Inside the room, Jiang Huaiyue slowly pulled her lips away from Shen Wuxiao’s. This time, there wasn’t the intense reaction she had experienced before. It felt calmer—more natural.
After moving away, she gently shifted Shen Wuxiao to the side, then leaned against the headboard and rubbed her temples, deep in thought.
Shen Wuxiao, though pretending to be unconscious, was overjoyed. Pretending to be asleep really has its perks, he thought to himself.
Jiang Huaiyue’s actions tonight had genuinely surprised him. She hadn’t hesitated at all when she picked him up and brought him into the room. She had even untied his bathrobe without any sign of panic or awkwardness. From that alone, Shen Wuxiao could tell—her psychological resistance was crumbling. She just wasn’t fully ready to accept it yet.
But that wasn’t enough. Given her personality, she would definitely blame herself. After all, her feelings for Lin Fan weren’t gone. She had come here for him, and their emotional connection had deep roots.
Now that she had given her body to Shen Wuxiao, she would inevitably spiral into self-doubt. Everything was playing out just as Shen Wuxiao had expected.
Jiang Huaiyue stared at Shen Wuxiao for a long time. Seeing how peacefully he slept, she sighed.
“Why does everything seem to lead back to you…” she muttered softly, eyes filled with confusion.
It felt as if an invisible force had tied their fates together. From strangers to allies, they had become entangled through shared trials. Under the pressure of the male and female duo, she had given herself to Shen Wuxiao—something she never imagined would happen.
She was still trying to make sense of it all.Just days ago, she had come for Lin Fan. But not only had she failed to meet him, she’d now shared more intimate moments with Shen Wuxiao than she ever had with Lin Fan.
She questioned herself—was she the kind of woman who wavered so easily?
Still, deep inside, she understood: even if there was once a chance with Lin Fan, there wasn’t anymore. That chance had been buried the moment she gave herself to the man lying beside her.
Jiang Huaiyue clenched her hands tightly. Her emotions were in turmoil.
Just then, her fingers brushed against the ring on her hand.
It was the couple’s ring they had received at the restaurant earlier that evening—a prize for being chosen as the “lucky couple.” They had even put the rings on each other.
Though it had started as a playful gesture, the fact that neither of them had resisted said something.
If she truly wanted to reject it, she would have walked away the moment she realized it was a couple’s restaurant. She wouldn’t have stayed. She wouldn’t have eaten. And none of this would’ve happened.
Trapped in a whirlwind of doubt and confusion, Jiang Huaiyue sighed again. Her cheeks slightly flushed, she reached for Shen Wuxiao’s bathrobe to cover him before quietly slipping out of bed and heading for the sofa.
Just then, Shen Wuxiao, still “asleep,” shifted in his sleep. As he rolled over, his leg draped over her, and he pulled her into an embrace with half his body.
“Hm~” Jiang Huaiyue gasped softly.
She was stunned. Their faces were so close their noses were almost touching. She could clearly feel the rhythm of his breathing.
But still, she didn’t pull away. She didn’t resist. She just lay there, motionless.
Ten minutes passed before she finally and carefully removed his arm from around her and slipped out of bed.
As she stood up, she couldn’t help but glance back at Shen Wuxiao’s sleeping figure. After a brief hesitation, she walked over and gently pulled the blanket over him.
Then she left the room and went to the sofa to sleep.
The blanket Shen Wuxiao had used the previous night was still there. She picked it up and wrapped herself in it.
Back in the room, Shen Wuxiao slowly opened his eyes.
A sly grin spread across his lips.
He wasn’t in a rush. The trap was working perfectly.
Now that Jiang Huaiyue had voluntarily gone to sleep outside, he could finally rest with satisfaction.
…
The next morning, Shen Wuxiao woke up and stretched lazily.
Then came a dramatic shout—“Oh my god!”
He bolted upright, panic written all over his face. Grabbing his bathrobe, he rushed out of the room.
Jiang Huaiyue, who was making breakfast, turned toward the noise, a little surprised.
To Shen Wuxiao, the situation was very clear—he had woken up naked in her bed. If he acted confused now, it would only deepen the misunderstanding.
When he saw Jiang Huaiyue, their eyes met. He paused, then stammered nervously.
“W-why… why am I in your room? Did I… do something to you last night?”
Jiang Huaiyue bit her lip and said nothing.
Shen Wuxiao continued to act flustered. “Please let me explain! I really don’t know what happened!”
“I remember lying on the sofa after my shower, thinking about something, and then… I must’ve fallen asleep. Maybe I sleepwalked? Did I do something wrong to you?”
Jiang Huaiyue was about to explain, but Shen Wuxiao didn’t give her the chance. Instead, he raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.
Startled, Jiang Huaiyue rushed forward and grabbed his wrist. “Why are you hitting yourself?!”
Shen Wuxiao sighed. “I must’ve crossed the line… I did something I shouldn’t have done!”
But just then, his gaze landed on Jiang Huaiyue’s hand.
She was still wearing the ring.
He was thrilled. This meant things were progressing just right.
Now was the perfect moment to fake a disappearing act—and deal with Lin Fan while he was at it.
“Don’t overthink it. It’s not what you imagine,” Jiang Huaiyue said quickly.
Shen Wuxiao still shook his head. “But I woke up naked in your bed. How am I supposed to explain that?”
“You don’t have to hide anything. I’ll take responsibility for whatever I did. I’ll give you some time to think about it. I won’t go back on my word.”
With that, he hurried to the sofa, threw on his clothes, and dashed out the door.
He couldn’t let her explain. He had to make sure the misunderstanding stuck.
“Wait—” Jiang Huaiyue called out but couldn’t bring herself to shout after him.
She watched, dumbfounded, as he drove off—clean and efficient, without hesitation.
Yet as she watched his car disappear, she found herself quietly relieved.
Maybe some distance was a good thing for now. It gave them both space to calm down and think about where their relationship stood.
Meanwhile, Shen Wuxiao headed straight to another residence.
He didn’t need time to reflect—Jiang Huaiyue did.
What he needed to focus on now was dealing with Lin Fan.
The Haisha Society had already issued a kill order. Bounty hunters were on the move.
He could easily disguise himself as one of them and attempt an assassination.
With his current cultivation—sixth level, fifth stage—he far outmatched Lin Fan.
Though that guy had a reputation for punching above his level, Shen Wuxiao was still confident. He was curious to see just how powerful this so-called “Border Wolf King” truly was.
Just how many realms higher must one be to truly crush the destiny-bound protagonist?
Even if Lin Fan managed to run, it wouldn’t matter. As long as Shen Wuxiao used his alternate identity—Brother Sikong—and made a call, Lin Fan would likely reveal his real location.
That was the advantage of having multiple faces.
The thought thrilled him.
Tonight, he would take something from Lin Fan.
Starting with his ear.