Chapter 45

Downstairs from the apartment building, the window of a sports car lowered slightly, and a cigarette butt was flicked from a fingertip. It traced a bright, crimson arc through the air before landing in the muddy roadside and extinguishing.

Wu Baiyan waited five minutes longer than he promised. After fifteen minutes, his patience was exhausted. He smiled self-deprecatingly, made a few calls to arrange a gathering, and then floored the gas pedal and left.

Sending her to meet a man, covering for her, and damn it, he even had to cooperate with her excuse that she couldn’t go home.

The roar of the engine seemed to carry anger, but it lost its volume as it rose into the air. Moreover, even if Shang Mingbao heard it, she had no time to consider whether it was him.

Her phone vibrated once inside her evening bag—it was Wu Baiyan informing her of how to align their stories for both sets of parents.

Xiang Feiran gave her no chance to get distracted, bending down and lowering his head, while his lips glistened with moisture as they caressed both sides of her.

At this moment, he thought this dress was a good choice, so good that he didn’t even need to pull down the straps or unfasten any clasps.

Shang Mingbao felt embarrassed and tried to pull the neckline back up, but as soon as she moved, Xiang Feiran caught hold of her. He restrained both of her hands above her head with just one of his, and as he raised his upper body, he looked down at her with half-closed eyes, his gaze carrying a palpable pressure despite the dim room.

Although it was very dark inside, the oppressive feeling in his gaze was almost tangible. Shang Mingbao struggled a bit, trying to avoid him. “Don’t…don’t look…”

“Why not?” Xiang Feiran leaned close to her ear and asked calmly, “Does it feel good?”

Shang Mingbao was on the verge of tears at his question, refusing to answer his ridiculous query and only said, “Feiran, let’s… let’s talk about this tomorrow…”

Xiang Feiran chuckled, inhaling the scent at her neck, and said hoarsely, “Don’t worry, I’m drunk.”

Shang Mingbao had heard before that drunk men couldn’t perform, so she felt relieved and kissed him.

Xiang Feiran kept calling her “baby,” his breath hot and heavy. Shang Mingbao was completely lost, her entire body feeling light and tingling with confusion and pleasure.

Even someone as self-controlled as Xiang Feiran could hear the devil whispering in his ear at this moment, its voice growing louder, tempting him, urging him, persuading him.

Why not go deeper? Why not just take her completely? Why not leave a permanent mark on her, like staking a claim of sovereignty?

He held back the tightness in his chest and the dizziness before his eyes, and instead, he only grasped Shang Mingbao’s right hand.

Shang Mingbao was panicked.

What… what was that? In her dazed and shocked mind, she couldn’t find the right words to describe it.

From her palm, a sensation shot through to her wrist bone.

Liar…

Shang Mingbao wrinkled her nose, finally realizing what was happening, and cried out, “You’re not drunk at all…!”

Xiang Feiran responded decisively, “I am drunk, just not in the best condition.”

What?!

Xiang Feiran tightened his grip on her wrist. “Let’s get familiar first.”

They became familiar for a long time.

Later, he pulled her up and had her lean against the side armrest of the sofa. One hand solidly explored her shallow depths while he kissed her, calling her “baby” and coaxing her not to stop.

Before long, his palm was sprayed with warm liquid.

Her loss of control, her dazed confusion, and her almost death-like disarray were the ultimate remedy for him. When water trickled through his fingers, Xiang Feiran breathed heavily, his eyes never leaving Shang Mingbao’s face, which seemed to glow like it was illuminated by the moonlight, a face only touched by the god of love in the darkness, breaking through the chains that bound him.

He had made a mess of his goddess.

Shang Mingbao’s dress, arms, and chest were not spared. She was in a daze, as if unable to process what had just happened, with only her heart still pounding furiously, while her mouth felt dry.

Xiang Feiran gently caressed her cheek with the back of his finger, pausing when he touched the warm liquid. He knew well that this was something very different from tears. He wanted very much to turn on the light to see her, but he knew that if he did so now, Shang Mingbao would avoid him for a month. So, he wisely held back.

Shang Mingbao had no strength left in her body as he wiped her hands clean with a tissue. He wiped them with great patience, slowly and meticulously, using soft cotton paper to gently wipe each of her slender, translucent fingers.

