After the meal, Yin Yue and Gu Juan didn't let Guan Juer see them off.

How could they dare?

They took a taxi home by themselves.

Guan Juer drove back to 1288 in high spirits, feeling elated.

As soon as she entered, seeing a few wall lamps lit, she called out, "Yingying~ Are you home?"

"Mmm~"

"Mmm~"

After changing her shoes, Guan Juer walked into the living room and suddenly heard a faint, indistinct moaning sound.

Her brows furrowed, suspecting she had misheard.

Holding her breath and focusing, she pricked up her ears toward the direction of the sound.

A look of confusion immediately appeared on her face as she muttered, "It really seems to be coming from Yingying's room."

She started walking toward Qiu Yingying's room.

The closer she got, the wider Guan Juer's eyes grew.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her face instantly turned beet red.

No way, no way.

Did Yingying bring a man back?

Mmm...

Brother Cheng?

Guan Juer immediately shook her head again.

It couldn't be Brother Cheng!

It couldn't be Brother Cheng!

Guan Juer walked to Qiu Yingying's door with uneasy steps.

She looked closely; no wonder there were muffled sounds coming out.

It turned out the door wasn't closed tightly, leaving a crack.

Guan Juer crouched by the door and peered inside cautiously through the crack.

Once she saw the situation inside clearly...

She was instantly stunned and quickly dodged behind the wall.

She had just seen Qiu Yingying half-lying on the bed with a tablet in front of her legs playing a movie.

Seeing her one hand grabbing the vital spot, and the other hand...

She knew exactly what kind of movie it was.

At that moment, Guan Juer also heard Chen Cheng's name coming from the room.

"Brother Cheng~"

"Brother Cheng~"

Gulp. Guan Juer nervously swallowed her saliva.

Fearing she might lose her composure, she quickly took small steps and hurried to the balcony outside the gym further away.

The cold wind blowing on her made Guan Juer sober up quite a bit.

Coming back to her senses, she muttered anxiously:

"What should I do?"

"What should I do?"

"I've really messed things up for Yingying."

"Isn't this what Brother Cheng said—scratching an itch through the boot, responsible for the kill but not the burial?"

"It's all my fault, all my fault," Guan Juer cried out of anxiety.

At this moment, Guan Juer felt deep self-reproach.

She felt it was all her fault for what happened last night.

If she hadn't been wallowing in self-pity, Qiu Yingying wouldn't have slept with her.

If she hadn't stayed with her, last night wouldn't have happened.

If last night hadn't happened, Qiu Yingying wouldn't have been aroused...

...and be DIY-ing here...

Right now, Guan Juer wished Qiu Yingying was a light sleeper instead of sleeping like a log that couldn't be woken up.

Yeah, before Qiu Yingying moved here, that's how it was when they lived in Ode to Joy.

She never got enough sleep, was sleep-deprived, and slept very deeply.

Several times, she had to wake up Qiu Yingying, who had unconsciously turned off her alarm.

That's why Guan Juer never suspected that Qiu Yingying might have been awake last night.

In Guan Juer's currently muddled brain, an idea suddenly popped up.

"Could it be as Yingying said this morning, to let her experience it while she's conscious..."

"But... but..."

Guan Juer was crying from anxiety.

How could Guan Juer know that Qiu Yingying was just too excited after ordering the car?

Having just had a taste at breakfast and wanting more, she found it truly boring being alone in the large, empty house, so she somehow ended up "doing handiwork"...

"But would Brother Cheng agree?"

Guan Juer's face was red; she couldn't even care about her own feelings anymore.

"Besides, if I ask Brother Cheng to do such a thing, what does that make me?"

Guan Juer held her head, feeling like it was about to explode.

"Phew~"

"Phew~"

"Phew~"

She panted heavily, and after a long while, feeling a bit chilled by the early winter wind, she gradually calmed down.

She began to seriously analyze Qiu Yingying's behavior just now.

"Yingying was calling Brother Cheng's name while doing that..."

"Has she already fallen for Brother Cheng?"

As soon as this thought arose, Guan Juer's eyes widened, and she looked back toward the direction of Qiu Yingying's room.

Gulp. Guan Juer swallowed. "No way, right?"

The more she tried to deny it, the more possible it seemed.

Yingying had just gone through a breakup and lost her job.

Brother Cheng not only agreed to let her live here with me but also only charged her a symbolic rent equal to her previous one.

In reality, that small amount wasn't even enough to cover her share of the property management fees.

Brother Cheng is tall, handsome, has a great body, is wealthy, and so capable—he was on the cover of Time Magazine before he was even thirty.

If I were Yingying, I would fall for Brother Cheng too.

Not to mention, last night also...

But how could Yingying do this?

Brother Cheng is my boyfriend.

Having figured everything out, Guan Juer let out a dejected sigh.

"It's over~"

After two seconds, she regretfully slapped her head. "What am I doing? This is exactly what Mom said—to watch out for the 'social butterflies' around Brother Cheng."

And, 'Men, once they have one, they want two; once they have two, they want three.'

At his age, he has built such a vast empire.

His ambition and desires are beyond what ordinary people can compare to.

You, being with him, will have your share of hardships.

Recalling every word from Mother Guan during their late-night talk, Guan Juer felt a bit frantic.

"Ahhh~"

"So annoying."

"Wait, social butterflies..."

Guan Juer muttered and immediately thought of Qiao Jingjing.

She suddenly realized a terrifying fact.

If Brother Cheng's ambition is beyond compare, then what could satisfy that ambition and sense of achievement more than dating a high-profile female star?

"So, Brother Cheng and Qiao Jingjing..."

The cold early winter wind on the rooftop balcony made Guan Juer shiver.

As the cold wind chilled her to the bone, Guan Juer gradually became sober and calm.

She thought back to Chen Cheng's elusive behavior lately.

Everything pointed toward one thing: Chen Cheng had more than just her as his woman.

A trail of tears fell; Guan Juer sobbed while muttering:

"Am I really going to have to do what Mom said?"

"Either be ruthless, endure it, or get out?"

...

Guan Juer hugged her legs and curled up on the lounge chair on the balcony. She didn't make a sound for a long time, only silently shedding tears.

After an unknown amount of time, Guan Juer reached up and wiped the tear stains from her face.

She took out her phone and called Chen Cheng.

Chen Cheng was currently holding Eleven, keeping her warm.

Eleven was very well-behaved, her hands tightly clutching his neck and her long, beautiful legs wrapped around his sturdy waist.

The two of them spoke for a few moments before hanging up.

Chen Cheng was still a bit confused.

He put down his phone and continued to finish his unfinished work.

He was a veteran worker; how could he drop his unfinished work and leave immediately?

That would be too irresponsible.

working...

Guan Juer put down her phone, opened the balcony door, and went back inside. She went to the guest bathroom to wash her hands and wipe the tear stains from her face.

Taking a breath, she forced a smile in the mirror and turned to walk out of the bathroom.

She knocked on the door and walked into Qiu Yingying's room.