Jiang Cheng had assumed that Little Xia's door would be securely locked.
Yet when he gently grasped the handle, he was startled to find it not only unlocked but also left a hair-thin crack.
A dim yellow glow slipped quietly through the narrow gap.
He pushed the door open with ease and stepped inside.
There, Little Xia lay peacefully on the bed, buried beneath a thick quilt, only a pair of crystal-clear eyes exposed.
Those eyes sparkled like stars in a night sky, bright and captivating.
When she saw Jiang Cheng suddenly appear in the doorway, her face froze in shock.
Clearly, she had never expected him to come to her room.
Because she thought Jiang Cheng would stay with Xia Meng tonight.
She had watched, through the very crack she'd deliberately left open, as Jiang Cheng and Xia Meng disappeared into the guest bedroom.
Little Xia assumed he would sleep there for the night.
But now, seeing Jiang Cheng lift the quilt and slip in beside her, she gasped as he used his Dragon-Claw Capture.
A sharp cry escaped her lips, and she blurted out, "You… you were with Sister Xia?"
Jiang Cheng gazed at her, activating Deep Affection Gaze. "Hmm?"
Caught in that look, Little Xia lost her composure.
She didn't know why she'd blurted the question; perhaps a nameless unease and curiosity had pushed her.
She couldn't explain the need to ask.
Today was the first time she'd seen another woman beside Jiang Cheng.
Though she had slowly come to terms with her rural background,
no longer brooding over it as before,
the moment she laid eyes on Xia Meng, a deep sense of inferiority welled up unbidden.
Especially when with Jiang Cheng, the feeling intensified; she felt outclassed in every way.
Inside, she was a proud girl.
When no answer came, she didn't ask again.
The question hung unanswered.
She bit her lip, leaving a faint mark.
She fought the urge to press him further.
She had already heard Xia Meng's faint, unmistakable sounds.
She knew exactly what those sounds meant.
She'd asked only because a sharp spike of jealousy had seized her heart.
That sour burn felt like strong liquor scorching her chest.
Yet she lacked the courage to voice her feelings openly.
Luckily, Jiang Cheng's head now rested against her chest, the vivid sensation diluting her jealousy.
By staying with him, she had touched things once beyond her reach.
She wanted to hold on to this relationship with everything she had.
She knew her situation: if she left Jiang Cheng, her 1.6 million yuan might keep her fed and clothed,
but to leap classes and enter a new world would be a fool's dream.
Thinking this, her soft white arms gently encircled Jiang Cheng's head.
At the same time, her shapely legs slid like serpents around his solid waist.
She tilted her head slightly, parted her lips, and in a shy, melodious voice whispered, "Brother Cheng… thank you for coming back."
Jiang Cheng hadn't locked the door either; like Little Xia, he'd left it ajar.
Sounds drifted out from time to time.
Though the rooms were fairly soundproof,
that held only if every door was shut tight.
In the guest bedroom, Xia Meng knew Jiang Cheng's visit to Little Xia couldn't be just for sleep.
Driven by curiosity,
she tiptoed to the door and gently eased it open a crack.
The instant it parted, soft, breathy moans poured in like a tide.
After only a few seconds she flinched as if burned and quietly closed the door again.
The moment it shut, silence fell, the room suddenly still.
Xia Meng's fair face blazed red.
She pressed her palms over her mouth and leaned weakly against the cool wood.
The quiet magnified her emotions,
so she could clearly hear her heart pounding—
thump, thump—each beat threatening to leap from her chest.
Jiang Cheng had left her side only moments earlier,
and the turmoil he'd stirred hadn't yet settled.
Hearing those sounds now was like a key unlocking Pandora's box,
releasing temptations she could hardly resist.
It was exactly like opening Pandora's box—
once you've seen, you can't unsee.