So be it. She couldn't break free now, and fighting Sheng Chenjin after waking up in the middle of the night was out of the question.
It was better to conserve her energy and deal with it tomorrow.
...
Yan Hao, having concluded the banquet, bid farewell to Feng Yu and prepared to head home. However, he had, of course, consumed some alcohol during the evening's festivities.
Hua Shu also interjected, suggesting he stay at the hotel for the night and travel back once he was rested.
Feng Yu, on the other hand, was notified by Zhu Guo for a secret rendezvous.
Aside from Hua Shu, no one truly knew the extent of their relationship.
Perhaps even Hua Shu was unaware that Sheng Chenjin would fall into such a dream.
At eight in the morning, the faint morning light, with a playful glint, found its way through the glass window, artfully dodging the curtains to land on the bedsheet.
The entire room was bathed in a soft, warm glow.
Sheng Chenjin slowly opened his eyes, a sense of disorientation clouding his surroundings.
He tilted his head slightly and saw Shi Xin Xin, nestled contentedly in his arms, fast asleep.
A glance at their clothes confirmed they were still fully dressed.
The furnishings in the room were familiar, leading him to conclude with near certainty that he was in Shi Xin Xin's home.
On the bedside table, a medicine box lay open.
He furrowed his brow. Had he not only been drunk but also injured himself yesterday?
He felt no pain on his body, yet he knew he had slept exceptionally soundly.
Even the moment he awoke, he felt an inexplicable sense of lightness and joy.
He gazed at Shi Xin Xin's sleeping face, her fair and smooth skin, her long, curved eyelashes like those of a doll.
Still as beautiful as ever, Sheng Chenjin's mood brightened considerably as he looked at her. He tightened his embrace.
He drew her closer, cherishing this moment.
Who knew when she would next be so close to him once she awoke.
He could stare at Shi Xin Xin's face forever, it seemed.
At some point, Sheng Chenjin found himself unhappy when he couldn't see Shi Xin Xin, and uncontrollably angry when she got too close to other men.
Alas, he had fallen in love.
Into a river so deep, so vast, that the other side was beyond his sight.
He couldn't believe Shi Xin Xin would have initiated such an embrace, and he even doubted his own formidable self-control.
Had he resorted to some forceful means to make Shi Xin Xin acquiesce last night?
Perhaps it was his gaze, too direct, too intense.
Shi Xin Xin's eyelashes fluttered, and she stirred as if waking.
Sheng Chenjin, realizing his predicament, immediately closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
Shi Xin Xin awoke, sensing something amiss in the atmosphere. There were no sounds of movement outside the room.
Yang Xi had already recovered and gone home before she attended the banquet, and the three little ones were staying with her.
She glanced at the clock on the wall.
Eight-thirty.
Yan Hao should be leaving by now, but there was no sound.
She wasn't sure if Feng Yu had returned yet.
Oh, right. Shi Xin Xin suddenly remembered her key was in the car, and she had used her fingerprint to get in earlier.
However, Yan Hao and Feng Yu's fingerprints hadn't been registered yet, and Yan Hao's key was with her.
Shi Xin Xin covered her eyes with her hand.
Could they have really stayed at the hotel? Was that Hua Shu's plan?
She turned her gaze to Sheng Chenjin, who was still fast asleep.
Feeling the grip on her loosen, she slowly extricated herself from his embrace.
She shifted a little further away, gently adjusting Sheng Chenjin's arm.
She reached out and touched Sheng Chenjin's forehead. Fortunately, he wasn't feverish.
"That's not right. I slept later than him, and he's still not awake."
"Could he really have drunk himself silly?"
"What if he's temporarily lost his memory today, just as I guessed yesterday?"
"If I wake him up now, will he kick me out?"
Shi Xin Xin pondered, unsure of how to handle Sheng Chenjin today.
Sheng Chenjin, pretending to be asleep, felt a moment of confusion.
Lost his memory? Had he been that bad last night?
He then heard Shi Xin Xin's calm, quiet analysis.
"Zhu Guo is planning to make a move against me. Poor Sheng Chenjin, taking the fall for me."
"I hope he remembers what he gained last night and doesn't want to kill himself."
Shi Xin Xin pushed herself up with her arms.
She looked at Sheng Chenjin with a sly expression.
Sheng Chenjin fell into thought, trying desperately to recall his blackout last night. He had woken up knowing nothing.
He was so disoriented he couldn't recall anything.
As he calmed himself and tried to remember, fragmented memories flooded his mind like pieces of a puzzle.
They automatically assembled into a series of terrifying, coherent images.
He had to stop thinking, Sheng Chenjin told himself.
He immediately opened his eyes, believing that seeing Shi Xin Xin would halt the memories.
He blinked open his eyes, dazed.
With a bewildered look, he glanced around him, then at Shi Xin Xin's face.
He slowly sat up, surprised that his thoughts had spiraled further.
Now, memories surged like a tide.
He felt his memories returning, along with fragments of his dream.
His intuition told him that if he were truly conscious, Shi Xin Xin would undoubtedly dredge up all his embarrassing moments from last night and mock him relentlessly.
But if he had truly lost his memory... she might indulge certain behaviors he wouldn't normally do.
His gaze remained fixed on one spot. Shi Xin Xin assumed he hadn't fully woken up and was spacing out.
The corners of her lips curved. Could he have actually lost his memory?
She waved her hand in front of Sheng Chenjin's eyes.
"Sheng Chenjin, do you know who I am?"
Sheng Chenjin looked up at her blankly, then frowned, leaning closer and staring intently at Shi Xin Xin's eyes.
Shi Xin Xin felt a surge of nervousness from this sudden scrutiny. Why was he looking at her with such puppy-dog eyes first thing in the morning?
Didn't he know that made him look pitiful?
She was determined not to be defeated by such a Sheng Chenjin.
"Xin Xin, why did you do that to me last night?"
Sheng Chenjin moved even closer, ensuring he could touch Shi Xin Xin at any moment.
He complained with a wronged expression.
"What did I do to you? Didn't I take care of you? Didn't I hold you?"
Shi Xin Xin bristled at this. Initially, she had planned to ignore Sheng Chenjin, but seeing him so pathetic, she had reluctantly agreed to look after him.
Such male charm could be misleading.
But Sheng Chenjin falsely accusing her was unacceptable.
"You didn't acknowledge our relationship. I've called you Xin Xin; what should you call me?"
Sheng Chenjin leaned even closer, bringing his ear near Shi Xin Xin's, as if trying to catch her reply clearly.
He was determined to pester Shi Xin Xin, hmph.
Shi Xin Xin, observing his childish behavior, knew he wouldn't rest until he got an answer.
He hadn't fully woken up yet, that was good.
"We don't have any relationship, anyway. Fine, fine, you can call me Ah Jin, alright?"
Shi Xin Xin pursed her lips. No matter what, she wouldn't admit to any relationship while Sheng Chenjin was so out of sorts.