The next morning, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, spilling into the room.
On the bed, Jing Nian’an lay sprawled out in her sleep, the shoulder strap of her silk nightgown slipping down her arm, revealing a patch of fair skin.
Her long, soft hair was scattered messily across the pillow, making her delicate, palm-sized face appear even more exquisite.
The girl stretched her limbs like a cat before drowsily opening her eyes.
The moment her gaze focused, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure sitting by the bedside.
The man sat with his legs crossed, fingers interlaced and resting on his knees.
At that moment, Jing Lüyan was leaning back in her carved armchair, dozing lightly, his Adam’s apple tracing a seductive curve in the morning light.
His typically sharp phoenix eyes were gently closed, long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them.
His handsome face carried a hint of weariness, his brow slightly furrowed, clearly not resting peacefully.
“Brother!”
Jing Nian’an’s eyes lit up as she propped herself up from under the covers, her voice sweet and soft.
The velvet blanket slid down with her movement, revealing the delicate crimson mole on her slender collarbone.
As soon as Jing Lüyan opened his eyes, a warm, fragrant, and soft figure crashed into his arms.
Jing Nian’an stood barefoot on his shoes, her slender arms familiarly wrapping around his neck.
A unique yet familiar rose-like scent instantly enveloped him.
“When did you get back, Brother?”
She tilted her porcelain-like face upward, her glassy eyes sparkling with tiny flecks of light.
Her fingertips playfully tugged at his buttons. “Where’s my gift? Hmm?”
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as his large hand cupped her slender waist, lifting her a little higher.
His tall, straight nose buried itself into the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath of her sweet, lingering scent.
“Don’t fuss,” his voice was hoarse, laced with exhaustion yet still carrying an undeniable authority. “Let me hold you for a while.”
Jing Nian’an immediately became as docile as a cat being stroked, though she pouted and muttered softly, “Brother’s head is so heavy…”
Seeing no reaction from him, she rubbed her nose against the stubble newly sprouting on his jawline. “Do I have a gift or not…?”
Sunlight gilded their figures, the man’s broad shoulders completely enveloping the girl.
It wasn’t until the antique wall clock struck ten that Jing Lüyan slowly straightened up.
Then, with one hand, he lifted her back into the velvet blanket.
“Brother?”
Jing Nian’an tilted her head, her satin-like hair slipping from her shoulders.
She watched, puzzled, as the man leisurely undid his cufflinks, his pale wrist gleaming like fine bone china in the morning light.
Jing Lüyan rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly lifting his gaze to meet hers. “Where did you go yesterday afternoon?”
Jing Nian’an’s heart skipped a beat, her pupils instantly contracting.
Her long lashes cast uneasy shadows beneath her eyes.
“I… I was just practicing in the music room…”
The girl lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, pretending not to understand.
The man leaned back in his chair, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.
Sunlight streamed from behind him, dividing his sharply defined face between light and shadow, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure.
“Jing Nian’an.” He called her by her full name, his voice not loud but enough to freeze the air. “Last time I’m asking.”
Hearing this, the girl, with practiced ease, began to redden her eyes, tears hanging precariously on her curled lashes.
“How could you be like this! You just got back and you’re already scolding me. What do you mean by that…?”
“My shoulders are sore from your head resting on them…”
With practiced skill, Jing Nian’an shifted the blame onto Jing Lüyan, her tearful accusations filling the air.Wiping away tears with her hands while secretly peeking through her fingers to gauge his reaction.
Seeing him unmoved, she intensified her assault, crying even louder.
The tip of her nose flushed slightly red, looking utterly pitiful.
Jing Lüyan leisurely picked up the phone by the bedside, ignoring her performance.
After glancing at the time, his thin lips parted slightly: “Keep crying and I’ll freeze your card.”
Instantly, the crying ceased abruptly.
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, threatening to fall but not quite, her mouth agape like a cat suddenly grabbed by the scruff of its neck.
Jing Lüyan was amused by her expression, the corner of his lips curling into a fleeting smile.
Only his slender, distinct fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the phone, betraying a hint of his good mood.
Jing Nian’an wilted completely, collapsing onto the large bed like a dehydrated rose.
Sprawled across the quilt in a starfish position, she muttered in resignation: “I went to a bar.”
The silk nightgown slid up to her thighs with her careless posture, revealing two legs so pale they were dazzling.
“What did you go there for?” The man’s voice deepened by three degrees.
To drink, of course.
She muttered softly, swallowing the latter half of her sentence—”what else?”—under his suddenly sharp gaze.
Her tongue subtly pressed against her cheek.
“Very well,” he said quietly, his long fingers tapping rapidly on the phone screen.
“One month’s allowance deducted. Starting this weekend, you’ll come to the company with me.”
“Why should I!”
The girl sprang up like a carp leaping from water, only to realize sitting didn’t give her enough presence.
So she stood up instead, hands on her hips, looking down at him, her delicate toes sinking into the soft bedding.
But the man merely lazily lifted his eyelids, his narrow phoenix eyes sweeping over her, instantly dissolving the courage she had mustered.
“Unwilling? That’s fine too,” the man suddenly raised an eyebrow, patting his thigh with his large hand. “Then come here.”
The girl’s face flushed crimson, from the tips of her ears all the way down to her collarbone.
She stiffened her neck, like a bristling cat: “I’m all grown up now!”
Jing Lüyan’s eyes darkened slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing gently: “Fine, then choose for yourself.”
Jing Nian’an genuinely felt like crying this time. Huffily turning away from him, she muttered unwillingly:
“…I choose the first option!”
“Hmm.” The man stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. “Go wash up.”
As he reached out to carry her, Jing Nian’an dodged to the side like a nimble fish, lifting her small face to protest:
“What about my meals? Do you want to starve me?”
Jing Lüyan’s long arm pulled her back into his embrace, his palm firmly supporting the bend of her leg.
The girl’s rose-scented hair brushed against his jaw, tickling him. “You won’t go hungry.”
After a pause, he added in a lowered voice: “So spoiled.”