Chapter 398: Chapter 398: A Minor Punishment
She slightly narrowed her eyes and asked, “The female ghost you mentioned—could it be Dong Xiaoxiao?”
Xiao Si stared at her intently, the corners of his lips curling up, his alluring almond-shaped eyes holding a hint of amusement.
He didn’t respond, which meant she had guessed correctly.
Lan Yan hadn’t expected that Dong Xiaoxiao was actually quite bold.
“You just left her behind like that—do you really not care?” Lan Yan suddenly asked.
As soon as the question left her lips, she regretted it.
She had merely asked without much thought.
Xiao Si abruptly got up from the bed, taking two large strides to stand in front of her.
“And do you care if I get ruined by her?”
“…”
Lan Yan stepped back, cleared her throat, and redirected the topic: “What did you do to her?”
The man replied casually, “Not much, just knocked her unconscious and threw her into the bathroom.”
Lan Yan: “…”
Dong Xiaoxiao, waking up tomorrow morning, was likely to be furious enough to cough up blood.
“But you can’t stay here for the night, can you?”
Lan Yan glanced around the room; apart from a bed, there was a couch, but it was too small for anyone to sleep on.
“I’m not scared—why are you scared?” The man raised his brow and teased, “Could it be that you’re afraid of being seduced by my looks and losing control?”
Lan Yan immediately rolled her eyes at him.
“Can you be serious for once?”
“I am serious! Tell me, where have I not been serious? Give me an example.”
Lan Yan took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. “If you want to stay here, fine, but the couch is yours.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Si turned to look at the tiny couch behind him. “Xiao Yanyan, are you sure I can fit on that couch?”
“You can always sleep on the floor,” Lan Yan replied.
Conveniently, there was a blanket spread on the floor.
“Can you really bear to see me sleeping on such a hard floor?”
“What’s there to feel sorry about? Or do you want me to sleep on the floor instead?”
“How could I bear to let you sleep on the floor?”
Then, with a pitiful look on his face, the man said, “This bed is so big—if we split it, there’s more than enough room.”
Lan Yan looked away and said, “If you don’t want to sleep, then go back upstairs. She’s sleeping in the bathroom—it won’t affect your ability to sleep in a bed.”
“No thanks, the air upstairs has already been polluted. Anywhere near you, the air is fresher,” he said.
Lan Yan’s fine brows furrowed, and goosebumps rose all over her body.
“Either sleep on the floor or go upstairs.”
Her tone was neither chilly nor warm, but it carried an air of finality that brooked no argument.
“…”
He pursed his mouth briefly and replied, “Fine, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
The opportunity to share the same room with her was too precious for him to pass up.
Lan Yan said nothing more, implicitly accepting his decision to stay.
But in the next moment, the man suddenly said, “I want to take a shower.”
Lan Yan shot him a look. “I haven’t stopped you.”
“But I don’t have any clean clothes to change into,” he said.
Lan Yan replied, “Then don’t shower. Skipping one night won’t kill you.”
“No way. If I don’t shower, I won’t be able to sleep.”
Lan Yan slightly furrowed her brow.
“Why are you so fussy and high-maintenance?”
The man touched the bridge of his nose with one hand. “I call this keeping clean.”
Lan Yan said, “…Then what do you want to do?”
“I just want to shower. All I need is a towel,” he said.
“And what will you do tomorrow? Wrap the towel around yourself to go back?” Lan Yan asked.
“I’ll worry about tomorrow’s problems tomorrow,” he replied.
“…”
Lan Yan stood still for a moment, thinking it over before turning and leaving the room.
A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a towel.
She tossed it directly onto him. “Go take your shower.”
With the towel in hand, Xiao Si headed off toward the bathroom.
Lan Yan sighed softly and moved toward the walk-in closet. Earlier, as she had surveyed the room, she thought she’d seen a small blanket inside.
Once she retrieved it, she turned off the lights and climbed into bed.
But she still left him a pillow.
She placed the pillow and blanket directly on the floor.
Then, she tucked herself in and went to sleep.
