Song Qingcheng looked up slightly and met Yu Tingchuan's eyes. However, she closed her eyes and said slowly, "I know."
As she said this, she removed her left hand from her chin and pretended to unintentionally touch the man's long legs.
She had pretty hands.
Her fingers were slender and tapered, and her nails were neatly trimmed, so flawlessly clean.
Song Qingcheng's lowered gaze was occupied by his well-tailored trousers. Her palm was pressed against the man's inner thigh, but she could not feel the tightness in his muscles. Her eyelashes fluttered. "But some feelings just can't be helped."
There was something enchanting about the girl's lowered voice in the darkness.
The atmosphere in the living room took on a different note.
After a while, Yu Tingchuan spoke again. "Like I've said, you're young, and you may make the wrong decision about many things."
The man's voice was deep, but to Song Qingcheng, it simply sounded heartless.
She said quietly, "I know what I want."
"And what is it you want?"
"…" Song Qingcheng kept silent.
She looked like she was on the verge of tears from being interrogated.
Yu Tingchuan looked at her stubborn expression and did not speak further. He was about to remove the hand that had crossed the boundary when Song Qingcheng withdrew it first.
She got onto her feet and walked away from the living room, without giving him another glance.
It didn't seem like she was fleeing.
It seemed more like she was throwing a tantrum because she couldn't out-talk him.
Yu Tingchuan watched as she disappeared down the corridor, and then he slowly looked away. He reached for the cigarette box on the coffee table and lit a cigarette. As he took a puff and exhaled slowly, the smoke rose and formed a thick veil that blurred his expression.
…
Upon returning to her room, Song Qingcheng leaned against the door in a daze, her mood as gloomy as the dark skies beyond the window.
She knew exactly what she wanted.
Money.
However, this answer had to be buried deep in her heart.
Lying back on the bed, Song Qingcheng was sleepless.
The sky gradually lit up as she watched it. When it was almost six, she got up to go to the washroom again.
Just as she came out of the washroom, Song Qingcheng saw a tall figure by the staircase. Her gaze followed in the direction of the footsteps. It was Yu Tingchuan, dressed in sportswear as if he had come back from a run. He walked up the stairs with his hands in his pockets.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Yu Tingchuan stopped in his tracks and looked up with his deep, dark eyes.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere froze.
The next moment, Song Qingcheng averted her gaze and headed back to Yu Jing's room.
…
It was 10 am by the time Yu Jing woke up.
She rolled over in a daze. The space next to her was empty. She turned around and saw Song Qingcheng sitting at the study table, reading and reviewing. Her long seaweed-like hair cascaded down over her shoulders, some falling like a hanging curtain when she lowered her head. As the long wisps got in the way, she carelessly tucked them behind her ear, revealing the side of her face. Sunlight flooded in from the window, illuminating her pale skin so much that it was almost transparent.
Hearing her movements, Song Qingcheng looked over. "You're awake?"
"Why are you up so early?" Yu Jing yawned and slowly got up.
Song Qingcheng replied without looking up from the books, "As long as I don't go to bed too late at night, I don't usually sleep in."
After Yu Jing washed up, the two of them changed their clothes.
Yu Jing was about the same height as Song Qingcheng, but she had a fuller figure. Hence, her trousers were too big for Song Qingcheng. Eventually, she had no choice but to lend Song Qingcheng a dress.
When Song Qingcheng removed her nightdress, Yu Jing noticed something strange on Song Qingcheng's lower abdomen. "Why is there a scar here?"
Song Qingcheng smiled faintly. "I had my appendix taken out before."