Upon returning home, Wen Ruan's mind was still in disarray, and her cheeks burned with an intense heat.
For the past few hours, one question had been swirling in her mind.
She had kissed He Yan Ci.
How did that even happen?
And the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that she had been the one who initiated it…
The warmth and tenderness of He Yan Ci's lips were imprinted in her mind, lingering like an indelible mark she couldn't shake.
The more she thought about it, the more intense the memory became.
How mortifying. She couldn't even look anyone in the eye now.
Wuwuwu—
She had been bewitched by the man's good looks!
How embarrassing!
Wen Ruan wrapped herself in her blanket, lying motionless like a cocoon, her head poking out from beneath the covers, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Her teeth clenched, her lower lip slightly swollen from her frustration.
Her emotions were in turmoil.
The phone on the nightstand buzzed.
A call.
Caller ID: He Yan Ci.
Wen Ruan jumped, sitting up suddenly, forgetting all semblance of grace.
She couldn't fathom why He Yan Ci would be calling at this moment.
Was he going to talk about what happened this afternoon?
What would the "domineering CEO" say? Something like, "Woman, do you have any idea how much I dislike you? Do you really think this is real? Our marriage is only due to Grandpa Wen's condition. Don't mistake this for anything more. This afternoon—let's call it an unfortunate accident. Don't read too much into it!"
It was a thunderbolt to her senses! How did she get swept up by his beauty? She'd lost all control. Beauty was such a dangerous thing.
Wen Ruan bit her lower lip, holding the phone, which felt like a hot potato in her hand. Whether to answer or not seemed equally awkward.
After a brief moment of indecision, the call ended.
Immediately, He Yan Ci called again.
Wen Ruan took a deep breath and answered with practiced elegance, though her tone was faint: "I didn't hear it the first time."
He Yan Ci, unconcerned with why she hadn't answered the first time, said, "The short video from this afternoon's shoot is ready."
"So soon? I thought it would take at least two days."
"Mm." He Yan Ci paused before adding, "There are privacy concerns, so I didn't want the video to be in anyone else's hands for too long." His voice carried a trace of amusement.
"…" Wen Ruan felt deeply embarrassed. She didn't want to be the kind of girl who immediately understood what he meant, but she couldn't help it. She understood all too well.
Just thinking about what had happened in the studio this afternoon made her feel terrible. Was she cursed?
As for when the photographer had left, she had no idea. The most important thing was that the camera had been left behind for continued use.
Wen Ruan rubbed her temples in an attempt to calm her nerves.
He Yan Ci glanced at the successful feedback in his inbox, then said, "I've sent you the video. You can check it out. I've had the later part edited out. The original footage has been retrieved." His steady voice carried a slight, almost imperceptible warmth.
"…" Wen Ruan felt completely mortified.
He Yan Ci continued, "Do you want to see the edited part?"
The edited part…
Wen Ruan's mind immediately replayed the image of them kissing passionately. She shuddered. Not just a glance—she didn't want to see even a fraction of it. She quickly covered her face with her hand and muttered, "Maybe not. There's nothing interesting about it."
He Yan Ci chuckled lightly. "Understood. I'll keep it for now. If you want to see it later, just let me know."
"I don't want to see it! And don't keep it!" Why would he even want to keep such a video? What did he even understand?
Wen Ruan realized she was being too emotional, losing all composure. She fell silent and tried to calm herself.
He Yan Ci responded with another soft chuckle.
Why was he laughing? Wen Ruan felt as though she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
How did they even end up kissing, and so passionately at that? How had she become so forward? She felt like she had completely lost her image.
At least He Yan Ci didn't mention how forward she had been this afternoon. That would have been too embarrassing.
He didn't bring it up, so she pretended to be unaware.
Desperately, she said, "Um, I have something to do. I'll hang up now."
Before He Yan Ci could say another word, a busy tone filled the line. He didn't seem upset at all and, in fact, appeared to be in a good mood, gently tapping his fingers on his lips.