Her reasoning was simple: if she wasn’t looking at him, perhaps they could avoid an awkward situation.
When Xiao Si stepped out of the bathroom, the room was dim, bathed only in soft moonlight filtering in through the window.
Using the faint illumination, he could make out a distinct, curvaceous silhouette on the bed.
Quietly and cautiously, he walked to the right side of the bed, where the carpet held a pillow and a small blanket.
Standing at the edge of the bed, he used the pale moonlight to watch the sleeping figure on the bed.
Though Lan Yan’s eyes were closed, she wasn’t actually asleep.
She could sense that he was looking at her.
His gaze was far too intense for her to ignore.
But she managed to hold her composure.
She still opted to trust the man’s character.
Xiao Si didn’t stare for long before he lay down directly on the floor.
The fact that she didn’t drive him out was proof of her softening toward him.
In this unfamiliar environment, Lan Yan had expected to struggle to fall asleep; instead, when she opened her eyes, it was already seven in the morning.
As she stirred to get up, a low, raspy voice suddenly came from behind her: “Did you sleep well last night?”
Startled, she quickly turned around, only to meet the man’s almond eyes.
Xiao Si’s chin rested on the edge of the bed, his hair slightly messy, with stubble dotting his chin after the night.
Rather than detracting from his appearance, the stubble added an inexplicable allure.
She had nearly forgotten there was another person in the room with her.
And at this moment, that person happened to be a man dressed only in a towel.
She averted her gaze and replied, “It was fine.”
Just as she was about to throw off the blanket and get up, the man, his voice husky, said, “But I didn’t sleep well at all. My back and waist are sore from sleeping on the floor.”
Lan Yan asked, “So what?”
Xiao Si replied, “You should help me with a back rub.”
Lan Yan retorted, “Go find the female ghost upstairs—I’m sure she’d be more than willing to help you.”
With that, she got up and headed toward the bathroom.
After washing up, Lan Yan stepped back out to find someone knocking on the door.
“Miss Lan Yan, are you awake? Someone downstairs says they’re here to see you,” the housekeeper said from outside the door.
Lan Yan, hearing this, walked over and opened the door.
She looked at the housekeeper and asked, “Who’s looking for me?”
It was still early in the morning, and she couldn’t think of anyone that might come looking for her here.
The housekeeper replied, “I don’t know. A man. He said he came for you, so I let him inside—he’s waiting in the living room now.”
Lan Yan frowned slightly. “Okay, I understand. I’ll head down shortly.”
She left the room, closing the door as she exited.
When Lan Yan reached the living room and saw who was standing there, she instantly understood that this was someone called by Xiao Si.
Peng Yiming greeted her with a beaming smile, “Dr. Lan, I was asked by the young master to deliver these clothes for him.”
He handed her the bag he was carrying.
Lan Yan glanced down at it briefly before taking it. “Thank you for going through the trouble of coming here so early.”
Peng Yiming replied with a smile, “No trouble at all, Dr. Lan. I’ll be heading back now.”
Lan Yan nodded slightly. “Okay.”
Lan Yan took the bag back to the room.
At that moment, the man had already finished freshening up and was just stepping out of the bathroom.
He was still dressed in nothing but the towel.
Lan Yan, upon entering, found herself directly face-to-face with him.
She froze momentarily.
Usually, he seemed slim when clothed, but now, without shirts or jackets, his muscle definition was perfect.
Moreover, his proportions were exceptional, and his abs resembled hard, chiseled rock formations.
She’d seen a man’s body before, but for some reason, her ears felt slightly warm at that moment.
Xiao Si hadn’t expected her to return this quickly.
But he seemed much more composed than she was.
Lan Yan’s gaze darted aside swiftly.
Then she tossed him the bag she was holding.
“Your clothes. Hurry up and put them on.”
Xiao Si’s sharp eyes caught the hint of redness in her ears. He smirked slightly and asked, “Are you embarrassed?”
Lan Yan stubbornly replied, “You’re overthinking it. I’m a doctor. To me, there’s no distinction between men and women.”
“Oh, really?”
He said this as he moved closer to her.
“But I noticed your ears are a bit red.”
