Chapter 55

The two of them really did leave just like that.

Since Ji Jing had been drinking, he couldn’t drive. Their chauffeur had already gone home, so the still-sober Tang Ruan called for a designated driver. As for Ji Ling… Ji Jing had someone escort her back to the Ji family home.

Watching him finish the phone call, Tang Ruan sighed in mild exasperation, “Why did you have someone take Lingling back home? Isn’t that too far?”

Ji Jing glanced at her, his other hand casually toying with her palm, but said nothing.

Tang Ruan dodged the driver’s gaze and poked Ji Jing’s shoulder, whining, “I already promised her that we’d sleep at home tonight. I even had Butler Li prepare the guest room.”

Hearing this, Ji Jing paused, then leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

As soon as he finished, Tang Ruan went silent, her cheeks flushing red. She buried her face in his arm and muttered, “Shut up.”

Embarrassed and annoyed.

Ji Jing smirked faintly, his lips curving upwards as he added, “Just stating facts.”

Tang Ruan was utterly defeated by him. She quietly scooted a little further away, sitting to one side. She hadn’t realized before just how shameless Ji Jing could be. Once he let himself go, he could say just about anything.

As she moved away, Ji Jing simply shifted closer.

“Hey!”

Tang Ruan whined, “Stop getting so close to me.”

“Scared?”

Tang Ruan: “…”

She glanced at the driver in front of them, then whispered into Ji Jing’s ear, “Who’s scared? Not me.” She turned to look out the window, though the tips of her ears betrayed her, turning red.

It wasn’t fear, exactly. It was more like nervous anticipation. She had fanned the flames herself, and now she had to deal with them. But back at the bar, things felt different… In that situation, Tang Ruan instinctively resorted to acting coy and giving in because she knew it would work on Ji Jing.

A woman’s coquettishness is sometimes a secret weapon, but it’s not something to use too often. And the only people you can use it on are family, boyfriends, or husbands—those who will indulge you. For Tang Ruan, acting coquettish around Ji Jing had already become second nature.

Because she knew Ji Jing would spoil her. It was exactly what people meant when they said someone was fearless because they were loved.

She thought, yes, that’s exactly what I am.

So, when she suggested going home earlier, she knew Ji Jing understood her meaning and played along. But now—

The thought of what might happen made her feel a little nervous.

–

Lost in her thoughts, they soon arrived home.

The bar wasn’t far from their house, and the driver turned to remind them as they reached their destination.

Ji Jing stepped out of the car and nodded politely, “Thank you.”

He helped Tang Ruan out of the car, and the two walked home under the night sky.

As they entered the house, the atmosphere suddenly felt a little off.

A warm orange light illuminated the living room. Butler Li was nowhere to be seen, leaving the house quiet.

Ji Jing held Tang Ruan’s hand firmly, her palm slightly sweaty from nerves, even in the winter cold.

She swallowed, turned to look at him, and pointed toward the kitchen, “Do you want some sobering tea?”

“No need.” Ji Jing’s gaze was intense as he looked at her. “I didn’t drink much.”

His mind was clear, with no trace of intoxication.

Tang Ruan responded with a soft “Oh,” forced a laugh, and said, “I’ll go get some water.”

She walked into the kitchen, didn’t turn on the light, and poured herself a glass of cold water. Instinctively, she felt like she needed it to calm down. She only managed half the glass before the chill made her stop. But before she could set it down, Ji Jing leaned in, his head close to hers, and sipped from the same glass she was holding.

Tang Ruan: “…”

Her face flushed as she awkwardly let him drink the rest of the water. With wide, watery eyes, she asked, “Still thirsty?”

“Mm.”

Tang Ruan swallowed hard and blinked. “Should I pour you another glass?”

“No need.” Ji Jing took the glass from her hand and set it aside.

The two stood facing each other in the small space of the kitchen, where the air was charged with a growing tension, as if an invisible spark had ignited a fire that could not be easily extinguished.

Ji Jing’s intense gaze locked onto Tang Ruan, making her feel as though his eyes could burn right through her.

Her face grew increasingly hot, and before Ji Jing could react, she impulsively reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Both of their lips still carried traces of water, and as they pressed together, Tang Ruan softly nibbled at his lips, coaxing him.

In truth, Tang Ruan wasn’t particularly skilled at kissing. What little she knew came entirely from the novels she had read and from Ji Jing’s previous lessons. She blinked, looking up at the man who remained still and silent, his eyes lowered as he stared at her, and felt a flash of irritation.

She decided to bite his lip lightly as a form of protest, preparing to pull away.

Just as she was about to retreat, Ji Jing’s hands gripped her waist, and he leaned down to kiss her back—this time, with fierce intensity.

…

The kitchen, normally spacious and open, now felt stifling to Tang Ruan. It wasn’t the room itself, but the overwhelming emotions suffocating her. She felt as though she could hardly breathe and might actually pass out right there in the kitchen.

As she was lost in these chaotic thoughts, Ji Jing suddenly released her.

“You…” She tried to speak, but both of them were breathless, their warm breaths mingling in the air between them.