“Liar…”

His demeanor was calm and composed, completely in control of her, showing no signs of losing his senses.

Xiang Feiran smiled for a moment and then threw the tissue into the wastebasket. “I was drunk, but I woke up when I heard your voice.”

“When you called?” Shang Mingbao asked, recalling.

“No.”

“Hmm?” She was utterly confused.

“When you called out to me.”

“…”

Shang Mingbao felt as if her whole body was burning. She tried to turn over and leave, but Xiang Feiran held her down. “Don’t go. I’m really drunk and can’t catch up with you.”

He kissed her earlobe, his breath warm despite being steady. “Why did you come here so suddenly?”

“I was afraid you’d be upset, and I thought you might be here.”

Xiang Feiran curved his lips slightly. “Didn’t I tell you that I’m not upset? I told you to have a good meal.” He brushed her hair from her forehead and asked seriously, “So, did you eat properly?”

“No…” Shang Mingbao shook her head slightly, her voice soft with a hint of nasal tone, and she clearly said, “I couldn’t eat or sleep because of Dr. Xiang. I lost my appetite, couldn’t sleep well, and was anxious.”

Xiang Feiran pressed his lips together to suppress a smile.

She had been coaxed. It wasn’t a bad feeling, and her technique wasn’t bad either.

He coughed lightly, his tone calm and composed. “Dr. Xiang is an adult. He doesn’t need you to coax him like this.”

“But I’m telling the truth,” Shang Mingbao turned her head slightly. Even in the dim light, her serious expression was visible.

Xiang Feiran held his breath for a moment, propped himself up with one hand, and gently pinched her chin before kissing her.

The feeling of being drunk was too good; it made him a little intoxicated. He called her “baby” once more and held her tightly in his arms.

Shang Mingbao placed her palm on the arm he had wrapped around her waist and asked, “Did you eat?”

“I forgot.”

He had bought a pack of beer and a sandwich from the convenience store. The sandwich was still sitting untouched on the coffee table, but the beer cans were all empty, scattered haphazardly on the floor.

“How much did you drink?”

“I didn’t count.”

Shang Mingbao was quiet for a while. “Didn’t you say you weren’t angry? So why did you drink and hide from me?”

“I said I wasn’t angry, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t jealous.”

When he wasn’t looking, Shang Mingbao smiled slyly and asked knowingly, “How jealous?”

Xiang Feiran didn’t use any adjectives or rhetorical devices. He simply said, “Very.”

For someone as emotionally stable as him to show possessiveness, it might be even harder than convincing him to give up botany. He was too good at silently resolving all his emotions alone. Even if jealousy surged within him, he would probably let it flow through him calmly and then carry on with whatever he was doing.

She had to admit, there was something undeniably sexy about his jealousy.

Shang Mingbao’s face grew warm, and she stammered, “There’s nothing between us. It was just a normal dinner between two families…”

“Aren’t you afraid your parents will find out that you came here to find me like this?”

He was too smart, and Shang Mingbao knew she couldn’t hide it from him, so she confessed honestly, “…The owner of the ring you just threw away brought me here…”

Xiang Feiran’s face remained expressionless for two seconds before he stopped being polite with her and reached out to turn on the light.

Shang Mingbao looked up at him from below, nervously swallowing.

Under the bright light, he had served her more than once or twice.

Because he had played with her so roughly, her dress was covered in stains, which were thrown into the washing machine for a quick wash and then into the dryer for a gentle dry.

While the dryer was running, she sat on his lap, letting his fingers work their magic.

She got home just before eleven o’clock.

Xiang Feiran took a taxi to send her back, but he was so drunk that he started to feel drowsy shortly after getting in the car. The same hands that had been so wicked earlier were now obediently tucked into his black pockets, his head drooping, and his chin nodding slightly with the car’s stops and turns. Outside the car window, the red glow of taillights cast shadows over his brows, leaving faint traces.

He inexplicably insisted on not letting himself fall asleep, occasionally waking up for a few seconds, coughing, or wiping his face. But the satisfied and lazy instinct within him was too hard to resist, and within a minute, he would start to doze off again, like a student falling asleep in class.