His amused voice rang softly in her ear.
Lan Yan instinctively raised her hand to cover her ears.
Her movement came off as a rather telling sign.
He purposefully leaned in even further, his breath brushing her ear as he murmured, “You know, if you really wanted to look, then just look openly. I wouldn’t mind—after all, this body will be yours sooner or later.”
His scent immediately enveloped her. The skin on her nape grew warmer with each of his breaths.
At that moment, her legs felt like they were shackled in chains, unable to move or obey her commands.
His words were just too—
Xiao Si gazed directly at her face, their proximity so close. His thin lips curved slightly, and a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.
Intentionally teasing, he continued, “Didn’t you say you weren’t embarrassed? Then why is your face red? What are you going to do when we’re intimate in the future?”
Lan Yan: “…”
She bit her lip and turned her head to glare at him.
But she forgot, with the two of them standing so close, the moment she turned, their lips met unexpectedly.
For a brief moment, both were stunned.
Lan Yan’s eyes widened slightly, and she quickly backed away, putting distance between them.
Xiao Si remained calm, though; he even seemed to savor the experience.
This was their second accidental kiss, the first being during Mrs. Xiao’s birthday banquet. Despite this one lasting mere seconds, he found himself quite satisfied with the unexpected turn of events.
Feigning innocence, he looked at her and said, “Hey, this wasn’t me making the first move—you can’t blame me.”
Lan Yan, infuriated, took a deep breath: “…”
Indeed, he wasn’t entirely at fault, and she had no grounds to accuse him.
She closed her eyes briefly, just as she was about to speak, when a piercing scream rang out.
The scream came from upstairs.
Xiao Si casually tapped his ear and remarked, “The soundproofing in this house really isn’t great.”
Hu Yunqin had only just reached the living room when she heard Dong Xiaoxiao’s scream.
Alarmed, she immediately followed the sound, along with the housekeeper.
The group made their way to the door of the room on the third floor.
“Madam, this is Mr. Xiao’s room,” the housekeeper timidly informed her.
Hu Yunqin frowned deeply. “Open the door.”
Hearing this, the housekeeper hesitantly approached the door, trying the handle, only to find that it wouldn’t turn.
“Madam, it’s—it seems locked from the inside.”
“Go get the key!”
“Alright, yes, right away.”
Not long after, the housekeeper returned with the key in hand.
“Madam, here’s the key.”
“Open the door.”
Just then, Mr. Dong arrived.
“What’s going on here?” Dong Jian asked sharply.
The housekeeper stammered nervously, “Sir, Miss is in Mr. Xiao’s room.”
Dong Jian’s brows furrowed deeply, a hint of something unspoken flickering in his eyes.
The housekeeper, visibly uneasy, asked again, “Should I open the door, sir?”
She worried about stumbling upon something inappropriate.
After all, Mr. Xiao was the fiancé of Miss Lan Yan, yet Miss Dong Xiaoxiao was in his room—this didn’t bode well.
At this point, Lan Yan appeared on the third floor.
She looked at them curiously and asked, “What’s going on here?”
Hu Yunqin, upon seeing Lan Yan, suddenly seemed flustered.
She had no idea how she would explain this situation to her.
Lan Yan had yet to fully integrate into the household; if this matter caused friction, their plan involving the bone marrow could be compromised.
At this moment, she felt Dong Xiaoxiao’s recklessness was simply intolerable!
She had promised to assist her and warned her not to act impulsively. Yet, Dong Xiaoxiao had shamelessly pulled this kind of stunt right in their house, seducing Xiao Si!
“Uh, Yanyan, perhaps you should head downstairs for now. Mom will handle this and explain everything afterward,” Hu Yunqin said.
Lan Yan deliberately asked, “What’s happening that I shouldn’t see?”
Hu Yunqin, for the first time, felt utterly at a loss for words.
“Yanyan, well…”
Her explanation was interrupted by Xiao Si’s appearance at the staircase.
Xiao Si, standing behind Lan Yan, faced the group with raised eyebrows and remarked, “You folks sure know how to liven up a morning.”
