Lin Xi extended her palm and pressed it firmly against Song Xu’s face as he leaned down. “I’m not feeling guilty anymore.”

She promptly pushed him out the door. “See you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

Song Xu stood in the hallway, hands on his hips, staring at the closed bedroom door in sheer helplessness. If only Lin Xi possessed even half of Bai Tiantian’s forwardness, he might have actually gotten a taste of the real thing by now.

He turned his head to glance down the corridor toward Song Chen’s quarters, wondering how the battle was raging between his older brother and the little temptress.

—

Inside the master suite, Song Chen finished a rapid-fire shower and strode out of the bathroom with nothing but a single bath towel slung low around his waist.

Bai Tiantian’s eyes instantly locked onto the strategically placed towel. “I’ve already seen everything anyway. What are you even bothered to block it for?”

Song Chen’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He walked over to the edge of the bed, abruptly ripped back the duvet, and gripped her ankle, dragging her directly to the edge of the mattress.

“Ah!” Bai Tiantian let out a sharp shriek. “Song Chen, what do you think you’re doing!”

Doing you! The words screamed in Song Chen’s mind, but he didn’t utter them aloud. Instead, his gaze turned terrifyingly dark and intense. “Fulfilling your wish.”

Panic finally setting in, Bai Tiantian kicked her leg free from his grip, spun around, and scrambled frantically toward the headboard, wrapping the heavy quilt tightly around herself like a cocoon.

Song Chen crossed his arms, a purely mocking glint flashing through his eyes as he watched her panic. “What are you running for? Didn’t you sneak into my room specifically hoping something would happen between us?”

Bai Tiantian certainly wanted something to happen, but this process was completely different from what she had envisioned. Besides, the dark look in Song Chen’s eyes just now had been deeply intimidating—as if he literally intended to devour her alive.

“The sequence is all wrong,” Bai Tiantian argued, her stubborn pride refusing to back down. “Aren’t we supposed to kiss first? We need to build up the proper chemistry before moving to the next step.”

“I’ll give you one last choice,” Song Chen said, his tone turning icy cold. “Go sleep in the guest room across the hall right now, or don’t blame me for getting rough.”

Bai Tiantian stiffened her neck defiantly. “Go ahead then! Let’s see you try to get rough.”

Song Chen had absolutely zero patience for her antics. He stepped forward, ripped the protective quilt entirely out of her grasp, and easily scooped her up around the waist with a single arm.

“Ah! Song Chen, put me down right now!” Bai Tiantian dangled horizontally in mid-air, her arms and legs flailing wildly with nowhere to find purchase. The sudden loss of control was genuinely terrifying. “What are you doing!”

Ignoring her protests, Song Chen carried her out of his master suite, strode directly into the guest bedroom across the hall, and tossed her onto the mattress. “Sleep here by yourself.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, returning to his own bedroom and locking the heavy door securely behind him.

He took a deep, shaky breath and glanced down at his right hand. He seemed to have accidentally brushed against something remarkably soft just now. Hmm… the texture wasn’t bad at all. Looks like I’ll be well-rewarded in the future.

Meanwhile, Bai Tiantian lay sprawled on the guest bed. Instead of going back to provoke him, she rolled over onto her back and began giggling into her pillow in pure delight.

Her taste in men was truly impeccable. Song Chen was tall, exceptionally handsome, and incredibly built—but most importantly, his character was flawless. She had literally worn the most provocative outfit to his bed, and instead of taking advantage of her, he had controlled himself enough to throw her out.

In fact, even through that bath towel, she had noticed a distinct anatomical reaction. Hehe, Professor Song’s self-restraint is top-tier. With willpower like that, he’ll easily manage to resist even if other women try to seduce him in the future.

Song Chen had absolutely no idea what kind of delusional romance drama Bai Tiantian was spinning in her head. He only knew that he had to head right back into the bathroom to turn on the freezing cold water.

—

Bai Tiantian ended up staying at the apartment to keep Lin Xi company for two full days.

During this time, neither Song Chen nor Song Xu made an appearance. Lin Xi had sent a few messages to Song Xu, but his replies were consistently brief, making it clear that he was buried in urgent business.

Lin Xi’s mind remained completely unsettled. Unable to focus on her textbooks, she resorted to binge-watching dramas alongside Bai Tiantian, barely managing to keep her spiraling anxiety at bay.

For those two days, Bai Tiantian refrained from pushing Song Chen’s boundaries any further. Even though the older brother wasn’t returning home, she slept strictly in Lin Xi’s room for the sake of safety.

As Lin Xi stared blankly at the glowing television screen, her thoughts drifted far away. How on earth is this nightmare with Li Sheng’s family going to fully conclude?

