"How about it, isn’t it a surprise? My brother created artificial snow for Bian Yue, and I got some too, do you like it?" His pride simply couldn’t be hidden. Wen Jiao felt a headache coming on, looking unamused, "Shen Zhaoli, do you know my father has given his staff time off for the holidays? Once the snow stops, will you join me to clear it?" Shen Zhaoli yawned, his sly fox eyes twinkling, and chuckled, "I will have someone clear it. Just tell me, do you like it or not?" The source of thɪs content is NovєlFіre.net "I like it." Wen Jiao paused, then snorted coldly, "Not at all." Shen Zhaoli raised his eyebrows, "Then what do you like?" "Is that something you can just ask directly?" "It’s tiring to keep guessing. How about this, let’s switch roles. You ask me what I like, I tell you, and then you give it to me." Wen Jiao scoffed, half-joking: "How could I afford what you like?" "That’s a misunderstanding. What I like isn’t expensive at all. There’s nothing you can’t afford to give." Shen Zhaoli urged, "Wen Jiao, you ask me first." "Have you been tired of sleeping on the floor these past months?" Wen Jiao abruptly changed the subject. The smile on Shen Zhaoli’s face slightly diminished, "You don’t want me to go sleep next door, do you?" Wen Jiao didn’t respond. She looked at the heavy snowfall outside the window, troubled by the grand spectacle that must have spread all over Xiangjiang by now. She had intended to keep a low profile, but this forced her into the spotlight. Wen Jiao frowned, finally turning to face Shen Zhaoli, "Gift-giving should not be done . I didn’t like those things you sent before either." Shen Zhaoli’s expression slightly restrained, he stood up and walked over to Wen Jiao. He had just woken up, his hair still disheveled, giving him an indescribably lazy charm. At this moment, he irritably ruffled his hair, his face betraying no emotion, but he softly spoke, "Then tell me, what do you like? Wen Jiao, I also want to give you something that pleases you, but you only say ’thank you,’ and I don’t know what you are thinking." "Do we have to be like Bian Yue and the others?" Wen Jiao looked at Shen Zhaoli, her gaze very calm. A shadow fell over Shen Zhaoli’s handsome face. He let his eyes linger on Wen Jiao’s face, his voice very calm: "You can say if you don’t like it, I will think of something else. Wen Jiao, you can’t always retreat every time I try to get closer." Wen Jiao frowned, remaining silent for a moment before saying: "I need to prepare a gift for Bian Yue, I’ll head out first." As they passed each other, Shen Zhaoli reached out and grabbed Wen Jiao. He gripped her wrist tightly, his actions betraying the calm he tried to project as they were clearly obsessive. "Wen Jiao, what’s wrong with you? Recently, you’ve been avoiding me, I thought I had already made my feelings clear." Wen Jiao herself didn’t know. Over these months, everything seemed fine, yet she still felt the desire to pull away. It was difficult for her to explain her feelings to Shen Zhaoli, she didn’t even know how to describe her current state of mind. "I’m not sure..." Wen Jiao paused, took a deep breath, and said, "Shen Zhaoli, you need to allow me to have emotions and hesitations. You made your feelings clear, but you can’t expect me to respond immediately! I can’t do it!" Shen Zhaoli was just too concerned, leading him to overcompensate uncontrollably. He knew he had been pushing Wen Jiao too hard. But as things stand now, he couldn’t just retreat. "Jiaojiao, if you’re unhappy, I can apologize. I know my actions might have troubled you, but... please don’t back away anymore. We can maintain our current relationship and continue to be together." Wen Jiao felt Shen Zhaoli’s icy knuckles gripping her wrist. He’s not usually a person who makes compromises. Yet, he makes them only in front of her. Wen Jiao wasn’t ungrateful, but under Shen Zhaoli’s constant pressure, she indeed felt an indescribable suffocation. This is love, but within it, there’s a zealot hidden beneath the veneer of tenderness. His desire for control is strong in his bones. Wen Jiao gently freed her wrist from Shen Zhaoli’s grasp and said, "I asked my father to arrange for someone to clear the snow. It’s still early, you should sleep some more." Shen Zhaoli stood still, not moving until Wen Jiao left. Then, he emotionlessly stared in the direction of the bedroom door, his eyes gradually darkening. Shen Zhaoli had climbed out of a very dark and damp abyss; his nature isn’t cheerful and easygoing, but in front of Wen Jiao, he could only mask it with feigned nonchalance. As time passed, the love became harder to control, and Shen Zhaoli was just desperately trying to maintain his rationality to keep up the façade. He didn’t want Wen Jiao to leave him, ever, if possible... When Wen Jiao came downstairs, Wen Yongwei was carrying breakfast out from the kitchen. Her old father was in a great mood lately. Wen Jiao saw Wen Yongwei waving at her and saying with a smile, "Jiaojiao! Come eat!" Wen Jiao suppressed any negative emotions on her face and walked towards Wen Yongwei with a smile, jokingly saying, "Let’s see what delicious dishes you’ve made today!" "As long as you don’t dislike it! At my age, all I can do is cook for you!" Wen Yongwei said, then glanced towards the stairs, nudging Wen Jiao with his elbow, asking, "What’s the matter? Isn’t Zhaoli eating breakfast?" "How come you only ask about him! He’s been busy with the heavy snow outside, didn’t you see?" Wen Jiao said helplessly to Wen Yongwei. "Aren’t young girls supposed to enjoy this kind of romantic snow?" Wen Yongwei laughed: "This is Xiangjiang, I’ve lived almost a lifetime and never seen snow here! How come you’re not happy, child?" Wen Jiao wasn’t unhappy. She just thought that Shen Zhaoli was too invested. At this moment, this realization was finally clear. Wen Jiao bit her lip and said, "Dad, if someone does everything they can to give you all the best things in the world, wouldn’t it be very ungrateful if you refuse?" "Of course not. You have the right to accept and the right to refuse," Wen Yongwei said with a gentle voice, looking at Wen Jiao: "But Jiaojiao, you’re married now, and you still have responsibilities to each other." Wen Jiao thoughtfully nodded, then warmly took Wen Yongwei’s hand, saying, "Dad, let’s eat." The mention of responsibilities awakened Wen Jiao. Regardless, they were already husband and wife. After breakfast, Wen Jiao received a call from Bian Yue, who asked if she wanted to come see the snow. Wen Jiao laughed and said, "Shen Zhaoli already created a scene for me."