The night in New Jersey was exceptionally tranquil.
Because the wedding was just around the corner, Bernard thoughtfully readied a guest room for them to stay and rest, saving them the trouble of rushing back and forth to Manhattan.
Bernard led them upstairs.
The room was spacious and elegant, warm and comfortable.
In the center of the room stood a large double bed.
“It’s late, I won’t disturb your rest anymore. Goodnight, and I wish you sweet dreams.”
Bernard thoughtfully closed the door gently behind him.
Once the door shut, only she and Qi Zhicheng were left in the room.
Jiang Man stood in place with some helplessness, her gaze involuntarily drifting toward that double bed.
She knew Bernard meant well. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, she and Qi Zhicheng were a legitimate married couple. Staying in the same room and sleeping in the same bed was the most natural thing in the world.
At this point in time, it would be rather impolite to trouble Bernard to tidy up another guest room.
This meant that she would have to sleep with Qi Zhicheng tonight.
This realization caused Jiang Man’s heart to beat erratically against her will.
She had never had the experience of sleeping with an adult male.
She knew absolutely nothing about her experiences before her amnesia, but during these few months after her memory loss, Qi Zhicheng had always strictly observed the boundaries of a gentleman, never forcing her into anything.
Sharing a bed was something that had never happened.
At this moment, facing that large bed, she could not control herself from overthinking.
What if her sleeping posture was terrible? Would she grind her teeth and talk in her sleep at night? What if she accidentally rolled into his arms while turning over in her sleep?
The more she thought, the more ridiculous it became. She felt the temperature on her face rising higher and higher.
Her mind was entirely filled with various accidental scenarios that happened when male and female protagonists shared a bed in novels and movies.
Just as her thoughts were tangled in a mess, Qi Zhicheng called her softly from the side, “Manman.”
She snapped back to reality.
She saw that Qi Zhicheng had already taken off his coat, casually draping it over the armrest of the adjacent single sofa.
“I will sleep here tonight, you can sleep on the bed in peace, no need to feel troubled.”
Jiang Man froze, failing to react for a moment.
“Or, if you feel that my presence here will make you uncomfortable,” his gaze swept toward the room door, “I will go tell Bernard right now and ask him to prepare another guest room. Although it might disturb him, your feelings are the most important.”
“No, there’s no need.” Jiang Man waved her hands hurriedly, “No need, there’s no need to trouble him again,” she glanced at the sofa, which was noticeably a bit small, “It’s just, will it be a bit uncomfortable for you to sleep here?”
“It doesn’t matter, I don’t have high demands for the place I sleep,” he smiled.
Jiang Man blinked, feeling a slight sense of daze.
A gentle smile curved Qi Zhicheng’s lips, “It’s getting late, go wash up and rest. Tomorrow is Bernard’s pre-wedding bachelor party, you still need to adjust to the jet lag.”
Jiang Man gave a vague response of agreement, took out her pajamas from the suitcase, and entered the bathroom.
His gaze followed Jiang Man’s figure until the bathroom door closed with a click.
The gentle smile on Qi Zhicheng’s face vanished instantly.
He stepped over to the window. The night view of New Jersey unfolded outside, neon lights flashing in the dead silence.
The sound of pattering water came from the bathroom, so clear that it was torturous.
He could imagine how the hot water flowed over her body, passing past her fair collarbones, the full curves, and further down, to that slender waist.
He wanted to push the door open and walk in, wanted to embrace her from behind, wanted to lower his head and kiss her.
The room felt a bit stifling.
Qi Zhicheng pulled loose his shirt collar with a trace of irritability, rubbing his throbbing brow.
Several books were neatly stacked on the console table against the wall. He walked over and randomly pulled one out.
He leaned against the cabinet, forcing his attention onto the text.
The sound of water stopped.
The bathroom door opened.
A wave of dense heat surged out.
Qi Zhicheng’s train of thought was easily interrupted, and he raised his eyes to look over.
