Chapter 12
Xiao Yurou froze in place, her face pale as paper. Two years ago, when Zhang Qing arranged for him to marry that girl, she hadn't worried in the slightest—she knew exactly why that woman had been brought in.
How could this happen? What he couldn't bring himself to do with her, he could do with that woman?
Shen Mocheng drove the car himself, turning a thirty-minute commute into a brisk fifteen-minute sprint.
Zhang Qing babbled incessantly in the passenger seat, but Shen Mocheng barely registered a word, his mind entirely consumed by irritation and the urge to see that little idiot.
He had assumed she had returned to campus that afternoon. Why had she sneaked all the way back here in the dead of night?
Parking the car, he strode swiftly toward the front entrance, only to check his pace at the bottom of the steps. Pausing, he pulled up his phone camera, carefully adjusting his expression into a mask of aloof, icy composure. Only after ensuring he looked suitably dignified and unapproachable did he glide up the steps and press his thumb against the scanner.
Inside the living room, Gu Shuangshuang was sprawled flat on her stomach, glaring with intense vigilance at a chubby, snow-white cat swishing its tail just two or three meters away.
If you asked why she was pinned to the floor in such a pathetic sprawl...
It was a tragedy too painful for words.
Only after returning to campus that afternoon did she remember tomorrow was the weekend—meaning her scheduled part-time shift with Xiaoshuang. If she wanted photographic proof of him entertaining clients, tonight was her only window. So, catching the last bus of the night, she had borrowed Zhao Xiao'er's high-definition camera and rushed over.
The nimble girl had managed to dodge the main gate security with ninja-level finesse, scaled the perimeter fence, and circled around to his side yard. Lady Luck seemed on her side—a set of French doors had been left unlocked!
Just as she was about to slip inside, a white shadow bolted out of nowhere. A sharp, stinging pain flared across her backside, and she hit the floor with a thud!
Next thing she knew, a middle-aged housekeeper caught her red-handed, and from there... game over.
Sister Wang looked down at the fair-skinned girl with wide, watery eyes. "Young lady, sneaking into the house with a high-end camera—what's your motive?"
Shuangshuang grimaced, the throbbing pain in her rear flaring with every breath. "Auntie, I've already been mauled by your cat. Please just let me go."
"That's not up to me. The master is on his way back. Whether you get handed over to estate security or hauled off to the police station is his call."
Just then, the front door clicked open.
Setting the first-aid kit down, Sister Wang walked over. "Sir, you got back fast! This girl—"
With a cold, steady wave of his hand, the man signaled that he already had the situation covered.
Stepping into the living room, he leaned down before the small figure sprawled on the hardwood floor. Hooking a slender finger under her chin, he applied just enough pressure to force her head up.
Their eyes locked. His deep, dark gaze was an unreadable abyss, radiating a sharp, oppressive chill. Thin lips pressed flat, he scrutinized her in absolute silence. Shuangshuang couldn't hold his gaze; under his firm grip, her chin began to tremble involuntarily.
She had never seen a look on him that was so devoid of outward fury, yet so utterly terrifying...
Only when she was on the verge of breaking did his deep, resonant baritone cut through the silence: "A female student breaking into her male lecturer's private residence in the middle of the night... What exactly did you plan on doing to me?"
The accusation was blatantly improper, yet delivered with such deadly, deadpan seriousness that Shuangshuang’s face burned cherry-red—whether from sheer terror or utter mortification—and she hurriedly looked away.
Only after her jaw went completely numb did he release her, turning toward the staircase. "Sister Wang, get her cleaned up and bring her upstairs."
Shuangshuang stared in disbelief. He wasn't calling the cops?! But what did he mean by 'bring her upstairs'?!
Picking up the first-aid kit, Sister Wang passed the cat and muttered under her breath, "Naughty little rascal, specifically aiming for a young girl's backside."
On the stairs, the man's long strides came to a sudden halt. "Where did Little Three scratch her?"
"Her behind, sir. Is something wrong?"
Sister Wang reached for the rubbing alcohol, only for a large hand to clamp down on her arm. Looking up, she jumped—hadn't he just walked upstairs?
