Chapter 18

The tall, slender silhouette blocked the bright moonlight from outside the window, casting a projection on the floor that enveloped the person in front.

A large shadow and a small one overlapped and intertwined.

"Let me look a little more."

The four-character universal golden sentence: "Since you're already here."

Su Ruoyun didn't want to have made the trip for nothing; as she said this, she turned around and switched on her phone's flashlight.

While she was looking for the cat, Huo Jingcheng walked to the kitchen, took a gray glass from the cupboard, and then retrieved a bottle of purified water from the refrigerator nearby.

After filling the glass with water, he walked out of the kitchen holding it, catching a glimpse of the girl's figure as she stopped searching for the cat.

It was nearly midnight, and only one bright lamp was on in the villa's living room; given the vast layout of the first floor, Su Ruoyun couldn't conduct a proper search. Realizing this, she waved the flashlight around aimlessly and gave up.

She walked silently behind Huo Jingcheng and followed him back into the living room.

The glass was placed in front of Su Ruoyun.

As she held the glass with both hands and took a sip of the purified water, she caught a glimpse of the man lighting a cigarette.

He held the filter of the cigarette between his slender fingers, then brought it to his lips.

His large, well-defined hand held a lighter; the black metal lighter had a gleaming sheen. He flipped the lid open with one hand, and with a "clink," his thumb brushed the flint wheel, and a blue-purple flame instantly appeared.

The white cigarette paper made a rustling sound as it burned, and the blue-purple flame crept up the paper bit by bit, revealing a glowing red tip. The scent of nicotine permeated the living room.

Huo Jingcheng slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, the blue-white mist swirling into a halo.

Then, the lighter was tossed onto the glass coffee table, making a crisp sound.

Su Ruoyun swallowed the water slowly, thinking that since the cat hadn't been found, she couldn't stay in a strange man's house in the middle of the night.

So, she leaned over to put the glass back on the coffee table, and just as she was about to bid him farewell, she suddenly heard a "Meow~"

Su Ruoyun had sharp hearing; the faint meow reached her ears. She followed the source of the sound and looked up, spotting a fluffy little fat cat right where Huo Jingcheng had just been leaning. Its four short legs were standing on the railing, walking like a tightrope walker, and it lowered its head and meowed again, "Meow~"

Worry overcame her joy; fearing the cat might fall, Su Ruoyun stood up in a hurry.

As she stood up, the hem of her dress accidentally got caught in a gap in the coffee table. Su Ruoyun didn't notice at all that her forward movement had been obstructed, and the silk fabric pulled taut, tugging her backward.

Her figure staggered, and she was about to fall forward involuntarily. Her right hand braced against the sofa armrest, but the soft goose down offered no support and sank inward, and a sudden weight landed on her shoulder.

"Careful."

The voice, stained by cigarette smoke, sounded even deeper and more magnetic.

Su Ruoyun let out a long breath. When she turned her head, she saw a left hand holding a cigarette resting on her shoulder; the owner of the large hand had already helped steady her.

A woman's bones are relatively small, and Huo Jingcheng's palm easily wrapped around her entire shoulder. His warm palm touched her bare skin directly, and heat was continuously transferred to Su Ruoyun.

She opened her mouth to thank him: "Thank you, Mr. Huo."

"You're welcome."

When Su Ruoyun looked up at the second floor again, 'Panda' was walking down, step by step, with its four legs.

She stopped worrying. Glancing down at the hem of her dress, she discovered that her skirt had wrapped around the leg of the glass coffee table, binding her two straight, slender calves, and a faint red mark had appeared on her fair, jade-like skin.

Because of the angle of the entanglement, Su Ruoyun couldn't turn around and had to untangle it from this direction. She knelt half-crouched, raised her hand, and felt along the hem of her skirt to find a "way out."

As she felt around, she touched something unusual—soft yet somewhat firm.

Su Ruoyun frowned subconsciously, afraid that the glass coffee table had turned into a monster. She touched it a couple more times, and the sudden male voice that rang out by her ear gave her a huge fright.

"Boss Lady Yun."

The man's voice was steady and calm, "You are touching my hand."

Hearing this, Su Ruoyun immediately turned her head to look, but since she couldn't turn her body, she could only see Huo Jingcheng standing behind her, a blur passing through her eyes. She said "Oh," and added, "Sorry, I didn't see."

No wonder, she thought, the texture felt so strange.

Since someone was helping her, Su Ruoyun simply withdrew her right hand.

Huo Jingcheng lowered his eyes to help her untangle the chaotic silk. The irregular ruffled hem of the skirt was complex, and it would take some effort to untangle it in a short time.

Su Ruoyun tilted her head slightly, bored, and boldly looked at the man behind her. Her eyebrows arched slightly, and she looked him over wantonly. Huo Jingcheng was focused on the hem of her dress and didn't notice her looking back.

Because the distance was so close, she could clearly see Huo Jingcheng's sharp-angled face. His features were three-dimensional, his brow bone was high, and beneath his long lashes were deep eyes that exuded an untouchable nobility. His thin lips were slightly pursed...

After staring at him for three or five seconds, Su Ruoyun suddenly withdrew her gaze, realizing she couldn't hold the position much longer; her thighs were already beginning to tremble slightly.

To make matters worse, there was a little cat making trouble at her feet, rubbing its head against her ankle every now and then, which was inexplicably itchy.

"Is it almost untangled?"

The man replied with two crisp and decisive words: "Almost."

Su Ruoyun looked back once more. Her gaze lingered on the man's dry, slender fingers. The cigarette butt had already been pressed into the ashtray by him. Now both his hands were resting near the leg of the coffee table. His palms were very broad, his fingers slender and well-defined, and the lean back of his hands hid distinct veins that contained vigorous strength.

Huo Jingcheng hadn't lied to her; it was indeed almost done. Just before she was about to fall into the leather sofa, the silk was pulled away from the leg of the coffee table.

Even though she didn't fall into the sofa in a disheveled and embarrassing way, Su Ruoyun still inevitably knelt down, her knees hitting the edge of the sofa.

After the soreness subsided, she used her hands to push herself up, picked up the glass on the coffee table, and drank the purified water in one gulp, which finally relieved her dry throat.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Huo. Since the cat has been found, I won't disturb you any further."

'Panda' meowed in cooperation, "Meow~"

Su Ruoyun leaned over and scooped the little cat into her arms. 'Panda' found a comfortable position in her arms and looked up at Huo Jingcheng.

As she walked out of the villa, she said: "Please stay, no need to see me out."

Just after taking a few steps, she suddenly remembered something. Su Ruoyun turned back, "By the way, your suit has been cleaned. I wonder when you might be free?"

The man pondered for no more than three seconds: "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." She repeated it silently, then asked about the location, not quite sure: "The Tea House?"

"Otherwise, does Boss Lady Yun want to come to my house again?"

Did she have that intention?

?? Trouble you darlings to keep reading, mua~