Guan Yingtang couldn’t believe what she was seeing. This was probably something even scarier than a horror film.
Even more terrifying was that, as her finger slid forward uncontrollably, those photos seemed endless, and in every single one, her mental state looked off.
Guan Yingtang’s first reaction was to rule out the possibility that she had taken them herself.
She turned around, held her phone up to Meng Qinghuai, and asked, “Did you secretly take pictures of me?”
Yes, in Guan Yingtang’s mind, how could she have done something so crazy? In the photos, she was smiling in a dazed way, with none of her usual ladylike demeanor.
Worse still, in every picture, she was hanging on Meng Qinghuai, looking just like old lovers.
Meng Qinghuai was baffled to be accused out of nowhere. He calmly took a breath, took the phone, and turned it toward her. “Do you really think so?”
Guan Yingtang: “…”
Guan Yingtang quickly sobered up. Judging from the angle of the photos, it really didn’t look like she had taken them herself.
If not her, then…
Once she realized this, Guan Yingtang was numb.
She stood helplessly on the deck, finally recalling what she had done the night she was drunk. But how was Meng Qinghuai able to stay so calm?
He even kept all those photos on his phone, without deleting a single one?
Her carefully maintained image was about to collapse. Guan Yingtang could only try to salvage the situation—
“I didn’t know any of that happened,” she said. “It was my first time getting drunk, really.”
Meng Qinghuai gave a light “Mm,” “I can understand.”
“…”
In the face of such solid evidence, any excuse was just that— an excuse.
Especially since those photos of them with their arms around each other were so ambiguous that even Guan Yingtang couldn’t understand how Meng Qinghuai had gone along with it.
But she was too embarrassed to ask.
“If I did anything impolite to you that night, it wasn’t intentional. I’m really sorry.” She apologized sincerely.
Actually, there was nothing impolite.
Given that they were already married, her actions didn’t really count for much.
Meng Qinghuai knew she was embarrassed, so he lifted his lips in a comforting manner. “I’ve already forgotten about it, Miss Guan, you don’t need to take it to heart.”
But how could Guan Yingtang possibly not take it to heart?
She even started doubting herself. “Besides taking pictures, did I do anything else…”
Meng Qinghuai paused for a second.
He guessed that if he mentioned the part where she sang and danced wildly, it would only make this well-bred lady even more flustered.
Better to let it go.
“No,” Meng Qinghuai said lightly. “You fell asleep quietly not long after.”
Meng Qinghuai’s words helped salvage half of Guan Yingtang’s shattered image.
She let out a silent sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
“Then…” Guan Yingtang braced herself and asked tentatively, “Could you delete those photos?”
She was sincerely, earnestly hoping that Meng Qinghuai would agree.
Moonlight rippled across the sea, illuminating Guan Yingtang’s anxious face.
Meng Qinghuai gazed at her for a long moment, then finally looked away.
“Alright.”
She thought that since he agreed, he’d immediately lower his head and delete the photos.
But in the next moment, he put away his phone and, like a gentleman, draped his suit jacket over her shoulders.
“Let’s go get something to eat first.”
The words of urgency that Guan Yingtang had wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
Fine, since he agreed to delete them, he probably wouldn’t go back on his word.
Besides, they were at a banquet right now, and with so many photos, she couldn’t expect him to take the time to delete them immediately.
Most importantly, Meng Qinghuai had no reason to keep all those drunken photos of her, right?
Thinking this, Guan Yingtang could only nod. “Mm.”
–
The banquet didn’t end until midnight.
A room was reserved for every guest at the Castle on the island.
Guan Yingtang was Meng Qinghuai’s companion, and since no one knew about their marriage, the Duke’s staff naturally arranged a separate room for her.
This was exactly what Guan Yingtang wanted.
During the second half of the banquet, she inevitably drank a bit while accompanying Meng Qinghuai.
Although she felt completely sober, to avoid a repeat of what happened before, she had to sleep alone tonight.
