Chapter 3: You Regret It, Don’t You?

The man’s voice came through the phone, leaving no room for argument. “Wanxing, don’t provoke me.”

Tao Wanxing abruptly hung up.

The dial tone echoed in her ear—”beep, beep—”

Meng Chu clenched a cigarette between his teeth, the flickering light in his eyes barely visible.

This little girl had grown bolder after just a few days apart.

…

Sitting in Gao Ming’s car, Tao Wanxing rubbed her temples in frustration.

She knew that if she didn’t comply, Meng Chu would personally come to the hospital to drag her back.

He had always been the one to issue commands, never to negotiate.

Meng Chu was capable of it.

He would stop at nothing.

Returning to Fragrant Mountain Villa, she carried her luggage upstairs alone.

Meng Chu wasn’t home.

She let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness—otherwise, he would surely question why she had hung up on him.

Her gaze fell on the steaming, fragrant dishes set out nearby.

Tao Wanxing froze. He could actually cook?

Her stomach betrayed her with an audible growl.

Only then did she realize she hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

After setting down her suitcase, she devoured every last bite on the table.

As she was clearing the dishes, the click of the door opening sent a pang of guilt through her.

The person outside had already stepped in.

Meng Chu stood at the entryway, watching her. His eyes flicked to the empty dishes on the table, and he arched a brow without saying a word.

Tao Wanxing stood frozen, awkward and unsure.

“I thought—I thought you wouldn’t be back tonight, so I—”

Meng Chu cut in, “It’s fine. My mistake—I underestimated your appetite.”

The words flushed her cheeks crimson.

Mustering courage, she retorted, “You clearly didn’t make enough…”

A faint smile tugged at Meng Chu’s lips. “Right, my fault.”

The indulgent tone gave Tao Wanxing a fleeting illusion.

As if the Meng Chu from before he enlisted in the military was standing at the gates of the Meng Family Compound again, bathed in golden sunlight that gilded his chestnut hair. He had waved at her back then.

“Stop following me. I’ll bring you a cake when I get back.”

She had stood there, nodding eagerly like a little chick pecking at grains.

Young and infatuated, she had missed the disgust and impatience in his eyes entirely.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice Meng Chu tying on an apron and cooking another bowl of noodles.

The rich aroma snapped her back to reality. Lowering her lashes to hide the sting in her eyes, she gestured to the dishes. “I’ll clean these up.”

Meng Chu took a slow, elegant bite of his noodles, as if it were a gourmet steak rather than a simple bowl of noodles.

“You just worked overtime. Go wash up and rest.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Mm.”

Tao Wanxing didn’t argue. She knew better than to disobey.

Steam fogged up the bathroom.

Sinking into the bathtub, she let the hot water envelop her, sighing in contentment.

She drifted into a dream.

A memory from just after her parents passed—her older sister had brought her, skinny and timid, to the Meng family.

Everyone there had been polite and courteous to her.

So polite it made her feel like an outsider.

Only Meng Chu had snapped impatiently, “Why won’t you leave me alone? You clung to me at the wedding, and now you’re here to pester me too?”

Her brother-in-law—Meng Chu’s older brother, Meng Han—had frowned. “Xiao Er, don’t speak to Wanxing like that.”

“She’s your sister-in-law’s younger sister, so she should call you Second Brother.”

“From now on, she’ll be living with us in our home.”

“Second Brother?”

“Second Brother!”

“Second Brother, I like you.”

Suddenly, she felt someone wiping her body. She fluttered her eyelids, unsure whether she should open her eyes.

Meng Chu sat by the bed, one hand caressing her skin while the other held a towel to clean her. The rough calluses on his fingers brushed against her skin, sending tingling sensations through her.

Noticing she was awake, he didn’t let go—instead, he increased the pressure, making Tao Wanxing extremely uncomfortable.

Unable to bear it, she fluttered her lashes again, pretending she had just woken up.

“Awake now? Done pretending?”

Tao Wanxing: “…”

Meng Chu’s expression darkened, his voice low and stern. “Do you realize you nearly drowned in the bathtub?”

Tao Wanxing’s body stiffened instantly.

Did that mean she wasn’t wearing any clothes?

Should she cover herself from the top or the bottom?

His white shirt was damp, clinging to his honey-toned skin, faintly revealing the outline of his eight-pack abs. Yet his gaze was pitch-black, his lips pressed tightly together, his jawline tense.

He was furious.

She bit her lip, her face burning as if she had a fever, and averted her eyes slightly. “The bath was so relaxing, I just…”

Meng Chu’s eyes narrowed, his dark pupils seeming to drag her into an abyss. “What you do outside is none of my concern, but you can’t die here.”

Tao Wanxing’s nose stung.

Right. If she died in the home of the illustrious Governor Meng, it would leave an indelible stain on his bright and promising future.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“You regret it, don’t you?”

The moment she spoke, she regretted it. She pulled the blanket over herself, lowering her head.

She was always like this—bold words spoken timidly.

“What?” Meng Chu froze.

“You regret marrying me, don’t you?”

“I must be such an embarrassment to you.”

“Who would’ve thought the youngest Governor of Cloud Province would marry a mere nurse.”

“And not just any nurse—his sister-in-law’s younger sister.”

The atmosphere instantly turned icy. Apart from their breathing, the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Meng Chu’s brow twitched, his voice sharp with cold fury. “Tao Wanxing, say that again?”

Tao Wanxing could hear the blood rushing back to her heart, pounding violently. Gripping the blanket tightly, she didn’t dare face Meng Chu in his rage.

Her voice came out hoarse. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

She was terrified of this side of him.

After years of military training and navigating political circles, his commanding presence had grown increasingly similar to the Meng family patriarch—enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.

A wise person knows when to yield. Apologizing now was the smart move.

Survival came first.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, feeling a chill creeping over her, and instinctively wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

Meng Chu leaned in, closing the distance between them inch by inch until his hands pressed against the bed on either side of her. His gaze was dark and predatory, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Tao Wanxing curled into herself, keeping her eyes downcast, too afraid to meet his stare.

The air around her grew thinner, making it hard to breathe. She forced out the words, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

Before she could finish, the man above her seized her lips in a fierce kiss.