The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

The guest room Xie Yuanzhu prepared for Shen Yao was comfortable and cozy.

Shen Yao stood in front of the bed, her body steaming with moisture after her bath, her skin glowing with a pale pink hue, and surrounded by a faint, sweet fragrance.

Wrapped in a large bath towel, her wet hair hung down to her shoulders, water droplets rolled down silently, soaking the fabric.

She didn't touch the prepared pajamas, nor did she bother to fix her wet hair; she went straight to the dressing table.

A face was reflected in the mirror, its skin smooth and flawless, requiring no makeup. Shen Yao applied only a touch of blush, lightly sweeping it around her eyes and cheeks—the thin powder spread, her eyes sparkling with spring, an unconscious allure flowing silently.

Thinking about what she was about to do, a very faint smile curved her lips.

Shen Yao tiptoed to the door of the guest room, listened carefully, and found the entire courtyard shrouded in the silence of the night. The timing was perfect.

Barefoot, like a cat walking under the moonlight, she silently slipped into the living room.

She poured half a glass of warm water, held the glass in her slightly cool fingertips, and sipped it slowly, as if she were just casually strolling around to quench her thirst.

A few steps later, whether it was catching a glimpse of light leaking from under the door or tripping slightly under something that wasn't there, I don't know.

In short, she shook the glass, and the water spilled out. At the same time, a short, startled gasp escaped her lips.

"what……"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear enough in the quiet night.

Almost the instant the sound fell, Xie Yunzhou's door was suddenly pulled open from the inside.

He had just gotten out of bed, his dark hair slightly disheveled and hanging over his forehead, losing some of his usual aloofness. He was casually dressed in a dark gray silk robe, the belt loosely tied, the collar drooping, revealing his collarbone.

The man saw Shen Yao standing in the dim light of the corridor, wearing only a thin white bath towel that barely covered her body, revealing a large expanse of smooth shoulders and neck and straight calves.

Her long, wet hair was disheveled, water droplets sliding down her strands, flowing over her slender neck and slightly open neckline. The bath towel loosened slightly with her movements, vaguely revealing the undulating curves beneath.

She looked up at me, her eyes slightly red, her lips trembling, her expression just right, like a startled little animal.

The dim light cast a soft glow on her, making her appear like a water sprite who had just taken human form and accidentally lost her way. Her purity was tinged with desire, creating a fatal attraction.

Xie Yunzhou's breath hitched, and his ears involuntarily burned. He was about to ask what had happened.

In that brief moment, Shen Yao seemed to be startled a second time by his sudden opening of the door. Her hand trembled, and the glass she was holding slipped straight down.

"Snap."

The sound of shattering glass was particularly jarring in the silence, and water and shards of glass splashed all over the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'll clean it up right away." Shen Yao squatted down in a panic and reached out to pick up the sharp pieces.

"Don't move!" Xie Yunzhou was startled by her actions. He instantly forgot his "don't look at what is improper" mentality and immediately squatted down to stop her.

"Be careful not to cut your hand, I'll do it."

His movements were a bit hasty, and in the instant he squatted down, his fingers inevitably touched Shen Yao's hand, which was reaching for the shards.

With a light touch of their fingertips, both of them paused.

Xie Yunzhou lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on the bracelet on her wrist.

In the dim light, the bracelet clung to her fair skin, radiating a warm glow, as if branded onto it.

And at this moment, this hand, which is wearing it and should be carefully protected, is about to touch those dangerous shards of glass.

An indescribable emotion welled up in Xie Yunzhou's heart, causing him to subconsciously tighten his fingertips, trying to pull her hand away.

"hiss……"

It wasn't Shen Yao who got hurt; it was Xie Yunzhou himself.

A sharp shard of glass, catching him completely off guard, sliced ​​the fingertip of his hand as he tried to deflect Shen Yao's attack.

Bright red blood beads gushed out instantly, appearing particularly glaring in the dim light.

Xie Yunzhou frowned, not yet having had time to check the wound. Shen Yao exclaimed in alarm, "Your hand!"

She seemed to instantly forget the awkwardness of the bath towel and the broken glass on the floor; all she could see was the blood on his fingertips.