Tang Ruan’s lips were swollen, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she remained silent. After what felt like an eternity, Ji Jing took her hand and began leading her upstairs.

Neither of them spoke a word during the walk.

Tang Ruan could still taste a faint hint of alcohol in her mouth—his flavor, transferred during the kiss. She lowered her head and gave a small sniff, but to her surprise, she didn’t find it unpleasant.

Standing at the door to the bedroom, her heart raced wildly. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him. “I… I’m going to my room to take a shower.”

Ji Jing gave her a sidelong glance, his voice deep and husky. “You’ll shower here.”

Tang Ruan froze. “What?”

“I had the Butler Li move your things here,” he said casually.

“What?” she exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief. “When did that happen?”

Why didn’t she know about this? Hadn’t Butler Li mentioned nothing about it when she came home earlier?

Thinking back, Tang Ruan realized she hadn’t gone into her own room that afternoon. Now that she replayed the scene in her mind, she remembered ButlerLi and other staff exchanging knowing smiles when they saw her. At the time, she didn’t think much of it. But now…

Those smiles—they were the smiles of someone who knew.

She felt a chill run down her spine. After tonight, everyone in the house would know they were sharing a room.

The thought made her want to bury herself in a hole.

She glared at Ji Jing with a mix of resentment and embarrassment, shaking off his hand. “I’m taking a shower and going to bed.”

Ji Jing watched her, a faint smile curving his lips.

His wife was bold yet shy, and there was nothing he could do but indulge her.

…

The bathroom was filled with steam as Tang Ruan took her shower. It was her first time using Ji Jing’s bathroom. The layout was the same as her own, with no designated “master” or “secondary” bedrooms in the house, but the decor and furnishings were distinctly different.

The sound of running water filled the space as Tang Ruan scrubbed herself, lost in thought. Suddenly, a serious realization hit her—she had rushed in so quickly that she hadn’t brought any clothes with her.

She froze, glancing around the bathroom. Apart from a single bathrobe, there was nothing else.

Tang Ruan let out a long, defeated sigh. Why did she keep making such rookie mistakes?

Resigned, she continued her shower, drawing it out longer than usual. By the time she was done, Ji Jing had already finished showering in the other bathroom and was back in the room, waiting.

He raised an eyebrow at the prolonged silence from the bathroom but didn’t call out to her.

Ji Jing knew that if he pushed her too hard, she might get embarrassed and lock herself in the bathroom for the rest of the night.

As he debated whether to say something, his phone rang. He grabbed it, heading to the balcony to take the call.

“Hello?”

“Ji Jing.”

“Yeah?” His voice was calm. “What’s up?”

“It’s about your other little troublemaker,” said Ding Zerui, referring to Ji Ling.

Earlier, when Ji Jing and Tang Ruan had left, he’d asked Ding Zerui to take Ji Ling home. While Ding Zerui was generally reliable, Ji Jing had specifically asked him because he knew his patience exceeded that of their other friends.

“She doesn’t want to go home. She’s asking for drinks,” Ding Zerui explained, sounding exasperated.

Ji Jing pressed his fingers to his temple. “Is she serious?”

“Completely,” Ding Zerui said, glancing at the girl holding a beer bottle nearby. “She even said she wants you to come pick her up.”

Ji Jing fell silent for a moment. “Put her on the phone.”

“Fine, but I’m warning you—she’s in a mood. Just now, she saw two people in the bar and suddenly got upset, demanding more drinks,” Ding Zerui added, his tone a mix of amusement and concern.

He handed the phone to Ji Ling, who refused to take it. “I’m not talking to him.”

Ding Zerui sighed.

…

By the time Tang Ruan had gathered the courage to step out of the bathroom, Ji Jing was on the balcony, his patience clearly wearing thin.

She paused for a moment before walking over.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ji Ling is still at the bar.”

Tang Ruan frowned and said, “Then go pick her up.” She continued, “She’s not in a good mood today. We shouldn’t have just left her behind.”

Ji Jing glanced at her, just out of the shower, her skin as pale as her body, and the bathrobe loosely tied around her. He stared at her for a moment, his voice raspy as he asked, “Do you want me to go pick her up?”

Tang Ruan: “…”

Instinctively, she looked down at herself, her face turning red as she nodded, “Go ahead, or should I come with you?”

She could understand Ji Ling’s bad mood.

Seeing that Ji Jing remained unmoved, Tang Ruan took the phone and spoke a few words before hanging up. She handed the phone back to Ji Jing and said softly, “She’s still your sister. She’s upset, so try to be understanding.”

Ji Jing looked at his wife and couldn’t help but feel that his sister always seemed to challenge his patience. She was always causing problems at the worst times.

“I’ll go. You stay here,” Ji Jing said.

He reached out to ruffle her hair. “Go to bed early.”

“Mm.” Tang Ruan thought for a moment, then hugged Ji Jing and said something before letting him go. Avoiding his gaze, she tried to appear calm, “You go ahead. I’ll wait for you… then go to sleep.”

Ji Jing smirked and, squeezing her earlobe, gritted his teeth, “You always provoke me.”