Xiaohan hid behind Lu Zhengting, grinning slyly, revealing two little canine teeth. "Sister Yan, how about you stay here tonight?"
Stay here? If not for Xiaohan's age staring her right in the face, Xia Yan would have suspected he was doing it on purpose. She frowned. Her clothes were soaked now, and without a dryer or hairdryer, they wouldn't dry anytime soon. She couldn't exactly walk around in Lu Zhengting's clothes, flaunting them, could she?
Lu Zhengting, with a straight face, narrowed his eyes and swept a glance at Xia Yan, not helping the situation. "You can stay in your old room."
Hearing this, the big and small members of the household had just made her decision for her without asking? Xia Yan shot a glare at Xiaohan, who put his hands behind his back, gave an awkward smile, and slowly edged closer to her. Seeing the anger on her face, he didn't hesitate to reach out and hug her around the waist.
"Sister Yan, you have to trust my feelings for you. I won't hurt you."
Watching Xiaohan's pitiful act, with tears and snot, Xia Yan felt the frustration stuck in her chest could only silently drift away on the wind. She sighed inwardly. Why did she always feel like this little brat had more schemes than she did?
Lu Zhengting didn't linger in the living room for long. Once he saw that Xia Yan had agreed to stay, he slowly made his way back to his own room. Xia Yan stared at his disappearing figure on the stairs, a strange, unnameable emotion stirring inside her.
"Sister Yan, can you tell me a story?" Xiaohan tugged at her hand, waving it in the air, acting spoiled.
Tell a story? She hadn't forgotten the disastrous experience of telling him a story the first time. Fairy tales always got roasted by Xiaohan, and if the story was too deep, he'd latch onto questions and never stop.
Xia Yan couldn't resist Xiaohan, that little imp, and finally decided on a fairy tale. Kids should still have their innocence and fun. Sometimes she even felt Xiaohan was too mature, with a mindset far beyond his peers.
After coaxing Xiaohan to sleep, Xia Yan stretched and left his room. Lu Zhengting should still be in his study handling work at this hour. She tugged at the buttons of her shirt and sneaked into the living room to pour herself a glass of water.
The living room was pitch black. Xia Yan fumbled her way to the water dispenser, filling the cup just as it reached the brim. Before she could bring it to her lips, a sound suddenly broke the darkness.
"Who's there? Lu Zhengting?"
"Yeah."
Lu Zhengting was hidden under the veil of night. His deep voice slowly rose, stretching out long and resonant in the silent living room, like the sound of water flowing over stones. Xia Yan's hand tightened around the cup as she carefully felt her way forward. The moonlight outside the window was clear and bright, illuminating a patch of the room.
"I was thirsty, just came down for water. I'm heading back to my room now." Xia Yan suddenly stopped in her tracks, pursed her lips, and said flatly. Some things shouldn't be pushed too far.
"Stop!" Lu Zhengting's voice was cold. In the dark, Xia Yan couldn't see his expression, but she could tell from his tone that he was in a bad mood. Still, she figured this was exactly the time to avoid a direct confrontation with him.
"Um, is something up?"
"Are you that afraid of me?"
Xia Yan inched closer to the stairs, her hand finding the railing, and felt a surge of relief. "Why would you ask me that?"
Just a little more, and she could go upstairs to her room. After all, Lu Zhengting couldn't see her.
"Ah..." She felt a pair of hands suddenly come from behind her, wrapping around her front as if trapping her in an embrace, with no way forward or back. She held her breath, her heart pounding wildly.
"What are you running from?" Lu Zhengting's voice slowly sounded in her ear. Xia Yan's body went stiff in his arms, frozen, not daring to move. She gripped the railing tightly, sweat beading on her forehead from nerves.
"I, I'm not running! I've been standing right here."
"You were by the coffee table just now."
"..." Xia Yan's face darkened. "That's not the point. Can you let me go? Let's talk properly, no need to get this close, alright?"
Hearing this, a low laugh suddenly rang out. Lu Zhengting's bright eyes seemed to glow, sparkling in the dark, as he watched Xia Yan's sweaty cheeks with amusement. A drop of sweat slid down her face, slowly tracing down her exposed neck.
Lu Zhengting's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his gaze turning deep and unreadable. His fingers, as if teasing, brushed against her hand hanging at her side every now and then.
Hot! She was burning up!
Lu Zhengting said nothing, his warm breath lightly grazing her neck, sending goosebumps across her skin and making her hair stand on end. She took a step forward, trying to escape his scorching embrace. "Let go."
Xia Yan struggled a few times, only to feel Lu Zhengting's arms tighten around her even more. Startled, she stammered, "Lu Zhengting, you, don't do anything rash. If your girlfriend finds out, I'll never be able to clear my name."
