“Jiang Si, I… I… I…”
“No, what should I do?”
“Jiang…”
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening startled Cheng Sisi. She quickly turned sideways, pretending she was just passing by.
“Sisi!” It was Jiang Si who had opened the door. He smiled and greeted her, “Have you had dinner yet? I haven’t congratulated you on your successful interview!”
“Thank you!”
Cheng Sisi felt a bit nervous, unsure where to put her hands.
“Why didn’t you come down for dinner earlier? The food has already gone cold.”
“I won’t be eating!” Jiang Si turned around to close the door and added, “I was just taking a shower and getting ready to go out. I made plans with friends to eat outside, so don’t worry about me.”
“Oh!” Cheng Sisi couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She had prepared many of his favorite dishes.
Still, she managed to hide her disappointment very well and smiled as she said to him, “Be careful on your way.”
Jiang Si nodded, said a simple “Okay,” and then walked away without sparing her another glance.
This made her even sadder, to the point where she felt like crying.
Jiang Zhuo leaned against the wall, watching with a slight frown, his expression seemingly covered in a layer of frost.
The woman he had his eye on was pining for another man!
Should she be punished?
He just felt that the way Cheng Sisi looked at Jiang Si every time was annoying and grating to his eyes.
When he snapped back to reality, Cheng Sisi had already walked back to her room, looking utterly dejected.
Watching her saddened back as she grieved for another man, the displeasure in Jiang Zhuo’s eyes grew increasingly evident.
10 p.m.
Jiang Zhuo came out of his room to get some water and saw Cheng Sisi sitting in the living room downstairs.
Seeing him come down, Cheng Sisi immediately stood up from the sofa and politely greeted him.
“It’s so late. Why aren’t you in your room?”
Hearing Jiang Zhuo’s question, Cheng Sisi instinctively glanced toward Jiang Xin’s room but kept her mouth shut, not saying a word.
Yet Jiang Zhuo seemed to know exactly what was going on and asked, “Is she on the phone with some boy, flirting?”
Cheng Sisi was taken aback, wondering how he knew.
Jiang Xin was indeed on the phone with a junior from school in her room. Cheng Sisi felt it was inappropriate to stay and listen, which was why she had come downstairs.
But Jiang Zhuo didn’t wait for an answer, simply smiling knowingly as if he were already accustomed to it.
He poured a glass of water from the kettle, took a sip, his movements elegant and captivating enough to make one want to watch a little longer.
“I’ll arrange another room for you. You can stay alone.”
Hearing this, Cheng Sisi quickly waved her hands. “No, no, it’s fine. I don’t mind. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Jiang Xin is being inconsiderate, making you stay out here so late. It’s my responsibility to take care of you on her behalf.”
As he spoke, he took another sip of water.
The water slid down his throat, and his Adam’s apple moved sensually along with it.
Cheng Sisi accidentally caught a glimpse and immediately blushed, turning her gaze away, too embarrassed to speak.
Thus, Jiang Zhuo took her silence as agreement!
By the time she wanted to refuse again, he had already walked upstairs with his glass of water.
She let out a heavy sigh, feeling deeply frustrated.
Little did she know that her frustration seemed to have transformed entirely into the triumphant smile on Jiang Zhuo’s face. It appeared that the plan to move her to another room was something he had wanted to do for a while, and he had simply seized a convenient excuse.
As he passed Jiang Xin’s room, the door was slightly ajar, and he could hear the flirtatious sounds of her phone conversation from inside.
Jiang Zhuo’s lips curled into a smile. He thought to himself that he hadn’t spoiled Jiang Xin for nothing—she had truly given him a great assist.
The chosen room was still the same guest room from last night.
At the end of the hallway, outside the window of that room, there was a large tree. Its branches stretched so close to the window that they could almost reach inside.
The view was beautiful, though the room was a bit small.
Jiang Zhuo stood by the window, gazing at the tree that seemed almost within reach, a wicked smile curling his lips.
