Meanwhile, back at the house, the chaotic echo of the evening had finally dissolved into a deep, domestic silence.
After finishing their quiet dinner, they walked into the bedroom to find Naria already fast asleep, sprawled out comfortably right in the middle of their bed. Akira looked down at the little girl, a soft but deliberate smile playing on her lips. Moving with practiced gentleness, she carefully lifted Naria from the mattress, cradling her head so she wouldn't wake, and transferred her to her own cradle nearby.
With the space cleared and the weight of the world temporarily locked outside their doors, Akira finally climbed into bed, pulling Naea flush against her in a protective embrace that required no words, no explanations, and no secrets. Naea leaned into the familiar warmth, the lingering guilt of the slap washing away as she listened to the steady beat of Akira's heart.
They drifted off to sleep—a peaceful, unified front—completely unaware of the scandalous, poisoned night unfolding across the city, or the new storm that would undoubtedly knock on their door by morning.
The morning sun filtered through the unfamiliar curtains, piercing straight into Zheng's eyes. A blinding, throbbing headache hammered against her skull the moment she tried to move. Sitting up abruptly, she looked around the room. The sterile hotel decor, the dim lighting, the heavy silence—none of it was familiar.
Panic flared in her chest. Where am I? how did I get here? She tried to force her brain to recall the events of the previous night, but the sheer exhaustion from the boxing ring and the lingering toxicity of the poison made her head spin. As she frantically scanned the bedside table, her eyes fell upon a folded piece of hotel stationery.
She snapped it open. Written in an elegant, steady cursive were a few chilling lines:
"Forget everything that happened last night. It was all because of the drink. I hope our paths never cross again."
Zheng stared at the paper, her mind a blank slate of confusion. She didn't fully understand what the note meant, but a cold realization settled in her stomach—something had happened last night. Something dangerous. Something that should have never occurred.
Wasting no more time, she grabbed her jacket and her bag, rushing out of the hotel room. Fortunately, the clock on her phone read 6:00 AM. The early morning streets were mostly empty, allowing her to slip into a waiting cab without being seen. When she finally unlocked the door to her own house, the suffocating silence welcomed her. She was entirely alone, left to nurse her wounds and piece together a broken puzzle.
Meanwhile, across the city...
The doorbell at Akira and Naea's house rang with a soft, hesitant chime.
Akira, whose instincts were always sharp even in sleep, woke instantly. Moving quietly so she wouldn't disturb the peaceful sleep of Naea and baby Naria beside her, she slipped out of bed and unlocked the front door.
Standing on the threshold was Wei Jian.
The usually composed, pristine author looked thoroughly depleted. Her eyes were heavy with dark circles, and her energy was completely drained—a silent testament to a night spent awake, staring at a sleeping student and wrestling with her own guilt.
"Good morning, Akira," Wei Jian whispered, her voice barely audible.
Without waiting for an explanation, Akira took one look at her exhausted author and nodded toward the guest room. Wei Jian offered a weak, grateful smile, walked straight into the room, and collapsed onto the bed, instantly falling into the deep sleep she had been denied all night.
Glancing at the clock, Akira realized she still had some time before the household fully woke up. She quietly slipped back into her own bedroom, pulling the blanket over herself, and went back to sleep next to Naea, leaving the secrets of the night locked behind closed doors.
By 9:00 AM, the morning was fully underway when Akira finally opened her eyes. A short while later, the chime of the doorbell echoed through the house. Expecting Aunt Zhi—who was actually out of station—Akira walked over and pulled the door open.
Standing on the threshold was Zheng. She was dressed in her daily routine attire, her bag slung over her shoulder as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred the night before.
Akira didn't utter a single word. She simply stared at her with a cold, unreadable expression and stepped aside. Sensing the chilling atmosphere, Zheng quietly muttered, "Good morning, Miss Akira," and slipped inside. Akira closed the door behind her without a sound.
Meanwhile, Naea was already awake and inside the bathroom washing her face. When Akira returned to the bedroom and found it empty, she went straight to the bathroom door and knocked. Akira almost never knocked when Naea was inside, so Naea immediately opened the door. Her face was still damp from the water, and her hair fell in soft, messy waves around her shoulders.