Hu Yunqin stared at him in disbelief. “Xiao Xiao, why… why are you here?”
Xiao Si raised his brow and replied, “If not here, then where? I spent the night with my Xiao Yanyan—can’t sleep without her.”
As he said this, he casually wrapped an arm around Lan Yan’s shoulder.
Lan Yan: “…”
Hu Yunqin glanced between the closed door and Xiao Si, reevaluating the sequence of events.
It seemed he hadn’t spent the night in this room.
If he had responded to Dong Xiaoxiao’s scream upstairs, it was unlikely he had switched rooms in the short time since.
“Hurry up and open the door,” Hu Yunqin instructed the housekeeper.
The housekeeper acknowledged and promptly unlocked the door.
Inside entered Hu Yunqin and the housekeeper.
Mr. Dong did not enter, choosing instead to wait outside.
Once inside, Hu Yunqin immediately scanned the bed and found it empty, a revelation that filled her with relief.
“Xiaoxiao, are you in here?” Hu Yunqin called out.
Dong Xiaoxiao, still sprawled in the bathroom, weakly answered, “Mom, I’m in the bathroom.”
Hu Yunqin, hearing this, hurried to the bathroom.
When she entered, the sight shocked her.
Scattered hair lay all over the floor, and Dong Xiaoxiao sprawled helplessly over the toilet.
“Ah!”
Hu Yunqin let out a startled cry upon seeing the state of Dong Xiaoxiao.
Then came the housekeeper’s shriek, “Ah, Miss—your… your hair…”
Dong Xiaoxiao’s right side had been shaved, leaving a partially bald patch that looked utterly grotesque.
Lan Yan, standing outside without entering, heard the chain reaction of screams and couldn’t help but grow curious about what was going on inside.
Last night, Xiao Si had claimed he’d simply knocked her out and tossed her in the bathroom.
Did he perhaps do something more?
Turning her head slightly, she glanced at him, giving a small nudge to his side with her elbow.
Xiao Si met her gaze.
Lan Yan didn’t speak, but her eyes communicated her thoughts clearly.
“I didn’t do much—just a little punishment, that’s all,” Xiao Si whispered in her ear.
He wasn’t someone who tolerated being schemed against. Those who dared would have to face consequences.
Soon after, Lan Yan noticed Hu Yunqin helping Dong Xiaoxiao out of the bathroom.
Dong Xiaoxiao had wrapped a towel around her head.
Lan Yan was perplexed.
But the moment Dong Xiaoxiao’s eyes met hers, she erupted into curses: “Lan Yan, you b*tch—it must’ve been you! I’ll kill you!”
Dong Xiaoxiao charged at her.
Xiao Si instantly stepped in front of Lan Yan, shielding her in his arms.
Meanwhile, Hu Yunqin and the housekeeper managed to restrain Dong Xiaoxiao just in time.
“Xiaoxiao, calm down! Change your clothes first!” Hu Yunqin urged.
Veins bulged in Dong Xiaoxiao’s bloodshot eyes, her rage twisting her features.
“Let go of me—I’m going to kill this tramp!”
Mr. Dong sternly reprimanded her, “Dong Xiaoxiao, watch your mouth and mind your actions!”
At Mr. Dong’s words, Dong Xiaoxiao reluctantly collected herself.
Tears brimming in her eyes, she stared miserably at her father.
“Take her back to her room!” Mr. Dong commanded.
Hu Yunqin guided the reluctant Dong Xiaoxiao back to her room.
Lan Yan, on the other hand, was still stunned. This—
Dong Xiaoxiao’s menacing face only heightened her curiosity about what Xiao Si had done to her.
Mr. Dong turned to the pair and apologized, “Yanyan, Xiao Xiao, my apologies for this embarrassment.”
Xiao Si showed no guilt over the affair, instead remarking, “I didn’t realize your daughter had such a fiery temper—it nearly frightened my darling Yanyan. I’ve certainly learned my lesson today. My Xiao Yanyan has the better temperament, kind and lovely.”
Mr. Dong looked slightly embarrassed, unsure of how to respond.