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However, the moment the door opened, both of them froze.
Hu Liena was standing not far down the corridor, seemingly having just emerged from her own room.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, she instinctively turned to look.
And when her gaze landed on Zhu Zhuqing, who had just stepped out of Dai Chengfeng's room, a clear flicker of astonishment and suspicion flashed across her alluring fox-like eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing was still wearing the same black outfit from last night. Although her hair had been hastily combed, it lacked the usual meticulousness of her daytime appearance.
And…
She had just come out of Dai Chengfeng's room at this early hour.
For a moment, Hu Liena's gaze swept over Zhu Zhuqing's slightly disheveled hair and lips that seemed redder than usual.
Then, she glanced at Dai Chengfeng behind her—calm and composed but with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes—and revealed an ambiguous, knowing smile.
Under Hu Liena's piercing gaze, Zhu Zhuqing felt deeply uncomfortable, her heart pounding like a drum, her cheeks burning uncontrollably.
She tried to remain calm, but the slight panic in her eyes betrayed her.
"Zhuqing, so early… you're coming out of Dai Chengfeng's room?"
Hu Liena deliberately drew out her words, teasing with a mischievous smile.
"I… I came to wake him up!"
Zhu Zhuqing blurted out almost reflexively, her voice high-pitched and hurried due to nervousness. "Yes! To wake him up!"
"So he wouldn't delay today's schedule!"
This explanation sounded reasonable enough, but combined with her current demeanor and the timing of her appearance, it only made things more suspicious.
Dai Chengfeng stood by, watching his little cat's forced calmness riddled with holes, unable to suppress a chuckle in his heart. However, he maintained a serious expression outwardly as he chimed in:
"Yes, thanks to Zhuqing for waking me up, or I might have overslept."
He even faked a yawn, pretending to have just woken up.
Hu Liena watched the two of them play their parts, her smile widening.
Without calling them out, she simply nodded, her tone playful: "Oh~ So that's how it is."
"Zhuqing is truly… 'dutiful,' isn't she?"
She emphasized the word "dutiful" with extra weight.
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned even redder, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
Unable to bear Hu Liena's teasing gaze any longer, she lowered her head and quickly muttered, "I'll go get ready," before almost fleeing back to her room.
Dai Chengfeng watched Zhu Zhuqing's retreating figure, then met Hu Liena's knowing gaze.
Hu Liena watched Zhu Zhuqing's almost panicked retreat until she disappeared behind her door, then turned her enchanting gaze toward Dai Chengfeng.
With her arms crossed, she leaned lazily against the corridor wall, a sly and teasing smile playing on her lips.
Her eyes scanned Dai Chengfeng up and down, as if searching for any cracks in his composure.
"Dai Chengfeng~"
She drew out the end of her sentence, her voice carrying a unique, bone-melting allure. "So early, and Zhuqing comes out of your room…"
"And look at her—her hair seems a bit messy, her face is flushed like crazy, and her lips even seem fuller than usual?"
"Are you sure she just came to 'wake you up'?"
She emphasized the words "wake you up," her eyes twinkling with suggestive hints.
Faced with Hu Liena's barely concealed teasing, Dai Chengfeng remained as calm as ever.
He even casually adjusted his already wrinkle-free collar before raising his eyes to meet Hu Liena's.
His gaze was calm, even tinged with the laziness of someone who had just woken up.
"Otherwise, what?"
Dai Chengfeng's tone was flat as he countered, "Nana, what do you think we could have possibly done in the room this early?"
"It's just that Zhuqing is very responsible. She was worried I'd be late, so she came early to wake me up."
"As for her blushing…"
He paused, a faint, seemingly helpless smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Perhaps she rushed, or maybe she felt awkward because you were staring at her so intently."
"Aren't girls naturally shy?"
His words were watertight, his expression management impeccable, presenting the perfect image of "the truth is exactly as I said—you're overthinking it."
Hu Liena's delicate eyebrows arched slightly, clearly not entirely buying Dai Chengfeng's "official" explanation.
She took a step closer, bringing with her a faint whiff of fragrance, lowering her voice to make it even more suggestive: "Oh?"
"Just a wake-up call?"
"But from where I'm standing, Zhuqing didn't just look shy. It seemed more like… hmm… the stirrings of springtime?"
"Dai Chengfeng, you didn't do anything 'bad' to our innocent Zhuqing last night, did you?"
Her words were like hooks, teasing at the heartstrings.
Inwardly, Dai Chengfeng sighed at how sharp this vixen was, but outwardly, he remained unfazed, even going so far as to feign a touch of displeasure at being misunderstood, slightly furrowing his brow:
"Nana, watch your words."
"Zhuqing is my fiancée, but some jokes are inappropriate."
His tone was righteous and sincere, leaving no room for doubt, which momentarily caught Hu Liena off guard.
Seizing the opportunity, Dai Chengfeng softened his tone but kept a hint of distance: "I know you're lively and enjoy joking around."
"But Zhuqing is reserved and introverted, unlike you, who is so carefree."
"The way you scrutinized her earlier and made those comments must have made her feel embarrassed. I hope you can be more considerate of her in the future."
At these words, the certainty and teasing in Hu Liena's eyes wavered slightly.
She looked at Dai Chengfeng's calm, even somewhat protective expression, and recalled Zhu Zhuqing's earlier reaction—flushed with embarrassment, nearly fleeing…
Could it be… she had misunderstood?
Perhaps Zhuqing really had just come to wake Dai Chengfeng up, and because she was caught and subjected to such scrutiny and teasing, she became flustered?
Dai Chengfeng's defensive remarks were reasonable…
She began to doubt her own judgment.
After all, although Dai Chengfeng and Zhu Zhuqing were engaged, their interactions, in her view, hadn't reached that level yet.
Moreover, Zhu Zhuqing was known for her aloof self-restraint.
Perhaps…
She had overthought things?
The teasing smirk on Hu Liena's face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of uncertainty.
She studied Dai Chengfeng carefully. His eyes were clear, his expression natural, showing no signs of guilt whatsoever.
"Alright, alright," Hu Liena waved her hand, her tone returning to normal, though now devoid of deliberate teasing. "I guess I spoke out of turn."
"Our Zhuqing is just too shy to handle jokes."
"I'll be more mindful in the future, okay?"
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