Stepping out of the bathroom, Chen Yuan dried his hair. The housekeeper had already taken the laundry basket from outside the door.

The sisters’ bedroom was quite large.

Unlike their cozy, somewhat playful bedroom in Lanjing, this one felt much more grand and stately.

He couldn’t tell if the faint floral pattern on the walls was part of the original design or merely wallpaper, but it shimmered with a subtle, purplish-gold hue when the lights were on. The curtains were opulent and grand, and two simple, elegant paintings hung above the headboard.

Treading on the soft carpet, Chen Yuan took another look around the bedroom.

The reason he thought of it as the sisters’ room, rather than just Jiangg Ning’s, was because he could tell at a glance that Ningning and Yaoyao always slept together when they were here.

Two pillows.

One side was filled with stuffed animals, big and small, resembling a princess’s bed. A nearby cabinet was covered in delicate little trinkets. It was obviously Jiangg Yao’s side. The other side, by contrast, was incredibly simple, with only a footstool for placing things. That was naturally Ningning’s side.

On a shelf in the entryway, there were a few childhood photos of the sisters. Jiangg Ning’s long hair was down, while Yaoyao wore a high ponytail. Their vibrant, youthful energy was palpable and a stark contrast to how they were now.

Especially the shiny green jacket in one photo, emblazoned with a cartoon monkey with a huge mouth. No wonder the sisters didn’t want him to see their childhood pictures; they looked endearingly goofy and childish.

Chen Yuan reached out and brushed his fingers across the smooth glass of the frame. Or more precisely, he traced the faces of the two little sisters in the photograph.

Beyond the bedroom’s french doors was a terrace, from which you could see the riverside nightscape.

The distant lights twinkled like a kaleidoscope, painting a scene of unique elegance.

Chen Yuan was alone for a long time. It had been over forty minutes since he’d finished his shower and sat down, yet there was still no sign of Jiangg Ning.

He grew impatient and nearly went to look for her several times, only to hesitate and stop himself.

The housekeeper’s suggestive comment was easy to misinterpret, and frankly, he was getting bored of waiting. He decided to just get up.

’There’s nothing to be afraid of.’

Chen Yuan reassured himself.

It didn’t matter if he wandered around the small villa in his bathrobe. In this huge, empty house, it was just him and Jiangg Ning for the night anyway.

Whatever they did, no one would ever know.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, wicked ideas began to bloom. He pushed open the door and stepped into the hallway.

’I saw Ningning go to the third floor earlier, but which way did she go?’

Chen Yuan mulled it over as he climbed the stairs.

The entire house was eerily silent; he could even hear his own footsteps echoing. As he went to find Ningning, he had the stray thought that it was no wonder Jiangg Ruxue said she felt lonely being home by herself.

He glanced down at the spacious living room below.

Even a grown man like him could feel the solitude of the place.

He crept up to the third floor. There were four or five doors, and since he didn’t know which one was the right one, he could only try opening them one by one.

And so, he made his way past the bedroom of the true lady of the house—Jiangg Ruxue—as well as a gym and a walk-in closet. The last door he pushed open finally revealed a light from within.

He opened the door so quietly that Jiangg Ning, who was squatting on the floor and rummaging through something, didn’t notice him. She remained focused on her task.

Not wanting to startle her, Chen Yuan knocked on the doorframe. KNOCK KNOCK.

"What are you up to?" he asked softly.

"Hm?" Jiangg Ning turned to look at him. "You’re out of the shower?"

"All done." Chen Yuan’s gaze locked onto her, and he found himself unwilling to look away for even a second.

He didn’t know when Ningning had changed, but she was now wearing only a thin, silk slip.

Her shoulders were bare, the delicate fabric clinging to her exquisite curves, and most of her slender, pale calves were visible. Her slim waist and long legs, pressed tightly together in the intimate stillness of the night, were as captivating as a glittering treasure.

Chen Yuan was momentarily stunned. When he came to his senses, he licked his dry lips.

’They were true-born sisters, all right.’

But all he could think was that Yaoyao’s waist wasn’t as slim as Ning’s. That little bit of difference, observed just now with a critical eye, was what made Ning so utterly bewitching.

It was a lofty, pearl-like allure, one that made a man yearn to reach out and touch, yet simultaneously feel humbled and unworthy.

"What are you up to? You’ve had a long day, aren’t you going to get some rest?" Chen Yuan sat down cross-legged beside Jiangg Ning, watching her fiddle with the things spread out on the floor.

"I wouldn’t be able to sleep right now even if I lay down. I’m trying to figure out how much the family’s assets are worth," Jiangg Ning said, pulling a property deed from a file folder and waving it in front of Chen Yuan. "If we sell these properties, plus the stocks and funds invested over the years, it’ll barely be enough to repay a portion of the debt... but I remember there being a safe in the house when I was little."

With that, Jiangg Ning stood up and continued searching around the study.

"You remember it from when you were a kid?"

"Yeah, Chen. Mom used to forbid Yaoyao and me from coming into this study because it’s where she worked," she said, standing on her toes to feel along the bookshelves. "Why can’t I find it?"

The bookshelf was over two meters tall, and Jiangg Ning, in her flip-flops, couldn’t reach the top even when stretching.

Seeing her struggle, Chen Yuan stood up and moved behind her, raising his own hand to feel along the shelf.

This was where his height of over six feet came in handy. As he reached up, he effectively pinned Jiangg Ning, whose back was to him, against the bookshelf. When she tilted her head back, a strand of her hair brushed against his nose.

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