Upon hearing a familiar voice, Ye Xuanchen quickly released his grip. His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room. With the searchlights outside sweeping past the window intermittently, the atmosphere flickering light and shadow, he finally saw the face of the person in the bathtub clearly.
It was Mu Ronyao.
She was without makeup, her features delicate and soft, adding an unexpected touch of gentle charm. Her eyes were red and misty, tears clinging to her lashes. Her wet hair framed her pale face, and the grievance written all over her expression made her even more captivating than the day he first saw her.
When Mu Ronyao finally caught her breath and steadied herself, she met his reddened eyes.
"Ah...!"
She instinctively swung her hand forward. Only after striking him did she realize what she had done. She didn't know whether he felt pain, but her own palm burned uncomfortably, and she hurriedly withdrew it.
Mu Ronyao screamed and splashed water toward him in panic.
"You bastard! Get out! Get out!"
Ye Xuanchen let out a low groan from the slap, finally snapping back to his senses. Realizing that the situation had spiraled into a complete misunderstanding, he grabbed a towel from the rack beside him, wrapped it around his waist, and turned on the light.
"I am waiting for you outside."
As he turned his head, he caught sight of her again. His nose suddenly felt hot. He coughed lightly, then quickly turned away and walked out of the bathroom.
Hearing his footsteps leaving, Mu Ronyao hurried out of the bathtub, drying herself clumsily with a towel. Tears streamed down her face as panic overwhelmed her.
This man had followed her all the way from the hospital!
He had even seen her naked!
She grabbed her bathrobe, wrapped it tightly around her body, and clenched her fists as she stepped into the living room.
She rushed straight for the phone, intending to call the police.
Ye Xuanchen noticed immediately and intercepted her hand, snatching the phone away.
"It's not what you think."
"You pervert!" Mu Ronyao trembled with rage as she grabbed a fruit knife from the nearby table to protect herself. "You actually followed me!"
Ye Xuanchen frowned deeply. "What?"
"Stop pretending! I'm telling you, this is my friend's house! Everyone downstairs knows me. You won't get away with this!"
Now Ye Xuanchen was truly angry. A dark aura seemed to gather around him, his brows drawn so tightly they almost formed the character for "river."
"Woman," he said coldly, "I'll say it one last time. This is a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?!" Mu Ronyao shouted through tears. "If it's a misunderstanding, why are you here? What kind of place is this? How could you even get in?!"
"Why can't I enter?" Ye Xuanchen snapped, his patience gone. "You can come, so why can't I?"
"You're still talking nonsense! I'm warning you, as long as I shout..."
"Then shout!" Ye Xuanchen roared.
He grabbed her by the bathrobe, dragged her to the bed, threw open the window, and pointed down at the noisy crowd below, his face dark.
"Shout! I'm watching you shout!"
Mu Ronyao froze, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes.
Tears slid down her face, but she didn't even blink. She was clearly frightened out of her wits.
Seeing her trembling like a fragile porcelain doll only made Ye Xuanchen more irritated.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger.
Closing the window, he lifted her up and ignored her struggles, placing her back onto the bed and covering her tightly with a blanket.
"I'll say it again," Ye Xuanchen said in a low, tense voice. "I didn't follow you. I'm a friend of Xu Mingye's, and I was invited here tonight."
"As for ending up in this room..." he scowled at her, eyes sharp, "...that was a complete accident. And you...why didn't you lock the door properly while you were bathing?"
Mu Ronyao clenched the blanket tightly, biting her lip as tears continued to fall silently, soaking into the fabric.