"I don't have a girlfriend." Lu Zhengting frowned.
"Can you let go first?" Xia Yan twisted unconsciously in his arms, the distance between them shrinking. Every move she made transmitted clearly to Lu Zhengting. Her long legs, half-hidden by the white shirt, occasionally brushed against his thigh, her slender waist almost touching him. Her now-dry hair gave off a faint fragrance that hit his nose. He took a deep breath, freed one hand, lifted her hair to his nose, and sniffed.
"Bastard!" When patience ran out, there was no need to endure.
Xia Yan angrily jerked her head up. Lu Zhengting, caught off guard, took her skull to the nose, pain flaring. His arms around her loosened instantly. He frowned hard. This woman dared to do that! Actually pulling that move on him! He raised a hand to wipe his nose, catching a faint metallic smell of blood. He curled his lips, the corners turning up slightly.
Xia Yan seized the chance to slip out of his arms, hurriedly climbing a few steps up the stairs. She should never have underestimated Lu Zhengting's combativeness. Before she could take another step, she felt her collar grabbed from behind, and her feet inexplicably left the ground...
"Lu Zhengting, what exactly are you trying to do?" Xia Yan closed her eyes, on the verge of tears. Heaven knew she just wanted to come down for a glass of water. How was she supposed to know she'd run into this unpredictable man, and now she was being carried like a chicken, dangling in midair?
Lu Zhengting was silent for a long moment, then paused, and carried her upstairs. When Xia Yan felt her feet finally touch the ground, she was overjoyed. Without a second thought, she turned to dash for her room. But Lu Zhengting, quick as lightning, grabbed her wrist again, spun her around, and pinned her between the wall and his arm, looking down at her.
The dim light in the hallway was mostly blocked by his tall shadow. Xia Yan blinked rapidly, her heart nearly leaping into her throat. Lu Zhengting's clear eyes locked onto her, his black-and-white pupils reflecting her image so clearly she could see herself in them.
"You..."
Lu Zhengting lowered his gaze, his peripheral vision landing on her collar. The slightly loose neckline left her chest fully exposed. His eyes tinged with red, and he let out a hoarse cough, but his stare remained fixed on that faintly visible view.
The white shirt couldn't hide her black bra, the straps of which kept catching Lu Zhengting's eye...
Xia Yan followed his line of sight, her face flushing bright red as she snapped, "Pervert!"
Lu Zhengting's body felt like it was on fire, heat radiating from inside out, searing Xia Yan. He furrowed his brow, then suddenly leaned down to her ear. Xia Yan jerked her head away.
"I kind of want to kiss you."
"..."
"Get away." Xia Yan shoved Lu Zhengting with all her might, not daring to look back as she bolted into her room.
Lu Zhengting stared blankly at Xia Yan's retreating figure, stunned by his own words. When he'd said that, he really had wanted to kiss her, especially watching her lips part and close.
He thought about it and smiled.
No matter. They had plenty of time.
Xia Yan locked her door and spent the whole night on edge. Lu Zhengting hadn't seemed drunk tonight, so had she just been teased? She hugged the blanket, the long night stretching on with no sleep in sight. In the dark, Lu Zhengting's slender silhouette, his low, husky voice, and her own racing heart—there was even a hint of secret delight...
That night, Xia Yan couldn't sleep, while Lu Zhengting spent the entire night in cold water.
In the whole villa, only Xiaohan slept soundly. He cheerfully ran to knock on Xia Yan's door, only to find it wasn't fully closed. He pushed it open gently, but the room was already tidy, with no sign of Xia Yan.
Lu Zhengting sat at the dining table, hearing Xiaohan's bouncing footsteps, and furrowed his brow.
"Dad, Sister Yan's gone." Xiaohan looked at Lu Zhengting worriedly. How could such a big person like Sister Yan just vanish after he woke up?
A smile flickered at the corner of Lu Zhengting's mouth, then froze as he said sternly, "She had something to do. She went back to school."
"Huh? Then why are you still here, Dad?" Xiaohan sat down, picked up a sandwich, took a bite, and munched away.
Truth be told, Lu Zhengting hadn't expected Xia Yan to slip away so early in the morning.
******
Xia Yan hadn't slept a wink all night. Before six in the morning, she got up, packed up, changed back into her own clothes, and sneaked out while everyone was still asleep. She was absolutely certain that if she didn't leave now, Xiaohan would wake up and cause another chaotic scene.
The morning sun was warm, but Xia Yan's mood was still a bit gloomy. She trudged back to her dorm, listless. She had no classes in the morning. The other two girls in the dorm were probably out handling internship matters, leaving only Lin Xujia still curled up in bed, snoring away.
She slowly walked into the bathroom, looked at her dark circles in the mirror, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on her face.