Chapter 26: Crossing the Point of No Return?

After Jiang Ce finished speaking, he hung up the phone without hesitation, leaving Shen Qing on the other end dumbfounded by his cryptic words.

It was only after several rounds of investigation, much later, that Shen Qing finally realized that this Chen Sheng was merely the head of a small trading company.

“Seriously, just a minor underling like that, and the boss used such a cold tone?” Shen Qing patted his own chest, still feeling a tremor of anxiety even in retrospect.

The others, puzzled, asked, “What did Chen Sheng do to offend our boss? Isn’t the boss accompanying Miss Ruan in Lan City?”

Shen Qing rolled his eyes, gave the questioner a sharp knock on the head, and said, “Don’t ask. If you must know, he offended Brother Ruan!”

Everyone: So that’s how it is...

Of course, Ruan Mianmian was unaware of what was going on back there. Still, she was rather surprised by Jiang Ce’s thunderous methods.

It seemed she ought never to provoke this big boss in the future; otherwise, she could go bankrupt within minutes, down to her last stitch of dignity.

Making her own mental notes, Ruan Mianmian glanced at Jiang Ce, who caught her gaze, prompting her to avert her eyes hurriedly, trying to appear as natural as possible.

Her room in the Ruan household was not exactly small, but since her predecessor had the mindset of a nouveau riche, she’d filled it with many impractical and space-consuming decorations.

And with Jiang Ce’s cold, impassive presence, the very air seemed to grow stifling.

But... who could she blame but herself?

At that moment, her phone chimed with a message. She quietly unlocked it, read something, and then, shifting on the bed, turned her back to Jiang Ce in a suspiciously sneaky fashion.

Jiang Ce was unmoved, simply watching the back of her head for a moment.

[Behave yourself!] she quickly typed and sent to A-Kuan, who laughed so hard at the message he doubled over, then replied,

[It’s a rare chance to be alone together! Go for it, Brother Ruan! Once the rice is cooked, everything else will fall into place.]

Rice cooked, indeed! Ruan Mianmian blushed as she stared at the words on the screen.

Caught up in her conversation, she forgot all about Jiang Ce. The room was so quiet, she had no idea what he was up to.

Clutching her phone, she risked a glance over her shoulder, only to find a pair of long, well-proportioned legs standing right beside her.

No way...

Instinctively, she tried to hide her phone, but the cool, indifferent voice came from above.

“No need to hide it. I’ve seen everything.”

Damn! Ruan Mianmian wished she could crawl into a hole right then and there.

But to salvage a shred of dignity, she feigned calm and gave a casual “Oh,” then rose slowly and said,

“You rest for a bit. I’ll go freshen up.”

Not daring to look back at Jiang Ce’s expression, she strode toward the door—only to feel a sudden tug at her collar, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned back awkwardly. “What is it?”

Jiang Ce’s face was impassive, not a flicker of emotion. He raised his other hand and pointed behind her.

“The door’s that way.”

Ruan Mianmian: ...Well, thank you ever so much.

Watching as she left in near-disgrace, Jiang Ce stood in silence, a strong hint of laughter flickering in his eyes.

Leaning against the bathroom door, Ruan Mianmian pressed a hand to her pounding heart.

“What a disaster!”

The mortification lingered all through her wash, and the thought of facing Jiang Ce again made her feet feel like lead.

If only she hadn’t tried to be clever about where he would sleep, she wouldn’t be in such an awkward situation now.

Truthfully, apart from establishing the nature of their relationship, she’d simply wanted to tease Jiang Ce, to see him flustered for once—only to find herself hoisted by her own petard.

“Serves me right! If I’d known...”

She was grumbling under her breath when footsteps sounded outside, and a tall shadow stretched across the frosted glass door.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.

“Are you done yet?” Jiang Ce’s voice came.

Ruan Mianmian’s face showed all the agony of constipation. “Yes? Do you need something?”

“I want to wash up,” Jiang Ce replied simply.

“Oh—”

She had to steady her breathing. “I’ll be right out.”

Three seconds later.

“All done! Go ahead, I’ll head back to the room!” she called, deliberately loud, as if the volume could lend her composure. Not daring to look at him, she squeezed past Jiang Ce, hugging the wall.

Jiang Ce shook his head. Seeing the lingering steam inside, he knew if he hadn’t come, Ruan Mianmian would have agonized in there till dawn.

She dashed back to the bedroom, leaped onto the bed, and burrowed under the covers, resolving to feign sleep when Jiang Ce returned.

Well done, indeed!

She’d barely begun to congratulate herself when the door opened. Her heart skipped a beat.

Damn, he was done so fast?

Even with her eyes closed, she could sense Jiang Ce standing at the foot of the bed, pausing. He gazed at the bulge in the covers, lost in thought for a moment.

Her heart beat even faster.

Why isn’t he moving? What’s he doing?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Ruan Mianmian cracked one eye open and peeked out—only to meet the depths of Jiang Ce’s gaze directly.

“...”

“...”

Today was truly a highlight reel of Ruan Mianmian’s most embarrassing moments, complete with dazzling special effects.

Frozen, she wondered if she should say something, but Jiang Ce suddenly clicked his tongue, then unfastened two buttons at his collar, revealing an air of casual rebellion.

This... Ruan Mianmian stared, bewildered.

He loosened his cuffs and, without hesitation, climbed onto the bed. Ruan Mianmian’s eyes widened in shock.

But the weight of his body soon pressed down, and his face appeared just above hers—so close, impossibly close.

She blinked innocently, her heart pounding wildly.

Fortunately, Jiang Ce didn’t pull back the covers when he embraced her, so the blanket remained a barrier between them. Otherwise, she was sure he’d hear the hammering of her heart.

Apparently, Jiang Ce noticed as well. He frowned at the blanket, tugged at a corner with some annoyance, but since he was on top of it, it didn’t budge.

She kept blinking.

“Tsk.”

Jiang Ce licked his lips. She felt the pressure ease as he raised himself, straddling her on either side, reaching to pull back the covers.

“Wait!” she grabbed the blanket, her fingers trembling.

A glimmer of amusement flashed in Jiang Ce’s eyes. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to finish what you started?”

Just like that? Ruan Mianmian’s cheeks flushed scarlet in an instant!