The pristine white bedsheets were twisted into strands, spreading from the center outward.
Jiang Lai’s stunning figure, once wrapped in her coat, now lay scattered on the floor, the room filled with an intoxicating fragrance, mixed with faint gasps in the quiet space.
Jiang Lai sank into the soft bed, one hand on her forehead, using what little rationality she had left to process her situation.
Why was a woman pinning her down?
Jiang Lai could see a pale, bony hand on her waist, even creeping upward.
“Why go out drinking without wearing a bra?”
The woman’s voice was teasing, far from the restraint she’d shown in the bar.
Now, with the beauty accompanying her to the hotel, she shed her polite elegance, her words turning crude.
Jiang Lai’s skin was strikingly pale, lacking a hint of flush, exuding a cold fairness.
When she realized she might be getting molested by a female pervert, her drunken haze cleared considerably.
Though her body was fully female now, mentally, Jiang Lai still saw herself as a man, with no interest in women’s clothing at this moment.
Besides, the only women’s items at home belonged to her daughter—how could she, a father, borrow her daughter’s clothes?
Jiang Lai didn’t understand why one woman would molest another, but she absolutely couldn’t let this go further.
A one-night stand—how could she face her daughter or her late wife?
The woman leaned down slightly, her tongue brushing Jiang Lai’s earlobe, sending a thrilling, strange sensation.
Before Jiang Lai could react, the woman kissed her neck, warm breath hitting her skin, stoking the fire in her veins, waiting to be consumed by that searing flame.
In a spot Jiang Lai couldn’t see, the woman left a red mark, like a strawberry.
Watching Jiang Lai’s delectable state, the woman’s fingers slid down her abdomen.
As things were about to spiral out of control, Jiang Lai gripped her wrist tightly.
Even if it had been a while since Jiang Lai had been intimate, she knew what the woman was doing.
If she let this beauty keep touching her, her drunken self might truly give in.
Besides, she was still a man—how could it be okay to be pinned like this?
“Stop, I’m already married… I can’t betray my love…”
Jiang Lai’s voice was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the room’s heated desire.
Hearing this, the woman’s heart plummeted from the heavens to the abyss, the stark drop filling her with regret.
Even a one-night stand required mutual consent.
Though reluctant, seeing the married woman beneath her, she couldn’t bear to pull her hand away.
The woman beneath her had the air of an aloof, icy beauty.
She wondered what it would be like to peel away that facade, but now she could only look, not taste.
Thinking of this, her fingertips tingled, even considering forcing herself on her, but reason prevailed.
Jiang Lai watched the woman leave her side and sit silently on the sofa.
She said nothing, carefully fixing her clothes.
The quiet moment gave Jiang Lai a chance to study the star-like woman.
The woman was beautiful, with a distinctive, ethereal face, appearing gentle and polite.
Jiang Lai felt she looked familiar, as if she’d seen her somewhere, but couldn’t place it.
Outside of work, her daughter, and her sister-in-law, Jiang Lai didn’t bother remembering anyone.
“My name is Jiang Lai. If you don’t mind, can we exchange contact info? I’ll transfer the hotel fee to you.”
Though a one-night stand was something Jiang Lai didn’t want, this gave her a place to stay tonight.
Otherwise, with her current undocumented status, she might not even get a regular hotel room.
“I’m Xu, Xu Ruobing.”
Xu Ruobing knew she likely wouldn’t get to claim this beauty.
Perhaps her initial approach was just a moment of obsession, utterly captivated by her.
Xu Ruobing often went to that bar to unwind, usually just drinking.
Approaching someone like this, even wanting to take it further, was a first—and she nearly became the other woman.
“No worries, I was too forward tonight. I just didn’t expect Miss Jiang to be married so young. What a pity.”
Xu Ruobing’s gaze stayed on Jiang Lai.
The beauty sat on the bed, slightly uneasy, her slender, pale neck bearing the kiss mark she’d left.
If she could, she’d cover Jiang Lai’s body with them.
But knowing Jiang Lai was taken, if she didn’t want to be a homewrecker, she had to let go of those thoughts entirely…
After Xu Ruobing left the room, Jiang Lai checked the hotel’s price online and transferred the fee to her.
The ambiguity started with her; if she hadn’t indulged initially, Xu Ruobing wouldn’t have misunderstood.
Jiang Lai lay on the bed, rubbing her head, messing her hair, enjoying a moment of peace.
Her thoughts weren’t on the recent tenderness with Xu Ruobing but on whether her daughter ate dinner properly tonight.
Jiang Lai checked her chat with her daughter again.
When she said she couldn’t pick her up or come home tonight, her daughter only replied with a simple “Okay.”
Since her daughter started college, besides weekly calls, they barely spoke.
Even though her daughter’s university was local, outside of breaks or special holidays, Jiang Lai didn’t know what excuse to use to visit her.
This was her own doing.
In the past, she focused only on work, wanting to provide a better life for her daughter, neglecting companionship.
Now, even when she had time, her daughter didn’t want her around.
In her daughter’s eyes, perhaps her only true family was her late wife’s sister.
If you think about it, she missed her chance on being a good father now that she’s a woman. At least now she has a chance to start over and be a loving present mother at least.