Right in the middle of her anxious thoughts, her phone chimed sharply with a notification. Lin Xi scrambled to pick it up, assuming it was a message from Song Xu, but the sender profile caught her completely off guard.

Jiang Ran: [Xi'xi, I'm finally out! I missed you so much. Where are you right now? Can I come over to find you?]

Oh my goodness, it’s Jiang Ran! The very same Jiang Ran who had vanished without a trace for over a month had suddenly materialized.

An instant surge of adrenaline rushed through Lin Xi’s veins. She frantically typed back: [I'm at the Radiance Celestial Towers apartment. Do you still remember the location where you dropped me off last time?]

Jiang Ran: [Got it. I'll text you the moment I arrive.]

Jiang Ran’s sudden reappearance acted like a powerful stimulant, instantly lifting Lin Xi out of her persistent gloom.

She wanted to invite her friend up, but she knew she had to get clearance from the master of the house first.

Lin Xi composed a text to Song Xu: [Brother Xu, would it be alright if I invite Jiang Ran over to the apartment for dinner today?]

When Song Xu received the notification on his screen, he stared at it blankly for a few seconds. The name Jiang Ran rang a faint, distant bell. Who was that again? He typed back: [Who is Jiang Ran?]

[My high school classmate and best friend. You two actually met once briefly at that Western restaurant,] Lin Xi clarified immediately.

Light finally dawned on Song Xu. It was that incredibly tall, tomboyish girl who carried herself almost like a man. His initial impression of Jiang Ran hadn’t been particularly pleasant, yet he knew he couldn’t realistically forbid Lin Xi from maintaining her friendships.

His current standing in Lin Xi’s heart wasn’t entirely secure yet. If he accidentally enraged her and she decided to walk away, he would be completely ruined. Both Jiang Ran and Bai Tiantian were filthy rich; either one of them could easily solve any financial troubles Lin Xi had, meaning his primary leverage over her would vanish completely.

[Of course you can, Xi'xi. You're the lady of the house—inviting guests over whenever you please is your absolute right.] Song Xu typed out the line, entirely against his true feelings, and hit send.

“Xiao Xu, what are you doing staring at your phone? Did you hear a single word I just said?” Song Qingshi demanded from across the desk, his voice dripping with dissatisfaction.

Song Xu set his device down smoothly. “I was just messaging your future daughter-in-law. I haven’t seen her in two whole days, and I’m terrified Xi’xi might run away.”

“Look at you, absolutely spineless,” Song Qingshi scoffed, giving his son a thoroughly disdainful look.

Song Xu grinned, looking his biological father dead in the eye. “My spineless behavior in front of my woman was inherited directly from you, Dad.”

Song Chen cleared his throat loudly from the adjacent leather chair, quickly interjecting to pivot the conversation before the father and son could launch into a full-blown shouting match. “Xiao Xu, our intelligence indicates that the force adding fuel to the fire behind the scenes is the Lu family. What’s your take on this?”

Song Xu’s playful demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, calculating edge. “Brother Yunzhou is definitely completely unaware of this. I can stake my life on that fact. Which means the culprit within the Lu family… has to be Uncle Lu.”

“Lu Zhentao?” Song Qingshi mused quietly, his brow furrowing. “Why would he target us like this? Is it simply because our family declined to go through with the political marriage between our children?”

“That seems highly improbable,” Song Chen noted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Our families have decades of deep alliances. It makes no sense to burn bridges so recklessly. Even though we didn’t solidify the marriage, our corporate operations remain heavily intertwined. Striking at the Song family is equivalent to Lu Zhentao chopping off his own left arm.”

“We flush out the exact individual responsible,” Song Xu spat, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. “Then I will personally deliver them right to Lu Yunzhou’s doorstep and demand a full explanation.”

The three men continued to debate fiercely in the depths of the study for an extended period. Suddenly, the heavy mahogany doors were thrown open as Xu Wantang rushed inside, her phone gripped tightly in her hand. The sudden intrusion startled the three Song men completely out of their focus.

“Honey, what’s happened?” Song Qingshi asked urgently, noticing the distinct panic flashing across his wife’s face.

Song Chen and Song Xu both turned their gazes toward their mother.

“Xiao Xu, did you get into a fight with Xi’xi over the last two days?” Xu Wantang demanded, glaring directly at her youngest son.

Song Xu shook his head instantly. “No, not at all. I was literally just texting her a moment ago. Mom, why would you even ask that?”

“Then explain exactly what this photograph is supposed to mean!” Xu Wantang slammed her smartphone down onto the desk directly in front of Song Xu. “Why is Xi’xi embracing another man like this?”

Song Xu froze, his mind momentarily blank. What the hell is this?