Ning An watched as Ning Xuan naturally took out clean clothes and toiletries from the shopping bag, and then belatedly realized that Ning Xuan intended to stay here today...
This situation, with a man and a woman alone together, made her feel a bit uneasy.
Ning Xuan took the clean clothes and went to the bathroom, and soon the sound of running water filled the air.
A text message interrupted Ning An's conflicting thoughts. She discreetly glanced towards the direction of the bathroom.
Ning Xuan, being a clean freak, always took forever to shower, and he always liked to shower before her, so she could do other things while waiting.
Qin Li sent a 50-second voice message. Since Ning Xuan used to snoop on her phone, Ning An developed a habit of keeping her phone on silent and deleting chat records.
She quickly converted the voice message to text. Fortunately, Qin Li's Mandarin was very standard, so it was easy to understand.
"Miss, the photo you gave me isn't of Ning Xuan and his mother. I checked Ning Xuan's past, and his mother in the photo looks different, as if someone deliberately erased information about Ning Xuan's mother. I couldn't find any information about her except for one photo I found in Mr. Ning's office safe."
Not Ning Xuan's mother... then who is this woman?
Qin Li sent another photo, this time of Ning Zefeng and a woman. Though she was dressed plainly, she had a kind of indescribable nobility, smiling at Ning Zefeng with grace.
This woman is Ning Xuan's birth mother. Considering the age of the photo, it should be from before he knew his mother. Could it be that Dad knew this woman before he met Mom?
Ning An's fingers flew across the keyboard, completely unaware that the sound of water from the bathroom had stopped long ago.
Just as she finished editing the message, Ning Xuan had already opened the bathroom door.
This sound momentarily startled Ning An, freezing her in place. She quietly slipped her phone into the sofa cushion and turned to look.
Ning Xuan, wrapped in a towel, stood bare-chested, casually drying his wet hair with a towel. His well-built physique exuded vitality with every movement, especially when his body was almost touching hers.
His slightly damp hair, water droplets sliding down his strong skin, quietly disappearing along his mermaid line...
Ning An's gaze was captivated by the direction of the water droplet, while Ning Xuan, though drying his hair with his head down, could still sense her every move. Sometimes he couldn't help but sigh, thankful that he had been blessed with a good appearance.
He suddenly raised an eyebrow, noticing Ning An's hurried avoidance of his gaze, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.
"Sister, the water is still warm. I tested it for you. It's just right. Hurry and go wash up."
"Ah... okay."
Ning An hurriedly got up and headed straight for the bathroom.
Watching Ning An close the bathroom door and still feeling uneasy, Ning Xuan decided to lock it for her peace of mind. He raised an eyebrow and casually draped the towel around his neck, then headed towards the sofa.
But don't think that those little actions could escape his eyes. The phone password Ning An set seemed like nothing to him. With a light tap of his finger, he easily entered Ning An's WeChat interface.
Looking at the top contact, Qin Li, a glint flashed in his eyes, and a characteristic dangerous smile appeared on his face as he casually scrolled through the chat.
He glanced at the room door, remembering that he had locked it a long time ago and thrown away the key. So, he had no qualms about leaving Sister alone here. Reflecting on Ning An's strange behavior just now, his expression darkened...
It seemed that the person hiding in the shadows couldn't resist taking action anymore.
The sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped, and even after a long while, there was no movement. Ning Xuan glanced at the clothes in the shopping bag and then at the bathroom, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He could imagine Ning An's frustration inside the bathroom. She must have wanted to beat herself up for forgetting to bring her change of clothes and rushing into the shower!
Feeling a bit embarrassed, she hesitated as she looked at the clothes on the side. After a long day, they already had a sweat smell. She didn't want to put them back on, but with just her and Ning Xuan here... she couldn't just not wear clothes. In the midst of intense mental struggle, she ultimately chose to compromise with reality.
"Ning Xuan, I was too hasty just now. It seems I forgot to bring my change of clothes. Could you pass them to me?"
A hesitant voice came from behind the bathroom door, and Ning Xuan picked up the clothes, leisurely walking to the bathroom door.
"Sister, what did you say? Do you want me to bring the clothes in?"
"No need! No need! Just hang them on the door handle, I'll take them myself. You stand back!"
Ning Xuan seemed to imagine the girl inside showing a troubled expression.
His eyes deepened. If it were before... he wouldn't have been so kind as to just pass her the clothes. He probably would have gone in and pressed against her freshly washed body to make her do something.
But now he could only obediently hang the clothes on the door and step back to the sofa as Ning An requested, watching her cautiously reach out her fair and tender arm to take the clothes.
The bathroom door opened, and Ning An emerged, her hair slightly damp, her fair complexion glowing, like a lotus emerging from the mist.
Ning Xuan's breath caught, immediately feeling a surge of heat. This version of Ning An reminded him of the past, the times when he held her in his arms intimately, her stubborn gaze, her gentle and delicate skin appearing in his mind.
Ning An was familiar with such intense gazes. She turned and rushed towards the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket.
"Play dead... just play dead."
But to her surprise, the mattress behind her sank, and then a warm body had already embraced her. Ning An was completely startled.
"What are you doing! Who told you to get up? Go sleep on the sofa!"
Ning Xuan ignored the struggles of the person in his arms and instead, with a firmer posture, imprisoned them in his embrace, his voice dark and hoarse with warning.
"Sister, if you keep moving around like this, I can't guarantee what I'll do."
Ning An stiffened for a moment, not daring to move again. She could already feel a burning sensation against her back, as if something was pressing against her.
Seeing the girl instantly become obedient, Ning Xuan sighed with some regret.
"Why are you so well-behaved now? It's like you're giving me no excuse to do anything."
Ning An wrapped herself in the blanket, her thoughts unclear.
Ning Xuan held her tighter, sometimes wondering if it would be better to tell her everything, but he was afraid that Ning An wouldn't be able to accept it.
After a while...
"Sister, the woman in the photo you saw isn't my mother. I don't even know who she is..."
The girl in his arms made no sound. Carefully propping himself up, Ning Xuan looked at Ning An, who was breathing evenly, already asleep.
Ning Xuan couldn't help but smile helplessly. He had finally wanted to tell her something, but she had fallen asleep so defenselessly in his arms. Was she not afraid of what he might do at this moment?
He lowered his head and kissed her forehead and then gently kissed her lips. His movements were tender and gentle as he silently watched her sleeping face... Sister, is there a place for me in your heart too?