Jiang Man walked out of the bathroom wearing a nightdress, her cheeks flushed slightly from the steam, and below the hem of the dress was a pair of smooth, slender calves.
Moist, sleek, and tinged with a faint pink.
Her long hair was draped behind her back, the ends still dripping with water droplets.
His gaze lingered on her, almost unable to look away.
“Um, I couldn’t find where the hair dryer is.” Jiang Man pointed toward the bathroom with some embarrassment.
Qi Zhicheng suppressed the restlessness in his heart, closed the book, and maintained his usual demeanor, “It should be in the mirror cabinet,” he stepped into the bathroom, quickly bringing out the hair dryer, “Sit over here, I’ll help you.”
The chair had already been pulled out, and Jiang Man hesitated for a moment before sitting down as told.
The hair dryer emitted a humming sound, and the warm wind brushed past her hair.
The man’s fingers were well-defined, weaving through her long hair, and that faint fragrance would encircle his nose from time to time, carrying a moist heat.
Qi Zhicheng lowered his eyes slightly, allowing him to see her excellent neckline.
A droplet of water slid slowly down her neck line, winding across her collarbone, and finally disappearing beneath the collar of her nightdress.
The wet hair spread a small watermark on the light-colored fabric, revealing the thin shoulder strap inside, with the full curves faintly visible.
With a click, the hair dryer suddenly stopped.
“All done,” he abruptly put down the hair dryer and said out of nowhere, “I’m going to take a shower.”
When Jiang Man turned her head, she only saw the silhouette of his hasty departure.
The bathroom door closed with a muffled thud.
Jiang Man blinked blankly, her fingers brushing the half-dry ends of her hair, thinking he was a bit strange.
When the bathroom door was pushed open once more, Jiang Man was lying in the blankets with her eyes closed. The jet lag and the intermittent sleep on the plane left her completely devoid of drowsiness.
Since the two of them sharing a room was already awkward, she simply chose to continue feigning sleep.
Only a single wall lamp was lit in the room.
Due to her night blindness, she had been afraid of the dark since childhood, especially fearing the sudden extinguishing of light, which brought about a sudden sense of losing her way in the darkness.
Therefore, she was accustomed to keeping a night lamp lit at the bedside when sleeping. That faint glimmer of light was also her sense of security for a peaceful sleep.
The sound of footsteps stopped at the edge of the bed.
She heard the slight rustling of clothing, and Qi Zhicheng seemed to bend down, drawing closer to her inch by inch.
Jiang Man kept her eyes closed, doing her best to maintain steady breathing.
The tall silhouette approached, so close that she could clearly feel the warm moisture on him after his shower, and she could even feel his breathing right by her ear.
Jiang Man’s heart thudded heavily.
What was he trying to do?
Between a husband and wife after each taking a shower, the thing they generally did seemed to be just that one thing.
This thought exploded in her mind like a clap of thunder.
Trying hard to maintain the appearance of pretending to sleep was becoming a bit unsustainable, and Jiang Man quickly thought of a countermeasure in her mind.
Should she “coincidentally” wake up at this moment?
Then, pretending to have just been startled awake, she would open her eyes as if nothing had happened, and say in a sleepy voice, “You’re done showering? What a coincidence, I just woke up too.”
Her mind had completely stopped working. Just as Jiang Man was thinking about whether to open her eyes, the next second she felt a pair of hands gently pull up the blanket that had slid down slightly from her shoulder, carefully tucking it in.
Jiang Man froze, her tensed shoulders relaxing.
While secretly breathing a sigh of relief, she belatedly regretted using her petty mind to misjudge him just now.
In truth, Qi Zhicheng had strictly observed boundaries and maintained excellent propriety over these few months, so how could he possibly take advantage of someone’s vulnerability?
The hands of the grandfather clock swung toward midnight, and the night grew even quieter.
