Today, Xia Li was dressed in an incredibly provocative maid outfit, as though the garment had been tailored exclusively for her.
The skirt was so short it almost defied imagination.
The black hem flared slightly, like a shy black rose on the verge of blooming.
Snow-white lace traced the edge, as if drawing a sweet dream within this pure black world.
With every movement, her round bottom peeked out, stirring boundless thoughts.
The V-neck of her top clung tightly to her proud, ample curves.
A large red bow tied at the collar blazed like a flame.
It added a playful touch to the sensuality.
The cuffs were also trimmed with delicate lace that whispered temptation with every sway of her arms.
The black stockings seemed custom-made for her long legs, clinging like a second skin, silky and smooth.
A tiny red heart adorned the back of each knee.
Red stilettos, ten centimeters high, lifted the toes slightly; every step rang out crisply.
Like a seductive drumbeat on the heart.
As Jiang Cheng watched her swaying hips, an old news story surfaced in his mind.
A Tycoon in Sunate claimed he only wanted to wake the eighteen-year-old Little Girl napping on his sofa.
He even offered her cab fare out of kindness.
But the girl panicked and fought the rich man.
The Tycoon slipped—and the two of them ended up… Recalling the story, Jiang Cheng glanced at the watering can beside Xia Li's feet.
The can had obviously been brought upstairs to water the plants on the bedroom balcony.
Yet it had clearly soaked the floor as well.
If he slipped too… Just as he prepared to step over the puddle,
Xia Li, who had been softly humming, suddenly spun around as if sensing something.
In an instant, her gentle smile vanished, replaced by a murderous chill.
But barely two seconds passed.
When her blade-sharp eyes recognized Jiang Cheng, that lethal aura drained away like a receding tide.
What remained was utter deference and meekness, like a docile lamb greeting its master.
The abrupt change left Jiang Cheng frozen.
He never imagined that the ever-gentle Xia Li could flash two such wildly different faces in a heartbeat.
Especially those killing eyes—he had never seen such a look on her before.
Jiang Cheng's gaze swept involuntarily over her delicate features.
He opened the system and quickly checked Xia Li's loyalty.
It still stood at 120 percent.
With no alert from his Danger Perception Skill, Jiang Cheng finally relaxed.
He remembered the first time he'd seen Xia Li in Tyrande; she'd been a cool, aloof subordinate.
She'd radiated an untouchable distance.
But after being assigned to the villa as his personal maid,
subtle changes had taken place.
Perhaps it was the deep immersion in her role,
or perhaps the carefully chosen maid outfit,
but Xia Li was no longer merely cold in Jiang Cheng's eyes; she had become a sexy, attentive subordinate.
Yet, in that split second just now,
the expression she had unwittingly revealed shattered Jiang Cheng's fixed impression of her.
He suddenly realized that this seemingly gentle, alluring woman
was not only a loyal subordinate but also someone harboring a dangerous edge.
Collecting herself, Xia Li pulled the wireless earbud from her ear and tucked it into the pocket of her apron.
Her fair face glowed softly under the lights,
her eyes as clear as a lake, bright and playful; beneath her straight nose,
her pink lips curved upward.
Surprise lit Xia Meng's face. "Young Master Jiang, when did you get back?"
Glancing at the water around the overturned can, Jiang Cheng said with mild regret, "I've been standing here spying on you for a while. You're doing great."
Flushed by his praise, Xia Li hurried to place a freshly changed pillowcase on the bed.
Her slender fingers smoothed the sheets, then she spun and hurried toward him.
"Thank you for the compliment, Young Master. Are you hungry? Shall I prepare some dessert for you?"
She still hadn't noticed the large puddle at her feet.
The instant her heel brushed the water, the sole skidded as if oiled, careening outward in a wild slide.
The sudden crisis threw Xia Li into pure panic.
Her arms flailed at empty air; she was completely off-balance, toppling helplessly backward.
Jiang Cheng shot forward, quick-eyed and fast-handed, his broad, powerful palms steadying the small of her back as it arced toward the floor.
Her spine struck a solid arm with a jolt.
With a sharp cry, Xia Meng's forehead bumped Jiang Cheng's hard sternum.
As if pulled by an invisible thread, her pale, delicate hands clutched his steely forearm.
In her ears rushed her own ragged breaths and the steady, rhythmic drum of Jiang Cheng's heartbeat.
Beat after beat, it pounded against the chords of her heart.
By any normal rule, it should have been effortless for Jiang Cheng to lift Xia Li upright.
But the unexpected happened.
No sooner had he steadied her than his own feet shot out from under him.
His whole frame lurched, crashing straight backward.
In the instant before he fell, Jiang Cheng whipped his arms around and locked them about Xia Li's slender waist.
Shock flashed through Xia Li; instinctively she tried to twist free and brace them both.
And keep Jiang Cheng from harm.
Yet the moment she tensed, Jiang Cheng's slip dragged her foot along.
Instead of finding her footing, she wound up even closer against him.
A dull thud followed: the two of them slammed onto the big bed.
Worse, momentum and their tight embrace combined.
Their lips met—utterly unguarded.
Time froze; everything around them turned to still crystal.
Xia Li's eyes flew wide, stunned and shy.
She hadn't imagined things could end like this.
She felt the warm fan of Jiang Cheng's breath across her face.
The strange, electric sensation set her heart racing; a blush flamed across her cheeks.
The sudden windfall tugged the corner of Jiang Cheng's mouth into a sly, triumphant smile.
Meanwhile, Xia Li's mind raced, rewinding the scene at lightning speed.
As they fell, reflex had made her shield Jiang Cheng.
She had, as planned, landed beneath him as the cushion.
So how had their lips ended up locked?
Had she simply used too much force?
After all, she had flung her arms tight around his neck.
In that pull, gravity had dragged his face toward hers.
The thought tangled her mind into knots.
Right now, she hardly cared about the loss of her first kiss.
What terrified her was whether Jiang Cheng would be angry at this mess.
The whole thing was too sudden, too mortifying!
Though seeing Jiang Cheng with other women always stung.
Most of her time was spent in wholehearted service to him.
She had no room for tricks, let alone seduction.
Under the system's influence, her loyalty to Jiang Cheng stood at one-hundred-twenty percent.
As her wits returned, Xia Li slowly lifted a jade-white hand.
She gave the man above her a gentle push.
Her petal lips parted in a soft, half-stifled murmur: "Young Master Jiang..."
That shy, delicate plea and those fluttering hands.
Were sparks that ignited the primal fire inside him.
With sudden strength, Jiang Cheng pinned Xia Li against the soft mattress.
His lips descended like a storm, his kiss swift and skillful.
The fierce, artful assault left Xia Li stunned; alarm flashed across her face.
Instinct took over—she twisted and struggled, shoving at his solid chest with all her might.