Laura Lowell just gave a dazed "Oh."
Aiden Shaw poured her a glass of warm water before heading to the restroom.
Laura Lowell clutched the glass, took several large gulps, and then noticed a phone ringing on the coffee table.
'Hmm, that seems to be my phone... The ringtone sounds the same, too.'
Laura Lowell shook her splitting head, leaned over, and grabbed the phone. Her fingertips fumbled on the screen a few times before the call finally connected.
"What took you so long to answer?"
A woman's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Mom, my head hurts so much... Be quiet. I'm going to sleep with the handsome guy... He's so handsome."
CLACK. Laura Lowell hung up and carelessly tossed the phone onto the coffee table.
The next moment, Aiden Shaw walked out of the restroom. He looked at the girl sprawled messily on the sofa, shook his head with a sense of resignation, and walked over.
'She's certainly carefree.'
Aiden Shaw leaned down. His tall figure cast a long shadow over her, blocking the light. "Hey, get up. If you're going to sleep, go to the guest room."
"Handsome guy..."
Laura Lowell opened her eyes. Her hazy, drowsy gaze fixed unblinkingly on the man just inches away.
Every line of his silhouette seemed as if it were drawn from an ancient scroll—noble, refined, and impossibly elegant.
'God, what a handsome guy.'
So handsome she couldn't look away, utterly captivating.
After staring blankly for a dozen or so seconds, Laura Lowell's soft little hand suddenly hooked around Aiden Shaw's neck, pulling him down slightly.
Instantly, they were so close they could feel each other's breath.
Laura Lowell's lips moved, brushing against Aiden's chiseled mouth like a dandelion seed drifting across a field. "Handsome guy, I want to sleep. My head hurts."
Aiden Shaw's eyes, deep as the vast ocean, narrowed slightly. Then, his long, elegant fingers landed on the girl's waist.
He straightened up, bringing her up from the sofa with him.
Laura Lowell's groggy head rested on Aiden Shaw's shoulder as she breathed in the crisp lavender scent on his clothes.
Upon entering the guest room, Laura Lowell saw the soft double bed. The next second, she released her hands from Aiden Shaw's narrow waist and staggered toward it.
Her hands naturally began to remove her clothes—a light-khaki trench coat, a white dress...
Outside, a light rain was still drizzling. A cool breeze swept in, carrying the fresh scent of rain and rustling the white gauze curtains by the window.
Aiden Shaw strode over, reached out to close the open window, and drew the curtains as well.
When he turned around, Laura Lowell had already taken off her clothes, leaving only her black underwear.
The girl was pulling at the blanket, wrapping herself up tightly from head to toe.
Aiden Shaw glanced at the girl on the bed, his coolly handsome face as placid as ever, revealing no emotion.
He switched on the lamp on the nightstand. Its warm, orange halo illuminated the girl's fair, translucent skin and her delicate, clean features.
"Handsome guy... you're so handsome. I want to... sleep with you."
Laura Lowell mumbled as if talking in her sleep, her soft, sweet voice like a kitten's meow.
Aiden Shaw leaned against the nightstand, one hand in his pocket. His ink-black brows arched slightly, and a faint, inscrutable smile played on his lips.
...
Morning sunlight shone through the white curtains. Laura Lowell raised her hand, and the light streamed through the gaps between her fingers.
Her head now felt like it was about to split open.
She pushed herself up with both hands, and her drowsy gaze slowly came into focus.