CHAPTER 82: SO THIS IS A MAN’S ....

Before long, Mina truly fell silent. Jake followed the instructions, turning off the lights and lowering the air conditioning. Cautiously, he used his ability to probe inner voices to check Sister Mina’s thoughts, but they were as still as a deep pool, with no emotional fluctuations whatsoever.

"True, why should I, a grown man, panic?" Jake took a deep breath, steadying his heartbeat.

Using the faint light from his phone, he groped his way onto the bed, lying with his back to Sister Mina.

The bed was a standard single-size bed, wider than those in student dormitories, with railings on both sides against the wall. It was spacious enough for two people, and Jake even left a gap between them.

Mina had been waiting quietly, though she too felt a flicker of anticipation. She was suppressing her true emotions, a skill her brother had taught her—revealing too much in the workplace was a fatal mistake. After years of honing her professionalism, Mina had mastered the art of restraint, which was why Jake couldn’t detect any traces of her inner turmoil.

When Jake’s masculine body slipped under the covers, Mina immediately felt a wave of scorching energy radiate against her back, and the temperature beneath the blankets rose abruptly.

Men were yang by nature, exuding heat even in winter. This was Mina’s first time experiencing it.

Once in bed, Jake turned off his phone and closed his eyes. The mature, alluring fragrance of Sister Mina drifted over, and the thought of his charming, domineering boss lying beside him made him tense up, curling his limbs tightly together.

It was an overcast night, with not a sliver of moonlight. The room was pitch black, so dark that one couldn’t see their own hand in front of their face.

The warm air from the air conditioner blew steadily as the man and woman lay back-to-back on the bed.

Savannah was unique—its autumn and winter temperatures were two or three degrees colder than other cities. Jake usually didn’t turn on the air conditioner until winter, but fearing that Sister Mina’s delicate body might not be used to the chill, he decided to turn it on early.

The room temperature gradually rose.

Jake’s taut nerves slowly relaxed, and his limbs loosened up. Occasionally, if he accidentally brushed against Sister Mina’s back, he would reflexively pull away.

To fall asleep, Jake used the rapid sleep technique taught by his father-in-law—counting sheep. By the time he reached 863, drowsiness finally crept in, and his eyelids began to droop.

"Rustle..." In the darkness, something soft was hung on the railing at the head of the bed.

Jake didn’t react at all. Another minute passed, and his heavy breathing began to fill the room.

"Boys at this age really sleep this soundly?" Mina opened her eyes, silently grumbling in frustration.

Had Jake held on a little longer, he would have heard Sister Mina’s soul-crushing question:

With such a stunning beauty lying beside you, how could you just fall asleep?

Her index finger scratched the wall restlessly. The heat under the covers only amplified Mina’s restlessness. She had already taken off her fleece-lined leggings, but the inner fire refused to subside.

Mina found herself in an awkward position—she was like a penned lamb, confined to the inner side of the bed near the wall. Hearing Jake’s steady breathing, she steeled herself and boldly turned over.

Though she could only make out the vague outline of Jake’s head in the darkness, it was enough for Mina. She refused to let this exceptional man slip through her fingers again.

Jake’s looks, personality, competence, and self-control were all exactly Mina’s type. At first, she had thought he was merely a substitute for her brother, but the more she got to know him, the more that notion vanished.

Mina could confidently say she liked Jake for who he was!

Admittedly, Mina was a picky woman—otherwise, she wouldn’t have rejected Sister Yana’s well-intentioned matchmaking—but she was also true to her heart. Around Jake, her heartstrings always inexplicably trembled.

Since becoming aware of romantic relationships, Mina had never been with a man. That’s right—until today, she was still a virgin.

Her personality was one of confidence, even arrogance. Her brother’s untimely death had forged her into a fiercely independent woman who relied on no one. She had entered Shigella through Sister Yana’s connections, though back then, her placement in the sales department was a waste of her talents.

Once she started working, her formidable abilities became undeniable. In just two years, she ousted the original department head. At first, a few defiant employees resisted, but within days, she had them all whipped into shape. Before long, her nickname "The Witch" spread like wildfire behind her back.

Later, she even defied upper management to establish the very selection competition Jake was now participating in.

Her outstanding performance and massive sales figures ultimately won over the executives.

It could be said that Shigella’s success owed much to Mina.

But now, the man she liked was right in front of her, and for the first time, she felt hesitation and nervousness.

The overwhelming masculine pheromones made Mina’s usually unshakeable confidence waver.

But who was she? The Witch! Soon, Mina mustered her courage and reached out with her left hand, gently stroking Jake’s broad back. Her fingertips traced along his spine, then her fingers, until her entire palm pressed against him. The sense of security and solidity made Mina think, for the first time, that having a reliable boyfriend might not be so bad.

Just as she was about to take things further, Jake suddenly turned over, his right arm flopping haphazardly over her. He mumbled something under his breath, startling her.

His handsome face was hidden in the darkness, his breathing still steady, but Mina’s breaths grew heavier and uneven.

If the lights were on, their current position would look incredibly intimate.

Mina lay on her side, her right arm pillowing her head, her knees bent and pressed against Jake’s thigh. Jake also lay on his side, closer to Mina than when he was awake, his entire right arm draped over her body.

His face was so close to hers that their breaths mingled.

They looked like a married couple sharing a bed, enjoying the quiet comfort of lying together.

The dark night concealed Mina’s flushed cheeks.

Realizing Jake was still fast asleep, Mina pouted and whispered, "You really can sleep through anything, you big dummy."

After the reprimand, she still felt unsatisfied, so she mischievously pinched Jake’s nose, not letting go until he began to struggle for breath. But the big lazy oaf still didn’t wake up.

Frustrated, Mina lost interest. Just as she was about to sleep, her knee bumped against something thick and rod-like.

"Could it be...?" Mina wondered.

To confirm her suspicion, she slid her hand under the covers, following her knee to the general area.

Her delicate fingers groped blindly in the dark until suddenly, they brushed against that scorching, massive pillar of flesh.

Her hand jerked back as if stung by a scorpion. Her mind reeled as she tried to picture the monstrous shape.

She murmured under her breath, "So this is a man’s penis?"