Chapter 15: Is Zhan Rongxuan Staying Over?

The car stopped at Hua Mansion. After getting out, Xu Yueyao was just about to wave goodbye when she saw Zhan Rongxuan stepping out as well. She thought to herself, What does this mean? Is he planning to come up too?

“Aren’t you going to lead the way?” Zhan Rongxuan asked, looking at the dazed Xu Yueyao.

She snapped back to reality and led the way. While in the elevator, she couldn’t help but wonder—Does he intend to stay over? Thinking about the wardrobe in the other bedroom, which had his clothes and various men’s products, her heartbeat quickened. If he wants to… do that… what should I do? She instinctively placed her hand on her chest. If he wants to, can I refuse? It’s too soon for our first time… But what if she refused? Would he get angry?

Zhan Rongxuan observed Xu Yueyao from behind. She had a slender figure, her silky long hair tied into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. Her delicate neck was exposed, her skin as smooth as jade. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he shifted his gaze. If I hadn’t shown up today, would she really have run outside naked? She was bold—actually daring to make such a huge bet.

Then, recalling her claim that many guys were chasing her, Zhan Rongxuan thought about what Zhan Feng had investigated. There was only one, Fu Xiaosi. He shook his head slightly—what an exaggeration. But thinking about the car that had been following them earlier, he furrowed his brows slightly.

Just as Xu Yueyao was tangled in her worries, the elevator arrived. She stiffened but walked out, mechanically entered the door code, and stepped inside.

“Young Master, you’re here!” Aunt Wang greeted Zhan Rongxuan warmly.

Zhan Rongxuan nodded at her. “Aunt Wang.”

“Young Master, are you staying over? I’ll prepare a couple more dishes!” Aunt Wang beamed and hurried into the kitchen, even humming a tune.

Xu Yueyao turned to Zhan Rongxuan and said, “I’ll go change my clothes first.”

In her bedroom, she paced back and forth anxiously. What do I do? What do I do? Finally, she let out a long sigh, trying to comfort herself. It’s okay, Xu Yueyao, you’ll be fine. He’s so handsome, and besides, that kind of thing is supposed to be wonderful. Just look at how popular he is today—you wouldn’t be losing out… If it really comes to it, just treat it like getting bitten by a dog.

She picked out a set of gray sweatpants and a long-sleeved hoodie, wrapping herself up tightly before stepping out. She initially wanted to help Aunt Wang in the kitchen, but then she saw Zhan Rongxuan holding a small silver dolphin necklace.

Startled, she rushed over and grabbed it. Seeing her opened notebook, she glared at him angrily. “Why are you rummaging through my stuff?”

These were the belongings of the original owner of her body, and Xu Yueyao felt a little guilty. Their handwriting was different, and although she had deliberately mimicked the original owner’s script today, someone sharp might still notice the inconsistency.

“Sorry, but that necklace looks familiar to me,” Zhan Rongxuan said thoughtfully.

Xu Yueyao took a look at the necklace. It, along with some hair clips, had been kept in a candy box that she had retrieved. It was just an ordinary necklace, probably not even real silver. How could he have seen it before? The novel never mentioned anything special about this necklace either.

“It’s just a knockoff,” she said, putting it back in the storage box. “Maybe you’ve seen the original version before.” Then, she quickly stowed away the notebook and pushed him toward the dining area. “Let’s eat—I’m starving!”

At the dining table, Aunt Wang said, “Young Master, Miss Xu, enjoy your meal. I’ll be heading home now.” She shot Xu Yueyao a knowing smile before leaving.

Zhan Rongxuan turned to Xu Yueyao. “Aren’t you afraid living alone? Do you want me to find a live-in housekeeper for you?”

Aunt Wang, after all, was from the Li Garden estate and had to return there at night.

Xu Yueyao shook her head while chewing on a rib. “No need. I’m used to living alone. Having someone around would make me uncomfortable.”

Zhan Rongxuan frowned slightly as he watched her eat. He had never been a picky eater since childhood, but she was only eating meat, never touching the vegetables. He picked up some greens and placed them on her plate.

Without a word, she simply placed the meat on top of the vegetables and ate them together.

Xu Yueyao ate very seriously, but her plate only ever had meat. However, when Zhan Rongxuan gave her vegetables, she obediently ate them. He found this amusing and kept placing more vegetables on her plate just to see her eat them.

After dinner, Xu Yueyao tidied up the kitchen, even though Aunt Wang had told her to leave it for the next day. She just couldn’t leave things messy after eating.

“Rongxuan, do you want some fruit?” Feeling more relaxed after having dinner together, she washed some strawberries from the fridge.

Zhan Rongxuan, who was watching the news on the couch, raised an eyebrow. Did she just call me Rongxuan? He wondered if he had misheard.

Soon, Xu Yueyao brought over the washed strawberries and grabbed the remote to switch to the drama she was following. It was an over-the-top romance, just like this novel, but she enjoyed it.

Zhan Rongxuan watched her sitting there, eating strawberries in an adorable, almost animal-like manner. He thought back to her nervous reaction when she first heard he was staying over. Feeling mischievous, he teased, “Aren’t you going to take a shower and go to bed?”

“Hmm… huh?” She turned to him in shock, strawberry juice dripping from the corner of her mouth.

Zhan Rongxuan picked up a tissue from the table and leaned in to gently wipe it away. Their faces were close—so close that they could feel each other’s breath.

Xu Yueyao’s heartbeat raced. Is this it? Is it happening here? On the couch?

Zhan Rongxuan smirked at her flustered expression. “Be good and go to bed.” He then grabbed the remote and switched back to the news.

Xu Yueyao swallowed her strawberry, quickly stood up, and dashed back to her room.

Zhan Rongxuan nodded in satisfaction. He glanced at the plate of strawberries and recalled the sweet scent of her breath. Feeling a bit thirsty but too lazy to get water, he popped a bright red strawberry into his mouth. Hmm… sweet.

In her bedroom, Xu Yueyao debated whether to close the door but ultimately decided against it. We’re both adults—who’s afraid of who? Then she went to take a shower.

Lying in bed afterward, she reviewed the novel’s plot in her mind. At this point in the story, the male and female leads weren’t together yet, still engaged in a dramatic push-and-pull. The author had set up the female lead as a strong, independent woman who wouldn’t easily fall into romance…

Thinking about it, Xu Yueyao drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up with a start. Hearing noises outside, she put on her slippers and stepped out.

“Miss Xu, you’re awake,” Aunt Wang said as she fed the fish.

“Where’s Zhan Rongxuan?” Xu Yueyao glanced around but didn’t see him.

“Young Master left in the middle of the night,” Aunt Wang replied.

“He left in the middle of the night?” Xu Yueyao glanced at the guest room door. If he didn’t plan to stay, then why did he even come up? Just for Aunt Wang’s cooking?

She felt a little guilty—maybe he had given up his best family chef for her.

But that guilt vanished the moment she bit into Aunt Wang’s crab roe bun. So delicious!