Chapter 150: You Look So Cute When You Sleep

When Xu An'an regained consciousness, she found herself bound hand and foot on a bed in a utility room. The air was thick with the smell of mold, and the only window was boarded up, allowing only thin shafts of moonlight to filter in, illuminating dancing dust motes.

Unable to move, she closed her eyes and tried to reconstruct the events. A faint, stinging sensation lingered at the back of her neck.

Xu An'an’s eyes snapped open. Shen Ying had been standing behind her, ready to ambush her!

Having realized the situation, Xu An'an felt utterly speechless. Did they really think locking her up like this would make everything go their way? This was illegal, for heaven’s sake!

Judging that enough time had passed, Shen Ying came to unlock the door. Standing at the threshold, she stared coldly at Xu An'an. "Getting a bit cocky, aren't you? But don't forget, you still carry the Xu name!"

"Untie me," Xu An'an commanded calmly.

Having gone to such lengths to trap her, Shen Ying certainly wasn't going to let her go easily, unless Xu An'an proved compliant. But clearly, Xu An'an would not be so easily swayed.

Something occurred to Shen Ying. She turned, fetched a syringe, and smiled sinisterly. "This is my latest research, though it’s still in the experimental stage. Tell me, what kind of effect do you think this would have if I injected it into you?"

Xu An'an stared fixedly at the syringe in Shen Ying’s hand, thinking that the woman must be truly insane to do something like this. She knew she couldn't provoke her further.

"What are you doing!"

Worried, Xu Fengnian had rushed over and arrived just in time to witness the scene. He snatched the syringe away, checked that Xu An'an was unharmed, and then forcibly pulled Shen Ying away. They didn't lock the door behind them, just pulled it shut.

Xu An'an struggled, but realized the ropes were tied quite tightly, which left her feeling desperate. Still, she didn't give up. Judging by Xu Fengnian’s actions just now, he likely wouldn't permit Shen Ying to harm her.

After a while, Xu Fengnian returned. He untied her without a word, which surprised her greatly. Was there some kind of trap waiting for her?

Xu An'an sat up nonchalantly and rubbed her bound wrists. "Dad, why did Aunt Shen knock me out and tie me up here?"

Seeing that Xu An'an wasn't angry, Xu Fengnian breathed a sigh of relief. "She..." He paused. "Never mind. For my sake, please don't hold it against her. I promise it will never happen again."

Xu An'an could see that Xu Fengnian had some hidden agenda, but she didn't press him; instead, she feigned concern for his well-being. She pulled a jade pendant from her bag. "Dad, this is a birthday gift the Second Master asked me to give you."

Xu Fengnian was flattered and received the pendant with both hands. "I really shouldn't!"

"There were too many people earlier, so I couldn't take it out."

"It's fine, I understand. You must remember to thank the Second Master for me next time!" Xu Fengnian examined the pendant repeatedly. "Splendid, the color is truly beautiful. The Second Master is always so generous; I suppose I’m basking in your reflected glory!"

In truth, the pendant was a cheap trinket worth a few dozen yuan that she had bought on the street on her way over, intending to give it to him if the opportunity arose. Since Xu Fengnian wanted to play this game, she would play along. Otherwise, it would be difficult to walk out of the Xu residence unscathed. After all, if Xu Fengnian didn't play the "good cop," their decision to lock her up would require an explanation—or they would face prison.

In reality, things were exactly as Xu An'an had guessed. Shen Ying regretted her impulsive actions and had intended to threaten Xu An'an with her half-finished experiment. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian had arrived just in time to prevent a grave mistake.

The father and daughter each had their own thoughts, yet they performed their roles with silent accord; an outsider might have thought they shared a deep, loving bond.

After reminding Xu Fengnian to take care of his health, Xu An'an prepared to leave. Xu Fengnian followed her. "I'll have the driver take you; it's so late already."

"Thank you, Dad," Xu An'an replied with a smile.

While heading downstairs, Xu An'an noticed someone hiding in the corner—it was either Shen Ying or Xu Wanwan, though it was likely the former. Xu Wanwan was jealous, but rather dim-witted; by now, she should have been fast asleep in her room.

Xu An'an boarded the car successfully, remaining vigilant until she walked safely into her apartment complex, at which point she finally let her guard down. The entire evening felt surreal. Every turn of events had been beyond her expectations. Come to think of it, this was all Xu Wanwan's fault; if she hadn't been plotting against her, Jiang Li likely wouldn't have escalated things to this point. She wondered how things were going at the Jiang residence.

Seeing the detached villa before her, Xu An'an quickened her pace. Unfortunately, Jiang Li was not at home. A group of cats surrounded her, and the leader, a chubby cat, threw itself into her arms, wagging its tail contentedly. The other cats mewed in greeting. Xu An'an sat on the sofa, making sure to pet each cat equally so as not to show favoritism.

After petting the cats, Xu An'an went upstairs to shower and sleep. Exhausted from the long, tumultuous night, she drifted into a deep sleep almost immediately, unaware even when Jiang Li returned.

Watching Xu An'an kicking off her blanket in her sleep, Jiang Li shook his head with a faint smile and walked over to tuck her in. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her sleeping face in silence, and a pleasant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Just thinking about it wasn't enough. Jiang Li took out his phone and logged into a private anonymous account. He was becoming increasingly fond of the internet. He would read and re-read his few dozen posts over and over again.

*Click.*

The sound of a camera shutter echoed. Jiang Li had taken a photo of Xu An'an sleeping and posted it online with the caption: [She looks so cute when she sleeps. I hope I'm in her dreams.]

He hoped that one day, Xu An'an would accidentally discover the little surprises he left for her.

*Buzz.*

Seeing the message from Assistant Wang, Jiang Li’s expression shifted slightly. He had intended for Master Yuanji to visit the Jiang family tomorrow to speak with the Grandmother, which would help legitimize his relationship with Xu An'an. But now, Master Yuanji had disappeared without a trace.

How could a grown man simply vanish into thin air? Unless, of course, someone was looking for trouble.

"Hmm?"

Xu An'an rolled over and bumped into a wall of flesh. She opened her eyes, dazed, but because the distance was too close, she couldn't make out what it was. She reached out to touch it, feeling more and more that something wasn't right.

"What is this?" she mumbled sleepily. "So hard?"

"What do you think it is?"

The man’s low, husky voice rang out right beside her ear, startling Xu An'an into wide-eyed alertness. She realized belatedly what she was holding, but she was still too groggy to fully process it. Blushing, she let go and hid under the covers, leaving only her sparkling eyes exposed.

"I—I didn't mean to."