The man, having retraced his steps, stated with solemn composure: "Didn't you injure your hand earlier? You shouldn't come into contact with alcohol."
"Huh?" Sister Wang’s brain completely short-circuited...
Shuangshuang peered closely. "No, she didn't! Auntie's hands are completely fine!"
The man's dark, intimidating gaze bore down on the housekeeper. "Is your hand injured or not, Sister Wang?"
Sister Wang: "...Injured! Yes, severely injured! Young lady, the master will apply your medication..."
Gu Shuangshuang: "..."
An eerie quiet settled over the living room.
Shuangshuang gritted her teeth as Sister Wang vanished into thin air, clutching her skirt hem tightly. "Handsome host mister, don't trouble yourself. It's really not that serious."
He twirled a cotton swab with unhurried precision. "As the cat's owner, allow me to clarify: Little Three has never received a single vaccination since birth. If scratches aren't treated immediately, they can lead to rabies, cat scratch fever, localized necrosis spreading throughout the entire body, and eventual death..."
"I'll take the medicine! I'll take it!"
The man's eyes deepened. Saying nothing, he gently pried away the small hands clutching her skirt...
Gu Shuangshuang buried her burning face into the sofa cushions, fingers gripping the fabric until her knuckles turned white. A cool breeze swept across her skin as the man's clean, chilled fingertips began applying the antiseptic...
He took an agonizingly long time. It was just a minor surface scratch, yet his hands lingered...
Closing her eyes, Shuangshuang held her breath, her heart hammering against her ribs—partly from fear, partly from mortification, and partly from having no idea how to tell him to stop.
After all, he was kindly treating her injury.
Yet he was also...
Young and inexperienced, she felt thoroughly taken advantage of, but didn't dare make a peep. The chilling look in his eyes when he held her chin earlier had genuinely spooked her.
She endured it in silence. Half an hour crawled by before her skirt was finally smoothed back down.
A massive wave of relief washed over her. Not daring to meet his eyes, she stole a glance at the wall clock—eleven o'clock already!
Limping slightly, she bolted straight for the front door, ignoring the man calling after her. She marched past the gates with stubborn resolve, praying to spot an empty cab.
With the antiseptic sinking in, the scratch stung even worse. She waited in misery. Half an hour passed—not a single taxi in sight.
She waited another agonizing thirty minutes. Still nothing.
A security guard finally stepped over and said, "Little girl, the gentleman from Villa No. 1 asked me to inform you that taxis don't come through this district after nine at night."
"..."
That bastard didn't bother telling her earlier?! He let her stand out here like a total idiot for over an hour!
Frustrated to the point of tears, she faced a grim reality: no cabs, no way out, nowhere to spend the night.
The doorbell had been ringing for several minutes.
Sister Wang moved to get up, but Shen Mocheng stubbed out his cigarette and said, "I'll get it."
He said he'd get it, yet didn't move an inch, leisurely waving a feather wand to tease the cat. Little Three drooped her watery eyes, turning her round, chubby face away in blatant refusal to play.
"Giving me attitude?" He poked her little white paw, which she promptly yanked back.
He gave a helpless sigh. "Fine, you're a good girl with up-to-date vaccinations. Daddy is chasing a girl and threw you under the bus at a crucial moment—what do you want from me?"
Sister Wang: "..."
The knocking outside finally ceased.
The man rose to his feet with practiced calm, his dark eyes calculating the exact seconds as he walked to the entrance.
Just as Gu Shuangshuang turned to leave in utter despair, the door slowly swung open. Bathed in the warm porch light, the man's sharp, sculpted profile was as cold and aloof as ever.
Shuangshuang gripped her backpack straps tightly. "There are no cabs... Handsome host mister, your place looks pretty spacious, hehehe..."
Taking a drag from his cigarette, he replied flatly, "Spacious or not, there's no room here for you."
"Young lady, the master is only teasing!" Sister Wang scrambled out frantically, shooting her boss a sharp glare. Could he stop being so insufferably difficult? Just half an hour ago, he had explicitly ordered her to prepare a guest room down to the last detail, and now he was putting on airs! If the girl actually walked off into the night, let's see what he chased after—he'd be eating instant noodles alone!
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