After leaving the Mu building, Ruan Mi drove straight back to Yujing Bay.
Once back in her bedroom, she locked herself inside and soaked in the bathtub, scrubbing herself thoroughly.
Again and again. She tried to reach for the body wash but couldn’t seem to pick it up.
Her hands were trembling violently.
That mad dog Mu Xiubai—she had almost been defiled.
The maid glanced up at Ruan Mi’s room, hesitated for a moment, then made a call to Bo Ye.
Half an hour later.
A knock sounded at Ruan Mi’s door. It went on for a long time with no response.
“Ruan Ruan, it’s your brother. I’m coming in.”
With that, he signaled the maid to open the door. With a click, the door swung open.
The room was clean and tidy. No one inside.
The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. Bo Ye walked toward it.
“Ruan Ruan, I need to talk to you. Can you come out?”
No response. Bo Ye’s brows knitted into a tight knot, his thin lips pressed into a straight line.
Could something have happened?
His expression turned cold and grim. Without further hesitation, he pushed open the bathroom door.
What met his eyes was a expanse of fair skin—the woman in the bathtub had fallen asleep.
Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink, her chest’s gentle curves covered by the warm water.
Her slender arm rested on the edge of the tub, revealing a snow-white neck and collarbones.
Bo Ye’s gaze darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily.
He should have turned away immediately, but the water in the tub was still running, and he watched as her body began to slip, slowly sliding down into the water.
Bo Ye lunged forward in a single stride, scooping her up, grabbing a towel from nearby to wrap around her, and lifting her horizontally into his arms.
The places he touched were alarmingly hot.
Ruan Mi let out a soft moan, her voice hoarse, her hands reaching out toward wherever was cool.
He laid her on the soft bed, but Ruan Mi clung to Bo Ye’s neck like an octopus, refusing to let go.
Her damp little hand had already slipped past his shirt collar.
Helplessly, he pressed down the restless woman and climbed onto the bed with her, cradling her in his arms and soothing her gently.
Why is her body so hot?
He called the family doctor. Half an hour later, the examination was complete.
Stress-induced fever—physical cooling would be sufficient.
The family doctor glanced once more at the two tightly embracing figures, hesitating as if about to speak.
“Say what you need to say.”
Bo Ye’s gaze was icy. The doctor dared not hold back.
“Sir, Miss Ruan has some issues with her reproductive system. It would be best for her to go to the hospital for a thorough examination.”
Bo Ye’s eyes snapped up, cold light shooting from his frigid gaze.
“Don’t spread nonsense. You may leave.”
An absolute warning.
The room fell silent once more. Staring at the restless woman in his arms, Bo Ye’s eyes turned deep and dark.
He made a phone call. There were some things he needed to look into more thoroughly.
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through the white gauze curtains, casting light on the two tightly entwined figures—more precisely, a woman sprawled across the man like an octopus.
Ruan Mi had slept very well last night. She let out a contented sigh, her fuzzy head nuzzling comfortably against him.
She moved her slightly stiff fingers, only to touch something warm.
She squeezed it, pressed it—the texture was supple and springy.
Her beautiful eyes flew open.
A pleasant, cool, crisp scent drifted past her nose, and her mind instantly cleared.
Her gaze traveled upward, until Bo Ye’s absurdly stunning face came into view.
Ruan Mi squeezed her eyes shut tightly. When she opened them again, that handsome, flawless face was still there.
She glanced down at her own sleeping position and wanted to slap herself.
Animal! How could she treat Bo Ye like this? He was her brother!
She stole another glance. Fortunately, Bo Ye was still asleep—otherwise, she’d be in for a round of teasing and scolding.
She began to inch her body away cautiously, so flustered she didn’t even notice that she had been taking a bath last night.
Yet now she was wearing loungewear, and this room was hers.
Ruan Mi tiptoed out of the bedroom. But the man lying in bed, supposedly asleep, had already opened his eyes.
He propped his head up with his hand, watching the direction of the door, having enjoyed every bit of Ruan Mi’s little antics.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, his eyes full of amusement.
How adorable.
Downstairs, the maid saw Ruan Mi come out and greeted her with a smile.
“Miss Ruan, are you feeling better? Is the fever gone?”
Ruan Mi pulled out a chair and sat down, a question mark practically hanging over her head.
“Fever?”
She touched her own forehead as she spoke. It was cool as ice!
“Did I have a fever last night?”
She had absolutely no memory of it.
“Yes. Last night you locked yourself in your room and took a very long bath, then passed out in the tub.
The master called the family doctor, who said it was a stress-induced fever.
I wanted to take care of you myself, but you wouldn’t let go of the master—so he ended up looking after you all night alone!”
Ruan Mi paused mid-sip of her milk. She remembered now—yesterday, Mu Xiubai had gone mad and nearly forced himself on her.
Disgusted and revolted, she had gone to soak in the bath.
But stress-induced fever? And she had clung to Bo Ye and wouldn’t let go?
Oh heavens, how utterly embarrassing.
Would Bo Ye come out and tease her about it later?
Just as she was thinking this, footsteps sounded from upstairs.
The maid addressed him as “Master,” and Ruan Mi looked over.
The man in dark loungewear, collar slightly open, one hand in his pocket, wore a roguish smile at the corner of his lips.
Relaxed and confident, he walked toward her step by step.
Bathed in sunlight, the golden rays gilded him with a layer of gold.
Ever since her first encounter with Bo Ye, she had been stunned by his breathtaking appearance, and for years afterward, she had been immune to handsome men.
But at this moment, she discovered that Bo Ye had reached a new level of handsomeness, with a powerful masculine aura radiating from within.
Pure, alluring, and wild.
“What are you staring at? Drool’s almost dripping down—don’t tell me you’ve got ideas about me?”
Bo Ye sat down across from her and flicked her nose with his finger, teasing.
Ruan Mi snapped back to reality and quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand—dry and clean. Where was there any drool?
“Brother, can you stop with the teasing?”
Bo Ye loved to mess with her, always liked to expose her embarrassing secrets, and never let up with his sharp tongue.
But he was truly good to her—genuinely treating her like his own little sister.
Ruan Mi lowered her head, chewing on the bread in her mouth, and casually picked up an egg, peeled it, and placed it on Bo Ye’s plate.
“Eat up—don’t say I never think of you.”
Bo Ye looked at the egg on the plate. The pristine, flawless white of the egg white was like Ruan Mi’s delicate, smooth skin—soft and tender.
His eyes curved with a smile, and his long, well-defined fingers picked up the egg, his thumb gently stroking the surface of the egg white.
As if savoring some memory.
He took small, slow bites, elegant and refined.
“How did the divorce talk go?”
Bo Ye changed the subject at just the right moment. Mentioning the divorce made Ruan Mi’s mood sink.
Bo Ye’s dark eyes narrowed slightly.
“Having regrets? If you regret—”
“No, it’s just that he won’t sign, and there are still some things I haven’t gotten back.”
Ruan Mi quickly explained. That scumbag wasn’t worth wanting anymore.
“Need my help?”
Bo Ye finished the whole egg and picked up his milk, taking a light sip.
The elegant young gentleman carried an innate nobility.
Ruan Mi shook her head. “No, I can handle it myself.”
Divorce wasn’t exactly something to be proud of, especially when it was an unhappy marriage she’d bought with five years of foolishness.