The moment Akira had seen Zheng downstairs, the memory of last night's chaotic events had hit her like a wave, sparking a sharp, possessive jealousy. Looking at Naea's fresh, innocent face, Akira's restraint completely snapped. She stepped inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her, and quietly turned the lock.
Then, turning around, Akira casually slid both of her hands deep into her pockets.
Without taking her hands out, she began to advance. Her steps were slow, heavy, and completely commanding. Naea blinked, utterly bewildered by the sudden shift in the room's energy. Terrified yet captivated by this quiet intensity, Naea found herself stepping backward automatically, until her spine met the cold, solid surface of the bathroom wall.
"Akira, what happened...?" Naea managed to breathe out, but before she could finish her sentence, Akira closed the remaining distance. She leaned in so close that their breaths mingled in the tight space. Trembling with a sudden wave of nervousness, Naea's hands instinctively came up to rest against Akira's chest. It was the first time Naea had ever felt this profoundly breathless in Akira's presence.
Akira didn't give her another second to think. Silencing any remaining words, she crashed her lips onto Naea's. With her hands still casually tucked away in her pockets, the gesture became incredibly dominant, leaving Naea with no choice but to surrender to the touch. Naea's mind went entirely blank, unable to process anything except the sheer, overwhelming passion of the moment. Akira was kissing her with a desperate softness—so intense and consuming, it felt as though she wanted to completely dissolve Naea into herself.
Naea gently but firmly pushed Akira back a few inches, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, her eyes searching Akira's dark, unreadable gaze.
Akira stared down at her, her voice dropping to a low, chilling whisper. "She's back."
Hearing the tone of Akira's voice, Naea instantly understood. She didn't need a name—she knew Akira was talking about Zheng. A wave of concern washed over Naea, and she instinctively turned toward the door to check on the girl. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked, stepping away.
But Akira wasn't about to let her go. Finally pulling her hands out of her pockets, Akira lunged forward and grabbed Naea's wrist in a swift, iron grip, completely halting her movements. Without a word, she pulled Naea directly under the showerhead, stepping in right along with her.
Akira leaned in close, her eyes locking onto Naea's with a fierce, burning intensity. "Do you still not understand?" she murmured against Naea's lips.
Before Naea could answer, Akira crashed her lips onto hers once more. This time, the hesitation vanished. Feeling the raw weight of Akira's jealousy, Naea finally surrendered to the rhythm and began to kiss her back. Without breaking the kiss for even a fraction of a second, Akira reached behind Naea and blindly turned the shower handle.
Instantly, a torrent of cold water cascaded down upon them, drenching their clothes and splashing against their faces. Shocked by the sudden downpour, Naea instinctively tried to pull back, but Akira's grip was absolute. She didn't allow Naea to budge even an inch.
Pulling back just enough to look into Naea's dazed eyes, Akira whispered, "Naea... let's take a shower together."
With those words, Akira spun Naea around, pinning her front against the cold bathroom wall. Holding Naea's hands firmly pressed against the tiles above her head, Akira leaned down toward her exposed neck. She bit into the soft skin, mingling the sharp nip with deep, trailing kisses—a breathless morning assault that was more than enough to completely ruin Naea's composure for the rest of the day.
The heavy streams of water continued to pour over them, turning the silk of Naea's nightgown translucent and heavy against her skin. Akira found the fabric irritating—it was an obstacle, a barrier keeping her from seeing and feeling the woman she belonged to.
Moving with a dark, focused intent, Akira hooked her fingers into the damp collar of the nightgown, slowly sliding the fabric down over Naea's trembling shoulders. The sudden rush of cold air and water hitting her bare skin made Naea shiver.
"Akira... please, that's enough," Naea breathed out, her voice muffled against the cold bathroom tiles.
But hearing Naea's breathless plea only added fuel to Akira's excitement. Instead of stopping, she pushed the gown further down, letting it pool around Naea's waist. Leaning down from behind, Akira pressed a hot, damp kiss into the curve of Naea's shoulder. At the same time, using just one hand with effortless familiarity, she reached around and unhooked Naea's bra.
The lace fell away, leaving Naea's back completely bare and vulnerable beneath the cascading water. The sight was exactly what Akira needed to quiet the raging jealousy in her chest.
Gazing at the pale, smooth skin of Naea's neck beneath the heavy water drops, Akira leaned in. Without warning, she sank her teeth roughly into the sensitive flesh right where the shoulder met the neck.
