A single, simple sentence struck like a bolt of lightning, successfully diverting all of Zhong Chu’s thoughts.
Her expression went blank for a split second, and she nearly bit the inside of her cheek. Her composed facade completely crumbled; unable to believe the implication behind An Yanqing’s words, she took three steps in two and rushed to the doors of the other two rooms.
The doors were closed, making it impossible to see the interior. At this moment, she couldn’t care less about politeness—when dealing with a bastard like An Yanqing, tearing off the mask of civility was the least she could do!
Her face turned a pale shade of green as she pointed at a door and demanded, “Which one is the guest bedroom?”
An Yanqing pushed open the door to the guest room, switched on the light, and gave her a sidelong glance. Her voice was neither cold nor warm. “Miss Zhong’s reputation for being ‘romantic’ precedes her out there. It’s just sharing a bed with me—are you actually scared?”
Zhong Chu pursed her red lips and glared back fiercely, refusing to show weakness. “Who exactly should be afraid of whom?”
Because of her prominent family background and artistic talent, she had always been pursued by a constant stream of admirers. Countless people sought to use her—the pearl of the Zhong family—as a stepping stone to climb the great tree of the Zhong clan.
In contrast, throughout An Yanqing’s years in the entertainment industry, she had maintained a near-perfect record of zero scandals, always keeping her distance from others and keeping her personal life spotless. This had eventually caused the paparazzi to lose interest in her private affairs.
In the eyes of the public, the two of them were at opposite extremes. But even if Zhong Chu felt a tremor of apprehension in her heart, she would never allow herself to lose face.
A faint smile played on An Yanqing’s face as she watched her quietly, seemingly seeing through her “bravery” born of desperation. She tossed the words back lightly: “Want to try?”
With those two words, Zhong Chu was left speechless.
She felt a stifling frustration in her chest, a fire she couldn’t release. She could only shove past An Yanqing and enter the guest room.
The living room outside was empty enough, containing nothing but essential furniture. But this place—
It was “perfect.”
It was spotlessly clean, completely empty, and didn’t even have a bed!
Zhong Chu stared blankly at the vacant room. Despite all her upbringing and refinement, she couldn’t suppress the urge to swear.
An Yanqing opened the other door and looked back at her. Zhong Chu was certain that at that moment, she saw a faint, clear trace of a smile on An Yanqing’s face.
It was an absolute, blatant mockery!
Refusing to believe her luck, she strode into the other room and immediately came face-to-face with several versions of herself.
This room was covered in mirrors on every wall. Scattered nearby were some unopened fitness equipment, and in the corner were some live-streaming and recording devices. It looked like a specially designed multi-purpose room.
In any case, at first glance, two words stood out: No bed!
Zhong Chu pressed her fingers heavily against the doorframe and closed her eyes, forcing herself to ask calmly, “Then where am I supposed to sleep tonight?”
An Yanqing stood behind her, looking into the room with her. Upon hearing the question, her eyes met Zhong Chu’s in the mirror, and the corners of her lips curled slightly. “Didn’t you want to try? Are you chickening out?”
The string of Zhong Chu’s precarious sanity finally snapped. Amidst a surge of fury, she struggled to maintain a sliver of composure. “From the time I was a child, I have never shared a bed with anyone. If you aren’t afraid of being kicked off the bed in the middle of the night, feel free to try.”
This was an overt threat.
An Yanqing was exhausted after a day of work. If she really forced the issue, Zhong Chu would surely make it impossible for her to sleep a wink.
Since the threat perfectly matched the eldest Miss Zhong’s temper, An Yanqing spread her hands and made a compromise for the sake of her own safety. “There is a spare set of bedding; you can sleep on the floor.”
Sleep… on… the… floor?
Zhong Chu was so angry she actually laughed. She pointed at herself and asked, syllable by syllable, “You want me to sleep on the floor?”
“An Yanqing, we’ve already registered the marriage. I am your wife! On the first day of our marriage, I come to your house, and you want me to sleep on the floor?”
Hearing the word “wife,” An Yanqing’s expression shifted slightly. Seeing a potential opening, Zhong Chu was about to strike while the iron was hot when An Yanqing suddenly straightened up and said helplessly, “Fine. Tonight, I will sleep on the floor.”
