Calm Heartbeat

Following Tang Qing to the door of the room, Murong Feng hesitated, his face showing uncertainty as he stopped in his tracks, "Janney, do you need to tidy up first?"

Tang Qing gave him a sidelong glance and laughed, "The housekeeping has already cleaned up. Besides, what could possibly be here that I can't show? There's no need to tidy up." Murong Feng chuckled awkwardly, "Right, I forgot. It feels a bit strange to enter a girl's room."

Tang Qing looked at him irritably, "Murong, do you also feel strange when you enter Ye Zi's room?" After saying that, she realized the ambiguity of the comparison and blushed slightly. Murong Feng dared not say more. The two opened the door and entered the room.

The luxury suite at Zijin Villa is characterized by its rooms being above the water, so the proximity to the lake is virtually zero distance. Opening the door, the entire wall opposite is a panoramic floor-to-ceiling window, outside of which is the shimmering lake surface. Murong Feng was momentarily stunned, as if transported back to the lakeside hotel suite by Taihu Lake a couple of days ago, where he and Ye Zi had passionately intertwined, scenes of endless charm.

Tang Qing walked towards the bedroom in the suite, laughing, "Murong, you can sit for a while. After playing a game of golf, I'm going to take a shower first. By the way, you can also wash up later and then change into new clothes." Murong Feng was taken aback by her words, thinking of saying he would wait in the lobby, but Tang Qing had already entered the bedroom.

After hesitating, Murong Feng felt that leaving now would be too conspicuous, as if he had something to hide. Since he was innocent, there was no need to act so. With this thought, he sat on the sofa, picked up the red wine on the table, and poured himself a glass. After thinking for a moment, he got up to find the room's sound system and played some music, then leisurely picked up his wine glass and faced the window, enjoying the beautiful lake and mountain scenery to the melody.

Footsteps approached the bathroom door, and Tang Qing's clear voice, tinged with laughter, said, "Murong, you're taking good care of yourself, so I won't bother you." With that, the footsteps entered the bathroom, and the sound of the door closing followed. Shortly after, the sound of running water could be heard, and Tang Qing seemed to be in a good mood, as her soft humming blended with the music and the sound of water in the room, faintly discernible.

Murong Feng sipped his red wine calmly, immersed in the music, and captivated by the unparalleled beauty of the landscape at the foot of Zijin Mountain.

Behind him, a stunning beauty was taking a bath, which for most men would be an irresistible temptation. To be allowed to stay in the room while the beauty confidently goes to bathe indicates that she is not resistant to you, and may even like you. It's hard for any man not to be distracted, and Murong Feng was no exception.

But just as his heart slightly wavered, he suddenly remembered a few days ago, after several intimate moments with Ye Zi, when she nestled in his arms and they whispered sweet nothings...

"Murong, you know? Sometimes I'm really scared." Ye Zi turned over and lay on his chest, her slender fingers idly tracing patterns on his broad chest.

Murong Feng gently lifted a few strands of hair that had fallen from her shoulder, and lovingly asked, "Ye Zi, what are you afraid of?" "I'm afraid that you're so outstanding, so many girls will like you! And I'm not as pretty as them. What if you're tempted by another woman and stop liking me? What should I do then!"

Murong Feng laughed and pulled her into his embrace, passionately saying, "Silly girl, how could that happen? My Ye Zi is the most beautiful, kindest, and loveliest woman I've ever seen! No one can compare to you." Ye Zi looked up happily and said something that deeply etched into Murong Feng's heart.

"Murong, I love you! No matter whether you like me or not, and no matter if you end up with another woman, I will always love you!"

Those words sparked another wave of passion between them...

Today, when Murong Feng entered Tang Qing's room and saw the lake view outside the window, Ye Zi's beautiful face, half-smiling, half-scolding, flickered in his mind. Murong Feng's slightly wavering heart quickly sank into the beautiful memories of the past few days, and for a moment, he smiled, completely forgetting the stunning beauty behind him, who was bathing in the sea of temptation.

After a long while, Tang Qing's voice suddenly sounded very close behind him, "Murong, what are you thinking about? So engrossed?" Murong Feng was startled back to reality and turned to smile, "Janney, are you done showering?" He was suddenly stunned.

Tang Qing had just come out of the bath, wearing only a moon-white bathrobe, one hand holding a towel to rub her wet, waist-length black hair. Her face, like the new moon, was tinged with a flush of red, likely from the hot bath, adding a tenfold allure to her already enchanting beauty.

Although Murong Feng remained calm, he was still moved by her stunning appearance at this moment. He then smiled gracefully, "Janney, if the men pursuing you outside saw you like this, they would probably all have nosebleeds. Go change your clothes. I'll also wash up, as I'm indeed a bit tired from playing golf earlier. By the way, when are we going to the cocktail party?"

Tang Qing's eyes flashed with an almost imperceptible hint of disappointment. She could sense Murong Feng's innocence from his words, and she didn't know whether to admire or be annoyed by his composure in such a situation. She smiled as usual, "Alright, after you're done showering, we can go to the restaurant for a bite, and then head straight to the cocktail party." She turned and walked towards the bedroom, continuing to laugh, "Murong, you didn't have a nosebleed, so how do you know those men would?"

Murong Feng was taken aback, shook his head, and chuckled, then went to shower.

