marry such a wealthy and handsome husband?] Cheryl Shaw.

...

As soon as the photo was posted, the group was in an uproar, filled with yellow banter, not one comment was helpful.

[I think he might want to spend more time with you, or wants a chat.]

Hugh Irving’s words seemed to illuminate her.

It felt like they never really had a proper conversation.

"Zane." she tried to find a topic to ease the awkwardness.

"Mm?"

Ugh, opened her mouth without knowing what to say.

She hadn’t spoken for a while, Zane’s gaze moved from the flowers to her, slightly bowing his head to look at her.

Apparently doing nothing, just his gaze made her anxious.

His eyes were mysterious, hidden deep behind glasses, elusive to read.

In that instant, Sophia’s face felt burning hot.

She didn’t realize how beautiful she was, simply lying there, like an angel descended to the earth, her golden hair strewn on the sofa, flawless face on fair skin. An ordinary pajama style seemed noble beneath her beauty.