In the bathroom, Gong Ming draped a bathrobe over himself. Water droplets from his hair slid down his sturdy chest and disappeared beneath his abdominal muscles.
He casually toweled his short hair as he slowly made his way in her direction.
Cheng Youyi had only glanced at him for a second before her mind instantly turned into a jumbled mess, and even her breathing became somewhat difficult.
Oh no, what should I do? She wasn’t prepared at all!
In her panic, she hastily grabbed a nearby bathrobe, wrapped herself haphazardly, and tried to slip away. She was terrified, she wanted to escape, she didn’t know how to face any of this.
Yet she had only taken a few steps before she bumped right into Gong Ming, who was approaching her. His steps drew closer, like a thick wall trapping her tightly.
The distinct scent of a man washed over her, accompanied by a familiar body warmth, and Cheng Youyi’s face flushed red all the way to the tips of her ears.
Her mind was now flooded with the explicit scenes from the car, making her wish she could dig a hole and disappear.
But in this situation, she could only pretend nothing had happened. Otherwise, if questioned, she would seem shameless.
So she kept her head down, trying her best to ignore his scorching gaze.
The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and Cheng Youyi felt as if the oxygen around her was nearly depleted.
She held her breath, utterly uneasy.
“What are you doing up?” After a moment, a deep, rich voice sounded above her head.
Was he talking to her? Cheng Youyi cautiously lifted her eyelids, her voice timid. “Um… Uncle, I’m sorry for troubling you tonight. Thank you for your hospitality. I think… I should go back now.”
After she finished speaking, Gong Ming stared at her for a long time. Finally, a faint, almost imperceptible curve tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Hospitality? You mean… in the car?”
What?!
How could he say that out loud?
Those words nearly choked Cheng Youyi on the spot. She felt her heart pounding wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.
“Ah… no, you… you misunderstood. It’s just that it’s very late now. If I don’t go back soon, Grandpa will worry.” Afraid Gong Ming wouldn’t be reassured, she quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep tonight’s events confidential. Let’s just pretend nothing happened. I know it was my fault, so… I won’t make a fuss, and I definitely won’t cling to you.”
After saying this, Cheng Youyi lowered her body and tried to sneak away stealthily, but Gong Ming grabbed her slender wrist. The force of his large hand gripping hers was enough to crush it.
“Ah—” Cheng Youyi gasped in surprise. Instinctively, she grabbed his large hand, struggling to pull it away. “Uncle, you… you’re hurting me.”
She looked at him timidly, her eyes misty with unshed tears.
Gong Ming stared at her tender, rosy lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He narrowed his long, dark eyes slightly, a strange flame flickering in their depths.
He leaned in, pressing closer, stopping just a breath away from her lips.
“What if… I want to make a fuss?” he said.
Hearing this, Cheng Youyi widened her eyes. After a dazed three seconds, she quickly reacted.
“Um… we’re both… both adults. You… didn’t lose out, right? So… could we… just let it go?”
Struggling to keep her voice from trembling, she stammered, attempting to defend herself.
“Forget it? How can we forget? In the car… wasn’t it you who begged me with tears to give it to you?” Gong Ming was a businessman who never made unprofitable deals. If he was willing to take her, how could he not have his own motives?
He reminded her word by word, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
These words made Cheng Youyi’s face instantly flush crimson. She was so ashamed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into—it was utterly humiliating.
She didn’t dare meet Gong Ming’s gaze, lowering her eyes and nervously twisting her hands. “Then… how do you want to resolve this?”
Cheng Youyi knew she was in the wrong in this matter. After all, he had helped her; she couldn’t turn around and bite the hand that fed her. That would make her seem utterly ungrateful.
Listening to her pitiful, hesitant voice, Gong Ming found it incredibly amusing. This little thing didn’t seem to fully grasp the situation yet.
Lost in thought, Gong Ming released his grip on her slender wrist and sat down on a nearby armchair. He lowered his gaze, leisurely lighting a cigarette.
“Come here.” Gong Ming lifted his chin slightly, moving the cigarette in his hand away from her, signaling her to come closer.
Cheng Youyi hesitated, not moving an inch.
“Sit,” he commanded again.
Sit? Sit where? Wasn’t the sofa already occupied by him?
Gong Ming glanced at her sideways, his gaze tinged with amusement. “We’ve already done it. Are you still afraid I’ll eat you?”
“…” Huh? What kind of outrageous talk was this?
Outwardly, she didn’t dare utter a word, but inwardly, her mind was in turmoil.
“Come here.” He flicked the ash from his cigarette and spoke again, his tone seemingly heavier this time.
Knowing she couldn’t avoid it, Cheng Youyi steeled herself and walked over.
Unexpectedly, the man suddenly wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pulled her onto his lap. Her back instantly pressed against his firm chest.
The cool, crisp scent emanating from Gong Ming, mixed with the smell of tobacco, wafted into her nostrils, making her already unsettled emotions even more uneasy.
She tried to push him away, but he only tightened his grip.
The man exhaled a white puff of smoke and casually started making conversation. “How old are you? What’s your name?”
“I’m… Cheng Youyi, nineteen years old.” She kept her head down, her small hands nervously twisting together, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
So young? Gong Ming frowned, his large hand on her waist involuntarily tightening. Had he known she was this young, he wouldn’t have touched her earlier.
His gaze fell on the marks covering her neck, and his throat suddenly felt dry. In the car… he had indeed lost control. It was the first time in his twenty-nine years that he had been so unrestrained.
But… that moment lingered in his mind, and even now, holding her, he found it hard to restrain himself.
He never imagined his self-control would be defeated by this little thing.
Seeing him remain silent for so long while staring blatantly at her, Cheng Youyi froze stiff as a mummy, her heart pounding anxiously.
She didn’t know what to do. She was in the wrong to begin with, so she didn’t dare struggle anymore.
But in this situation, if they started negotiating, wouldn’t it be disadvantageous for her?
After a long while, Gong Ming reached out to flick the ash from his cigarette, his voice low and husky. “I heard you want to call off the engagement?”
“What?”
The sudden question caught Cheng Youyi off guard. She blinked, seemingly unsure of his intentions.
Besides, she remembered she hadn’t mentioned anything about calling off the engagement to the Gong family. How did he know?
Gong Ming glanced at her. “I can help you.”
Cheng Youyi blinked her beautiful lashes in a dazed manner: “Where did you hear that I wanted to call off the engagement?”
Gong Ming said nonchalantly: “From you.”
His tone was very calm, and it carried a sense of arrogance and nobility that was hard to decipher.
Cheng Youyi opened her mouth, about to ask about the conditions, when she heard Gong Ming say: “Given our future relationship, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to marry him.”