Chapter 63

Chapter 63: How About You Try Me and See If I'm Up to the Task? The girl who had already fallen asleep pouted, let out a soft whimper, and clung tightly to Jiang Shixu's shirt sleeve. "Are you awake?" Jiang Shixu leaned forward slightly, his hands braced on either side of Chu Tang's body, looking down at her with lowered eyes. "Gu..." Chu Tang's eyes remained closed. She moved her lips and uttered a single word in a low voice, "Gu..." "Gu?" Jiang Shixu narrowed his eyes slightly, his deep pupils dark as ink, a cold gleam lurking in their depths. Gu? Gu Zechuan? She was drunk and still calling Gu Zechuan's name? Forget the fact that she was drunk and spouting nonsense about him being inadequate in bed—she actually dared to call Gu Zechuan's name? Right, he'd almost forgotten why he'd gone to the bar in the first place! He'd originally gone there to settle the score with her. She hadn't even tried him yet, so how could she know he wasn't up to the task? Jiang Shixu's brows furrowed, a chill settling in his heart. What an ungrateful little thing. He straightened up, his gaze landing on Chu Tang, looking down at her from his elevated position. "You're still thinking about him in your heart?" Even though the girl couldn't hear him, Jiang Shixu asked anyway. The air was thick with a strong sour scent. Whose vinegar jar had been knocked over? "Ruan Chutang." Jiang Shixu's voice was deep, carrying a hint of threat. "Think carefully before you speak..." The next second, the girl's lashes fluttered slightly. She squirmed restlessly on the bed and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow, mumbling in a coquettish tone, "Story, I want to hear a story..." Jiang Shixu: "..." Story? So it wasn't "Gu" but "story" after all. Jiang Shixu let out a soft laugh, the taut string in his heart suddenly loosening. He moved closer again, his tone indulgent. "Tangtang, let me carry you to take a bath first. After you're clean, I'll tell you a story to lull you to sleep, okay?" His Tangtang liked to be clean. If she woke up the next morning still wearing yesterday's clothes and reeking of alcohol, she'd definitely be disgusted with herself. The room was so quiet that the girl's long, even breathing could be heard. Chu Tang was sleeping soundly and couldn't answer him. After waiting silently for a few seconds, Jiang Shixu let out a breath, turned to go to the bathroom to run the bathwater, then came back to pick Chu Tang up. "Better take a bath. After you're clean, you can sleep properly." He removed the clothes from Chu Tang's body and lowered her into the bathtub. Feeling the movement, Chu Tang opened her eyes, her gaze hazy. "Shixu-gege..." "Tangtang, be a good girl." Jiang Shixu's movements were gentle and careful. He first wet Chu Tang's hair, squeezed some shampoo into his palm, rubbed his hands together, then worked it into her hair. Chu Tang leaned against the tub, still not fully conscious, but soaking in the warm water made her whole body relax. She let out a comfortable sigh, enjoying Jiang Shixu's service. After the bath, Jiang Shixu dried the water droplets from Chu Tang's skin, wrapped her entirely in a bath towel, and carried her into the bedroom to blow-dry her hair. By the time her hair was dry, Chu Tang had woken up. "Stay with me." She tugged at his collar and wouldn't let go. Jiang Shixu lowered his eyes, coaxing her in a gentle tone. "Alright, I'll stay with you." "Tell me a story." Chu Tang murmured softly. Jiang Shixu was meek and utterly compliant. "Okay." He pulled out his phone and searched for a few bedtime stories, telling them to her in a low, gentle voice. Gradually, Chu Tang stopped fussing. The hand gripping his collar also fell away. Jiang Shixu had finally coaxed Chu Tang to sleep. He'd originally planned to leave, but since Chu Tang was drunk with no one to take care of her, he couldn't rest easy, so he decided to stay the night. There were no toiletries or change of clothes for him here. Jiang Shixu made a phone call to have a servant from the Jiang family deliver a change of clothes and toiletries, then took a shower using Chu Tang's bathroom. The girl on the bed was sleeping soundly. Jiang Shixu smiled indulgently, his deep, tender gaze fixed on her fair, beautiful face. After gazing at her steadily for a few minutes, Jiang Shixu walked over to tuck her blanket in, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Goodnight." After confirming that Chu Tang was in a deep sleep and wouldn't cause any more trouble, Jiang Shixu tiptoed to the living room. The apartment had two bedrooms and a living room, but the other room had no bed. So tonight, he'd have to make do with the sofa in the living room. The night was deep, and sleep came easily. ... Early morning, just as dawn was breaking. Chu Tang usually went to bed early and woke up early with a regular routine, so she naturally woke up when the time came. The hangover left her head splitting with pain. Chu Tang took a while to recover, her consciousness gradually returning. She only remembered going to a gathering with her colleagues, and later going to a bar for a few drinks. She didn't have a high alcohol tolerance, and after just a few drinks, she'd blacked out. Chu Tang vaguely remembered that a man seemed to have shown up later, and she'd clung to him tightly, refusing to let go, spouting all sorts of nonsense. At that thought, Chu Tang jolted, suddenly wide awake, a wave of nervous panic washing over her. Oh no, oh no, she'd been tangled up with a man—how would she explain this if Jiang Shixu found out? Would he be jealous? It wasn't that she was afraid of Jiang Shixu getting angry; she was just afraid he'd misunderstand and feel upset inside. She cared about Jiang Shixu's feelings and didn't want him to be hurt. Chu Tang threw off the covers and got out of bed, suddenly noticing the clothes she was wearing. Pajamas? When had she changed? How did she get back last night? Chu Tang pushed open the bedroom door, ready to head to the bathroom to wash up, when she looked up and suddenly saw someone lying on the sofa. A man was covered with a blanket, his feet resting on the armrest at the edge of the sofa, eyes closed with his chin slightly raised, his jawline smooth and defined. Jiang Shixu! Why was he here? Oh my god!! Could it be that he was the one who brought her back from the bar last night? Then did he see her struggling with that man last night... She tried to recall, but she couldn't remember anything about what that man looked like last night. Chu Tang wanted to cry but had no tears. She didn't dare to think about how much Jiang Shixu had seen last night. She felt she couldn't face him anymore. The man on the sofa slept in a proper posture, his sleeping face handsome. Chu Tang was mesmerized. In the quiet morning, there wasn't a single sound in the room. Chu Tang could even hear her own heartbeat. Seeing the man's tall figure curled up on the sofa, Chu Tang couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She walked over, stood in front of Jiang Shixu, and poked his face with her index finger. The man didn't notice at all, sleeping soundly. Chu Tang mustered up her courage and pinched his cheek. This time, Jiang Shixu reacted. He opened his eyes, still drowsy, looking at Chu Tang with a hazy gaze. "Tangtang, you're awake." Chu Tang paused for a moment, gently biting her lower lip. "Brother Shixu, go sleep in the bedroom." Jiang Shixu sat up, rubbing his hair. "What time is it?" There was a wall clock in the living room. Chu Tang looked up at it. "Seven thirty." Jiang Shixu pulled Chu Tang into his arms in one swift motion, wrapping both arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder. "It's Saturday today. Aren't you going to sleep a little longer? Why are you up so early?" His voice was still slightly hoarse from just waking up, sexy and alluring. His warm breath lightly brushed against Chu Tang's ear. She instinctively flinched, half her body going numb. "I'm not sleeping anymore. I drank too much last night, my head hurts a bit." "If you can't hold your liquor, don't drink so much." Jiang Shixu let out a low chuckle. "Do you know how torturous you were last night when you were drunk and acting up?" She had nearly made him lose his composure in public. Chu Tang suddenly thought of the scene of her clinging to that man last night. Her face grew hot, and she was overcome with embarrassment. "I... I'm sorry, Brother Shixu..." Jiang Shixu's voice carried a gravelly, bewitching quality, so pleasant it was intoxicating. "Hmm? Sorry is all you have to say?" The man curled his lips. "You haven't even experienced it yourself, yet you told outsiders I have problems in that department? How about we try it out and see if I'm actually capable or not?"