Who knew if she might have a delayed drunken reaction and end up clinging to him for more crazy photos?
Their rooms were arranged side by side on the third floor of the Castle. Guan Yingtang said goodnight in a hurry and shut the door without looking back.
The Castle’s bedroom retained a strong European aristocratic style: velvet curtains draped from gilded, carved bedposts, the tables and chairs inlaid with leather, and an entire wall covered with silk-embroidered wallpaper.
After a busy day, Guan Yingtang was actually a bit tired, but after her bath, lying in such a lavish room, she couldn’t fall asleep.
She pulled out her phone, wanting to share her outfit with Jiang Ke, but suddenly remembered the photos were still on Meng Qinghuai’s phone.
So she tapped his avatar and messaged: [Send me the photos you took of me, thanks.]
She waited a few seconds.
Meng Qinghuai replied: [Which time did I take them?]
“…”
Guan Yingtang couldn’t help but suspect him, seriously.
She blinked and immediately sat up in bed, feeling completely exposed—
So, did that mean he hadn’t deleted them?
Guan Yingtang gritted her teeth and hastily, but politely, typed: [The ones from earlier tonight?]
It was as if Meng Qinghuai didn’t see the question. He directly sent over the photos from tonight.
Guan Yingtang: “…”
What did this man mean by that?
Could he really be trusted with her secrets?
Guan Yingtang instantly lost all interest in admiring and sharing her beautiful photos.
She got out of bed and paced around the room, thinking about how to make Meng Qinghuai delete those photos now, immediately, right this second.
Sure, he said he didn’t mind, but who could guarantee those photos wouldn’t be seen by someone else in the future?
What if one day his brother, sister, or family borrowed his phone to take pictures? What if he lost his phone and the photos leaked—
She didn’t even dare to imagine.
Her reputation, built over a lifetime, couldn’t be ruined by a few hundred crazy photos.
Guan Yingtang pondered seriously about a solution.
Should she offer Meng Qinghuai something in exchange?
But what could she give him that he’d actually want? He lacked for nothing.
Or maybe help him switch to a new phone?
But even then, there was no guarantee she’d get the old one.
The more she thought about it, the more impatient she became—
Forget it, instead of leaving the problem to someone else, she might as well solve it herself.
Meng Qinghuai hadn’t avoided her when unlocking his phone today.
She… had accidentally seen his password.
A bold idea quickly formed in her mind.
Although Guan Yingtang thought it was too daring— her heart raced just thinking about it— compared to the risk of those hundreds of embarrassing photos, being bold once in her life didn’t seem so bad.
Having made up her mind, Guan Yingtang took a deep breath and immediately went next door to knock.
The corridor was very quiet late at night. Guan Yingtang waited a long time without anyone opening the door.
She was just about to call Meng Qinghuai when the door opened.
A wave of warm air rushed out.
Guan Yingtang froze for a moment, only to see the man in front of her wearing a white bathrobe, both hands down as he was tying the sash.
Unfortunately, just as he finished tying the knot around his waist, Guan Yingtang caught a glimpse of his body from chest to abdomen.
Taut lines, just the right amount of lean muscle, not an ounce of extra flesh on his abs, and the faint outline of his hip bones.
In the blink of an eye, he had already fastened his robe tightly.
He must have come straight from the bathroom after hearing her knock, otherwise, why would he still be damp?
So alluring.
“Is something wrong?”
Guan Yingtang snapped out of her daze, remembered why she’d come, and cleared her throat. “Can I sleep here with you tonight?”
Meng Qinghuai’s gaze paused, as if surprised by her request. “Why?”
“…You’re the one who said you wanted to experience a honeymoon,” Guan Yingtang had already prepared her excuse before coming. “Or does Mr. Meng think that during a honeymoon, husband and wife should sleep separately?”
As she spoke, she watched Meng Qinghuai’s expression.
Seeing him staring at her, she immediately offered another reason. “Besides, the wind outside is pretty strong, and I don’t know if my room’s window is closed properly— it’s been rattling all night.”