That suspicion…

That scrutiny…

It made her feel as if all her clothes had vanished, leaving her utterly exposed with nowhere to hide.

Jiangg Yao’s hand, holding the bag of fried chicken, was trembling. A frantic storm of thoughts flashed through her mind: ‘I’m not about to be exposed, am I? Why does he keep looking at me? How could he possibly find out? Sis, say something, will you?!’

Chen Yuan stood at five-foot-eleven, and he wasn’t wearing completely flat shoes. Yaoyao, on the other hand, was just a hair over five-foot-seven, making for a four-inch difference.

It made her feel incredibly intimidated.

And they were standing very close.

So close she could even smell the faint scent of lemon on him.

“You…?” Chen Yuan’s gentle voice echoed in the elevator. Both sisters flinched as if the sword hanging over their heads was about to fall, the death sentence about to be declared…

Jiangg Ning was regretting this to death. She never should have come up with this plan in the first place.

If Chen Yuan found out, there would be no room for explanation. After all, the sisters’ behavior up to this point had been utterly absurd!

She didn’t resent Yaoyao.

But she hated herself.

“Aren’t you going to press a floor button?” Chen Yuan asked, puzzled.

“?” Jiangg Yao froze, her brain shutting down for a moment. Then it hit her. She lunged forward and pressed the button for the 8th floor.

Then, she shrank back into the corner.

After the series of mishaps in the lobby, she had just pressed the button to call the elevator and completely forgotten to select a floor once inside!

Thank goodness!

‘It’s a good thing I didn’t press a floor. Otherwise, Chen Yuan would have seen that we’re both staying on the ninth floor. When we got there, would I get off or not?’

‘Either way would have looked suspicious.’

The moment Yaoyao pressed the button, Jiangg Ning’s tense shoulders instantly relaxed.

She had lost all ability to think on her feet. Now, she didn’t dare say another word, wanting only to end this awkward encounter as quickly as possible. She was willing to do anything to atone for this mess later.

At this moment, she was truly ready to believe in the gods.

‘Oh gods, can you even hear my devout prayer?!’

The red floor indicator changed, number by number, climbing steadily. The elevator was moving fast, yet to Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao, it felt as if a century was passing, dragging on for an eternity.

A suffocating tension filled the air.

Mingled with the greasy smell of fried chicken.

Yaoyao’s heart rate had already skyrocketed to an unimaginable speed, and it was still climbing. She felt horribly flustered, the THUMP-THUMP of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears like a drum.

‘There’s no way… the Young Master can hear it too, right?’

The worry actually crossed her mind, and she tried to make her breathing as quiet as possible.

“I just got some oil on my shirt. Think a little toothpaste will get it out when we get back?”

“Huh? Let me see.” Jiangg Ning, snapping out of her daze, leaned closer.

Chen Yuan pulled up the fabric on his chest to show her. For a moment, they were pressed close together, just like a sweet, everyday couple.

“That’s a pretty big grease stain. I don’t think toothpaste will work. We should just have the hotel wash it.”

“The hotel has a service like that?”

“Of course. It’s free, too. Besides, details like this are what really test the quality of their service.”

“Learn something new every day. I was originally hoping you’d wash it for me,” Chen Yuan murmured to Jiangg Ning, his voice low and a smile welling up in his eyes.

“Who’d want to wash it for you…”

Jiangg Ning blushed faintly.

Yaoyao watched from the back, the corner of her eye twitching uncontrollably. If anyone could see the expression hidden under her mask, they’d probably jump in fright.

Her resentment was so palpable it felt like it could take physical form!

She was watching her own boyfriend be so happy and lovey-dovey with her sister…

This torture was like a rusty knife, scraping and scraping across her heart until it was a bloody, unrecognizable mess.

DING—

The elevator bell rang abruptly.

All three of them looked up in perfect sync as the “8” lit up.

Chen Yuan politely took a step to the side to make room.

Jiangg Ning turned and glanced at her sister, feigning composure. ‘This chaotic mess is finally over,’ she thought. She had been tormented by it too, she just hadn’t let it show on her face.

In the dead silent atmosphere, Yaoyao steeled herself. She knew Chen Yuan was watching her, but she absolutely could not look back; her cover could be blown in an instant. She tried her best to walk with a normal human gait.

But the more she tried to act normal, the more she moved her arms and legs on the same side, as stiff and mechanical as an android.

