On the Skin

Gentle Wife x Celibate Professor

Marriage First, Love Later | Skin Hunger Syndrome

Chen Suizhao was getting married.

It was a family-arranged marriage, and she had no choice.

She’d heard that her future husband was cold by nature, dignified and self-controlled, and still unmarried at nearly thirty. He hated being forced into anything.

She prepared herself for a cold reception.

On the day they met, Shen Fangzhuo wore silver-rimmed glasses and an immaculate suit. His striking looks drew plenty of sidelong glances, but when his eyes fell on her, they were icy. He seemed to have no desire to look at her for long.

Chen Suizhao thought he must be deeply unhappy about this sudden marriage.

So, on their first night as newlyweds, she considerately suggested they sleep in separate rooms.

The next day, she discussed with him how she had a cleanliness obsession and wanted them to keep their belongings separate, so they could avoid unnecessary contact.

If her husband didn’t like her, there was no reason for her to force herself on him.

-

Their courteous life together was uneventful. Chen Suizhao was busy with work, leaving early and coming home late, so she rarely crossed paths with Shen Fangzhuo.

At home, she remembered to keep her distance from him.

She left plenty of space between their shoes in the entryway, never left her personal belongings in the living room, never entered his territory, and kept well away whenever he was around.

Shen Fangzhuo, meanwhile, always stared straight at her without changing expression, then turned and went back to his room without a word.

Chen Suizhao thought he really did hate her. Every time he saw her, even his eyes turned red.

-

One day, Chen Suizhao returned home early from a business trip.

The house was pitch-black. A faint light seeped from the gap beneath the door to her bedroom, and indistinct sounds kept coming from inside.

She followed the sounds and froze when she saw what was happening in the room.

Shen Fangzhuo was leaning against the headboard of her bed, his face flushed.

He clutched her silk pajamas in one hand, holding them to his face as he inhaled their scent greedily. Then he gently rubbed his nose against the hair tie on his wrist, as if trying to quench a thirst.

It was the hair tie she’d lost some time ago.

Chen Suizhao backed away in alarm, but accidentally made a noise.

Shen Fangzhuo stepped into the light and advanced toward her, easily trapping her in the narrow space. He lowered his head to kiss her wrist bone, then breathed in the scent of her neck, his movements seeming on the verge of losing control.

Chen Suizhao reached out to push him away, but Shen Fangzhuo pressed closer and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“...I’m sorry...”

His eyes were red, and his voice was plaintive and hoarse.

“I just couldn’t hold back...”

“I’m not dirty... Please don’t hate me...”

Bonus Scene:

Ever since she caught him that day, Professor Shen had completely let go of his inhibitions. Outside, he kept everyone at arm’s length; at home, he turned into a clingy human accessory, following Chen Suizhao everywhere she went.

After thinking it over for a few days, Chen Suizhao carried her pillow and blankets into his room one night.

She was his wife, after all. It was her responsibility to make sure her husband didn’t have to suffer through his illness alone at night.

To soothe him, she offered him hugs and kisses and said a few loving words.

But... why did that only make things worse?

When she woke the next morning, her whole body ached, but she still checked on her husband first.

Shen Fangzhuo held her contentedly from behind, kissing the red marks on her shoulder and the back of her neck again and again. His voice was hoarse with pleasure.

“The treatment... worked very well.”

“Thank you, honey.”

[Reading Guide]

1. One-on-one romance, happy ending, both leads are sexually inexperienced.

2. A male lead who seems celibate but is secretly a shameless lecher, though he keeps making passes at someone who never notices.

3. They both think the other one hates them.

Theme: Love is a hand that reaches out, then pulls back.