Wen Ruan, however, was not feeling nearly as relaxed as He Yan Ci. Her emotions were far from settled.
Tang Suiyi, ever the troublemaker, suddenly chimed in, "So, have you two already...?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Wen Ruan snapped, her chin digging into the pillow as she vehemently denied any such thing. "Our relationship is pure, alright?"
Tang Suiyi clicked her tongue. "Oh, really? Pure? I wouldn't even try to fool a three-year-old with that. Look at how forward you were. How 'pure' can it be?"
"…" Wen Ruan buried her face in the pillow. She had no idea why she was even discussing such matters with Tang Suiyi.
"Look at that chest of yours. And your perfectly shaped behind, that tiny waist…" Tang Suiyi continued teasing. "You were practically straddling your man's lap, twisting and turning. Don't tell me he wasn't tempted. Heck, even I couldn't resist!"
"…" Wen Ruan froze. What was she saying? That's not what happened at all!
She glanced back at the video. Had she really been sitting on He Yan Ci's lap like that? She wasn't even sure how it happened. His lap had been too hard, and when it started hurting, she had adjusted to a more comfortable position.
"Stop denying it," Tang Suiyi laughed. "You were practically begging for it. And don't think I didn't notice, he was being unusually restrained. No one would hold out in that situation unless they were really trying to be a gentleman."
"Not really," Wen Ruan mumbled, trying to defend the situation. Though the kiss had been quite intense, He Yan Ci hadn't made any other overstepping moves. He had remained a gentleman, as always, even a little too gentle...
Just then, Tang Suiyi teased again, "Mm, I've heard these kinds of men have all the power in the bedroom. Very powerful and very scary."
Wen Ruan's ears flushed red, and she pressed her hands to her burning cheeks. "... Can you stop laughing like that? And where did you hear all this nonsense? I should never have let you watch the video!" She had made a grave mistake letting Tang Suiyi watch it. This was nothing but self-inflicted torment.
"You're asking where I heard it from? You should just believe me. If you don't, you'll find out on your wedding night!"
"I'm not so sure there will even be one of those," Wen Ruan muttered under her breath, embarrassed.
"Pfft, stop lying to yourself. I bet there will be. I know your man well enough, he'll do whatever it takes to have you. Just you wait."
"…." Wen Ruan said nothing, not wanting to engage further.
"Look at you, so forward. How will your soft little body handle it on your wedding night?" Tang Suiyi clicked her tongue again.
"...You get out of here!"
Wen Ruan felt like she was drowning in an ocean of embarrassment, unable to handle any more of Tang Suiyi's teasing. "Are you so eager to retreat into your bed and reminisce about your man?" she shot back, trying to deflect with humor.
Her cheeks burned even more, and she quickly ended the call.
Wen Ruan lay back on the bed, kicking the blanket off and exhaling deeply. One hand pressed against her chest, her heart still reeling from the emotional rollercoaster of the evening.
Her mind started to settle, but just as she thought she could finally relax, He Yan Ci's phone call came in again.
Wen Ruan's sense of calm immediately slipped away.
Why was he calling again?
"Hello~" Wen Ruan answered, biting her lip as she pulled the blanket back over herself, speaking in a barely audible voice.
"Are you asleep?" He Yan Ci's voice held a faint, teasing undertone.
"Not yet," Wen Ruan responded softly. "I'm about to sleep."
"Oh. Is there anywhere you'd like to go tomorrow?" He Yan Ci's voice carried the warmth of freshly showered skin, his tousled hair falling over his forehead, his eyes shadowed yet soft.
"I don't need to go anywhere. I… I have things to do." Wen Ruan answered in a small, almost shy voice.
"Oh." He Yan Ci's mood seemed light as he raised a glass of wine, the smile barely hidden in his voice.
Wen Ruan hesitated before softly adding, "Is there anything I can help with?" She didn't want to