Chapter Twenty-Four: Caught in the Act

The heavy mist made visibility poor, so Song Wanning did not walk quickly; it took her more than ten minutes to reach the hot spring where Wen Jingxing was. Yet after circling the area for quite a while, she heard no sound from within the fenced enclosure.

Song Wanning frowned. Had she arrived too early? Or was her hunch simply wrong? Perhaps Jian An’an hadn’t come at all, or the staff member had given her the wrong location.

But would it be inappropriate to peek over the wall? If there was no one inside, it would be fine, but if someone was there—and it wasn’t Wen Jingxing—the embarrassment would be enormous. Even if it was Wen Jingxing, if he wasn’t dressed, it would still be improper for her to see.

For the first time, Song Wanning found herself so conflicted. She couldn’t quite understand what she was hesitant about—wouldn’t it be easier just to climb over the wall and go in directly?

As Song Wanning tried to convince herself, she suddenly heard new footsteps approaching from the distance. Her eyes lit up—was that Jian An’an arriving? Peering out from behind a stone, she saw a shadow approaching through the mist, gradually revealing the elegant figure of a woman.

Song Wanning shook her head in resignation. Whatever else could be said, Jian An’an’s figure was indeed impressive, more voluptuous than most, her curves in sharp contrast to her delicate and adorable face. It was no wonder she stood out among singers and had become a rising star; she did possess certain advantages. Unfortunately, not many.

Jian An’an walked up to the fence and, with boldness, pushed at the gate. It didn’t budge—it was locked from the inside. She muttered to herself, “That’s strange, didn’t the staff say my hot spring was here? Why won’t the door open?”

Song Wanning couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of her mouth. So this was Jian An’an’s grand strategy for seduction? In the end, she was resorting to the oldest and simplest trick—a manufactured misunderstanding.

But there was still no response from inside.

Jian An’an hesitated. Had the staff given her the wrong spot? That shouldn’t be the case. She’d worked with that person several times before—so long as she paid enough, everything was always handled smoothly. Or was it just that Wen Jingxing wasn’t here at the moment? But then, where had he gone?

As Jian An’an’s thoughts spun in confusion, a deep male voice sounded from within, “You’re in the wrong place.”

Though muffled, both Jian An’an and Song Wanning immediately recognized it as Wen Jingxing. Hearing that he truly was inside, Jian An’an knocked on the door with even greater enthusiasm. “Jingxing, I think you sound a bit off—are you feeling unwell?”

She waited a long time before Wen Jingxing’s voice replied, “No.”

Jian An’an quickly said, “Why don’t you open the door and let me have a look? I really won’t feel at ease leaving you like this.”

Wen Jingxing hadn’t expected Jian An’an to be so direct and bold. After a brief pause, he said, “No need. If I need anything, I’ll look for Song Wanning. Please leave immediately.”

His tone grew deeper, sounding almost angry.

But Jian An’an seemed oblivious, continuing, “Jingxing, how could Song Wanning compare to me? She doesn’t care for you like I do, and she’s not worthy of you, either.”

“Surely you still remember what Song Wanning said to you on the first day at the resort? That you never smile, that you look fierce and can’t possibly be a good man, that you’re too domineering, forced her into an engagement—only I know you had no choice…”

Song Wanning listened with relish from the side, as if the person being maligned behind her back wasn’t herself at all. Instead, she calmly recorded Jian An’an’s entire attempt to pester Wen Jingxing on her phone.

Jian An’an’s mental fortitude was impressive—badmouthing her in front of Wen Jingxing, while keeping up friendly relations with her as well. Clearly, within the story’s plot, Jian An’an was quite busy. Yet all that effort would ultimately prove futile—Wen Jingxing never paid her much attention, and only agreed to make her his new fiancée for the sake of the ailing old Mr. Wen, hoping to bring him some comfort.

Just then, the sound of splashing water came from inside the fence, and Jian An’an immediately perked up. Was Wen Jingxing coming out?

But what followed was merely a cold word from within: “Leave.”

Jian An’an’s hand froze on the door, her eyes welling with tears in an instant. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Jingxing, I just wanted to check on you. If I bothered you, I’ll leave right now. I only felt Song Wanning went too far before, and I felt bad for you. That’s all…”

Jian An’an kept talking, but Wen Jingxing was growing irritated. Suddenly, he pulled open the gate, his expression stormy. “Can you leave? You’re disturbing me.”

Jian An’an froze, staring at Wen Jingxing—his hair slightly damp, droplets clinging to his temples, sliding down his slender neck and disappearing beneath his delicate collarbone. Unfortunately, everything below was wrapped in a robe; she could only see his long legs.

Jian An’an swallowed hard. “I… Jingxing, you…”

Wen Jingxing frowned. “Are you tongue-tied? If you can’t speak properly, then don’t.”

Jian An’an lowered her head, which only made her ample cleavage more prominent as she quickly tugged her collar lower, revealing as much as she could. Yet Wen Jingxing’s eyes never left her face—he didn’t spare a single glance for the rest.

Jian An’an’s hands clenched, her fingers brushing intentionally over the loose belt at her waist.

Whether it was a woman’s intuition or something else, the more Song Wanning watched, the more uneasy she felt. She shouted, “Wen Jingxing, turn around!”

No sooner had the words left her lips than Jian An’an’s robe slipped off her shoulders and pooled at her feet like formless water.

Song Wanning couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement, making sure to record all of Jian An’an’s exposed glory. At the same time, she charged forward, and with the hand not holding her phone, landed a punch squarely on Jian An’an’s face.

Hearing Song Wanning’s voice, Wen Jingxing didn’t hesitate—he turned away immediately, trusting it was her.

He had no idea what was happening behind him, only that something heavy seemed to strike flesh, followed by a woman’s anguished scream.

“Ah!” Jian An’an cried out, clutching her face as she fell hard against the cold, unyielding stone. She landed on her backside first, then her elbow, and the pain left her unsure where to hold.

Wen Jingxing still didn’t turn around, only asked, “Is that you, Wanning?”

Song