A Rather Unflattering Affair

Mu Qingcheng fell into an exceptionally deep sleep, so deep that when she finally woke up, it was due to the persistent knocking on her door that had apparently been going on for quite a while.

At that moment, she bolted upright in alarm.

Her gaze instinctively swept toward the other side of the bed, only to find it completely empty, devoid of a single trace of anyone else...

Yet, while a wave of relief washed over her, a faint trace of disappointment slipped into her heart.

Lowering her gaze, Mu Qingcheng smoothed down her undamaged pajamas, reached for the black-rimmed glasses sitting on the small table beside her, put them on, and finally called out,

"Come in."

Clutching the quilt around her shoulders, she sat at the head of the bed, lingering sleepiness still enveloping her whole body, leaving her slightly drowsy.

Upon entering and seeing that she was awake, the maid smiled and said,

"Miss, it's time for your medicine. The schedule for this remedy is strict and must not be delayed."

"I know, bring it in."

"Yes."

With that, the maid turned around, brought in a bowl of freshly brewed traditional Chinese medicine resting on a small cart, and placed it on the table.

Afterward, she set down a few varieties of dried fruits and candied treats, along with a cup of warm water.

Having arranged everything properly, the maid retreated to the doorway and said respectfully,

"Call me when you finish drinking."

With those words, she closed the door and quietly withdrew.

Mu Qingcheng relaxed her nerves and rested a little longer.

A short while later, her phone suddenly vibrated.

An unread text message appeared on the screen.

She swiped the screen and, as expected, saw a message sent by Si Qingchen:

"I took the dagger with me. Someone is guarding you, rest easy, see you tonight."

Tonight... see me?!!!!

"Is he saying... he's going to climb through my window again tonight?"

Mu Qingcheng couldn't help but click her tongue.

The illustrious young master of the Si family, the supreme boss of Shadow, had now actually been reduced to sneaking in through windows just to meet someone.

If this word ever got out... it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.

Even so, recalling everything from the previous night, Mu Qingcheng still felt a warm and comforting glow in her heart.

After all, no matter how unfathomably dark and cunning that man could be, he had still managed to desperately restrain his desires.

No matter how aggressively he had kissed her, he had not taken things any further.

He hadn't even undone a single button of hers.

"Fool..."

Casually editing a text message and sending it off, Mu Qingcheng turned over, got out of bed, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

Meanwhile, elsewhere—

Si Qingchen was nervously clutching his phone, staring silently at the screen without moving a muscle, standing as still as a statue.

Standing nearby, Si Nan couldn't help but nudge Si Bei's shoulder and whisper,

"Hey, what's wrong with the boss? Where on earth did he go last night?"

"Is that any of your business?"

Si Bei glared at him and simply took half a step away.

Si Nan was met with an unprovoked rebuff, smacked his lips in resignation, and obediently stood at attention.

Little did he know that Si Bei wasn't unwilling to talk; he simply didn't dare to.

After all, the fact that their boss had sneaked through a window the night before to meet a lover... was hardly a glorious tale.

At that moment, Si Qingchen, whose entire body had been tense, watched as the darkened phone screen suddenly lit up again.

He immediately and eagerly pressed the unlock key.

Neither Si Nan nor Si Bei could see what exactly appeared on that screen.

They only saw Si Qingchen display a rare, heart-stopping...

Dorky smile!

****

At the same time—

Mu Qing, having successfully obtained Xia Wan's information, wasted no time and followed the lead straight to the dilapidated residential complex where she lived.

Yet, upon beholding the scene before him, the normally calm corners of the man's eyes tightened slightly, revealing an irrepressible pang of heartache.

He never could have imagined that Xia Wan would live in such a place.

What he expected even less was what awaited him... a door that was already securely locked.

Xia Wan's home... was completely empty, with the inhabitants already gone.