Drowsiness surged up along her relaxed nerves, and Jiang Man’s consciousness gradually blurred, falling into a deep sleep before she knew it, her breathing becoming even and long.
There was no movement from the sofa the entire time.
It was not until the pendulum swung past the second marker that Qi Zhicheng, who had been lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
There was not the slightest trace of fatigue in his eyes; his gaze was calm and clear.
In the dim light, the man stood up, walked to the bedside, and sat down at the edge of the bed.
She slept very deeply, her breathing even and shallow. Her long, black silk-like hair spread across the pillow, making her skin look exceptionally fair, with barely a single flaw visible.
Her slender eyelashes cast down, devoid of any trembling.
After a long while, Qi Zhicheng curved his lips very lightly.
“Manman, do you know that when you pretend to sleep, your eyelashes can’t help but tremble continuously?”
His gaze fell upon her lips.
Lustrous and soft, full and delicate.
Further inside was an exceptionally soft tip of the tongue.
Qi Zhicheng suddenly thought of the way she used to cater to him deliberately in the past.
As long as he made a request, she would obediently use the tip of her tongue to lick his lips in a very unpracticed manner.
Very well-behaved, very obedient, as if he could treat her in any way he pleased.
During intimacy, no matter where his kisses landed, she would flinch slightly, sounds escaping from her mouth, her eyes moist.
When the passion grew intense, she would be unable to bear it and let out delicate gasps, causing his entire body to tremble, making it even harder for him to control himself. Yet, fearing he might hurt her in his extreme excitement, he could only use his kisses to block her lips, sealing that enticing voice.
Thinking up to this point, the annoyance in Qi Zhicheng’s heart grew even worse, a fire faintly burning up.
He could not help but lean down, his nose resting against the top of her head, his breathing filled entirely with her scent.
A very light kiss landed on her forehead.
Pausing for a moment, the kiss continued to spread downward.
Landing on her eyes, the tip of her nose.
And kissing from her cheek to her lips.
He stopped at a taste, restraining himself from going deeper.
Ever since she lost her memory, he had never been intimate with her again. A kiss like this was merely like trying to stop water from boiling by scooping it up, scratching an itch through the boot.
Not only did it fail to offer the slightest comfort, it was instead like throwing a handful of hot oil, causing the fire on him to burn even more intensely.
That well-defined hand very gently coiled a strand of her hair scattered by the pillow, winding it between his fingers.
“Manman, actually, you don’t need to remember the things from before.”
His fingertips rolled the hair by the side of her ear, “Let us just start anew like this, is that not good?”
“We will start anew, with only me and you. No one else, and none of those messy matters from the past.”
“This time, your eyes can only hold me alone, alright?”
When Jiang Man woke up, the sky was already fully bright.
Once her consciousness returned, she subconsciously turned her head to look at that single sofa.
It was already empty, with the neatly folded blanket resting on the armrest, and Qi Zhicheng was not in the room.
After finishing washing up and heading downstairs, only Bernard was in the spacious open kitchen and living room, leisurely studying the coffee machine.
“Morning, Mandy.”
He turned around to see her, raising his hand with a smile to greet her, pointing at the sandwich by the bar counter, “I made breakfast for you.”
Jiang Man pulled out a stool to have her breakfast. The ham sandwich paired with fresh berries tasted excellent.
She looked around as she ate, but still did not see Qi Zhicheng’s silhouette.
Bernard leisurely hummed a jazz tune, noticing her distraction.
“Looking for Zane? Zane went out early this morning. I asked him to go to a nearby winery to pick a few bottles of good wine for me, he should be back very soon,” he smiled, “Missed Zane during this short time he’s been out? You young couples just wish you could stick together every single second.”
Hearing Bernard’s teasing words, Jiang Man’s face felt a bit hot, and she curled her lips without speaking.
After having a simple breakfast, Bernard had already begun setting up the decorations for tonight’s bachelor party in the backyard.
The doctor’s villa was a typical American suburban villa, nestled deep within dense vegetation, far from the main road, ensuring excellent privacy.
