Before long, the weekend arrived.
Fu Yan had been in a foul, restless mood over the past few days. No matter how hard he searched, the sweet little darling from that night could not be found, as though she had dissolved into thin air. Every day he returned home to face that silent, sullen block of wood, and it drove him nearly out of his mind with frustration.
Having finally made it to the weekend and finished the business matters at hand, he made his way to that tavern.
He took a seat in a quiet corner, downing cup after cup of strong liquor.
He was waiting.
He was waiting for the sweet darling who had blended so seamlessly with him in passion that night.
Yet as the deep night wore on into the break of dawn, the surrounding alcoves emptied and filled again, but that silhouette never appeared.
The man pinched his empty wine cup between his fingers, he radiated barely restrained aggression.
Chen Zhou sat off to the side, not daring to utter a single sound. Seeing his master in such a state, it was glaringly obvious that he had failed to find the person he was waiting for and was harboring a chest full of rage. He certainly was not going to stick his neck out and become collateral damage. Just because he had made one wrong communication last time, he had been living on the edge of a blade for an entire week.
Fu Yan slammed his cup onto the table with a heavy thud, rising to his feet with slightly unsteady steps.
“Back to the villa,” he ordered, his voice cold.
Chen Zhou obeyed immediately and escorted him back to Jinghua Villa.
Late at night, the villa was steeped in silence.
Fu Yan was thoroughly intoxicated, his mind hazy and his vision blurred. Guided purely by instinct, he walked in a familiar direction and pushed open a door.
Inside, only a small night lamp flickered, casting a dim and gentle golden light.
Wen Shushu had not long finished bathing. She was wearing soft, cozy cotton sleepwear, her long hair draped loosely beside her pillow as she slept peacefully. She was a light sleeper by nature, so when she felt a sudden dark shadow press down upon her, she froze in terror, her eyes flying open.
“Who is it?!”
Her voice trembled, her delicate hands frantically shoving at the person on top of her. But the man was tall and solidly built, pressing down on her like a mountain, and her feeble strength could not budge him in the slightest.
“You… you have the wrong room…”
Wen Shushu was so distressed that the rims of her eyes turned red, desperately pushing against his chest. “This is my room!”
Fu Yan seemed entirely deaf to her words. In his drunken haze, a familiar, alluring scent of gardenia drifted into his nose, the exact same fragrance as the woman who had been in his arms that night.
His throat bobbed heavily as he lowered his head, nuzzling into the delicate, soft curve of her neck. His scorching breath sprayed over her fine skin, burning so hot that Wen Shushu trembled all over.
“Don’t… please don’t do this…”
Frightened nearly to tears, she used all her strength to push at his head, but it was entirely useless.
In the next moment, the man leaned down, domineeringly sealing her lips. She turned her head in an attempt to dodge, but he reached out and locked her delicate nape in place, his tongue callously prying open her pearl-like teeth to tangle with her in repeated, relentless caresses.
She was kissed so thoroughly she could barely catch her breath, yet he showed no intention of letting go. She closed her eyes and bit down hard, causing him pain, before he finally loosened his grip.
Taking advantage of his clouded consciousness and weakened hold, Wen Shushu used every ounce of her strength to squirm out from beneath him, scrambling and crawling to the edge of the bed.
She looked at the man who had taken over her entire bed, feeling both terrified and deeply wronged, her eyes ringed in red.
How could he be like this?
They had agreed not to interfere with each other, yet he insisted on managing everything, and now he was even taking over her room.
In the end, she could only clutch her thin blanket, curling up on the settee in her room, staring wide awake until the late hours of the night before finally drifting off into an exhausted sleep.
Early the next morning.
Fu Yan was awakened by the pounding headache of a hangover and an unfamiliar scent.
His brows furrowed as he opened his eyes.
This was not his bedroom, but a room filled with muted, soft hues, a faint and clean floral fragrance lingering around his nose.
He sat up abruptly.
Sweeping his gaze across the room, he caught sight of the petite woman curled up on the settee.
Wen Shushu was sleeping very uneasily, huddled into a tiny ball on the settee.
For a moment, Fu Yan’s eyes froze, and his memories slowly flooded back. Last night, he had failed to find the person at the tavern, drank too much, and walked into the wrong room.
He shook his head, stood up, and walked over to the settee.
Looking at the figure curled into a ball, a rare surge of kindness came over him.
He bent down and lifted her up in a horizontal carry.
The girl slept lightly, and feeling the shift, she instinctively shrank toward the warmth, her head gently nuzzling against his chest.
It was that single, light touch that caused all of Fu Yan’s muscles to instantly tense up. A tingling itch spread outward from his chest, making his breath hitch for half a beat.
The person in his arms was remarkably light, a tiny, soft bundle with skin as white as porcelain, delicate and smooth.
Fu Yan lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on her face.
This was the first time he had looked at her so closely and so attentively. Usually, she always kept her head lowered, not daring to look at him, as docile as a shadow. Only now, fast asleep, was she completely defenseless.
Her skin was extremely fair, her lips pink, soft, and slightly swollen, her nose small, and her eyelashes long and thick.
His throat bobbed uncontrollably once more.
Damn it.
The male beast within him was already showing signs of awakening.