After undressing, Li Yuye approached the bathtub and, without letting her turn away, firmly tilted her face towards him.
"We're already so familiar—what are you hiding from?"
Yun Zhiyi couldn't help but take in his physique completely. Everything she should and shouldn't see entered her view, leaving her deeply shaken on the inside, though she worked to maintain composure.
"Aren't all men like that?" she retorted, nonchalantly. "Who says I'm hiding?"
"All men?" It seemed like Li Yuye caught something important in her words.
Naturally perceptive and keenly aware, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
Realizing she'd spoken carelessly, Yun Zhiyi quickly backtracked, keenly aware that she'd just managed to keep him placated and couldn't afford to set him off again. If he reneged on his word, everything would be for nothing.
"He touched you?" Li Yuye demanded. "Or have you seen him?"
"What difference does it make?" Yun Zhiyi shot back.
"It does," he replied, undeterred.
"…He's never touched me, and I've never seen him that way," she said, her tone distant. "That man has always been nothing more than my stepsister's 'star player.' I'm not that desperate."
Though Su Shen may have intentions toward her, Yun Zhiyi only saw him as a tool. Her plan was to use the wedding as a stepping stone, exposing their ugly deeds and leaving behind a scandalous mess for others to mock.
"When are you planning to return tomorrow morning?" Li Yuye asked as he turned on the shower and started washing up.
"The sooner, the better…" Yun Zhiyi replied.
She hadn't quite figured out how to handle Su Shen upon her return, but she wasn't in a particular hurry either. For now, she knew he'd be otherwise engaged with her stepsister. Little did she know they'd even gone as far as to bring a child into the picture.
Twenty minutes later, Yun Zhiyi emerged from the bath, wrapped in a towel, and moved toward the pristine bed.
"Li Yuye," she called out.
Lying beside him, she reached out to hug his slender waist.
"Will you keep your word?"
"Yes."
Li Yuye placed his hand on her waist, pulling her into his arms as he rested his chin against her head, nuzzling her hair.
"Good. I hope you mean it."
"Goodnight." With an odd sense of relief, Yun Zhiyi held him close and quickly drifted into sleep.
But Li Yuye was wide awake. His coarse fingers lightly brushed over her smooth skin, savoring the fleeting tranquility while a strategic game began forming in his mind.
Outside, the moon shone brightly.
Elsewhere in the hotel, Xiang Man had sent Yun Zhiyi a few messages but received no response.
Finally, she went out to search for her.
Her phone screen displayed Yun Zhiyi's last message:
"Xiang Xiang, things didn't go as smoothly as I thought. Li Yuye has asked me to stay. Not sure when I'll be back. Go ahead and sleep; don't wait up for me."
Sleep? Yeah, right!
Unable to relax, Xiang Man searched everywhere for Yun Zhiyi, fearful of the risks in such a chaotic place. After asking security for help but finding no information, she decided to check on Su Shen and An Yirou. As long as they were preoccupied, she felt reassured that Yun Zhiyi was safe.
At that moment, Su Shen and An Yirou were lying in their hotel bed.
Having come specifically to see him, An Yirou had even packed her Hermès bag with lingerie, hoping to ignite his interest. But despite her efforts, Su Shen, who was usually all over her, remained completely unresponsive tonight.
"Shen-gege, you don't love me anymore!" An Yirou pouted, feeling deeply wronged.
Could it be that she was too late, and Yun Zhiyi had already been with him, draining him dry?