Jiang Wang looked at Si Yuan’s flushed eyes and knew perfectly well—she must be drunk.
Otherwise, with her usual timid nature, forget taking the initiative to say she wanted to kiss him, even speaking a few extra words with him required careful consideration. Where would she get such boldness?
Jiang Wang didn’t hold back with his words, his tone carrying its usual teasing edge: “What? Can’t even keep the things given to you?”
Si Yuan curled her fingers slightly but didn’t respond.
She also felt useless, unable to even protect a necklace someone else had given her.
Before she could dwell on it further, Jiang Wang had already scooped her up into his arms.
Si Yuan stiffened all over, like a startled rabbit, frantically grabbing the edge of the nearby shoe cabinet.
Her voice carried fear and wariness: “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Sleeping.”
Jiang Wang said it matter-of-factly, his arms holding her steadily without the slightest sway.
Si Yuan’s face instantly burned, her ears turning completely red as she gripped the shoe cabinet tighter: “I-I only said I wanted to kiss you, I didn’t say I wanted to…”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the rest, but her panic was already written all over her face.
Jiang Wang was both amused and exasperated. Looking down at her as if facing a great enemy, he remarked mockingly: “What are you thinking? I’m taking you back to bed to sleep.”
Si Yuan froze for a moment before realizing she had misunderstood again.
So she quietly released her grip on the shoe cabinet, her ears still warm, letting Jiang Wang carry her toward the bedroom.
Jiang Wang chuckled softly: “What kind of filthy thoughts fill your head all day long?”
Si Yuan mumbled: “It’s because of you… If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t think like this.”
She was telling the truth.
In high school, she knew nothing—all her knowledge in that area came from Jiang Wang. She didn’t know how many girls he had dated or how he knew so much.
His desires were so intense…
So whenever she was with him, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.
Jiang Wang gently placed her on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.
Si Yuan curled up like a kitten, only her round eyes visible, staring intently at him with a hint of insecure dependence.
Jiang Wang paused, then suddenly produced something from behind.
That… necklace.
Si Yuan’s eyes lit up, but just as she was about to speak, she saw Jiang Wang toss it into the trash bin with a clean, decisive motion.
“That cost several million…” Si Yuan muttered softly, feeling a bit heartbroken.
“Worn by someone else—it’s dirty.” Jiang Wang’s tone was indifferent as he reached out to ruffle her hair. “Next time I’ll get you a new one, ten times better than this.”
Si Yuan felt a stir in her heart. Thinking of Lin Shuangyu’s smug expression while wearing the necklace, she suddenly felt it wasn’t such a pity to lose it.
She said seriously: “I’m sorry, next time I’ll protect my things better.”
Jiang Wang wanted to smoke, but this was a girl’s bedroom, so he restrained himself.
“Don’t I know what you’re like? No need to force yourself to become a porcupine just to feel like you’ve lived up to others. Besides, one of us being tough is enough.”
Growing up was a painful process of shedding skin and pulling out tendons.
Even though she was clumsy and timid, Jiang Wang never wanted her to be forced to become someone else.
Jiang Wang sat down in the chair by the bed, crossing his legs as his gaze settled on her face. Changing the subject, he asked: “Still afraid of the dark?”
Si Yuan nodded obediently.
This fear started in her senior year of high school, from that time when someone locked her in the basement after school.
The next day, when Song Yan found her, she had already developed a fear of the dark.
At that time, she hadn’t met Jiang Wang yet.
But after hearing Si Yuan recount these events so casually, Jiang Wang could almost imagine how deep the psychological trauma she had endured was.
With a hint of expected understanding, Jiang Wang said, “Sleep, I’ll watch over you.”
Si Yuan pursed her lips, feeling as if her heart were wrapped in something warm and comforting.
She closed her eyes, and the anxiety that usually churned inside her at night slowly dissipated. Before long, she was breathing steadily and had fallen asleep?
This was the first time she had managed to sleep so peacefully without relying on medication.
Jiang Wang sat beside her, watching her obedient sleeping face. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyes, and his heart softened immensely.
He stood up, preparing to leave.
But his gaze suddenly fell on the medicine bottles on the nightstand.
Several bottles were lined up together, their labels completely torn off.
He picked up one of the bottles, poured out a white pill, and held it between his fingers, his eyes darkening.
Jiang Wang pocketed the pill, walked out of the bedroom, and immediately texted his assistant.
“Come pick up a medication. Investigate it thoroughly and get me the results as soon as possible.”
Early the next morning, Si Yuan woke up with a throbbing pain in her Taiyang Xue.
She sat up wrapped in the blanket, her eyes dazed.
It took a while for the fragments of last night to slowly come back to her.
The nonsense she had spouted over the phone, Jiang Wang suddenly appearing at her door, the unexpected kiss after she opened the door in her bathrobe…
Her cheeks flushed bright red in an instant, burning fiercely.
She raised her hands to cover her face, rubbing it, then collapsed back onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.
Only one thought remained in her mind: No matter what, she must never drink that much again.
So embarrassing!
She threw off the covers and climbed out of bed.
The sofa where Jiang Wang had sat the night before still carried a faint trace of his scent.
The necklace in the trash had already disappeared, clearly cleaned up by someone.
The moment she recalled her “heroic deeds” from last night, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
Jiang Wang hadn’t done anything—she was the one who had started it?
Si Yuan wanted to wash her face to calm down.
Just then, the doorbell rang abruptly.
She wiped her hands and walked to the entryway. Peering through the screen, she froze when she saw who it was.
Song Yan.
Why was he here?
Si Yuan went back to the bedroom to change clothes before opening the door.
Song Yan seemed about to say something when he saw her, but he paused, his tone tinged with concern.
“Why is your face so red?”
Si Yuan instinctively touched her cheeks. Feeling the heat, she hastily made an excuse: “Maybe… I caught a bit of a chill last night and didn’t sleep well.”
Song Yan didn’t overthink it. His face showed a helpless expression, and his tone carried a hint of reproach. “I called you several times last night, but you didn’t answer. I messaged to ask if you got home safely, but you didn’t reply. Do you know how worried I was?”
Si Yuan felt no emotional stir, even somewhat numb.
If he were truly worried, why had he waited until this morning to come?
If something had really happened, a whole night would have been more than enough for countless accidents to occur.
Suppressing her thoughts, she forced a faint smile and stepped aside to let Song Yan in. “Brother, have a seat. What brings you here so suddenly today?”
As she spoke, she took out her phone to text her supervisor and ask for leave.
She simply didn’t have the energy to go to work today.
Song Yan sat down on the sofa, his gaze sweeping across the living room. Only after confirming nothing seemed amiss did he speak: “Didn’t we agree last night? I’ll take you jewelry shopping today to make it up to you.”