Chapter 5: Sympathy
Shu Mingyang let out a sigh of relief. "Then... should I help you up, or maybe carry you through the tunnel? My house isn't far."
Xiao Miao looked at the few snowflakes drifting in from the tunnel entrance. Her eyes flickered. "No, I… I can't stand up. Can I trouble you to drive your supercar over instead? Let's go back by the road."
Shu Mingyang didn't think too much and immediately agreed. "Sure. Wait here, I'll be right back."
He took off his coat and draped it over Xiao Miao, then jogged off quickly. Xiao Miao hugged his coat to her chest and took a deep breath. There was no cologne scent—only a faint smell of body wash. Strangely, that light fragrance calmed her frayed nerves a little.
It took Shu Mingyang only five minutes to bring his Koenigsegg to the tunnel entrance. He rushed back to her side and, without hesitation, scooped her up in his arms.
Xiao Miao suddenly grabbed his collar and whispered, "Can you cover my head with your coat? I'm cold."
"Sure." Shu Mingyang gently wrapped her up and carefully placed her in the passenger seat, then walked around to get in on the driver's side.
He leaned over to fasten her seatbelt, but Xiao Miao still kept her head under the coat. Shu Mingyang said, "I turned on the heater. You don't need to cover your head anymore."
A small shake came from under the coat. "I like your scent. Just want to smell it a bit longer."
Caught off guard by her blunt words, Shu Mingyang froze for a moment. Then he said awkwardly, "Uh… okay, suit yourself."
It was Christmas Eve, and the roads were mostly empty. The supercar sped smoothly along the highway, and they reached his home in less than fifteen minutes.
He carried Xiao Miao out of the car and into the villa, gently placing her on the couch.
"We're at your place now?" she asked.
"Yeah."
Xiao Miao immediately pulled off the coat and took a deep breath. Like a curious cat in a new home, she rested her arms on her knees and looked around, tilting her head in every direction.
"You seem better now. Are you sure you're okay? You're not running a fever, right? I can call my private doctor. Don't worry about the cost—" Shu Mingyang offered.
"I'm fine," Xiao Miao interrupted, shaking her head with a sincere smile. "Thank you for taking me in."
Her smoky eyes stared at him, making his handsome face flush red. He quickly looked away. "Just… don't think I'm some kind of creep."
"Well," she said casually, "if a guy can afford a villa this big and drive a Koenigsegg, even if he is a creep, no one would dare say so."
Shu Mingyang thought for a second—there was definitely something deep about that line. He stood up. "Are you hungry? I'll get you something."
"A sandwich, thanks."
Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the couch, eating sandwiches with milk.
Xiao Miao seemed way more energetic now. She kicked off her short boots and curled her long legs up on the couch like she was at home. While munching on her sandwich, she asked, "How come you're all alone in such a big house? Where's your staff?"
"I gave them a few days off for Christmas."
"Wow… what a generous boss," she smirked, resting her chin on her hand. "Do you just enjoy doing good deeds? Giving your staff time off, picking up stray girls from the streets? Come on, be honest—how many have you taken home before me?"
"You're the first! I don't have that kind of weird hobby!" Shu Mingyang blushed. "Really, you just looked so pitiful…"
"Hahaha, I'm messing with you." Xiao Miao laughed. Her voice was loud enough to trigger a few barks from a room at the end of the villa.
Shu Mingyang explained, "Those are some stray dogs I adopted."
"Oh my god, not just stray girls—you rescue dogs too? You really are a sucker for a sob story," Xiao Miao laughed even harder.
Completely embarrassed, Shu Mingyang quickly stood up. "Uh—I'll let them out so you can meet them."
"Sure."
He opened the dog room door, and three mixed-breed dogs came bounding out, excitedly wagging their tails and licking his face.
Carrying some dog food, Shu Mingyang led them to Xiao Miao. "They were locked up all day—they're thrilled to be out."
Xiao Miao eyed them curiously. "Three mutts, huh? Where'd you find them?"
"Back home. When I came here for work, I brought them with me. Be careful! Don't touch them—they're still wary of strangers!"
Xiao Miao raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then I really want to see whether I'm scarier or they are." She suddenly made a claw with her hand. The dogs barked nervously at her.
Sitting up straight on the couch, Xiao Miao let out a loud, convincing "meow!" The dogs instantly backed up, whining and retreating half a step.
"Hmm, that's better." She tossed them some kibble, which they caught midair. Then she patted the floor. "Now, sit!"
All three dogs obediently sat.
Shu Mingyang stared at her, dumbfounded. "How did you do that? I've been trying to train them for three years, and they never listened!"
