CHAPTER 603: CHAPTER 603: STRANGE AND PECULIAR

"Bear with it for now. I’ll let you go once we get back to the room. I tied you up so tightly because you’re wearing too little today, trying to keep you warm." Xu Ke said.

Lin Mengyao’s cheeks were slightly red. The coldness that had earlier enveloped her seemed to have completely dissipated, leaving her looking much warmer.

Their body heat passed through the clothing between them, gradually warming Lin Mengyao’s somewhat cold body.

Tang Zhongwei walked behind the two, her eyes filled with jealousy at their intimate gestures, as she repeatedly pinched the fabric of her clothes with her fingers.

"You’d better watch where you’re looking. If you keep eyeing my sister and brother-in-law like that, I’ll gouge out your eyes." Yu Xia suddenly appeared beside Tang Zhongwei, looking straight ahead, but her hand, hanging at her side, had already grabbed Tang Zhongwei’s hand. Her cold fingers felt slippery like a snake, startling Tang Zhongwei.

Tang Zhongwei tried to break free but found that Yu Xia’s grip was too strong, leaving her no chance to escape. After a few failed attempts, she gave up.

"I don’t understand why you’re always targeting me. Earlier, Miss Feng was even more overboard, and you didn’t rush to dig out her eyes or cut out her tongue. I just looked once, and you want to kill me. Sister, that’s a bit of a double standard." Tang Zhongwei said with a mocking smile as she looked at Yu Xia.

"You’re different. After all, you’re my sister’s cousin. If you behave, I’ll let you off without punishment, since it’s not easy for someone to appear by my sister’s side. As for that Miss Feng, she’s not related to my sister and brother-in-law, so I don’t need to warn her with words. I’ll just act. I’ll teach her who she can never desire or touch." Yu Xia gave Tang Zhongwei a bright smile, her white teeth gleaming in the sunlight, sending a chill down Tang Zhongwei’s spine.

Yu Xia’s pupils were very dark, so dark that they absorbed all light without any reflection, as though it was being swallowed entirely.

Tang Zhongwei swallowed silently.

Yu Xia was truly eerie! Tang Zhongwei felt as if no matter what she was doing, Yu Xia’s eyes were always watching her, as if planning to bite off a piece of her flesh at any moment.

Yu Xia let go, and Tang Zhongwei quickly walked a few steps, pressing her body as close as possible to Lin Mengyao, unwilling to approach Yu Xia again. She didn’t believe that Yu Xia would dare to reveal her fangs in front of Lin Mengyao.

Tang Zhongwei glanced quietly behind her and found Yu Xia obediently following them, with a familiar pitiful expression. Tang Zhongwei’s tense body finally relaxed a lot.

"What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Are you cold?" Lin Mengyao asked out of concern, noticing Tang Zhongwei’s change.

Tang Zhongwei could clearly sense that as soon as Lin Mengyao asked this question, Yu Xia’s cold gaze fell on her again, as if daring her to say something she didn’t want to hear.

"It must be too cold outside. I’m not dressed warmly enough, so I’m a bit uncomfortable," Tang Zhongwei replied stiffly.

"Well, don’t stay with us. You should hurry inside," Lin Mengyao suggested.

"No need, I’ve almost gotten used to it now. Let’s walk together." Tang Zhongwei said, trying hard to ignore Yu Xia’s gaze behind her and pretending to act as if nothing was wrong.

Seeing that Tang Zhongwei indeed didn’t seem to be troubled, Lin Mengyao felt reassured and nodded without any objections.

When they returned to the living room, Housekeeper Zhao had thoughtfully prepared ginger tea, providing each person with a bowl.

"After you finish drinking, please rest, as it’s getting late." Housekeeper Zhao said with a strict demeanor, downing the contents of his bowl before smiling amiably.

Though he mentioned it was late, it was in fact only nine o’clock in the evening, far from their usual bedtime. However, perhaps due to fatigue, Lin Mengyao indeed felt sleepy and let out a small yawn.

The ginger tea started to take effect, warming Lin Mengyao’s slightly cold body as the ginger spread its heat within her stomach.

"Then let’s go upstairs to rest," Lin Mengyao said, holding Xu Ke’s arm. "You all should head back to your rooms as well; it’s late, and more sleep is good for a girl’s skin." A small smile appeared on Lin Mengyao’s face as she spoke.

Yawning can be contagious. Tang Zhongwei, who initially wanted to chat some more with Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao, also yawned following Lin Mengyao, her eyes misting at the corners, adding a bit more cuteness to her usual appearance.

Even though she felt it was a shame, Tang Zhongwei couldn’t resist the sleepiness overtaking her. She yawned as she walked towards her room, thinking, "Strange, why am I so sleepy today?" Perhaps because her voice was too soft, no one else heard her, though Yu Xia’s eyes flashed as she watched Tang Zhongwei’s back.

In this household, besides Tang Zhongwei, the person most familiar with her was probably Yu Xia, who was always watching her. Yu Xia knew very well that it was far from her usual bedtime, but even she felt a bit drowsy. What was going on?

In the entire house, Xu Ke was likely the only one unaffected. His busy work schedule left him inattentive to the sleep patterns of others in the family, so he didn’t notice anything unusual.

He instead smiled brightly, supporting Lin Mengyao towards their bedroom, his eyes shining like the brightest star in the sky.

Finally, Yu Xia couldn’t help herself and let out a small yawn.

"If you’re tired, go to your room and sleep," Housekeeper Zhao said amiably.

"Okay." Yu Xia didn’t argue, trying to widen her eyes and muster up her energy as she answered before stumbling towards her room.

At the moment she closed the door, the drowsiness in Yu Xia’s eyes faded considerably. Although her eyes were still misty from yawning, her mind was exceptionally clear and alert.

She plucked a strand of her hair and placed it in an inconspicuous spot in the room. Tomorrow, she would see if the hair was still in its place, to determine if anyone had entered her room.

With her precautionary measures in place, Yu Xia finally allowed herself to drift into sleep.

Standing in the living room, Housekeeper Zhao watched everyone leave, the smile on his face seeming to deepen, or maybe it hadn’t changed at all from the beginning—an eerie scene that was somewhat frightening.