When the car stopped in front of the villa in the Upper East Side, he opened his eyes and found himself with his arms wrapped around Shang Mingbao, his chin resting on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her hair.

The meter showed an exorbitantly high fare.

Xiang Feiran sobered up for a moment, his voice still hoarse, “Did the driver take a detour?”

“No,” Shang Mingbao replied softly, “We’ve been parked here for twenty minutes.”

Xiang Feiran understood and took a deep breath, shaking his head slightly. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Shang Mingbao confessed honestly, “I did. You told me to let you sleep a bit longer.”

In the rearview mirror, the taxi driver’s gaze was cast in their direction, making her face flush with a barely noticeable blush. “You said it while kissing my ear.”

Xiang Feiran: “…”

He had no memory of that.

Shang Mingbao glanced at the time and made a move to get out of his embrace. “I should go now. Let me know when you get home.”

Xiang Feiran’s arm pressed down slightly, holding her in place. After staring into her eyes for a few seconds, he lowered his lashes and leaned in to kiss her quietly.

He couldn’t easily get out of the car, so he opened the door for her while kissing her. With a click, the cold air seeped in through the narrow gap, making them both a little more awake.

And so, their groggy kiss turned into a clear-headed one.

After a few seconds, he released her of his own accord. “Goodnight.”

Shang Mingbao got out of the car, turned around to wave at him, and then took a shortcut back to her own house.

As soon as Wen Youyi glanced over, Shang Mingbao was so startled that she stood at attention. “Mom!”

She blinked, “You… you’re not asleep yet?”

She had taken a shower in the apartment but didn’t dare wash her hair. The styled ends of her hair would straighten if they got wet. The dress with fine pleats that hadn’t been ironed was tightly covered under her coat—in short, there wasn’t a single thing about her appearance that could withstand scrutiny. Even the daze in her eyes carried traces of unresolved emotions.

Wen Youyi was sitting on the living room sofa, flipping through a book. “It’s still early.”

She was clearly waiting for her; otherwise, according to her usual habit, she should have been reading in the living room on the third floor.

Shang Mingbao pretended to be clueless: “Didn’t Wu Baiyan tell you?” She then glanced at the clock in mock concern, “It’s just a little after eleven, it’s not that late…”

Wen Youyi calmly turned a page of her book, curling her lips into a smile. “Did mommy say something? Why are you so nervous?”

Shang Mingbao: “…”

Wen Youyi closed her book. She didn’t ask where Shang Mingbao and Wu Baiyan had gone out to, only slowly glanced at her from head to toe and asked, “Did you have fun?”

Shang Mingbao nodded. Under the ornate and complex chandelier, she felt like she was exposed under some harsh interrogation spotlight, and sweat began to form all over her body. She had seen Wu Baiyan’s statement and knew that he hadn’t given her away.

However, Wen Youyi didn’t ask any more questions, only gently said, “Go wash up and rest early.”

Shang Mingbao felt as if she had been granted amnesty and immediately slipped away.

Wen Youyi watched her back, smiled slightly, sighed, and shook her head before leaving the living room as well.

Shang Yuye had just finished a video conference with his team back home. He was holding a cup of water as he stepped out of the study when he ran into Wen Youyi in the hallway. Shang Yuye hinted at something as he asked, “She’s back?”

“Yes, she’s back.”

Shang Yuye had a furrowed brow that hadn’t relaxed since he got home. He pondered for a moment before saying, “Babe and that boy from the Wu family are still young. Let’s give it some more time.”

This was the most compromise he could offer, with half of it due to his indulgence toward Shang Mingbao. Like all fathers in the world, he was worried that his daughter might be deceived by poor judgment while still confident that her judgment wasn’t that bad.

Wu Baiyan was easy to see through. He was a bit frivolous, but not fundamentally corrupt—he just lacked the steadiness that comes with life experience. Shang Yuye hadn’t formed a definite opinion of him yet. However, if Mingbao truly liked him, then he would need to conduct a thorough investigation into the Wu family and begin planning ahead.

Shang Yuye thought deeply. Even before making the first move in this game, he had already considered ninety-nine others. Wen Youyi, seemingly exasperated by his thoughts, shook her head and slapped the book into his arms. “Can’t you see it? She doesn’t like Alan!”