"Why not?" Bo Yan thought she was playing the "catch-and-release" game. Although he took the glass of wine she handed him and drank it in one go, his tone was somewhat teasing: "The same game is enough to play once a day."

This was typical of Xia Siyu; she liked to play this kind of guerrilla warfare where the enemy advances, she retreats, and when the enemy pulls back, she harasses. The time they spent together wasn’t long anyway, as there were often other tasks. It was fun to play once when they met, but going back and forth like this constantly left him unsure of how to respond.

Seeing Xia Siyu dressed so seductively, and since there was no one else in the room but him, who was she trying to seduce if not him? Dressing like this and then telling him "no" was intentionally tantalizing him.

Bo Yan placed the wine glass on the bedside table, reached out to wrap his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer. Since Bo Yan was already sitting on the edge of the bed, Xia Siyu took a small step forward with his actions and straddled in front of him. The hem of her dress brushed against his leg. The silk, soft and warm from her body heat, caressed his leg as she leaned in, like a pair of hands gently stroking.

Bo Yan couldn’t help but lean closer, wanting to taste the corners of her lips. But just as he got close, Xia Siyu extended her finger to block her lips, stopping his kiss. Bo Yan frowned, hadn’t he said playing the game once a day was enough? And now this?

Xia Siyu wore a wicked smile: "Sorry, it really can’t be done."

Bo Yan had a vague inkling: "You..."

Xia Siyu smiled sweetly: "Didn’t you have any associations seeing me in a red nightgown?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Nightgowns and pajamas often come in sets. If she’s wearing a red nightgown, it means her pajama pants are red too.

Although red is tempting, it also easily reminds people of — bleeding.

Xia Siyu was particularly smug: "I asked you this afternoon: after this village, there’s no such inn anymore. It’s you who didn’t want it. What could I do? Who knew it would just so happen to be today."

What a coincidence, she knew all along and was teasing him on purpose.

Bo Yan instantly felt downcast; he didn’t have any particular fetishes. Since she had raised her "Do Not Disturb" sign, he could only withdraw.

Not only did he withdraw, but he also turned and chided her: "So you’re in a special period, yet you’re still dressing so lightly?"

She was wearing a nightgown. Although Hong Kong is always in the tropics and it’s around thirty degrees even in October, this is a special time. Even a little chill could feel especially cold and would reflect back in physiological episodes later.

Even though Xia Siyu was tough and in good physical shape from years of training, there was a time early in her career when she jumped into icy waters during winter without batting an eyelash despite being on her period. Although she had been taking care of her body over these years, she occasionally still felt uncomfortable during her period. She was lightly dressed and strutting about like this — wasn’t she afraid of the pain?

Xia Siyu stuck out her little tongue; wasn’t she purposely trying to provoke him? Bo Yan touched her hand, and fortunately, her fingers were warm. Warm fingers meant good circulation, so she hadn’t yet reached the stage of menstrual pain.

He quickly carried her to the bedhead, wrapped her in a blanket: "Want water? I’ll pour you a hot cup. When I order food tomorrow, I’ll see if I can get a cup of Jiang Zhuangnai, and some soup."

He had just stood up when Xia Siyu grabbed his arm, refusing to let him go. Bo Yan turned back, and Xia Siyu exerted a bit more force, pulling him down to sit beside her. Then she leaned over: "I want to hold you to sleep."

This woman, treating him like a pillow, and dressing intentionally like this — Bo Yan was a bit frustrated and helpless: "Then wait a moment, I’ll tidy up a bit."

He got up, ensuring the cameras and microphones had been checked and turned off earlier for sure. This time, he tidied the room a bit, drew the curtains, turned off the lights, and came back. Once back, Xia Siyu wriggled like a fish into his arms, mischievously asking: "Do you think my nightgown looks good?"

"Well, it’s pretty," he sighed—nice to look at but not practical. The more he sighed, the more pleased Xia Siyu was, even asking: "Disappointed?"

The blood in Bo Yan almost surged but he managed to suppress it. What could disappointment do? He wasn’t perverse, playing around at such a time. No matter how disappointed, since he had married her, he’d just have to endure it even if he had to kneel. Xia Siyu squirmed under the covers, and Bo Yan furrowed his brow, reaching out: "Stop moving."

His hand intended to pat her, getting her to sleep in a proper position. However, when his hand raised, he realized any spot he put it on wasn’t right. On her bottom? He’d get a hand full of blood. On her tummy? Might hurt her. Other places would only stoke his own fire, leaving him uncomfortable. Finally, he could only pat her head: "Sleep."

Xia Siyu nodded off in his arms, falling asleep in a second.

Listening to her shallow breathing, Bo Yan’s expression was even more complicated. Normally she only knew how to light a fire, now she had piled up the wood and even tossed in a match, but when push came to shove, she escaped. And she fled so righteously he had no right to be angry.

Considering the isolation period of over ten days, he initially thought they could secretly enjoy a world for two; now, thanks to a Death Exemption Token, he was forced into being like a monk, unable to even think about it.

At least it would keep the televised program from being too intense.

—It’s just that she’s holding him too tightly, and the fire in him hadn’t yet subsided, but he couldn’t push her away—after all, during her period she’d be vulnerable and afraid of cold, truly unable to part from him.

No wonder marriage is called a sweet burden, sweet indeed but a burden nonetheless.

**

Bo Yan recited the Great Compassion Mantra for most of the night, finally suppressing his wayward thoughts. Today was the airing of the pilot episode of "Our Isolation Life," featuring pre-recorded material from previous shoots, along with footage from their return home, with little from the actual day’s filming.

This provided Bo Yan and Xia Siyu with time to adjust. Xia Siyu’s period gave her a day to recuperate, and Bo Yan some time for his own affairs.

Typically for award ceremonies, guests would receive notifications beforehand on whether they might win. Like last year, Xia Siyu was pre-informed her chances were slim for "Yu Beauty."

But this year, Xia Siyu hadn’t received any notice yet. The Golden Moon Award is a finicky one, not fond of awarding commercial blockbusters. Xia Siyu’s "Divine Catcher" was a fan favorite but only a commercial flick. As for its artistic value, it might not even match up to "Yu Beauty."

Yet the films vying this year were nearly on par, and the jury must be at odds as well.