Chapter 17: A Man's Desire to Win

Shen Yu silently observed Wen Wan's gentle expression, his eyes darkening involuntarily.

Two young traveling merchants had already approached Gao Ling, bowing with clasped hands to explain their purpose.

It turned out they had seen the insignia of the Gao family caravan and wanted to follow behind it, just like other scattered vendors, to benefit from the Gao family's protection.

They claimed to be fellow townsfolk from the border city and were willing to give one-fourth of their earnings to Gao Ling in return.

When traveling, one must not only make money but also stay alive to spend it. This was why so many vendors preferred to earn less by traveling in groups.

Since they were fellow countrymen, under normal circumstances, Gao Ling should have agreed by now.

But before he could speak, Shen Yu cast a chilling glance toward him.

Gao Ling shifted his tone and said tactfully, "I am truly sorry, but we already have several merchants dealing in furs in our caravan. We agreed before departure that we would not add any more fur vendors. Therefore... you should look for another caravan."

With such a legitimate reason, the two merchants could find no fault and could only depart with regret.

Wen Wan's gaze had been fixed on the two men, watching longingly as her "eight-pack abs" stepped back onto the carriage to find another place to stay.

*

Since Shen Yu and Wen Wan were traveling under the guise of husband and wife, they naturally shared a guest room.

Having shared a room once before during that crisis, the two were quite accustomed to it this time. Moreover, the room had two beds, saving Wen Wan the trouble of having to sleep on a soft couch again.

After a day of tossing and turning and even getting into a fight, Wen Wan was truly exhausted. After washing up, she yawned and prepared to lie down on the bed.

"Come here."

Shen Yu's light voice drifted from the table.

Wen Wan looked up to see him sitting upright behind the table, holding a palm-sized porcelain jar from his bundle.

She walked over, full of confusion. "What is it?"

"Sit down," Shen Yu commanded softly.

Wen Wan curled her lip and sat down opposite him reluctantly.

Shen Yu frowned and patted the chair beside him. "Sit here."

*Quite a lot of demands,* Wen Wan muttered to herself as she stood up and moved.

Shen Yu opened the lid of the small porcelain jar, scooped a bit of ointment with his fingertip, and pressed it onto her forehead.

Wen Wan gasped in pain. "Be gentler."

"So delicate," Shen Yu complained, though his movements became more tender.

Wen Wan was actually a bit surprised. "Actually, these scratches don't really need medicine. They should scab over by tomorrow morning."

She hadn't expected Shen Yu to actually insist on applying medicine to her.

Shen Yu didn't respond to her words; he simply silently applied the ointment to the scratches on her face and neck.

Having practiced martial arts for years, his fingertips were rough with a sand-like texture, yet they carried a searing warmth. Wherever he touched, Wen Wan felt a tingling sensation.

She instinctively shrank back, retreating slightly in embarrassment.

Shen Yu's movements paused, and his expression darkened. "I am already being very gentle."

Wen Wan: "..."

Seeing that he had misunderstood her avoidance, Wen Wan cleared her throat twice to soothe her inexplicably racing heartbeat.

"Are there any other injuries on your body?" He had finished applying it to everywhere visible.

Wen Wan shook her head. "No."

Shen Yu said nothing, but simply pressed the small porcelain jar into her hand and said with a wooden expression

"Then it's your turn to help me apply the medicine."

Wen Wan: "Huh??"

Before she could even process his meaning, she saw his well-defined fingers resting on his black belt.

Right in front of her, he unfastened his clothes layer by layer, and then...

He revealed his clearly defined abdominal muscles.

Wen Wan was sensitive to numbers; she counted eight abs at a single glance.

"Uh..."

She wanted to look away, as staring at a man's abs like this was highly improper. But her eyes were simply disobedient; despite her best efforts, she failed to divert her gaze.

The corner of Shen Yu's mouth curled up almost imperceptibly. He then raised his hand, placing a finger on one of the abdominal muscles.

"I was scratched here."

Wen Wan's eyes widened, and her mouth twitched.

She was actually quite curious—when that "dewy lady" had been pestering him, his clothes had been perfectly intact. So how did this fingernail-sized scratch get there? Could it be that the lady was also a martial arts expert capable of scratching people from a distance?

Seeing her standing there dazed, Shen Yu urged her impatiently.

"Hurry up."

Wen Wan gave him a suspicious look, then scooped out a dollop of ointment and smeared it onto his "injury."

The scratch, which was smaller than a fingernail, was smeared with such intensity that it looked like a "fatal wound."

Shen Yu looked down and saw that she had practically smeared the ointment over his entire stomach.

Shen Yu: "..."

*The devil is always one step ahead of the saint.* He had underestimated this woman. When driven by lust, she truly dared to do anything.

While applying the medicine, Wen Wan secretly pressed his abs. As expected, they felt hard and warm.

A satisfied smile unconsciously played on her lips. She thought to herself that this overwhelming blessing was something he had offered up voluntarily; it wasn't as if she was being shameless and taking advantage of him.

Perhaps because she was too immersed in admiring the beautiful sight, she failed to notice that the look in Shen Yu's eyes was growing increasingly deep.

Just as her fingertips were about to climb a little higher...

Shen Yu suddenly gripped her wrist. "That's enough."

Wen Wan froze and looked up, meeting his half-smiling, half-teasing gaze.

In that moment, she suddenly had the illusion that she had been caught in an act of infidelity. Her cheeks began to flush uncontrollably.

"How do my abs compare to those two merchants?" Shen Yu asked playfully.

After her brain had been hit by the impact of beauty, Wen Wan felt a bit dizzy and answered his question subconsciously.

"They are definitely much better to touch..."

Before she could finish, she realized what she had said and cut herself off, nearly biting her tongue in frustration.

Shen Yu chuckled softly. "A pity. I am no 'dewy husband.' So, even if I have eight-pack abs, they are not something you can dream of."

Shen Yu released her wrist, looking quite triumphant, as if he had won a battle. He then slowly tightened his clothes in front of her.

Wen Wan finally realized what had happened, her face turning from red to pale.

So, he had done that on purpose?

Was this what men called a competitive spirit? Those two young merchants had shown their abs, making him lose face as her nominal husband, so he had to make up for it in front of her?

*Hah, men.*

Fuming, Wen Wan placed the porcelain jar on the table, turned around, extinguished the candle, and climbed into bed.

"Fine, sleep then. If I can't have them in reality, can't I at least mess around with a few 'dewy husbands' in my dreams?"

In the darkness, Shen Yu was first startled, and then his expression sank to rock bottom.

*Dewy husbands?*

*And several of them at that?*

This woman... she truly never changed!

*

Whether Wen Wan actually messed around with several "dewy husbands" in her dreams that night, Shen Yu did not know.

However, he did not sleep peacefully. In his dreams, there seemed to be a lady with a blurred face who kept pestering him, demanding to see his abs.

As soon as dawn broke, he opened his eyes irritably and walked to Wen Wan's bedside with a dark expression.