“Tiantian, are you absolutely sure about this?” Lin Xi asked, her heart hammering with anxiety. “What if Brother Chen and the others suddenly come back?”

“It’ll be even better if he comes back. He’s exactly who I’m waiting for.” Bai Tiantian scooped up her tablet, entirely prepared to sleep in Song Chen’s bedroom.

Seeing that Bai Tiantian’s mind was completely made up, Lin Xi could only escort her to the door of Song Chen’s room. “This is the one. It gets cleaned every single day, so it’s spotless.”

“Got it! Thanks, Xi’xi. I won’t be able to keep you company tonight.” Bai Tiantian blew Lin Xi a playful kiss before stepping inside and closing the door.

Lin Xi returned to her own room, grabbed a fresh change of clothes, and headed into the bathroom. Since she couldn’t bring herself to study anymore, she figured she might as well find something else to do to occupy her mind.

When she finished her shower and stepped back out, she was stunned to find Song Xu sitting at her desk, typing away on his laptop.

“When did you get back?” Lin Xi walked over to see what he was doing.

“Just now.” Song Xu was currently deleting Lu Yunqi’s photos from his computer. He selected all, clicked delete, and then thoroughly emptied the recycle bin. “There. Completely wiped clean this time.”

Lin Xi shot him a sidelong glance. She had wondered what he was doing so intently, but it turned out he was merely destroying evidence.

“Did Brother Chen come back too?” Lin Xi asked, her voice tight with nervousness.

“Yeah, he went straight back to his room to change.” Since Song Xu hadn’t seen Bai Tiantian anywhere, he assumed she had already left and asked casually, “Did Bai Tiantian head home?”

“No.” Lin Xi’s expression turned incredibly complex. She pointed a finger toward the hallway. “She’s currently taking a shower in Brother Chen’s bathroom. Nothing… disastrous is going to happen, right?”

Song Xu raised an eyebrow, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “Wow, Bai Tiantian is seriously fierce. I just hope my brother can handle her.”

“Aren’t you worried about them being together?” Lin Xi asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. “If Brother Chen can’t go through with the political marriage alliance, won’t it impact your family?”

Song Xu pondered it for a moment. “To say it won’t have any impact at all would be a lie. But to say it’s a massive crisis would also be an exaggeration. My brother’s happiness is what matters most.”

Hearing this, Lin Xi finally let out a breath of relief. She silently prayed that everything would go smoothly on Tiantian’s end.

—

Meanwhile, Bai Tiantian was thoroughly enjoying her long, luxurious shower, determined to make herself smell as fragrant as possible.

When Song Chen unlocked his front door and entered the room, he didn’t notice that the lights were already on. Out of pure habit, he stripped off his clothes until he was completely bare, then casually pulled open the bathroom door and walked right in.

He and Bai Tiantian locked eyes instantly.

“Ah!” Bai Tiantian shrieked, her hands flying around frantically as she struggled to decide what part of herself to cover first.

“Fuck!” Song Chen cursed, immediately spinning on his heel, stepping out, and slamming the door shut behind him.

He quickly threw his clothes back on, sat down on the sofa, and lit a cigarette. He took two deep, heavy drags, trying to force his racing pulse to settle.

Never in a million years would he have guessed that Bai Tiantian would sneak into his room to take a shower.

He took another drag, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the cushions. Yet, the vivid image of a fair, flawless body instantly flashed across his mind.

Song Chen opened his eyes and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, grinding the cigarette out fiercely in the ashtray.

What am I overthinking for? She’s going to be my woman sooner or later anyway. There’s nothing wrong with seeing her a bit early—especially since she delivered herself right to my doorstep.

He glanced back toward the bathroom door, feeling a sudden, primal urge to walk back inside. Ultimately, his logic won the battle, and he forced himself to stay seated.

Inside the bathroom, Bai Tiantian was also gradually regaining her composure. When she had screamed just now, she had simultaneously managed to scan Song Chen from head to toe.

He’s… pretty well-endowed.

The more Bai Tiantian thought about it, the hotter her face burned. This trip tonight had definitely been worth it. Even though she had been seen completely naked, she hadn’t lost out on the exchange at all.

She blew her hair dry, slipped into the provocative black lace nightgown, and confidently sauntered out of the bathroom.

“Professor Song, the bathroom is all yours.”

Song Chen cast a sharp look at her. “Who gave you permission to come into my room?”

