As he spoke, the man stood up, his long legs stepping past her and around her to the Bathroom.

Qin Qinxi bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, and tears streamed down.

Only when she heard the sound of the bathroom door closing did she slowly push herself up from the floor.

She didn’t obey; instead, she walked over to the sofa and sat down.

She curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees and burying her face in them.

It wasn’t until the sound of running water stopped that Qin Qinxi sprang up from the sofa and hurried to the bed.

Vio Mansello came out wearing a bathrobe, his hair still wet, with droplets sliding down the ends and dripping onto his shoulders, leaving a small dark patch.

He glanced at the bed.

She was lying face-down on the pillow, her hair spread out on either side, exposing a stretch of pale skin on the back of her neck.

Her arms were stretched out beside the pillow, perfectly obedient.

He slightly curved his lips, walked over, knelt on the bed with one leg raised, then lifted the other and moved it behind her.

The mattress sank under his weight, and her body swayed for a moment before settling back into place.

His fingers touched the nape of her neck.

They slowly slid down along her spine, one vertebra at a time, the rough pads of his fingers covered in calluses, tickling her skin as they passed.

When they reached the hollow of her waist, they paused for a moment.

Her waist was very slender, with a perfect curve that drew in on both sides, and the hollow was shallow—like two tiny dimples.

His thumb pressed there and gave it a gentle rub.

She didn’t move, but her breathing changed—from steady to slightly rapid—and you could see her chest rising and falling.

His hand continued downward.

He pressed in.

Qin Qinxi shuddered. Her whole body tensed, like a bow being drawn taut.

Vio used both hands to grip her waist and began to tear.

In the quiet room, the sound of “tear, pull” was especially clear.

He had asked her to wear this kind of clothing precisely so he could tear it.

Vio loved hearing that sound.

Every time he heard it, he felt something ignite inside him.

Vio leaned forward and pressed his lips against her back.

With one arm, he scooped her up, his palm sliding from the side of her waist to the front, casually wrapping around her waist and pulling her fully into his embrace.

With the other hand, he cupped her chin and turned her face toward him.

Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembling, her lips tightly pressed together.

He kissed her.

Qin Qinxi could only cling tightly to his taut arms.

His forearms were rock-hard, his muscles as tight as stone, with veins bulging and pulsing beneath her palm.

She was kissed so hard that she could hardly catch her breath; the air in her chest was squeezed out bit by bit, and no new air could get in, leaving her feeling dizzy.

Finally, he released her lips, and just as she took a deep breath, he pinned her face-down.

The next day.

Vio opened his eyes. He first glanced at the wall clock—six o’clock.

The man didn’t get up right away; instead, he turned his head to look at the person beside him.

Last night, the woman had slept with her back to him, in exactly the same position.

She was curled up, her hands resting beside the pillow, her breathing so light that the rise and fall of her chest was almost invisible.

Her black hair lay scattered on the pillow, contrasting with the dark pillowcase.

Normally, Vio never even glanced at the person beside him when he woke up.

After each encounter, they would each go back to their own sleep.

Qin Qinxi slept very quietly, rarely turning over all night.

If she slept with her back to him, she’d stay in that position all night, wouldn’t even grab the blanket or touch him.

For someone like Vio, who sleeps so lightly that even the slightest movement can wake him, it was almost as if there weren’t even a person sleeping next to him.

The bedding smelled sweet—the scent of her masked his own.

At first, this was very unfamiliar to Vio, but now it felt familiar, even helping him sleep soundly.

Vio turned over and wrapped his arm around her from behind, drawing her closer into his embrace.

End of Chapter 56: Chapter 56