The man was dressed in black from head to toe, his aura cold and severe.
At that moment, he stood leaning against the doorframe with both hands in his pockets.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
Qiao Shuran did not dare look at his expression, nor was she sure whether he had heard their earlier conversation.
Her aunt had run away from the marriage—his pride had taken a hit.
With his temper, if he found out, it would only lead to a dead end.
Ah, her dear aunt was still so young. Although she coveted her inheritance—no, her assets!—she still did not want her to die prematurely!
Qiao Shuran felt extremely guilty and nervous. Clutching the edge of the blanket, she hastily explained, “It was one of my cousins—my aunt. She called to ask when we’d be going back.”
“It’s almost eleven. Get ready—we’ll go now.”
Zhou Yannan looked down at her from above, feeling that beneath her clear eyes was a hint of foolishness.
He had been standing by the door just now, yet she still imagined he could not hear anything. Did she think he was deaf or stupid?
But he did not like to argue with people who were not very bright.
So he might as well pretend to be clueless.
Looking at the little, bewildered “rabbit” still sitting on the bed, not knowing what to do, a trace of impatience finally surfaced in his heart.
“You’re still not getting dressed? Waiting for me to help you?”
“Oh—I’ll do it now.”
Qiao Shuran pulled the blanket tightly over her chest, only then realizing, “Is it already eleven? I took medicine last night—I must have overslept.”
Right, it was the medicine’s fault. It couldn’t be blamed on her.
“It’s fine.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Zhou Yannan paused.
What was this—had he seen a ghost in broad daylight? Someone as domineering as him had actually said “it’s fine.”
Yet the person on the bed still did not move, remaining wrapped in the blanket. “Why didn’t you wake me? Grandmother told us yesterday that we had to go back early this morning to serve tea.”
“We’ll go back tonight.”
The man’s patience finally ran out.
Helpless, he waved his hand behind him. “Come in. Help Madam get dressed.”
“Yes.”
As soon as he spoke, two young maids entered from outside.
One went to the wardrobe to fetch clothes, while the other walked straight to the bedside.
Qiao Shuran clutched the blanket tightly and instinctively scooted back. “You can just bring me the clothes—I’ll dress myself.”
After all, under the blanket, she was completely naked…
Zhou Yannan knew that better than anyone.
He had been the one to strip her last night.
The sensation of the lace underwear still seemed to linger at his fingertips.
Inside his pocket, his fingers unconsciously rubbed together, and a sudden heat surged up from his lower abdomen.
“Leave the clothes and go out.”
His voice was hoarser than before.
A primal urge drove him, urging him to step forward—
to tear off her blanket and…
But there was no time.
Reaching up, he loosened his collar and let out a slow breath. “Can you get dressed now?”
“Can you… step out too?” Qiao Shuran pointed toward the door.
Being stared at so directly by him made her feel quite embarrassed.
So troublesome.
Zhou Yannan complained inwardly, but his body obediently turned around. “I’ll wait downstairs.”
It was now 11:05. Half an hour should be enough for her to get ready.
From the villa to the Qiao family residence, they would arrive just in time at twelve.
Not late.
Only after watching the man leave did Qiao Shuran finally relax, now alone in the room.
She gathered her messy hair behind her head and picked up her clothes.
She had worn bright red all day yesterday, and today was the same.
From head to toe—even her underwear was red.
For someone whose profession was image management, being dressed entirely in one color was truly unbearable!
Speaking of her career, after graduating, she had originally worked at her family’s company.
But unloved by her father and stepmother, she had been excluded everywhere in the company.
She was not the type to endure silently. After making a big scene, she had taken the opportunity to demand a sum of money from her father and started her own business.
Now, in Hancheng’s city center, she ran an image aesthetics studio called “Hua Yu Shu.”
It focused on personal image design, wardrobe management, and styling advice.
However, truly high-end clients usually had their own personal stylists, so most of her customers were middle- to lower-tier.
Even so, while her business was neither big nor small, it did not affect her ability to make money.
Her lifelong dream was to earn money, spend money, and admire handsome men.
Now that she had married Zhou Yannan, she had indirectly fulfilled that dream.
Zhou Yannan had money, power, and looks. It was just a pity that last night, she had only “slept with him halfway.”
Thinking back on it now… it really was a bit of a shame.
With limited time, she did not dwell on it.
She quickly went to the bathroom to wash her face and do her skincare, then applied her makeup herself.
Once she was done styling, she put on a bright red satin qipao. It hugged her figure perfectly—accentuating her curves and highlighting her slender waist.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Qiao Shuran could not help but sigh.
Perfect.
She did not indulge in self-admiration for long. Grabbing her phone, she headed downstairs.
Zhou Yannan was already waiting by the car, dressed in a formal suit. His leather shoes were polished, and his hair was neatly combed back, exuding a sharp and imposing presence.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her graceful figure approaching. He casually opened the rear car door and glanced at his watch.
11:55—twenty minutes later than he had expected.
Women were indeed troublesome.
Meanwhile, the lady in question walked toward him unhurriedly in her high heels.
After saying “thank you,” she elegantly lifted her skirt.
The moment the car door closed, A Wen started the engine and drove toward the Qiao family residence.
In the confined backseat, the two unfamiliar people sat side by side, neither speaking.
Qiao Shuran suddenly felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
Because, in her unreliable mind, images from last night suddenly resurfaced.
At that time, she had been lying on the bed in her nightgown. After his shower, the man had come over and directly turned off the lights before kissing her.
They had not even exchanged a word before her clothes were gone.
Even now, recalling it made her cheeks heat up uncontrollably.
No, no—she couldn’t think about it anymore.
Qiao Shuran raised her hand and fanned herself lightly near her ear.
“What’s wrong? Feeling hot?”
The cool voice beside her startled her.
To be fair, aside from his looks, this man’s voice was quite appealing.
Low, with a hint of sensuality.
She wondered what he would sound like in moments like that…
Oh heavens!
Qiao Shuran pinched her thigh hard with the hand resting at her side.
Was her brain filled with nothing but inappropriate thoughts?
Why did she keep thinking of things that made her blush!
“Mm… a little hot. I’ll get some air.”
She quickly rolled down the window.
It was the second day of the National Day holiday. In the early autumn noon, the wind was not exactly cool—but it was enough to blow away those alarming thoughts.
Zhou Yannan sat upright beside her for a moment before gradually relaxing back into his seat.
He could feel that his wife was nervous.
But he could not understand why.
Perhaps some people were simply timid by nature.
Just like last night—before he had even done anything, she had already gotten so scared that she developed a fever.
Such a useless little thing.
The man let out a soft scoff, and immediately, a rich fragrance filled his nose.
It was her scent—exactly the same as last night.
Recalling it, something within him stirred again.
Lowering his gaze, he saw that she was wearing a qipao today, with a slit at the side, exposing her straight, fair legs completely.
A qipao…
It would feel very satisfying to tear it apart.