Lying on a remarkably soft bed with a fluffy blanket, she began to stir. "What a soft bed," she murmured, still half-asleep. Then, a jolt. "Wait! Soft bed?" Her eyes snapped open, and she sat bolt upright, scanning the room. It was huge, vintage, yet undeniably aesthetic and comforting.
She swung her legs out of bed and opened the door, a mix of curiosity and unease bubbling inside her. "Where am I?" she whispered, then suddenly remembered the previous night: collapsing on the road and being rescued.
Following the faint sounds, she found herself in a grand drawing-room. There, sprawled on a plush sofa, was a man. "It's the same man!" she blurted out, a little too loudly. He stirred, his eyelids fluttering open. He was in pajamas, the top few buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of sculpted muscle. Her thoughts immediately veered off-course. "Very sexy," she mentally sighed, her gaze lingering on his abs.
"Falling for it?" he drawled, a hint of amusement in his voice, though his eyes remained unreadable.
A hot blush crept up her neck. She whipped her head away, cursing herself. "I really am a pervert!" she wailed internally. Clearing her throat, she managed to steady her voice. "Ugha! Umm... who are you?"
"Why do you want to know?" he replied, his face still devoid of expression.
"Why, my foot!" she fumed silently. "You rescued me twice, and I still don't know who you are?" Aloud, she said, "I just simply asked because I don't know you properly. But if you insist, 'Mister Murderer' will do for me."
"Okay then, Mister Murderer," she continued, "could you please explain how I ended up here?"
He twitched, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. "Jades Bai."
A small smile touched her lips. "I'm Angelina Ausse. You can call me 'Ausse'."
He simply shook his head slightly. "I just found you fainted on the road and took you here."
"Oh," Ausse said, a little taken aback. "Well, thanks for the hospital bill and last night." A rapid-fire volley of questions then tumbled out. "Is this your house? What do you do? Why did you kill my fiancé that day? Why did you help me? And blah, blah, blah..."
Jades held up a hand, a flicker of something in his eyes – exasperation, perhaps? "Don't rush. Ask one by one."
Just then, her stomach let out a rather embarrassing, loud growl. He looked at her, a hint of something unreadable in his gaze, then got up and headed toward the kitchen. "It's so embarrassing!" she thought, wanting to sink through the floor.
Flop! A sudden, clattering crash of falling utensils echoed from the kitchen. Ausse rushed in to find Jades standing amidst a cloud of flour, his face comically dusted white. She burst out laughing, unable to stop herself.
"Is it that entertaining?" he asked, a hint of a dry tone in his voice, though his flour-streaked face made it hard to take him seriously.
"You don't know how to cook? Ha!" she teased, still giggling.
"Do I look like a chef to you?"
"No problem! I'll cook by myself. What do you want to eat?"
"Just simple egg soup will do," he conceded.
She took her spot in the kitchen, ready to perform her culinary magic. Jades watched her, his gaze intense. "Why is he looking at me? I'll end up dead this way," she thought, suddenly self-conscious under his scrutiny. "Ah... could you please wait outside? I'll cook by myself."
He looked a bit tangled, as if debating, but then quietly left the kitchen. "Hash! Now I can cook properly."
A few minutes later, she called out, "The food is ready to eat!" But there was no response. Deciding to find him, she began her search.
Her quest led her to a massive library. It was breathtakingly beautiful, lined with shelves stretching to the high ceiling, filled with countless books. She was so captivated by its grandeur that she completely forgot her initial task, wandering among the towering stacks.
As she reached for a book, she accidentally tripped, stepping on something unexpected. With a startled yelp, she tumbled forward, landing squarely on top of Jades. He was sprawled on the floor, surprisingly pale and bare from the waist up, yet radiating a disarming warmth. Her gaze flickered to his face. "He looks even more handsome from here," she mused, her eyes then falling on his beautiful, soft, red-pink lips. "How beautiful!" she whispered aloud, a purely instinctive reaction.