Lu Family Mansion, 07:30;
Rong Xinghe stirred from her slumber, the steady vibration of a phone pulling her from the depths of sleep. The soft hum, persistent and insistent, seemed to clash with the serenity of the morning.
A faint frown creased her brows as her senses slowly awakened, the remnants of her dreams fading into the edges of reality. Stretching her arm toward the nightstand, her fingers brushed the cool metal of the phone. But when she glanced at the screen, her drowsiness quickly dissipated. It wasn't her phone. It was Xi Yuan's.
Where was he?
The muffled hiss of water from the en-suite washroom answered her unspoken question. She could almost imagine him in there—his broad shoulders, toned abs, and sculpted back glistening under the cascade—his presence as commanding even when unseen. For a moment, the not-so-innocent thoughts brought a faint smile to her lips.
