The door that led to the balcony was open, and as she approached them, she saw Mo Qingchen looking out into the garden. He was shirtless and leaning forward, his forearms against the railing.

  Qian Meng took a moment to appreciate his defined back muscles. He was such a powerful-looking man. His masculinity could turn her on even in the worst of times.

  She bit her lip and turned to walk into the bathroom, pulling off her top as she walked and then tossing it into the dirty laundry hamper. She glanced over at the bathtub and suddenly, it sounded more appealing than the shower.

  It was huge and so deep that there were steps down into the thing. She could sit straight up and the water would reach up to her shoulders.

  She hadn't been wearing a bra underneath her top and her now exposed nipples hardened in the cold air as she went to turn on the water faucet in the tub.

  She adjusted it to the temperature she desired and then dropped the plug and let the water begin to fill.

  She had some bath oils sitting up at the edge of the tub and quickly reached for her favorite scent and added it into the water. Mo Qingchen entered the bathroom at that moment.

  "A bath?" he questioned, closing the door behind himself.

  "Yeah, I decided that a bath sounded nice before a shower."

  "Before a shower? You want to take a bath and then take a shower?"

  "Yup."

  "I don't take baths, but I thought it was a replacement for the shower?"

  Qian Meng shrugged as she removed her socks.

  "I want to take a shower, too. Do you have a problem with it?" she blinked.

  He hummed as he approached her. She stood straight again, his eyes flickering down to her breasts. "Are you cold?"

  "Yeah." She nodded, starting to peel off her pants.

  She didn't feel embarrassed by his question now his gaze. One thing she had discovered that she wasn't expecting when she had agreed to marry Mo Qingchen was how comfortable she was being naked around him.

  Sometimes, she would joke around about it, but actually, she liked the way he looked at her.

  "Do you want to take the bath alone?" he asked. He tried his best to hide his disappointed pout.

  She shrugged as she tossed her pants and panties into the hamper with her top.

  "I don't mind if you join in," she prompted.

  "Really?" He raised his brow in surprise. "You don't mind sitting in my dirtiness?"

  She stifled her giggle. "No, I do intend on showering after the bath. But I know that you are not a bath person. So, I won't be heartbroken if you don't want to sit in my dirtiness." Only Mo Qingchen could come up with these ideas.

  Secretly, she did want him to join her. She was just too prideful to tell him. So, she bit her lip to suppress her smile when he started removing his shorts.

  She dipped just her toes into the water and then slowly added her foot before doing the same with the other. She tried to adjust to the steamy temperature.

  "It's hot," she cautioned as she slowly submerged herself up to her chest.

  "You're lucky I like the heat. This would scald my skin otherwise," he retorted as he followed suit at a much faster pace.

  It was a little awkward for a moment as they fumbled around in their naked state, trying to find a suitable position. Finally, they settled on opposite sides of the tub. His legs had to bend because of his height, but hers stretched out before her with no problem. She comfortably settled down between his legs.

  His hand caressed her foot gently and she fluttered her eyes closed as she soaked in the intimacy in the air.

  "Can I try something?" he said suddenly. She opened her eyes, a little peeved that he had interrupted.

  "What do you want to try?"

  "Something new," he said.

  "And what is that?" she asked impatiently, hoping he wasn't trying to play games with her. She didn't have the energy for that.

  "I want to be upfront and honest."

  She almost choked.

  "If you haven't noticed. Being upfront and honest isn't our strongest suit."

  She sighed. "So I have noticed."

  "So, I've decided to go first," he responded.

  "Okay…" she trailed off, sitting straighter with intrigue. "I'm all ears."

  He tried to collect himself a little.

  "I just had a scary moment, Qian Meng. I have been having a few for some time now."

  He rubbed his face with his wet hands. It sent dribbles of water down his neck and chest.

  "What do you mean?" she asked, perplexed. Fear and Mo Qingchen didn't exist in the same universe.

  "I was just sitting here watching you. You had your eyes closed and your face at rest and you just looked…" like someone at a funeral. He couldn't finish the sentence. "The thought occurred to me that I would give anything to be able to take your fear and pain away from you. I would give anything to shoulder it myself in your place. Because watching you get hurt and suffer may be worse than suffering the pain myself."

  Qian Meng stared at him for a long moment, caught off-guard and unable to form a response.

  "Mo Qingchen…"

  "Why does that scare me? I have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't explain."

  Qian Meng thought for a moment, taking in his questioning look. His question wasn't rhetorical. He really wanted an answer.

  "I have been scared too. Sometimes I am scared that you don't have enough people to support you. Sometimes, I am scared that you are ruining your health by not sleeping or following a routine. I understand." She couldn't answer him, so she could only assure him with what she felt.

  "But why? Does it scare you?" he questioned.