Xia Liuyue stood on the balcony, closed the sliding door to ensure no sound would leak out, and only then pressed the answer button.
Suppressed anger came through the phone from Du Jiashu.
"Where are you?"
Xia Liuyue lazily raised an eyebrow. "Not at home."
Du Jiashu: "I'm calling to ask why you're not home. You splashed white wine all over Yaoyao at the restaurant. I had to swallow my pride and apologize on your behalf, then see her off and clean up your mess."
"And when I got home, you weren't even there. Even the maids don't know where you went."
"Xia Liuyue, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Xia Liuyue scoffed coldly: "Just not trying to do you, for sure."
There was a three-second silence on the other end of the line.
Then came Du Jiashu's furious voice: "Look at you, what proper young lady from a good family speaks as crudely as you? I originally thought those rumors in Jiang City..."
Xia Liuyue curled her lips into a smile:
"What rumors? That I've played around with several men?"
"They're not rumors; they're true. Du Jiashu, haven't you always had a knot in your heart, thinking I'm dirty?"
"No need to keep it buried. Just say it out loud."
Du Jiashu: "...That's not what I meant."
Xia Liuyue stated decisively:
"No, you did! But weren't you also slept by me?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, you were the worst experience of the lot."
With that, she hung up the phone without waiting for his reaction.
"Beep, beep, beep—"
The dial tone sounded.
Du Jiashu looked at the disconnected phone with an incredulous expression. This was the first time Xia Liuyue had actively hung up on him before he finished speaking.
And even more so, her words...
They had struck a severe blow to his male pride.
After all, that drunken night was also his first time. Du Jiashu had always considered himself very chaste.
He had wanted to save that for the woman he truly loved.
As for the marriage alliance with Xia Liuyue, it was forced!
He had never intended to touch her.
Regarding those rumors about Xia Liuyue, even if Tang Yinyao hadn't mentioned them, he had heard them.
His wife was a party girl.
But he didn't care; it was just a business marriage, a union of interests.
He never expected that one drunken night and the loss of that child would complicate their relationship so intricately.
Deep down, he actually felt guilty toward Xia Liuyue, but of all things, the whole mess had been caused by a well-intentioned suggestion from Yaoyao.
If he acknowledged Xia Liuyue as the victim,
Then wouldn't Yaoyao bear the stigma of being a murderer?
People are selfish.
They tend to side with the person they value more. For the sake of his childhood sweetheart, he could only wrong this wife from a marriage of convenience.
After all, their marriage was a mistake from the very beginning.
But now, his wife seemed to have changed.
Not only did she dare to tear up the divorce agreement, but she also dared to stay out all night?!
Not at home? Then where could she be now? At a club, ordering male escorts.
At the thought of this, Du Jiashu's expression darkened even further.
...
Xia Liuyue had no intention of ordering male escorts.
Male escorts cost money.
Yan Hechuan was free.
And had a great physique.
Wasn't he much better than any male escort?
But by the time she finished the call and went back inside, Yan Hechuan was already lying properly in bed, fast asleep.
This time, Xia Liuyue put on her slippers and deliberately made a shuffling sound.
But he showed no reaction at all.
"Hechuan, asleep?"
No response.
Xia Liuyue walked to the bedside, reached out a finger, and poked his cheek.
"Really asleep?"
His long eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably.
Xia Liuyue simply sat down on the edge of the bed, drawing out her words: "Oh, so Hechuan's eyes still flutter when he's asleep."
Yan Hechuan on the bed slowly opened his eyes.
They were still misty and unfocused.
Xia Liuyue's words were piercing.
"Actually, you don't need to open them. It's pretty much the same whether they're open or closed."
He couldn't see anyway!
Yan Hechuan, who was usually emotionally stable, felt the corner of his mouth twitch uncontrollably at these words.
How come he never noticed before that Yin Yao's mouth was so sharp?
But it was rather interesting.
Yan Hechuan: "I'm tired."
Xia Liuyue leaned her head closer, her fingertip tracing the bridge of his nose. Soon, another larger hand caught hers.
Stopping this action.
"Yin Yao, you mustn't."
"This is desensitization training." Xia Liuyue's lips curved upwards, her other free hand brushing past his Adam's apple as it bobbed.
Yan Hechuan's long eyelashes fluttered again.
He said seriously, "Yin Yao, you've been acting really strange today."
Xia Liuyue nodded in full agreement:
"Maybe there's another personality living inside me, and recently this personality has taken over my body."
"Hechuan, don't be surprised. People have many facets."
Yan Hechuan's lips pressed into a thin line.
He seemed to be pondering the reliability of this statement.
But Xia Liuyue gave him no room for thought. She tilted her head slightly and asked, "Did you wash up? You probably haven't brushed your teeth or washed your face yet."
"I did." Yan Hechuan stated firmly.
"Then you definitely haven't showered, right?" Xia Liuyue wrinkled her nose and even leaned in to sniff, saying with disdain, "You smell of sweat."
Actually, he didn't.
The perfect composure on Yan Hechuan's face cracked slightly.
He explained, "I can't see right now. It's inconvenient to shower."
"And at this hour, your junior brother should already be resting. We'll wait until tomorrow."
Xia Liuyue grabbed his arm and pulled: "Wait for what tomorrow? It has to be today. I'll help you wash."
Yan Hechuan refused quickly: "No."
Xia Liuyue let out a questioning 'Hmm?'
"When a man says no, he means yes."
Then she tried to drag him, but unfortunately, he was too heavy and she couldn't budge him at all.
Xia Liuyue put her clever little brain to work.
"Not going, is it?"
"If you don't go, then I'll kiss you."
It was the first time in Yan Hechuan's life he had been threatened like this.
But it wasn't unpleasant.
He resigned himself and got up, allowing Xia Liuyue to lead him towards the bathroom.
"Just take me to the shower stall, tell me where the shower gel, pajamas, and towel are, and wait by the door. That's all." Yan Hechuan stated again.
"Fine, fine, fine. But let's get your clothes off first."
After leading him to the shower stall, Xia Liuyue looked him up and down.
Yan Hechuan frowned, somewhat uncomfortable. "You go out. I can manage myself."
"How can you manage? Don't tell me you plan to stand under the showerhead with your clothes on?" Xia Liuyue hit the nail on the head.
Yan Hechuan: "You're right. I just thought of that possibility."
Xia Liuyue: "..."
Talk about hoisting with one's own petard.
"Hechuan, can you please not be so stubborn? We're already engaged."
Yan Hechuan: "Exactly. Engaged, not married. So, no."
He was like a stubborn, hard stone from a latrine pit.
Xia Liuyue gave a light humph and deliberately took the bath towel with her when she walked out of the shower stall.
The sound of water came from the shower stall, steam rising.
Through the frosted glass door, a vague silhouette could be seen.
Ten minutes later.
The hot water stopped.
Yan Hechuan's puzzled voice came through: "Yin Yao, the towel seems to be missing."
