Chapter 32: What a Beast

Jiang Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily, and he looked away, turning to pour a glass of warm water.

The sound of the glass clinking against the tabletop was soft, but catching a glimpse of the trembling eyelashes of the person on the bed, his fingers tightened sharply around the cup. From the overly clear articulation when she provided her address to this perfectly executed unconscious posture, it was obvious that her intoxication was highly questionable.

"Get up and drink some water."

He placed the cup on the nightstand and reached out to help her, only to be hooked by the neck by a suddenly outstretched arm. Meng Ziyi rolled over, her soft body nearly pulling him down, her hair brushing against his ear and leaving a tingling sensation. "Jiang Ye… do you think I’m pretty?"

Her warm breath, laced with the scent of alcohol, sprayed against his neck, and her pale pink nails lightly traced his back. Jiang Ye braced himself against the headboard, distancing himself from her. The glow of the bedside lamp cast two patches of red on her face, yet those wet, almond-shaped eyes were clearly, terrifyingly sober.

"Stop pretending, Sister Meng." He spoke abruptly. "Can a fruit wine with less than five percent alcohol get you this drunk? Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?"

Meng Ziyi froze for a moment, then suddenly giggled. As she rolled onto her side, a fragrant breeze followed, her hair fanned out across the pillow like a blossoming flower. "So you found out, heh heh!"

"Then why did you still come?"

The air fell silent; only the hum of the air conditioner’s outdoor unit drifted in through the screen window. Jiang Ye picked up the thin blanket that had slipped off and covered her. As he turned to leave, his wrist was gently tugged.

Meng Ziyi turned, her beige knit dress outlining her undulating curves—her waist as slender as a willow, her hips rounded and full. In the warm, golden light, it traced a silhouette that made his heart race.

"Don't go." She murmured, her voice husky and seductive, like a silk thread binding Jiang Ye firmly in place.

Jiang Ye’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he forced himself to look away, saying in a low voice, "Sister Meng, if it weren't you today, I wouldn't have hesitated!"

"But after spending every day together for more than two months, I see how well you treat me, and I can't deceive you! We’re both in the entertainment industry; you know as well as I do that once you’re in this circle, relationships are full of variables, and promises are a luxury."

Meng Ziyi smiled softly, her laughter tinged with stubbornness and determination. "I know better than anyone how deep and unpredictable the waters of this industry are, and I understand how many temptations and obstacles lie ahead. But I don’t care what happens in the future; I only know that I like you, and I want to give my first time to someone I like."

"I’m not asking for any promises, either." Meng Ziyi’s voice dropped, her cheeks flushed. "I just don’t want to wait anymore… and I don’t want to miss out on you!"

Her lips brushed against his Adam’s apple, her breath, sweet with the scent of fruit wine, washing over his sensitive skin. Jiang Ye’s long-restrained reason collapsed completely; he gripped the back of her neck and kissed her fiercely.

Between their tangled lips and teeth, he tasted the saltiness of her tears and his own long-suppressed desire. When they finally pulled apart, he pressed his forehead against hers, his voice raspy. "I can't give you a title, but as long as I’m in this business..."

"I can give you a future!"

Before Meng Ziyi lost her senses, a strange thought suddenly popped into her head... Would this count as a casting couch situation?

A sleepless night...

...

The next morning.

Sunlight spilled through the sheer curtains into the room, and the messy sheets still held the lingering traces of intimacy. Jiang Ye stood by the bed, buttoning his shirt, looking refreshed as his gaze swept over the disarray: the lace lingerie on the sofa, the tangled clothes on the carpet, and the overturned red wine glass on the nightstand, where a dried stain left a dark red mark on the wood.

He looked back at the person on the bed.

Meng Ziyi was wrapped in the quilt, revealing only a flushed face, her long hair scattered messily on the pillow, the corners of her eyes still tinged with the remnants of last night's passion.

She frowned slightly, her voice gravelly. "What time is it?"

"Nine-thirty." Jiang Ye bent down to pick up his belt. "I have a class at ten; I have to head back to campus."

Meng Ziyi let out a soft hiss. She tried to prop herself up, but collapsed back onto the pillow, biting her lip as she glared at him. "You’re certainly energetic."

Jiang Ye chuckled, reaching out to brush the hair from her cheek. "Want to come along?"

"..." Meng Ziyi gave him a gloomy look, her voice muffled by the quilt. "Do you think I can go?"

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on the neck she exposed, where several clear red marks remained. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Then should I call in sick for you?"

Meng Ziyi grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Get lost."

Jiang Ye caught it easily, tossed it back onto the bed with a laugh, and picked up his jacket. "Get some rest, call me if you need anything."

The moment the door closed, Meng Ziyi finally allowed herself to go limp in the bedding, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the marks on her collarbone, exhaling a huge sigh of relief!

That beast is finally gone!

She felt sore all over, and even rolling over took effort. Last night was simply inhuman... She even wondered if Jiang Ye had secretly practiced some kind of black magic; his stamina was absurd. As it turns out, those movies she used to sneakily watch with her girlfriends were all lies—who ever heard of it being that short?

Those directors filming those movies have no common sense at all!

She hadn't been lying there long when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Meng Ziyi froze, instinctively pulling the quilt tighter around herself and staring at the door with vigilance.

"Who is it?"

"It’s me." Jiang Ye’s deep voice came from outside.

She hesitated, then dragged her aching body, threw on some random clothes, and limped over to open the door.

When the door opened, Jiang Ye was standing there, holding hot soy milk and xiaolongbao in one hand, and a box of medicine in the other. Meng Ziyi was stunned, her gaze landing on the item in his hand.

[Levonorgestrel Tablets]

Jiang Ye looked at her, his tone calm. "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to move around, so I bought breakfast." He paused, then added, "And this... just in case."

Meng Ziyi’s eyes grew warm, and her heart suddenly softened completely. She had thought that once he left, it was over, but she hadn't expected him to come back, thinking about whether she was uncomfortable or hungry...

Sure enough, when this guy asked her to be the lead actress, he must have liked her all along...

My own damn charm!

"Thank you." She took the breakfast and the medicine, her voice low, uncharacteristically lacking her usual sharp wit.

Jiang Ye watched her slightly reddened earlobes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Get some more sleep after you eat, call me if you need anything."

Meng Ziyi nodded. Watching him turn to leave, she suddenly asked, on a whim, "Do you... want to eat together?"

Jiang Ye turned back, raising an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure?"

Meng Ziyi’s face heated up, and she immediately corrected herself. "Forget it, you should just get lost!"

Jiang Ye let out a low chuckle, reached out to ruffle her hair, and turned to leave.

After the door closed, Meng Ziyi hugged the breakfast and the medicine, leaning against the door panel, unable to stop her lips from curling upward.

That beast... he’s actually quite gentle!

I love it!