Xiao Miao wagged her finger smugly. "It's all about aura, got it?"
Shu Mingyang looked at her, a proud feline smile on her face, and chuckled softly. "Maybe you're right."
They chatted for a while on the couch and then turned on the TV to watch a Christmas special. Shu Mingyang was enjoying it, but Xiao Miao looked bored.
"Don't like it?" he asked. "We can watch a movie instead."
"It's not that. Just seen it so many years in a row, it gets repetitive."
"So… you're an ABC?" Shu Mingyang asked cautiously. "It's okay if you don't want to say."
"Nope," Xiao Miao replied, playing with her nails. "I came here in high school."
"I see… So how old are you now?" Shu Mingyang suddenly felt a bit nervous. Please don't be underage, he thought. She really did look pretty young.
"Twenty-one. You?"
Relieved, Shu Mingyang smiled. "Not really a 'big boss' like you say. Just a second-gen rich kid trying to build something. I'm twenty-seven."
"So modest." Xiao Miao smirked. "I bet you've had tons of girls chasing you, right? Come on, boss man—how many girlfriends have you had?"
Shu Mingyang tried to dodge the question but couldn't escape her sharp eyes. He blushed. "…None."
"Liar! Wasn't that blonde girl breaking up with you the other day?"
"That was just a setup through a friend. We met once, but I didn't feel anything, so I told her."
Xiao Miao blinked at him for a moment. Then her expression turned to shock. "You mean… you're a rich guy and you're still a virgin? Are you kidding me?"
How did this conversation even get here? Shu Mingyang felt like his face was about to explode. He stood up. "Let's not talk about this. I'm gonna get some snacks."
Behind him, Xiao Miao burst out laughing. "Knew it! Total virgin, hahahaha!"
He turned back, flustered. "Keep saying that and I'll kick you out."
"Sorry!" she said with an exaggerated scared face, though her eyes sparkled mischievously. "My bad, Mr. Virgin."
"You—!"
"Hahahaha!" Xiao Miao jumped up, ruffling her hair. "Mind if I take a shower? I'm all sweaty and gross."
Nice topic change, Shu Mingyang thought with a sigh, leading her upstairs. "Bathroom's on the second floor."
He brought her to the guest room, but she didn't go in. Instead, she leaned against the wall and asked, "Which one's your room?"
He pointed at the last door down the hall. "That one. Why—wait, hey!"
"Guess I'll shower in your room then," Xiao Miao called, sticking out her tongue as she dashed into his bedroom.
Shu Mingyang followed her to the bathroom door and said, "I'll be downstairs. If you need anything, there's an intercom outside the door."
"Got it! Oh wait—can you bring up my bag? My makeup remover's inside."
"Okay." Shu Mingyang went downstairs and picked up her bag. It was a mess, but one glance made him freeze—it was a real Hermès. Somehow, it looked genuine.
A bit confused, he handed it to her through the bathroom door. Xiao Miao winked at him. "Still here? Planning to join me in the shower?"
Flushing red again, Shu Mingyang hurried downstairs amid her ringing laughter.
He sat on the couch with the dogs, occasionally handling some calls. About thirty minutes later, a soft cough came from the stairs.
"Ahem."
"You done? Want something to—"
His words cut off when he saw the girl standing at the top of the stairs.
Xiao Miao was wearing his oversized gray shirt, her long pale legs fully exposed. The heavy smoky makeup was gone, revealing a delicate and seductive face. Her big deer-like eyes were filled with innocence, but her slightly parted pink lips gave off pure temptation. Her damp hair clung to her slender neck, water dripping onto the shirt and slowly revealing what lay beneath…
Shu Mingyang couldn't move. The TV noise faded away. All he could hear now was his racing heartbeat.
Xiao Miao held up ten fingers.
"…What does that mean?" he asked.
"Ten seconds. How long are you gonna stare, Mr. Big Boss? Am I that pretty?" she teased, walking toward him.
He quickly looked away, stammering, "Y-You are very pretty… but maybe you should put on your own clothes. You'll catch a cold."
Seeing his flushed face, Xiao Miao couldn't help licking her lips like a cat with its prey. She whispered, "Shu Mingyang, didn't you want to know my name?"
"I did… you still haven't told me."
She pressed a finger to a droplet on her neck, sliding it down to her chest, and leaned close to his ear.
"I'll give you one chance. Guess my bra size correctly, and I'll tell you my name."
Author's Note:
The female lead is designed to be an absolute stunner!
One reader nicknamed the male lead "Shu-Mei" (Sister Shu), which I think is hilarious!
P.S. Anyone wanna guess Xiao Miao's cup size? Those who get it right get a red envelope from the CEO~ 2333