Zhong Chu knitted her brows, still dissatisfied with the result. However, if she were to sleep directly in the same bed, she would feel incredibly awkward.
She had been used to sleeping alone since childhood. Having someone suddenly beside her—especially a rival she had always loathed—meant tonight would undoubtedly be a sleepless one.
In the middle of the night, even if they wanted to buy another bed, it would be a huge hassle.
After a long day, both were exhausted. By the time Zhong Chu’s assistant finished delivering her things and helped them settle in, it was nearly midnight.
After washing up, Zhong Chu finally lay down in bed. She was the type to have trouble sleeping in a strange bed; even though she was so tired her eyelids were drooping, her mind remained sharp, and she fell into a rare state of insomnia.
When the assistant had delivered the items, she had asked if she should bring food. At that time, Zhong Chu wasn’t very hungry, thinking that since it was past her usual mealtime and so late, it wouldn’t be good for digestion, so she declined.
But now, her hunger was intensifying. Zhong Chu pressed her hand against her stomach; the irritating sensation of hunger felt both foreign and familiar. Lying on the stiff bed, thinking about the miserable events of the day, the more she thought, the more aggrieved she felt.
An Yanqing had given her the only bed and obediently gone to sleep on the floor. But seeing that person she had always disliked take the initiative to yield and put herself at a disadvantage didn’t give Zhong Chu any sense of retaliatory pleasure.
On the contrary, the slight guilt and feeling of indebtedness only made her more agitated.
Perhaps it was because this wasn’t a victory she had won herself? She seemed to have the upper hand in this confrontation, but in reality, had she still lost?
Zhong Chu tossed and turned, unable to figure it out. Listening to the faint hum of the air conditioner, she became even more restless. The subtle noise became unbearable; the empty stomach plus insomnia caused her already poor mood to plummet.
When had the pampered Miss Zhong ever suffered such grievances?
Until a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Zhong Chu suddenly came to her senses, threw off the quilt, put on her dressing gown, and walked out of the bedroom with elegant poise.
Since she was miserable, and the root of that misery was one person, why should the culprit be sleeping soundly while she suffered from these negative emotions?
If she was going to be miserable, then everyone should be miserable together!
On the other side, An Yanqing was equally sleepless.
Her schedule had been packed these past few days. Even when going to the Civil Affairs Bureau, she had rushed over immediately after finishing her day’s work. But even though her body was exhausted, lying there now, she simply couldn’t fall asleep.
She had taken the marriage certificate out of her pocket and tucked it under her pillow. She stared at the thick darkness for a while, still without any drowsiness. She turned slightly, reached under the pillow, and stroked the little red book in the dark.
The cover was slightly cool and felt smooth. Two thin booklets, easily held in one hand.
Her fingertips rested on it, lightly tracing the patterns. The contents seemed engraved in her heart, as the formal black characters flowed through her mind one by one.
Time passed slowly in the silence, the room wrapped in layers of darkness. Not knowing exactly how much time had passed, An Yanqing closed her eyes. Just as she was beginning to feel a hint of sleepiness, she was suddenly startled by a knock at the door.
The frequency of the knocking was steady, but each knock landed heavily.
Startled, An Yanqing picked up her phone to check the time; it was already past 1:00 AM. According to Zhong Chu’s usual habits, she should have been in dreamland long ago.
Frowning slightly, she dressed and stood up.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Miss Zhong leaning against the frame with her legs crossed, her graceful figure displayed without reservation.
Her newly changed wine-red dressing gown was loosely open, revealing her delicate and enticing collarbones. Red suited her perfectly, not to mention that the pampered Miss Zhong’s skin was as smooth as silk; the dazzling whiteness shimmered straight into one’s heart.
“What are you do—” An Yanqing’s expression froze, the question she was about to ask catching in her throat. She held the door handle, stunned.
Then, she saw the woman’s eyes tilt slightly, shimmering like rippling water. A pair of eyes swept over her lightly—it was flirtatious and full of emotion. Her gaze seemed to have hooks, as beautiful as a mountain spirit trying to steal someone’s soul.
She folded her arms, her voice rising at the end, charming and soft: “An Yanqing, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and get over here to fulfill your marital duties.”