A sharp gasp of pain escaped Naea's lips. Combined with the sting of the cold water, the bite felt incredibly intense, causing her fingers to grip the wall tightly.
Instantly shifting from aggression to a deep, consuming passion, Akira began to soothe the injury, licking away the water and the sting she had just caused. Beneath the wet surface, a deep, unmistakable love bite was already blooming against Naea's skin—a clear, visible mark that anyone would notice the moment she stepped out of the bathroom. Satisfied with her work, Akira trailed her lips lower, pressing a slow, heavy line of kisses all the way down Naea's wet spine.Akira's hand moved downward, trailing along the curve of Naea's hip until her fingers found the damp edge of her underwear, lightly rubbing against the skin. The sudden, intimate friction in the middle of the cold downpour sent a violent shiver straight through Naea, shattering whatever remained of her composure. Seeing Naea completely come undone under her touch only fueled Akira's excitement further.
Without a single moment of delay, Akira slid the final piece of fabric down Naea's legs.
Now, Naea stood entirely bare beneath the cascading shower, her body completely visible to the dark, possessive eyes watching her. Akira reached out, gently but firmly spinning Naea around to face her. Naea's cheeks flushed a deep, breathless crimson, her gaze dropping instantly out of sheer shyness.
Seeing that beautiful wave of vulnerability, Akira didn't make her wait. She backed herself up against the wet tiles, sliding down until she was sitting firmly against the bathroom floor with her back braced against the wall. Grabbing Naea by the waist, she pulled her forward, guiding her to sit directly on her lap, facing her.
The shower water continued to pelt down on them, turning the enclosed space into a steamy, drenched sanctuary where the world outside ceased to exist.
Holding Naea flush against her bare skin, Akira leaned up and captured her lips once more. The touch was the spark Naea needed. Swept up in the raw, overwhelming torrent of Akira's intensity, Naea finally went completely active. Her hands, trembling but purposeful, reached for the buttons of Akira's shirt, pulling the wet fabric off her shoulders to expose Akira's toned, muscular upper body to the spraying water.
They locked into a fierce, breathless kiss, both of them fully consumed by the heat building between them. Lost in the rhythm of their lips, Akira reached down and effortlessly discarded her own trousers and underwear. Stripped of every single barrier, completely bare against each other under the heavy rush of the water, they tangled together in an unbridled, desperate embrace—claiming each other completely while the quiet house outside remained oblivious to the fire inside the walls.Akira gently broke the kiss, her breathing ragged as she gazed up at Naea's flushed face. Reaching around to the small of Naea's back, she pulled her even closer, erasing the slightest hint of distance between their damp bodies.
"Naea... you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," Akira murmured, her voice laced with a deep, reverent awe. "I never dared to dream that you would ever truly be mine."
With those words, Akira pressed a tender, lingering kiss against Naea's forehead before trailing her lips downward. As her mouth made contact with Naea's front, an electric current shot straight through Naea's spine. Akira began to trace the water droplets down Naea's collarbone, licking and kissing her wet chest before capturing one of her breasts in a deep, burning suck.
A soft, helpless moan escaped Naea's lips. The sensation was overwhelming, sending a wave of pure satisfaction through her entire body.
Hearing the sound, Akira looked up, her dark eyes glittering in the steamy light. She leaned up to catch Naea's lips in a fleeting kiss, whispering against her mouth, "Quietly, Naea... Naria is still sleeping right outside."
Placing her hand gently but firmly over Naea's mouth to muffle her sounds, Akira leaned back down. She resumed her assault, alternating between soft licks and deep, rough suction. The intense, unbridled rhythm drove Naea's hidden cries even higher against Akira's palm. Desperate for purchase, Naea's fingers dug into the wet muscles of Akira's back, her nails leaving sharp, visible scratch marks across her skin.
Naea looked down at her, her eyes hazy with pleasure. "You are so wild..." she gasped out against Akira's hand.
Hearing that surrender, a dangerous smirk flickered across Akira's lips. Prompted by the praise, she dug in even more roughly, completely consuming Naea in a wave of blinding pleasure while the shower water continued to wash over their locked forms.
While continuing her wild, breathless assault against Naea's chest, Akira casually slid one hand further downward through the pooling water. Her fingers guided their way smoothly between Naea's thighs, settling directly onto her most sensitive center. She began to rub the spot with a devastatingly soft, rhythmic pressure.