The backyard featured a large expanse of meticulously manicured lawn, and the expensive cold-resistant grass species maintained its emerald green color even in the cold season.
A bachelor party was to be held here tonight, and Bernard brought out many things to decorate the backyard.
The sunlight was excellent, the breeze brushed against their faces, and Jiang Man helped out alongside him, focusing on the work in her hands, temporarily emptying her thoughts.
The doorbell at the front hall rang, pulling back her drifting thoughts.
Bernard, who was adjusting the spacing of the light strings nearby, said with a smile, “It should be Zane returning with the good wine he chose.”
Jiang Man put down the eucalyptus leaves in her hand, “I’ll go open the door.”
Walking through the living room toward the foyer, she raised her face at the same time she pulled open the door, a smile on her face, “You’re back, when I got out of bed this morning.”
Midway through her sentence, Jiang Man stopped abruptly, her smile freezing on her face.
The person behind the door was not Qi Zhicheng.
The moment he saw Jiang Man, the man was clearly startled for a moment as well, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. He then politely curled his lips, revealing a row of neat white teeth, “Apologies, did I find the wrong place?”
A smile rippled within his blue eyes, carrying the characteristic familiarity of Westerners.
“I must have walked to the wrong door, or today must be my lucky day, to be able to encounter this beautiful lady,” he teased humorously, “I am Sam, Bernard’s friend. I didn’t miss his farewell bachelor party, did I?”
Right at this moment, Bernard’s voice came from the living room, “Sam! You’ve arrived so early!”
He walked quickly to the doorway, patted the man’s shoulder, and turned to introduce him to Jiang Man, “Sam, a friend I met a while back when I went to see an oil painting preview. I happened to sit next to him at the time, and we hit it off exceptionally well when talking about Impressionist paintings. I casually invited him to the party before leaving, and I didn’t expect him to actually come over.”
Having said that, he introduced Jiang Man to Sam, “This is Mandy, who came over from China. She was previously a ballet dancer with the ABT in New York.”
Sam’s gaze rested on her face with interest, “Hello, Mandy, I also like ballet very much.”
Jiang Man smiled at him, “Hello.”
The villa’s backyard was already mostly decorated.
The three of them kept busy with their respective tasks, and for a long period of time, Sam would come over to make conversation with her from time to time.
“It will look better hung up from this angle, what do you think, Mandy?”
“Beautiful lady, could you help me hold this for a moment?”
“Mandy, are the legs of all ballet dancers as long and straight as yours?”
He reached out to steady Jiang Man as she came down from the ladder, “Careful, you can hold my hand.”
“Thank you, I can manage on my own.” Jiang Man politely declined his kindness.
Bernard hung up the last string of colored lights, pointing with a smile at the cardboard box in the corner: “Mandy, trouble you to help fold the table runners neatly. Sam, if you are free, could you place the goblets onto the long table?”
Jiang Man squatted down to open the cardboard box, the linen table runners inside stacked neatly.
Just as she picked up one piece to smooth out the creases, Sam sidled over, carrying a stack of glasses in his hand.
“You were a ballet dancer with the ABT before? I went to watch Giselle last year, and I didn’t expect to meet a real dancer here today.”
He placed the wine glasses on the low stool nearby, crouching down along with her.
The distance between the two of them closed abruptly, and Jiang Man could smell the citrus-toned cologne on him, “Are the hands of ballet dancers all so dexterous? Even folding table runners is done so neatly.”
Jiang Man placed the folded table runner into another box, pulling away from him as she raised her head, “It’s just simple work, it’s not complicated, it just might require a bit of patience.”
She reached out to grab another table runner, and Sam handed it to her a step ahead, his fingers brushing lightly across her palm.
“Do you need my help?” His smile grew even wider, “I can help you hold the edges of the table runner, or how about you teach me how to fold it? I can’t even fold my shirts properly on regular days.”