Chapter 7 Between Scalds and Boundaries

• At this moment, the large red patches on her skin were especially noticeable. Wrapped in a bath towel, her body drenched and her hair dripping wet, Clara looked pitiful.
• As she bent down to pick up the fallen bottles and reached for the mop, Ryan grabbed her other arm, barely holding back his anger.
• "What happened?"
• "I didn't want to dirty the bathroom, so I tried washing my hair first. The faucet wasn't working, and I grabbed the wrong shampoo. Just as I was about to switch it, the hot water suddenly came out. I don't even know what I bumped into! I'll clean it quickly; I promise I won't make a mess. I'll just use cold water to wash!"
• Clara's apologetic and obedient manner would soften anyone's heart, especially considering she was a beautiful woman who had just hurt herself.
• Ryan grabbed a towel and roughly dried her hair. "You didn't even shower yet, and you've already managed to scald yourself? You're too dumb for words!"
• Despite his harsh tone, Ryan went to the closet and grabbed a fresh bathrobe. "I'll adjust the water temperature for you. Go put some ointment on first!"
• Though his words were rough, Clara oddly felt a slight warmth in her heart.
• When Ryan walked out, he noticed Clara standing still, just a step away from the couch. "Why are you standing there like that? Did you burn your brain too?"
• Clara pursed her lips and glanced back. "What if I dirty the couch?"
• "You've already dirtied plenty. One more won't hurt," Ryan said with irritation, implying she had already made enough of a mess.
• Once given permission, Clara sat without hesitation. But after a moment, feeling uneasy, she shifted to sit on only half of the couch.
• Her timid posture made her look even more pitiful.
• Ryan fetched the ointment, and seeing her carefully sitting, he felt a little uncomfortable. He grabbed her arm and applied the ointment.
• After applying the ointment, Clara suddenly remembered something and said, "I'll go clean the bathroom."
• "Stop trying to be tough! It's enough that you didn't destroy the bathroom! The maid will clean it tomorrow!"
• "Oh."
• She whispered sadly, but as she turned, her eyes gleamed with triumph.
• Round two, victory!
• Living comfortably was key! It mattered that we learned to adapt to each other's ways of living. And it wasn't like I was a messy person!
• Clara did a quick clean-up before taking a comfortable shower.
• As soon as Clara walked out of the bathroom, Ryan's icy voice hit her. "You'll sleep on the couch."
• "Fine."
• She had no issue with that. In fact, she wasn't too keen on sharing a bed with him anyway.
• Clara quietly finished tidying up and prepared to sleep. Just as both of them lay down, Ms. Griffin's voice sounded from outside the door.
• "Mr. Ryan, are you awake? Madame Teresa sent me to bring over some clothes for Mrs. Wallace."
• Ms. Griffin was responsible for taking care of Grandma. Hearing this, Ryan instantly understood.
• They both rose at once. Clara quickly grabbed her pillow and blanket, stuffed them into the closet, and leaped into bed.
• Ryan walked to the door and opened it.
• "Mr. Ryan, Madame Teresa was unprepared and couldn't find anything suitable. She only dug up some new, unused nightgowns. Though the designs are a bit outdated, they are still new. Mrs. Wallace can wear one tonight, and new clothes will arrive tomorrow morning."
• Ms. Griffin sneaked a look inside as she spoke.
• "Thank you. Please thank Grandma for me."
• Ryan returned to the room, and Clara had already pulled back the blanket.
• "Sleep here. Grandma might drop by to check. Pick something to wear." He pushed the clothes tray toward her.
• It was clear he had a deep respect for his grandmother, always doing as she wished.
• Seeing that the clothes were still tagged and fairly conservative, Clara chose a deep purple nightgown and changed.
• Though they were technically married and had shared intimate moments, Clara barely had any memory of it. To her, this was the first time sharing a room with a man, and the idea of sleeping in the same bed made her heart race.
• Before she could adjust, Ryan coldly warned her.
• "No crossing the line, no touching me, no moving around or pulling the blanket. Don't snore or disrupt my sleep..."
• In an instant, Clara's anxiety evaporated, replaced by frustration.
• How could I have forgotten he was a total weirdo? And what was I even thinking about? After all, I was pregnant! How could someone like him live such a smooth life? The world was unfair! Who cared about sharing a bed with you? Ridiculous!
• Internally fuming, Clara clenched her fists, but on the surface, all she could do was nod and say, "Okay!"
• Would living with someone like him turn me into a lunatic too? Very likely! It was pure torture!
• Thinking this, Clara carefully got into bed, leaving a wide gap between them. She thought she'd stay awake out of anger, but soon enough, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.