For Naea, this was the absolute peak of the morning's intensity—a sudden, blinding surge of pure pleasure that made her entire body go rigid against Akira's lap.
Desperate to anchor herself amidst the overwhelming sensations, Naea reached up, her hands cupping Akira's face to pull her upward. She didn't want Akira hiding against her skin anymore; she needed her lips. Naea crashed her mouth onto Akira's, initiating a deep, tangled kiss that poured all of her breath and surrender straight into her.
As they remained locked in that fierce embrace, Akira's fingers never missed a beat below, systematically driving Naea higher and higher. The bathroom had completely transformed into a wild yet softly blurred sanctuary—drenched in steam, heavy streams of water, and an unbridled passion that left both women entirely consumed by each other.
Akira pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss just enough to look down at Naea. The combination of the steaming water, Naea's drenched hair clinging to her skin, and the raw proximity of their bare skin was generating an undeniable, suffocating heat between them.
Gazing into Naea's dazed, heavy-lidded eyes, Akira spoke in a low, rough whisper. "Can I rub you a bit rougher now? If it hurts at all, tell me instantly."
Instead of answering with words, Naea simply leaned up and captured Akira's lips in a deep, burning kiss. It was the ultimate silent approval—a breathless surrender that gave Akira all the permission she needed.
Acknowledging the gesture, Akira began to quicken the pace of her fingers below. She didn't abruptly shift into a harsh rhythm; instead, she seamlessly built the momentum, maintaining the velvety softness of her touch as she transitioned into a deeper, much more commanding level of friction to ensure Naea felt absolutely no pain.
The moment Akira's fingers began to hit her sensitive center with that new, rougher intensity, a violent jolt of ecstasy shot through Naea's entire frame. She broke the kiss, gasping for air, and buried her face into the crook of Akira's neck, hugging her with a desperate, tight grip.
She didn't tell her to stop. She couldn't. The overwhelming flood of pleasure and pure satisfaction was completely paralyzing her. Wrapped in Akira's powerful embrace, with the heavy shower droplets pounding against her back and Akira's hand driving a fierce, deliberate rhythm below, Naea let herself dissolve entirely into the wild current of the morning.
Thirty minutes had slipped away unnoticed inside the steam-filled sanctuary of the bathroom. The water continued to cascade over their tangled bodies, but the outside world was ticking forward in immediate proximity.
Just outside the bedroom doors, in the main drawing area, a heavy silence hung in the air. Zheng sat quietly at the table, surrounded by her study materials. Her body was still bruised and aching from the brutal boxing match with Tyson, and her mind was a fog of missing memories from the hotel room. She was waiting patiently for Naea, completely under the assumption that her tutor was simply inside the bedroom taking care of baby Naria. She had absolutely no idea about the storm that had just unfolded right behind those closed doors. Meanwhile, in the adjacent guest room, Wei Jian remained completely dead to the world, buried under the sheets in a much-needed, exhausted sleep.
But the fragile peace under the roof finally shattered when a sharp, high-pitched cry pierced through the quiet hallway.
Right there in the bedroom, little Naria had finally opened her eyes. Finding herself completely alone in her cradle without the familiar warmth of her mother, she began to cry out loudly.
The sound of her daughter's tears instantly cut through the hazy pleasure clouding Naea's mind. Gasping, she immediately pushed Akira back and stood up on her own two feet. The spell was broken. Moving with a sudden rush of maternal urgency, Naea stepped out from under the heavy spray, took a lightning-fast rinse to wash away the sweat and steam, and grabbed her bathrobe from the hook.
Tying the belt tightly around her waist, she turned back to look at Akira, who was still resting against the wall, breathing heavily and looking completely captivated. Naea's eyes narrowed with a mix of lingering breathlessness and sudden irritation at how carried away they had gotten while people were literally right outside the door.
Pointing a firm, warning finger at Akira, Naea snapped in a low, stern whisper, "That's it. You are not allowed to touch me again, Akira. Not until I give you explicit permission. Understand?"
Without waiting for Akira's response, Naea turned on her heel, unlocked the bathroom door, and rushed straight out into the bedroom to her crying daughter, desperate to comfort Naria before her cries brought Zheng knocking on the door.