Even Xia Li, who was used to seeing corpses and was usually cold and detached, cried out in shock. The hand holding the tray shook, and the warm milk rippled against the cup's wall, nearly spilling.
Panic enveloped the three of them like a tide. They all quietly shuffled their feet back, wishing they could escape this heart-pounding room immediately.
Seeing the two women start to leave the bed in a flurry.
Jiang Cheng knew he couldn't wait any longer. He took a deep breath, intentionally slowed his movements, and with a hint of drowsiness from just waking up, slowly propped himself up with both hands.
He put on a completely dazed expression.
Seeing Jiang Cheng wake up, Si Qing and Si Nian instantly wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Xia Li turned her face away, her cold voice carrying a trace of imperceptible embarrassment: "President Jiang, you're awake?"
Jiang Cheng rubbed his temples, his gaze "dazed" as it swept over the three flustered women before him.
Finally, it landed on his pants, which had been pulled down to his knees.
His brow furrowed slightly, his tone carrying a bit of lightheaded confusion: "You all... what are you doing? Why are you stripping off my clothes?"
As soon as those words came out, the room became even more chaotic.
Si Nian hurriedly let go, waving her arms in defense, her voice trembling: "No, it wasn't on purpose! You were drunk and your clothes were dirty, we just wanted to help you change..."
Hearing this, Si Qing also quickly chimed in, but her confidence was lacking and her voice was weak: "Yes, just changing clothes, nothing else intended!"
Looking at the chaotic scene before her, Xia Li opened her mouth.
Ultimately, she only softly added: "I only came to deliver a cup of hot milk; I don't know anything about the other matters..."
After the three women finished explaining, Jiang Cheng didn't respond.
He just rubbed his temples, his gaze becoming even more dazed. His body went limp, and he fell straight back onto the bed.
His head tilted onto the pillow, his eyes snapped shut, and his breathing became long and even, as if his previous confusion had just been drunken nonsense.
Seeing Jiang Cheng fall back asleep, the three women began to look at each other.
All three saw "bewilderment" in each other's eyes.
How could this man fall asleep just like that?
The hearts they had just raised hadn't even settled before they were hung in mid-air again by this sudden situation.
This sudden situation left them unsure whether they should leave or not.
Finally, it was Xia Li who reacted first.
After steadying herself, she walked in from the doorway.
Then, she gently placed the tray on the low cabinet by the bed.
She intentionally controlled her gaze to avoid looking at Jiang Cheng's body.
Looking at the two sisters who were at a loss, she spoke softly: "Now... will you two change Young Master Jiang, or shall I?" She paused and added, "It's cold in spring; we can't let him stay like this."
These words woke the two sisters up.
Although the two sisters felt very embarrassed, they thought about what Wang Sheng had said earlier.
Neither of them was willing to give this opportunity to Xia Li.
Especially seeing Xia Li's calm expression, the two women felt even more that something was off.
Could it be that this wasn't Xia Li's first time seeing this?
Thinking of the profession of a personal maid, the two women instantly imagined scenes of Xia Li giving Jiang Cheng a sponge bath.
If they really let Xia Li dress him, Jiang Cheng's innocence might be gone by tomorrow.
Si Qing's back stiffened like a cat protecting its territory. She quietly pulled Si Nian behind her, the wariness in her eyes almost overflowing.
Xia Li's words sounded well-intentioned, but that "matter-of-fact" tone was too grating.
Si Qing quietly nudged Si Nian with her elbow.
"We'll do it! We'll dress him now, don't worry."
Si Nian snapped out of it after being nudged, and her defensiveness also surfaced.
Although her face was still burning, she felt somewhat more at ease than letting Xia Li do it.
Si Nian's face turned even redder, but she still forced herself to agree: "Right, right! We'll do it. Xia Li, you go ahead with your work; just leave it to us."
As she spoke, she leaned closer to Si Qing, their shoulders touching lightly, as if silently forming a united front.
Seeing the two women guarding against her, Xia Li didn't show much of an expression.
However, an imperceptible trace of regret still flickered through the depths of her eyes.
But she quickly regained her cold demeanor.
Without another word, she silently picked up the empty tray from the low cabinet, gently closed the door, and retreated.
Seeing Xia Li leave, Si Qing immediately pulled Si Nian toward the bed and whispered an instruction: "Hurry up and change him, don't let her find another excuse to come in and interfere later."
Although Xia Li had walked out, she didn't go far.
The scene just now had quite an impact on her.
Her head was a mess, and she was leaning against the hallway wall, forcing herself to adjust her breathing.
The images from the room repeatedly played back in her mind.
Jiang Cheng's sleeping appearance, the sisters' panicked expressions, and that unexpected movement... Xia Li's heart inexplicably quickened. She raised her hand to press against her chest, trying to calm her breathing, but her heart felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, an indescribable strangeness.
She was Jiang Cheng's personal maid; taking care of him was her duty. But seeing Si Qing and Si Nian protecting Jiang Cheng just now, she felt a faint, unpleasant sensation in her heart.
Was it because she felt her duties were being usurped? Or... she didn't dare think further, just staring at the closed door, her ears involuntarily leaning toward the room.
She wanted to know why those two sisters were taking so long just to change a pair of pants.
But not even two minutes had passed.
She heard faint voices coming from the room.
At first, they were muffled, but then they became clearer.
"How are you putting them on? They're crooked, crooked, they're on backward..."
"No, no, align them before pulling them up! Don't let your hands shake!"
"This is my first time helping someone get dressed, I don't know how! If you're so capable, you do it..."
...Xia Li's brow furrowed—it was just a pair of pants, why were the two sisters starting to bicker?
Was it really that difficult??
Xia Li was only afraid that Jiang Cheng would catch a cold because of those two.
The doubt in her heart grew heavier, and her feet unconsciously moved toward the door, wanting to peek through the crack.
If it still wasn't working, she decided she wouldn't wait any longer and would personally help Jiang Cheng dress.
But before she could get close, Si Qing's exclamation suddenly came from the room.
"Jiang Cheng, why are you awake?? Let go of Si Nian quickly..."
The following words weren't finished, but they made Xia Li's heart skip a beat.
She stopped in her tracks, her ear pressed even closer, the sense of strangeness in her heart growing stronger.
What's going on? Young Master Jiang is awake.
Xia Li looked in through the crack in the door.
With one look, her eyes widened instantly. How did they start kissing?
Seeing Jiang Cheng holding Si Nian down with both hands, he muttered to himself: "What's going on?? Why are you in my bed? Am I dreaming? Why am I so lightheaded? I must be dreaming... yes... dreaming. I think I saw Xia Li just now too, how strange..."
Beside them, looking at Si Nian's state, Si Qing's mind instantly became a mess.
She had thought that such a day might come.
But seeing the scene for real, she felt a bit awkward... In her urgency, Si Qing could only pull at Jiang Cheng's hand and speak bashfully: "Jiang Cheng, you're drunk, wake up quickly, let go of Si Nian..."
However, Si Qing's words clearly had no effect.
For a drunk person, Jiang Cheng's performance was perfectly natural.
Before Si Qing could finish her sentence, one of the hands that was holding Si Nian down reached out, and in an instant, she was also pulled over by Jiang Cheng.