Chapter 414: Chapter 197: Damn, This Is Truly a Sad Story!
After watching from the window for a moment, Xu Yun decided to turn and head back to bed.
Peeping wasn’t a good habit, after all. He hadn’t meant to spy, but continuing to watch would make it deliberate.
He was a god-tier tycoon, after all.
It was a bit sleazy and beneath a man of his status.
If he was genuinely interested and wanted to sleep with them, he could just go downstairs and flash his cash.
He’d admire a woman who could resist the temptation, but he wouldn’t look down on one who couldn’t. It was a win-win situation for everyone involved.
But just as he turned to leave, Cheng Yiran looked up from the pool and spotted him. Their eyes met.
The other girl saw Xu Yun a moment later and scurried deeper into the water in a panic, leaving just her head poking out. It was actually kind of cute.
Xu Yun was a little embarrassed to be caught red-handed.
But it didn’t matter.
He simply opened the window and called out a greeting. "Ladies! Can’t sleep? You’re in high spirits, going for a swim in the middle of the night."
"You seem to be in high spirits too, handsome."
Cheng Yiran tilted her head back, unafraid, and replied with a knowing tone, "Staying up in the middle of the night to stand at your window and watch us bathe."
’He must have overheard us in the kitchen this afternoon when we said we were going to skinny-dip tonight,’ she thought. ’That’s why he was lying in wait.’
’Good thing we didn’t actually do it, or he would have seen everything.’
"You’ve got that wrong."
Xu Yun chuckled nonchalantly. "I’m not interested in watching you bathe. If I wanted a show, I’d go on Haitang and look at bikini-clad models. I just couldn’t sleep, so I was stargazing. You’re the ones who stumbled into my view."
"Oh, then we’re so sorry for interrupting your stargazing."
Cheng Yiran was furious that he was insulting her figure.
’Her body was her greatest asset, the envy of countless classmates at school. And he had the nerve to look down on it.’
’He’s faking it. He must be!’
She suddenly smiled and extended an invitation. "Well, since you’ve already seen us, why don’t you come down for a swim, handsome? We can swim together and float on our backs while we watch the stars."
"I’ll pass. I’m not much of a swimmer."
Xu Yun declined. "You two go ahead. It’s cold out, though. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Thanks for the concern, handsome. We’ll be careful."
Cheng Yiran waved. "Good night!"
She was a little surprised to see Xu Yun actually leave the window.
’He’d just flat-out rejected her rather suggestive invitation. Was he really not interested at all?’
She glanced down at her own sexy figure and suddenly felt a pang of self-doubt.
Her friend beside her spoke up. "Why did you invite him? What if he’d actually..."
"We live in a civilized society. What’s there to be afraid of?"
Cheng Yiran gave a sheepish smile. "Even if we were standing stark naked in front of him, do you think he’d dare force himself on us if we said no?"
Her friend was left speechless.
"Besides," Cheng Yiran continued, "he’s tall, rich, and handsome. If I’m a little more proactive, it might blossom into a beautiful romance."
"When I was planning this trip, I checked my horoscope," Cheng Yiran said. "It said I was fated for some romantic encounters and that I might even meet my benefactor."
"Yiran, you don’t actually think *he’s* your fated romance and benefactor, do you?"
"Why not? I think he is."
Cheng Yiran sat on the edge of the pool, her bare feet dangling in the water and swaying gently. "How else do you explain the coincidence?" she said. "Just when we had nowhere to stay, we ran into him, and he took us in."
Her friend was silent.
"I think it’s fate."
Her friend was still silent.
.....
The next morning, Xu Yun woke up and went downstairs.
Lin Wanzhou was already there, eating a bowl of noodles.
Cheng Yiran smiled at him. "You’re awake, handsome. What kind of noodles would you like? I can make you some."
"Oh, are you taking requests?"
Xu Yun grinned. "Tomato and egg noodles, then. Thanks."
"Okay, coming right up. It’ll just be a moment."
Xu Yun sat down opposite Lin Wanzhou. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I went to bed early."
Lin Wanzhou glanced toward the kitchen, then leaned in and asked with a grin, "Why didn’t you go down and join them for a swim last night?"
"So you were spying on them, too?"
"What are you talking about, ’spying’? I was being vigilant."
Lin Wanzhou said, exasperated, "You guys were making so much noise you woke me up. I got up to see what was happening, saw one of you up there and one down below chatting, and went back to bed."
"No need to explain. You looked, so you looked. You should learn from me and just own up to it."
Lin Wanzhou was speechless.
"Anyway, how are the noodles?"
"Not bad."
"See? Taking them in wasn’t a bad idea. At least our meals are taken care of now."
A few minutes later, Cheng Yiran brought over the noodles.
It was just a simple bowl of tomato and egg noodles, but she had really managed to make it a work of art. It was quite pleasing to the eye.
Xu Yun took a bite. It tasted great, too.
He couldn’t help but compliment her. "You’re so skilled. You could open your own noodle shop after you graduate. I’m sure it would be a huge success."
"You really think so?"
Cheng Yiran joked, "If I can’t find a job after I graduate, I’ll do just that. You’ll have to promise to be my regular customer."
"What’s your major?"
"Acting."
Cheng Yiran said proudly, "I have an audition for a show soon. If I get the part, you might just see me on TV."
"The female lead?"
"Of course not. How could a newcomer like me play the female lead? I’m playing her handmaiden."
Cheng Yiran explained, "It’s a supporting role, basically a bit part, but it has a decent amount of screen time and plenty of lines. If I do a good job, maybe a director will take notice and give me a bigger opportunity."
"Well, good luck then."
"You two chat. I’m going to head upstairs and change."
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