Chapter Twenty-Two: Temptation, Subtle and Sweet

Song Wan-ning changed clothes very quickly, taking barely half a minute. She had originally intended to step out as she spoke earlier, but when the conversation turned sharp and pressing, she lingered inside a little longer, leaving Shen Yue outside anxiously shifting from foot to foot.

When the door to the changing room finally opened, Song Wan-ning did not immediately step out. Instead, she blocked the entrance and beckoned to Nan Yan, who was waiting nearby.

Shen Yue’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? You’re out, so why won’t you let me in?”

Nan Yan, puzzled, walked over, only to have Song Wan-ning grab her arm and nudge her into the changing room. “You were waiting first. Go ahead.”

Shen Yue’s eyes grew even rounder with indignation. “Song Wan-ning! I just told you, and you’re still letting her go in? Do you have something against me?”

Song Wan-ning shrugged, locking her own clothes away in her locker. “Haven’t you ever heard of ‘first come, first served’? Nan Yan was waiting before you.”

“You—!”

Shen Yue wanted to argue further, but Jian An-an intercepted her. “Alright, I’m done changing. We should hurry up and go.”

Although Shen Yue was still fuming, she had no choice but to let it go. Nan Yan was quick as well, emerging from the changing room not long after.

With a scowl, Shen Yue snatched up her clothes and stomped toward the changing room. As she passed Nan Yan, she deliberately bumped her hard with her shoulder.

Nan Yan, caught off guard, dropped her clothes. Jian An-an reacted even faster than Song Wan-ning; she bent down quickly to help retrieve them.

Song Wan-ning only cast a casual glance, but in the next instant, her eyes widened in surprise. Was Jian An-an really not wearing anything underneath? Did everyone in this world have such a habit?

She remembered that neither Nan Yan nor Shen Yue did. So this must be purely Jian An-an’s personal choice. And for what purpose? To better enjoy the hot spring?

Song Wan-ning doubted that was all; only one reason remained—Jian An-an wanted to seduce someone.

As for who that someone was, Song Wan-ning didn’t even need to think about it.

Feigning indifference, she averted her gaze, but her mind was already spinning: How would Jian An-an try to seduce him later?

The production crew would never be so careless as to let men and women bathe together. In that case, Jian An-an would have no opportunity at all. How, then, would she get close to Wen Jingxing?

Song Wan-ning decided not to dwell on it. Whatever came, she would deal with it in turn. Arm in arm with the freshly changed Nan Yan, she headed cheerfully toward the hot springs.

Shen Yue exited the changing room, her face dark as thunder. Jian An-an said, “Let’s go. We’re running a bit late.”

“An-an, aren’t you angry at that woman’s behavior? I feel so stifled!”

Jian An-an put on an air of helplessness. “What can we do? Should we stoop to her level? Then how would we be any different from her?”

“You’re right,” Shen Yue’s eyes lit up. “If she can do it, so can we!”

Jian An-an shook her head with a sigh. “You’re getting naughtier by the day.” Yet inwardly, she was quite pleased. Shen Yue was so easy to bait—it took no effort at all.

It was strange, though. On Song Wan-ning’s first day, Shen Yue had believed everything she said. But from the second day onward, everything changed.

When Song Wan-ning reached the hot spring center, she found the mist even thicker—so dense that she couldn’t see anything five meters away. She was marveling at nature’s magic when a staff member approached her. “Miss Song, this way please. The production team has arranged a private hot spring for each guest. Please follow me.”

“Alright.”

Another staff member guided Nan Yan away as well. Nan Yan waved at Song Wan-ning. “We’re going different ways now. See you later.”

Song Wan-ning nodded. “See you soon.”

When she arrived at her destination, she was struck by the ingenuity of the hot spring: it was a small pool set into the mountain stone, surrounded by a wooden fence. Unless someone intentionally tried to peek over the fence, there was no way to see inside.

She stood for a moment, realizing the staff member behind her hadn’t left yet. Though it was a woman, Song Wan-ning frowned. “Could you leave? I don’t like anyone being nearby.”

The staff member nodded in understanding. “Of course. I’ll be waiting in the dressing room at the foot of the hill. If you need anything, come find me.”

When the sound of footsteps faded, Song Wan-ning opened the little gate and stepped inside. The smooth cobblestones beneath her feet were warm, so she slipped off her shoes and revealed her delicate, pale feet.

Next, she untied her robe, ready to remove it, when she suddenly heard a rustling sound in the distance.

Though she knew she wasn’t the only one here, Song Wan-ning paused and put her robe back on, deciding to wait for the noise to fade before undressing further.

But the sound did not fade; it grew closer.

Puzzled, Song Wan-ning wondered if someone was simply passing by. But that seemed unlikely. Whether by coincidence or design, she had walked a circuit around the area earlier and found no other hot springs nearby.

Once suspicion took root, it only grew.

Instead of putting her shoes back on, Song Wan-ning deliberately left them out in plain view by the edge of the pool. Then, quietly, she moved in the opposite direction of the sound, scrambled over the fence, and concealed herself among the trees.

Hidden by the foliage, Song Wan-ning crept toward the source of the noise. In the swirling mist, she saw a slightly plump figure approaching her hot spring with unmistakable intent—it was no accident.

She decided not to reveal herself yet, wanting to see who it was and what they were up to.

Step by step, she drew closer, but the intruder remained oblivious to her presence, still clumsily fiddling with the fence.

Then she heard him mutter under his breath, “Damn it, if it weren’t for the money, I wouldn’t risk this! Why is this fence so high? It’s so damn annoying… Wait, there’s a big rock over there. Maybe I can climb up that. Heaven’s on my side today!”

The plump figure clambered onto the rock, raised a dark object, and aimed it at the hot spring inside the fence.

Song Wan-ning squinted to get a better look. Wasn’t that… what was it called? Oh, a camera! The kind that recorded everything—just like the one the cameraman carried around all day.

Realizing his intent, Song Wan-ning suddenly stood up from the undergrowth and shouted, “You brazen pervert! In broad daylight, who are you trying to film?!”

The figure, utterly unprepared to be discovered, jolted in shock. His foot slipped, and he tumbled off the rock.