The hand wearing the bracelet suddenly reached out and grasped his injured finger.

The movements were incredibly fast, carrying a sense of urgency and anxiety.

Before Xie Yunzhou could react, the girl had already leaned forward instinctively, cupped his hand with her fingertips, and gently pressed her lips to his bleeding fingertip, trying to stop the bleeding.

!!!

A strange sensation instantly spread from my fingertips throughout my body.

Xie Yunzhou suddenly raised his head and met a pair of eyes that were inches away from his.

Shen Yao was tilting her head slightly, and her naturally hooked, slightly upturned eyes were now filled with genuine panic, heartache, and a pure urgency to stop his bleeding.

Water droplets dripped from her wet hair, sliding just over her beautiful collarbone, and then... silently disappeared beneath the collar of her bathrobe...

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

In the corridor, only the two of them breathed heavily, and the air was filled with a mixture of the smell of blood, the fresh scent of her after her bath, and an indescribable, dangerous, and ambiguous atmosphere.

Xie Yunzhou stood frozen in place, his fingers...

Shen Yao, however, still stared at him with those innocent yet alluring eyes, as if asking: Does it still hurt?

Xie Yunzhou pulled his finger out abruptly, as if burned by a hot iron.

The fingertips still retained a damp feel, reflecting a subtle, ambiguous shimmer in the dim light.

Shen Yao then realized her actions were audacious and hurriedly lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to, I got anxious when I saw you bleeding..."

She offered a rambling explanation, instinctively trying to get up to cover her embarrassment and clean up the mess.

Xie Yunzhou didn't have time to think it through. He reached out and pretended to stop her, but his gaze unconsciously swept over her bare ankles that were exposed because of her squatting posture.

On the outside of her slender, fair ankle, a thin line of blood had appeared from a flying shard of glass, and blood was slowly seeping out.

"You're injured." His tone turned serious. "Go sit down."

Shen Yao followed his gaze to her ankle. This time, she didn't move around. Instead, she obediently and somewhat clumsily moved to sit down on the single sofa next to her.

Seeing her so compliant, Xie Yunzhou felt an indescribable pleasure. He looked away, deftly cleaned up the broken glass on the floor, and wiped away the water stains with a wet wipe.

He then went to the locker, took out the first-aid kit, and skillfully disinfected himself and put on a band-aid.

After finishing, Xie Yunzhou took the iodine swabs and bandages back to the sofa, handed them to Shen Yao, and said in an emotionless voice, "Take care of it yourself."

Shen Yao avoided his hand, took the cotton swabs and band-aids, and said with gratitude and embarrassment, "Thank you."

She tried to bend over to treat her ankle wound, but perhaps due to her awkward posture, tension, or the inconvenience of the towel, her movements were particularly clumsy.

The cotton swabs missed the wound several times, instead spreading the bloodstains further, with new blood beads constantly seeping out, standing out starkly against the porcelain-white skin.

Xie Yunzhou stood to one side, his gaze deep.

From his elevated position, he could clearly see not only her trembling fingertips as she clumsily tried, but also glimpse her slender, delicate neck and the rare glimpse of her skin as she bent over.

She herself seemed completely unaware of this, her entire attention focused on that insignificant little wound, as if dealing with some enormous problem.

This inefficient and chaotic approach goes against his principles of conduct.

Especially when she made her third mistake, Xie Yunzhou's inexplicable heat mixed with the "horrible" scene before him, creating a sense of anxiety.

Finally, the man lost his patience, leaned closer, and with force, grabbed Shen Yao's bare ankle with his hand without permission.

Shen Yao gasped softly in surprise at the sudden touch. Her voice was soft and sweet, trembling with shock, and so sweet it seemed to stretch into silk.

Xie Yunzhou knew that she had a beautiful voice, and in the quiet night, it was even more alluring.

The girl seemed startled by him, instinctively pulling her leg back to avoid his touch. His palm went empty, the smooth, warm touch vanished abruptly, leaving only a faint, sweet fragrance.

This unexpected break free caused a faint ripple to cross his clear, cold eyes, which were as deep as a still pool.

Xie Yunzhou tightened his grip, forcefully grabbing the slender ankle again and pulling it directly towards himself.