It had rained again in the evening, so the air was cool now. With the window open, there was no need to turn on the air conditioner to sleep comfortably.
Last night, Cheng Sisi had slept here, so the room didn’t require much tidying up.
Cheng Sisi turned off the lights downstairs and tiptoed upstairs.
Just then, she saw Jiang Zhuo coming out of the guest room from last night and walking toward her. “You’ll sleep in that room again tonight. It’s very cool, so you should sleep comfortably.”
His words seemed to carry a certain suggestion.
Cheng Sisi nodded at him, unable to refuse his kindness, and accepted the suggestion to switch rooms.
“Thank you, Brother Jiang Zhuo. I’m really causing you so much trouble.”
“No trouble at all!” Jiang Zhuo smiled gently. “Go to sleep now, rest early. Tomorrow is your first day at work, so you’ll need to be energetic!”
“Yes! I will!”
Cheng Sisi grinned, her smile pure and innocent.
After Jiang Zhuo walked away, she returned to the guest room. Even after closing the door, her smile didn’t fade. She couldn’t help but think how wonderful Jiang Xin’s older brother was. Despite being the CEO of a corporation, he was down-to-earth, approachable, gentle, and considerate.
If only Jiang Si were half as gentle and attentive as him!
Just as she was about to close the window and sleep, she suddenly remembered what Jiang Zhuo had said earlier—that it was cool tonight and she would sleep comfortably.
Indeed, after the rain, it was pleasantly cool outside.
Occasional breezes drifted in, far more comfortable than the artificial air from an air conditioner.
So, she decided to leave the window open while she slept.
Not long after lying down, she began to feel drowsy.
Just as she was about to drift into sleep, a sudden chill crept up her foot—something cold and moving, as if something had crawled onto her.
Instantly, a shiver ran down her spine, jolting her awake.
She kicked off the unknown object, scrambled up, and turned on the bedside lamp.
Trembling, she looked back, and with just one glance, she froze in terror. Her eyes widened so much they almost popped out of their sockets.
On the floor was a snake as thick as a child’s arm.
It was black, long, coiled on the floor, flicking its tongue.
Three seconds later, as if her frozen nerves finally snapped back to life, she let out a terrified scream.
Clutching the blanket tightly, she shrank into the corner of the bed, too afraid to step down, fearing the snake might lunge at her.
“Help—!”
She cried for help, sobbing, her voice trembling.
“Help, save me, there’s a snake!”
“Jiang Xin, save me…”
As she cried out, she suddenly froze.
The most terrifying thing wasn’t that there was a snake in the room—it was that the snake had disappeared.
She had only covered her face with the blanket for a moment, but when she lifted it, the snake on the floor was gone, perhaps having slithered under the bed.
In that instant, she didn’t dare to breathe.
Her nerves were stretched taut, and even the tears on her face seemed to freeze.
Suddenly.
A snake’s head, as large as a baby’s fist, darted out from the foot of the bed!
“Ah—!”
Screaming, she tumbled off the bed in a panic, rushed to the door, flung it open, and ran out without daring to look back.
Barefoot, she ran frantically.
“Jiang Xin!”
She ran to Jiang Xin’s door and knocked, but it was locked. She couldn’t get in, and Jiang Xin inside seemed unable to hear her, showing no response for a long time.
So, she cried even louder.
Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, her eyes fixed on the guest room door, terrified that the snake might chase after her and crawl out.
She was truly terrified!
Just as she was at a loss, she heard a gentle male voice behind her.
“What’s wrong?”
It was Jiang Zhuo.
As if finding a savior, she turned abruptly and rushed toward him, and Jiang Zhuo immediately reached out his hand to her.
“Brother Jiang Zhuo, save me!”
She stumbled as she ran, and just as she grabbed his hand in front of him, her legs suddenly gave way, sending her tumbling forward.
Right into his embrace!