Chapter 8: Adding Fuel to the Fire

She opened the door to the suite and stepped into the corridor. The hallway was brightly lit and unusually quiet.

She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, only feeling as if some unseen force was guiding her forward.

On this floor, the rooms in President Teresa’s villa were spacious, which meant there were fewer of them.

Xianyu wore a silk robe, and since it was nighttime, she had draped a thin shawl over her shoulders.

Even in slippers, she moved with a delicate grace, like a fairy.

Her footsteps were light, reminiscent of a soft, muffled tread.

No guest on the floor would have noticed anyone moving about.

Until she reached the end of the corridor.

Around the corner stood a bonsai money pine by the door.

The heavy door was ajar.

She could vaguely make out the interior layout, similar to the room she stayed in: an island counter, a bar, a circular sofa, a television, and a large gym area.

Yet these cold furnishings were not what concerned her; they had nothing to do with her.

What caught her attention was the man seated in the center of the sofa.

Next to the sofa was a softly glowing bamboo lamp. Its light fell upon him, revealing the strands of hair falling across his forehead.

He sat cross-legged, relaxed, a faint smile curling his lips.

Perhaps he was recalling some pleasant memory.

But Xianyu felt only a deep ache, clutching her palm tightly over her chest, struggling to breathe.

Please don’t tell her he was alone in this room.

She had seen with her own eyes that Mrs. Liang and Du Ruanruan had also moved in here.

Suddenly, a soft feminine voice came from inside. “Ayou, I forgot my towel, can you bring it to me?”

The man called out “little fool” as he hastily turned off the television, swung his long legs off the sofa, and walked toward the bathroom.

Noticing a presence at the door, Liang Youjia’s sharp eyes narrowed and scanned the entrance.

No one was there.

No shadow.

He dismissed the suspicion.

Xianyu hid behind the door, head bowed, eyes fixed on her toes.

She didn’t even realize how she returned to her room.

She remained silent.

The next morning, she awoke to find Liang Youjia beside her pillow again.

He pulled her into his embrace, the scent of a powerful masculinity lingering near her nose.

Below her waist, he was firm and hard, pressing uncomfortably against her.

A faint trace of perfume lingered as well.

He seemed oblivious to it.

But Xianyu knew Liang Youjia was fastidious about cleanliness. Apart from the woman he favored, no other woman could come close.

“Today I’m taking you out to sea. There’ll be friends with us.”

Xianyu said nothing about what she had witnessed the night before, instead slipping quietly from his arms. “Then I better dress up properly. Can’t embarrass you.”

With his arms empty, the man was displeased, pulling her back and slipping his hand inside her nightgown, caressing her with deliberate, lingering strokes.

Xianyu’s cheeks flushed a rosy hue; her almond eyes coquettishly glI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.