She stepped out of the elevator, and a wave of fresh air washed over her.

The light of freedom was shining right before her eyes. Jiangg Yao hurried to make her escape.

But the next moment, she felt a sudden pull that stopped her dead in her tracks. She couldn’t take another step forward.

When she turned to look, Yaoyao nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood!

Because she had been in such a hurry, as she brushed past Chen Yuan, her scarf had gotten caught in the zipper of his jacket. Now it was pulled into a perfectly straight, taut line!

No one could have expected this to happen.

The more she tried to escape, the more chaotic things became.

‘No wonder I felt like I was suffocating as I walked away! It wasn’t because his gaze was burning into my back, it was because my scarf was strangling me!’

Damn it!

Jiangg Yao wanted to cry but had no tears left.

“I’m so sorry, let me get that for you. It got snagged.” Chen Yuan nodded at her with an apologetic smile, reaching out to untangle the scarf.

Yaoyao didn’t dare to speak. She just stood there stiffly, her eyes darting around frantically.

Jiangg Ning slapped a hand to her forehead. ‘Of course, this would happen.’ She gave her sister a helpless look and walked over to help untangle the scarf.

“How did it get so stuck… It’s completely jammed inside the zipper teeth, and it’s wrapped up deep.”

“Let me see?” Jiangg Ning bent down to inspect it and immediately felt a headache coming on. “Can you pull it out? Try using a little force.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

Chen Yuan gripped the scarf and gave it a sharp tug.

A guy’s strength really was no joke. He had only used a fraction of his power, but Jiangg Yao was nearly strangled.

She clawed at the scarf around her neck with one hand and waved the other frantically, making muffled, gurgling sounds as she strained against the pull.

Chen Yuan noticed her distress and immediately stopped.

“I’m so sorry! Why don’t you… take the scarf off first? I have no idea why it’s so badly stuck.”

“…”

Jiangg Yao shook her head furiously, her face turning beet red from the lack of air.

“Forget it. You can tell she doesn’t want to show her face. She might be a celebrity or something,” Jiangg Ning said to Chen Yuan, her mind racing as she lowered her voice.

“Oh, okay then.”

Chen Yuan took another look at the strange girl in front of him. He could vaguely tell she had an exceptional aura. The only part of her face he could see, her eyes, were beautiful, and her figure was surprisingly on par with his own girlfriend’s.

She was the kind of beauty who would stand out in any crowd of women.

‘It’s really possible she’s a celebrity.’

It was just that he didn’t follow the entertainment industry. He had seen the names on the signs the fans were holding outside, but he hadn’t recognized any of them.

Just then, Jiangg Yao lifted her face, and their eyes met again.

In that instant, Chen Yuan suddenly realized—she looked a little like… Ningning!

It wasn’t a trick of the light; the resemblance was incredibly distinct. He had seen that look in her eyes so many times before, and it came with that same sense of familiarity.

No wonder!

‘No wonder I was so taken aback when I first saw this girl in black. So that’s what it was.’

Instantly, Chen Yuan’s brow furrowed. A strange feeling welled up inside him. He couldn’t understand why he was having such a startling realization.

And yet, Ningning was right beside him, fiddling with the zipper.

“Oh dear… this just won’t come undone,” Jiangg Ning said, turning to Yaoyao with an apologetic tone. “How about this, miss? If you tell me your room number, I can bring some scissors over in a bit to get it loose.”

As soon as she said this, Jiangg Yao nodded frantically.

Chen Yuan paused for a moment, then took off his jacket as well.

His mind was no longer on the stuck scarf. He forced a smile, his mind swirling with countless questions.

“Then you can take the jacket with you for now. I’ll go get the scissors. We’re just staying on the floor above,” Jiangg Ning said as she handed the jacket over.

With that, Yaoyao fled in a panic, her steps hurried and her nerves completely shot.

“Why do I feel like her eyes look so much like yours?”

Once the girl was gone, Chen Yuan couldn’t hold it in any longer. He looked at Jiangg Ning, confirming once again that it wasn’t his imagination, and finally voiced the question weighing on his mind.

In an instant, Jiangg Ning, who had thought she’d escaped disaster, felt her nerves fray all over again.

“Ah… well, my eye shape is pretty common. They’re just ordinary almond eyes…” she explained hurriedly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep