30

Shi Yue was woken up by the sound of water running in the bathroom.

The room was dark, and not even the sound of insects could be heard from outside. She fumbled for her phone on the bedside table and lit up the screen. It was 4:30 AM. Feeling like she was still dreaming, she put down the phone and lay back down, but the aftereffects of the alcohol hit her with a wave of headache. She suddenly sat up, her eyes locked on the bathroom door, where light was seeping through.

There was someone inside.

That was an undeniably shocking revelation.

Shi Yue glanced around the room. On the desk not far away, there was still a pile of design drafts she had been working on earlier in the day. This was definitely her room in the villa.

Then why, at this time of night, was there a second person in her private space?

She rubbed her temples, trying to recall her last memory—Xi Chuanyu helping her back into the villa.

So, was the person in the bathroom M.Crush's leader, Xi Chuanyu?

At that moment, the sound of water stopped, and the bathroom door opened. A long-haired figure appeared in the doorway, backlit by the light.

"Xi Chuanyu?" Shi Yue called out, trying to confirm the identity of the person.

The figure at the door paused for two seconds, then casually tossed aside the towel they were using to dry their hair and slowly walked toward Shi Yue.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Shi Yue instinctively moved back and wrapped the blanket around her lower body.

The person didn't respond, nor did they deny her assumption. Without thinking too much, Shi Yue concluded that it must be Xi Chuanyu. Honestly, she didn't understand why Xi Chuanyu would use her bathroom, but considering she was the one who had been taken care of while drunk, she wasn't in a position to complain about someone invading her personal space.

But as "Xi Chuanyu" approached the foot of the bed, Shi Yue's discomfort grew.

"Enough." She called out coldly, stopping the figure from getting any closer.

The figure stopped, just half an arm's length from her bed.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Shi Yue offered a gentle reminder, "Shouldn't you be heading back?"

The backlit figure responded with a mocking chuckle.

Shi Yue's ears twitched.

Something about that voice didn't feel right—it was familiar, but it didn't seem to belong to Xi Chuanyu.

Before she could place the voice, Leng Yanmi spoke up, "Haven't even done anything yet, and you're already rushing me off?"

Shi Yue froze, and then a flood of joy mixed with surprise washed over her. "Auntie?!"

She kicked off the blanket and crawled to the end of the bed.

As the distance between them closed, with the faint moonlight filtering through the window, Shi Yue could finally make out the person's features—none other than Leng Yanmi, who was supposed to be across the ocean.

Overwhelmed with happiness, Shi Yue immediately opened her arms to hug her.

But before she could wrap her arms around her aunt, her wrists were caught and held tightly.

Leng Yanmi knelt on the edge of the bed, looking down at Shi Yue, who had been forced to sit back. Her mood was sour, and her words were laced with irritation. "Finally recognizing me now?"

Shi Yue tried to struggle, but her wrists were held too firmly to break free.

Still confused by Leng Yanmi's strange behavior, Shi Yue called out again in a questioning tone, "Auntie?"

Ignoring the pleading in her voice, Leng Yanmi asked, "Was I the one you were waiting for?"

Shi Yue was stunned for a full minute before she grasped the situation. "Did you meet Xi Chuanyu?"

She was trying to ask whether Leng Yanmi had run into Xi Chuanyu, the one who had brought her back, and misunderstood something. But instead of answering, Leng Yanmi gripped the back of her head and leaned in sharply.

Shi Yue tilted her head back, bracing herself for a kiss, but what came was not affection—it was pain and the taste of blood as Leng Yanmi bit her lower lip hard.

"Hiss—!" Shi Yue gasped in pain, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

Leng Yanmi pulled back, pressing her thumb against Shi Yue's lip to smear the blood. As she admired her work, she issued a command in a tone that brooked no argument, "Pack your things and come back with me."

Shi Yue instinctively resisted. "I can't. The competition has just started."

"Shi Yue." Leng Yanmi called her name, her tone stern. "I'm not asking for your opinion."

Shi Yue's whole body trembled.

Leng Yanmi grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze. "From now on, you're not allowed out of my sight for even a second. You better behave. I'm not a very patient person, and if you have any other ideas, I won't hesitate to lock you up."

She spoke with such calm detachment, as if she were discussing the weather, without any emotional fluctuations.

But Shi Yue had no doubt that she meant every word—Leng Yanmi was someone who always followed through on her threats.

If it had been anyone else, Shi Yue would have slapped them no matter the cost, but this was Leng Yanmi.

Shamefully, tears welled up in Shi Yue's eyes and slid down her cheeks, dampening Leng Yanmi's fingers as she held her chin.

Leng Yanmi hadn't expected this reaction. Or maybe she had, but she had severely underestimated the effect Shi Yue's tears would have on her.

She let go of Shi Yue and even took a step back, as if unable to bear watching her cry.

Afraid she would leave, Shi Yue chased after her and wrapped her arms around her waist.

Leng Yanmi froze.

Shi Yue didn't say a word, but quietly sobbed, releasing all the fear and frustration of the night. She buried her tears in Leng Yanmi's plain white bathrobe, hoping her warmth would dry them away.

Leng Yanmi's hands hovered in the air for a long time before she finally placed them gently on Shi Yue's trembling shoulders.

She opened her mouth, about to say something, but Shi Yue interrupted her with an explanation: "I was invited to the bar by M.Crush, drank too much by accident, and Xi Chuanyu brought me back. I don't know what happened after that, but…"

Raising her head, Shi Yue glared at her aunt, and for the first time, she called her by her full name—

"Leng Yanmi, you're not allowed to be mean to me."

Leng Yanmi's hands tightened slightly on her shoulders.

She licked her dry lips, her voice hoarse. "You mistook me for her."

Shi Yue replied, "How was I supposed to know you'd show up in my room?"

Leng Yanmi locked eyes with her. "I told you my return date long ago."

"But today is Monday… well, it's past midnight, so technically Tuesday now." Shi Yue didn't think she was at fault. "You came back early and didn't tell me."

"Hmph." Leng Yanmi's dissipating anger flared up again. "I sent you so many texts and called you so many times, but you didn't see a single one."

Shi Yue blinked, stunned.

She had been at the bar all night, and in such a noisy environment, she had definitely missed all of Leng Yanmi's messages.

Leng Yanmi continued, "I started trying to reach you as soon as I landed at 10:30 PM, and for the next two hours, it was like you vanished from the world."

Shi Yue grasped the critical point. "How did you end up in my room?"

Leng Yanmi retorted, "Who do you think organized the design competition?"

"But…" Shi Yue pouted, her eyes filled with an unspoken accusation against the unchecked power of the capitalist elite. "You can't just ignore the competition rules and barge into my room."

Leng Yanmi's smile was laced with anger. "So I shouldn't have ruined your fun?"

Shi Yue pushed herself up to the same level as her aunt, biting down on Leng Yanmi's lip in retaliation.

Leng Yanmi shuddered from the pain but didn't pull away.

Afterward, Shi Yue said, "She was kind enough to bring me back. Don't go slandering her."

Leng Yanmi's eyes darkened.

She realized that Shi Yue hadn't picked up on anything suspicious. Although Leng Yanmi had sensed during their brief exchange outside the door that Xi Chuanyu's intentions were far from pure, she decided not to bring it up for now.

Shi Yue interpreted Leng Yanmi's nod as a sign of compromise.

Believing the misunderstanding had finally been cleared up, Shi Yue wrapped her arms around Leng Yanmi's neck and gently licked the wound she had caused.

The faint taste of blood lingered between them, and it was impossible to tell whether it came from Shi Yue or Leng Yanmi.

Before long, Shi Yue was pressed into the bed again. Leng Yanmi's kisses, no longer content with mere affection, traced a path from Shi Yue's jawline down to her neck, lingering on the area near her gland as she began to kiss and lick it.

Shi Yue's mind was hazy. The soft, tingling sensation from her neck made her curl her toes, and she took deep breaths of fresh air to steady herself.

But Leng Yanmi's usual restraint pulled her back from going any further.

She lifted herself slightly. "Quit the competition and come back with me."

Shi Yue lifted her hands, threading her fingers through Leng Yanmi's still-damp hair. She cupped her face and, in the dark, locked eyes with her, sighing softly, "You know I can't agree to that."

Leng Yanmi pinched her waist.

"So you thought I was joking earlier?"

Shi Yue smirked.

She pushed against Leng Yanmi with her foot, creating some distance between them, and slowly sat up in bed. Then, she extended her hands toward Leng Yanmi.

"Hmm?"

Shi Yue squinted at her. "Go ahead and lock me up."

Leng Yanmi's pupils shrank slightly.

Shi Yue repeated, "Just like you said before. Lock me up."

Leng Yanmi closed her eyes tightly for a moment, and when she opened them again, she climbed off the bed and stood at the edge.

The summer dawn came early. Even though it was only just after 5 AM, the white light of morning had begun to filter through the windows. The light cast Leng Yanmi's shadow over the bed, its outline reaching Shi Yue's legs. Shi Yue turned her head away, not looking at her, but instead gently stroked the shadow of her hair.

After a long silence, Leng Yanmi sighed.

Shi Yue asked, "Isn't it time for you to leave?"

"Yes," Leng Yanmi responded softly, and she headed back into the bathroom.

When she reappeared, her damp hair was dry, and her bathrobe had been replaced by formal clothes.

The sky was growing brighter, and if she didn't leave soon, the others would undoubtedly notice her.

Shi Yue threw on a simple jacket and walked her to the door.

There were no extra goodbyes. Leng Yanmi returned to her usual cold demeanor, gracefully walking down the hallway.

Before descending the stairs, she glanced back. Just one look, and Shi Yue, leaning against the doorframe, almost couldn't stop herself from running after her.

But Leng Yanmi was far more resolute. She quickly averted her gaze and headed down the stairs.

Shi Yue took a deep breath, locked the door, and returned to the room.

The lingering warmth of their embrace remained. Wrapping herself in the blanket, Shi Yue imagined she was still held in Leng Yanmi's arms and let herself be immersed in the void.

It wasn't just a test.

Ten minutes earlier, when she raised her hands toward Leng Yanmi, she had genuinely considered surrendering and becoming her captive.