Her eyes darted around, and taking advantage of the slight slack in Jiang Cheng's arm around her waist, she slipped out of his embrace like a slippery little fish.
Barefoot, she dashed toward the bedroom door, her hand quickly reaching for the doorknob.
"Trying to run?" Jiang Cheng's low, amused voice sounded behind her, impossibly fast.
Jiang Churan's fingers had just touched the cold doorknob when an irresistible force pressed against her from behind, accompanied by a soft "click."
She was completely encircled by Jiang Cheng's solid arm.
His scorching breath sprayed against the side of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"So..." Jiang Cheng's voice dropped even lower, carrying a hint of realization and deeper amusement, his lips almost brushing her ear, "you want it here? This place... we haven't tried it yet."
"No... it's not... they're still in the living room... I don't want to, I need to go to class..." Jiang Churan's face flushed crimson, shaking her head in panic, her voice tinged with a pitiful sob.
Her hands pushed futilely against his arm braced on the door, but it didn't budge.
Outside the door in the living room, Xu Yan and Shen Shuang paused their playful tussle upon hearing the faint sound of the door opening.
"Huh? Is Chu Ran awake?"
Xu Yan blinked, pulling Shen Shuang as they tiptoed toward the master bedroom.
As they approached, they heard Jiang Churan's tearful "no" from behind the door, followed by Jiang Cheng's low, muffled laughter, and then... "thud!"
The door was forcefully pressed shut from inside with a dull thud, completely blocking the view between inside and out.
Xu Yan and Shen Shuang stood outside the door, looking at each other.
Their expressions shifted from curiosity to instant understanding.
Then came unconcealed awkwardness and a hint of... an indescribable heat.
"No way? They're not..." Xu Yan whispered, even making a gesture to cover her ears, but she couldn't help pricking up her own ears.
Shen Shuang, pulled along, stumbled slightly, her heart racing wildly as her mind uncontrollably began to imagine the scene behind the door, her cheeks burning even hotter.
Sure enough, before they could retreat to the living room sofa, faint new noises emerged from behind the tightly closed master bedroom door.
At first, there were fragmented, suppressed sobs and gasps, mixed with the rustling of fabric.
Soon, the sounds became clearer.
Tearful pleas came intermittently, but seemed mostly muffled by something, leaving only vague nasal sounds... The air suddenly fell eerily quiet, with only their slightly quickened breaths audible.
Both Girls' faces flushed bright red, burning from their cheeks all the way to their ears.
"Um... Shuang Shuang, I, I suddenly remembered I haven't edited the video I shot last night. I'm going back to my room first!" Xu Yan was the first to give in, stammering out an excuse, her head bowed, not daring to look at Shen Shuang.
"Ah? Oh, right, right! I, I also need to review today's class notes!" Shen Shuang caught on and quickly chimed in.
The two Girls practically fled back to the room they were temporarily staying in.
"Bang," "bang"—two doors were swiftly closed.
However, hiding in their rooms didn't solve the problem.
Xu Yan and Shen Shuang each leaned against their doors, able to hear their own hearts pounding wildly... Over an hour later, Jiang Cheng leaned against the headboard, holding Jiang Churan, who had fallen back into a deep sleep from exhaustion, her breathing light and even.
In contrast to Jiang Churan's fatigue, Jiang Cheng, having just finished his morning exercise, felt refreshed and invigorated.
He picked up his phone, the screen lighting up to show several unread messages.
He saw that his phone had gained a small group chat called [Harvester Alliance].
Upon opening it, he found Wang Congcong and others.
The latest message was from Wang Congcong, with no text, just a video link followed by a few mischievous laughing and "awesome" emojis.
Jiang Cheng clicked on the video.
In the footage, the background was a seemingly high-end and grand press conference venue, with the words "Daheng Group Strategic Communication Meeting" prominently displayed on the backdrop.
Xu Jiayin, wearing a well-tailored dark suit and his signature red tie, his hair meticulously slicked back, stood under the spotlight.
His face wore a professional, almost radiant smile as he addressed the dense array of cameras and microphones below.
"Good morning, media friends," his voice boomed, carrying a deliberately boosted, infectious tone, showing no trace of fatigue or anxiety.
"I've also taken note of some unfounded rumors about Daheng circulating in the market recently. I want to reiterate here solemnly: Daheng Group's operations are entirely normal, with stable cash flow. We are fully capable and confident in handling any market fluctuations!"
The camera zoomed in, clearly showing fine beads of sweat on his temples, glinting slightly under the strong lights.
But his gaze was firm, even carrying a hint of "looking down upon the world" grandeur.