Bai Tiantian ran a hand through her hair, flipping it over her shoulder as she glided toward the bed. “I came here to sleep. Did you expect me to go to Song Xu’s room instead?”

“You could have slept with Lin Xi, or you could have used the guest bedroom right across the hall,” Song Chen countered smoothly.

“I wouldn’t dare sleep with Xi’xi. What if Song Xu sneaks into her room in the middle of the night? Think about how awkward that would be,” Bai Tiantian defended herself readily. “And the guest room won’t work either. I’m too scared to sleep alone.”

Song Chen let out a dry laugh, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke. “You’re too scared to sleep alone in a guest room, but you’re brave enough to live all by yourself in a mansion that spans hundreds of square meters?”

“How is that the same?” Bai Tiantian rolled her eyes at him. “My own home gives me a sense of security. Staying in someone else’s house doesn’t.”

“And staying with me gives you a sense of security?” Song Chen narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto her. “Aren’t you afraid I might actually do something to you?”

Bai Tiantian sat down gracefully on the edge of the mattress, striking a deliberately alluring, provocative pose. “Professor Song, if you really want to do something, there’s nothing I can do to stop you. I’m not nearly as strong as you are.”

Song Chen silently cursed the little temptress in his mind. He abruptly stood up and strode into the bathroom—if he didn’t leave right now, he was truly going to lose his restraint.

The moment he was gone, Bai Tiantian scrambled onto the bed, burrowed beneath the duvet, and frantically whipped out her phone to text Lin Xi: [Oh my god, it’s over. He saw absolutely everything.]

Seeing the message, Lin Xi immediately fired back a shocked meme: [What do we do now? Brother Chen is definitely going to have to take responsibility for you.]

Bai Tiantian: [Yep. Tonight, I'm planning to make it official and lock him down. By the way, how’s the soundproofing in these rooms? Make sure you don't come over to eavesdrop!]

Lin Xi was utterly speechless: [Sister, please pace yourself. Don't push him so hard that he throws you out of the room. Oh, by the way, the room across from Brother Chen is a guest bedroom. It can always serve as your backup shelter.]

In her heart, however, Lin Xi secretly gave her friend a massive thumbs-up. Tiantian is truly a role model for our generation.

Bai Tiantian quickly sent one last reply: [Don't worry, I won't be coming over to disturb you and Song Xu.]

Lin Xi chuckled and closed out the chat window.

“Xi’xi, who are you texting?” Song Xu murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He leaned over her shoulder, attempting to catch a glimpse of her screen, but she had already locked it.

Lin Xi obviously had no intention of sharing her scandalous gossip session with him. She nudged him playfully with her elbow. “It’s late. You should go back to your room and rest.”

Song Xu had absolutely no desire to leave; he wanted to be wrapped up with her twenty-four hours a day. “Don’t you want to know what my brother and I went out to handle tonight?”

Lin Xi fell silent, her playful movements grinding to a halt. “I… I didn’t dare to ask.”

“My brother and I just went back to the family estate,” Song Xu explained softly, taking the opportunity to press a gentle kiss against her cheek. “We’re worried that someone is explicitly targeting the Song family using this case, so we had to report the situation to my father.”

“Will this end up dragging you into trouble?” Lin Xi voiced her deepest, most agonizing fear.

“No, it won’t,” Song Xu assured her, tightening his embrace to pull her flush against his chest. “How can we be dragged down for a crime we didn’t commit? As long as you’re safe, I’ll be perfectly fine.”

Recalling the cryptic words Bai Tiantian had shared with her that afternoon, Lin Xi instantly understood what Song Xu meant. He hadn’t done it—but if that was the case, who on earth had actually eliminated Li Sheng’s family?

“Xi’xi,” Song Xu whispered, gently turning her around so she was forced to face him directly. “Are you really that worried about me?”

Lin Xi gave a small, honest nod. “If you ever end up suffering consequences because of me, I’ll be buried in guilt for the rest of my life.”

“It doesn’t matter. Everything I do for you is entirely of my own free will,” Song Xu murmured, cradling her face tenderly with both hands. “Though… if you’re truly feeling eager to compensate me, I wouldn’t mind accepting a reward.”

“How do you want me to compensate you?” Lin Xi asked earnestly, looking up into his eyes.

“How about you become my bride tonight?” Song Xu asked, his gaze burning with an intense, profound affection as he stared down at her.