When the morning light slanted through the carved wooden window, Wang Yuyan woke up and instinctively glanced at the spot beside her.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng wasn't there, she pushed herself upright; the soft brocade quilt slid from her shoulders, revealing several faint red marks on her fair skin.
She gently bit her lower lip and rubbed the side of her waist.
A faint soreness lingered from how tightly he'd gripped her again and again last night.
The slightest movement now sent a small sting through her.
In the past she could have rubbed herself raw a few times in a row without so much as a whimper.
The discomfort now was clearly because she'd rested for months.
Remembering how she'd cried and begged last night, she couldn't help curling her fingertips.
After dressing and stepping out, she stood uncertainly beneath the corridor, unsure where to go.
The morning breeze carried the sweet scent of gardenia from the courtyard; only then did she steady herself and follow the bluestone path forward.
She'd barely walked a few steps when Jiang Cheng's deep voice drifted over from the study.
Wang Yuyan paused, hesitating about disturbing him, yet found herself already at the study door.
The door was ajar; through the crack she saw Jiang Cheng seated behind a red-sandalan desk, fingertips resting on the edge of a phone whose screen was lit—he seemed to be on a video call.
She had meant to leave, but Jiang Cheng lifted his gaze to her.
The moment he spotted Wang Yuyan his expression didn't change; even when he saw her about to retreat he stretched out a hand toward her.
Of course the reason Jiang Cheng beckoned her over was that his Danger Perception Skill hadn't stirred in the slightest.
Last night's reprimand plus three rounds of 'corporal' discipline had left Wang Yuyan so obedient it almost hurt to watch.
An incident like the one when Zhu Yan had walked in on Zhou Ying's video call was now unthinkable.
Wang Yuyan was clearly startled by Jiang Cheng's gesture.
From the voice it sounded as though he was video-chatting with a girl.
On the screen the girl was chatting with him in a casual, desultory way.
From the content, she too might be one of Jiang Cheng's women.
So what did he mean by waving her over right now?
Did the other woman already know about her existence? Or was Jiang Cheng testing her?
Though bewildered, Wang Yuyan softened her steps and walked in.
She trod lightly because she had no wish to expose herself to this girl.
Last night she had deliberately rolled down the window in front of Xia Li only because she knew Xia Li wasn't one of Jiang Cheng's women.
But when the woman on the other end of the call was also Jiang Cheng's, she—putting herself in the girl's shoes—would certainly dislike seeing another woman beside him while they were talking.
So Wang Yuyan had no intention of making a sound.
She drifted to Jiang Cheng's side and leaned over for a look.
She chose her angle perfectly: she could see Zhou Ying without the camera capturing her.
At that moment Zhou Ying was tilting her head at a dressing table, red-framed glasses perched on her nose.
A tiny pink-and-white bear clip held back her hair ends, giving her an air of winsome innocence.
She was slowly sipping from a bottle of milk, pausing between each languid pull.
Even when she lifted her gaze to Jiang Cheng the outer corners of her eyes carried a natural pink flush, like peach-petals dipped in honey.
She wrinkled her petite nose; the tip blushed adorably, then her eyes curved in a smile that rippled through the watery light in her gaze, soft as a sponge-cake just steamed at dawn.
The instant Zhou Ying looked up, Wang Yuyan felt her own breath catch.
This was a beauty that "eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes holding autumn water" could not begin to describe.
It was a warmth-laden loveliness.
Her skin glowed with the delicate sheen of porcelain; when she spoke her lips pressed gently, revealing a small rounded lip-bead.
She looked like a flower raised with meticulous care, every unhurried gesture exuding softness.
A sudden sourness rose in Wang Yuyan's heart, yet she had to admit this girl's beauty carried an innocent sweetness that made hostility impossible—even she found it hard to look away.
She had seen Yu Xiaoxiao's dazzling splendor and Qiao Yinyin's cool elegance, but neither possessed Zhou Ying's effortless, soft charm.
At this moment Wang Yuyan felt herself distinctly outshone by Zhou Ying's unique, delicate beauty.
She lowered her lashes and gently rested her fingertips on the back of Jiang Cheng's out-stretched hand, not daring to make the slightest sound.
A soft girl's voice drifted from the screen: "Did you go to bed early last night? Did you watch the video I sent you?"
Jiang Cheng noticed none of a woman's petty comparisons running through Wang Yuyan's mind.
Watching her lean in, he shifted the phone a fraction and merely stretched out his hand again.
Understanding, Wang Yuyan stepped closer, her fingertips lightly covering the back of his hand, still making no noise.
Jiang Cheng kept his eyes on the phone and replied, "An old client dropped by last night—too enthusiastic, sandwiched me between them and wouldn't let me go; I ended up falling asleep dealing with it."
As he spoke his fingers gave Wang Yuyan's hand a casual squeeze.
Yet his gaze never left the screen.
With his Danger Perception Skill offering no warning at all, he remained completely relaxed.
The instant the words fell, Wang Yuyan's face flushed scarlet.
Hadn't she been the one clinging to him, wrapping her legs around him, crying and refusing to let him leave last night?
Compared with Jiang Cheng's calm, her own thighs now pressed together involuntarily.
She shot him a coy, reproachful glance.
She could tell how unusually wild he had been with her last night.
Of course that was aided by the little idiom he had just uttered.
Yet though she felt some discomfort, the months-long break had clearly left Jiang Cheng very interested in her again.
Apart from that, the most important thing was…
After so long apart, she had grown a bit… tense.
No—she could drop the word "tense."
Come to think of it, the internet was right.
If you want to keep your body youthful and tight, proper rest is essential.
After last night's experiment she had to agree.
At Jiang Cheng's frequency, if she were the only woman beside him, she would probably be completely relaxed by now…
Viewed from that angle, having other women around Jiang Cheng wasn't necessarily a bad thing.