"Hmm." Since he had this intention, and she also felt heavy on her shoulders due to pressure, worry, and other issues, she did not refuse.

Li Yan began to massage her shoulders with his hands, starting gently and gradually increasing the pressure. He wasn't professionally trained in massage, and his own experiences with massages had always been someone else giving them to him. However, the shoulders are an easy place to get tired, especially for those who work in offices. Sometimes, after sitting for long periods and dealing with stress, it can feel like carrying a mountain. At those times, even casually massaging oneself can provide a lot of relief, and when someone else does it, the massage doesn't need to be perfectly professional; it just has to be the right strength to feel very comfortable.

"If it's too much, let me know."

Like Wen Qianyi, Zhang Yurong's build was tall and slender, comparable to that of a model, so her shoulders usually didn't appear as visibly thin as Huang Ying's or Li Jie's. However, Li Yan's large hands were not gentle fingers; even so, touching her still felt like she was frail. With Li Jie, who had years of martial arts training, he could use more force without worry. But Yurong was delicate and pampered from a young age, so he had to start gently and gradually increase the force.

"Mmm..."

Setting aside worries, pressure, and other mental burdens, Zhang Yurong spent the afternoon taking care of Yue Yao. Even when not busy, she sat by Yue Yao's bed talking. The hospital chairs were not as comfortable as those at home or in a CEO's office. After driving all the way back, she felt a bit tired and weary as soon as she got home. Li Yan's massage instantly made her shoulders feel relaxed and relieved.

At that moment, she had a different feeling. What she initially thought was just a token of self-indulgence, a bit disappointing, now felt like a sincere concern that was not just physical comfort but also a heartfelt warmth. If he didn't care about her, he wouldn't have noticed her exhaustion or helped to massage her, which was a warmth shared only between the closest of people.

Yurong closed her eyes again, silently enjoying her husband's massage.

Li Yan explained things to her, and seeing that she didn't say anything, he began to apply a bit more pressure. He himself was strong, and when massage therapists worked on him, they had to use significant force. The same went for Yurong; he thought it required a bit of strength.

However, he underestimated his strength. He was someone who could knock someone out with a slap, so Yurong's delicacy found even the earlier strength more suitable, and now she couldn't bear the added force.

Feeling the pressure was too much and a bit painful, Yurong thought it impolite to call out, as it might seem disrespectful to Li Yan's effort. So she only softly hummed, enduring without saying a word. But when he massaged different areas, particularly near her neck, the pressure felt even more painful.

She had to speak up, "Ugh... a bit lighter... hurts..."

Upon hearing her, Li Yan's movements stopped. He felt a bit embarrassed, 'lighter, hurts,' just pressing on the shoulders, yet it sounded like something else entirely...

Seeing him pause, Yurong shyly said, "The way you did it earlier was fine, just a bit heavy just now."

"Okay, I'll be careful."

Li Yan resumed massaging her, noticing she wasn't complaining about pain anymore; he maintained the pressure.

The shoulders were only so large a space and couldn't always be the focus. Either massage upwards to the head or downwards to the back. Li Yan figured that massaging down the back might make her nervous, fearing he had improper intentions. So, he only gently tapped along her back and spine with his fist, avoiding using his fingers to knead or press. As for the head, random pressure wasn't appropriate. He used less force to follow a general routine, giving her a slight massage.

...

When Li Yan stopped, he found Yurong leaning against the sofa, her back softly resting against him. He leaned slightly forward, seeing her eyes closed, seemingly dozing.

Had she fallen asleep like this? Was she really that tired, or was the massage really that comfortable?

Li Yan felt a bit accomplished; it was his first time giving a girl a massage, and he managed to make her comfortable enough to fall asleep. Quite a skill!

But what to do next? He felt a bit troubled, should he continue and let her rest for a moment? Or wake her so she could rest in a proper room? Or, like before, carry her to the bedroom?

After pausing briefly, Zhang Yurong also woke up. She had been so comfortable, her body and mind relaxing, that she'd dozed off without fully sleeping. Now realizing she'd unknowingly rested in Li Yan's embrace, she felt a bit embarrassed.

If she "woke up" now, wouldn't that be awkward? He might even tease her, or at the very least, feel smug about it, right? Pretend to be asleep and let it pass? But would he take advantage again like last time?

But on second thought, he'd kissed her more than once before and wouldn't dare to do anything else. What was there to take advantage of? At most, she could pretend to wake up groggily once in the bedroom!

Thus, she slightly opened one eye to glance around, then quickly shut it, listening intently to see what Li Yan would do.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Yan made a decision. He knew his massage skills weren't great in terms of technique, and figured Yurong's sleepiness was mostly due to exhaustion, both physical and mental. The massage only facilitated relaxation. Continuing could wake her, but waking her directly might jolt her awake, ruining her rest and perhaps compelling her to return to work soon after.

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