Xiu Rong physically turned her body away from the perverted man to face the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which boasted the view of the skyline but… why was she covering her eyes with her palm and unconsciously peeking through her fingers every few seconds?
She slightly turned her head back to check what he was doing through a stealthy sideways glance, but then she cleared her throat and caught herself.
Why was she compelled to look at how that chiseled stomach look like?
Was it because it was her first time seeing it, and she got curious about how a male body looked? Breathing hard, Xiu Rong didn't know how she felt at that moment since her emotions were all over the place.
Sluggish warmth flooded through her veins like an intoxicating drug, and she felt the burning heat at the back of her neck, which made the tiny hairs in there stand on their end as it sent chills down her spine.
She could feel the strange man's gaze fixed in the sensitive skin on her nape since it was the only thing that was visible when she turned her back on him since she was fully covered with the Hanfu.
Xiu Rong's ears perked up when he heard a rustle of clothing, and her unholy mind supplied her with a depiction of the man's veiny, muscular hand reaching down his back as he fisted the cloth to pull them over his head. Still, unfortunately, that image will strictly remain in her thoughts.
Xiu Rong had the chance to see the real thing, but she blew it.
Her shoulders slumped from disappointment, but her muscles tensed when a white cotton fabric was abruptly thrown in the air, landing in a graceful heap in front of her as it slid on the shiny white floor.
Xiu Rong squinted at it for a few seconds before another black fabric followed the white cotton shirt. It was pants.
Her eyes widened at the man's clothing.
She swallowed hard and clenched her fist at her skirt when a dark shadow loomed over her.
She could see the man's silhouette on the floor as she bent forward, fear and anticipation.
Her heartbeat raced almost to the point of exploding.
She could make out the contours of his broad shoulders, his biceps, and the raw muscular shape of his body.
His waist was narrow compared to his brawny shoulders, and it appeared close to an inverted triangle. When her gaze landed on the shadows of his bare legs—
Closing her eyes in panic, Xiu Rong shook her head, so vigorously her hairpin might fall off.
Xiu Rong gulped down breaths to stay quiet as she crouched on the floor, gathering her limbs close.
Xiu Rong knew that wouldn't make her disappear, but at least it would make her small and vulnerable.
He might take pity on her and decided not to do something bad.
Both observed each other's movements while remaining still as if they were waiting for the pin to drop.
"I'm starting to doubt your identity, babe." Xiu Rong watched him bend his head from left to right, and she could hear the bones in his neck cracking from the action.
He put one a hand over his hips. "Are you a real escort, or did the role play had already started without me noticing?"
"I-I d-don't know w-what role p-play you are talking about."
"Your constant denial is getting a bit old, don't you think?" His husky tone was as sharp as a blade. It was a veiled threat, and it made Xiu Rong's chin tremble. "It's either you face it, and we will get this over with, or you could get out of my penthouse."
No!
Xiu Rong shouldn't get out of this place because this was where the Crown Prince's Ancestral Spirit brought her.
His house was probably the most secure place she will ever be in, and if the man would send her out—
"I will call Jian Yu again to send me another escort available, or I could just sleep alone and drink and distract myself."
"No!" Xiu Rong protested. "Don't send me outside your house—" and in a small voice, she called him, "Master."
Her tongue burned with disgust at the word.
Great!
Now she resorted to calling him her Master so that she wouldn't be forced out of her haven.
Will she be a slave of a man in this world, just like how the Emperor controlled her in this previous world?
"Alright." The man sighed, relieved. He ordered, "Now look at me and face this way."
Xiu Rong carefully got up from her crouching position, gently lifted her skirt, and stood up. Honestly, she didn't even saw the need to turn when she regarded the man's reflection on the glass windows.
Their eyes met on the glass, and the depths of his gaze made her mouth dry and made her knees weak.
Her hands clenched briefly as she scanned him from head to toe.
He was naked, gloriously naked, and she couldn't look away from how handsome he looked like that it sent chills down to her bone, including that sinewy form she could sink her teeth into and that—
What was that below his--
Xiu Rong was sure that this creature was a mere man because what god would behave something this perverted?!
The man took a step towards her in slow motion and settled a hand on her left shoulder.
She froze in place, but it was strange why she didn't feel the need to flee.
Xiu Rong glanced at the hand like it was a warm, foreign thing, gently caressing her shoulder, and for some reason, she relaxed.
She didn't protest to his other hand following the curves of her body.
This man must have some magic in his sleeve.
He lowered his head to whisper in a husky drawl."Take your clothes off."