In the hotel.

It was still that same twin room from last time.

Last time, as soon as Shen Jing extended her stay, Scum received a notification SMS.

Anyway, Scum was never going to let Shen Jing go to Ode to Joy again.

This damn palace-intrigue expert who could actually turn from a mistress into a legal wife was practically a strategic weapon; Scum didn't dare bring her back to his home base ever again.

He was terrified that once she understood his true strength, she would dump Xie Zhiyuan and focus all her efforts on taking his side, which would give him a real headache.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong~

"Xiao Jing, open the door."

"Coming."

The door opened, and the cold and glamorous Shen Jing appeared before Chen Cheng's eyes.

Chen Cheng's eyes lit up; this woman really knew what she was doing.

Today's hairstyle was a slicked-back look, paired with bright red lips—she was dressed like an aloof, abstinent female CEO.

Her upper body was wrapped in a sequined sleeveless tight top that accentuated her curves; looking at those spheres, Chen Cheng even suspected she was using padding.

They were too full, almost unlike her.

Dressed like this for a tryst with a lover?

He had to admit, Classmate Jingjing really understood the appeal of contrast.

Shen Jing was very satisfied with the look on Chen Cheng's face. She lifted her small foot and gave him a playful kick.

"What are you looking at?"

Chen Cheng walked into the room and grabbed Shen Jing's small foot; it was fair and flawless, with grey-green nail polish.

Scum lowered his head and took a sniff.

Shen Jing's face flushed. "Why are you acting like a pervert?"

Chen Cheng pulled her into his arms. "And aren't you acting like a nympho? We're a perfect match!"

"Hate you, I am not." Shen Jing punched Chen Cheng's chest.

"Oh~ stop it, let's eat first. The food is getting cold."

Chen Cheng glanced at the meal Shen Jing had ordered on the table, then turned his head to press his nose against hers, grinning wickedly. "Can't I just eat you?"

Shen Jing raised her hand and pressed a finger against Chen Cheng's lips. "I'll let you eat it all!"

"Eat first. I specifically ordered chicken broth oysters for you."

Shen Jing linked her arm with Scum's and walked to the table.

Scum took a look—holy cow!

Chicken broth oysters, geoduck sashimi, braised soft-shell turtle... the alcohol was likely the raw spirit she mentioned, but what was up with the goji berries in it?

Chen Cheng: ... "Am I unable to satisfy you?"

Shen Jing giggled. "It's to nourish you."

Chen Cheng did a shrug. "Looks like I won't be getting off easy today."

"Hehe~" Shen Jing smiled sheepishly. "Hurry up and eat!"

Chen Cheng took the bowl of chicken broth oysters Shen Jing served him. She spoke up again, "By the way, what are your plans now that you're back?"

"Uh... why didn't you ask last time?"

"Oh," Shen Jing's already flushed face turned even redder. "Didn't you just pull up your pants and run off last time? How could I have had time to ask?"

Chen Cheng chuckled. Only mentioning the morning and not the night, huh?

"No plans, just three meals a day, idling my time away," Scum shrugged.

Although she would find out his identity sooner or later, he really didn't plan on telling her now. The later she found out, the more comfortable Scum would be.

This woman already had her eyes on him; if she also set her sights on his money, given her palace-intrigue skills, it would be a headache just thinking about it.

Mainly, Scum wasn't tired of playing yet.

Otherwise, he wouldn't care if she had designs on him.

Seeing that the man had no intention of working, Shen Jing didn't probe further.

She didn't mind; she could afford to keep a toy boy.

Besides, she knew Scum seemed to be quite wealthy anyway. "Alright then."

"By the way, didn't you say you wanted to buy a house last time?"

Chen Cheng drank the chicken soup and looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.

Shen Jing pursed her lips and spoke slowly, "How about you don't buy one? I have an old house by the Su River. Why don't you go live there?"

Scum's lips curled. "What? Want to keep me as your kept man?"

Shen Jing nodded subtly and added with a pout, "Ever since you came back, I haven't been able to sleep alone at night."

Chen Cheng was amused by Shen Jing's charmingly naive expression.

He had seen plenty of women acting spoiled, but this woman was over thirty, yet she acted like an eighteen-year-old girl—it was quite something.

Especially when contrasted with her outfit as an aloof CEO.

Chen Cheng thought about it and refused, "Forget the house. I'll come over to accompany you often, be good."

Her house—wouldn't that be Xie Zhiyuan's? If they were seen together right under Xie Zhiyuan's nose, it would be a miracle if they weren't caught.

"You've already extended your stay here for a year, haven't you? It's not cheap, don't let it go to waste," Scum continued to comfort her.

"On call whenever I need you?"

"Uh... if I'm free."

Shen Jing rolled her eyes at Chen Cheng. "I'm telling you, I'm a little unhappy now."

"Unhappy?"

Shen Jing pouted and nodded. "Yes, unhappy."

Chen Cheng gave a wicked grin and picked Shen Jing up. "I'll make you happy."

...

Two in the afternoon.

Shen Jing's eyes were misty and her hair was a mess as she looked at the man before her...

She brushed the tips of her hair against Chen Cheng's chest.

"Cheng, are you hungry?"

Chen Cheng looked at her with a deep gaze and said solemnly, "What, is Sister Jing hungry?"

"Hate you~ don't say things like that."

Chen Cheng smiled, rolled out of bed, picked up Shen Jing, and headed into the bathroom.

Scum came out ten minutes later. After changing, he sat on the sofa waiting for Shen Jing while researching what to eat later.

The meal Shen Jing ordered had long since gone cold. The two of them had barely eaten a few bites; Scum had only drunk a bowl of chicken broth abalone.

Having found something to eat, Scum looked toward the bathroom. If there weren't still sounds coming from it, he would have suspected Shen Jing had fainted.

After looking at the transaction status of his pending orders on his phone for a while, Shen Jing finally came out.

That was the good thing about professional stock trading: the workplace was flexible, and everything could be handled with a phone. You could even preset buy and sell prices and times in advance, so you didn't have to watch it constantly.

"I'm ready," Shen Jing said softly as she walked over to Scum.

Chen Cheng looked up at her, and his eyes lit up.

Shen Jing was wearing a black off-the-shoulder top paired with white pants, her hair parted in a sixty-forty split.

She was no longer in that aloof style; instead, she looked elegant and sophisticated.

Scum's lips curled up; she really had mastered the art of contrast.

"Where did you find a new set of clothes?" Scum asked, puzzled.

Shen Jing giggled and pulled Chen Cheng toward the cabinet at the entrance.

Once it was opened, Chen Cheng was stunned.

The closet was filled to the brim with clothes, pants, skirts, and shoes—everything was there.

On one hanger, there was even a bunch of colorful stockings.

"Quite thorough."

Scum reached out to test the texture of those colorful stockings.

He could only say it was average, perhaps because they weren't on a leg yet.

"Tsk~" Shen Jing rolled her eyes, unconcerned. "Who told my stinky little brother to like them?"

Scum's lips curled. "I really can't bear to leave you." He reached out to wrap his arm around her slender waist and kissed her on the lips.

After a short while, Shen Jing swatted away his large hand, her face red as she pleaded for mercy.

"Oh, stop it. Let's eat! Let's eat!"

If she let this little demon keep messing with her, she would definitely faint.

"Let's go then," Chen Cheng laughed, giving her roundness a slap.

Shen Jing straightened her clothes and naturally reached out to link her arm with Scum's.

She smiled sweetly, as bright as sunshine.