The bathroom of the high-end suite at Zijin Villas is divided into two sections, an outer and an inner room. The outer room, connected to the main room, serves as a changing area and has a sink, about 5 square meters. The inner room features a huge walk-in bathtub facing the lake view window, occupying 90% of the space, with a semi-circular corner wall that houses a showerhead. The bathtub's inner wall still had water marks, indicating that Tang Qing had just taken a bubble bath. Seeing a few strands of hair scattered around the bathtub, Murong Feng couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, thinking of Tang Qing's naked body bathing there just moments ago.

He quickly composed himself, hastily rinsed under the showerhead, and then went to the outer room. He had brought a full set of new clothes to the changing area, dried off, and after drying his hair, he changed directly.

Coming out of the bathroom, Tang Qing was already dressed. Murong Feng was surprised to find that despite attending several cocktail parties with her, he had never seen her wear the same outfit twice. At this moment, Tang Qing was wearing a bright red Dormeuil bespoke suit from the fifth generation brand, seemingly tailored specifically for her. She looked stunning.

Murong Feng laughed, "These tailor-made clothes really are pretty. Going all the way to London just for a suit, I can't do something so classy." Tang Qing laughed and patted him, "Alright, you just want to say I'm pretentious. Forget it, I won't argue with a rough-and-tumble guy like you. Shall we go, sir?" Murong Feng smiled and followed Tang Qing out of the room.

Although they didn't spend much time in Tang Qing's room, it was a significant test for Murong Feng. Now that they were leaving, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, feeling much more relaxed and carefree.

In the hotel restaurant, the two casually had some Western food and chatted easily. When the time was right, they strolled towards Villa 6.

Villa 6 was the largest villa at Zijin Villas, with a three-story building and a hall on the first floor that spans nearly 700 square meters. It is often used for events by some government agencies and chambers of commerce in Nanjing. Song Kangnian chose this place for the cocktail party because he also has a stake in Zijin Villas and found the facilities and supporting services here to be good. The layout and service of the cocktail party are directly managed by the manor staff, making it convenient and worry-free. If it were held at his suburban villa, it would be too far and too noisy.

Tang Qing knew the location of Villa 6, and the two chatted as they walked. As they approached, they were stopped by two burly men in black suits, "Excuse me, the front area is a private gathering. Please take a different path for your walk. Thank you!"

Tang Qing smiled, glanced at Murong Feng, and said slowly, "I'm Tang Qing, and this is Mr. Murong Feng. Chairman Song invited us to the cocktail party at Villa 6. May we pass?" The bodyguards were familiar with the guest list, and one of them quickly smiled and nodded, "Miss Tang, my apologies. Please wait a moment, I'll inform the host to come and greet you."

Since the invitations for this cocktail party were somewhat rushed, many guests like Tang Qing and Murong Feng did not receive formal invitations. For security reasons, the bodyguards would notify the host's staff to come and greet them, also to verify their identities. After the bodyguard spoke into the walkie-talkie, Li Zhenjun quickly walked over.

Seeing Murong Feng, he first sighed, "Murong Feng, you've really put me in a tough spot. I just got scolded by my dad because of you." Ignoring the bewildered Murong Feng, he then greeted Tang Qing joyfully, "Haha, Tang Qing, long time no see, beautiful lady! How come you're with Murong Feng?" Tang Qing, having chatted with Murong Feng earlier, knew about their history and laughed, "Mr. Li, Murong and I are good friends. I heard you two have a love-hate relationship?"

Li Zhenjun coughed awkwardly a few times, then laughed, "Yes, yes... By the way, how come you two walked here? Murong Feng, you didn't sell my car again, did you?" Murong Feng saw his interesting expression and laughed, "How could I? I think besides me, no one else would want to buy your car for 1 million." Tang Qing added, "I'm staying in a suite here, so close, why would we need to drive?"

The three chatted as they walked into the villa.

Although Li Zhenjun wanted to chat more with the two, as one of the hosts, he had too many guests and friends to receive, and soon he was too busy to be seen.

Murong Feng looked around; the villa had been redecorated. Luxurious furniture was scattered around, and a large space in the middle was set up with various food and drinks. The room, with a height of nearly 7 meters, had no pillars, giving it an exceptionally luxurious and grand appearance. The exquisite decorations and elegant piano playing created an atmosphere of elegance and nobility.

There were already some people present, mostly figures from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang business community, not very tall, and speaking with the local Jiangsu and Zhejiang dialect, which was a soft and gentle tone. The women they brought were all dressed up and competing in beauty, mostly wearing elegant and bright attire.

Murong Feng didn't know anyone and noticed a lakeside balcony on one side of the hall, so he wanted to call Tang Qing. However, Tang Qing saw someone and gestured to Murong Feng before walking over. A woman in a nude-colored long chiffon dress saw Tang Qing and greeted her with a big hug, full of surprise: "Janney, why are you in Nanjing!" Murong Feng shook his head, thinking of Tang Qing's wide circle of friends! He walked towards the balcony.

The lakeside balcony was empty, about 50 square meters, extending over the lake, with the majestic Zijin Mountain standing across the lake in the distance. As night fell, the cold moonlight cast a clear glow, painting the balcony and nearby lake surface with the same pale moonlight, evoking a sense of loneliness. Backlit by the brightly lit hall, the lake rippled gently, appearing tranquil and serene.

Murong Feng leaned against the balcony railing, feeling the lake water surge beneath him, took out a cigarette, and was about to light it when he heard a familiar cold voice above him, "A-Pei, how can you think like that? Isn't love the most important thing for a woman?"

Eh, isn't that the cold team leader, Li Suyan?