Chapter 80: 80 Chapters Apart from Me, All Men are Jerks
"Okay," Xia Liang readily agreed and entered the bathroom.
It was unlike Qingxue’s. There, the sheer variety of shampoos and shower gels was overwhelming, not to mention all the facial cleansers and other products. Xi Yiqian’s washstand, however, held only a single bottle of shampoo and one of shower gel.
Xia Liang shook his head, took off his clothes, and began to shower. Ten minutes later, he came out wrapped only in a bath towel. There was no other choice; he didn’t have any pajamas, so this would have to do.
He looked over at Xi Yiqian on the sofa. Her cheeks were flushed red as she buried her face in her hands. To his amazement, little wisps of steam seemed to be rising from the top of her head.
This is too much. The corner of Xia Liang’s mouth twitched involuntarily. He had to forcibly change the subject. "Uh... you should go take a shower too."
Xi Yiqian nodded slightly and rushed into the bathroom, clutching her pajamas.
SLAM.
After closing the bathroom door, Xi Yiqian took several deep breaths. She didn’t understand why her heart was pounding so fast. And Xia Liang’s upper body that I just saw... were those the legendary abs? Xi Yiqian’s breathing grew heavy, and she had no idea why she was reacting this way.
It’s just like what happened with Wenwen. I remember being so puzzled back then, and Wenwen told me... ’That’s love.’ So, does this mean I’ve found love too? Xi Yiqian found the idea difficult to grasp.
Outside the bathroom, Xia Liang surveyed the small apartment and walked toward the bed Xi Yiqian had prepared for him. He sat down and found it incredibly hard. Xia Liang lifted the top layer and discovered only a thin sheet of cotton laid over a down jacket and a few other pieces of clothing.
Xia Liang’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. Did she really think I’d find it too hard and padded it for me on purpose? Seriously...
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.Just then, his cell phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was Zhou Ruo calling.
"Hello?" he answered.
Zhou Ruo’s charming voice came through the line. "Hello? Darling, I was out shopping with my friends all day. I just got back and saw you aren’t here. Are you not coming home tonight?"
"Yeah," Xia Liang replied coolly.
Zhou Ruo could sense that he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so she took the initiative. "Well then, darling, be safe out there. Love you," she said, blowing a kiss over the phone.
"Yeah, you should get some sleep too." Xia Liang glanced at the bathroom and hung up.
On the other end of the line, Zhou Ruo put down her phone in the mansion. She stretched languidly, gazing around the enormous villa with a feeling of deep contentment.
A huge house? A lonely bed? What nonsense! She looked at the ten Yuan balance on her phone, feeling utterly blissful. Only money is real!
She had called just now to report on her day’s activities. Xia Liang might not ask, but she had to tell him to put his mind at ease. As his mistress, Zhou Ruo knew her role. She knew she needed to report her daily activities and what time she returned home. Her friend had wanted to drag her to a nightclub today, but Zhou Ruo had refused. She was well aware of what men didn’t like their women doing, and she was even more aware of who provided her with everything she now possessed. She had to keep her priorities straight and not throw away a prize for a pittance.
When Xi Yiqian came out of the bathroom dressed in a set of pink pajamas, Xia Liang found himself momentarily stunned.
Freed from the mask of her hideous makeup, Xi Yiqian’s true appearance was revealed to him. Her features were as exquisite as if carved by God himself. Her face, soft and pure like a snow lotus, glowed with the warm luster of fine jade. Long, thick eyelashes fluttered gently, looking endearingly vulnerable. She had a straight, elegant nose bridge with a slightly upturned tip and perfectly formed lips. The faint paleness of her lips only served to make her look more pitiful and worthy of protection.
Xia Liang now understood perfectly why Xi Yiqian would wear such ugly makeup. It was purely for self-protection.
Embarrassed by his stare, Xi Yiqian could only ask weakly, "The bed... is it comfortable for you?"
"It’s fine," Xia Liang nodded.
Xi Yiqian breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good, then. Um... I have class tomorrow, so I’ll go to sleep first."
With that, she gently pulled back the thin blanket on the sofa and lay down. Since the sofa wasn’t very large, she had to curl into a ball.
Xia Liang watched her close her eyes just like that, truly at a loss for words. How can she be so bold? Isn’t she afraid she’s letting a wolf into her house? Does she have any idea how beautiful she is? And she dares to show her real face to me, a stranger she just met, and even let me stay the night? Isn’t she afraid I’ll turn into that wolf? Good grief, what is with this girl? Is she really this naive?
Shaking his head, he cast those chaotic thoughts aside. Xia Liang stood up and walked over to the sofa.
Xi Yiqian wasn’t actually asleep. When she saw Xia Liang get up and walk toward her, she tensed up and shrank away, burying her face in the blanket. "Wh-what is it?"
Xia Liang didn’t answer, simply leaning over her. Startled, Xi Yiqian stammered, "Y-you... what are you doing?"
"Go sleep on the bed," Xia Liang said impatiently. Disregarding her feelings, he scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the bed.
"N-no, it’s fine! I... I can just sleep on the sofa," she protested, her heart hammering against her ribs. She tried to struggle, but there was no way she could break free from his strong arms.
Ignoring her protests, he placed her on the bed. The moment she landed, she scrambled away like a frightened rabbit, clutching the blanket and huddling in the far corner. She watched him warily. "Wh-what are you doing? D-don’t come over here!"
Xia Liang was suddenly amused, his playful side taking over. He deliberately put on a menacing smile. "Feeling regretful now? And yet you still dared to let me stay the night? A man and a woman, all alone... what do you *think* I’m going to do?"
Xi Yiqian’s heart was already pounding. Frightened by his words, she was on the verge of crying, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked at him.
Her expression instantly deflated his desire to tease her. He moved closer and gave her a gentle flick on the forehead.
"Ouch!" Xi Yiqian yelped in pain. She rubbed her head pitifully, looking up at him in confusion.
"So you can feel pain, huh?" Xia Liang said, trying to look fierce. "You’re so pretty, yet you don’t know how to protect yourself. Don’t be so quick to trust people in the future. All men are jerks... no, wait. All men *except me* are jerks. Got it?"
Xi Yiqian quickly nodded in obedience. "I... I got it."
"Mm." Satisfied, Xia Liang nodded and reached out to gently pat her head. She closed her eyes, seeming to enjoy the gesture as a warm feeling spread through her chest.
"Alright, get some sleep," he said.
"Oh," Xi Yiqian nodded, then looked back at him. "Then... what about you? A-are you leaving?" The disappointment in her voice was unmistakable.
"I’m not leaving. I’ll sleep on the sofa."